Danielpalfredsson's Last NHL Legacy GM Log Ever (Return Of The Melnyk)

[danielpalfredsson]

Danielpalfredsson's Last NHL Legacy GM Log Ever (Return Of The Melnyk)



MODIFIED GM MODE RULES
-I plan to update this thread daily, sometimes multiple times a day with 1 or 2 smaller updates which is why I opted to create an individual thread. That, and the Franchise thread isn't very active and seems to attract low traffic. I won't complain if a mod merges this with one of the franchise threads, but with the effort level I put in to these logs, I would hope that putting one in its own thread isn't seen as negative or spam.

-I'm using an updated roster from Operation Sports that contains all the up to date prospects+extensions from 2018 and beyond. This means that despite the game technically starting in 2016-17, the rosters/contracts reflect the 2017-18 season. For example, Turris is only 1 year away from free agency.

-The Senators operate under a budget restricting them to 93.3 percent of the salary cap. This will be waived for the first season due to the game operating under a lower cap than the actual 17-18 season, but starting in season 2 I am expected to comply with this restriction.

-I have to respect real life NTCs and NMCs when both trading away and acquiring players. For partial NTCs, a random NHL team list generator will be used. For example, if a player can name 10 teams they won't be traded to, the first 10 teams on the list will be those teams.

-Start in UFA years, every 2nd liner/top 4D/starting goalie will be given a NTC only allowing them to be traded to 10 teams. 1st liners/top 2D/elite goalies will have full NMCs in UFA years.

-Yes/No generator used to determine if pending UFAs will re-sign with me. For free agents on the open market, I must get two yes's in a row for them to be willing to sign with me. Three yes's if it is an elite player (top 2D/1st liner/elite goalie).

-Try to use logic with trades. For example, if I am trading a veteran starting goalie, I won't send him to a team that already has a veteran starting goalie.

-GM firing is on, which puts pressure on me to execute the owners wishes. IE, if the owner asks for 40 wins, I need to try to get them rather than just tank because I think getting a top 5 pick would be beneficial. Trade difficulty is also on hard.

-AI coach controls lines. This adds another element of strategy since it means I have to base my trades and player movement around what will work best with the AI coaches choices in the game. If there's a player I'd like to see get ice time who is scratched, maybe I need to send them down to the AHL, or alternatively maybe I need to trade away a player ahead of them who I would rather keep.​

Click to read more...

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Melnyk Stirs Up Controversy On Bob McCown...Again!


Eugene Melnyk sat in for a late afternoon interview on Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown. Below are some of the highlights.

On Bobby Ryan’s fantastic playoff performance, and whether he can maintain that level of play throughout the 2017-18 season after only putting up 20 something points last year.

“You know what bothers me. People saying Ryan doesn’t have intensity. This guy was neck and neck with Crosby in his draft year, let me tell you, I know some people with the Penguins and they were going to take him. Burke thinks Ryan has no intensity? Guess what. I own horses, you know what that means? I’ve got access to a barn. I know how to fight. I will fight to defend Bobby’s honor.”

On the prospect of Kyle Turris’ new contract after Johansen just signed for 8x8M.

“8 million a year? Get out of town. Does he play hockey on water? You know these players, they just want and want and want and want. You see how much money I throw at this thing? 70 million dollars right now. We’re gonna sign Turris. We’ll get him down to a fair deal. Look, I’ve got expenses. Do you think the jerseys get washed for free? What about the water? You know how much these players shower. Hot water isn’t free. Nobody is bigger than this team. If Turris wants too much money, we’ll ship the guy to the Carolina Hurricanes or something.”

On the firing of Pierre Dorion.

“I just got tired of him. Always asking for high fives. Provoking me to do backflips. Asking for more money at the trade deadline. Dahlen for Burrows? What was that. What’s next? Are we gonna trade Tommy Cabot for Bryan Bickell? Stay on my good side GMDP”.

On expectations for the Senators this year.

“PLAYOFF REVENUE”, Melnyk later added “I need that playoff money. I swear I’ll move this team to Alaska if we miss them again”.



​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

AROUND THE NHL AUGUST 2017

@AnsarKhan-Zetterberg and Kronwall may be in play. Talk of rebuild in Detroit.

@MikeHeika-Stars not close on a deal to move on from the final year of Lehtonen’s contract but still looking to make something happen.

@BobMcKenzie-Wouldn’t surprise me to see Chara moved out of Boston if they aren’t in the playoffs come deadline time. Those close to Chara think this will be his last season.

@PierreLebrun-Lots of rumblings about the Sedins being available.

@JaromirJagr-Someone please sign me.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS GO FREE AGENT SHOPPING - IS JAGR’S ASKING PRICE TOO HIGH?

With cap to spend and roster spots to fill, the Devils made some late summer free agent acquisitions. Their biggest signing was Dennis Wideman. Wideman is expected to play on their top pairing beside Andy Greene. Still a capable NHL defender, it has been speculated that Wideman was unable to find an NHL job this late into the summer due to a stigma caused from the propensity to cross check referees.

The Devils also added Daniel Winnik and Mark Stuart. Both are expected to play significant minutes on a Devils team that had quite a few spots to fill and isn’t expected to be very competitive.

Cody Franson found himself a job in Columbus where he is expected to play a bottom pairing role, while Roman Polak joined the Colorado Avalanche. Polak was apparently holding out for the right fit, and after being unable to acquire a defender via trade, the Avalanche were able to promise Polak a shot at top 4 minutes if he signed.

Jagr still remains unsigned. Sources close to the situation state that Jagr is unwilling to sign for anything short of first line money. 6M is the rumoured asking price. With only 46 points last season, 6 million might be a bit rich for most teams. There is also a fear that Jagr’s already diminished skating might be worse come opening night.
​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Kyle Turris - Will He Stay Or Will He Go?
17-18 will mark the final year of the 5 year 3.5M AAV contract that Kyle Turris signed with the Senators shortly after being acquired from the Coyotes. Sources close to the situation state that Turris and his agent Kurt Overhardt are looking for a considerable raise and expect the Senators to tender a contract that will allow the 29 year old to remain with the Senators well into his mid 30s.

“We don’t comment on ongoing negotiations” stated GMDP. Later following it up by stating that preliminary talks have begun and they (Senators management) would like to do everything in their power to keep Turris.

With Erik Karlsson two years away from unrestricted free agency and the Senators coming off of a playoff run that saw them finish a goal away from a cup final appearance, there is pressure on management to ice a competitive playoff team. “I need that playoff money. I swear I’ll move this team to Alaska if we miss them again” said Eugene Melnyk in a candid interview with Bob McCown.

Word has it that at least one team has called on Turris but has been told that it’s too early in the process for the Senators to even think about trading the 28 year old center. Fortunately for the Senators, Turris’ previous contract did not have any trade protection. This could allow the Senators the rare opportunity to be in the driver’s seat when dealing a star player.

CHABOT TO BELLEVILLE
All eyes were on Senators top prospect Thomas Chabot this pre-season as he made a strong case for an NHL roster spot. Chabot was said to be the last cut and as a result will start the season in Belleville.

“We were impressed with what he brought to the table, but other guys were better. Going down to Belleville, getting a taste of the pro game, it’ll be good for him.” said Coach Guy Boucher.

In an interview with TSN 1200, Thomas Chabot claimed to be disappointed but not upset. He said he’ll give the Senators every reason to call him up with a goal of being a permanent NHLer by the end of the season.

