Around the League 38: It was 3 to 1...

[bleedgreen]

NJ isnt in their window now with that defense or goal-tending. They over-achieved last season. they are likely to take a step back with back half of their roster.

I think you would have a hard time finding GMs who would pay either Nurse or Dougie that much for that long. One did and that is all that matters.

Lol they made the second round of the playoffs after knocking off the Rangers, and they were one of the best teams in the league all year, despite your frequent reminders that any day now they were going drop out. Just like you said Seattle wasn’t going to be a playoff team because everything they were doing mid season was “unsustainable”.

The Devils just showed you all year they’re in their window right now.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Lol they made the second round of the playoffs after knocking off the Rangers, and they were one of the best teams in the league all year, despite your frequent reminders that any day now they were going drop out. Just like you said Seattle wasn’t going to be a playoff team because everything they were doing mid season was “unsustainable”.

The Devils just showed you all year they’re in their window right now.

Who would have guessed that Seattle would out produce their expected for so long? Bob is the same. It happens but I would still say the same thing as this isn’t normal.

 

[bleedgreen]

Who would have guessed that Seattle would out produce their expected for so long? Bob is the same. It happens but I would still say the same thing as this isn’t normal.

Did you watch Seattle play much during the regular season? They played high speed, high pressure and their chemistry with that group was outstanding. Of course puck luck is going to come and go but they were clearly on the right path from the get go this season. Only reason to guess they were going to fall is if you’re just watching numbers instead of taking in the picture of how they actually look as a team. Some teams are just never out of the game, they always have one more answer even when theyre down late. This years Seattle team was that. They could have the same group next year but not have the mojo, we’ll see.

 

[WreckingCrew]

Did you watch Seattle play much during the regular season? They played high speed, high pressure and their chemistry with that group was outstanding. Of course puck luck is going to come and go but they were clearly on the right path from the get go this season. Only reason to guess they were going to fall is if you’re just watching numbers instead of taking in the picture of how they actually look as a team. Some teams are just never out of the game, they always have one more answer even when theyre down late. This years Seattle team was that. They could have the same group next year but not have the mojo, we’ll see.

Reminds me of our first run back into the playoffs, playing greater than the sum of their parts and outplaying their opponents. Lacking in a fair amount of top-end talent, but having a couple good goal-scorers and the rest score-by-committee and committing to a team game

 

[DaveG]

Did you watch Seattle play much during the regular season? They played high speed, high pressure and their chemistry with that group was outstanding. Of course puck luck is going to come and go but they were clearly on the right path from the get go this season. Only reason to guess they were going to fall is if you’re just watching numbers instead of taking in the picture of how they actually look as a team. Some teams are just never out of the game, they always have one more answer even when theyre down late. This years Seattle team was that. They could have the same group next year but not have the mojo, we’ll see.

Yep. Seattle was one of the most fun teams to watch in the league this past year because they were just relentless. If Ron can ever figure out that whole acquiring a decent goalie thing they are a team capable of a very deep run despite lacking the star power (though I think Beniers is that guy soon) that the other top contenders in the West have because they're legitimately just rolling out 4 2nd lines all damn game at you.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

I think our need for Dougie to be some anchor is embarrassing. He got paid, he had earned a big contract, good for him. I root for him because he was a really great Hurricane, and I miss him. Nothing about him was more overblown than his playoffs here, which I thought he did really well at times and others he needed help. He had to learn how to not have Slavin in the playoffs, which would be rough on anyone and the damage his rep took from just those few games was not equivalent to whatever crime was committed there. We wouldn’t have gotten past Nashville without Dougie, he was the hero in the clinching game.

Almost all skill/offensive minded players who aren’t a Tkachuk type need help in the playoffs, and they almost always have their efficiency reduced. It’s not the same style. A guy like Dougie offensively becomes a pp specialist. I think their youth showed and they ran out of gas. It doesn’t reduce how great he played all season to get them there, he was really clutch all season.

I think we sound like petty main board fans when we talk about Dougie. If he was making 8 for us he’d still be a perfect fit. I think he’s perfect for them and y’all have to keep modifying your zingers every year. First he was a money grubbing merc who intentionally went to a team that clearly sucked (and was going to continue to) just for the payday even though many of pieces were already there. Wrong. Then, he was never going to be able to play at the same high level without Slavin and us to carry him. Wrong. Now all you’ve got is waiting every year for his play to slip so you can say you were right all along. It’s a lot of effort for a pretty limited payoff.

Better luck next year guys.

well we disagree on this not much point arguing it.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Hamilton's value isnt an issue now, its a bad contract in the future. Same with Palat. Right when NJ is really hitting their stride is when Hamilton and Palat will be declining and now NJ Is trying to compete win 15 million of dying weight.

