Around the League - 2023 playoffs edition

[NJDevs26]

Black Friday already upon us with the Pittsburgh housecleaning and other changes.

Click to read more...

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Black Friday already upon us with the Pittsburgh housecleaning and other changes.

I was surprised by Lavi losing his job. Otherwise nothing too unexpected I don't think.

 

[NJDevs26]

Considering he was at the end of his contract and probably wanted to move on himself it wasn't that surprising. I'm more surprised the media hasn't made a big issue of Lindy being a lame duck - yet. Maybe now that we're in the playoffs the contract status will be a cause celebre.

 

[Bleedred]

Considering he was at the end of his contract and probably wanted to move on himself it wasn't that surprising. I'm more surprised the media hasn't made a big issue of Lindy being a lame duck - yet. Maybe now that we're in the playoffs the contract status will be a cause celebre.

Maybe he was extended or had an option year and we took it and we just don’t even know it yet?

I remember Hynes had his option year picked up in the middle of the Hall MVP year. I don’t think it even came out right when it happened.

If I’m not mistaken, I thought it was Josh Harris (or maybe Blitzer, as he’s the better talker) coming on the broadcast during the Patty jersey retirement game and saying we’ve picked up his option year and making it sound like it didn’t exactly happen that day, but not too long before that?

I was at that game, so I didn’t watch the broadcast, but either someone told me that or it was talked about on this forum at the time.

When Hynes got his multi-year extension in 2019, I’m pretty sure it was put out right away and the organization even put out a message about it, which they did not the year before.

 

[Bleedred]

I haven’t really made many predictions or thought about it yet but

Devils in 7 (hope it’s 6, I won’t survive game 7)

And Colorado in 4. Maybe it’s 5, but what the hell, there’s probably gonna be a sweep at one point, so why not Seattle and their goalie tandem that looks like something that would be on the Blackhawks or Sharks than a playoff making team?

*checks to see who is playing Winnipeg*

Vegas? Yeah, that’s got Vegas in 5 or 6 written all over it. Winnipeg didn’t have a bad last week, but color me skeptical that they’ve figured it out.

 

[NJDevs26]

Maybe he was extended or had an option year and we took it and we just don’t even know it yet?

I remember Hynes had his option year picked up in the middle of the Hall MVP year. I don’t think it even came out right when it happened.

If I’m not mistaken, I thought it was Josh Harris (or maybe Blitzer, as he’s the better talker) coming on the broadcast during the Patty jersey retirement game and saying we’ve picked up his option year and making it sound like it didn’t exactly happen that day, but not too long before that?

I was at that game, so I didn’t watch the broadcast, but either someone told me that or it was talked about on this forum at the time.

When Hynes got his multi-year extension in 2019, I’m pretty sure it was put out right away and the organization even put out a message about it, which they did not the year before.

That would be cloak and dagger stuff which would make Lou proud. Lou basically pulled something similar with Pete when we all thought he was at the end of his contract one year, then he announced before the last game of the season that he was exercising an option after speculation about Pete bolting for Toronto started lol

 

[Bleedred]

That would be cloak and dagger stuff which would make Lou proud. Lou basically pulled something similar with Pete when we all thought he was at the end of his contract one year, then he announced before the last game of the season that he was exercising an option after speculation about Pete bolting for Toronto started lol

I remember that and thinking “Wait a minute, so what happened to we don’t negotiate during the season? Does that only go for players? I know it’s the last day, but it’s still in season, is it not?”. I remember Lou signing some Islanders guys in-season since he got there. Obviously, Horvat was the most recent, but I know he wasn’t the first.

I think Lou in true Lou fashion would not confirm that he had just been re-signed, but only would say “he’s under contract for next year”. I think it was Rich Chere who said something like “I confirm from a source in the organization that Peter DeBoer was in fact given a contract extension before today’s game”.

 

[Guttersniped]

Maybe he was extended or had an option year and we took it and we just don’t even know it yet?

I remember Hynes had his option year picked up in the middle of the Hall MVP year. I don’t think it even came out right when it happened.

If I’m not mistaken, I thought it was Josh Harris (or maybe Blitzer, as he’s the better talker) coming on the broadcast during the Patty jersey retirement game and saying we’ve picked up his option year and making it sound like it didn’t exactly happen that day, but not too long before that?

I was at that game, so I didn’t watch the broadcast, but either someone told me that or it was talked about on this forum at the time.

When Hynes got his multi-year extension in 2019, I’m pretty sure it was put out right away and the organization even put out a message about it, which they did not the year before.

Hynes had 3 contracts.

He had his first 3 year deal starting in 2015-16 to 2017-18.

He got a 1 year extension for 2018-19, not sure when or how it was announced.

They announced Hynes “multi”-year extension in Jan 2019.

Official Site of the National Hockey League | NHL.com

The official National Hockey League website including news, rosters, stats, schedules, teams, and video.

www.nhl.com

 

[jkrdevil]

Maybe he was extended or had an option year and we took it and we just don’t even know it yet?

