Around The NHL Part XXX

[Ruggs225]

I am excited to have more divisional games. There are too few with the current schedule. Hope they stick to something similar where the east plays the west less after this year.

maybe you only play the west 1 time a year. To make it “fair” have one division home against another division in full. Ex: metro is home against the west for all games (8) but is home against central for all games (8). The northeast would be the opposite. Then we dont have to have 32 games against the western conference which is ridiculous and waters down divisional and conference play

 

[ElLeetch]

Did I read that correctly that we would play Boston 8 f*cking times?

Hank 8 times?

F***.

Rivalries are going to be so lit up after this whacked out season.

Lafreniere-Raty-Kakko will be a nice first line though.

 

[Richard Banger]

Pitt will always be a threat as long as Crosby Malkin and Letang are on that team.

 

[ecemleafs]

Lafreniere-Raty-Kakko will be a nice first line though.

this year doesnt seem to be a year to win the lottery. laf zibs kakko though....we won the lottery twice. lets win the cup now!

 

[PuckLuck3043]

It's going to be another crazy year. Strap in. I'm not going to whine if we are in the toughest division. It is what it is. I just want to see hockey again in January. LGR!!

 

[Tawnos]

Wow is that article exaggerated.

The Rangers exchanged Pittsburgh and Columbus for Boston and Buffalo.

Doesn't seem all that different to me?

 

[East Coast Bias]

What? No. The normal divisions are aligned by time zone for a good reason. Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto fans would have away games starting at 10 PM consistently under this system. Only Montreal fans deserve that fate. And how would you do the conferences? East/Central and West/Canada? East/Canada and West/Central? Either way you have interconference matchups going across the continent.

Simple. You abolish time zones.

Time Zoneless start times

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Lafreniere-Raty-Kakko will be a nice first line though.

Power - Trouba even better

 

[Thirty One]

Simple. You abolish time zones.

Time Zoneless start times

OK, set your clocks back 3 hours to practice.

 

[ElLeetch]

Simple. You abolish time zones.

Time Zoneless start times

I've been in the far west side of China, where the entire nation is on Beijing's clock. the hours of sun-up are odd to get used to.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I've been in the far west side of China, where the entire nation is on Beijing's clock. the hours of sun-up are odd to get used to.

Yeah, that really messes with your biological clock

 

[Shesterkybomb]

While its doubtful they would keep these divisions i do hope they put more focus on rivalries in the league by playing multiple games in areas when they travel there.

 

[apoptygma]

Wondering what TBL will do to solve their cap issues. Last thing they tried was to waive T. Johnson, but nobody tok him. As it stands now they look to go into the season without Sergachev and Cirelli. They have no other way to shed cap then trades, but nothing in progress from what I can gather on the TBL board.

 

[LokiDog]

A season of all in division play may be awkward and get stale but could actually be great for the league long term. Stoke the fires of rivalry and get some genuine bad blood going again. League needs it.

 

[Tawnos]

Wondering what TBL will do to solve their cap issues. Last thing they tried was to waive T. Johnson, but nobody tok him. As it stands now they look to go into the season without Sergachev and Cirelli. They have no other way to shed cap then trades, but nothing in progress from what I can gather on the TBL board.

I think there are a lot of teams in a holding pattern right now. Once we have full clarity on the plan for the season and when that will happen, I think there will be some more urgency to solve these kinds of things.

 

[Thirty One]

A season of all in division play may be awkward and get stale but could actually be great for the league long term. Stoke the fires of rivalry and get some genuine bad blood going again. League needs it.

If it's a 60ish game season, it would only be about 9 games per team, which isn't outrageous. What I think would really build the rivalries is the series format.

 

[n8]

covid hitting Vegas and Columbus now. You get the feeling it will make the rounds to a few other teams before the season starts. Actually, it hit Toronto too, right? Matthews? And I wanna say one other team like Florida, Tampa, and/or Arizona

 

[Thirty One]

covid hitting Vegas and Columbus now. You get the feeling it will make the rounds to a few other teams before the season starts. Actually, it hit Toronto too, right? Matthews? And I wanna say one other team like Florida, Tampa, and/or Arizona

Tampa was hit by Covid. Is Covid actually good?

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Tampa was hit by Covid. Is Covid actually good?

St Louis too, and then when they were eliminated they cited it as a factor into them getting eliminated

 

[leetch99]

Pitt will always be a threat as long as Crosby Malkin and Letang are on that team.

They will be dangerous...somewhat of a threat but certainly not like they were before . I would love Crosby on the Rangers but we could likely never afford him . I wonder how many more seasons he can produce at an above average level ? When does he enter Ron Francis like seasons ? Geesh...one can dream...

 

[leetch99]

Wow is that article exaggerated.

The Rangers exchanged Pittsburgh and Columbus for Boston and Buffalo.

Doesn't seem all that different to me?

I'd say it is actually easier....Bruins trending down and Sabres treading water...

 

[RangerBoy]

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote the NHL will likely have the old Patrick Division playoff format. First place team plays fourth place. Second place plays third place. He spoke to some NHL people and they believe this format will be used for 2021. Cuts down on travel and teams will play exclusively in their division. Makes sense.

Boston will make the playoffs. Carolina is a very good team. Philadelphia is a very good team. Washington is similar to Boston. Their players are getting older. The Caps should be good enough to make the playoffs. The Islanders might be better than the Rangers. The sum of their parts is better than the actual parts. The Islanders couldn't keep up with the Rangers in some of those games.

The Rangers will need their young guys to take a big step. We know what the veterans can do. The Rangers need Filip Chytil to take the next step. Kaapo Kakko was better in the Carolina series. Alexis Lafrenière. A full year of Igor Shesterkin.

Getting another top ten pick won't be so bad. More cap space next summer. More time to evaluate their players.

 

[BKGooner]

Can they call them the Adams, Patrick, Norris and Smythe just for nostalgia?

 

[kovazub94]

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote the NHL will likely have the old Patrick Division playoff format. First place team plays fourth place. Second place plays third place. He spoke to some NHL people and they believe this format will be used for 2021. Cuts down on travel and teams will play exclusively in their division. Makes sense.

Boston will make the playoffs. Carolina is a very good team. Philadelphia is a very good team. Washington is similar to Boston. Their players are getting older. The Caps should be good enough to make the playoffs. The Islanders might be better than the Rangers. The sum of their parts is better than the actual parts. The Islanders couldn't keep up with the Rangers in some of those games.

The Rangers will need their young guys to take a big step. We know what the veterans can do. The Rangers need Filip Chytil to take the next step. Kaapo Kakko was better in the Carolina series. Alexis Lafrenière. A full year of Igor Shesterkin.

Getting another top ten pick won't be so bad. More cap space next summer. More time to evaluate their players.

The Rangers should be in the mix. Making play-offs would be a good step forward. Missing it while being a bubble team until the end won't make the season a failure.

Personally I think they will be good enough to make it. Young teams are capable of the biggest year-over-year improvements and our youngsters are among the most talented in the peer group. Boston, Washington and to some extent Philadelphia likely to stay about the same but as veteran teams will have an increased risk of underperforming. And from goaltending perspective I'd probably put money on Shesterkin vs any other goalie in our division. Fully acknowledge sounding like a homer.

 

[Barnaby]

I’d love to see them make the playoffs, but if they’re still playing meaningful hockey in the last 5-8 games then I’ll take that as a win assuming the young guys are all trending up. If they do slip into the playoffs then I think it’s largely on the back of Shesterkin.

If you figure the Canes and Bruins are a lock then they have to finish above two of the Isles, Flyers, and Caps.