BIG THINGS AHEAD FOR RYAN DZINGEL?
Fans took notice of Ryan Dzingel last season when he broke out as one of the Senators best producers early in the 16-17 season. A weak second half to his season lead to him being scratched at times in the playoffs. With questions about whether Dzingel was closer to the player we saw at the second half rather than the first half of the season, the Senators didn’t feel comfortable going long term with the 25 year old speedster. A two year deal was agreed upon instead.

“We’re very happy with him (Dzingel), he took a step forward this training camp, and he’s being rewarded for it.”-Guy Boucher on Dzingel

After a strong training camp, Ryan Dzingel is expected to play in the Senators top 6 beside Derick Brassard and Mark Stone. He also should be a central component of the Senators second PP unit.


SENATORS IN THE MARKET FOR A TOP 4 DEFENDER?
Going into the season, it looks like Phaneuf will be paired with Karlsson, leaving Oduya and Ceci as the second pairing. Sources close to the team have stated that the Senators are looking for a cheap option to bolster their top 4.

NHL OPENING DAY LINEUP
Hoffman SNP 86-Turris PLY 88-Ryan PLY 84
Dzingel PLY 82-Brassard PLY 86-Stone PWF 86
Smith GRN 84-Pageau TWF 84-Burrows TWF 83
MacArthur TWF 83-Thompson GRN 81-Pyatt TWF 80
Blunden PWF 76

Phaneuf TWD 86-Karlsson TWD 93
Oduya DFD 82-Ceci TWD 85
Claesson TWD 81-Borowiecki DFD 81
Wideman OFD 80

Anderson HYB 86
Condon HYB 85
Hammond HYB 78


​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

PRE-SEASON 2018 DRAFT REPORT
This draft has been touted ‘The Year Of The Goalie’. There’s a rumour that 18 years ago, Hasek was spreading his seed around the world, having illegitimate children daily, the result is the 2018 draft will have an unprecedented number of goalies near the top. There could be as many as 7 goalies in the top 10.

Goalie Maxim Zhukov of Russia is currently the top ranked prospect, but a lot could change between now and the 2018 draft. Jake Kryski is the top ranked skater, seen as a potential first line center. There’s an expectation that Andrei Svechnikov of Russia or Rasmus Dahlin of Sweden could rise up to overtake not only the top skater spot, but the first overall position in the draft.


TOP 5 SKATERS
1-Jake Kryski C CANADA (Overall Rank 5)
2-Andrei Svechnikov RW RUSSIA (Overall Rank 8)
3-Ralph Jarratt LD CANADA (Overall Rank 10)
4-Joe Veleno C CANADA (Overall Rank 12)
5-Rasmus Dahlin LD SWEDEN (Overall Rank 15)


TOP 5 GOALIES
1-Maxim Zhukov RUSSIA (Overall Rank 1)
2-Alex D’Orio CANADA (Overall Rank 2)
3-Aiden Hughes CANADA (Overall Rank 3)
4- Dominik Groh CZECH (Overall Rank 4)
5-Rylan Parenteau CANADA (Overall Rank 5)
​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

OCTOBER 2017-2018: 11GP (4-5-2)

Senators Struggling - But There’s Still Hope
The Ottawa Senators had a tough October that saw them struggle to consistently win games. They currently sport a 4-5-2 record that sees them in the bottom 10 of the NHL and last in the Atlantic Division.

“This isn’t where we wanted to be. We have to be better. More consistent.”-Erik Karlsson

This certainly isn’t where the Senators wanted to be a month into a season coming off of a run that saw them almost reach the Cup Final. The good news for the Senators is that despite their poor position, they are currently only 4 points out of the last playoff spot in the Atlantic division.

Still, the Senators reached a 4-5-2 record behind Craig Anderson who is currently sporting an unsustainable .942 save percentage. That’s not a good sign.

Mike Hoffman - Red Hot/Ryan Dzingel - Is Not
Mile Hoffman has been the most productive Senator thus far with 11 points in 11 games. With his game breaking speed and shot, it’s always been thought that Hoffman’s game could have another level to it. So far this season, it looks like he is getting there.

Ryan Dzingel has disappointed with only a single goal early in the season. Often criticized for his inability to finish, Dzingel hasn’t been able to capitalize on top offensive minutes alongside Mark Stone and Derick Brassard.

There’s talk that the Senators might feel the need to acquire another top 6 forward.

RUMOR-Craig Anderson and the Senators parting ways
There’s a rumor floating around that the budget conscious Senators have already decided to go with Mike Condon next season as their starting goalie.

“Mind you, it’s just a rumour. But they want to get Turris locked down, they feel they need to add elsewhere, and they’ve got a budget to uphold. They’d love to have Anderson back, I don’t think it’s easy for them to part with him, but I think the mentality is that they can’t afford to give him a fair market value extension next season” Bruce Garrioch said on TSN 1200 while summarizing the situation.

It’s unlikely that the Senators would trade Craig Anderson right now. The market for goalies is incredibly soft at the moment, and the Senators are still hoping to make the playoffs and do some damage.

At the deadline, if another team’s goalie goes down, the Senators may have an opportunity to trade Anderson if they are out of the playoffs. Anderson’s current expiring contract does not have any trade protection.


AHL UPDATE
Last year, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk purchased the Senators Binghamton farm team with the intention of moving them to Belleville. Binghamton was coming off of a bad few seasons, and while entering the new market there was a directive to add veteran pro talent like Max Reinhart and goalie Danny Taylor in order to ensure the Belleville could ice a competitive hockey product. That directive has paid off as Binghamton have put together a 5-2-1 record throughout October.

Colin White has turned heads with 9 points in 8 games. “He’s a hard worker, responsible defensively, everything you’d hope to see in a young player” said Belleville assistant coach Paul Boutiler.

Thomas Chabot has struggled with his two way games at times early in the AHL season but still managed to rack up the most minutes on the entire team and is being trusted to play a big role in Binghamton.​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

BREAKING: Kronwall Refuses Trade To Ottawa
The Senators are apparently aggressively looking to add to their top 4 defense. The team has playoffs aspirations, and a weak start to the season may have created a sense of urgency among Sens management.

We can now report that the Senators approached the Red Wings earlier this week about a possible trade that would send Kronwall to the Senators. The Red Wings have been shopping both Kronwall and Zetterberg throughout the season. With a modified no trade list, Kronwall can name 10 teams that he would accept a trade to. Unfortunately for the Senators and Red Wings, Ottawa was not on Kronwall’s 10 team trade list.

Those close to the situation state that the Senators weren’t going to part with their 1st round pick. The expected offer was expected to include a top prospect not named Chabot White or Brown, a later draft pick, and a roster player.

The Red Wings will likely continue to shop Kronwall.

(Explanation: As stated in the OP, I use a few custom rules to make the game more challenging and realistic. Kronwall was on DETs block and I wanted to acquire him. According to Capfriendly.com he has a NTC that allows him to name 10 teams he can be traded to, so before pulling the trigger on a trade I used https://www.randomlists.com/random-nhl-team to determine if OTT would be in his 10 team list. Because OTT wasn't, I did not make the trade.)​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

AROUND THE LEAGUE OCTOBER 2017

-There has yet to be a trade in the 17-18 season.

-The Senators were said to have contacted the struggling Bruins about Zdeno Chara. Currently, it seems as if Chara has changed his mind about waiving his NMC for a trade to any team, and for now is unavailable. Whether that’ll change closer to the deadline, we’ll have to wait and see.

