What’s your unpopular hockey opinion?

[NoName]

That hockey has become too soft overall.

I thought this was supposed to be posting unpopular opinions

I miss the big open ice hits and the incredible fights as much as anyone. OTOH I also remember Boogaard and Lindros and guys in other contact sports that are broken down shells at the end of their careers and aren’t even middle aged yet. Even though the viewing experience obviously suffers to a degree, I do think it is worth trading in the Tie Domi style of last generation for the Max Domi style today.

Now the head-snapping bullshit flopping that I see bleeding into the game now as cowardly players try to take advantage of the new emphasis on protecting the head, THAT I hate. Don’t want to see this game turned into soccer where cheating is so ubiquitous it becomes know as “gamesmanship”.

 

[NoName]

As to my “unpopular” opinion: I think William Nylander’s contract will actually turn out to be a bargain, as he continues to improve his game and as the cap goes up and RFA contracts continue to rise. Makes me think of Leon Draisaitl. We all scoffed at Chia when he handed out that contract but now you can’t argue it isn’t undermarket value for a guy who puts up 50+ goals and 100+ points (yes, even while spending a lot of time with McDavid). I don’t think Nylander hits those heights, but I definitely see 30 goals and 70-80 points in his future, which will make a sub-$7million AAV contract look like a bargain in a few years.



I await my crucifixion in the comments below.

 

[lottster14]

The increase in scoring = bad
There should be a way to watch without commentators. Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson being the main voices of HNIC is just awful

 

[frisco]

Patrick Roy's broken English reply to Roenick with the two Stanley Cup rings in his ears was the most cringe worthy, unfunny hockey quote of all-time.

My Best-Carey

 

[illpucks]

The increase in scoring = bad
There should be a way to watch without commentators. Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson being the main voices of HNIC is just awful

Jim Hughson would be great in a fantasy game of Canucks vs Canucks
Great save Luongo!
What a save by Lunogo!
Great save Luongo!
Oh What a save by Luongo!

 

[illpucks]

Jonathan Toews is the best player to ever play the game, and is the best NHL player in its 102 year history.

 

[illpucks]

Players who commit an assault on the ice (ie. Domi punching Ekblad, or Bertuzzi's attack on Moore) should be criminally charged

Ovechkin then too..? For Svechnikov?

 

[lottster14]

Jonathan Toews is the best player to ever play the game, and is the best NHL player in its 102 year history.

Certainly one of the best captains

 

[psycat]

Present hockey is mostly good for falling asleep.
Players, including the stars, are very replacable and honestly should earn about one tenth of what they do. One might aswell watch tier 3 hockey for about the same, sometimes even more, entertainment.

I don't care who wins the cup at all since NHL is just a mercenaries league and it's mostly random anyway. Following storylines of individual players is more engaging.

 

[Neutrinos]

Ovechkin then too..? For Svechnikov?

That appeared to be mutual combat

 

[holy]

Patrick Roy's broken English reply to Roenick with the two Stanley Cup rings in his ears was the most cringe worthy, unfunny hockey quote of all-time.

My Best-Carey

Yeah, I agree. Would've been much more of a knee slapper if he delivered it in a slick British accent.

 

[Ogrezilla]

There should be a way to watch without commentators. Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson being the main voices of HNIC is just awful

I would love the option to watch with game sound on but no commentators.

 

[NyQuil]

Jim Hughson would be great in a fantasy game of Canucks vs Canucks
Great save Luongo!
What a save by Lunogo!
Great save Luongo!
Oh What a save by Luongo!

 

[CupInSIX]

Sidney Crosby is currently the 2nd best player in the league, and top 5 all time.

 

[Ceremony]

I don't like Teemu Selanne.

 

[Sensung]

Eugene Melnyk is unfairly blamed for everything wrong with the Sens.

Truly shocked that a sleeper with 150 posts in a decade of membership would come in to support Melnyk.

 

[Beauner]

Present hockey is mostly good for falling asleep.
Players, including the stars, are very replacable and honestly should earn about one tenth of what they do. One might aswell watch tier 3 hockey for about the same, sometimes even more, entertainment.

I don't care who wins the cup at all since NHL is just a mercenaries league and it's mostly random anyway. Following storylines of individual players is more engaging.

there's unpopular, then there's this. None of this is even true.

 

[Turin]

Who had the greatest relative careers and who is the best hockey player are entirely different questions.

 

[psycat]

there's unpopular, then there's this. None of this is even true.

What is not true?

 

[Beauner]

What is not true?

Present hockey is mostly good for falling asleep. That's subjective.
Players, including the stars, are very replacable and honestly should earn about one tenth of what they do. If guys like Kucherov, McDavid and Crosby are replaceable why is no one else doing what they are? If they're replaceable then any random player should be able to score 100 points right? To go along with that, players earn exactly what they should be. Supply and demand. Again, if everyone could score 100 points then the ones that could wouldn't all make multiple millions of dollars. One might aswell watch tier 3 hockey for about the same, sometimes even more, entertainment. Uh, no.

I don't care who wins the cup at all since NHL is just a mercenaries league What? Mercenaries? You want mercenaries, look at the NBA. I don't know how you can possibly call the NHL a mercenaries league when its arguable best player extended long term with a mediocre team with low hope for success in the near term and it's mostly random anyway. Following storylines of individual players is more engaging.

that about covers it

 

[ichabod13]

Lou Lamoriellos best years are just tiny little dots in his rearview mirror.

 

[Oddbob]

I came to post quite the opposite:

3v3 is so boring. Better than shootout but that’s a low bar.

So everyone - which one is the unpopular view?

It is only boring if they keep resetting the play and redo their off. setups. Most of the the 3 vs 3 is pretty darn exciting though, and we gets lots of fun close calls and finishes.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Lou Lamoriellos best years are just tiny little dots in his rearview mirror.

Incoming brigade to yell at you about how him being a HHOF GM means he's good today.

 

[ichabod13]

Incoming brigade to yell at you about how him being a HHOF GM means he's good today.

Let 'em scream......It won't be anything I haven't heard before.

 

[DitchMarner]

Jonathan Toews is the best player to ever play the game, and is the best NHL player in its 102 year history.

This really makes no sense at all (and I find Toews to be underrated by many on this site).

There have been players who have put up better numbers, players who have been more talented, players who have been better defensively and/or more physically imposing, players who have had more team success and players who have achieved more individually. There's simply no basis for declaring Toews the best hockey player ever.