2018-2019 Around the league thread #1

[Pokecheque]

I’ll be shocked if anyone matches that 48-pt mark for a good long time. That Avs season was a perfect storm of bad luck, bad players, and bad health. The Wings will string something together, however futile.

I think there are a number of coaches already in serious trouble. Stevens, Quenneville, Housley, Tocchet, Blashill, McLellan, Boudreau, and even Boughner. However, I think Hakstol is the first guy axed this year.

 

[McMetal]

I’ll be shocked if anyone matches that 48-pt mark for a good long time. That Avs season was a perfect storm of bad luck, bad players, and bad health. The Wings will string something together, however futile.

I think there are a number of coaches already in serious trouble. Stevens, Quenneville, Housley, Tocchet, Blashill, McLellan, Boudreau, and even Boughner. However, I think Hakstol is the first guy axed this year.

God, I hope the Wild fire Boudreau, he's their only hope to make the playoffs this year with that aging roster.

 

[Ivan13]

I’ll be shocked if anyone matches that 48-pt mark for a good long time. That Avs season was a perfect storm of bad luck, bad players, and bad health. The Wings will string something together, however futile.

I think there are a number of coaches already in serious trouble. Stevens, Quenneville, Housley, Tocchet, Blashill, McLellan, Boudreau, and even Boughner. However, I think Hakstol is the first guy axed this year.

I really wouldn't be shocked if the Wings do worse than that. They lost all 7 games, have two points to show from that, which they got in their 1st game of the season and against the injury riddled Ducks. In other games they have been completely outplayed, outchanced, just destroyed in every sense of the word. Canadiens (offensively inept as they are) could've put 10 on them if they wanted or needed to.

 

[Balthazar]

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.

Look at the core of this team:

Kopitar: signed for 10M until age 37
Doughty: 11M until 36
Phaneuf: 5.25M until 36
Carter: 5.37M until 37
Kovalchuk: 6.25M until 38
Martinez: 4M until 34

They are all on the wrong side of the bell curve already...they have to win the cup like...this year. Soon it will be a cap team and most of the money will be locked on 35+ year old players.

What a mess!

 

[Ivan13]

As for the Kings, they just got curbstomped and outskated by a team that features speedy youngsters such as Filpulla (3 points), Ladd (3 points), Komarov (2 points), Martin (goal), Buttercup (point) etc.

 

[dahrougem2]

Yeah, the Red Wings are bad. Really bad. And they're already dealing with injuries. It's going to be an ugly season for them.

If there's one team that I think could be worse than Ottawa, it's Detroit.

 

[Pokecheque]

We will see if it happens. I’m certainly not betting against it because yes, they suck, but it’s a long, long season and plenty of other bad teams racing to the bottom.

Believe me, I would LOVE for it to happen, but there’s a reason why it took nearly 20 years for it to happen the last time...

 

[CobraAcesS]

Never. Build. Around. A. Winger.

Unless Backstrom or Kuzy are centering him lol.

 

[dahrougem2]

We will see if it happens. I’m certainly not betting against it because yes, they suck, but it’s a long, long season and plenty of other bad teams racing to the bottom.

Believe me, I would LOVE for it to happen, but there’s a reason why it took nearly 20 years for it to happen the last time...

No doubt it's a long shot, but just look at the issues this Red Wings team is facing:

- Darren Helm playing on the 1st line
- Chris Ehn playing between Mantha and Vanek
- 3 of their defensemen are on ELC's
- Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Bernier are their goalies

Also, one more crazy thing: they have eight (eight!) players with either NTC's or M-NTC's:

Frans Nielsen (M-NTC)
Gustav Nyquist (NTC)
Justin Abdelkader (NTC)
Darren Helm (NTC)
Thomas Vanek (NTC)
Danny DeKeyser (NTC)
Niklas Kronwall (M-NTC)
Trevor Daley (NTC)

Gross. I wouldn't give a single one of those players a NTC.

 

[Piestany88]

Actually... at the same age Jost is now, ROR was breaking out into a 2nd line center and was the top center on the Avs that season. Stastny was a rookie on his way to a 78 point campaign. I don't think Jost was a better skater as ROR in his 3rd season or Stastny as a rookie (both of those two have slowed some, but neither were great skaters)... but Jost isn't a worse skater either. A difference is both were bigger. Both ROR and Stastny are proven top 6 centers with the production and pedigree to back it up. Jost is young and could develop into one, but nothing has been shown there yet.

