Bouboumaster
Registered User
- Jul 4, 2014
- 11,398
- 10,317
Which players raised their stock? Which players hurt their stock?
- Thread starter DackellDuck
- Start date
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StlBigFly
Registered User
- Mar 29, 2012
- 500
- 308
Notable upgrades:
Marner: really outstanding game from start to finish. I’ve previously been a hater and I’m no longer a hater.
Notable downgrades:
Hellebyuck: he’s got 2 wins his last 10 playoff games. Bennet beat him clean. Mcd beat him clean. He was lost on the first goal. Some players have bad luck, some players flip, totally changing a career narrative. In this case - it’s past the point for me it’s a blip. This is a thing and we’ll see how these playoffs go. If the dude Swiss cheeses again I’m gonna have a hard time when people try to claim a team with him in net has any goaltending advantage.
He isn’t bad. He isn’t a bum. But he isn’t making the saves needed, yet I’m supposed to think when a team faces him that he’s some major advantage. Ya gotta earn that and playoff hellebyuck hasn’t earned it.
Marner: really outstanding game from start to finish. I’ve previously been a hater and I’m no longer a hater.
Notable downgrades:
Hellebyuck: he’s got 2 wins his last 10 playoff games. Bennet beat him clean. Mcd beat him clean. He was lost on the first goal. Some players have bad luck, some players flip, totally changing a career narrative. In this case - it’s past the point for me it’s a blip. This is a thing and we’ll see how these playoffs go. If the dude Swiss cheeses again I’m gonna have a hard time when people try to claim a team with him in net has any goaltending advantage.
He isn’t bad. He isn’t a bum. But he isn’t making the saves needed, yet I’m supposed to think when a team faces him that he’s some major advantage. Ya gotta earn that and playoff hellebyuck hasn’t earned it.
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Sanheim and Parayko very clearly played themselves off. They couldn't handle the pace of the tournament.
I thought Doughty was decent, considering his severe injury and not playing much prior, but he had weird flubs with the puck frequently. I would consider bringing him back depending how he looks next season. He paired well with Harley
Toews - Makar
Harley - Doughty
Weegar - Bouchard
Theodore - Pietrangelo
Sure hes not what he was in 2016, but I think he played his role well
kevsh
Registered User
- Nov 28, 2018
- 3,882
- 5,497
I'm not going to get into raising/lowering stock because I think for many of these players where they are, their legacy, etc. is pretty much set. But for each of the two finalists a few stood out (weighted heavily by the final game):
USA
- Brady Tkachuk was a force that Canada couldn't really handle
- Matthews was dangerous but like we've seen all season just not finishing like he can
- Like so many others have pointed out Hughes was almost invisible
- Slavin was all-world last night and from I saw throughout the tournament. He's an absolute stud.
CAN
- Binnington obviously. Cooper's faith in him proved to us all why he's a Stanley Cup-winning coach making millions and we are not.
- Marner bounced back in a big way after not looking great the past few games. He scored or had the primary assist - and both of those on great passes - on 3 of Canada's biggest 4 goals in the tournament (Nate's game winner vs. Finland was the other)
- The blueline overall - supposedly vastly inferior to America's was fine, just as how I predicted pre-tournament that it would be. And yes I'm shamelessly patting myself on the back because it's rare I make a correct prediction about anything.
USA
- Brady Tkachuk was a force that Canada couldn't really handle
- Matthews was dangerous but like we've seen all season just not finishing like he can
- Like so many others have pointed out Hughes was almost invisible
- Slavin was all-world last night and from I saw throughout the tournament. He's an absolute stud.
CAN
- Binnington obviously. Cooper's faith in him proved to us all why he's a Stanley Cup-winning coach making millions and we are not.
- Marner bounced back in a big way after not looking great the past few games. He scored or had the primary assist - and both of those on great passes - on 3 of Canada's biggest 4 goals in the tournament (Nate's game winner vs. Finland was the other)
- The blueline overall - supposedly vastly inferior to America's was fine, just as how I predicted pre-tournament that it would be. And yes I'm shamelessly patting myself on the back because it's rare I make a correct prediction about anything.
Doughty was okay, but man, he is a shell of his former self--makes me appreciate that 2014 Canadian Olympic team so much more (possibly the best hockey team in history imo).
Sam Bennett drove his stock up to me. I became a fan this tournament.
Binnington also blew the doors of my expectations.
And Slavin is one of the best defensemen in the NHL. Incredible game from him last night.
Sam Bennett drove his stock up to me. I became a fan this tournament.
Binnington also blew the doors of my expectations.
And Slavin is one of the best defensemen in the NHL. Incredible game from him last night.
Boonk
Registered User
- Oct 10, 2017
- 3,012
- 4,120
I was really impressed with Thomas Harley stepping in and playing up to that level. The dude can defend seriously good and I had him as one of the younger options left off and gunning for a spot next year in Italy. He definitely earned it and has defeated the double-agent allegations.
Binnington was solid in net. Really good showing after a subpar appearance at the Worlds in spring last season. A few plays here and there that are questionable and he lets some soft goals by him that need to be stopped but when hes on youre not getting anything past him and he shuts shit down in net. He will be the starter next year, Canadas brass still needs to take Logan Thompson tho.
