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

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Wabit

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May 23, 2016
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Lots of parts oft that Nash trade. Getting out from under Beleskey's contract probably cost Spooner + the prospect.
 

Wild11MN

First round losers
May 28, 2013
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And unrelated, but there is a 20(!!!) point gap between 3rd and 4th place in the Atlantic Division. That's insane!
 

Minnesota

L'Etoile du Nord
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McDavid single-handedly beat the Islanders.

Like, zero other Edmonton players are mentioned in the highlight reel. Every play involves McDavid creating offense completely on his own.

 

Saga of the Elk

Honoured Person
May 31, 2008
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I tried watching some of that game - it was awful. Such a waste. The way the Canadian media and others actively cheer for Erik Karlsson to be traded to a better team and organization will be happening soon for McDavid. It's not necessarily that it's so bad for hockey for every team to have just one good player, if all you care about is marketing. That way you get the coveted "parity," you can create "rivalry night" out of anything. But I think if you really enjoy the sport, it's actively depressing to see such blatant incompetence in action. Not just the Oilers, but the whole Islanders situation too.
 

57special

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Haula with 24g, 22a, so far. Looks like he'll get 50+ points. What a steal for LVK.

Reilly 5 assists in 6gp with MTL.
 
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DANOZ28

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May 22, 2012
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haula scored a crazy goal last night shooting or passing from the side across the paint , puck hits goalie stick takes a 90 degree turn into the net. i thought it was his 25G? dang i miss him. tuch has 13G not bad for a rookie.
 
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57special

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Yeah, my stats are a day old...that was probably his 25th goal

Always liked Haula, a lot. A two way C who is tailor made for the way that the game is trending( speed), with offensive potential. Excellent on 3 v3, though it took the Wild years to figure that out, God knows why. Burned my ass that people here were penciling in Ek over him when the former hadn't done anything. I like Ek, and think he will be a good middle six player, but Haula was at the perfect age to bridge the gap at the all important C position on this team as Koivu and Staal age. Also a great PK'er, with tha ability to make the other team pay on the counterattack.
 
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Goose312

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May 15, 2015
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Yeah, my stats are a day old...that was probably his 25th goal

Always liked Haula, a lot. A two way C who is tailor made for the way that the game is trending( speed), with offensive potential. Excellent on 3 v3, though it took the Wild years to figure that out, God knows why. Burned my ass that people here were penciling in Ek over him when the former hadn't done anything. I like Ek, and think he will be a good middle six player, but Haula was at the perfect age to bridge the gap at the all important C position on this team as Koivu and Staal age. Also a great PK'er, with tha ability to make the other team pay on the counterattack.

Is he though? The over romaticizing of Haula has become one of my biggest pet peeves. Outside of a very brief period under Torch, Haula never produced any significant amount of offense in Minnesota. In Vegas he has the offense, but he both fails the advanced stat and eye test whenever I've watched their games in terms of any sort of consistent defense. He's rarely a guy who backchecks hard and tends to push higher in the defensive zone looking for the counterattack instead of keeping his assignments.

That's not to say he's garbage defensively or never plays defense, but he's one of the worst statistical defensive forwards for Vegas and it's justified. If he can figure out how to produce 50+ while playing the defense he would play in MN then he'd be a real weapon. I think Tuch is the bigger loss of the two, and while I certainly wouldn't be opposed to Haula on the Wild I think he is rapidly becoming the most overrated player in Wild history because there's seemingly a picture painted by fans that he's still playing the shut down center role while producing at his current level which is just a total lie.
 

57special

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Is he though? The over romaticizing of Haula has become one of my biggest pet peeves. Outside of a very brief period under Torch, Haula never produced any significant amount of offense in Minnesota. In Vegas he has the offense, but he both fails the advanced stat and eye test whenever I've watched their games in terms of any sort of consistent defense. He's rarely a guy who backchecks hard and tends to push higher in the defensive zone looking for the counterattack instead of keeping his assignments.

That's not to say he's garbage defensively or never plays defense, but he's one of the worst statistical defensive forwards for Vegas and it's justified. If he can figure out how to produce 50+ while playing the defense he would play in MN then he'd be a real weapon. I think Tuch is the bigger loss of the two, and while I certainly wouldn't be opposed to Haula on the Wild I think he is rapidly becoming the most overrated player in Wild history because there's seemingly a picture painted by fans that he's still playing the shut down center role while producing at his current level which is just a total lie.

I think you're completely off base on Haula. He was never given the opportunity in MN to produce offense. Little to no PP TOI, mediocre (at best) linemates. How you can't notice his speed, and how much would we miss it on this team is beyond me. His ability to improve his game(i.e. FO%) is also an asset, as is his ability to play C, as well as wing. Keep in mind that he is paid 2.75M, not the 6.75M that we pay Koivu, or the 5+M that we pay Nino. You seem to want top level offense, and top level D, yet at a bargain price...

