Out of Town Thread Part XXV

[Gustave]

Who? The Leafs?

I suppose adding Barrie is a nothing move They pretty much revamped the whole defense outside of Rielly and Muzzin (and Muzzin did not play the whole season with them last year). Mikheyev is a interesting gamble too.

Barrie and Ceci in.
Gardiner, Hainsey, Zaitsev, Kadri and Marleau out.

I should’ve said that the makeup of the team is basically the same. They are better than the Habs, let me be clear, I’m not saying otherwise.

It’s been two off-seasons now that I look at the moves (JVR out, Tavares in the year prior) and just don’t see them getting over the hurdle of better constructed teams like Boston TB and so forth. The flash is there but the structure leaves me plainly bearish on their chances at a cup.

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[Gustave]

Also, as sort of an experiment, I checked the HFHabs favorite marker of possible downturn from year to year; career best statistical seasons.

Marner, Tavares, Matthews, Reilly, Johnsson , Kapanen, Hyman all had their career best “classic” statistical year. In the cases of Kapanen and Johnsson it might not be saying much but I’m just trying to show the amount of solid to great seasons that the roster sported.

The general sentiment is the Habs can’t repeat what they did last season(better than expected but nothing to write home about) considering the high number of statistical best seasons. It’s something to keep an eye on on the Leafs side of things.

 

[LaP]

Also, as sort of an experiment, I checked the HFHabs favorite marker of possible downturn from year to year; career best statistical seasons.

Marner, Tavares, Matthews, Reilly, Johnsson , Kapanen, Hyman all had their career best “classic” statistical year. In the cases of Kapanen and Johnsson it might not be saying much but I’m just trying to show the amount of solid to great seasons that the roster sported.

The general sentiment is the Habs can’t repeat what they did last season(better than expected but nothing to write home about) considering the high number of statistical best seasons. It’s something to keep an eye on on the Leafs side of things.

Matthews and Marner were 21 ...

 

[Sthabs]

46 of the top 50 scorers had career highs, scoring is going up for everyone

 

[Gustave]

Matthews and Marner were 21 ...

That’s a fact. I get your point, no doubt.

I’m only expressing my doubts, might be unwarranted, before I’m ready to put them in the serious contenders column.

 

[Prairie Habs]

Matthews and Marner were 21 ...

They have 1 season of over 70 points each and will combine for over 22M in cap next year.

 

[LaP]

They have 1 season of over 70 points each and will combine for over 22M in cap next year.

I would add Matthews to our team at this salary any day of the week without any kind of hesitation and as long as he is healthy it would be a big upgrade to our team.

That’s a fact. I get your point, no doubt.

I’m only expressing my doubts, might be unwarranted, before I’m ready to put them in the serious contenders column.

I don't think they are a serious contender yet. Lack of experience and Matthews needs to take the next step. Rielly (like Domi) needs to prove last year was not a fluke. But i think they are close and certainly not as bad as many people here imply. Reading this board it's like the Laffs is one of the worst team in the league and will draft top 5 in the next 3 years.

 

[waffledave]

Last year was a crazy year for scoring, and I suspect this may continue for a bit. Almost everyone, league-wide, had some of their best seasons yet.

While this is great, it also means that a 60-70 pt season doesn't actually mean as much as it did before. There were many more 70+ point players last season than in prior years.

Every couple of years you'll see scoring shoot up, usually after rule changes or other similar things. I remember after the lockout in the 2000s it was pretty significant, pretty much everyone in the top 10 scoring topped 100pts. The year before the lockout, NOBODY had 100pts.

After a few years scoring started to go down again, and it got really low the year Price had his historic season.

The lesson? We need 100+pt players (multiple), or we need most guys to top 50+.

Boston has 2 players capable of 100+pts. Toronto has 2 as well, as I think Marner is topping 100 this year.

 

[Gustave]

I would add Matthews to our team at this salary any day of the week without any kind of hesitation and as long as he is healthy it would be a big upgrade to our team.



I don't think they are a serious contender yet. Lack of experience and Matthews needs to take the next step. Rielly (like Domi) needs to prove last year was not a fluke. But i think they are close and certainly not as bad as many people here imply. Reading this board it's like the Laffs is one of the worst team in the league and will draft top 5 in the next 3 years.

I don’t echo the sentiment that this board feels like the Leafs are one of the worst teams in the league.

Merely just might not be a serious contender like your own feeling.

 

[Gustave]

Last year was a crazy year for scoring, and I suspect this may continue for a bit. Almost everyone, league-wide, had some of their best seasons yet.

While this is great, it also means that a 60-70 pt season doesn't actually mean as much as it did before. There were many more 70+ point players last season than in prior years.

Every couple of years you'll see scoring shoot up, usually after rule changes or other similar things. I remember after the lockout in the 2000s it was pretty significant, pretty much everyone in the top 10 scoring topped 100pts. The year before the lockout, NOBODY had 100pts.

After a few years scoring started to go down again, and it got really low the year Price had his historic season.

The lesson? We need 100+pt players (multiple), or we need most guys to top 50+.

Boston has 2 players capable of 100+pts. Toronto has 2 as well, as I think Marner is topping 100 this year.

Like you, by comparison, we just don’t have the firepower to get over the hump this season.

These teams (TB, Boston and TO) have massive threats and with Florida (who knows with them) getting more mature the division is going to be a blood bath offensively. A lot of weapons in the Atlantic.

 

[waffledave]

Like you, by comparison, we just don’t have the firepower to get over the hump this season.

These teams (TB, Boston and TO) have massive threats and with Florida (who knows with them) getting more mature the division is going to be a blood bath offensively. A lot of weapons in the Atlantic.

Florida is another team with 2 guys likely to top 100pts.

