OT: Around the NHL: The Countdown to Camp

[Farnham4top6]

Bigger ice just slows down the pace of the game.

I don't know bandy is much faster and hockey and their ice is 5 times as big as a hockey rink.

I think teams should be able to choose anything from the current to slightly bigger then International ice. It would make the game more dynamic with different ice sizes and would make home ice really matter.

 

[Penguinator]

I don't know bandy is much faster and hockey and their ice is 5 times as big as a hockey rink.

I think teams should be able to choose anything from the current to slightly bigger then International ice. It would make the game more dynamic with different ice sizes and would make home ice really matter.

Too late for that as the opportunity to use bigger surfaces was ignored when most of the old arenas had to relocate to new buildings a long while ago.

Call me crazy but i've always wanted to see how the game would play out on an OVAL shaped surface.

Maybe in the year 3000 they'll use a rotating sphere with artificial gravity?

Yeah, i'm bored.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

As the next couple of years go by, Crosby and Malkin's contract will only keep looking better and better!!!

 

[Shady Machine]

Ovechkin/Backstrom, Crosby/Kessel, Saad/Johansen, Voracek/Giroux, Tavares/Okposo.

Some serious duos in this division.

I think you meant Malkin/Kessel

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I think you meant Malkin/Kessel

Crosby-Malkin, even better!

 

[themethod7]

Come on man. Voracek could've won the Art Ross this season.

And? Jonathan Cheechoo was the same age as Voracek when he won the Rocket Richard, and we know how that turned out. Now I don't think Voracek is a flash in the pan (and I'm certainly not suggesting his career will take the same path as Cheechoo), but I'd say there's at least a non-insignificant chance that he falls back to earth and ultimately fails to live up to that contract; just look at the last 10 years of the league and you'll see plenty of guys who fall into that category. He's trending in the right direction, he's got a great center in Giroux, all I'm saying is there's no guarantee that his numbers continues to climb year after year like some Philly fans are suggesting. Personally, I think he maintains his current production for the next 3 years or so and stays in the top 10, top 20 as far as wingers go, but I think by year 4 or 5 that contract starts looking quite a bit worse.

 

[mpp9]

I think you meant Malkin/Kessel

Nope.

 

[Shady Machine]

Nope.

Well you should have.

 

[mpp9]

Well you should have.

Na. I want Kessel with Sid. Was one of the few not freaking out over the Neal trade b/c Hornqvist is a better player. And PH is absolutely a great fit with Sid. But he's a complementary player and not someone you prioritize over an elite player like Kessel.

I want Sid and Kessel together to start. And then adjust from there.

 

[Shady Machine]

Na. I want Kessel with Sid. Was one of the few not freaking out over the Neal trade b/c Hornqvist is a better player. And PH is absolutely a great fit with Sid. But he's a complementary player and not someone you prioritize over an elite player like Kessel.

I want Sid and Kessel together to start. And then adjust from there.

Hornqvist is not a better player than Neal. I'd say they are comparable quality players, just different.

Anyway, I think Kessel with Malkin is a better fit than with Sid PLUS Hornqvist and Sid had chemistry. So you win twice IMO.

Also, I don't understand this statement: "But he's a complementary player and not someone you prioritize over an elite player like Kessel". How is putting Kessel with Malkin prioritizing Hornqvist over Kessel? Malkin is every bit the playmaker Crosby is.

 

[mpp9]

Hornqvist is not a better player than Neal. I'd say they are comparable quality players, just different.

Anyway, I think Kessel with Malkin is a better fit than with Sid PLUS Hornqvist and Sid had chemistry. So you win twice IMO.

Also, I don't understand this statement: "But he's a complementary player and not someone you prioritize over an elite player like Kessel". How is putting Kessel with Malkin prioritizing Hornqvist over Kessel? Malkin is every bit the playmaker Crosby is.

You dont deny Sid an elite winger b/c he plays well with a lesser player. Again, see how Perron and PH look with Malkin. Experiment.

