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League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) - 2022-23 season, Vol. 4, Off-season Edition

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HandsomeTom43 said:
Speaking of Orpik, there’s never been a player whom I’ve changed my opinion about faster than him. I hated him as a Pen, hated his contract the day it was signed, and forever love him for helping deliver a Cup. I’ve never seen anyone even dispute the fact that he helped shift the culture. Many Caps have discussed his impact but I would love to see more anecdotes.

Is there any player like him in the league now that is really reliable ? Stay at home dmen who can hit, block shots, and clear the crease don’t exist. In the past few decades it seems those that players have typically been captains or alternates. Shea Weber comes to mind but he also had a heck of a shot.

I know comparing JE to anyone is unfair. If he can bring half of what Orpik did, even as a mentor, he will be worth his deal and the trade.
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I missed him a lot last year. We needed a defenseman who could clear the crease badly. The only year we’ve had that since Orpik retired was that one year with Chara, but Chara was already far too old to be effective elsewhere.

I also miss Niskanen a lot from that era, but Jensen’s been doing well as a permanent substitute.
 
Alexander the Gr8 said:
I missed him a lot last year. We needed a defenseman who could clear the crease badly. The only year we’ve had that since Orpik retired was that one year with Chara, but Chara was already far too old to be effective elsewhere.

I also miss Niskanen a lot from that era, but Jensen’s been doing well as a permanent substitute.
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One of Niskanen’s best features was the ability to play steady for the season and then find the mean version that would have been injured and channel it through the playoffs.

I liked Dallas and San Jose in the cable TV era of doing this because I could flip to their center ice games after ours were done and just get a few more hours of stuff, and young Niskanen was a bit edgy. He toned his game down a bit once he hit veteran status but playoffs come around and it’s like he let the chain loose
 
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David Krejci retired.

I think Boston can still be a good team but losing two cornerstone pieces to retirement and almost surely getting a goaltending regression is going to bring them closer to the wild card tier.

If I had to tier the East right now I’d go something like:

Tier 1: CAR/NJ/TOR
Tier 2: FLA/TB
Tier 3: NYR/PIT/BOS
Tier 4: NYI/WSH/OTT/DET/BUF
Tier 5: PHI/CBJ/MTL
 
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twabby said:
David Krejci retired.

I think Boston can still be a good team but losing two cornerstone pieces to retirement and almost surely getting a goaltending regression is going to bring them closer to the wild card tier.

If I had to tier the East right now I’d go something like:

Tier 1: CAR/NJ/TOR
Tier 2: FLA/TB
Tier 3: NYR/PIT/BOS
Tier 4: NYI/WSH/OTT/DET/BUF
Tier 5: PHI/CBJ/MTL
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Only if we had washed up players retire when its their time.
 
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twabby said:
David Krejci retired.

I think Boston can still be a good team but losing two cornerstone pieces to retirement and almost surely getting a goaltending regression is going to bring them closer to the wild card tier.

If I had to tier the East right now I’d go something like:

Tier 1: CAR/NJ/TOR
Tier 2: FLA/TB
Tier 3: NYR/PIT/BOS
Tier 4: NYI/WSH/OTT/DET/BUF
Tier 5: PHI/CBJ/MTL
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I think you give Pens too much credit. They should be w tier 4.

Rest makes sense to me (tho Ott might also regress to tier 5)

Edit — also, Florida shouldn’t be tier 2. They made the playoffs by their short and curly’s. I think they regress as SC finals losers usually suffer somewhat.

Tier 1: CAR/TOR
Tier 2: NJ/TB
Tier 3: NYR/BOS/FLA
Tier 4: PIT/WAS/NYI/BUF/DET
Tier 5: OTT/PHI/CBJ/MON
 
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Ridley Simon said:
I think you give Pens too much credit. They should be w tier 4.

