Sportsnet Elliotte Friedman's " 32 Thoughts " ( April 20 - 2024 )

[BostonBob]

The good news is that Friedman put out his first " 32 Thoughts " column since January 4th and he actually remembered that there are some teams that don't play out of Toronto.

4. I can only imagine how tired Tanev is of this, already. There are a lot of teams interested in him, but it’s a unique market. There are teams who aren’t ready to win this year, but are determined to be a playoff team next year (Ottawa). There are teams who aren’t yet sure if rentals make sense for them (New Jersey). There are teams who like him but find it tricky cap-wise and trade-wise (Boston, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver). I suspect Dallas lurks, which makes a lot of sense. Undoubtedly, there are others I’m missing. He’s the Taylor Swift of trade deadline coverage.

14. Boston is another team that, like Toronto, will be careful about futures. Even with Charlie Coyle’s surge, the Bruins took a run at Elias Lindholm, but last year’s “all-in” push meant they couldn’t (and wouldn’t) offer anything close to what Vancouver did. The Bruins, I believe, were the team that wanted an extension with Lindholm, too. If he hits the free agent market, he’s a target.

26. Sounds like the Four Nations Faceoff plan will be a break from Feb. 10-21, 2025 to hold the event. David Pastrnak wasn’t the only player to register his disappointment about not being included. While league and union officials were sympathetic, they felt it was more important to get the international calendar started.


Full column: 32 Thoughts: Where will the Coyotes call home after Mullett Arena?

 

[BostonBob]

How Auston Matthews is scoring at better than a 70-goal pace

With goals 50 and 51 on Wednesday night, Auston Matthews seems a great bet to score 70 goals this season and, possibly, go well over that mark. Adam Vingan looks at where, and how, Matthews is finding his goals in 2023-24.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[DKH]

Matthews no EN goals

His shot cones in so close to body it’s gotta be tough

If healthy he’s a serious candidate for retiring all time record

He needs a Cup someday in Toronto - anywhere else doesn’t do it for me

 

[HustleB]

Matthews no EN goals

His shot cones in so close to body it’s gotta be tough

If healthy he’s a serious candidate for retiring all time record

He needs a Cup someday in Toronto - anywhere else doesn’t do it for me

Arizona would count for me if that's where his heart were and he were still elite while accomplishing the feat.

 

[BostonBob]

Friedman takes a look at how each team might handle the upcoming NHL trade deadline:

Boston Bruins: The phrase “hockey deals” has been thrown around with the Bruins. They don’t have much high-end draft capital, but they do have players. So it makes sense that if they’re going to make changes, it will involve their NHL roster or those close to it. The reason you’re hearing Linus Ullmark’s name is the calendar will force Boston to make a decision. They’ve begun discussing an extension with Jeremy Swayman and Brandon Bussi soon requires waivers. Something’s going to have to give.


Like several other teams considering moving a goalie, the Bruins have to decide when is the optimal time to do it. All of a sudden, Fleury and Saros are off the market, and Markstrom’s future is uncertain. So, if someone craves a netminder now, Boston’s in a position to deliver. There are two flaws to this, however. First, the Swayman/Ullmark combo gives the Bruins their best chance to win right now, and second, Ullmark has some control over this. If it involves a team he can say no to, he’s earned the right to block.

They’ve contacted Calgary about Hanifin, but I’m not sure where that stands beyond the Lightning. They’re definitely testing the market on some roster players. It’s hard to predict where this ends up, but there’s possibility of a bigger hockey trade or something as simple as added depth for the postseason.


Full column: www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/32-thoughts-a-note-on-every-team-to-open-trade-deadline-week/

 

[BostonBob]

New column this week and ( shockingly ) Friedman remembered that the Bruins actually exist.

1. Some things left over from the trade deadline: It’s going to be a very interesting goalie market this summer. Calgary pulled back Jacob Markstrom, Nashville did the same with Juuse Saros. Boston investigated Linus Ullmark, punting that decision down the road. New Jersey acquired Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen, maintaining flexibility to add someone else if they so choose. Allen had to waive his no-trade, and was smart to do so. By agreeing to move now, he won’t have to worry about finding a dance partner when there’s more supply. That’s one of the reasons Boston considered breaking up its excellent duo, because the summer market will be more crowded. A glut is great for shoppers, not sellers.

5. It was a hard week for Ullmark. He badly wanted to stay in Boston, getting his wish. While he and GM Don Sweeney wouldn’t comment, the goalie declined to waive his no-trade for one location, believed to be Los Angeles. No problems here; that’s his right, in his contract. But I do believe the Bruins looked at more than one option, including somewhere Ullmark cannot block. Obviously, those didn’t happen, and we’ll see how things evolve. Boston rejected at least one ask about Jeremy Swayman.

