Series Talk: R1 (2025): Vegas (1st Pacific) vs Wild (WC1) | VGK Wins 4-2

[NHL1674]

It must be nice to have the league in your pocket. Wow. Can you imagine Foligno doing that to Eichel.......

 

[TaLoN]

It must be nice to have the league in your pocket. Wow. Can you imagine Foligno doing that to Eichel.......

Disgusting

 

[57special]

Drop Barzal in this team for Rossi, how much different of a team build do we have compared to Tampa?

Kaprizov ~ Kucherov
Barzal ~ Point
Boldy ~ Guentzel
Ek ~ Cirelli

Hedman > Faber, but theoretically Buium once he gets up to speed is better than the Tampa number 2.

Vasilevskiy > Gus, but not by as much as you’d think based on this year.

Our team would have the younger core by quite a bit, too.

Barzal doesn't play Center any more, and he is not close to the player Point is. On top of that, he spent most of the year injured. I'll stick with Rossi.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Barzal doesn't play Center any more, and he is not close to the player Point is. On top of that, he spent most of the year injured. I'll stick with Rossi.

We have essentially no idea the player Point is without Kucherov.

The center thing might just be circumstance, with Horvat, Nelson and Pageau on the team, though his faceoffs are pretty horrendous.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Can't believe I've been overlooking an obvious candidate for our cap $'s: Sam Bennett. Has his Cup (and might get another); has not had his big contract. Do we think Guerin isn't going to throw $7M or maybe even $8M with term his way?

Bennett at ~$7.5M
Nelson at ~$6M
Rossi traded

Kaprizov - Ek - Boldy
Yurov - Bennett - Zuccarello
Ohgren/Foligno - Nelson - Hartman

Do we hate this?

 

[KaprizovSaveUs]

Barzal doesn't play Center any more, and he is not close to the player Point is. On top of that, he spent most of the year injured. I'll stick with Rossi.

I think you analysis of Barzal is wrong, though I respect your opinion. If we switched Barzal and Point’s situations things would be completely different. I don’t think we can even begin to understand the production a guy like Mat Barzal could have centering Kirill Kaprizov. Mat Barzal is galaxies better if a player than Marco Rossi.

 

[KaprizovSaveUs]

Can't believe I've been overlooking an obvious candidate for our cap $'s: Sam Bennett. Has his Cup (and might get another); has not had his big contract. Do we think Guerin isn't going to throw $7M or maybe even $8M with term his way?

Bennett at ~$7.5M
Nelson at ~$6M
Rossi traded

Kaprizov - Ek - Boldy
Yurov - Bennett - Zuccarello
Ohgren/Foligno - Nelson - Hartman

Do we hate this?

My favorite option I think is becoming trade Rossi for a useful ELC down the line (Hage), and give his money to someone else whether it’s FA or Trade. I like the idea of Bennet, but not at his number. And I don’t really like the idea of Nelson. He’s going to be 34 next year and looks to have taken at least one step back this year. He’s at that age where things happen quickly. Look at Nyquist as an example. I’m not interested in making an old team older either. I’d rather use the trade chips we’ve been banking to get guys that fit our timeline better, even if we have to overpay (see Barzal logic).

 

[Wabit]

So anyone else planning a quick trip to Vegas for game 5?

 

[Wild925]

So anyone else planning a quick trip to Vegas for game 5?

Game 7, did it last time— so much fun. Despite the loss of course.

 

[57special]

I think you analysis of Barzal is wrong, though I respect your opinion. If we switched Barzal and Point’s situations things would be completely different. I don’t think we can even begin to understand the production a guy like Mat Barzal could have centering Kirill Kaprizov. Mat Barzal is galaxies better if a player than Marco Rossi.

Maybe Barzal can play Center again... I don't know. He is terrible at FO's, and isn't much of a defensive player. Also quite slight in frame. Really good skater, and vg with the puck. I agree that his stats have been held down over the years by playing in the NYI style, but other players like Lee, Horvat, and Nelson have found ways to score goals.

He is a better player than Marco right now(when he plays.... missed many game this year with injury), but 4-5 years from now? Not so sure. Also, he is paid 9.15M- that is no bargain for a guy who's career high is 23 goals.

I would far rather trade Rossi for Pinto, and you know my feelings about him. Bottom line is that Barzal is overpaid, is not an elite 1st liner, maybe not even a 1st liner, and hasn't been playing C for quite a while now.

 

[MNRube]

My favorite option I think is becoming trade Rossi for a useful ELC down the line (Hage), and give his money to someone else whether it’s FA or Trade. I like the idea of Bennet, but not at his number. And I don’t really like the idea of Nelson. He’s going to be 34 next year and looks to have taken at least one step back this year. He’s at that age where things happen quickly. Look at Nyquist as an example. I’m not interested in making an old team older either. I’d rather use the trade chips we’ve been banking to get guys that fit our timeline better, even if we have to overpay (see Barzal logic).

I can get behind this. Cant see MTL being interested with so many smallish and/or softish Fs already in Suzuki, Caufield, Laine, Demidov, but the principle stands. It’s too bad McTavish had such a good 2nd half, he was always an intriguing target in a hockey trade.

I’d take Nelson on a 2 year deal. He’s never been a burner so I think his game will age well and I like his versatility. Not in love with Boeser. Too clunky, too unreliable.

I am with Doc Jan that EP is the dream solution. Him and Ek down the middle is a formidable and balanced duo. I think he just needs a change of scenery in the same way Eichel did.

 

[KaprizovSaveUs]

I can get behind this. Cant see MTL being interested with so many smallish and/or softish Fs already in Suzuki, Caufield, Laine, Demidov, but the principle stands. It’s too bad McTavish had such a good 2nd half, he was always an intriguing target in a hockey trade.

