League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) | 2023-24 Regular Season Edition

[trick9]

What was the point of the Isles hiring Patrick Roy?? Are they actually any better since he took over the HC role?

The Devils are hilarious upgrade the goaltending but their defence is so inexperienced that it really makes no difference:

View attachment 837612

DeSimone, Hughs and Nemec are all rookies.
B Smith well past his use by date and was never very good anyway
MacDermid - only there to scare people and fight
Bahl - still finding his way (2nd round pick, seems ok)
Marino

Even the Devils upgrading their goaltending was both hilarious and bizarre.

First they overpay for Jake Allen for reasons nobody knows. D-

Then they acquire a better goalie (Kahkonen) for basically nothing, while dumping Vanecek. He's even pending UFA so if it doesn't work out, they can just let him walk. And did i mention already that they somehow got to dump Vanecek in that trade? A+

 

[Kuz]

Results going our way last night. 1 point out of the WC spot with 2 games in hand. 3 points away from 3rd in Metro with 2 games in hand. Tied with the Isles who have played a game more.

Buffalo and Jersey looks to be out. Even if they win 10 out of 14 games they only end up with 88 and 89 points. Meaning the Caps only need 8 out of 16 wins to beat that. Penguins aswell would need a lot of wins their last 15 to make it.

We also have Detroit and NYI on regulation wins and are tied with Flyers and if we catch up to them with the games in hand we will likely be in front. Which is nice having the tie breaker going our way as the race might be close.

If the team wins tonight vs Calgary then they have impressed on their trip west. 6/10 would be excellent espescially after loosing the two first. If they loose 4 points was probably the more realistic expectation facing 3 of the best teams in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver while also playing Seattle on a b2b.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Orlov is good enough for some GM to give him a 4-5 year contract next offseason as a 34 year old in UFA (I'm not going to say that GM will be particularly smart, but they will be there). Great player.

That was my biggest concern with keeping Orlov, he’s excellent but relies on his physical attributes a lot and has a history of injuries in his past.

In the end they decided to go much younger by trading for Sandin, which is ideal given the Caps’ direction to get younger.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Yeah I think Tocchet will win it (don't like the guy. Add a twirly moustache and he looks like Ming the Merciless for those old enough to remember who that is haha).

Petterson seems to have struggled over his last dozen games. I was surprised to see his linemates were (I think?) Podkolzin and Pius Suter against us. That's not much talent for him to work with.

Lindholm's gone pretty quiet since he arrived from Calgary. I think he was good the first 3 games and then crickets.


Thoughts on Kuznetsov? He seems to be finding his way a little more each game.

I almost said becoming more comfortable, but you don't want to use that word with Kuzy haha

Kuznetsov always knew the way, he just wanted to do it on his terms. I wish him the best but I have no further use for him. He quit on this team! Which makes me wonder if he's done it once, he'll most likely do it again at some point.

The nail in his coffin was when he tried to influence Alexeyev and as such drive a wedge between AA and the team Evgeny Kuznetsov called Alex Alexeyev ‘a fool’ for thinking he’d be anything other than the 7th defenseman after re-signing with Capitals. As they say misery loves company.

I have my theory regarding him going into the Player Assistance program right after the All Star break. I don't think it had anything to do with substance issues, as if it did there's no way he would have been allowed out of that program as quick as he did. Rather I believe it had a great deal of him spending the all star break in Florida with Orlov. Orlov must of been talking up Carolina to him and as we know Brind'Amour evidently had good things to say about Kuznetsov from an all star experience they had together. So it's my belief that Kuzy with Orlov's influence felt the best path to take was the player assistance program in order to force the issue with the Capitals and bring it to a head. I'm sure Orlov was also telling Carolina management that Kuzy would love to come and play for Carolina.

It's one thing if Kuznetsov had issues with Laviolette, but Carberry seemed to give him every opportunity. Not sure what Kuzy's issues were, the organization was paying him well, was he upset how they had moved on from fellow Russians Samsonov and Orlov or was there something else going on inside the locker room and others getting frustrated with his play and lack of effort. All I know is that the likes of McMichael and Lapierre are an improvement.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Bmac should get GM of the year for dumping his ass for something.

