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

[Throttle]

The Athletic published an article on the cap situations, from best to last.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5947010/2024/12/03/nhl-salary-cap-ranking/?source=freedailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=5520309

The Islanders are ranked dead last in the league.

Here are few points:
- Among the fewest wins in the league
- 3rd last in goals per game
- Brutally poor special teams
- Pricey goaltending tandem that produce league average stats
- Among the oldest rosters in the league
- Committed w/ term to several of the worst overpayments
- Tough RFA calls coming
- Top 2 scorers, who are under several of the better contracts, to become well-paid UFAs soon

Kind of feels like this write-up was written a few games ago.

What’s the weighting of Dobson’s Gaffes Against costing the Isles probably 7 points so far this year (let alone the number from last year)?

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

Let me clarify, for all the hype of Carolina, they haven’t even made the finals and have had some debilitating conference finals exits.

So, they are very good in the regular season bc their style of play works in that environment. It has not yet translated into a finals appearance. But, they’ll try again with the same style.

This is how hockey and life in general works. They consistently give themselves a legitimate shot. That's pretty much all you can ask. The idea that you have a good team and you should do a "different" style based on some abstract concept of what "works" and what doesn't in variable and uncontrolled environments is shortsighted and fannish. I feel like antipathy towards a team like Carolina is based on in/outgroup bias and sour grapes. 80% of the league should be so lucky as to be as good as they've been over the last half decade.

 

[leeroggy]

The Athletic published an article on the cap situations, from best to last.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5947010/2024/12/03/nhl-salary-cap-ranking/?source=freedailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=5520309

The Islanders are ranked dead last in the league.

Here are few points:
- Among the fewest wins in the league
- 3rd last in goals per game
- Brutally poor special teams
- Pricey goaltending tandem that produce league average stats
- Among the oldest rosters in the league
- Committed w/ term to several of the worst overpayments
- Tough RFA calls coming
- Top 2 scorers, who are under several of the better contracts, to become well-paid UFAs soon

Kind of feels like this write-up was written a few games ago.

Ahhhh, The Athletic is the Nate Silver of Hockey . . .

 

[Throttle]

This is how hockey and life in general works. They consistently give themselves a legitimate shot. That's pretty much all you can ask. The idea that you have a good team and you should do a "different" style based on some abstract concept of what "works" and what doesn't in variable and uncontrolled environments is shortsighted and fannish. I feel like antipathy towards a team like Carolina is based on in/outgroup bias and sour grapes. 80% of the league should be so lucky as to be as good as they've been over the last half decade.

There’s a lot that goes into winning the Cup, one can also say matchups play a strong part. The Steelers won two super bowls in recent times (conveniently they didn’t have to play the Pats).

I think Carolina’s style can be countered in a series (there’s proof that is true) vs. the randomness of the season. Their core also struggles to deliver when it matters.

FL played a similar style, nice regular seasons, then augmented their players and how they played when they felt it wasn’t going to work - they went to back to back finals with a Cup win. Vegas changed their mix. They won. EDM did, but failed in Game 7. Errr…Toronto really hasn’t and…

Carolina seeks to continue to go to the well with the same style and players - so far, it hasn’t translated into deeper runs and winning the Cup. One can argument embarrassing exits.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

Carolina seeks to continue to go to the well with the same style and players - so far, it hasn’t translated into deeper runs and winning the Cup. One can argument embarrassing exits.

There's other things to consider as well. They're in the east, which a tougher road to go through than the west, where half the teams suck. They're in a non-trad market with certain competitive disadvantages, similar to the Islanders. They lose talent through attrition. You mention Florida and Vegas... they have greater leverage to acquire players and they utilize it.

Biggest issue with them is that they seem to be missing a goalie that can go on a run.

All of those things are valid. I guess I don't see why there seems to be this disdain of them.