I remember Hynes had his option year picked up in the middle of the Hall MVP year. I don’t think it even came out right when it happened.

If I’m not mistaken, I thought it was Josh Harris (or maybe Blitzer, as he’s the better talker) coming on the broadcast during the Patty jersey retirement game and saying we’ve picked up his option year and making it sound like it didn’t exactly happen that day, but not too long before that?

I was at that game, so I didn’t watch the broadcast, but either someone told me that or it was talked about on this forum at the time.

When Hynes got his multi-year extension in 2019, I’m pretty sure it was put out right away and the organization even put out a message about it, which they did not the year before.

I remember that broadcast. It was against the Islanders I believe during the stretch they couldn’t win a game. Harris came on and said they extended him, but it was later reported as the option being picked up. I remember going nuts because I thought it was premature and they would look foolish has they done that and then blown what had looked like a sure playoff spot (which almost happened).

 

[Forge]

Ruff outlasting lavi is not something I would have predicted 3 years ago

 

[Bleedred]

Hynes had 3 contracts.

He had his first 3 year deal starting in 2015-16 to 2017-18.

He got a 1 year extension for 2018-19, not sure when or how it was announced.

They announced Hynes “multi”-year extension in Jan 2019.

Official Site of the National Hockey League | NHL.com

The official National Hockey League website including news, rosters, stats, schedules, teams, and video.

www.nhl.com

I couldn’t find anything about his extension for the 2018-2019 season, but just remember it was apparently an option for a fourth year and it wasn’t publicly announced by the organization like his long term extension the next year, but was just spoken about during an interview during the game broadcast with the owners, where they kind of let it slip, rather than actually made it an announcement. It was like they said it in passing when talking how much of a success the season had been.

I remember that broadcast. It was against the Islanders I believe during the stretch they couldn’t win a game. Harris came on and said they extended him, but it was later reported as the option being picked up. I remember going nuts because I thought it was premature and they would look foolish has they done that and then blown what had looked like a sure playoff spot (which almost happened).

Yes! That Patty jersey retirement game was against the Islanders too. I think it was that game.

I may have went to where I was staying that night after the game and watched the replay and saw them saying this on the broadcast. I just remember it being brought up that night.

I also clearly remember that being the same night that Russia won the gold medal in the 2018 Olympics against Germany in I think it was overtime? I think Gusev had the goal. I had that on at my friend’s where I was staying for the night before flying back home in the morning.

 

[Bleedred]

Had to do a search and came up with these from the coach John Hynes discussion thread from February of 2018

 

[Forge]

 

[Guttersniped]

Are the Penguins and Flyers just going to swap ex-management like spit now?

I get that a job is a job but team’s heavily fetishize ex-players as hires, making legacy
important, so it’s just weird to see this rivalry cross-pollinate.

I love how the Flyers have zero imagination with hirings though.

 

[Bleedred]

I love how the Flyers have zero imagination with hirings though.

I remember joking a month or two ago when someone said ''They'll hire some other ex Flyer after they axe Fletcher'' and I half-jokingly said ''What about Ray Shero? He's the son of a former Flyer coach, so maybe him?''.

I think the comment may have even initially been ''Or son of a Flyer'' to which I made the Shero comment. I was half-joking, but it wouldn't be that hard to see this coming.

 

[NjDevsRR]

“I don’t give a f***”
- Ray Shero

 

[Bleedred]

By the way, I mistakenly have thought the entire year that John Hynes was a lame duck in Nashville.

Apparently he is signed through 2024. I think he was a lame duck last year and they extended him in 2022 before the season ended or they just gave him a one year extension, as his original contract was to run out in 2023.

Either way, he's not up for contract after this year.

I actually found out that when researching last night if I could find anything on Hynes one year option extension for 2018-2019, which I couldn't find anything on that by doing a search, other than the tweets about it that were posted about it here in February of 2018 by Amanda Stein.

 

[Bleedred]

“f*** that shit”
- Ray Shero

I thought he was an arrogant dick at times, to be honest with you.

Which had nothing to do with the way he ran the team. I still maintain he didn't do a bad job here and was probably let go a little earlier than he should have been (he didn't help himself with the slow pull on Hynes and Schneider), despite the fact that last year probably would have ended it for him if the results were still the same the first two seasons he was gone.

I don't get that from Fitz, who has always been a nice guy in interviews. Well-mannered and professional.

I thought ''I don't care if he plays in f***ing Brampton, we have his rights'' was hilariously funny, but at the same time, I could see why it may have been poor taste to say that about an active player on the team, but it was no big deal.

Really, I thought he took too many personal shots at Lou after he was hired. What he was saying was 100% true, but he was just a little too blunt and I think he took a few unnecessary stabs at Lou. He basically went on about saying ''Signing every 30-something year old to UFA deals, that's not how we're gonna do things here. That's not how you build a team and that's what been happening here. That wasn't working'' which were true, but I thought they were too blatant of personal shots at Lou. Like I said, he was 100% right, but that was a little too arrogant by him to say publicly. There were a couple other shots which I don't even remember anymore, but they made me think ''Okay dude, you're right, but you'll never be as good as the guy you're replacing, even if you're better than him now. So pipe down and pump the brakes a little bit here''.