Wrong , O'Reilly was putting up a 26 point campaign at 20 and Stastny was at the University of Denver . Stastny was going on 20 when he was drafted . Neither were ever good skaters and neither much bigger than Jost

 

[Piestany88]

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.

O'Reilly was a cap dump too

 

[Piestany88]

Look at the core of this team:

Kopitar: signed for 10M until age 37
Doughty: 11M until 36
Phaneuf: 5.25M until 36
Carter: 5.37M until 37
Kovalchuk: 6.25M until 38
Martinez: 4M until 34

They are all on the wrong side of the bell curve already...they have to win the cup like...this year. Soon it will be a cap team and most of the money will be locked on 35+ year old players.

What a mess!

No chance they even make the playoffs .

 

[henchman21]

Wrong , O'Reilly was putting up a 26 point campaign at 20 and Stastny was at the University of Denver . Stastny was going on 20 when he was drafted . Neither were ever good skaters and neither much bigger than Jost

Actually you're wrong... Jost is 20 and turning 21 in March. ROR in 11-12 was 20 and turning 21 in February, that was his +3 season (just like Jost). Stastny started the 06-07 season as a 20 year old and turned 21 in December, that was his +2 season, but that dates back to the days of college players being a year delayed in the draft. Stastny isn't much bigger but he is... ROR is a good chunk bigger.

 

[Pokecheque]

Folin-Hagg might be the worst third pairing in hockey...well, outside of Detroit that is...

 

[Foppa Frossa]

But Jimmy Howard is the greatest there ever was.

 

[Pokecheque]

Oh, and while he really didn't have a lot of help last night, Picks was pretty awful as well. C'mon Calvin, gotta do better!

EDIT: Unless for some weird reason you end up in Ottawa...then don't.

 

[UncleRisto]

Oh, and while he really didn't have a lot of help last night, Picks was pretty awful as well. C'mon Calvin, gotta do better!

EDIT: Unless for some weird reason you end up in Ottawa...then don't.

He should start talking to Chet about Germany.

 

[Piestany88]

Actually you're wrong... Jost is 20 and turning 21 in March. ROR in 11-12 was 20 and turning 21 in February, that was his +3 season (just like Jost). Stastny started the 06-07 season as a 20 year old and turned 21 in December, that was his +2 season, but that dates back to the days of college players being a year delayed in the draft. Stastny isn't much bigger but he is... ROR is a good chunk bigger.

Yes O'Reilly was in his 3rd year when he was same age as Jost and put up 26 points. Stastny was in his 2nd season at DU at the same age. Stastny was 21 going on 22 in 06 -07 , his rookie year. And they're both an inch and 10 lbs bigger than Jost now

 

[henchman21]

Yes O'Reilly was in his 3rd year when he was same age as Jost and put up 26 points. Stastny was in his 2nd season at DU at the same age. Stastny was 21 going on 22 in 06 -07 , his rookie year. And they're both an inch and 10 lbs bigger than Jost now

Math isn't your strong suit I see... Jost in October of 2018 is 20. ROR in October of 2011 was 20. Stastny in October of 2006 was 20 (he'd turn 21 in December).

ROR scored 55 points in his 3rd season.

 

[Piestany88]

Math isn't your strong suit I see... Jost in October of 2018 is 20. ROR in October of 2011 was 20. Stastny in October of 2006 was 20 (he'd turn 21 in December).

ROR scored 55 points in his 3rd season.

Ok my bad I had to go check bahahahab, yes he turned 21 that December. Jost better pick up his socks then lolololol .

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Ok my bad I had to go check bahahahab, yes he turned 21 that December. Jost better pick up his socks then lolololol .

Lolololol indeed.

 

[henchman21]

Yeah... Jost better if he is to become the #2C long-term for this team. 7 games is a small sample, but if he is to be successful in that spot, the offense has to start coming around this season.

 

[Piestany88]

 

[Pokecheque]

God, I hope the Wild fire Boudreau, he's their only hope to make the playoffs this year with that aging roster.

On one hand, I'd love for Bruce to get the axe there because he's about the only guy in that organization I like. But I'll also feel bad because if he gets fired again it might be a while before he gets another gig, and I still think he's a very good coach who got screwed over by one good GM taking stupid pills (McPhee) and one horrid GM who was just stupid to begin with (Murray). And, well, I think it's pretty clear Fletcher wasn't very good either.

 

[Balthazar]

Oilers sans McDavid would be Red Wings level of bad.