Around the NHL XXXIII - looking forward to 2018 offseason edition

[NyQuil]

Matthews to me will soon be very much in the argument for best player in the game..

The"EK"uation better be running on all cylinders when we meet them. They can score , and score lots, and in a hurry.. can't fall asleep on them no matter what the score.

Well, we have the high-flying Devils and the Leafs back to back, both teams with quick strike offences.

It'll be an interesting barometer for how the team is doing at this point in the season.

 

[The Assclown]

Welcome to the Sens board.

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

Well, we have the high-flying Devils and the Leafs back to back, both teams with quick strike offences.

It'll be an interesting barometer for how the team is doing at this point in the season.

I think people need to chill on this "high flying Devils" stuff. It's been like 6 games, they will still be a bottom of the barrel team. They don't have many weapons up front.

 

[NyQuil]

I think people need to chill on this "high flying Devils" stuff. It's been like 6 games, they will still be a bottom of the barrel team. They don't have many weapons up front.

Fine.

The "currently scoring and playing well" Devils.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Does high flying really matter? What if you are flying at 500 feet and going at 40 MPH, but someone else is flying at 200 feet going 80MPH?
Maybe it should be the fast flying Devils.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Just visited the Habs PGT from last night to get a sense of how fans of "les glorieux" were reacting ... pretty distraught to say the least. I do not blame them. Really tough start. Some fans here think they have legit complaints on management decisions ...There are several more big ones to be critical about in Montreal.
Subban
Shaw
Price
Alzner
Radulov
Markov
Eller
...
Streit
Hemsky
Deadline moves last year
Ott
King
Andreas Martinsen for Sven Andrighetto

 

[tony d]

Yeah, Montreal's going to be facing a rebuild soon I think. Something got to give there with that team.

 

[The Lewler]

MTL fans have reason to be angry. The moves made recently absolutely gutted them.

 

[branch]

That team is hilarious to watch. Every single trade proposal by a Habs fan is something else. How is their valuation of each player so exaggerated? It's the strangest f***ing thing.

 

[BondraTime]

The Habs were literally probably the least equipped to trade for Drouin.

He is their best player now, he should be playing wing. They really shouldn't have given up their "Chabot" for a guy they are not in a position to put in a position to succeed.

They are in complete disarray, probably the worst outlook in the NHL.

 

[Knave]

The Habs were literally probably the least equipped to trade for Drouin.

He is their best player now, he should be playing wing. They really shouldn't have given up their "Chabot" for a guy they are not in a position to put in a position to succeed.

They are in complete disarray, probably the worst outlook in the NHL.

It's pretty hilarious. It looks like Bergevin completely misjudged the situation of his team and players. Ships out Subban only to see Pacioretty be terrible in the playoffs while Nashville makes the finals. Signs Price to a huge deal and suddenly Price doesn't look head and shoulders above other goalies. Trades for Drouin as Radulov walks. Brings in some defensemen but lets Markov walk.

Part of me feels bad for Bergevin. I doubt anyone could have predicted so many failures but I do think he overestimated the ability of the Habs to compete and make a cup run. Right now it looks like Montreal will be stuck in some sort of hell for the next few years where they can't justify a rebuild but they also can't win or make a deep run.

I also wonder how Weber feels knowing he could have been on that team that made it to the finals. Subban isn't a major upgrade over Weber and he has a big caphit too so it's not like Nashville would have lost out on anything.

 

[playasRus]

Honestly if Montreal had just given Markov his 2 years, Their D suddenly looks above average. It's not like he was washed up and not worth the money. He played at a top pairing level last year, at worst he regresses a bit and you eat the extra year but that's not a very big gamble considering he's yet to take a step back.

The addition/retention of Markov also fixes both their lack of offense and slow D/break out so it's an improvement in multiple aspects of their team. Then trading Galchenyuk for Drouin instead would've gotten rid of their underperforming and depreciating high pick thats going to be a distraction until traded.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

IMO not signing Radulov was pretty big. He was their best forward last year imo.

 

[Boud]

IMO not signing Radulov was pretty big. He was their best forward last year imo.

He was for sure. Pacioretty produced more, but Radulov was the best all around player for them and hardest working player period.

Not re-signing him even if he costs a bit more was a mistake. The Sergachev trade doesn't look that bad in perspective because Mete has been better than Sergachev IMO even though both are playing well.

The Subban trade will go down as a terrible trade for that organization though I have no doubt about it.

The two bad moves really were the Andrighetto and Subban deals.