-Multiple teams have called about Kyle Turris….MULTIPLE. He is said to be one of the hottest trade pieces going right now despite the fact that the Senators have not actively shopped him. With Turris still unsigned, it seems like other teams can smell blood in the water. Those close to the situation expect the Senators to try and get back a player who can help them now if they have to move Turris while it seems like these teams contacting Ottawa are offering future assets.

-Nashville and Pittsburgh are the top two teams in the league with 17 and 16 points respectively. Calgary is another team that is having a strong year. They are quickly being pencilled in as Stanley Cup favourites.

-Joe Sakic is on the hot seat. The Avalanche are currently 1 point out of last place. The lst place spot is currently held by Arizona.

-The TBL duo of Kucherov and Stamkos are having an unreal season. They both combine for 45 points in only 13 games with Kucherov having 24 of those.

-Connor Brown is the big surprise so far of the season. He’s got 8 goals in 10 games.

-It’s way too early to make any award predictions, but if the season ended today Anders Lindback would be a Vezina finalist…..currently Craig Anderson is the only goalie performing better than him.​

TAVARES TRADE TALK HEATS UP
John Tavares will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. The Islanders are currently the second worst team in the league and have yet to find a permanent home outside of the Barclays Center.

There’s been rumblings that contract talks between Tavares and the Islanders have stalled. Although not currently on the block, it wouldn’t be farfetched to see the Islanders deal Tavares at the deadline. At that point, the big question becomes whether the team who acquires Tavares can extend him or not.

The Islanders could possibly drive up the price on Tavares by allowing a team the opportunity to talk to Tavares agent prior to the trade deadline and determine the likelihood of Tavares extending if he is acquired in a trade.

The Senators aren’t likely to be in on any Tavares talk, but anything can happen. The Islanders would likely want another center coming back in the deal along with a laundry list of blue chip prospects and picks.​

TOP 5 GOAL SCORERS
​

1-Kucherov 11
2-McDavid 9
3-Tarasenko 8
4-Duchene 8
5-C.Brown 8


TOP 5 PRODUCERS
1-Kucherov 24
2-Stamkos 21
3-Monahan 19
4-McDavid 17
5-Getzlaf 17​

 

[abparry87]

No updates?

 

[danielpalfredsson]

No updates?

Sometimes I'll have daily updates....sometimes it'll take a few days. Thanks for reading.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

2018 DRAFT OCTOBER UPDATE
In only one month there have been some major risers and fallers leading up to the 2018 draft.

Cody Glass, a center thought to have the size and skill to make it big in the NHL was one of the most dramatic fallers. Glass fell from being a high first round prospect to being pegged as a 2nd round pick

Erik Brannstrom has been a major riser. Brannstrom has always been thought of as a player with a 1st round talent level, but his size has held him back. His last known measurements put him at 5’6” 146 lbs...oh yeah he’s a defender as well. Brannstrom has shot up all the way from the bottom of the 2nd round to the top half of the first round. Craig Button of TSN called Brannstrom a player who he’d expect to compete for a top 5 spot before the end of the season.

Goalie Alex D’Orio has overtaken the top spot in the draft while Jake Kryski has risen to second overall. There’s a lot of speculation that when all is said and done, Kryski will be the top prospect on draft day.
​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

IN DEPTH GAME LOGS

The monthly updates should suffice for most people, but for any hardcore readers who want a rough idea of what happens each game, here are the game logs. I originally wasn't going to post these as part of the GM log so they are just rough notes, but I figured I have them so I might as well. I usually sim each game, make notes, and then use those notes to create the monthly logs like the ones previously posted in this thread.

THUR, OCT 8th OTT 1 @ BUF 3
-Sens outshoot BUF, Chad Johnson steals the game.
-Anderson with a .842 svp, Condon comes in relief, plays 32 minutes, gets a shutout.
-Hoffman scores the only goal.

SAT, OCT 10 OTT 2 @ TOR 3
-OTT blows an early 2-0 lead to lose 3-1.
-Anderson has another subpar game.
-Hoffman continues his goal streak.

SUN, OCT 11 OTT 4 VS MTL 2
-Home opener with Eugene Melnyk in the house.
-Pageau scores his first goal of the season.
-Montoya in net for MTL. Craig Anderson has his first great game with a .935 SVP.

@BobMcKenzie-WPG and Doan are finalizing a 1 year deal that will see him return to the only other NHL city he has ever played in.

WED, OCT 14 OTT 6 @ CBJ 1
-Anderson starts the first of a back to back. He has his second straight great game with a .969svp.
-Ryan is the first star with a 3 point night.

THU, OCT 15 OTT 1 @ PIT 2
-Penguins come into this game undefeated.
-Both sides starting their backups, Niemi vs Condon.
-Ottawa plays a strong game, but loses 2-1.

OCT 15th MARK STONE: UPPER BODY INJURY
Mark Stone is expected to miss at least the next week of action due to an upper body injury suffered late in last night̢۪s 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh. The injury comes at a convenient time as the Senators only have one game on the next 5 days and otherwise will embark on a series of games at home. As a result, the Senators aren̢۪t expected to call up a forward. The Senators only healthy scratch Mike Blunden will dress on the 4th line while Guy Boucher has seemingly moved Clarke MacArthur up to Stone̢۪s spot on the 2nd line in practice earlier today.


SAT, OCT 17th OTT 2 VS NSH 4
-Senators fall to 2-4 after giving up a last minute empty net goal to Nashville.

THUR, OCT 22nd OTT 2 VS NJD 3 (SO)
-Hischier̢۪s debut in Ottawa. The first overtime game of the season, the Senators lose 3-2 in a shootout despite out shooting NJD 42-30.
-Dzingel scores his first of the season.

SAT, OCT 24th OTT 1 VS ARZ 2 (SO)
-The Senators go to a shootout for the second game in a row ultimately losing 2-1.
-Anderson has an enormous game with 46 saves.

WED, OCT 28th OTT 4 VS CGY 0
-The Flames are one of the hottest teams in the league with a 7-1-1 record.
-The Senators get a convincing win in large part due to a 3 point night by JG Pageau and a Craig Anderson shootout.

FRI, OCT 30th OTT 2 @ DET 3
-Close game, OTT loses in the third period.
-Pageau continues his point streak.
-Anderson has a bad game.

SAT, OCT 31st OTT 5 VS DET 0
-Anderson plays the second of a back to back getting a shutout.
-Pageau̢۪s point streak continues.
​

+++++++++++

SENATORS STATISTICS THROUGH OCTOBER
Hoffman 11-6-5-11
Ryan 11-3-6-9
Turris 11-2-6-8
Pageau 11-5-2-7
Brassard 11-1-4-5
Burrows 11-1-4-5
Smith 11-2-3-5
Stone 9-2-3-5
Dzingel 11-1-3-4
MacArthur 11-2-1-3
Thompson 11-0-3-3
Pyatt 6-1-1-2
Blunden 7-0-0-0

DEFENSE
Karlsson 11-2-6-8
Ceci 11-0-4-4
Claesson 11-2-0-2
Borowieci 11-0-1-1
Phaneuf 11-0-1-1
Oduya 11-0-0-0

GOALIES
Anderson 10GP 1.88GAA (4-4-0-2) 942SVP 2SO
Condon 2GP 1.33GAA (0-1-0-0) 951SVP 0SO
​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

NOVEMBER 2017-2018: 23GP (11-9-3)

BUSINESS PICKING UP
The Senators had a stronger showing in November by going 7-4-1 to improve their overall record to a decent 11-9-3 that puts the Senators just outside a wild card spot with a reasonable chance to catch up to teams like TOR and FLA who have 28 and 29 points respectively in the Atlantic Division playoff race. The Senators started out the month super hot with only 1 regulation loss in their first 7 game but weren’t able to keep up that pace as the month went on.

