Around the NHL, 2016-2017 Season

[Bench]

They're already one of the highest scoring teams in the league this season. They're already a good team. Played incredibly close and tough to Washington, best regular season team. Their age, skill level, coach, all point to trending up even from here.

They're already a nightmare for a team like the Wings.

Absolutely. No disagreement there. I just noticed they need another guy to bury the puck the way he does in that series. Of course their more pressing issue is getting that elusive #1 defender, but I feel if they add a Justin Williams type (or Franzen) to the wing it's going to be brutal.

D, Z, and Lidstrom stirred the drink for the Wings, but those goals form Franzen pushed it over the edge, you know?

 

[obey86]

I like the Leafs and their future.

Unlike Buffalo they didn't have to bottom out as one of the worst teams in history. Buffalo's paying for that now IMO. Have to play their best players ridiculous minutes (20, 21, 26 (D), 19, 19) because they have no depth. Meanwhile, a team like the Leafs with JVR, Kadri, and some more depth can afford to play their top guys 17, 16, 16, and 22 (D) minutes a game.

 

[HockeyinHD]

Good showing by the Leafs, they were ultra competitive and right there with the Caps.

If the Caps get to the Cup Finals and lose, Toronto will have done not quite as much as was done by Detroit in 14-15, and which was not viewed as a good showing.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

If the Caps get to the Cup Finals and lose, Toronto will have done not quite as much as was done by Detroit in 14-15, and which was not viewed as a good showing.

Well context is key.

Detroit was declining and their core was 35 or older. Nobody is gonna be impressed that a roster full of 30+ something vets lost in the first round, while most of their young players no showed again.

Toronto wasn't even expected to make the playoffs this year and their young core played exceptionally well for their first trip to the playoffs.

Next year expectations will be a little higher. Another first round loss won't be viewed so favorably, and the fans and media will expect Toronto to have a better regular season and ideally win their first playoff series.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I like the Leafs and their future.

Unlike Buffalo they didn't have to bottom out as one of the worst teams in history. Buffalo's paying for that now IMO. Have to play their best players ridiculous minutes (20, 21, 26 (D), 19, 19) because they have no depth. Meanwhile, a team like the Leafs with JVR, Kadri, and some more depth can afford to play their top guys 17, 16, 16, and 22 (D) minutes a game.

The Leafs bottomed out as the worst team in the league last year.

I don't think Reilly is a #1. I do think Risto is a #1, curious what the next GM does. I also have a huge man crush on Jake McCabe. So I still like Buffalo's team more, Eichel and Risto is a better one two punch. Matthews is an absolute stud though. I will reserve judgement on the Leafs for who they get when they trade Nylander for a comparable D, that is their contender move and I am hoping they are too stubborn to do it.

If I am the Leafs I give Nylander run to exceptional numbers hopefully with Matthews next year. Then I flip him for a true #1 while he has tremendous value.

 

[obey86]

The Leafs bottomed out as the worst team in the league last year.

I don't think Reilly is a #1. I do think Risto is a #1, curious what the next GM does. I also have a huge man crush on Jake McCabe. So I still like Buffalo's team more, Eichel and Risto is a better one two punch. Matthews is an absolute stud though. I will reserve judgement on the Leafs for who they get when they trade Nylander for a comparable D, that is their contender move and I am hoping they are too stubborn to do it.

If I am the Leafs I give Nylander run to exceptional numbers hopefully with Matthews next year. Then I flip him for a true #1 while he has tremendous value.

Whoa whoa whoa........there's a major difference between being the worst team in the league in any given season and being one of the worst teams in the modern NHL.

The Leafs weren't NEARLY as bad as Buffalo, despite both finishing last in the league:
Leafs = One season of 69 points, -48 goal differential.
Sabres = Consecutive seasons of 54 points, -113 goal differential and 52 points, -91 goal differential.

The Sabres had TWO seasons much worse than the ONE season the Leafs finished in last place.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Whoa whoa whoa........there's a major difference between being the worst team in the league in any given season and being one of the worst teams in the modern NHL.

The Leafs weren't NEARLY as bad as Buffalo, despite both finishing last in the league:
Leafs = One season of 69 points, -48 goal differential.
Sabres = Consecutive seasons of 54 points, -113 goal differential and 52 points, -91 goal differential.

The Sabres had TWO seasons much worse than the ONE season the Leafs finished in last place.

Take away Babcock as coach who always tries to go to overtime and it would be pretty close any other non elite coach would have done buffalo like. Just like buffalo who had terrible coaching. And by that I mean they'd be low 60s or high 50s

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Whoa whoa whoa........there's a major difference between being the worst team in the league in any given season and being one of the worst teams in the modern NHL.

