Around the NHL: Part XVIII

[LokiDog]

McDavid (51) and Draisaitl (50) have now combined for 101 points with time remaining in their 29th game of the year. Our top 5 players have combined for 104 so far. Pastrnak and Marchand are the next closest duo with 85 points. Just insane.

 

[bobbop]

I don’t think the Rangers can continue to play three lines and spot the fourth line. The Rangers don’t necessarily need to roll four lines but they need a fourth line they can throw out for 11-13 minutes per game.

I believe that in the next couple of weeks, the Rangers may be looking for a veteran fourth line forward with some penalty killing expertise. The PK can use another hand on deck. They could use someone who knows their way around the league. The defense is settled for the moment. The bottom of the forward ranks needs a little more help. (Good lord, why didn’t they sign Brian Boyle?.)

 

[darko]

Avalanche are fantastic. So much talk about Makar everyone has already forgot about Girard, who is also quite good. Johnson is a very solid veteran who can still play. Zadorov has his lapses but is an intimidating option and when he’s on is quite good. Cole is another good versatile vet. Byram joining that group will be scary. The depth at forward is good and Kaut, Bowers and Newhook are in the pipeline. Guys like Calvert and Compher are guys you win playoff games with. It’s really going to come down to Grubauer.

I suppose that's what happens when you draft top-5 for years.

 

[darko]

McDavid (51) and Draisaitl (50) have now combined for 101 points with time remaining in their 29th game of the year. Our top 5 players have combined for 104 so far. Pastrnak and Marchand are the next closest duo with 85 points. Just insane.

If the season ended today I don't see how 1 of McDavid or Drai don't win the MVP.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I suppose that's what happens when you draft top-5 for years.

lol for real. Team was irrelevant for a decade, and an absolute disaster for some of those years. So yeah hurray for them.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

If the season ended today I don't see how 1 of McDavid or Drai don't win the MVP.

if both players on the same line are deserving of MVP then neither of them is. They can share the Lindsay.

 

[Cassano]

If the season ended today I don't see how 1 of McDavid or Drai don't win the MVP.

same reason MacKinnon was punished by voters for playing with Rantanen in 2018 when he had less Hart Trophy votes than Hall despite being better.

Hart Trophy is basically let's choose the guy who's done the most they can with less, not the best player. Oh and make sure the team makes the playoffs.

 

[Maximus]

If the season ended today I don't see how 1 of McDavid or Drai don't win the MVP.

You know where I stand on this one as I think it's got to be MacKinnon.

McDavid and Draisaitle will sap votes from one another leaving MacK the only other possibility standing. Not like he's not deserving of it either considering all the injury issues Colorado has gone thru and his basically carrying the Avalanche on his back with yes some help from Makar but it's mostly MacK who drives this train.

We'll see what happens but I'd bet a fair chunk of my mortgage that MacK gets the Hart this year especially cause he was robbed the year Hall won it...yeah I said it...lol

 

[darko]

You know where I stand on this one as I think it's got to be MacKinnon.

McDavid and Draisaitle will sap votes from one another leaving MacK the only other possibility standing. Not like he's not deserving of it either considering all the injury issues Colorado has gone thru and his basically carrying the Avalanche on his back with yes some help from Makar but it's mostly MacK who drives this train.

We'll see what happens but I'd bet a fair chunk of my mortgage that MacK gets the Hart this year especially cause he was robbed the year Hall won it...yeah I said it...lol

There's also this Pastrnak guy.

 

[LokiDog]

I suppose that's what happens when you draft top-5 for years.

Eh, only Mack, Landeskog and Makar are top 5 picks on that roster. Bowen will be another but that wasn’t their pick, that was from trade. Rantanen and Jost were 10th overall. The rest of the roster has been put together by Sakic, pretty effectively. He acquired Girard, Cole, Zadorov, the pick that became Bowen, Kadri, Burakovsky, Donskoi, Calvert and Grubauer as well as the lesser depth like Graves and Nichushkin.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

If the season ended today I don't see how 1 of McDavid or Drai don't win the MVP.

Wouldn't they cancel each other out in the race for MVP?

 

[darko]

Wouldn't they cancel each other out in the race for MVP?

10-7-5-3-1 system at the end of the season by each voter so nope. If it was game by game then yes they would.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

10-7-5-3-1 system at the end of the season by each voter so nope. If it was game by game then yes they would.

That's not what I mean. A lot of people feel that the MVP should be the person who carries his team. If a team has 2 stars, neither of them is carrying his team as much as for instance Panarin would do for the Rangers

 

[GAGLine]

same reason MacKinnon was punished by voters for playing with Rantanen in 2018 when he had less Hart Trophy votes than Hall despite being better.

Hart Trophy is basically let's choose the guy who's done the most they can with less, not the best player. Oh and make sure the team makes the playoffs.

