Around the League - 2019/20 Season Edition #2

[BertCorbeau]

Sick burn.

 

[7even]

Holy shit Mika Zibanejad has 41 goals.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Former Leafs defenceman Tom Kurvers understands the need for social distancing but the cancer patient misses hockey’s camaraderie | The Star

Then there are the physical vulnerabilities. As the world gets used to social distancing, Kurvers recalls it was something he learned about a little more than a year ago when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He rarely left his home last February and March.

“I had a couple of invasive biopsies and I needed to recover,” he recalls. “I was coughing and wheezing, having a hard time even carrying on a conversation. I was really uncomfortable. I would see my buddies looking at me thinking, ‘Geez, how long has he got?’”

His health has improved over the months and his prognosis has become increasingly encouraging. But in recent weeks the threat of COVID-19 has changed life for millions around the world, and again altered the landscape for Kurvers.

He is now immunocompromised. He gets a variety of blood tests once a month, and is checked every four months to see if the cancer in his right lung has grown or shifted. Now, with COVID-19 a daily reminder of how we all depend on each other, Kurvers is one of those people who counts on the social conscience of others to maintain the necessary distance in order to protect those with underlying medical conditions.

When you watch those sadly clueless kids on March break in Florida chirping about how they won’t let the coronavirus interfere with their partying, they’re basically saying they don’t care how their health, even if they are asymptomatic, might effect people with respiratory concerns. People like Kurvers.

“I didn’t feel like I was overly in the high-risk category until I started being aware of the virus,” he says. “I talked to my doctor, and he said if I wasn’t as healthy as I was, he would put me in the high-risk category. So who knows?

“I feel good. We keep our family unit tight and we take our precautions.”

Kurvers is working at home these days, which makes it easier to get that daily nap that keeps his energy up. Before the virus, when the NHL season seemed to be barrelling toward the Stanley Cup playoffs, he kept a power recliner in his St. Paul office for those moments when he felt it was necessary to close his eyes.

“I protect my sleep, go to bed earlier,” he says. “The whole fight for me is about sleep and avoiding stress.”

 

[Anthrax442]

 

[Dragao6]

It will be Interesting to see how they include free agency and draft they they are able to have season August and September, new season in October?

 

[Al14]

Rest in peace Colby Cave. Taken all too soon at age 25.

My condolences to his wife Emily, to his family and friends, and, his teammates from both the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers.

 

[weems]

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[hockeywiz542]

31 Thoughts: How will NHL broadcasts look when season resumes? - Sportsnet.ca

13) Now that their dispute has poured into the public domain, it’s difficult to see how the Canucks and the team’s director of amateur scouting, Judd Brackett, can continue to work together — even for the next seven weeks. Brackett’s contract is up; negotiations have gone nowhere.

Sportsnet 650’s Satiar Shah has done a lot of reporting on this issue; Iain MacIntyre confirmed Wednesday the wedge deepened because of “autonomy-based” concerns and “whether Brackett feels he has enough control over his department.”

It’s become very personal. Clearly, neither the Canucks nor Brackett are comfortable with each other. I wonder if the solution is Vancouver letting Brackett go, but not allowing him to work anywhere else until July.

 

[weems]

 

[tokyoite]

Capitals place former Leaf Brendan Leipsic on waivers.
Capitals to terminate Brendan Leipsic's contract after misogynistic comments

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I do feel a smidgen bad for Eichel, though Sabres fans and Eichel fans do make it difficult. It’s been half a decade since he was drafted and Buffalo can’t even be one of the top 24 teams. Granted they had games in hand on Montreal before shit hit the fan but they had nearly 70 games to get their rears in gear and have a better than a .500 winning percentage by March.

 

[The Podium]

Eichel: 'I'm fed up with the losing and I'm frustrated'

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl...strated-losing/?template=basic&template=basic

There seems to be some turmoil in Buffalo. Wonder if these guys start to ask out soon.

 

[ACC1224]

I do feel a smidgen bad for Eichel, though Sabres fans and Eichel fans do make it difficult. It’s been half a decade since he was drafted and Buffalo can’t even be one of the top 24 teams. Granted they had games in hand on Montreal before shit hit the fan but they had nearly 70 games to get their rears in gear and have a better than a .500 winning percentage by March.

Didn't they announce this week that the GM was staying?
Wonder if that sparked his outburst?

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Didn't they announce this week that the GM was staying?
Wonder if that sparked his outburst?

I’m sure it didn’t help. Ristolainen also had harsh words regarding the organization himself. Can’t imagine it’s been fun consistently being one of the worst teams in the league. At least Ottawa and Detroit meant to be there this season, Buffalo just crapped the bed as usual.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Didn't they announce this week that the GM was staying?
Wonder if that sparked his outburst?

Eichel does have that history when it was reported how he wouldn't sign an extension if Dan Bylsma was still their coach, so the very next day Bylsma along with Tim Murray were both fired.

Report: Eichel won't re-up if Bylsma remains coach - TSN.ca
Sabres fire GM Murray, head coach Bylsma - TSN.ca

 

[BertCorbeau]

Buffalo is a shitshow organization.

Eichel is one more season of missing the playoffs away from asking for a trade. And if Risto is gone in the off-season, that won't help.

Anyone think they'll go out and hire Babcock this offseason?

 

[Menzinger]

The Sabres are a complete tire fire - they have minimal hope right now to see noticable improvement next season. There's only so much a guy like Eichel can do...

Reminds me a bit of McDavids situation in Edmonton.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Anyone think they'll go out and hire Babcock this offseason?

When Toronto hired Babcock his contract was for $50 million for eight years or $6.25 million AAV. So the question is if Buffalo or any other NHL team wanted to hire him, Toronto needs to give that team permission to interview Babcock and he can't say to an owner pay me only $3 million as an example because I'm still getting paid by the Leafs. They would need to pay Babcock the $6.25 million he's already getting so Toronto can no longer pay him anymore or Babcock tells the Leafs in advance let me out of the contract and no longer pay him to sit at home.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Remember when Buffalo's rebuild was ahead of the Leafs?

Pepperidge farm remembers.

 

[LeafsNation75]

The Sabres are a complete tire fire - theybhave minimal hopenright now to see noticable improvement next season. There's only so much a guy like Eichel can do...

Reminds me a bit of McDavids situation in Edmonton.

Remember their fans who said after drafting Eichel and trading for Ryan O'Reilly that their rebuild was well ahead of Toronto's rebuild.

 

[ACC1224]

Buffalo is a shitshow organization.

Eichel is one more season of missing the playoffs away from asking for a trade. And if Risto is gone in the off-season, that won't help.

Anyone think they'll go out and hire Babcock this offseason?

This seems to be one of those instances where the deep pocket owner causes more harm than good.
One of the best things to happen in Toronto is when single stakes went away and the faceless giant took over and just let hockey people run things.

 

[LeafsNation75]

This seems to be one of those instances where the deep pocket owner causes more harm than good.
One of the best things to happen in Toronto is when single stakes went away and the faceless giant took over and just let hockey people run things.

 

[BertCorbeau]

And this is why I don't feel bad for him.

No accountability .. A winning culture starts with him.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

This seems to be one of those instances where the deep pocket owner causes more harm than good.
One of the best things to happen in Toronto is when single stakes went away and the faceless giant took over and just let hockey people run things.

I remember good times with Stavros.