Both Craig Anderson and Johnny Oduya suffered injuries during the month which resulted in Mike Condon starting as well as Thomas Chabot receiving his first call up from Belleville. Although Thomas Chabot sat in the press box for the first few games with former healthy scratch Chris Wideman figuring in, the Senators trading Wideman to the NY Rangers lead to Chabot playing his first NHL game of the season.

In his first game of the season, Chabot scored. Still, the Senators lost the game 3-1 to Columbus. Oduya returning initially pushed Chabot back to the press box, but a Dion Phaneuf injury late in November resulted in Chabot playing two more games. Chabot ultimately played 3 games in November with 1 point and 12 minutes of ice time per game.​

ATLANTIC DIVISION STANDINGS
DET 33
FLA 29
TOR 28
WSH 26 (WC #1)
NYI 25 (WC #2)
OTT 25
BUF 21
BOS 20
MTL 20
TB 19​

ANDERSON VS CONDON
Last month there was a report that this might be Anderson’s last season in Ottawa. If that’s the case, he’s leaving in style. Anderson currently sports a 935 save percentage over 19 games while Mike Condon who was decent in Anderson’s absence due to injury has only mustered up a 907 save percentage.

Despite Anderson’s performance, there isn’t said to be a lot of league interest in the pending UFA. The goalie market is soft, and there aren’t a lot of teams looking for starters. This isn’t to say that the Senators are in a position where they will move Anderson and go with Condon. Those close to the situation say that despite the fact that the Senators are apparently set to move on from Anderson next season, they know what he can bring to the team and aren’t interested in selling low on him just to get something back before he walks.

Rumours out of Chicago say the Blackhawks have kicked the tires on the 36 year old Chicago native. Anderson was brought up in Chicago’s system, and with Stanley Cup aspirations the Blackhawks seem nervous about the possibility of having to rely on 78oa mStarter Berube if Crawford goes down. Still, a second starting goalie is a luxury and not something that a team like Chicago might be prepared to pay big assets for.​

KARLSSON STEPS UP
After a slow start to the season, Erik Karlsson found another gear in November and put up 19 points in only 12 games. Currently with 27 points in 23 games, Karlsson is 1st in the NHL among defenders and is top 10 overall in scoring. Karlsson leads all Ottawa Senators in points with Mike Hoffman trailing behind at 23.​

OFFERS NOT STRONG FOR RYAN DZINGEL
Ryan Dzingel has been a rumoured fixture on the Senators trade block throughout the month of November, but sources close to the team state that the Senators haven’t gotten an offer that would convince them to move on from the 25 year old speedster. Dzingel has struggled this season with only 9 points. There’s a belief that if Dzingel puts it all together, he could have 2nd line upside. The rumoured offers being tabled by other teams apparently involve the Senators receiving a 2nd round pick for Dzingel. The Senators have to decide if they think Dzingel is likely to get to that next level, because if he continues to falter they may not be able to attract those kind of offers this time next year before Dzingel could possibly walk as a UFA.​

TURRIS’ AGENT SLINGS MUD - NO PROGRESS IN CONTRACT TALKS
In an interview with TSN 1200, Turris’ agent Kurt Overhardt accused the Senators of playing hard ball with his client. The rumoured asking price for Turris would be in the 7M range while the Senators are coming in at just over 5M. There’s significant trade interest in Turris around the league but the Senators have refrained from having any serious talks.

The reality is that ownership expects 40+ wins and a playoff appearance and even if Turris makes it known he is going to walk come July 1st 2018, the Senators will have a lot of trouble clinching a playoff spot with Brassard 86, Pageau 84, Thompson 81, and Didomenica 79 as the top four centers. Turris also has 22 points in 23 games this season and is making a strong case for a massive raise.

At the same point, as a budget team the Senators can’t afford to lose a player like Turris for nothing. It’s expected that in a deal to a team expected to re-sign the 28 year old center, Kyle Turris could attract a good young prospect, a 1st round pick, and a lesser roster player.​

CONFIRMED TRADE [OTT/NYR]: Chris Wideman for 2018 4th+2019 4th
The odd man out in Ottawa, Chris Wideman sat in the press box all season until Johnny Oduya went down with an injury in November. After being given 3 games to showcase his skills where he put up 1 point, the pending UFA was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for two middle draft picks. This is a depth move for the Rangers, but they may very well look into exploring an extension with the top 6 defender going into next season. Word has it that Chris Wideman was unhappy with his spot on the Senators and wasn’t likely to extend next season.​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

AROUND THE LEAGUE NOVEMBER 17-18
Approx 25 GP

VARLAMOV GUNNING FOR 1st VEZINA
Semyon Varlamov is having a bounce back season after a tough few years in net where some questioned whether he was still a top level NHL goalie. With a .934 save percentage Varlamov is second to only Craig Anderson and has carried the Avalanche to being within a win of occupying a wild card playoff spot.​

WILL HE STAY OR WILL HE GO?
Still no updated on Tavares. He is not on the Islanders block, but that could change at the deadline if they don’t feel he is likely to sign. The Islanders are currently out of the playoffs with 25 points, but CAR who occupy the 3rd spot in the Metro Div aren’t far ahead of the Islanders with 29 points. It is speculated that the Islanders arena situation is equally if not more important than actual team success when it comes to convincing Tavares to re-sign.​

COULD THIS BE NASHVILLE'S YEAR?
Nashville is building off of their Cinderella run to the cup final as the 8th seed in the West last season. They’ve seemingly now arrived as a force in the NHL and with 37 points are the top team in the league.​

RED WINGS BACK IN THE HUNT
After missing the playoffs for the first time in 20 years in 16-17, the Red Wings have quickly bounced back. With 35 points, they currently are the top team in the East.​

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR RNH?
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is having a career resurgence on the Oilers after shifting from C to LW. The RNH-McDavid-Lucic line has proven to be the most effective line in the league. With 34 points, he’s the league leader in scoring while linemate Connor McDavid has 18 goals and 31 points.

With Draisaitl and McDavid’s massive 20M+ combined extensions kicking in next season, could we see the Oilers shop RNH prior to that? With the way RNH is playing, this upcoming off season could be the absolute peak of the young former 1st overall picks value.

(Note: The custom roster I have appears to somehow have extensions built in for next season.)​

ZETTERBERG WAIVED
@DarrenDreger-In a shocking move, the Red Wings place Henrik Zetterberg on waivers.
@AdrianDater-Avalanche first in line. They have to claim Zetterberg, don’t they?
@BobMcKenzie-It’s now official, Zetterberg is an Avalanche. NMCs don’t exist in EA Land and CPU GMs do wacky things.
@HenrikZetterberg-Screw you Detroit Red Wings.
@Joe Sakic-Listen, I only want 10 solid blue chip prospects for Duchene now that I got Zetterberg to fill his spot. #ONSALE #FRUGAL
@PierreLebrun-Red Wings ownership furious about Zetterberg’s cap circumvention comments. One person close to the situation described it as a move out of “spite”.
@DetroitFreePress-BREAKING….man in Red Wings jersey torches local Little Caesars. Potentially related to Zetterberg being waived.
@HenrikZetterberg-I’m not saying I support the actions of those torching their local Little Caesars restaurants but if it happens again I wouldn’t be too upset.
@LittleCaesars-Free breadsticks to any customer who does not torch our stores.
@Joe Sakic-...Okay. I’ll take 9 blue chippers but I need a 1st rounder coming back.
@BobMcKenzie-Strange development, we’re being told that Little Caesars has pulled out of their agreement for the naming rights to Detroit’s arena. An unknown subsidiary named “Henrik Zetterberg Stinks” has apparently bought up the rights. They claim to be a lawn care company but something smells fishy here.​