Rest makes sense to me (tho Ott might also regress to tier 5)
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I’m a big believer in Erik Karlsson and I don’t think last year was a fluke, at least in terms of overall impact (he probably won’t score as much though). He was very good the year before as well and only really played poorly while dealing with injuries which appear to be behind him for now. He’ll never be a two-way player but Pittsburgh was a fine defensive team last year and I think he fits Sullivan’s up tempo system well.

I think their season could go off the rails if any of their stars (including Karlsson) are injured for prolonged periods but I think they’ve got a little separation between themselves and the Washington tier. I don’t think they’re a real contender or anything because they are lacking in some key areas, but I think they’ll be in that wild card tier and maybe fighting for #3 in the Metro.
 
twabby said:
I’m a big believer in Erik Karlsson and I don’t think last year was a fluke, at least in terms of overall impact (he probably won’t score as much though). He was very good the year before as well and only really played poorly while dealing with injuries which appear to be behind him for now. He’ll never be a two-way player but Pittsburgh was a fine defensive team last year and I think he fits Sullivan’s up tempo system well.

I think their season could go off the rails if any of their stars (including Karlsson) are injured for prolonged periods but I think they’ve got a little separation between themselves and the Washington tier. I don’t think they’re a real contender or anything because they are lacking in some key areas, but I think they’ll be in that wild card tier and maybe fighting for #3 in the Metro.
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I hear you. I just see them as mostly the same. Sure, if the Pens vets are healthy and producing, they should do ok. Their lesser tier players are mostly poor though.

IF the Caps vets are healthy and producing, then they will also do ok. Their lesser tier players are better than the Pens are.

So I see the Pens vets having better odds of fitting that “healthy and producing” mantra than the Caps do.

But I also the see the Caps lesser tier players being more than enough to outweigh that, so it’s basically equal, IMO.

But that’s just me
 
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This makes the Holl signing that much more puzzling. They should bring back Tatar. With him that might be a playoff lineup if some of their younger go-to guys keep improving. Buffalo's core group remains better so I'd still put them ahead but DET's had perhaps the best off-season in the East (helped greatly but having so much cap space).
 
Petry having no trade value despite being retained 50% shows how good the Karlsson trade for Pittsburgh was.

Petry and Granlund were dumps. They had negative value. That they managed to get rid of them AND get Karlsson is a coup.
 
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895 said:
Petry having no trade value despite being retained 50% shows how good the Karlsson trade for Pittsburgh was.

Petry and Granlund were dumps. They had negative value. That they managed to get rid of them AND get Karlsson is a coup.
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Before we bestoweth accolades uponeth our fine Pittsburghian competitors, shall we first observeth Karlsonn's performance at 10 million per yeareth? Whilst our Capital fandom collectively buncheth our panties if his performance is satisfactory? Ye / Nay?
 
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Exactly. The Pens landed a 10m dollar collar. Let’s wait and see how that collar actually looks on them, before assuming it’s perfect for them?

895 said:
Petry having no trade value despite being retained 50% shows how good the Karlsson trade for Pittsburgh was.

Petry and Granlund were dumps. They had negative value. That they managed to get rid of them AND get Karlsson is a coup.
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And traded 1st and 2nd round picks, further depleting their future — not only in adding youth, but in making further trades. Unless that 10m performs great, or is on LTIR — anything in the middle….is a huge problem.
 
twabby said:
I’m a big believer in Erik Karlsson and I don’t think last year was a fluke, at least in terms of overall impact (he probably won’t score as much though). He was very good the year before as well and only really played poorly while dealing with injuries which appear to be behind him for now. He’ll never be a two-way player but Pittsburgh was a fine defensive team last year and I think he fits Sullivan’s up tempo system well.

I think their season could go off the rails if any of their stars (including Karlsson) are injured for prolonged periods but I think they’ve got a little separation between themselves and the Washington tier. I don’t think they’re a real contender or anything because they are lacking in some key areas, but I think they’ll be in that wild card tier and maybe fighting for #3 in the Metro.
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That’s a pretty big if, their stars have all had significant injuries and are quite old. I would actually be surprised if Malkin, Crosby, Letang and Karlsson all play a majority of the games.
 
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