I dont like people nailing PH to Crosby's hip. Not now.

 

[Freeptop]

I wonder what percentage of Slovenia's GDP Kopitar's next deal will be...I'm guessing 4%.

According to google, Slovenia's GDP is currently about 24 billion USD. If he gets 10M, that would be about 0.04% of Slovenia's GDP. So you were only off by two decimal places! For hyperbole, that's remarkably accurate!

(What can I say, I suddenly got curious).

 

[tom_servo]

And? Jonathan Cheechoo was the same age as Voracek when he won the Rocket Richard, and we know how that turned out. Now I don't think Voracek is a flash in the pan (and I'm certainly not suggesting his career will take the same path as Cheechoo), but I'd say there's at least a non-insignificant chance that he falls back to earth and ultimately fails to live up to that contract; just look at the last 10 years of the league and you'll see plenty of guys who fall into that category. He's trending in the right direction, he's got a great center in Giroux, all I'm saying is there's no guarantee that his numbers continues to climb year after year like some Philly fans are suggesting. Personally, I think he maintains his current production for the next 3 years or so and stays in the top 10, top 20 as far as wingers go, but I think by year 4 or 5 that contract starts looking quite a bit worse.

Maybe, but $8 mill is starting to look like $6 mill from a couple years ago

If he's a perennial all star through most of it, it'll be earned.

 

[plaidchuck]

8 mm for a 20 goal scorer just looks funny. But that's what you get if you can put up 80 points in this league nowadays.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Come on man. Voracek could've won the Art Ross this season.

He's a deadly player.

Yeah I think that comparison was a little nuts. Voracek is easily a level above someone like Perron. Not really comparable.

 

[tom_servo]

8 mm for a 20 goal scorer just looks funny. But that's what you get if you can put up 80 points in this league nowadays.

I would say he's a Kessel caliber player, who's getting paid under a higher cap than Kessel did.

 

[BHD]

If only Kessel was less selfish and stopped scoring so many goals.

 

[Shady Machine]

You dont deny Sid an elite winger b/c he plays well with a lesser player. Again, see how Perron and PH look with Malkin. Experiment.

I dont like people nailing PH to Crosby's hip. Not now.

Same applies to Malkin. You are denying him an elite winger to play with a lesser player he didn't have chemistry with. But yea I hope they experiment in camp and first 10'games to find the right fit and then stick with it.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I actually hope they don't stick with a full time set of lines. Play matchups. Change things up if we start to slump a bit. The style of play of our sets of top 6 wings is going to be incredibly different. If a team is having success stopping them, switch the wings. Give each of their matchups an entirely different game to defend against.

We should be able to do similar in the bottom 6. Including bumping guys up and down between the bottom 6 and the LW across from Kessel. Maybe you need some speed and give Dupuis a shift or two there. Maybe you know they have a D who tends to shy away from hits and you throw Plotnikov there.

We have good enough wings that we have more than one legitimately good option for setting up every single line. I hope we take advantage of that.

 

[Asuna]

I actually hope they don't stick with a full time set of lines. Play matchups. Change things up if we start to slump a bit. The style of play of our sets of top 6 wings is going to be incredibly different. If a team is having success stopping them, switch the wings. Give each of their matchups an entirely different game to defend against.

That would require actual coaching.

 

[Ogrezilla]

That would require actual coaching.

that could be a problem, yes

 

[Asuna]

that could be a problem, yes

Nah it seemed like Johnston would play matchups more than Bylsma did. But he was also married to line combos for too long. I hope he can adjust that this season.

 

[Shockmaster]

Yeah I think that comparison was a little nuts. Voracek is easily a level above someone like Perron. Not really comparable.

It's a valid comparison if last season was just a fluke for Voracek. He's closer to Perron than he is Kessel or Perry.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Nah it seemed like Johnston would play matchups more than Bylsma did. But he was also married to line combos for too long. I hope he can adjust that this season.

here's hoping.

 

[Penguinator]

For what it's worth, MJ said he'd stick to what works.