There is a reason LVK are so good. Making the most of underutilized players like Haula.
 

Goose312

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May 15, 2015
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I think you're completely off base on Haula. He was never given the opportunity in MN to produce offense. Little to no PP TOI, mediocre (at best) linemates. How you can't notice his speed, and how much would we miss it on this team is beyond me. His ability to improve his game(i.e. FO%) is also an asset, as is his ability to play C, as well as wing. Keep in mind that he is paid 2.75M, not the 6.75M that we pay Koivu, or the 5+M that we pay Nino. You seem to want top level offense, and top level D, yet at a bargain price...

There is a reason LVK are so good. Making the most of underutilized players like Haula.
I claimed nothing about the bolded parts. I also didn't say anything about his contract. You are putting words in my mouth. I'm simply commenting on the tired argument that he's somehow a good 2 way center because he used to play defense here and is now producing offense in Vegas. He's not the same player in Vegas that he was here because he has more free reign to ignore his defensively responsibility in pursuit of production. As a result he has the production and is liable for just as many goals against. Perhaps his abilities are best used in that manner, and good for him for being able to produce, but the Haula you remember that was good on the PK and kept his defensive assignments while backchecking hard isn't he Haula that's playing in Vegas. The Haula that's playing in Vegas is one that doesn't exist in a Mike Yeo or Bruce Boudreau system where defensive accountability is required though with different levels of flexibility.
 

2Pair

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Oct 8, 2017
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I think you're completely off base on Haula. He was never given the opportunity in MN to produce offense. Little to no PP TOI, mediocre (at best) linemates. How you can't notice his speed, and how much would we miss it on this team is beyond me. His ability to improve his game(i.e. FO%) is also an asset, as is his ability to play C, as well as wing. Keep in mind that he is paid 2.75M, not the 6.75M that we pay Koivu, or the 5+M that we pay Nino. You seem to want top level offense, and top level D, yet at a bargain price...

There is a reason LVK are so good. Making the most of underutilized players like Haula.
Haula spent a very good amount of his time here playing with at least one of and usually two of Coyle, Niederreiter, Pominville, Zucker, Vanek. He failed in those roles more often than he succeeded. When you play with 2nd liners and produce like a 4th liner, you don't deserve a larger role or PP time.
 

HollaHaula

Cynical Wild fan
Jul 28, 2015
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Haula spent a very good amount of his time here playing with at least one of and usually two of Coyle, Niederreiter, Pominville, Zucker, Vanek. He failed in those roles more often than he succeeded. When you play with 2nd liners and produce like a 4th liner, you don't deserve a larger role or PP time.
Or, our 2nd liners are more like 4th liners. :help:
 

57special

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Haula spent a very good amount of his time here playing with at least one of and usually two of Coyle, Niederreiter, Pominville, Zucker, Vanek. He failed in those roles more often than he succeeded. When you play with 2nd liners and produce like a 4th liner, you don't deserve a larger role or PP time.
That's not how i remember it, at all. Pominville and Vanek were not very good players later on in their tenure with the wild, in any event. Early on, Pominville was glued to Parise and Koivu. Vanek...pfft.

Bottom line is that we didn't realize Haula's potential. He has 25g already, outscoring everyone on the Wild except Staal and Zucker. He is also locked up at 2,75M(on this team, that's Foligno money, folks), in his prime, and plays good D, I don't care what anyone else says. Sure as hell plays better D than Zucker(who will be getting 5+M contract in the off season).
 
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tomgilbertfan

#WhyBother
Jun 22, 2008
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Haula's most common linemates last season (>10% together, EV, regular season):
Nino/Pominville, Parise/Pominville
2015-2016
Nino/Pominville, Carter/Porter (He got 65% Dzone Starts this season)
2014-2015
Coyle/Nino, then a whole lot of combos of Velleux/Fontaine/Nino/Vanek/Bergenheim
 

Dr Jan Itor

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Dec 10, 2009
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That's not how i remember it, at all. Pominville and Vanek were not very good players later on in their tenure with the wild, in any event. Early on, Pominville was glued to Parise and Koivu. Vanek...pfft.

Bottom line is that we didn't realize Haula's potential. He has 25g already, outscoring everyone on the Wild except Staal and Zucker. He is also locked up at 2,75M(on this team, that's Foligno money, folks), in his prime, and plays good D, I don't care what anyone else says. Sure as hell plays better D than Zucker(who will be getting 5+M contract in the off season).

Are you making the case that we should have left 2 of Staal/Zucker and Brodin/Dumba exposed to hold onto Haula?
 

57special

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I would've moved Pominville a LOT earlier, or got him to waive his NMC, and either;

1- have traded Dumba and Scandella, if I could've gotten a decent return( ideally, this would have been done far in advance of the ED).

or

2- left Dumba and Scandella exposed.

I've been of the opinion for a long time that this team needs to make a bold move(s) to get a player that takes them over the top. Right now we are good enough to make the playoffs, but little else.
 
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