Non-Minnesota NHL News XIV - Seattle Expansion(?)

[2Pair]

Based on his college production and the flashes he showed in the pros, I had little doubt that Haula could be a better offensive player than he was here. I'm not sure I though he'd be as good as he is Vegas, but somewhere in middle.

Staal having a great year last year + Koivu having a great year last year + the expansion draft made it so we weren't able to find out. Kudos to Vegas for recognizing the talent, but even with a year of hindsight, I'm still comfortable with the Staal, Zucker or Dumba for Haula/Tuch tradeoff.

Well said. I would add that Erik Haula is the main reason that he wasn't a better offensive player while he was here. Also, the way he's playing in Vegas, he wouldn't see the ice for Boudreau.

 

[TaLoN]

Haula is in a much different role than he'd ever be in here. He'd have never gotten those numbers in a Wild uniform, too many players ahead of him in the lineup. Being on an expansion team was his best opportunity. We all knew he'd earn a top 6 role going there, something he wouldn't have here.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Underperform and then jump ship. Thanks for the memories Casey!

 

[57special]

Maybe he thought that if he's going to be on a losing team with untalented players then he'd rather get paid for it. Lost track at how many times he set up linemates and they did nothing with it.

 

[57special]

Reilly with 7 pts. in 15 games. Avs losing 3-1 to VGK in the 3rd.

 

[StealthClobber]

Avs could have had anywhere from an 80%+ chance to make the playoffs, to a less than 70% chance to make the playoffs, depending on how their game with the Knights went tonight.
If the score in the Kings vs Flames game stays the same, they'll go down to around 66% chance.

Remaining games for them this season include games against all 3 California teams (who they're fighting with for a playoff spot with 2 of them), and St. Louis, who are currently behind them by 1 point with a game in hand.

St. Louis on the other hand are riding a 5 game win streak, 7-2-1 in their last 10, and from here on are playing a bunch of games against comfortably in teams, or mathematically eliminated teams.

Ducks have a tough schedule ahead of them; all Western Conference games from here on out, and most of them are against playoff contenders (including us). Pretty much the same schedule for the Kings as well.

I think if the Blues continue their good play, they could easily pass the Avs for their wild card spot, and maybe even move into the divisional spots and knock us down to potentially play Vegas in the first round.

 

[gphr513]

I found myself chuckling at how similar St. Louis' season has been to our past seasons. Is that really just Mike Yeo's DNA as a head coach? Awesome start to the year, terrible swoon, and then a break-neck paced run to scrape into the playoffs.

 

[HollaHaula]

I found myself chuckling at how similar St. Louis' season has been to our past seasons. Is that really just Mike Yeo's DNA as a head coach? Awesome start to the year, terrible swoon, and then a break-neck paced run to scrape into the playoffs.

Such a Yeo team. They might even get to the 2nd round. Blues fans will be hopeful and think Yeo can lead a team to greatness. Then, the same thing happens the next year. And the next. And...
.
.
.
Finally, you just fire him to go in a certain direction. Doesn't matter which.

 

[FVM]

I found myself chuckling at how similar St. Louis' season has been to our past seasons. Is that really just Mike Yeo's DNA as a head coach? Awesome start to the year, terrible swoon, and then a break-neck paced run to scrape into the playoffs.

Yes. The pattern is too obvious. It's difficult to say why exactly his coaching produces that effect, but the effect itself is undeniable.

 

[57special]

But Tarasenko WILL be a two way player at the end of his tenure, damn it!

 

[57special]

Haula got his 29th goal tonight.

 

[StealthClobber]

Thank you Flyers.

 

[W75]

That result was relieving.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I must admit, I get a some amount of pleasure at Garth Snow's incompetence. How many prospects is he going to be allowed to ruin?

Foligino for Ho-Sang?

 

[Uberdachen]

I must admit, I get a some amount of pleasure at Garth Snow's incompetence. How many prospects is he going to be allowed to ruin?

Foligino for Ho-Sang?

Maybe I'm alone, but I don't see how a team with league-worst defense is wrong for wanting to start holding new guys to a higher defensive standard.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Maybe I'm alone, but I don't see how a team with league-worst defense is wrong for wanting to start holding new guys to a higher defensive standard.

They're wrong for ONLY holding him to that standard is the jist of Ho Sang's comments. And when Ho Sang was last sent down on Dec 14th, they were still bad at giving up goals, but they werent' the worst in the league and there were 8 teams within 5 goals against of them.

Now there isn't a team within 30 goals against. They've been worse since he's been gone. So who are they holding accountable now?

I think he made some good points.

 

[Uberdachen]

If a guy was sent down because defense is his weakness, and in his absence the team became the absolute worst environment for him to bolster that aspect of his game, why would you put him back in it? It might not be their reasoning but it makes sense to me.

Not that I expect them to make the team a suitable environment by next season.

 

[Wabit]

They're wrong for ONLY holding him to that standard is the jist of Ho Sang's comments. And when Ho Sang was last sent down on Dec 14th, they were still bad at giving up goals, but they werent' the worst in the league and there were 8 teams within 5 goals against of them.

Now there isn't a team within 30 goals against. They've been worse since he's been gone. So who are they holding accountable now?

I think he made some good points.

NYI lost DeHaan on the Dec 16th (hasn't played another game). Boychuck also didn't play a game from Dec 28th until Feb 9th. Halak/Griess being a hot mess all season doesn't help much either.

The half dozen games I saw Ho Sang looked like he was taking lessons from Vanek on how to play defense.

 

[57special]

It's not like Ho-Sang is tearing it up in the AHL. Mebbe an Olofsson for JHS in the off season, though I'm not so sure that trade would be in our favor. Haven't given up on Olofsson, but Seeler has been rock solid, and provides something from the back end that we've been missing.

 

[ThatGuy22]

It's not like Ho-Sang is tearing it up in the AHL. Mebbe an Olofsson for JHS in the off season, though I'm not so sure that trade would be in our favor. Haven't given up on Olofsson, but Seeler has been rock solid, and provides something from the back end that we've been missing.

He had 15 points in 21 games and had been in the AHL a month when Weight went on a rant about Ho Sang's accountability in the media. Production fell off a cliff after that.

I wonder why....

Boy does this sound familier. Why anyone would give the Isle's the benefit of the doubt in these situations is beyond me.

 

[Wild11MN]

Nick Leddy is -42. I don't care how bad your team is - that's brutal.

 

[Wabit]

Nick Leddy is -42. I don't care how bad your team is - that's brutal.

OEL was -41 before Valentines Day and on pace for a -60 season. He's (only) at -32 now.

 

[gphr513]

Nick Leddy is -42. I don't care how bad your team is - that's brutal.

Good Lord. For a top pairing defenseman (I assume he's still top pair for NYI). Yeesh.

 

[HollaHaula]

He's practicing his golf game. He does play for the Islanders after all.

 

[StealthClobber]

Last night I was watching a YT video on emergency backup goalies that have signed 1 day contracts with teams, and most of them have either sat on the bench all game, or the coach tried to put them in the game late and the refs said no, etc.

But the Hawks had a 36 year old emergency backup goalie tonight against Winnipeg, that they put in with 14 minutes left in a 6-2 game, and he stopped all 7 shots he faced. Amazing.