GDT: 1/14/21 Game 1: Minnesota Wild @ Los Angeles Kings - 9 PM CT - FS-N

[AKL]

Probably bottom 3. I would put Chicago and NJ below us in terms of overall value the C's will provide as of today.

Chicago- No Dach/Toews leaves them with literally only Strome
NJ- Hughes is a sexy name, but he didn't impress last year and was worse than JEE or Bonino. The rest areterrible

Hischier by himself puts NJ above us. If Hughes takes any kind of step forward this season, it's not close.

 

[AKL]

Haven’t been paying close attention this preseason, is Zucc injured or a healthy scratch?

He's on IR indefinitely. Skating with a coach, but not with the team yet.

 

[GuerinUp]

Haven’t been paying close attention this preseason, is Zucc injured or a healthy scratch?

he had surgery about a month or two ago

 

[SMTHook]

Ladies and gentlemen, YOUR MINNESOTA FIALAS! Let's go!!!

 

[keppel146]

The Wild, quite literally, have the worst centers in the NHL.

That’s why I wouldn’t be mad if we get another top 10 pick. But this is going to hijack the game day thread...

 

[AKL]

That’s why I wouldn’t be mad if we get another top 10 pick. But this is going to hijack the game day thread...

So who's making the tank thread this season? @KaprizovSaveUs? @Bazeek?

 

[thestonedkoala]

The Wild, quite literally, have the worst centers in the NHL.

But we have a lot of them! Quantity > Quality

 

[ThatGuy22]

Hischier is terrible?

Admittedly, I was thinking he play Wing (and is injured so didn't show up on their depth chart I looked at).

But I don't think he changes the evaluation. Hughes has to have a giant leap forward for their 4C's to be better than ours this season, when total value is taken into account.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

So who's making the tank thread this season? @KaprizovSaveUs? @Bazeek?

We’ll give it a few games. Can’t really have a tank thread if we start 5-0.

 

[AKL]

We’ll give it a few games. Can’t really have a tank thread if we start 5-0.

Surely you don't know how much I like Beniers then

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Admittedly, I was thinking he play Wing (and is injured so didn't show up on their depth chart I looked at).

But I don't think he changes the evaluation. Hughes has to have a giant leap forward for their 4C's to be better than ours this season, when total value is taken into account.

Hischier >> Bonino
Zajac == Bjugstad (Bjugstad has potential to be better)
Zacha == Ek
Hughes >> Rask (and he could breakout, too)

I could see the argument for Chicago when you take injuries into consideration, but Toews could be back at some point.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Hischier by himself puts NJ above us. If Hughes takes any kind of step forward this season, it's not close.

Disagree. He's got draft status, and that's about it. Bonino and Ek were both better than him last year. More 5v5 points, and better defensively.

Sexier names, haven't had better performances. He's a better PP performer at this point, that's about it.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Last three years

Hischier >> Bonino
Zajac == Bjugstad (Bjugstad has potential to be better)
Zacha == Ek
Hughes >> Rask (and he could breakout, too)

I could see the argument for Chicago when you take injuries into consideration, but Toews could be back at some point.

Last year Bonino and Ek were both better than Hirscher at 5v5 by traditional stats, and fancy ones. He does have a PP advantage in both role and oppurtunity. Evolving Hockey's WAR if that's your bag, had Bonino and Ek much better.

There is more to the ice than the O zone on the PP. The other two performed better outside of it.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Last three years


Last year Bonino and Ek were both better than Hirscher at 5v5 by traditional stats, and fancy ones. He does have a PP advantage in both role and oppurtunity. Evolving Hockey's WAR if that's your bag, had Bonino and Ek much better.

There is more to the ice than the O zone on the PP. The other two performed better outside of it.

So, hypothetically, if you could pick centers strictly for this year, they go away next year, you would rather have Bonino and Ek than Hishier and Hughes?

 

[ibleedkings]

Barring Doughty and Kopitar finding a time machine and going back about 4 years, they are likely to be a tire fire this year. Bad goaltending, bad defense, no scoring depth.

Don't think any of their prospects are playing this season. Pretty sure they assign Byfield to the AHL until the CHL gets going.

Gabe Vilardi says hello

Good luck tonight

 

[ThatGuy22]

So, hypothetically, if you could pick centers strictly for this year, they go away next year, you would rather have Bonino and Ek than Hishier and Hughes?

Both of them, yes (i've never particularly liked Hughes myself, think he's got bust written all over him).

If I could mix and match, for a single year I would take Bonino and Hischier, as JEE and Bonino play similar roles and Hischer would fill a role we don't have.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Gabe Vilardi says hello

Good luck tonight

It's not my fault you guys have too many good prospects to remember all their names....

 

[Wild11MN]

Just realized the first eight games are against the Kings, Sharks, Ducks. If they don't get a minimum of 11 or 12 points it would be a disappointment.

Then four straight(!!) against Colorado right after that.

 

[Lapa]

Just realized the first eight games are against the Kings, Sharks, Ducks. If they don't get a minimum of 11 or 12 points it would be a disappointment.

Then four straight(!!) against Colorado right after that.

56-0-0.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Just realized the first eight games are against the Kings, Sharks, Ducks. If they don't get a minimum of 11 or 12 points it would be a disappointment.

Then four straight(!!) against Colorado right after that.

Down Goes Brown: Oddly specific 2021 predictions for every NHL team

Minnesota Wild – The Wild had the worst start in the league last year, going 0-4-0 while giving up 21 goals and not recording their second win until their eighth game. They’ll flip the script this year and come out of the gate hot, racking up a dozen points in their first eight games. (Please be impressed with this prediction, and don’t bother looking up who their first eight games are against.)

 

[AKL]

Just realized the first eight games are against the Kings, Sharks, Ducks. If they don't get a minimum of 11 or 12 points it would be a disappointment.

Then four straight(!!) against Colorado right after that.

I understand "California sucks", but I wouldn't count on Anaheim and especially San Jose being as bad as last year. And as someone pointed out already, LA finished hot last season, ending 8-1-1 in their final 10 games. Going 5-2-1 or 6-2 in the first 8 games is still a tall order for a team with very no secondary scoring.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I understand "California sucks", but I wouldn't count on Anaheim and especially San Jose being as bad as last year. And as someone pointed out already, LA finished hot last season, ending 8-1-1 in their final 10 games. Going 5-2-1 or 6-2 in the first 8 games is still a tall order for a team with very no secondary scoring.

I think SJ is going to be awful. Goalies that stink, defense that can't defend is a terrible combination. Not sure they can score there way out of that.

 

[Wild11MN]

Down Goes Brown: Oddly specific 2021 predictions for every NHL team

I actually read that earlier too but hadn't checked who the games were against until recently.

 

[Wild11MN]

I understand "California sucks", but I wouldn't count on Anaheim and especially San Jose being as bad as last year. And as someone pointed out already, LA finished hot last season, ending 8-1-1 in their final 10 games. Going 5-2-1 or 6-2 in the first 8 games is still a tall order for a team with very no secondary scoring.

It depends on which Quick shows up I think. Even if all three aren't quite as bad as they were last year, I think the Wild should clearly be better than them still. However, I may be underestimating how much of an impact losing Staal/Koivu will have. Maybe the Wild will be terrible as well.

 

[AKL]

It depends on which Quick shows up I think. Even if all three aren't quite as bad as they were last year, I think the Wild should clearly be better than them still. However, I may be underestimating how much of an impact losing Staal/Koivu will have. Maybe the Wild will be terrible as well.

I don't necessarily think the Wild will be terrible, I just don't think we're automatically-75%-point%-against-California good.