2018-2019 Around the league thread #4

[UncleRisto]

Eric Perrin retired tonight at 43.

 

[Avs_19]

Don't think Avs could have gotten him without putting Makar or OTT 1st on the table.

For sure. I was talking more about not getting a chance to pitch him in free agency but even that probably would've been unlikely. Apparently he really wanted to be in Vegas.

 

[Balthazar]

Montreal now only one point behind Columbus for last wildcard spot in the East. I can't believe they are in great danger of missing the playoffs. That'd be a total disaster.

 

[Avs]

Montreal now only one point behind Columbus for last wildcard spot in the East. I can't believe they are in great danger of missing the playoffs. That'd be a total disaster.

I can’t even imagine what kind of summer it will be in Columbus if they miss...

 

[Balthazar]

I can’t even imagine what kind of summer it will be in Columbus if they miss...

Imagine Duchene being traded at the deadline to yet again another non-playoff team
That's almost too ironic to be real.

 

[Spleenless Wonder21]

Montreal now only one point behind Columbus for last wildcard spot in the East. I can't believe they are in great danger of missing the playoffs. That'd be a total disaster.

Never doubt John Tortorella’s ability to mismanage youth/skill.

 

[Avs44]

Imagine Duchene being traded at the deadline to yet again another non-playoff team
That's almost too ironic to be real.

I mean, the day of the trade the Jackets were not in a playoff spot. It was a ridiculous risk by Jarmo. Fortunately for them, Montreal, despite winning tonight, has also had struggles, so they might limp into the playoffs.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I can’t even imagine what kind of summer it will be in Columbus if they miss...

Meh, they will quickly start getting ready for OSU football. I don't mean to knock Columbus....I actually like the city and wish them well but hockey will always be second behind their college football program.

 

[Hennessy]

I appreciate that they took the risk, dumb as it was. They need to make some noise as a franchise. At the same time, I am hoping they miss the playoffs. As if making them and getting swept again is much better.

 

[Avs71]

Duchene only has 3 points in his last 10 games. Columbus might regret that one as much as Ottawa.

 

[benzino]

Duchene only has 3 points in his last 10 games. Columbus might regret that one as much as Ottawa.

He had slow start for Ottawa also, I don't think Torts is the guy for him with his confidence issues but most importantly his head is already focused on July 1.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

I hope they miss the playoffs, it would be hilarious.

Columbus going for it was as dumb as it gets. Its basically the same if the Avs would have gone wild and traded all their picks for a chance to lose in the 1st round.

 

[avsfan09]

Paywall issue but seems like it'd be an interesting read for sure.
Analyzing 16 years of NHL draft data to see which teams have...

 

[AllAboutAvs]

He had slow start for Ottawa also, I don't think Torts is the guy for him with his confidence issues but most importantly his head is already focused on July 1.

I doubt that very much. Duchene has wanted to play in the playoffs for so long I have no doubt his head is squarely on that for right now.

 

[Pokecheque]

I hope they miss the playoffs, it would be hilarious.

Columbus going for it was as dumb as it gets. Its basically the same if the Avs would have gone wild and traded all their picks for a chance to lose in the 1st round.

Well, not quite the same. The Avs are not going to be losing two of the best players in franchise history this summer. Jarmo was under some intense pressure to deliver something, ANYTHING to the fans who have seen far too much bad hockey all these years.

I suppose, in hindsight, the thing to do would've been to move Panarin and Bobrovsky for the best possible return and come what may in the regular season. But I understand why they chose not to, and I can see why they decided to gamble and load up...unfortunately they're looking at worst-case scenario now.

If Jarmo had one fatal flaw it was that he was far too loyal. He gave out long-term deals to players (Savard, Wennberg) way too soon instead of offering a bridge deal instead, and held onto other players (Johnson) far too long. He thought that core was good enough to build around, frankly I think it needed a very big shakeup. Well, whether he wants it or not, that shakeup is coming, and he's likely going to be part of it.

If nothing else, Columbus has some decent prospects in the pipeline and will have plenty of cap room this summer.

 

[Balthazar]

Dorion's calculated move of trading Duchene a week early to Columbus is underappreciated...

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Well, not quite the same. The Avs are not going to be losing two of the best players in franchise history this summer. Jarmo was under some intense pressure to deliver something, ANYTHING to the fans who have seen far too much bad hockey all these years.

I suppose, in hindsight, the thing to do would've been to move Panarin and Bobrovsky for the best possible return and come what may in the regular season. But I understand why they chose not to, and I can see why they decided to gamble and load up...unfortunately they're looking at worst-case scenario now.

If Jarmo had one fatal flaw it was that he was far too loyal. He gave out long-term deals to players (Savard, Wennberg) way too soon instead of offering a bridge deal instead, and held onto other players (Johnson) far too long. He thought that core was good enough to build around, frankly I think it needed a very big shakeup. Well, whether he wants it or not, that shakeup is coming, and he's likely going to be part of it.

