2018-2019 Around the league thread #3

[expatriatedtexan]

Haven't been following much hockey the last few weeks but I was shocked to see the hoop-la in Dallas.

I actually felt bad for Jim Nill having to face the reporters after this story broke. Never really followed him in a management role but was aware of him as a player when I was younger. Then the Athletic ran a story on his wife's battle with cancer back in October. Dude has had a pretty good career in hockey from playing to management and has one outstanding lady standing in his corner. Wish him and his wife the best no matter what happens with the Stars.

In case you have a subscription and missed the article....'I planned on preparing to die' -- Bekki Nill's story of...

 

[Pokecheque]

I think it would serve Nill well to get out of that toxic situation. He's clearly working for a couple man-children there.

A shame thought because Nill waited a very, very long time to get a shot at this, and while he's done mostly outstanding, he made just enough mistakes to where they're biting him in the arse badly.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I think it would serve Nill well to get out of that toxic situation. He's clearly working for a couple man-children there.

A shame thought because Nill waited a very, very long time to get a shot at this, and while he's done mostly outstanding, he made just enough mistakes to where they're biting him in the arse badly.

Yep...I never had delusions of grandeur or thought I could ever play any sport (other than rodeo) professionally. Thankfully, those dreams died around the time I was 17 but then you begin to think it would be cool to have a job in management or coaching....yeah, f*** no. It's damn hard to consider taking over a team as HC or GM in the NHL. Seriously, there is only one cup to go around between 31 teams, soon to be 32. If you don't win it in 2-5 years as a head-coach, you're pretty much guaranteed to be unemployed. If you have had two HC's as a GM and haven't won a cup in 6-8 years you are also most likely done. That's not a career....it's a temporary duty station for masochists.

 

[Balthazar]

Just noticed that PLD in Columbus is on pace for 75 points with 30+ goals. That's crazy. Especially considering what Puljujarvi is doing.

Dude is as good as they hoped he'd become, Kekalainen doesn't get nearly enough credit for reaching to get him.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Yeah...I always thought i could hang of for 8 seconds with any beast they sent my way. Then...I couldn't. It wasn't even funny..I broke like a matchstick. My hand was caught up in the rigging and I was just tossed like a f***ing rag-doll. That's the best analogy I can offer to hockey prospects. They can have all the great looks and all the right thoughts....if they take that one single wrecking ball at the wrong time, it's gone. Happened to a lot a lot of our prospects....It sucks but it is....When given the opportunity in the top 10 I would take skill ten times out of ten, outside of that...well hell..Scott Parker made a decent career for himself. In fact I think he was a better NHL player than Martin Skoula.

 

[dahrougem2]

I know we're in a funk right now, but the Oilers have lost 6 games in a row including getting swept during a five game home stand.

Watching the game vs Winnipeg, both Alex Petrovic and Brandon Manning looked awful - as one would expect.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Please don't ever compare us to the Oilers again. If you do that, that means we really are at the bottom.

 

[Metallo]

Yeah...I always thought i could hang of for 8 seconds with any beast they sent my way. Then...I couldn't. It wasn't even funny..I broke like a matchstick. My hand was caught up in the rigging and I was just tossed like a ****ing rag-doll. That's the best analogy I can offer to hockey prospects. They can have all the great looks and all the right thoughts....if they take that one single wrecking ball at the wrong time, it's gone. Happened to a lot a lot of our prospects....It sucks but it is....When given the opportunity in the top 10 I would take skill ten times out of ten, outside of that...well hell..Scott Parker made a decent career for himself. In fact I think he was a better NHL player than Martin Skoula.

Seriously. Oh man, Parker couldn't play, like at all. Awful first round pick.

 

[BobRossColton]

Next year's Winter classic is Dallas, avs vs stars could be a fun one. Well so much for a winter classic.. But we'll have one closer.

 

[Ceremony]

Ryan Wilson is a Spengler Cup champion. He beat a Canada team with at least Winnik, Quincey and Wiercioch on it.

 

[dahrougem2]

Lmao, at Oilers practice today, once it ended only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were allowed to leave. Everyone else was forced to stay on doing drills

 

[Metallo]

Lmao, at Oilers practice today, once it ended only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were allowed to leave. Everyone else was forced to stay on doing drills

Well maybe Bednar should take a page out of that book and start being more of an hard ass and grab their attention. They are sleepwalking out there. He seems a bit too buddy buddy with the players.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Yep...I never had delusions of grandeur or thought I could ever play any sport (other than rodeo) professionally. Thankfully, those dreams died around the time I was 17 but then you begin to think it would be cool to have a job in management or coaching....yeah, **** no. It's damn hard to consider taking over a team as HC or GM in the NHL. Seriously, there is only one cup to go around between 31 teams, soon to be 32. If you don't win it in 2-5 years as a head-coach, you're pretty much guaranteed to be unemployed. If you have had two HC's as a GM and haven't won a cup in 6-8 years you are also most likely done. That's not a career....it's a temporary duty station for masochists.