But one other thing that skeeved me out was when he got on a podcast (I'll try to find it if you really want) right after the 2018 playoffs and Hall's MVP year (not sure if Hall had won the award yet or not) and talked about the season before that when we were bad. He went into the things he said to Hall and went on about how ''See in Pittsburgh I had to deal with Crosby and Malkin, and these are guys that are better than you are''. That was way cringy that he even needed to come out and say Crosby and Malkin are better than Hall is. I'm sure we all know that, I'm sure Hall was well aware of that. And if you heard the tone he spoke this in, it was just very.... Arrogant.

He just struck me as an asshole.

But he wasn't a bad GM here, but his people skills and his less than limited filter I find are more on par with my own or a hockey fan/message board poster than a guy that's an executive for an NHL team.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I thought he was an arrogant dick at times, to be honest with you.

Which had nothing to do with the way he ran the team. I still maintain he didn't do a bad job here and was probably let go a little earlier than he should have been (he didn't help himself with the slow pull on Hynes and Schneider), despite the fact that last year probably would have ended it for him if the results were still the same the first two seasons he was gone.

I don't get that from Fitz, who has always been a nice guy in interviews. Well-mannered and professional.

I thought ''I don't care if he plays in f***ing Brampton, we have his rights'' was hilariously funny, but at the same time, I could see why it may have been poor taste to say that about an active player on the team, but it was no big deal.

Really, I thought he took too many personal shots at Lou after he was hired. What he was saying was 100% true, but he was just a little too blunt and I think he took a few unnecessary stabs at Lou. He basically went on about saying ''Signing every 30-something year old to UFA deals, that's not how we're gonna do things here. That wasn't working'' which were true, but I thought they were too blatant of personal shots at Lou. Like I said, he was 100% right, but that was a little too arrogant by him to say publicly. There were a couple other shots which I don't even remember anymore, but they made me think ''Okay dude, you're right, but you'll never be as good as the guy you're replacing, even if you're better than him now. So pipe down and pump the brakes a little bit here''.

But one other thing that skeeved me out was when he got on a podcast (I'll try to find it if you really want) right after the 2012 playoffs and Hall's MVP year (not sure if Hall had won the award yet or not) and talked about the season before that when we were bad. He went into the things he said to Hall and went on about how ''See in Pittsburgh I had to deal with Crosby and Malkin, and these are guys that are better than you are''. That was way cringy that he even needed to come out and say Crosby and Malkin are better than Hall is. I'm sure we all know that, I'm sure was well aware of that.

He just struck me as an asshole.

But he wasn't a bad GM here, but his people skills and his less than limited filter I find are more on par with my own or a hockey fan/message board poster than a guy that's an executive for an NHL team.

 

[Bleedred]

View attachment 689142

TLDR version

Guy was an arrogant prick, had too limited of a filter and took a lot of shots at Lou (Which were true, but he didn't need to be so blatant) after he was gone and made certain obvious comments sometimes in a way that seemed to come off as taking unnecessary shots at people.

He wasn't a bad GM here though. And I think he deserves more credit than RutherFOOL in Pittsburgh for those 2016 and 2017 cup teams. RutherFOOL rode a lot of his guys, as well as the guys that were there even before Shero got there.

 

[MasterofGrond]

only reason I liked Shero at all is because he has a Poster's Soul (tm).

Got to recognize one of our own out here.

 

[Bleedred]

only reason I liked Shero at all is because he has a Poster's Soul (tm).

Got to recognize one of our own out here.

I enjoyed the Brampton comment about Zacha. I got some laughs out of it.

And when he was saying douchebag stuff, it was usually true. That shit he said about Lou and his methods to team building in the end were true, I just think he almost went out of his way to say stuff publicly that we all knew. If one of us ran into him in public and he said that stuff to us off the record, I'm sure we would have a laugh with each other.

The tone in which he said ''These guys are better than you are'' regarding Crosby and Malkin compared to Taylor Hall on that podcast was also unnecessary. Yes, we all know those guys are better than Hall ever was, but no one that knows anything would have argued otherwise.

Don't get me wrong, he didn't piss me off that badly. I just think he was a bit arrogant at times with the things he would say.

I could see where some would actually find it refreshing though, because it's not like what he was saying was not factual.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

Patrik Laine said in a Finnish interview he is going to practice playing center in the off season. He apparently liked it when they tried him as a C for a couple of games this season.

 

[JrFischer54]

“I don’t give a f***”
- Ray Shero

Shero drafted decent made some good trades and didn’t mess anything up. Really all you could ask for anyone that is starting the rebuilding process.

 

[Devils731]

The Athletic staff predict the Conn Smythe winner…and wtf?

I don’t dislike Zacha but I almost hope he has a cold on ice shooting percentage next year just to see what people say.