The Leafs weren't NEARLY as bad as Buffalo, despite both finishing last in the league:
Leafs = One season of 69 points, -48 goal differential.
Sabres = Consecutive seasons of 54 points, -113 goal differential and 52 points, -91 goal differential.

The Sabres had TWO seasons much worse than the ONE season the Leafs finished in last place.

They both tried to tank pretty hard. I don't really fault the Sabres for tanking for the McDavid and Eichel draft. They both were on giant slides for a while too.

I actually still like the Sabres build better, curious what happens with a new GM in charge.

 

[Red Stanley]

It's really hard to tell where any of the Atlantic teams stand overall, since the division is in such a huge flux. Wouldn't surprise me to see Toronto either win the division next year or not even make the playoffs. They need a lot of help on defense and a better back up goalie. Closest thing to a steady roster is Tampa. Without the injuries, they push the Leafs out this year, no question.

 

[HockeyinHD]

Well context is key.

Detroit was declining and their core was 35 or older. Nobody is gonna be impressed that a roster full of 30+ something vets lost in the first round, while most of their young players no showed again.

Toronto wasn't even expected to make the playoffs this year and their young core played exceptionally well for their first trip to the playoffs.

Next year expectations will be a little higher. Another first round loss won't be viewed so favorably, and the fans and media will expect Toronto to have a better regular season and ideally win their first playoff series.

Yes, that's exactly my point. A similar outcome internalized completely differently because of 'expectation'. It's how poorly fans do at properly setting those 'expectations' which leads to so much teeth-grinding disappointment.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Yes, that's exactly my point. A similar outcome internalized completely differently because of 'expectation'. It's how poorly fans do at properly setting those 'expectations' which leads to so much teeth-grinding disappointment.

Wut?

Everyone expected Detroit to lose in the first round because they knew their core was old and declining and that Tampa had a superior roster.

Everyone expected Toronto to lose because their core was young and untested and they were facing the best team in the regular season.

I didn't get mad that the Wings lost in the first round every year. That's what they have been built to do these past five years.

Toronto is being built to win a cup. A first round exit isn't Toronto's end game.

Meanwhile Detroit was just happy to be there.

Toronto has clearly stated their goal is to win the Stanley Cup. The fans didn't set those expectations.

Meanwhile in Detroit, if you expect Cups, you are in the wrong league.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

This Subban guy is pretty good.

 

[Winger98]

well, there's one vet D off Kenny's wish list.

 

[Heaton]

This Subban guy is pretty good.

Yessir, that Weber hype train sure died off early this season.

Though I of course would take both guys in an absolute heartbeat, but the amount of chest thumping about Weber early on was ridiculous.

 

[Bondurant]

This Subban guy is pretty good.

Habs will have egg on the face. He's helping Nashville look amazing in the playoffs. Still undefeated in the quest for The Cup.

Nashville v St. Louis is going to be a fun series.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Yessir, that Weber hype train sure died off early this season.

Though I of course would take both guys in an absolute heartbeat, but the amount of chest thumping about Weber early on was ridiculous.

At best they're on the same level. And Weber is older so he's gonna be worse quicker. Terrible trade. If Montreal got a 1st rounder or a good prospect they would be in win now so it wouldn't be terrible... but subbans probably better so why even trade him

 

[Winger98]

Kucherov is introducing someone to the wheels of a bus:

And moreover, some guys were around too much in the team. They’ve got their money and stopped working. They knew that there was no competition in the lineup and the organization wasn’t going to acquire anyone else. They didn’t really play well this year, you can see it from their stats and play.

Filppula, since he was moved? Callahan? Some of the D?

 

[Heaton]

Kucherov is introducing someone to the wheels of a bus:


Filppula, since he was moved? Callahan? Some of the D?

Probably Killorn.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Lemieux owns the Pens.

Crosby owns the Caps.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

If/when Washington loses the series who wants to take bets they never beat a New York team and a pens team in a playoff year could take it even further and say they get destroyed if they do beat them but then that's easy money

 

[WingedWheel1987]

What a laser by Ovi.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Kucherov is introducing someone to the wheels of a bus:


Filppula, since he was moved? Callahan? Some of the D?

Guessing Kucherov is about to get walked up and down on when Yzerman sees him at the World Championships.

 

[Heaton]

Guessing Kucherov is about to get walked up and down on when Yzerman sees him at the World Championships.

Kucherov is easily the Bolts best player at this point. Yzerman has work to do.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Kucherov is easily the Bolts best player at this point. Yzerman has work to do.

I prefer Hedman. Both those guys are money, but one is a winger and the other is a franchise #1 D-man. It certainly isn't easy when picking between them.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

I prefer Hedman. Both those guys are money, but one is a winger and the other is a franchise #1 D-man. It certainly isn't easy when picking between them.

Yes it is

Let's use zetterberg and lidstrom as an example though hedman isn't as good