Binnington was solid in net. Really good showing after a subpar appearance at the Worlds in spring last season. A few plays here and there that are questionable and he lets some soft goals by him that need to be stopped but when hes on youre not getting anything past him and he shuts shit down in net. He will be the starter next year, Canadas brass still needs to take Logan Thompson tho.
- Oct 24, 2008
- 27,187
- 48,441
Bouchard can't be on this team.
This is a guy who regularly tries to deke forecheckers as the last man back, half-asses coming back to his own zone, completely controller-disconnects in critical defensive situations.
Makar is better than him on the PP, so what's the point of having this guy making brain farts in key situations?
KingsHockey24
Registered User
- Aug 1, 2013
- 14,764
- 13,619
Auston Matthews, Adam Fox, Jack Hughes and Kyle Connor f***ing suck.
Jacob Slavin, Dylan Larkin, Jack Eichel, and the Tkachuk's are damn good.
Jacob Slavin, Dylan Larkin, Jack Eichel, and the Tkachuk's are damn good.
Canada needs more offense. Their 5v5 offensive generation was pretty bad all tournament, and compared to the U.S., their rush game was pitiful. Bouchard plays full-time with McDavid and they need another guy who can spring McDavid/Mackinnon et al on the rush.
I'm not saying make Bouchard their top shutdown option.
What did Sanheim and Parayko contribute to the team? They brought nothing offensively and spent most of their time hemmed in their DZ.
Gotta say all the U.S. d save for Fox. I knew that Faber was good, I didn't know he was that F'n good.
Gonna throw in a biased plug for D Larkin. We know he is not among the best of the best, but there is a reason Red Wing fans defend him so much. Just an absolute dog, and it appears to have rubbed off on Raymond.
As for Canada? Well Canada is Canada, just so much talent that even when you think you have them shut down, one mistake ends up in the back of the net.
Gonna throw in a biased plug for D Larkin. We know he is not among the best of the best, but there is a reason Red Wing fans defend him so much. Just an absolute dog, and it appears to have rubbed off on Raymond.
As for Canada? Well Canada is Canada, just so much talent that even when you think you have them shut down, one mistake ends up in the back of the net.
gretzkyoilers
Registered User
- Apr 17, 2012
- 498
- 454
I said this before the tournament: if regular season Helle shows up...great for Team USA! If playoff Helle shows up....good luck....
Yeah if this was played on the big international rinks guys like Stone would be a no go. The Speed of McD and Mack are really obvious in this game. for the Olympics they will build a team for speed....
Barsky
Registered User
- Jun 22, 2010
- 524
- 321
I'm an Oiler fan and have watched, literally, almost every game Bouchard has played as an Oiler. And I agree with this entirely. That said, 2024 playoffs Bouchard is a Team Canada Olympic player. But so far, he's shown that his playoff performance last year was a bit of an outlier, and I would not have had him on the 4 nations team, let alone the olympic team.
FWIW I'm pretty sure 2026 is set to be played on NHL ice.
And the "international ice is faster" narrative is not true. The surface is bigger, but the game is slower. It becomes more like soccer. You're kinda more spread out and just hold your position, because with the extra ice, if you lose your position there is more room to get beat. Incentivizes less risk taking.
The biggest weakness for Canada was on offense. They need more of a push offensively and need better 5 man cohesiveness on the attack (especially on the rush, where they were terrible).
Bouchard, who plays with McDavid regularly, is an obvious possible solution to address this.
Sanheim-Parayko were bad offensively and bad defensively. I would rather have had Bouchard than them.
Then why wasnt he resting for playoffs? Just like last year, Leafs top players were playing meaningless games at the end of the season to rack up Matthews goal totals then couldnt stay healthy against boston. Matthews is a real leader, and definitely shouldnt be USAs captain
Marner is a weird one, had a bad tournament besides the OT goal against Sweden, inconsistent, demoted to the 4th line, but rose to the occasion, was excellent in the championship game. Kind of redeemed his poor play the first 3 games.
Barsky
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- Jun 22, 2010
- 524
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With a healthy Petro, Parayko isn't even there and Weegar would be a better and more versatile #7 anyway
aylib
Registered
Hughes reminded me of when he played as a rookie— was extremely easy to separate from the puck; as others have mentioned, he was being tossed around like a ragdoll
Parayko was on the original team. They named him. He was going to be there. And I honestly don't think Petro, at this stage in his career, is team Canada calibre either.
I would have had Weegar personally.
Barsky
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- Jun 22, 2010
- 524
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I know, but that was only cause Doughty was in the situation he was in. Next year with Doughty at full speed I'll take Petro and his experience on the 3rd pairing and Weegar as the #7 swing guy over Parayko for sure, imo
Felt like he was among the best three skaters on the US team in every game.
McShogun99
Registered User
I didn't even know Fox, Hughes and Connor were playing. They were complete ghosts.
They can take 8D to Milan. I don't see why Bouchard shouldn't be in that group, given the need for more offense.