 

[PlushMinus]

Even the Devils upgrading their goaltending was both hilarious and bizarre.

First they overpay for Jake Allen for reasons nobody knows. D-

Then they acquire a better goalie (Kahkonen) for basically nothing, while dumping Vanecek. He's even pending UFA so if it doesn't work out, they can just let him walk. And did i mention already that they somehow got to dump Vanecek in that trade? A+

Mike Grier is a terrible negotiator

 

[PlushMinus]

Bmac should get GM of the year for dumping his ass for something.

I have previously mentioned this but most here chose to overlook it: Canes GM Waddell called Bmac a couple of days before the trade deadline and asked if Bmac would trade Kuzy. Bmac said yes and Waddell said "I'll get back to you" (once he had sorted out the Guentzel trade).

This adds weight to BiPolar Caps post above yours. Kuzy seems to have mostly orchestrated this move with the help of Orlov, who very likely spoke with Brindamour, Waddell, etc.

Bmac did well to offload half of Kuzy's salary, but let's not pretend he pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Most of this appears to have taken place without Bmac's involvement.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I have previously mentioned this but most here chose to overlook it: Canes GM Waddell called Bmac a couple of days before the trade deadline and asked if Bmac would trade Kuzy. Bmac said yes and Waddell said "I'll get back to you" (once he had sorted out the Guentzel trade).

This adds weight to BiPolar Caps post above yours. Kuzy seems to have mostly orchestrated this move with the help of Orlov, who very likely spoke with Brindamour, Waddell, etc.

Bmac did well to offload half of Kuzy's salary, but let's not pretend he pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Most of this appears to have taken place without Bmac's involvement.

Total speculation….but I doubt Kuzy and company committed the fraud being suggested here, just to pull this off….the things that people will dream up to not give GMBM any credit lol…

 

[PlushMinus]

Total speculation….but I doubt Kuzy and company committed the fraud being suggested here, just to pull this off….the things that people will dream up to not give GMBM any credit lol…

Oh fgs it's not like I'm suggesting they faked the moon landing. It is just looking at what we do know and putting forward a hypothesis.

Where is the fraud? Going into the Player Assistance program?? I am pretty sure a player can enter the program very easily by saying they are having issues with their mental health. I don't believe it was ever stated that he entered it because of substance abuse issues. That seems to have been way more speculated on by people around here when he entered the program.

As for Bmac, there are 3 types of people here:

Those who think he walks on water (you're one of these)

Those who never give him credit for anything (Hivemind probably )

Those who believe he mostly does a very good job but also accept that sometimes his ankles get wet (me).

And I am happy to admit that my opinion of Bmac has changed over time. For a while there I wanted him gone but I have come around to thinking he's done a way better job than most of the other GM's in the league.

 

[StrikingDistance]

Kuzy's performance seem to wane after Orlov was traded so it's no surprise he's happy playing with his buddy again. Think Orlov's trade pissed him off and he started checking out under Lavi.

Also, interesting to note Justin William's had a part in the trade:

Guentzel, Kuznetsov giving Hurricanes needed jolt of offense, GM says | NHL.com

"I read that Justin Williams, who is a special advisor to you, was involved in the conversation leading up to the Kuznetsov trade. Williams obviously played with Kuznetsov in Washington. What did he say?

"Justin played with him and he said he's one of the smartest players he's ever played with. We talked about everything, character, everything else. Justin is a big fan of his and thought we could get him on track. The last few years haven't gone the best way for him, but everybody thought a change of scenery and getting him back on track that he could be that player again."

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Oh fgs it's not like I'm suggesting they faked the moon landing. It is just looking at what we do know and putting forward a hypothesis.

Where is the fraud? Going into the Player Assistance program?? I am pretty sure a player can enter the program very easily by saying they are having issues with their mental health. I don't believe it was ever stated that he entered it because of substance abuse issues. That seems to have been way more speculated on by people around here when he entered the program.