And yet Thornton won over Jagr back in 2005-06. If you compare those rosters, Thornton had a lot more help than Jagr did.

 

[darko]

That's not what I mean. A lot of people feel that the MVP should be the person who carries his team. If a team has 2 stars, neither of them is carrying his team as much as for instance Panarin would do for the Rangers

Panarin can carry the team and put up 100 points but McDavid and Drai are on pace for around 140. It'd be silly to vote for anyone else if those 2 keep up that pace. JMO

 

[darko]

same reason MacKinnon was punished by voters for playing with Rantanen in 2018 when he had less Hart Trophy votes than Hall despite being better.

Hart Trophy is basically let's choose the guy who's done the most they can with less, not the best player. Oh and make sure the team makes the playoffs.

The difference between Mac and Hall was 4 points. McDavid and Drai could end up 20+ points more than the next best guy.

 

[kovazub94]

Sakic did really well in the last 2-3 seasons building both the roster and prospects pipeline.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Sakic did really well in the last 2-3 seasons building both the roster and prospects pipeline.

We're still waiting for them to pick a decent player outside the top-10

 

[Edge]

We're still waiting for them to pick a decent player outside the top-10

Which is still the same problem plaguing Edmonton --- which is a big reason they don't have a ton of depth.

Essentially what Colorado and Edmonton have done is suck long enough, and have enough high picks pan out, that they can move forward. I don't think it's a particularly strong strategy, nor do I think it's a sustainable one.

Until Colorado can find talent beyond the top 12, or consistently in rounds outside the first, they're going to struggle with depth. Additionally, they can be as shrewd as they want in negotiations, but deals aren't going to get done for the C-level talent they've consistently churned out when picking outside their sweet spot. At some point, they're going to have to move forward.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Which is still the same problem plaguing Edmonton --- which is a big reason they don't have a ton of depth.

Essentially what Colorado and Edmonton have done is suck long enough, and have enough high picks pan out, that they can move forward. I don't think it's a particularly strong strategy, nor do I think it's a sustainable one.

Until Colorado can find talent beyond the top 12, or consistently in rounds outside the first, they're going to struggle with depth. Additionally, they can be as shrewd as they want in negotiations, but deals aren't going to get done for the C-level talent they've consistently churned out when picking outside their sweet spot. At some point, they're going to have to move forward.

It seems early but it looks like they have a good one with Newhook. Although he's still a 1st round pick

I'm a bit jealous the trade talks with them fell through, Newhook in our system would be amazing

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Which is still the same problem plaguing Edmonton --- which is a big reason they don't have a ton of depth.

Essentially what Colorado and Edmonton have done is suck long enough, and have enough high picks pan out, that they can move forward. I don't think it's a particularly strong strategy, nor do I think it's a sustainable one.

Until Colorado can find talent beyond the top 12, or consistently in rounds outside the first, they're going to struggle with depth. Additionally, they can be as shrewd as they want in negotiations, but deals aren't going to get done for the C-level talent they've consistently churned out when picking outside their sweet spot. At some point, they're going to have to move forward.

The last player picked outside the top-10 who played 100+ games for Colorado is Tyson Barrie, and that was the 2009 draft

 

[NYR Viper]

We're still waiting for them to pick a decent player outside the top-10

Newhook looks pretty good

 

[Edge]

It seems early but it looks like they have a good one with Newhook. Although he's still a 1st round pick

I'm a bit jealous the trade talks with them fell through, Newhook in our system would be amazing

Colorado, and to a lesser extent Sakic, is at the point where they should/need to start producing depth.

The challenge for them, is that anything pre-2017 doesn't seem to be charging in over the horizon, and even if Timmons (2017) and Newhook (2019) reverse that trend, it's going to take a few years.

What they will have is a lot of top-end, high-impact talent --- especially when Byram joins Makar in the show.

But Kaut has struggled, Jost hasn't met expectations and the high water mark for non first round picks is still Butcher from six years ago --- and he's playing in the swamp as we speak.

Unfortunately for them, the lack of results via the draft is going to cost them at some point. Because it's quite likely that they're going to need to move bodies at some point for depth.

Otherwise they run the risk of falling into the trap that a lot of teams have fallen into over the past decade: not having the depth to push balanced teams in the playoffs, and overly relying on high-end skill to carry the team. In turn, they fall in love with that high-end skill and get heartburn about moving one of those guys for two or three less flashy pieces.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Newhook looks pretty good

And maybe in 4 years we can say they finally drafted a decent player outside the top 10 when he makes the team

 

[Edge]

The last player picked outside the top-10 who played 100+ games for Colorado is Tyson Barrie, and that was the 2009 draft

And the most productive of their non lottery picks this past decade is currently playing in New Jersey.

Looking through their picks over a ten year span, it's almost painful...