TEAM STANDINGS

ATLANTIC
DET 35
FLA 31
TOR 28
OTT 25
BUF 21
BOS 20
MTL 20
TB 19

METROPOLITAN
CBJ 34
PIT 33
CAR 29
WSH 26
NYR 26
NYI 25
PHI 22
NJ 20

PACIFIC
EDM 32
CGY 31
LA 30
SJ 29
ARZ 26
VAN 25
ANA 22

CENTRAL
NSH 37
CHI 31
MIN 28
WPG 26
COL 24
DAL 24
STL 22


GOALS
McDavid EDM 18
Kane CHI 17
Brown TOR 15
Kucherov TB 13
Hoffman OTT 13
Pominville BUF 13
Pacioretty MTL 13
Silverberg ANA 12


POINTS
RNH EDM 34
Getzlaf ANA 33
Stamkos TB 31
McDavid EDM 31
Giroux PHI 30
Kopitar LA 30
Johansen NSH 28
Kucherov TB 28


SAVE PERCENTAGE
Anderson OTT 935
Varlamov COL 934
Niemi PIT 929
Dubnyk MIN 928
Luongo FLA 926
Lindback NSH 924
Dell SJ 923
Schneider NJ 921​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

DECEMBER 2017-2018 38 GAMES PLAYED

DEC RECORD (10-4-1)
SENS RECORD (21-13-4)
(1st in ATL/5th in East/8th in NHL)​

SENS RED HOT
After a questionable first two months of the season, the Senators had a red hot December that after capturing 11 of 12 possible points didn’t see them lose a game in regulation until mid way through the month. An injury bug slowed the Senators progress, but they were still able to string together a 10 win month and climb to 1st in the Atlantic.​

INJURY BUG BITES OTTAWA
The Sens suffered through half a dozen player injuries throughout the month of December including Stone, Turris, Smith, MacArthur, Blunden, and Pageau. Pageau is the only long term injury out 4+ weeks and is set to return in early January. Worse, both Pageau and Turris were out at the same time causing Thompson to be the Sens 2C and the Senators to have to go deep into their center depth and recall players like White and Chlapik who may not be considered ready for NHL action.​

CHLAPIK AND WHITE PLAY IN THE NHL, CHABOT SENT DOWN
With the Senators facing a multitude of injuries throughout the month of December, both Chlapik and White were recalled and played NHL games. For Chlapik, these games were the first of his career. White had already played two regular season games to close out the 16-17 season and one game in the playoffs. Both White and Chlapik were used conservatively by coach Guy Boucher who stuck them both of the fourth line where they played around 6 minutes a game. White who has been playing at a phenomenal point per game pace was held pointless in his 2 NHL games before being sent back down. Top prospect Thomas Chabot was re-assigned to the NHL mid month with Ben Harpur recalled in his place to occupy the 7th spot on defense. “Everybody has been healthy on D and we don’t want a young player like Chabot sitting for too long...if anybody goes down, he could be back up here” said GMDP.​

ANDERSON ON HIS WAY TO WINNING THE VEZINA

Craig Anderson remains red hot. Although he isn’t as far above every other goalie as he was last month, he still remains firmly entrenched in the Vezina race. He’s top three in save percentage league wide and has the most wins of any goalie. Only Semyon Varlamov who is having a bounce back season and Braden Holtby are ahead of Anderson in save percentage. Anderson only lost 3 times throughout the entire month of December.

Anderson’s backup Mike Condon has been solid but unremarkable which begs the question, why are the Senators rumoured to be moving on from Anderson after this season? Could both sides possibly find a common ground and sign an extension? “He envisions himself playing well into his 40s, and he wants a contract that will reflect that” said Sens insider Bruce Garrioch. With the Senators being a budget team, the sticker shock of having a 36 year old goalie signed to a multi year deal in the 4.5-5 million range might be the deciding factor in moving on from Anderson. Would it be surprising to see Anderson sign with division rival Florida this off season if Luongo calls it a career leaving them with James Reimer in net?​

BREAKING: Turris’ camp ceases talks with the Senators. Sens to commence trade talks?
The prevailing rumour coming out of the nation’s capital is that all talks have ceased between Turris’ camp and the Senators. “7x7 is apparently the magic number and the Sens can’t make that work I don’t think” said Bob McKenzie in a pre-game spot on TSN 1200.

A 7 year deal would expire with Turris at 36 years old, and the Senators are expected to have to get below the 70M salary mark next season in order to comply with their internal budget.

This is a complicated situation for the Senators because at the moment, they are the hottest team in the league after a red hot December that saw them rise to 1st in the Atlantic. The return for Turris in a trade even as a rental would be substantial, but the Senators have playoffs aspirations and are in win now mode.

The Nashville Predators who recently acquired Jason Pominville from Buffalo for a 1st round pick are said to be the most aggressive team in going after Turris. Bob McKenzie explained in that same Ottawa radio spot “With Nashville, almost no asset is off the table, they are having by far their best season in team history, are a year removed from a Cup Final appearance, and badly badly need an upgrade down the middle as they feel Bonino and Scissons won’t cut it as their 2nd and 3rd on the depth chart”.​

Dzingel trade talk cools down amidst Senators winning streak.

With the Senators turning things around in December, all trade talk for Dzingel has ceased. Not wanting to mess with a winning chemistry, it looks like Dzingel might keep his spot as the Senators 2LW. “I think they might refrain from trading Dzingel for a future asset. Although, if the opportunity comes up for them to package him in a deal for a player they feel is a legit top 6 forward going into the playoffs, it could happen” said one Sens insider.​

Don’t Call It A Comeback, Bobby Ryan 39 points in 38 games.

Last year’s regular season was a bad one for Bobby Ryan. While playing through injuries and adjusting to a new system Ryan scored a career low 13 goals and 25 points. There was talk that amongst fans that Ryan was done, the Senators should put him on a 1 way rocket to Mars. “How does the CBA handle cap hits if players are stuck on another planet” inquired an inquisitive Eugene Melnyk. Hearing this criticism, and fearing the prospect of having to figure out how to live his remaining years on a different planet Ryan returned for the playoffs and came in hot. During the Senators 2017 cinderella run, Ryan was the team’s best forward.

Ryan clear is coming in hot again this season and building off that run as he has been the Senators best forward with 38 points in 39 games. Despite having his overall nuked down to 84 when adjusting the rosters for “realism”, Ryan has prevailed and proven that EA’s overalls really don’t mean all that much. Although keep in mind, in Legacy players score like it’s the 1980s...okay maybe not quite that much but they score higher point totals in real life….so going P/PG like this is maybe the equivalent to being on pace for 60-70 points in real life totals since so many players in EA sims go P/PG and P/PG+.

Hoffman and Karlsson Also Coming In Hot
Erik Karlsson is gunning for the Norris trophy. Matching the feat he accomplished in 2015-16, Karlsson is currently top 5 in league scoring with 45 points. He is 5 points behind league leader Patrick Kane who has 50 points. With the way Karlsson heated up throughout December, it isn’t inconceivable to imagine that this time next month he may possibly lead the league in scoring.