As for Bmac, there are 3 types of people here:

Those who think he walks on water (you're one of these)

Those who never give him credit for anything (Hivemind probably )

Those who believe he mostly does a very good job but also accept that sometimes his ankles get wet (me).

And I am happy to admit that my opinion of Bmac has changed over time. For a while there I wanted him gone but I have come around to thinking he's done a way better job than most of the other GM's in the league.

The fraud would be getting paid while sitting out, not doing your job, because you claimed you have some mental/health problem that you needed help with.

I certainly don’t think he walks on water, but he’s probably top 10-15 in the league every year. We could do worse very easily…

 

[PlushMinus]

The fraud would be getting paid while sitting out, not doing your job, because you claimed you have some mental/health problem that you needed help with.

I certainly don’t think he walks on water, but he’s probably top 10-15 in the league every year. We could do worse very easily…

I agree with you re: the fraud, but look at the person we are talking about here. He has a track record of breaking rules, got caught using the old nose candy, missed a team meeting and the team benched him for a game, caught covid about 27 times because he wasn't following the protocols, etc. This would be like falling of a log for him

Jeez Bmac only 10-15 in the league? Even I would put him higher than that! Gotta be inside the top 10, I think?

Anyway, peace. This isn't something I feel strongly enough about to go 'round in circles with you and I suspect you feel the same way. The only ppl who know what really happened are the ones in the various rooms. (But speculating can be fun).

 

[DWGie26]

The fraud would be getting paid while sitting out, not doing your job, because you claimed you have some mental/health problem that you needed help with.

I certainly don’t think he walks on water, but he’s probably top 10-15 in the league every year. We could do worse very easily…

I guess this puts me on the “walks on water” crowd as I would have him Top 5-8. I don’t think he does, but he is a fantastic GM that has had to navigate some shit. he did that in a top 5 GM IMO. And all GM’s have a ton of misses. Low batting averages.

I don’t think Kuzy got paid when he was in PAP. Just a living stipend.

I also don’t think it is as nefarious as @PlushMinus suggests. Of course Canes had a lot of influence on it. And thank God they did because we needed a dance partner and that gave us one. I am sure GMBM is happy in the end given situation. Of course we all wish he went on to be a dmoninant above 7.8M player but he was a negative.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I guess this puts me on the “walks on water” crowd as I would have him Top 5-8. I don’t think he does, but he is a fantastic GM that has had to navigate some shit. he did that in a top 5 GM IMO. And all GM’s have a ton of misses. Low batting averages.

I don’t think Kuzy got paid when he was in PAP. Just a living stipend.

I also don’t think it is as nefarious as @PlushMinus suggests. Of course Canes had a lot of influence on it. And thank God they did because we needed a dance partner and that gave us one. I am sure GMBM is happy in the end given situation. Of course we all wish he went on to be a dmoninant above 7.8M player but he was a negative.

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/news/washington-capitals-evgeny-kuznetsov-what-is-nhl-nhlpa-player-assistance-program#:~:text=The%20program%20was%20created%20in,substance%20abuse%20and%20other%20issues.

This says they get paid….

 

[PlushMinus]

I guess this puts me on the “walks on water” crowd as I would have him Top 5-8. I don’t think he does, but he is a fantastic GM that has had to navigate some shit. he did that in a top 5 GM IMO. And all GM’s have a ton of misses. Low batting averages.

I don’t think Kuzy got paid when he was in PAP. Just a living stipend.

I also don’t think it is as nefarious as @PlushMinus suggests. Of course Canes had a lot of influence on it. And thank God they did because we needed a dance partner and that gave us one. I am sure GMBM is happy in the end given situation. Of course we all wish he went on to be a dmoninant above 7.8M player but he was a negative.

Oh I am glad he's gone and they were able to trade him. Way better than having him play in the minors for all that money.