6. Boston hoped to do more at the deadline, and was disappointed it couldn’t. I did have a couple people say they were happy Andrew Peeke ended up there. They feel he got caught in a Columbus numbers game, and will embrace a chance to prove it.


Full column: 32 Thoughts: Is more NHL expansion on the horizon?

 

[ODAAT]

this week`s pod features our own JVR as a bonus pod

32 Thoughts: The Podcast

Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman & Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[BostonBob]

Somebody better ask Friedman if he's feeling OK - 2 weeks in a row mentioning the Bruins is pretty rare.

5. Last September, when the GMs and coaches met in Chicago, the league made it very clear it was important they agree to wear microphones and allow access where they’d been stingy in the past. In December, Bettman, unhappy about the number of times promises were denied — in some cases after initial approval — made his disapproval very clear and demanded things change. Several sources who saw his memo said he included something along the lines of, “It is not exaggeration to say the future growth of the NHL depends on it,” which is pretty bold from him.

The reported Amazon show following 10-12 players is the kind of thing Bettman is referring to. I believe it’s called “Fire On Ice” and is being produced by Box-to-Box Films, which produced Drive to Survive, Full Swing and Six Nations: Full Contact. The fact Amazon is involved is leading to more conversation about the future of digital rights. We will see where we go, but there’s a lot to be unpacked here.




13. Other teams really respect that Boston’s leading the east (although Florida has two games in hand). To do that after losing their top two centres hasn’t gone unnoticed.


Full column: 32 Thoughts: What's next for the Arizona Coyotes?

 

[BostonBob]

Friedman looks at the first round matchups and gives his picks for the NHL award winners.

www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/32-thoughts-a-note-on-every-playoff-series-and-award-vote/

 

[BostonBob]

Since this is likely the last " 32 Thoughts " column before the start of the new season I'll wrap up this thread with today's column. Lots of Pasta stuff too.

Talking about the last World Championships:


After 49 minutes of scoreless hockey in the final, David Pastrnak scored the winning goal on a typically powerful one-timer.

“I was wishing that he’d score,” said Karel Vejmelka. “I will remember that forever.”

“That’s awesome. I probably will too,” smiled Pastrnak, who did a double-knee slide in ecstasy. “I could never see myself going on my knees celebrating a goal. I thought I would never, ever do that. But there were so many emotions and so much relief…so much excitement.”

“There were four steps up the stage (at the rally in Old Town),” Pastrnak said. “I took the first two steps and the first thing I was thinking was, ‘I want to re-live it again.’ I was already saying, ‘I want this again.’ I needed this win for my career, because I’ve been waiting for a big win like that. But I’m more happy for the country that we won it here.”

Then, he paused.

“Right now I’m focusing on winning the Stanley Cup with Boston. That’s my next goal.”

That’s one thing you learn about the true greats. Winning never gets tiresome. They aren’t satisfied. You’ve got one, you want another. Look at Curry and James. A win on that stage makes you yearn for more. That’s why best-on-best is great for the NHL. Because a franchise player like Pastrnak wants that for both his country and his North American home.



32 THOUGHTS

1. Do not send Pastrnak lengthy texts. “I’m super bad at texting. Any time a text is longer than one sentence, there’s no reply from me. I panic when I see long texts. Always easier to FaceTime. I like to see the person — eye contact.”

2. Ask people about Pastrnak, and you learn how deep the respect is for him. He got married this summer, and the staff told him it was an awesome party, which was very meaningful to he and wife, Rebecca.

“There was a 10-minute rain, we were eating outside, (we were) a little worried but (Zdeno Chara) took his shirt off, started dancing, everybody started dancing, that was special to see.”

Even though he’s no longer teammates with David Krejci and Torey Krug, the three still play a drinking game Krejci introduced called “Gentlemen’s Game.” There are two rules. First: you must hold any drink in your “weak” hand. “I’m a lefty, so I have to drink with my right hand,” Pastrnak said. “They are both righties, so they have to drink with their left.” The second rule is you cannot have any drink within reach of your index finger from the edge of the table. If you violate either rule, you immediately have to finish the drink. It’s basically the honour system now, since they aren’t together, but there are moments where one’s been busted on FaceTime or in a photo. Pastrnak says he’s been playing for so long, he “can’t drink anything with his left hand anymore.”

3. Pastrnak has one regret from last season: that the Bruins did not get to a “one-shot Game 7” against Florida, but admitted the Panthers were deeper and better than Boston. He’s excited about their additions. “We proved a lot of people wrong, last year we were not even supposed to make the playoffs. We beat a better team on paper (Toronto).”


Full column: 32 Thoughts: A collection of late off-season notes