2018-2019 Around the league thread #1

[Pokecheque]

Florida's a weird team. Barkov is a stud, Ekblad has kinda stagnated but he's young enough to turn it around, good top 6 players in Trochek, Huberdeau, Dadonov. But they just always suck.

I'm the last person who's gonna say anything bad about Barkov...dude's a stud (I was initially concerned about his injury history but that *knock on wood* appears not to be an issue anymore), and I really like Trocheck/Huberdeau/Bjugstad, Dadonov appears to be a good pickup as well. But I'm just not a fan of Ekblad. There's nothing there that makes me think he isn't Dion Phaneuf 2.0, and beyond that there's Matheson/Yandle/Petrovic/whatever, that to me isn't a great blueline. I think they can overcome some of their egregious mistakes but I don't think they'll ever really get over the hump until the move on from that guy.

 

[Foppberg]

I'm the last person who's gonna say anything bad about Barkov...dude's a stud (I was initially concerned about his injury history but that *knock on wood* appears not to be an issue anymore), and I really like Trocheck/Huberdeau/Bjugstad, Dadonov appears to be a good pickup as well. But I'm just not a fan of Ekblad. There's nothing there that makes me think he isn't Dion Phaneuf 2.0, and beyond that there's Matheson/Yandle/Petrovic/whatever, that to me isn't a great blueline. I think they can overcome some of their egregious mistakes but I don't think they'll ever really get over the hump until the move on from that guy.

Yeah, I could see it happening. It's funny the similarities, both came out like gangbusters, signed to big deals, and then started to fall off when separated by their veteran partner (Campbell/Hamrlik)

 

[The Abusement Park]

I think if they could add a top pairing dman their D would look a lot better. Give Ekblad some help and then Yandle/Matheson wouldn’t be a bad way to round out their top 4. But those 3 definitely shouldn’t be the best 3 on a good team.

 

[Avs_19]

Interesting bit of info from McKenzie on Tolvanen today. The Preds want him down in the AHL to develop and get used to the smaller ice but he has a clause in his contract that says he can go to the KHL after he plays 10 AHL games. McKenzie doesn't know what he's planning on doing but the Preds could lose him for the year if they don't bring him up and he decides to go play for more money in the KHL.

 

[henchman21]

Pretty common for higher end Euros and Russians to have assignment clauses like that.

 

[Pokecheque]

Patrik Berglund getting scratched in favor of Remi Elie tonight...

Man, how many times can you keep screwing up with your GM/coaching hires...?

 

[Avs_19]

Patrik Berglund getting scratched in favor of Remi Elie tonight...

Man, how many times can you keep screwing up with your GM/coaching hires...?

People mentioning Berglund as anything more than a cap dump in that trade was pretty funny.

 

[Pokecheque]

People mentioning Berglund as anything more than a cap dump in that trade was pretty funny.

Yep, he and Sobotka were definitely cap dumps, I just can't believe Botterill took on two horrendous contracts in exchange for O'Reilly and...not much else.

 

[Hasbro]

I can't see Ottawa moving, but I also can't see Melnyk selling. One of them has to happen or else it's going to be a complete gongshow for years and years.

Sakic needs to trade for more of their 1st round picks!

 

[Balthazar]

Stole this from the main board, sick goal by Duclair

 

[Avsboy]

Whoa. That's not the GOTY. That's the GOAL OF ALL TIME

 

[S E P H]

Holy cow what a goal by Duclair, he's looked quite good in the games I saw of CBJ. I wonder if he's that type of player who needs a kick up the butt as a motivation factor from a Torts type of manager? Some people are like that...

I know this is conventional wisdom, but...

What? Kuznetsov is absolutely a #1st line centre, could even put him in the elite category considering how much pure/raw skill he has. Then you have Backstrom who might not be very dynamic, but is one of best pure passers in the game.

I told you all that Ekblad wasn't never really a true #1 (never had the IQ nor the gamechanger ability that Dahlin has). I love him as a #2 though and somebody I would want on my team there, but not someone I would've drafted 1st overall I don't think.

 

[Avsboy]

I told you all that Ekblad wasn't never really a true #1 (never had the IQ nor the gamechanger ability that Dahlin has). I love him as a #2 though and somebody I would want on my team there, but not someone I would've drafted 1st overall I don't think.

Who would you take at 1? It was a bad draft, he's pretty good.

 

[S E P H]

Who would you take at 1? It was a bad draft, he's pretty good.

It's a pretty bad draft in terms of high-tier talent, but I think I take Draisaitl there even though people will probably disagree with that. I think we can all agree that if you want him on a competent team, he would be much better than what he's shown in Edmonton (or at least give him some freckin' wingers).

 

[Balthazar]

Who would you take at 1? It was a bad draft, he's pretty good.

Man 2014 was bad. The whole first round was utter shit. Only a handful of top 6ers, one (borderline) 1st pairing dman and tons and tons of busts. That makes the Bleackley pill a little easier to swallow.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

McDavid is on another level.

 

[dahrougem2]

McDavid... good god, man. He made Brad Marchand look like an absolute fool in overtime.

Honestly will not shock me if he puts up 130 points. He's that good.

 

[dahrougem2]

It's a pretty bad draft in terms of high-tier talent, but I think I take Draisaitl there even though people will probably disagree with that. I think we can all agree that if you want him on a competent team, he would be much better than what he's shown in Edmonton (or at least give him some freckin' wingers).

Obviously nobody could have envisioned it at the time, but in a re-draft I'd be pretty torn between Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak for 1st overall. I love Pastrnak's game.

 

[Balthazar]

Obviously nobody could have envisioned it at the time, but in a re-draft I'd be pretty torn between Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak for 1st overall. I love Pastrnak's game.

It would be quite an easy pick here. Not torn at all.

 

[Balthazar]

McDavid is on another level.

IMO he's better than Crosby at the same age and will have a better career. Most talented player since Mario Lemieux.

 

[Avsavsavsavsavs]

The Kings look very very bad. Should trade Kovy and Quick for some picks and prospects and load up heavy with speed in the next 2 drafts.

 

[Ivan13]

Man the Wings are really going to recapture their good old days of the Dead Things. The way they are playing I'd be amazed if they get 40 points. Hopefully they completely lose the lottery to boot.

 

[Balthazar]

Man the Wings are really going to recapture their good old days of the Dead Things. The way they are playing I'd be amazed if they get 40 points. Hopefully they completely lose the lottery to boot.

Wonder if they will beat our 48 pts season. They are bad and unmotivated.
The Kings suck as well early in the season. Losing 5-2 vs the Isles right now.

Edit: 6-2. LA will be 2-4-1.

 

[Pokecheque]

Los Angeles looks soooooooo sloooooooow. The very second the opposition blocks a shot they’re off to the races. And it ain’t like the Isles are the fastest team in the league either.

 

[Avs44]

Yeah, maybe the Kings will turn it around, but I think they went the wrong direction. With the Phaneuf trade and Kovalchuk signing they just sort of doubled down on committing to older guys past their primes. They need a reset, badly, and they should have started it a year ago. It's why I thought they let Lombardi go. Keep Kopitar and Doughty, start shipping out the rest, and hope you can start bringing in young talent while Kopitar and Doughty are still good players. Sort of what the Bruins did, keeping Bergeron, Chara, Krejci, and rebuilding a lot of the rest.