I’d take Nelson on a 2 year deal. He’s never been a burner so I think his game will age well and I like his versatility. Not in love with Boeser. Too clunky, too unreliable.

I am with Doc Jan that EP is the dream solution. Him and Ek down the middle is a formidable and balanced duo. I think he just needs a change of scenery in the same way Eichel did.

Why would Nelson take a 2 year deal?

 

[MNRube]

Why would Nelson take a 2 year deal?

He probably won’t, but we could overpay him to limit the term. It’s a great fit for him on paper plus it’s home. I imagine he wants 4 years and settles for 3. Unless teams just go bonkers with this new cap and offer crazy term.

 

[57special]

I hate the idea of buying into age. Players slow down, get injured and basically, get worse as they age pas their late 20's. Only outliers play as well as their younger selves into their mid 30's. We are already old enough with Spurge, Brodin, Bogo, Mojo, Zucc, Foligno, Hartman, Gaudreau.

 

[Sota Popinski]

Wild got up early and turtles. How do you solve that. Is it coaching or inherent nature. I dunno

I can't hate too much, we got up early so Kaprizov played less than 20 minutes and wild just rolled their lines. And Kaprizov still got 3!points.


But just want some Killer instinct

I don't think the Wild played any differently last night than they did in game 1. People saying they went into a shell seem to be forgetting how inept this team was offensively after 4 nations. If a team as good as Vegas stakes you a 3-4 goal lead, I don't think any team tries to put the pedal to the metal, let alone one as offensively challenged as ours.

The Wild look like they are playing with their pubes on fire. I'm not gonna criticize them for playing conservatively on the road with a 4 goal lead against a legit Cup contender

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Maybe Barzal can play Center again... I don't know. He is terrible at FO's, and isn't much of a defensive player. Also quite slight in frame. Really good skater, and vg with the puck. I agree that his stats have been held down over the years by playing in the NYI style, but other players like Lee, Horvat, and Nelson have found ways to score goals.

He is a better player than Marco right now(when he plays.... missed many game this year with injury), but 4-5 years from now? Not so sure. Also, he is paid 9.15M- that is no bargain for a guy who's career high is 23 goals.

I would far rather trade Rossi for Pinto, and you know my feelings about him. Bottom line is that Barzal is overpaid, is not an elite 1st liner, maybe not even a 1st liner, and hasn't been playing C for quite a while now.

He had 80 points last season, leading his team by 10.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I am with Doc Jan that EP is the dream solution. Him and Ek down the middle is a formidable and balanced duo. I think he just needs a change of scenery in the same way Eichel did.

To be fair, this isn't quite what I think. I think EP is one of the somewhat plausible "bet big" options out there, but it seems to have as big of a bust potential as it does boom. This would be a 'chips to the center of the table' move for the Kaprizov era, with a realistic possibility to sink it. But if the opposite happens...

 

[f7ben]

I’m much more interested in Marner than any of the C targets being discussed.

Kap Rossi Marner
Granny Ek Boldy
Zucc Yurov Foligno

That is a contender top 9 , Kap and Marner together with any competent C would be an absolute nightmare for other teams

 

[MNRube]

To be fair, this isn't quite what I think. I think EP is one of the somewhat plausible "bet big" options out there, but it seems to have as big of a bust potential as it does boom. This would be a 'chips to the center of the table' move for the Kaprizov era, with a realistic possibility to sink it. But if the opposite happens...

Reward outweighs the risk, IMO. He’s never had a wing like Kap and he would have Ek and a strong blueline behind him.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Reward outweighs the risk, IMO. He’s never had a wing like Kap and he would have Ek and a strong blueline behind him.

That would be the bet. Pettersson has never had a guy like Kaprizov before, and Kaprizov has never had a center like him (when he's good) before. Put them together and hope for the good (obviously not worried about the Kaprizov side of things).

 

[Wild11MN]

So anyone else planning a quick trip to Vegas for game 5?

Game 7, did it last time— so much fun. Despite the loss of course.

I'll actually be in Vegas the night of game 7 (if it happens), but I'm at a wedding. Gonna have to sneak away to the arena.

 

[MNRube]

Below are the possibilities for what’s bothering Rossi. It’d be nice if we knew what was going on.

1. Hurt and playing through it.

2. Pouting because of lack of extension or perceived/real lack of love from the FO

3. Exhausted from heavy load early in the year.

4. Not capable of leveling up his intensity to be an effective playoff/big-game player

5. Simple cold streak. Lacking confidence and is a young player still learning how to be consistent.

6. A true passenger. Needs to be surrounded by scorers to score.

7. Something salacious happened between him and the team/FO that hasn’t been reported yet.

If it’s option 1 and/or 5 and he’s willing to sign a reasonable extension, I think you resign him. Unless of course someone like Barzal or EP is gettable

 

[KaprizovSaveUs]

I’m much more interested in Marner than any of the C targets being discussed.

Kap Rossi Marner
Granny Ek Boldy
Zucc Yurov Foligno

That is a contender top 9 , Kap and Marner together with any competent C would be an absolute nightmare for other teams

The Marner math is just hard to make work imo.

 

[KaprizovSaveUs]

That would be the bet. Pettersson has never had a guy like Kaprizov before, and Kaprizov has never had a center like him (when he's good) before. Put them together and hope for the good (obviously not worried about the Kaprizov side of things).

I really don’t think Pettersson is a Billy Guerin type of guy

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I really don’t think Pettersson is a Billy Guerin type of guy

I don't disagree. That's why I'm starting to wonder who Bennett would work with best on our team.