2018-2019 Around the league thread #3

[Balthazar]

Almost a perfect night for the AVS tonight:

Oilers lost, Hawks win, Ducks lost and Coyotes win.

Only bad thing was the Wings losing to the Canucks but that's not a disaster.

 

[dahrougem2]

I was about to tell you Johnny hockey isn't easy to hit, but you were careful to point out after the whistle shenanigans lol.

Guys kind of have to have the art of pissing guys off after the whistle down or they just end up in the box and ****ing their team. If it was that easy to **** with Johnny teams would do it regularly. Crosby went through a stretch where that stuff got to him and had to get over it. Also Calgary has plenty of guys who will step in and not let you anywhere near him. That is how their team is built.

I hate playing Calgary, but woo are they a fun watch. Such a scrapy evil team that pisses everyone off. When that team is in the playoffs they're a must watch IMO.

As a fan of Forsberg, and the early Avs I can't really be a hypocrite and hate on scrappy teams that toe the line. In fact I enjoy it and respect them more for it. Especially since it seems to be dying in this league.

I don't know how much Gaudreau is going to be protected with guys like Monahan and Lindholm on his line, and with defensemen being hesitant to come into the scrum if it's in the offensive zone.

You definitely have to have an art for it, but it doesn't take much. I'd be telling my defensemen literally after every whistle to throw 1-2 shots his way, and if there's a scrum I'd be making sure he's the first guy grabbed and face washed.

Players like Tkachuk/Hatehway/Bennett are doing this on a nightly basis to stars around the league. Teams have to start doing it to Gaudreau, because you KNOW it's going to throw him off his game like crazy. He already whines more than any player in the league, that would just add to it.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I don't know how much Gaudreau is going to be protected with guys like Monahan and Lindholm on his line, and with defensemen being hesitant to come into the scrum if it's in the offensive zone.

You definitely have to have an art for it, but it doesn't take much. I'd be telling my defensemen literally after every whistle to throw 1-2 shots his way, and if there's a scrum I'd be making sure he's the first guy grabbed and face washed.

Players like Tkachuk/Hatehway/Bennett are doing this on a nightly basis to stars around the league. Teams have to start doing it to Gaudreau, because you KNOW it's going to throw him off his game like crazy. He already whines more than any player in the league, that would just add to it.

Sometimes it is just a bitch to catch mighty mouse. If you were a team who had Kane, or Johnny would you let him get anywhere near all that shit? Nah, and in their hay day Chicago did a great job of protecting Kane, and Kane himself did a great job of dealing with it when it happened. Sometimes it just isn't that easy.

I'm sure we'll understand it better if we do end up with Hughes. It also isn't nearly as easy these days as it used to be. Unless you want guys like Tkachuk costing your team games like we seen first hand last season.

Calgary does a great job of riding the line. Not every team has the makeup to do that. You bring up Kassian, but that mofo really isn't known to be the most intelligent player. It takes a certain type of guy to do those things and not f*** his team over. If Kassian was let loose completely he'd lose that team games because hes not even remotely smart enough to pick his spots. Calgary had to teach Tkachuk some lessons, and so did the league as well, but he was actually able to learn from them.

 

[Foppberg]

It'll be interesting to see how Calgary, and Gaudreau do in the playoffs. Last time Gaudreau was shutdown pretty damn effectively. I remember him being benched for stretches of games against Anaheim because it was too rough for him.

 

[agentblack]

Had no idea Isles were doing this well, good for Trotz

 

[avsfan09]

He gets hate because of his draft position in that particular draft, not hate as a hockey player.

He gets plenty of hate for how he plays as a hockey player aswell.

 

[UncleRisto]

Sharing this horrid headline in the Finnish clickbait hobbyist hockey media:
Oletko ajatellut? Eeli Tolvanen palasi kaukaloon, raju maaliton putki venynyt uskomattomiin lukemiin | SuomiKiekko

"Have you thought about this? Eeli Tolvanen returned to action, severe goalless streak has extended to unbelievable figures"

No, I can't say I have...

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Ryan “ALEX KERFOOT” Spooner on waivers.

Rattie and Falk, too.

 

[avsfan09]

Dougie Hamilton addresses innuendo that followed him out of Calgary - Sportsnet.ca

Interesting read. Seems ridiculous to ask those questions to his face though ahah.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[Pokecheque]

I mean...you can feel the panic from here.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

The Oilers are such a joke. They had the 6th, 10th, 1st, 1st, 1st, 7th, 3rd, 1st, 4th and 10h OV picks in the last 12 drafts and still have a shallow prospect pool, terrible top heavy roster and no cap space.

 

[Avs_19]

McDavid saying "we're not going to out skill anyone" is accurate and shows how badly they've screwed this up. This is year four of McDavid and the third straight season where he has been the best player in the world and the team is a mess.

 

[Ceremony]

Who is Ryan Spooner and why is he paid four million dollars a year

<<< brain genius

 

[Pokecheque]

The water-carriers for the meathead brain trust in Edmonton is unreal. That's a huge reason why they keep making the same mistakes--they have an army of apologists (led by Mark Spector, such a shame he has a comic book hero's name) who have even thrown Connor McDavid under the bus, yet will defend the honor of Kris Russell after he pots a goal in his own net.

In other news, Bob Murray must be grateful for Peter Chiarelli, as that guy's incompetence is overshadowing his own.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Oilers signing Koskinen to 3X4.5mil lol.

 

[Foppberg]

Oilers signing Koskinen to 3X4.5mil lol.

I don't think that's horrible. He's been good for them.

 

[UncleRisto]

Oilers signing Koskinen to 3X4.5mil lol.

At least it's just three years, it should be alright.

 

[henchman21]

Yeah gives them a bridge from Talbot... Besides Bob, who isn't going there, who would sign in Edmonton that is better? They can still afford a younger goalie trade if one is out there.

 

[The Abusement Park]

I guess that’s fair. 4.5 seems high to me though.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Jesus Christ. $4.5m AAV after the guy has played like 20 games as a starter?

$13,500,000 over 3 years after a few good games????

Chia is truly Pejorative Slured. It’s shocking.

 

[Foppberg]

Jesus Christ. $4.5m AAV after the guy has played like 20 games as a starter?

$13,500,000 over 3 years after a few good games????

Chia is truly ******ed. It’s shocking.

He could easily go from 'nice story' into 'cap dump' if he doesn't live up to the way he's played so far, which isn't out of the realm of possibility.

But I mean Talbot is gone this summer, and I don't see any better goalie signing there outside of a similar overpayment.

 

[henchman21]

Yeah it is a pure catch 22 situation... and Koskinen can go back to the KHL for 3.5-4m, so hands were really tied to keep that bird in hand.

 

[S E P H]

That's a pretty terrible contract not because of how well Koskinen has played this season, but because he can easily revert back into a back-up goaler at any point of the future seasons like they just witnessed with Talbot.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

I don’t care.

30 years old. 20 games as a starter.

$13,500,000.

Chia is f***ing brain dead. That’s like Sakic giving Franky $4.5m AAV if he has a decent end to the season. Complete madness.