Mike Hoffman sits 8th in goals league wide. Although he isn’t likely to win the Rocket Richard, he is further cementing himself as a top level goal scorer in the NHL.​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

CONFIRMED TRADE [OTT/ARZ] Andrew Hammond (79oa) and Filip Ahl (4th round 2015) for Michael Latta (80oa) and a 2019 6th round pick
Coyotes starting goalie Anti Raanta is injured and won’t return until well past the mid-point of the month. The result, their backup goalie is 71 overall. Hammond who was lost in the shuffle in Ottawa due to the off season signing of Danny Taylor (78oa) should get a shot as Arizona’s 3rd goalie on the depth chart while in the short term giving the Coyotes a more reasonable option for upcoming back to backs than a 71oa goalie.

With recent injuries, the bottom end of the Senators center depth has been exposed. While White (77oa) is elite in the AHL, he isn’t ready for NHL duty. Max Reinhart (77oa) is better suited as a veteran presence in the AHL, and Chris Didomenico (79oa) isn’t good enough for everyday duty.

Laata who currently makes 650k will be a UFA in the 2018 off season. As will Andrew Hammond.

“He’s a responsible player and it just gives us more options down the middle. We’re very excited to acquire Michael” added Senators coach Guy Boucher when questioned about the trade.

In the afternoon scrum, GMDP answered a few questions regarding the trade.

“We needed help down the middle and there was a chance to give Hammond an opportunity he wasn’t going to get here while also helping another team out. It really is a great hockey trade that came together.”-GMDP on the optics of the trade.

When asked about the inclusion of Filip Ahl, “Latta is having a great season, and the Coyotes wanted a sweetener. You’ve gotta give to get in this league. We ultimately got a 6th rounder back so maybe there’ll be an opportunity to get a player next year with that pick.”

When asked if this deal was an attempt to add center depth in order to open up the possibility of the Senators trading Kyle Turris whose agent is rumoured to have stopped contract talks with the Senators, GMDP refused to comment.

SENATORS DECEMBER STATS
FORWARDS
Ryan 38gp 15-24-39
Hoffman 38gp 18-19-37
Turris 35gp 11-21-32
Brassard 38gp 9-18-27
Stone 34gp 8-9-17
Dzingel 38gp 5-11-16
Smith 33gp 8-7-15
Burrows 38gp 2-13-15
Pageau 28gp 7-5-12
Thompson 38gp 1-8-9
MacArthur 33gp 4-5-9
Pyatt 23gp 3-4-7
Didomenico 14gp 3-2-5
Blunden 24gp 0-2-2
M.Reinhart 1gp 0-0-0
White 2gp 0-0-0

DEFENSE
Karlsson 37gp 12-33-45
Ceci 38gp 7-10-17
Phaneuf 36gp 2-13-15
Claesson 38gp 3-6-9
Oduya 34gp 0-3-3
Borowiecki 38gp 0-1-1
Chabot 3gp 1-0-1
Harpur 1gp 0-0-0

GOALIES
Anderson 32gp 2.24GAA 18W 10L 0OTL 3SOL 67GA .922SV% 863SA 5SO 1791MIN
Condon 10gp 2.84GAA 3W 4L 0OTL 1SOL 24GA .911SV% 270SA 0SO 506MIN​

​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

AROUND THE LEAGUE DEC 2017
Roughly 38 GP

CONFIRMED TRADE WITH LINK [MTL/DET] MTL 2019 1st round pick+Will Bitten for Niklas Kronwall
Marc Bergevin is getting desperate. While at the bottom of their division, the Canadiens move their 1st rounder next year to Detroit for Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall should easily be Montreal’s 2nd best defender behind Shea Weber, but he is also 36 years old and the pick they gave up could end up being near the top 5 of the draft if they have as bad of a season next year as they are having this year. From Detroit’s perspective, they are gunning for a playoff spot and moving Kronwall within the division was always going to command a premium. Detroit previously through they had a deal consummated with the Ottawa Senators earlier in the season, but Kronwall refused to waive his NTC to go to Ottawa.​

CONFIRMED TRADE WITH LINK [BUF/NSH] Jason Pominville (84oa 35 years old 5.6Mx2Y)+Chris Kelly+Chris Neil for NSH 2018 1st Round Pick+Emil Pettersson

With the Sabres floating around the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Sabres GM Jason Botterill executed the first major trade of the NHL season by sending Jason Pominville to the league leading Nashville Predators for their first round selection in the 2018 draft.

In an interview via telephone, Predators GM David Poile claimed to be excited at what Pominville could bring to the already red hot Predators. “We’re not worried about that cap hit, he’s got a year left. He’s scored 16 goals already. We needed help up front and were able to get something done.”

With the Predators leading the league in points, their pick isn’t likely to be very high. Still, Sabres GM Jason Botterill has to be happy to have picked up a 1st rounder for a player he arguably acquired as partially a cap consolation to the Wild in the Scandella trade.​

CONFIRMED TRADE [CGY/TOR] Mike Smith (35yo 85oa 4.25Mx2Y) for TOR 2018 2nd+TOR 2018 3rd
I’m not even going to try and spin this trade with some sort of narrative. EA is EAing. A team without an extra starting goalie that is in playoff contention has traded away their starting goalie to a team that already had a starting and backup goalie.​

TRADE RUMOURS
-The Sedins (89oa) are available. Should be a package deal but you never know. They won’t be easy to move with a combined 14M cap hit. Meanwhile, Vancouver is in the market for a starting goalie under 32.

-The Leafs are trying to move Patrick Marleau (86oa) and his massive 3 year 6.250 contract only months after signing him. Marleau is looking like a legit cap albatross with only 5 goals and 9 points in 36 games so far for the Leafs. Despite Marleau’s NMC, it seems both sides have agreed that things aren’t quite working out. Maybe we could see a deal back to the Sharks.

-Eklund of hockeybuzz.com is reporting that he heard the Senators and Leafs are very intently talking a Mitch Marner for Erik Karlsson deal. He gave it an e2.

-Despite their position at the bottom of the Atlantic, the Canadiens appear to be in win now mode. They still think they can salvage the season. No picks or prospects are off the table in exchange for a 2nd line forward or top 4D of any age. They badly want help now. They also are in the market for a 3C.

-Kari Lehtonen is available. Dallas might have a hard time moving him with his 5.67M cap hit, but given his contract expires at the end of the season it’s possible that a team with an injured goalie might come calling.

-The Blue Jackets are willing to move on from Sonny Milano if it can get them a 2nd line forward.​

STANDINGS
METRO
PIT 51
CAR 49
CBJ 48
WSH 43
NYR 38
NJ 36
NYI 35
PHI 33

ATL
OTT 46
DET 45
TOR 44
FLA 41
TB 35
BOS 34
BUF 33
MTL 33

PAC
SJ 48
CGY 48
EDM 44
ARZ 41
LA 41
VAN 39
ANA 36

CEN
NSH 53
MIN 43
CHI 41
STL 41
DAL 40
WPG 37
COL 36​

TOP STORIES

Jack Eichel Struggling
With the final year of his ELC expiring, there were lofty expectations on Eichel who was nearly a top 10 scorer (P/PG) last year in the NHL. The Sabres currently sit near the bottom of their division, and Eichel is struggling to put it all together. He has only 19 points in 38 games and is a -12.

“I never would have thought Eichel would have sunk this low” said one unnamed scout. “I had him pegged right up there with the top guys, maybe top 5 in scoring this year, I’m shocked”.

