League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) - COVID Post-Season Edition

[Melkor]

06-15 we didn’t miss much on our 1st rounders

I don't think Alzner was a good pick in the top-5. The organizational depth on D was terrible and they managed somehow to take two busts with two first rounders in 05 so they were pressed to pick Alzner, he was a good defender in his prime but kinda a nothing burger outside his own blue line. Took a bust in 08, MoJo in 09 was okay but a difference maker? no. They had the pick in 2011 and traded it for stone hands Troy. Then in 2012 had no other choice than to pick Forsberg at 12 when he was a #3 on Mckenzie's list and for whatever reason hated him and traded him the followin season. Wilson is a good player but it took 6 years for him to be taken seriously. I'd say that's like 2-3 too many for a mid 1st rounder. Burakovsky was a relatively good pick but what did he really bring to the table in his time here? Unfulfilled expectations mostly. Vrana...again - zero playoff points last 2 years and 8 pts in 25 games the year they won the cup. He's a disappointment. Samsonov..yeah we better not talk about him.

You'd think it's relatively an okay picture if you don't look closely into the later rounds. Those were a waste of everyone's time.

 

[Corby78]

Cernak seems like the toughest potential loss to Seattle unless they can work something out. Coleman & Goodrow cash in elsewhere in UFA you'd figure and then they probably lose at least one pricier top nine forward (if not two). But they'll be able to attract players that want to win on short-term value deals and have shown they can develop out of the blue with Colton/Verhaeghe/Marchessault. Maybe ABB becomes their next one and I don't doubt they find other means to make it work. It'll be a challenge. Maybe they could deal Stamkos to replenish the pipeline but I don't think they're there yet. They'll manage.

I don’t know what kind of leader stamkos is, but he didn’t impress me during the playoffs. Maybe it was all the talent he got lost, but there were large stretches I forgot he was out there

 

[HecticGlow]

I wonder who Tampa will lose in the off-season... i know some people on the mains think they will need to blow it up but i don't think so.

Unless they want out of McDonagh’s contract - and Cooper made such a big deal this week about how important he is - I’d be surprised if they don’t go 8+1 instead of 7+3+1.

Stamkos
Kucherov
Point
Cirelli
Hedman
Sergacehv
McDonagh
Cernak
Vasilevsky

That leaves a middle or bottom six forward to be picked - Palat, Killorn, Gourde, Johnson, Colton, Joseph or Maroon. They’d lose a good player, but no one they absolutely couldn’t live without. They’re so thin on legit RHDs, I can’t see them prepared to lose Cernak one way or another.

They’re going to need to get out of at least two sizeable contracts - Johnson, Killorn, Gourde, Palat etc. - to be cap compliant next season. I think the biggest downside to this route would actually be if Seattle picked a young, cheap contributor like Joseph or Colton and Tampa ended up losing 1 guy in the ED, 2 in trades, and most likely 3 guys (Savard, Coleman and Goodrow) to UFA.

 

[pman25]

Tampa needs to ship out two of Palat/Killorn/Johnson/Gourde and fill the entire bottom six with league minimum guys. They can't afford to lose guys like Joseph/Colton in ED since they need cheap contributors. So maybe they pay up to get Seattle to take Johnson/Gourde

 

[crazy8888]

I don't think Alzner was a good pick in the top-5. The organizational depth on D was terrible and they managed somehow to take two busts with two first rounders in 05 so they were pressed to pick Alzner, he was a good defender in his prime but kinda a nothing burger outside his own blue line. Took a bust in 08, MoJo in 09 was okay but a difference maker? no. They had the pick in 2011 and traded it for stone hands Troy. Then in 2012 had no other choice than to pick Forsberg at 12 when he was a #3 on Mckenzie's list and for whatever reason hated him and traded him the followin season. Wilson is a good player but it took 6 years for him to be taken seriously. I'd say that's like 2-3 too many for a mid 1st rounder. Burakovsky was a relatively good pick but what did he really bring to the table in his time here? Unfulfilled expectations mostly. Vrana...again - zero playoff points last 2 years and 8 pts in 25 games the year they won the cup. He's a disappointment. Samsonov..yeah we better not talk about him.

