News from Around the AHL/NHL/KHL 2024-25

[crashthenet]

You’re commingling two separate things because of your position on the latter.

Probably. I do judge him on his ability to manage post 2015. I have always rooted for the Hawks and he did a poor job after 2015. Possibly as far back as 2013.

 

[Throttle]

I think the Leafs are in a much tougher situation right now than others seem to think, and I could easily see them not coming close to a Cup within the next five years. Tavares will almost definitely take a cheap deal which will help, but they’re either going to lose Marner for nothing or sign him to a $12+ million deal, and either outcome hurts them in different ways. Then there’s the fact that they have a pretty mediocre forward group outside of their top three or four, their defense is aging and locked up for the next few years, and they don’t exactly have a great farm system. The cap going up could help a good amount but I don’t see them being a deep enough team at all to win.

With Lou at the helm there, that team was on track to win a Cup or two. However, their President was selfish and wanted the glory for himself by hiring the protege. Guess that didn’t work out too well, albeit they’ve printed money the entire time.

The Leafs need to move on from JT, even at a lower price. It hasn’t worked and it’s just not going to. Marner wants to stay - that’s pretty clear. Whether he picks up his game to avoid another storm, it’s really on him to do so. The Leafs would have better off keeping O’Reiley (they couldn’t) and moving out JT. He’s just not that guy and to a certain extent he’s not that guy that will be better in a different spot in the lineup. Sadly, he’s a bit of an anchor on how to structure (and re-structure) that team. If he is not resigned, my guess is he ends up in Buffalo to stay close to Toronto.

Too bad, the Leafs had a huge opportunity and squandered it.

 

[Throttle]

Probably. I do judge him on his ability to manage post 2015. I have always rooted for the Hawks and he did a poor job after 2015. Possibly as far back as 2013.

Most guys haven’t done well post Cup: Lombardi, Armstrong, Sakic passed to McFarland and he’s been terrible, Mcllelan is waffling in WAS, etc.

Not an easy spot to build, win, manage the cap with aging expensive players, then somehow restock it. All winners suffer somewhere while winning and it’s usually on draft/transaction side.

 

[crashthenet]

Most guys haven’t done well post Cup: Lombardi, Armstrong, Sakic passed to McFarland and he’s been terrible, Mcllelan is waffling in WAS, etc.

Not an easy spot to build, win, manage the cap with aging expensive players, then somehow restock it. All winners suffer somewhere while winning and it’s usually on draft/transaction side.

The Jones trade/signing and subsequent rebuild pushed me over the edge.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

Stan is a damn Legend!

It's kinda unbelievable he gave up the captaincy. Just kind of a soft human being.

 

[eoin92]

It's kinda unbelievable he gave up the captaincy. Just kind of a soft human being.

The whole production was odd. When Tavares finished reading his awkward speech, stood up and approached Matthew’s, it was like they barely knew each other. It wasn’t like two friends. It was weird as hell.

 

[SI90]

It's kinda unbelievable he gave up the captaincy. Just kind of a soft human being.

Big time Cuck Energy

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

Big time Cuck Energy

Imagine being emasculated like that. Willingly. In public.

 

[SI90]

Imagine being emasculated like that. Willingly. In public

Just brutal

 

[Lek]

I actually thought, considering how awkward this can be, was well done by all parties involved. It is actually a natural progression for this team.

side note....Austin is an odd looking guy.

 

[Big L]

side note....Austin is an odd looking guy.

I’m surprised no one has told him the moustache is really, really bad.

 

[The Lighthouse]

I'm just surprised that a handing off of the captaincy was a public event.

 

[BelovedIsles]

The whole production was odd. When Tavares finished reading his awkward speech, stood up and approached Matthew’s, it was like they barely knew each other. It wasn’t like two friends. It was weird as hell.

I expect no less from JT.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

I’m surprised no one has told him the moustache is really, really bad.

He probably takes pride in it.

 

[Big L]

He probably takes pride in it.

Probably. But when your bud wears something stupid or gets a bad haircut, it’s bro code to let your bud know they look stupid

 

[doublechili]

Probably. But when your bud wears something stupid or gets a bad haircut, it’s bro code to let your bud know they look stupid

The mustache is just part of the overall package. Have you seen the way Matthews dresses? The mustache is a good thing to the extent that it distracts your eyes away from his clothes.

 

[Strummergas]

The mustache is just part of the overall package. Have you seen the way Matthews dresses? The mustache is a good thing to the extent that it distracts your eyes away from his clothes.

Dude wants to be Jack White, SO badly!

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

The mustache is just part of the overall package. Have you seen the way Matthews dresses? The mustache is a good thing to the extent that it distracts your eyes away from his clothes.

It's that feminine base touched with ironic masculine accents that equals asshole hipster.

 

[doublechili]

It's that feminine base touched with ironic masculine accents that equals asshole hipster.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Dude wants to be Jack White, SO badly!

I met Matthews in 2014 and my first impression was, "OMG, this is like Jack White's little bro."

 

[SI90]

A GM doing his Job! This might be the quote of the century. Respect to Army.

 

[Throttle]

Easy to be the big man when you already announced you are handing off your job to someone else in a couple of years as part of a ‘succession’ plan.

He’s doing great: lost Tarasenko, O’Reilley, Peteiengleo, and signed his AHL goalie to an absurd contract (this after riding Jake Allen for years) with an awesome save percentage. Take away his one season wonder and he’s rocking close to a .904 vs .908. Chest thumping…

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

The wait is over...

McGroarty traded to Penguins by Jets for Yager | NHL.com

Pittsburgh, Winnipeg exchange NHL-ready top forward prospects

www.nhl.com

My thoughts:
Yager is a fine prospect. He's a very likely NHLer at this rate. Perhaps even a producer down the road. He was PIT's top prospect.

But if I'm Dubas, I make this move every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Which is why I don't like it. Not at all. Not in the least.

Pittsburgh just got (and signed) a player who'll likely play in the NHL this season and shouldn't have a hard time putting up 30-45 points off the bat, depending on which center he's skating with.

And he's a huge block moving forward. Pittsburgh just got themselves a Mason MacTavish type of player.

Never like seeing a division rival make something like this happen.

 

[Throttle]

I’ll go with the Dubas theory of corporate shenanigans and survival, despite his 7 year contract.

Simply put, Dubas was hired in June 2023, just before the draft. Yager isn’t really his pick in 2023 draft, so he makes the trade to get someone else’s hype and prays like hell it works out in his favor.

Most of Dubas trades don’t work out in the end. There’s warts all over this Rutger as to how well he’ll go in the NHL…

 

[doublechili]

A GM doing his Job! This might be the quote of the century. Respect to Army.

I can't get past Armstrong's outfit and those clashing plaids. I mean, what the heck? Next he should offer-sheet a tailor.