This has created a complicated scenario for the Sabres. Do they feel confident enough in Eichel to go long term with him after what might be a 40 point season, or do both sides opt for a bridge deal?​

The Canadiens Stink - Bergevin Getting Desperate?
The Canadiens are at the bottom of their division. Like Buffalo, the team is struggling. The big difference between the two teams, Buffalo is still relatively early in a rebuild and just hit the reset button with a new GM and coach but Montreal is being lead by a management team who have perpetually underachieved while making bold moves like trading Subban for Weber, and moving Sergachev for Drouin while failing to address their needs at center.

Rumours coming out of Montreal state that Bergevin is on the hot seat. We could see the long time GM ousted if the Canadiens fail to make the playoffs. That would explain why Bergevin just moved the Canadiens first round pick for an ageing Kronwall despite the fact that currently that pick is set to be around the top of the draft.

There’s still half a season to play, but things aren’t looking good for Montreal.​

PITTSBURGH VS NASHVILLE PART 2?
Half way through the season, the top two teams in the league are the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both teams lead their respective divisions and are expected to be extremely aggressive going into the trade deadline in a few months. Nashville is currently the better of the two teams and is on their way to winning their first President’s Trophy. Could a Stanley Cup be next?

Patrick Kane On Pace for 60
Patrick Kane has found another gear. While the Blackhawks themselves aren’t having as strong of a season as they’d like, Patrick Kane is doing everything in his power to ensure they don’t miss the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. Kane currently sits atop the NHL in both goals and points. He’s on page for over 60 goals and 100 points. If Kane keeps up this pace, he would be only the third player of the last twenty years to score 60 goals.​

POINTS
Kane CHI 50, Getzlaf ANA 49, Stamkos TB 47, Karlsson OTT 45, McDavid EDM 44, RNH EDM 43, Kopitar LA 43, Kucherov TB 43

GOALS
Kane CHI 30, McDavid EDM 22, Pacioretty MTL 21, Brown TOR 18, Stamkos TB 18, Hoffman OTT 18, Tkachuk CGY 18, Perry ANA 18

SAVE PERCENTAGE
Holtby WSH 926, Varlamov COL 925, Anderson OTT 922, Smith TOR 919, Raanta ARZ 919, Rinne NSH 918, Rask BOS 918, Allen STL 915​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Correction....the Kronwall trade was for MTLs 1st Round pick NEXT YEAR.

CONFIRMED TRADE WITH LINK [MTL/DET] MTL 2019 1st round pick+Will Bitten for Niklas Kronwall
Marc Bergevin is getting desperate. While at the bottom of their division, the Canadiens move their 1st rounder next year to Detroit for Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall should easily be Montreal’s 2nd best defender behind Shea Weber, but he is also 36 years old and the pick they gave up could end up being near the top 5 of the draft if they have as bad of a season next year as they are having this year. From Detroit’s perspective, they are gunning for a playoff spot and moving Kronwall within the division was always going to command a premium. Detroit previously through they had a deal consummated with the Ottawa Senators earlier in the season, but Kronwall refused to waive his NTC to go to Ottawa.​

 

[bigwoz62]

Correction....the Kronwall trade was for MTLs 1st Round pick NEXT YEAR.

CONFIRMED TRADE WITH LINK [MTL/DET] MTL 2019 1st round pick+Will Bitten for Niklas Kronwall
Marc Bergevin is getting desperate. While at the bottom of their division, the Canadiens move their 1st rounder next year to Detroit for Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall should easily be Montreal’s 2nd best defender behind Shea Weber, but he is also 36 years old and the pick they gave up could end up being near the top 5 of the draft if they have as bad of a season next year as they are having this year. From Detroit’s perspective, they are gunning for a playoff spot and moving Kronwall within the division was always going to command a premium. Detroit previously through they had a deal consummated with the Ottawa Senators earlier in the season, but Kronwall refused to waive his NTC to go to Ottawa.​

Nice!
I was wondering if they really were trading an unprotected top 3 pick for half a year of Kronwall!
Bergevin would literally be chased out of Montreal. Unless they pulled it off and made it to the 3rd round.
Do they?????????????

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Nice!
I was wondering if they really were trading an unprotected top 3 pick for half a year of Kronwall!
Bergevin would literally be chased out of Montreal. Unless they pulled it off and made it to the 3rd round.
Do they?????????????

We'll see....as of the time of the trade, they are one of the worst teams in the league....I think Bergevin is getting desperate.

 

[Squints09]

Why is this your last log?

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Why is this your last log?

Last Legacy GM log....I intend to keep this one going for a while. A real deep dive. I want to try and go 5-10 years, which is easier said than done. That is gonna to probably take months of posting if not longer. Maybe I'll get fired half way through and have to start with a different team....

I anticipate, by the time this log is over, I'll probably pick up a PS4 and finally upgrade. That's why this will probably be my last Legacy log ever, but not my last GM log.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

................(ignore this, made a mistake in the original update...reposted below)

 

[danielpalfredsson]

SENATORS JANUARY 2018 (JAN RECORD 5-6-2) (TOTAL RECORD 26-18-6)
SENATORS JANUARY 2018 (JAN RECORD 5-6-2) (TOTAL RECORD 26-18-6)

The Senators struggled throughout January. While it wasn’t the worst month the team has played this season, the Senators took a big step back from their red hot December that saw them battle through key injuries and claim the top spot in the division. Currently, the Senators sit 2nd in the Atlantic, 5 points behind the rival Maple Leafs.

ANDERSON AWFUL IN THE NEW YEAR
The new year has been awful for Craig Anderson. Anderson was the best goalie in the NHL for the first half of the season, but a terrible January with numerous bad games has lead to observers questioning whether Anderson at his age can keep up his level of play over a full NHL season. After leading or being near the top of the save percentage ranks the entire season, Anderson has fallen out of the top 10 and now sports an overall save percentage of 914.

Mike Condon has been the better goalie through January, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Guy Boucher go with the hot hand if Anderson continues to falter.

It’s been widely publicized that the Senators and Anderson aren’t signing an extension, which begs the question, could we see Craig Anderson traded at the deadline?

“I don’t think it’ll happen” said NHL insider Pierre McGuire. “There’s a lot of attachment there, in that room, and I don’t think management wants to create that kind of rift going into the playoffs. Not to mention, Condon goes down….what do you do….you’ve got Dany Taylor up in the NHL? No way. Just not gonna happen.”

McGuire later added…”You know, if a team came to them and offered up a solid 1st round pick and a proven backup, and Anderson is okay with it, maybe there’s an extension in play, okay maybe that’s a situation where he gets moved. But that situation isn’t materializing and the market for goalies is soft. I know for a fact Chicago offered them a 2nd for Anderson, and you know for a late 2nd, they just aren’t going to do that kind of deal.”​

ERIK KARLSSON LEADS THE LEAGUE IN SCORING
For the first time in his career, Erik Karlsson leads the NHL in scoring. After a slow first month of the season, Karlsson’s production has gone up each month and now with 62 points in 49 games, he is a single point ahead of Patrick Kane and 15 points ahead of Brent Burns who has 47 points, although because of a series of injuries Burns has only played 43 games.

If Karlsson can manage to hold on to the scoring lead, and the Senators secure a playoff spot, expect Karlsson to be one of the front runners for the Hart Trophy. The last time a defender won the Hart Trophy was nearly 20 years ago with Chris Pronger. The last time a defender lead the league in points, nearly 40 years ago with Bobby Orr.​

RUMOR: VANCOUVER IN ON TURRIS

A report in the Vancouver Sun stated that GM Jim Benning is expected to be a frontrunner in the Kyle Turris sweepstakes. With Elias Pettersson years away from making an impact, Bo Horvat seen as an excellent 2C but not a first liner, and Henrik Sedin possibly retiring in the off season, the Canucks might be left without a 1C as soon as next season.