You'd think it's relatively an okay picture if you don't look closely into the later rounds. Those were a waste of everyone's time.

That was a terrible pick up. That idiot caused rifts in locker room while he was with the Caps. Was very happy when they got rid of him

 

[um]

That was a terrible pick up. That idiot caused rifts in locker room while he was with the Caps. Was very happy when they got rid of him

Boy did we win that trade for Oshie.

2nd best trade in the Ovie era, after Eminger for a late 1st.

 

[HecticGlow]

Boy did we win that trade for Oshie.

2nd best trade in the Ovie era, after Eminger for a late 1st.

Honestly I’d put Eller for 2 x 2nds up there in won trades, too. Not a Kempny-like steal, but we got an elite 3C who’s a good fit for the team, long-term and without overpaying.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Generally agree except that they have only been able to keep all their talent by circumventing the CBA.

Absolutely they did, lol. The Caps fan in me says if the Caps did it, they would make a special rule ASAP.

 

[txpd]

Absolutely they did, lol. The Caps fan in me says if the Caps did it, they would make a special rule ASAP.

If the guy on LTIR had been Ovechkin, Backstrom or Carlson, the league would have changed the rule mid season.

The trade up to get Carlson was the best trade, IMO. I am still not sure what Philly was thinking. This was a New Jersey kid. They had to know who he was. The Oshie deal was super too, its just that in that case the Blues were screwed because the entire league knew they had to trade Oshie. Think Kuznetsov

 

[g00n]

Too old to remember if I posted this already:

The Lightning won the Cup, but we all won, because there’s no more Pierre McGuire

 

[um]

The trade up to get Carlson was the best trade, IMO. I am still not sure what Philly was thinking. This was a New Jersey kid. They had to know who he was. The Oshie deal was super too, its just that in that case the Blues were screwed because the entire league knew they had to trade Oshie. Think Kuznetsov

Agreed that that was our best trade but I don’t think Philly can be blamed for not taking him.

Carlson was just another late 1st round pick. If teams knew how good he’d be he would have gone way before our pick.

Sometimes you get Carlson and sometimes you get Johansen. Nobody knows beforehand.

 

[StrikingDistance]

Too old to remember if I posted this already:

The Lightning won the Cup, but we all won, because there’s no more Pierre McGuire

"No more trying to prove just how much hockey he watches in his free time that he thought was some sort of weird flex, but just made us wonder if he wasn’t actually a serial killer."

Although I don't think serial killer is appropriate, I liken him to a possible pedophile or someone with a fetish collecting player's used underwear.

Good riddance...creep.

Now back to playing with my beanie babies.

 

[g00n]

"No more trying to prove just how much hockey he watches in his free time that he thought was some sort of weird flex, but just made us wonder if he wasn’t actually a serial killer."

Although I don't think serial killer is appropriate, I liken him to a possible pedophile or someone with a fetish collecting player's used underwear.

Good riddance...creep.

Now back to playing with my beanie babies.

This line gave me a chuckle

"Fifteen f***ing years we lived with this piercing horseshit, making every nationally televised game a chore. "

Piercing horseshit adslfkas on the nose

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I won’t miss Pierre but it does suck that all of those people lost their jobs. And ESPN/TNT need to prove that their personalities and coverage will be better before we rejoice in NBC’s departure.

ESPN Announces Full Broadcasting Roster for NHL Coverage

They’re bringing over Weekes, Ferraro, and Boucher which is good but Melrose? Puke. Callahan? Meh. Messier and Chelios? Could go either way. And none of the play-by-play personalities are inspiring except for McDonough. Buccigross is ok for the Frozen Four but I can’t imagine listening to him do full seasons.

Put me in the “be careful what you wish for” camp right now.