If nothing else, Columbus has some decent prospects in the pipeline and will have plenty of cap room this summer.

Even a blind man should have seen that the only option that made sense was to trade Panarin and Bob.

Columbus never had any chance to make noise in the playoffs, even with the trades. They are a bubble team with the worst playoff goaltender of the cap era. Additionally, if they were going to even make the playoffs their 1st round opponent was going to be one of the top teams in the league. Right now its Tampa, I give the Avs better odds to advance to the 2nd round.

I don't buy the fan interest argument either, the fans are sure going to love it when the team loses some of its best players for nothing. On top of that they lost valuable assets in the trades. I would be demanding Jarmo to be fired immediately after the deadline.

 

[Pokecheque]

Even a blind man should have seen that the only option that made sense was to trade Panarin and Bob.

Columbus never had any chance to make noise in the playoffs, even with the trades. They are a bubble team with the worst playoff goaltender of the cap era. Additionally, if they were going to even make the playoffs their 1st round opponent was going to be one of the top teams in the league. Right now its Tampa, I give the Avs better odds to advance to the 2nd round.

I don't buy the fan interest argument either, the fans are sure going to love it when the team loses some of its best players for nothing. On top of that they lost valuable assets in the trades. I would be demanding Jarmo to be fired immediately after the deadline.

I dunno...I don't recall a GM ever being in this tough of a position. Your star player, the best forward by a fair margin to EVER play for this young organization decides in the summer he isn't going to re-sign, then also makes it public that there are very few destinations he wishes to go to. I believe Jarmo when he says the offers for Bob and Bread were simply not that good. The teams that think they can honestly get him are probably just going to wait until July 1st, and the others would then just be offering rental prices.

I can only speculate that Jarmo weighed the costs of loading up for one last push vs. the benefits of selling off those players and decided the former was worth it. Keep in mind I don't think he went plain nuclear with what he's sold off. None of the team's top prospects were dealt, and barring some weird lottery mojo the first rounder he gave up won't be the same as what Ottawa is losing this year.

Either way, as others have pointed out, Jarmo likely knew he was on the hot seat. I don't think he went rogue or anything either, this would never have been done without the blessing (or more likely, encouragement) of ownership.

Speaking of Jarmo and the Jax, Jesus H. Christ this poor franchise cannot catch a f***in' break...

Blue Jackets' plans for Elvis Merzlikins hit a snag; top...

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Blue Jackets’ plans for prospect goaltender Elvis Merzlikins have hit a snag before the Latvian-born 24-year-old has even arrived in North America.

Merzlikins still is set to sign a one-year entry-level contract with the Jackets, a deal that is nearly completed and could be announced at any time.

But Merzlikins won’t be going to Cleveland to play for the Blue Jackets’ top minor-league affiliate as the Jackets’ brass had hoped.

The plan was for Merzlikins to sign a tryout agreement as defenseman Zach Werenski did with Cleveland in 2015-16. But if Merzlikins had signed such an agreement, it would have pushed his one-year entry-level contract to next season.

According to multiple sources in Europe, Merzlikins is using the leverage he’s gained during an exemplary run in Switzerland the past five seasons to avoid playing in the AHL altogether.

He’s also using his status — many consider him the best goalie outside the NHL — to dictate terms against the Blue Jackets, who might be looking for a new No. 1 goaltender next season with the expected departure of Sergei Bobrovsky via free agency this summer.

 

[dahrougem2]

Columbus ****ed up when they acquired Duchene and immediately put him on the 1st line. One of the ONLY things they had going for them was Panarin-Dubois-Atkinson, and they immediately pushed Dubois down to the 2nd line.

Why they didn't just keep that line together, and then play Duchene and Dzingel, guys that have been teammates for damn near two seasons, on the 2nd line, is beyond me.

 

[Spleenless Wonder21]

Columbus ****ed up when they acquired Duchene and immediately put him on the 1st line. One of the ONLY things they had going for them was Panarin-Dubois-Atkinson, and they immediately pushed Dubois down to the 2nd line.

Why they didn't just keep that line together, and then play Duchene and Dzingel, guys that have been teammates for damn near two seasons, on the 2nd line, is beyond me.

Torts gonna Torts.

 

[Spleenless Wonder21]

Oh to play like Tampa or Washington.

 

[The Abusement Park]

That last Tampa bay goal was in f***ing sane.

 

[Spleenless Wonder21]

That last Tampa bay goal was in ****ing sane.

Not too shabby.

 

[AvsWraith]

What a ******* season from Kucherov.

 

[Spleenless Wonder21]

I’m an Avs fan, I’ll always be Colorado first, but I love this Tampa team...