Around the League Thread: 2017 Season

[Mess]

New Thread as last is full.

Previous Thread: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...-season-begins.2354421/page-43#post-137768475

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[Daisy Jane]

i thought that threads could go over 1000 posts.
also. (sigh). we're never gonna have fun title threads for another 1000 posts. mess you really should let me take the reins


anyhoo. in league news, i'm probably assuming there'll be some suspension for that Gudas hit.

 

[tokyoite]

Tensions growing in Montreal after ugly loss to Arizona.

 

[Trapper]

Tensions growing in Montreal after ugly loss to Arizona.

They haven't suffered enough yet but I'm still hoping for a jersey toss or two.

 

[MJ65]

Gary Bettman says NHL revenues in 2017-18 will be between $4.5-billion and $5-billion.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 17, 2017​

That's a big chunk - wondering what would be the profit?

 

[BertCorbeau]

They haven't suffered enough yet but I'm still hoping for a jersey toss or two.

I'm holding out for waffles

 

[hockeywiz542]

“We were behind the eight ball to start for a number of reasons. Execution was one of them,” Chiarelli said. “Now we’re in recovery mode and you lose runway. So that’s where we are. It’s a grind. We’ve got to get some traction.”

Why the poor start? Chiarelli wondered if the Oilers have struggled to carry the weight of being labeled a Stanley Cup contender.

“For me, it goes back to where our mindset was in terms of managing expectations,” Chiarelli said. “I’m not laying blame for our record on that. It’s something that we thought we would be able to address. We did address it. Maybe we didn’t do a good job of it."

“I think the way we started, we were loose. Then we tightened up. And when you tighten up, generally as a team you have trouble scoring goals. We’re seeing that.”

Chiarelli disputed the notion the Oilers have gotten slower – though a lack of speed has been voiced as a concern by head coach Todd McLellan and McDavid – instead saying the Oilers are just “playing slower.” They aren’t “thinking fast, playing fast, breaking the puck out fast, reacting fast."

“I know there’s been a lot of talk about the slowness of this team. By no means is it slow,” Chiarelli said. “You end up playing slow. We have been. Having said that, up until [Thursday] night, we haven’t been playing slow the last five or six games. I thought we had a real good road trip [2-1-1 vs. East]. I believe that area is coming around. It’s just consistency and executing right now.”

One thing Chiarelli said not to expect is a major overhaul – at least in the short-term – to bail out the Oilers. There is no cavalry coming in Oil Country.

​

 

[MJ65]

​

I hope we never have to go through that again - I mean this Oilers organization after so many years and so many high picks is still struggling and sure not sure

I think it's just a matter of time and they are going to be better as the season progress

 

[htpwn]

Good for him and a ringing endorsement for the depth of our prospect pool.

He'd probably be in the ECHL right now had he taken the minor league deal the Leafs had offered.

 

[hockeywiz542]

​

Tkachuk slashed the leg of Red Wings right winger Luke Witkowski as he headed for the dressing room after being sent off for fighting with the Flames' Brett Kulak. Tkachuk's slash prompted Witkowski to then return to the ice, as another fight ensued.

Tkachuk blamed the ensuing brawl on Witkowski, arguing the 27-year-old was looking for a reason to return to the ice.

"Wisniewski, or whatever his name is, was just an absolute wrecking ball trying to start stuff, starting a complete circus with how many minutes left?" Tkachuk said. "It's a joke that a guy like that would... Just do something pretty stupid that kind of started everything. And then (he) turns back and chirps our whole bench, didn't want to go anywhere, so I just went over there to give him a little poke and tell him just to get out of here."

"He was just looking for an excuse to come back. It's just stupid."

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Don't be fooled by the close score, Buffalo got smashed by Detroit and dropped to 5-10-4 on the year. their rebuild is looking like a complete failure, which is hilarious.

 

[AppsSyl]

Don't be fooled by the close score, Buffalo got smashed by Detroit and dropped to 5-10-4 on the year. their rebuild is looking like a complete failure, which is hilarious.

Eichel put forth ZERO effort tonight. So much skill, but man you have to look at the mental side of things and wonder if he is ever going to take himself to the next level.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Eichel put forth ZERO effort tonight. So much skill, but man you have to look at the mental side of things and wonder if he is ever going to take himself to the next level.

I doubt it honestly. he whines about losing constantly and yet he floats and disappears. For a guy making 10 million to lead a franchise, that's unacceptable

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Wings 4 points back of us.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Funny how Buffalo was “so much further ahead” in their rebuild just two years ago, but is being surpassed by the very teams they were allegedly ahead of.

Maybe it wasn’t all the coaches fault?

 

[Apotheosis]

​

It's truly a culture problem. The fans on this board tried to spin that it was a huge change bringing Chiarelli because of his SC "Track Record" when in all honesty, outside of signing Chara, he didn't do much. Majority of the core was there before he even got there. This Oilers team minus McDavid and Drai is built for the pre-dominant speed NHL and it's obvious to see. Any team with half decent team speed can give them troubles and zeroing in on their only scoring line makes it easy to stop them from scoring.

 

[garce]

Chia got his cup and doomed the Bruins with terrible cap management and is in the process of handcuffing the Oilers. Hopefully without the cup.

 

[MR4]

Hopefully Edmonton doesn't win a Cup during McDavid's contract so he leaves

 

[MJ65]

If NHL revenues are as robust as Bettman said today, the salary cap will go way up next summer. Plausibly $80- to $82-million. Pretty interesting.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) November 18, 2017​

 

[MJ65]

Matthew Tkachuk gets 1 game suspension.
— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) November 18, 2017​

 

[hockeywiz542]

​

 

[Anthrax442]

Tensions growing in Montreal after ugly loss to Arizona.

 

[Anthrax442]

 

[Menzinger]

Chia got his cup and doomed the Bruins with terrible cap management and is in the process of handcuffing the Oilers. Hopefully without the cup.

He's got the same attitude that Burke had.

He thinks he can make a few quick moves and force his way to a cup, it's not that easy. He's also a horrible evaluator of value in trades.

 

[DarkKnight]

Oilers lose again today, man what a disappointing start. Lol Arizona beating the Sens too.