 

[txpd]

I won’t miss Pierre but it does suck that all of those people lost their jobs. And ESPN/TNT need to prove that their personalities and coverage will be better before we rejoice in NBC’s departure.

ESPN Announces Full Broadcasting Roster for NHL Coverage

They’re bringing over Weekes, Ferraro, and Boucher which is good but Melrose? Puke. Callahan? Meh. Messier and Chelios? Could go either way. And none of the play-by-play personalities are inspiring except for McDonough. Buccigross is ok for the Frozen Four but I can’t imagine listening to him do full seasons.

Put me in the “be careful what you wish for” camp right now.

Be prepared for a heavy female presence on ESPN broadcasts. It wont be a Tappen running the studio with analyists and a model doing an interview between periods. A lot of the game production will have a female analyist in the booth and one in the studio.

NBC seems to be getting out of the sports business as their contracts expire. Lots of people losing their jobs. That said, people in that business are used to losing their jobs and getting new one's.

 

[g00n]

I won’t miss Pierre but it does suck that all of those people lost their jobs. And ESPN/TNT need to prove that their personalities and coverage will be better before we rejoice in NBC’s departure.

ESPN Announces Full Broadcasting Roster for NHL Coverage

They’re bringing over Weekes, Ferraro, and Boucher which is good but Melrose? Puke. Callahan? Meh. Messier and Chelios? Could go either way. And none of the play-by-play personalities are inspiring except for McDonough. Buccigross is ok for the Frozen Four but I can’t imagine listening to him do full seasons.

Put me in the “be careful what you wish for” camp right now.

Nah. Totally worth it for me. Melrose is an old shoe. He may say some stupid shit but at least it's not insufferable, breathless bloviating and butt licking like Pierre. Just the drone of his voice gives me ass hives.

I'm sure some of these people will suck but right now I'm doing a victory dance.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I’m fine with Melrose. He’s like a neutered Don Cherry at this point in his career. More fluff than substance, but at least likable to me.

Not many are going to like all the ESPN personalities, but I welcome some change.

oh….and F…..Ferraro…..

 

[g00n]

I’m fine with Melrose. He’s like a neutered Don Cherry at this point in his career. More fluff than substance, but at least likable to me.

Not many are going to like all the ESPN personalities, but I welcome some change.

oh….and F…..Ferraro…..

I think I tuned out Ferraro years ago. Can't even recall anything about his style other than I got tired of other guys like Pang saying "chicken parm" at every opportunity.

 

[Roric]

I'm in the camp for reuniting oshie and tarasenko

 

[Rayquaza64]

what exactly would getting tarasenko fix? he wasnt that impressive once he came back and he would push one of himself/oshie/wilson/mantha to the bottom six. not sure id like to give up what it might cost + idk if he waives to here

 

[Hivemind]

Boy did we win that trade for Oshie.

2nd best trade in the Ovie era, after Eminger for a late 1st.

The Cristobal Huet trade is also worthy of consideration

 

[Scorlov]

I'm in the camp for reuniting oshie and tarasenko

How many right wingers do we need rofl

Oshie
Wilson
Mantha (half the player he is at LW than at RW as his bread and butter is the cross ice one timer/fast release wrister but nowhere else to stick him - gj Mac)
Sprong (also better RW that we stick on LW for the same reason)
Hathaway

Now imagine adding Tarasenko to the mix

Kind of nuts how unbalanced this roster is, pile of slow-medium level skating trigger men being forced to play out of role and out of position with most of what's left of their speed and playmaking residing in Kuznetsov. If they move him would not be surprised if the roster collapses on itself Sharks style just from how out of sync it is.

 

[Scorlov]

The Cristobal Huet trade is also worthy of consideration

Solid trade but not even the best trade from that deadline

 

[Melkor]

Lol Cristobal Huet..

 

[searle]

The only Tarasenko I'd be at all interest in is a 1 year post-buyout league minimum contract, and even then it probably doesn't make sense.

Even at 50% retention what problem does it solve and what are the chances he actually earns that cap hit?