I also think it's only a matter of time before lazy Kuzy shows up in Raleigh. Leopards don't change their spots. It will be interesting to see how long it takes, and it will be hilarious to see Rod the bod losing his shit at Kuzy. I'll have to follow some of the Canes GDT's to keep up with the gossip

 

[DWGie26]

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/news/washington-capitals-evgeny-kuznetsov-what-is-nhl-nhlpa-player-assistance-program#:~:text=The%20program%20was%20created%20in,substance%20abuse%20and%20other%20issues.

This says they get paid….

That is true in Phase 1. But Kuzy stint was phase 2 where they only get a stipend and don’t count against the cap (different than in phase 1). it’s hard to find much about this but i know there were some articles floating around when Kuzy went in. It’s all very cloak and dagger.

As the saying goes… “somewhere, someone, is tired of f’ing hxx. I was tired. Goodbye Kuzy. Love ya. Life is better without you.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Oh I am glad he's gone and they were able to trade him. Way better than having him play in the minors for all that money.

I also think it's only a matter of time before lazy Kuzy shows up in Raleigh. Leopards don't change their spots. It will be interesting to see how long it takes, and it will be hilarious to see Rod the bod losing his shit at Kuzy. I'll have to follow some of the Canes GDT's to keep up with the gossip

I kinda always expected him to crush it for a bit when he finally left us…we’ll see. I don’t think he can maintain that’s for sure…

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

That is true in Phase 1. But Kuzy stint was phase 2 where they only get a stipend and don’t count against the cap (different than in phase 1). it’s hard to find much about this but i know there were some articles floating around when Kuzy went in. It’s all very cloak and dagger.

As the saying goes… “somewhere, someone, is tired of f’ing hxx. I was tired. Goodbye Kuzy. Love ya. Life is better without you.

I’d love to see that article because I guess the Hockey News is reporting it wrong then…

I see phases for Kuzy mentioned in terms of entering the program and the subsequent follow up care phase only. I can’t believe it’s punitive because this is his second time in the program he’s only getting a stipend.

 

[DWGie26]

I’d love to see that article because I guess the Hockey News is reporting it wrong then…

I see phases for Kuzy mentioned in terms of entering the program and the subsequent follow up care phase only. I can’t believe it’s punitive because this is his second time in the program he’s only getting a stipend.

What i had read before is that you enter phase 2 not because you admit yourself but because you broke the terms of the release agreement.

But even that is hard to find because it isn’t published. It was pretty widely speculated that we had cap relief while he was out (I know he didn’t show on CapFirendly). If phase 1 there is a roster exemption but not salary relief.

I’ll see if i can find but quick google search didn’t give much. Will have to dig deeper.

 

[trick9]

Look at the press conference when GMBM waived Kuznetsov. He did it to get the ball rolling.

Days later he was traded.

Obviously it's not all that black and white but i give credit to GMBM for not only dumping him but actually getting an asset back for a player who quit on this team, and had another year left in his contract that was heading towards a buy-out.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I’ll always appreciate Kuzy for what he did for us and I hope he finds contentment and happiness in life but just being honest, it’s hard for me to bifurcate the positive he accomplished here with the fact that he really has been a terrible professional for the last 3-4 seasons. He quit on this team the first time during the Covid bubble playoffs, he was an awful influence on Samsonov, he made fun of Alexeyev for sticking with the Caps, and he totally mailed it in the last two years. He’s handled his business as poorly and immaturely as he could despite the Caps sticking with him throughout a whole bunch of bullshit, including his drug suspension. I’ll get over it eventually but I’m not actively rooting for his success with Carolina, at all. I don’t get warm and fuzzies seeing him do well right now when he essentially acted like a petulant child for the last couple of years and was a detriment to this team when they really needed him. And I sure as shit will not be rooting on his behalf for Carolina to win the Cup.

 

[Hivemind]

RIP Chris Simon.


Ban fighting already

 

[bacchist]

RIP Chris Simon.


Ban fighting already

You think this is related to fighting?

 

[g00n]

RIP Chris Simon.


Ban fighting already

What a shitty post.

 

[tycoonheart]

Leafs look like hot garbage.