The Drouin deal they got fair value I feel like, that being said if Drouin can't play C they will have traded their best asset without addressing their primary need (a C). Galchenyuk has been underwhelming, but he can turn it around.

 

[Shruggs Peterson]

Not sure why it's so hard to give credit where it is due. Is it because we are fans of the Sens that we have to look past the Leafs and look for reasons why they aren't good or can't win?

For me personally it's because I can't separate the team from the fanbase. The team is actually likeable (a part from how Kadri plays) and they are an exciting team to watch but since the Leafs have the largest fanbase, they also have a large enough minority that seems content on beating their chest and using hyperbole saying they have the best something just to make sure you know they are competitive again. I know HFboards is not always the best example of fans you talk to in real life but in my experience the Leafs fans I have met in person more or less are well represented here. There are the one's that are civil and can have a conversation but there are more than a few out there (more than other teams in my experience) that seem bitter that their team is doing well and they have been waiting for the Leafs to do well not because they finally have a strong team, but because they can use their team to shove it in others faces.

I have no issue in Toronto being competitive, but a part from being a Sens fan it is the fanbase which means rubs me the wrong way.

 

[oooooooooohCanada]

And fantastic goaltending. Take out Murray and the pens have no cups (in the last two years). Andersen is not Murray. Sometimes teams win despite goaltending but I'll never consider a team a favorite to win unless goaltending is a strength .

Fleury was the reason they weren't eliminated in round one. I agree good goaltending helps but yeah. Andersen is very good though. I think you're underrating him. He was top 5 in the NHL SV% wise from November 1st til the end of the season. And it's not the first time he's done that (with Anaheim he had a couple good years and a couple good playoffs).

Don't the Leafs always start the season really hot?

Took Toronto 6 games to win their 2nd game last year.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

I went to a game between the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes and there was a drunk Leafs fan harassing people on the bus home.

That pretty much sums up Ottawa's relationship with Leafs fans.

 

[Sun God Nika]

If MTL can stay bottom 3 all season i wouldn't complain as a fan of their team if they finish 10th to 15th ya I would be pissed.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

If MTL can stay bottom 3 all season i wouldn't complain as a fan of their team if they finish 10th to 15th ya I would be pissed.

No way they remain bottom 3 with Price. They'll be stuck in purgatory for a while...........unless the hockey lottery gods smile on them.

 

[Icelevel]

Mtl doesn't seem as bad off as some make it seem. Their moves have not been bad imo. I think they will turn it around with a bit of tweaking.

 

[Micklebot]

Fleury was the reason they weren't eliminated in round one. I agree good goaltending helps but yeah. Andersen is very good though. I think you're underrating him. He was top 5 in the NHL SV% wise from November 1st til the end of the season. And it's not the first time he's done that (with Anaheim he had a couple good years and a couple good playoffs).



Took Toronto 6 games to win their 2nd game last year.

That's kind of the rub though, to be more than an Average NHL starter, you need to be consistent. Andersen is hot and cold, just like Fleury, Mason, and others in that tier. He's not someone that you need to get rid of at all costs, he's just sort of there. It's fine if your a defensive juggernaut, and you might be able to make it work with some bounces like Pittsburgh did when Fleury was there, but imo he's definitely a spot that leaves the leafs vulnerable, just like Fleury was for the Pens.

 

[tony d]

Montreal's a decent team when they want to be, don't know what's up with them this year. Price, alone, should be able to have them at 4-2 instead of 1-5 which is their record.

 

[Agent Zub]

I think people need to chill on this "high flying Devils" stuff. It's been like 6 games, they will still be a bottom of the barrel team. They don't have many weapons up front.

Honestly I've never seen a poster who is always so consistently wrong.

 

[maclean]

I don't want to be nitpicky, honestly I don't, but OUR goaltender's name is Anderson, the Leafs' goaltender is Andersen. I get that some names can be hard to remember and spell right, really I do, but please, for the sake of clarity let's try to get this one nailed down.

 

[Zorf]

Guys, I just read the happiest stat line of all time. I know it's early in the season, but, Sergachev (2G, 4A) has more points than Drouin (2G, 3A). That's amazing. I'll be smiling all day.


As for the Habs, I don't know how they can rebuild. What sort of fair value can they get for Price if they decide to try and trade him?
Can they move Weber and that contract? Will they also be at risk of a cap recapture penalty if they trade him away and he retires early?
Galchenyuk, despite what Habs fans offer on the trade board, will not return a 1c, or even a prospect who has 1C potential.

They can tank the season for a high draft pick and try to trade away some of their players, but going into rebuild mode will be almost impossible with some of the guys they have locked up long term.