 

[waffledave]

If you look at teams in our division with players that are capable of 100+ pts

Tampa: 3
Boston: 2
Toronto: 2
Montreal: 0
Ottawa: 0
Florida: 2
Buffalo: 0? Maybe 1
Detroit: 0

Not the best company. It's all great stuff to have a 75 pt scorer again but realistically it's the same thing as your top scorer getting 55 pts a few years ago, which isn't great.

 

[Milhouse40]

Ouch...new NHL i guess

 

[Tyson]

The Wild management team seems more incompetent than the Habs

 

[Milhouse40]

The Wild management team seems more incompetent than the Habs

That's something.....he's a good D but not 7.5m D. I get that they have to keep him but i would kind of agree with you on this one

 

[M.C.G. 31]

That term is also ugly imo.

 

[JianYang]

They got 5 pretty good players (Tavares, Matthews, Marner, Rielly and Nylander). They overpay for them but it's a good core. If they build around them they have a fair shot. I think it's a better plan than having ad vitam aeternam cap space and doing nothing with it. Cap Space is a good looking player but he's not very good on the ice.

It seems like the context of the discussion has shifted now.

If we are talking about the core, no doubt they have a good one. Actually, it's better than good.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Carolina going after every player we have interest in lmao

 

[DXStriker]

WOW @ Minny lol

7 Years at 7.5 for 30 year old Spurgeon thats steep for Term and AAV included

 

[JianYang]

Last year was a crazy year for scoring, and I suspect this may continue for a bit. Almost everyone, league-wide, had some of their best seasons yet.

While this is great, it also means that a 60-70 pt season doesn't actually mean as much as it did before. There were many more 70+ point players last season than in prior years.

Every couple of years you'll see scoring shoot up, usually after rule changes or other similar things. I remember after the lockout in the 2000s it was pretty significant, pretty much everyone in the top 10 scoring topped 100pts. The year before the lockout, NOBODY had 100pts.

After a few years scoring started to go down again, and it got really low the year Price had his historic season.

The lesson? We need 100+pt players (multiple), or we need most guys to top 50+.

Boston has 2 players capable of 100+pts. Toronto has 2 as well, as I think Marner is topping 100 this year.

You need a diverse mix on your team. Last year,the standard of officiating in the regular season was relatively tight.

Then what happened in the playoffs? The standard of officiating was much looser.

The degree of disparity of the officiating standards between the regular season and playoffs was as large as I've ever seen last year.

At the end of the day, it's still a team that can endure the most wear and tear, and teams who can succeed the best in the trenches that have an upper hand as the playoffs wear along .... At least if the standards of officiating remain the same.

The NHL teams built today has trended towards outright talent, and superstars with less emphasis towards the other ingredients, but the rule enforcement dictates that teams need a bit of everything to be the last one standing in April.

I don't think the blues were the most talented team by a longshot, but I think the most symbolic play happened in game 7 OT against Dallas.

Zuccarello was about to send Dallas into the next round with a sure goal parked right in front of a helpless goalie. It's a sure goal in the regular season. But this is the playoffs, and the refs allow Zuccarello to receive the most flagrant infraction from behind that sends Zuccarello flying, and the series continues.

There is the difference between the regular season and postseason.

At this point, Montreal has neither the skill level to compete with the most talented teams in the regular season, nor do they have that trench style component to have a deep playoff push. That's not to say that Montreal doesn't have some of that stuff, but I'm talking more as a collective unit.

 

[PaulD]

You need a diverse mix on your team. Last year,the standard of officiating in the regular season was relatively tight.

Then what happened in the playoffs? The standard of officiating was much looser.

The degree of disparity of the officiating standards between the regular season and playoffs was as large as I've ever seen last year.

At the end of the day, it's still a team that can endure the most wear and tear, and teams who can succeed the best in the trenches that have an upper hand as the playoffs wear along .... At least if the standards of officiating remain the same.

The NHL teams built today has trended towards outright talent, and superstars with less emphasis towards the other ingredients, but the rule enforcement dictates that teams need a bit of everything to be the last one standing in April.

I don't think the blues were the most talented team by a longshot, but I think the most symbolic play happened in game 7 OT against Dallas.

Zuccarello was about to send Dallas into the next round with a sure goal parked right in front of a helpless goalie. It's a sure goal in the regular season. But this is the playoffs, and the refs allow Zuccarello to receive the most flagrant infraction from behind that sends Zuccarello flying, and the series continues.

There is the difference between the regular season and postseason.

At this point, Montreal has neither the skill level to compete with the most talented teams in the regular season, nor do they have that trench style component to have a deep playoff push. That's not to say that Montreal doesn't have some of that stuff, but I'm talking more as a collective unit.

Good post. But "officiating" is not all that dramatically changes in play offs.

More hard hits period. (clean)
Everyone tries harder. (Going all out in a way that is impossible for 82 games)
No back up goalies.
Everyone is blocking shots.
Top 4 D plays most of the game. Bottom pairs ice time shrinks.
Far more line matching while playing the same team every night for two weeks.


Some teams are suited for that better than others.

 

[The Great Weal]

If you look at teams in our division with players that are capable of 100+ pts

Tampa: 3
Boston: 2
Toronto: 2
Montreal: 0
Ottawa: 0
Florida: 2
Buffalo: 0? Maybe 1
Detroit: 0

Not the best company. It's all great stuff to have a 75 pt scorer again but realistically it's the same thing as your top scorer getting 55 pts a few years ago, which isn't great.

How many do the cup champs have? Zero. Also notice how Tampa has the most but couldn't even win a playoff game. However I do agree that we need high end talent.

 

[PaulD]

WOW @ Minny lol

7 Years at 7.5 for 30 year old Spurgeon thats steep for Term and AAV included

They never learn over there. New GM picking up where the old one left off. Bad contracts.