The Canes were ridiculed for being "cheap" offering their GM position 400k a year. How many former meathead players and buffoons like Mike Millbery could get an executive job that pays $400k outside of hockey?

It may be thankless and stressful but they're making good coin that they probably couldn't get outside of hockey.

 

[Ceremony]

Well maybe Bednar should take a page out of that book and start being more of an hard ass and grab their attention. They are sleepwalking out there. He seems a bit too buddy buddy with the players.

Can't say I'm a fan of copying things the Oilers do tbqh

 

[Metallo]

Can't say I'm a fan of copying things the Oilers do tbqh

I’m speaking generally. They should have had a « punitive » practice by now.

 

[Muffin]

Watching the Knights game, Stastny looks good. Can't believe we didn't sign him, he would solve so many of our problems. Faceoffs, secondary scoring and he would play that spot Compher is in on the PP.

 

[Patagonia]

Watching the Knights game, Stastny looks good. Can't believe we didn't sign him, he would solve so many of our problems. Faceoffs, secondary scoring and he would play that spot Compher is in on the PP.

Stastny is 32 years old signed for 3 years @ $6.5M per. Too high and a year too long for an aging player.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Stastny is 32 years old signed for 3 years @ $6.5M per. Too high and a year too long for an aging player.

That’s a perfectly fine contract for Stats. He’s someone that will age pretty well and his cap his is pretty reasonable for a 2C and will probably only be an issue in the last year.

 

[CobraAcesS]

That’s a perfectly fine contract for Stats. He’s someone that will age pretty well and his cap his is pretty reasonable for a 2C and will probably only be an issue in the last year.

Watching the Knights game, Stastny looks good. Can't believe we didn't sign him, he would solve so many of our problems. Faceoffs, secondary scoring and he would play that spot Compher is in on the PP.

My only reservation was his injury history, and he has actually proved it a legit concern lol. Hes been the forward version of EJ lately where you can count on losing him for 25% of the season.

 

[dahrougem2]

Yeah, I love Stastny but the dude can't stay healthy (outside of last season shockingly).

I mean, the Avs HAVE a solution for 2C - maybe not ideal or the best one in the league - but Carl Soderberg has been staring Bednar square in the face for 2.5 seasons now.

 

[Pokecheque]

Sounds like they tried with Stazz, but didn't try that hard, because they were banking on Jost to take the next step. That little gambit has blown up in their faces.

Even given how things panned out I still don't necessarily blame them for not going big and getting a 2C of any kind because the biggest obstacle right now is a stubborn head coach who refuses to use his anointed checking line center as a 2C because reasons.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Sounds like they tried with Stazz, but didn't try that hard, because they were banking on Jost to take the next step. That little gambit has blown up in their faces.

Even given how things panned out I still don't necessarily blame them for not going big and getting a 2C of any kind because the biggest obstacle right now is a stubborn head coach who refuses to use his anointed checking line center as a 2C because reasons.

Yeah I wonder if Sakic was sitting there like, well we have Kam, and Jost, and Compher, and Kerfoot. Then we still have Sod.. Bednar interrupts and says he has Matt Calvert on the phone,

 

[henchman21]

Sounds like they tried with Stazz, but didn't try that hard, because they were banking on Jost to take the next step. That little gambit has blown up in their faces.

This is the very danger of relying on youth to take over roles. Teams miscalculate on their own prospects all the time, and it is very easy to just say ___ is going to take the next step and take over that role. Similar to how you see people here saying Barrie can easily be replaced. It is very easy to fall into that trap. Traditionally the Avs have been more aggressive about their players taking up bigger roles and banking on it. They also tend to over evaluate the young talent in the pool. That was one of Q's biggest issues when he departed here.

 

[CobraAcesS]

This is the very danger of relying on youth to take over roles. Teams miscalculate on their own prospects all the time, and it is very easy to just say ___ is going to take the next step and take over that role. Similar to how you see people here saying Barrie can easily be replaced. It is very easy to fall into that trap. Traditionally the Avs have been more aggressive about their players taking up bigger roles and banking on it. They also tend to over evaluate the young talent in the pool. That was one of Q's biggest issues when he departed here.

Is that meant as something he disagreed with?

 

[henchman21]

Is that meant as something he disagreed with?

Q thought there was too much faith put into young players in the organization to fill holes on the roster and that would keep the Avs from competing. IE Wolski, Svatos, Hensick, Richardson, Cumisky, Budaj, etc.