Is it possible that Benning believes that Turris being from Vancouver should give him a leg up in extending the 29 year old and possibly even getting Turris to agree to a hometown discount? The Canucks are loaded with good young prospects, and are set to possibly have a top 10 pick going into the 2018 draft. Vancouver fans who have been begging for a proper rebuild for years might not be happy about the team moving that pick, but acquiring 1st line center in his prime who happens to be a hometown star might be a positive step forward for the franchise.​

STATS
FORWARDS
Ryan 50gp 18-34-52
Hoffman 50gp 23-23-46
Turris 47gp 13-30-43
Brassard 50gp 13-23-36
Stone 50gp 13-23-36
Dzingel 50gp 7-19-26
Burrows 50gp 4-14-18
Latta 40gp 7-10-17
Smith 45gp 10-7-17
Pageau 38gp 7-7-14
Thompson 50gp 3-10-13
MacArthur 45gp 5-6-11
Pyatt 35gp 3-5-8
Didomenico 14gp 3-2-5
Blunden 24gp 0-2-2
Chlapik 1gp 0-0-0
Reinhart 1gp 0-0-0
White 2gp 0-0-0

DEFENSE
Karlsson 49gp 16-46-62
Ceci 50gp 7-17-24
Phaneuf 48gp 6-16-22
Claesson 50gp 3-6-9
Oduya 46gp 0-4-4
Borowiecki 48gp 1-2-3
Chabot 3gp 1-0-1
Harpur 1gp 0-0-0

GOALIES
Anderson 42gp .914
Condon 13gp .909​

 

[danielpalfredsson]

AROUND THE NHL JANUARY 2018

BREAKING: Marc Bergevin, Claude Julien FIRED
With the Canadiens falling to last place in the NHL, and the team having given up next year’s 1st rounder to Detroit for Kronwall, Geoff Molson had seen enough. The Canadiens have cleaned house. In a shocking move, Patrick Roy has been hired as head coach, President of Hockey Operations, Goalie Coach, and Emperor of the Canadiens.

Roy’s previous job in the NHL ended when he walked out as the Avalanche head coach. Initially, the move may have been a blight on his reputation but with the Avalanche going on to have one of the worst seasons in modern NHL history after Roy’s departure, his actions were vindicated.

When asked about his new role with the Canadiens’, Roy simply said “We’re gonna put our testicles on the desk”. ​

ISLANDERS ARENA DEAL “Very Unlikely” SAYS SOURCE
A source close to the Islanders organization has said that both the Islanders and Tavares might be close to preparing for a situation where the Islanders would trade their long time franchise center. “It’s never been about money, always stability. If he is signing for 8 years, he wants some assurance that the franchise isn’t gonna pick up and move 2 years from now” said the same source.

Don’t expect the Islanders to rush a trade. It could happen anytime between now and the trade deadline. Nashville should be a front runner, but ultimately expect a record amount of teams to phone the Islanders. With a player like Tavares, it might be worth gambling on acquiring him as a rental, and hoping an extension could get worked out prior to July 1st. Even without a contract in place, it’s not a given that Tavares will go to a playoff team.

Expect this to have a negative effect on the Senators. In an interview with TSN 1200, Bob McKenzie speculated that any team in on Turris is going to want to wait and see how the Tavares situation plays out before pulling the trigger on giving up numerous big assets for Turris. The price for Tavares is speculated to be very high. For example, if the Ottawa Senators were interested, Chabot would likely have to be part of the package. The Islanders are said to want an absolute top level blue chip prospect, a 1st round pick, and more.​

CONFIRMED TRADE [WPG/TOR] Michael Hutchinson (82 G) for Dominic Moore (82 C)
More EA being EA. TOR now has FOUR GOALIES on their NHL roster between Fred Andersen, Mike Smith, Michael Hutchinson and Curtis Mcelhinney. They most likely waive Hutchinson very soon. The trade makes sense from WPG’s perspective. They don’t have an NHL spot for Hutchinson who’ll never be more than a backup goalie, so they move him for a rental at C. I guess Toronto’s GMs were drunk when they made this deal.​

CONFIRMED TRADE [BOS/NYI] 2017 BOS 3rd+Ryan Fitzgerald for Jason Chimera (82oa 37yo)
The Bruins add a veteran rental to their third line. Fitzgerald is almost certainly a contract dump at this point, so this trade is all about NYI getting a 3rd rounder for a UFA.​

CONFIRMED TRADE [FLA/CBJ] Radim Vrbata (84oa 36yo UFA) +Derek MacKenzie (80oa 37yo UFA) for V.Abramov (19yo RW 3.5*)+C.Thurkauf+J.Graves
This trade boils down to Vrbata and MacKenzie for Abramov. Abramov a scoring winger who was taken in the 3rd round in 2016 has seen his stock rise since his draft year. Although he is far from a blue chip prospect, he has value and might be a future 2nd liner. The Panthers trading Vrbata is a peculiar move given that they are gunning for a playoff spot.​

CONFIRMED TRADE [MTL/CBJ] Niklas Kronwall (87oa 37yo) for CBJ 2018 1st Round Pick
Patrick Roy has undone a trade made by his predecessor Marc Bergevin, but not without devastating consequences to the Canadiens organization. The Canadiens originally gave up their 1st next season (2019) to acquire Kronwall. Given the fact that the Canadiens are last place in the league this season, that pick has a reasonable chance of being much higher than the 2018 CBJ pick they are now getting in return for Kronwall as the Blue Jackets are expected to be a lock for the playoffs at this point.

“There’s nothing I can do to undo that previous trade, but you know we’re certainly not making the playoffs and Kronwall doesn’t exactly fit into our new direction. Great hockey player, even better guy, but this is good for everybody involved. We’re just gonna put our scrotums on the counter and go from there”. Said new Canadiens GM Patrick Roy.

There’s speculation that the Blue Jackets are gearing up for a big trade. The last missing piece of the puzzle is a franchise center, and if John Tavares is their target, it will probably cost them one of their good young defenders along with Wennberg or Jenner. That would explain why they’d acquire another defender despite being deep at that position.​

LEAGUE LEADERS
GOALS
P.Kane CHI 38
McDavid EDM 28
Ovechkin WSH 27
Duchene COL 27
Crosby PIT 26
Tarasenko STL 26
Perry ANA 24
Hoffman OTT 23

POINTS
Karlsson OTT 62
Kane CHI 61
Stamkos TB 60
Getzlaf ANA 58
Backstrom WSH 57
Tarasenko STL 57
Kopitar LA 56
Pavelski SJ 56

SAVE PERCENTAGE
Holtby WSH 925
Andersen TOR 923
Bobrovsky CBJ 922
Varlamov COL 922
Raanta ARZ 920
Rinne NSH 919
Rask BOS 918​

STANDINGS
ATL
TOR 63
OTT 58
BOS 54
DET 53
FLA 50
BUF 47
TB 45
MTL 41

MET
PIT 72
CBJ 64
CAR 64
WSH 58
NYI 49
NYR 49
PHI 40

PAC
SJ 60
CGY 58
LA 57
ARZ 54
EDM 53
ANA 50
VAN 47

CEN
NSH 65
COL 58
CHI 55
MIN 53
STL 52
DAL 50
WPG 44
​