Btw: Nurse is slightly worse offensively than hamilton but better defensively. So they have pretty similar values. Again it isnt his value now that is the concern but his value in the later half of his deal.

Projected future cap(s) will give them relief from later half of those deals.

If Meier takes a “home team” 8 year discount similar to Hughes, etc then Devils will be in much better position to succeed versus Oilers.

 

[bleedgreen]

I didn’t say before but saying Nurse is slightly worse than Hamilton offensively is mind blowing commitment to the diminishing of Dougie. There’s a 30 pt difference there. Dougie is a high end shooter with great vision and placement of his passes, he’s one of the best offensive combinations of skill and brain in the league on that side of the ice. Nurse is not known for any of that. Of course he’s generally under rated because of his contract and the way people attack him for what he makes, he’s actually a solid overall defenseman but saying they’re on a similar level offensively is ridiculous.

 

[AD Skinner]

I do not understand the dougie dragging. Dougie may not ever win a Norris but he’s one of the best defensemen in the league and has been pretty much his entire career. And it’s not like a Norris is completely out of the question either.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I don't understand re-hashing Dougie multiple times per year, and I've been guilty of it myself.

 

[DaveG]

I do not understand the dougie dragging. Dougie may not ever win a Norris but he’s one of the best defensemen in the league and has been pretty much his entire career. And it’s not like a Norris is completely out of the question either.

Shit, I still think if he doesn't get injured in 2019-20 that Dougie wins the Norris. Wasn't a ton of separation between Josi, Dougie, and Hedman and Dougie kept getting better as the season went on that year.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

I do not understand the dougie dragging. Dougie may not ever win a Norris but he’s one of the best defensemen in the league and has been pretty much his entire career. And it’s not like a Norris is completely out of the question either.

No one is dragging dougie. I don’t think stating an aging Dougie will not be worth 9 million aav at the end of his deal and how it might affect NJ is dragging him

 

[HisIceness]

Shit, I still think if he doesn't get injured in 2019-20 that Dougie wins the Norris. Wasn't a ton of separation between Josi, Dougie, and Hedman and Dougie kept getting better as the season went on that year.

The worst thing about that injury was the ref blatantly missing the 6 skaters on the ice against the Jackets and let play continue. 20 seconds later, down went Dougie.

 

[hblueridgegal]

It's interesting to watch the various strategies being employed. They had a segment on the Vegas model and potential copycats on The Point this week.

 

[DaveG]

It's interesting to watch the various strategies being employed. They had a segment on the Vegas model and potential copycats on The Point this week.

yeah this honestly doesn't surprise me. The Panthers cap hell season was this past season. I think they'll still need to convince someone to broker the deal IMO since they still have at least 1 other dman spot (likely 2) and a couple forwards to fill out their roster.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Oh I totally get the idea behind it. And on its face you have the think “that’s ridiculous this isn’t high school stuff”. But then you think about it and go “yeah no, these people are 100% the types to do some petty shit like this.”

The members of the committee are listed here:

HHOF | Selection Committee

Featuring the by-laws and complete list of current and former members of the Selection Committee.

www.hhof.com

Not a lot of names on that list who strike me as hardcore simps for Gary Bettman.

Honestly Rod’s just a very borderline candidate and we’d see this differently if he weren’t our guy.

 

[DaveG]

The members of the committee are listed here:

HHOF | Selection Committee

Featuring the by-laws and complete list of current and former members of the Selection Committee.

www.hhof.com

Not a lot of names on that list who strike me as hardcore simps for Gary Bettman.

Honestly Rod’s just a very borderline candidate and we’d see this differently if he weren’t our guy.

Fair.

Though I'd also say if it weren't for other suspect recent inductions like Housley, Carbo, Lowe, and even arguably Andreychuk. The first 3 especially reek of voting for the buddies of guys on the committee.

 

[AD Skinner]

If Brind’Amour wins a cup here as a coach that’s got to lock him into the hall though right? I mean if I remember correctly only one other person has ever captained and coached the same team to a cup and it was like 100 years ago

 

[tarheelhockey]

Fair.

Though I'd also say if it weren't for other suspect recent inductions like Housley, Carbo, Lowe, and even arguably Andreychuk. The first 3 especially reek of voting for the buddies of guys on the committee.

Oh for sure. There’s definitely a golfing-buddy effect there. I just don’t think it works as an active barrier, more like certain guys get an indefensible boost and others don’t.

There’s also an 80s effect with otherwise-weak candidates stacking up Cup rings and video game stats. The committee doesn’t seem to take a very rigorous view of such things. That decade will be overrepresented when all is said and done.

If Brind’Amour wins a cup here as a coach that’s got to lock him into the hall though right? I mean if I remember correctly only one other person has ever captained and coached the same team to a cup and it was like 100 years ago

I can only think of two, Hap Day for Toronto and Toe Blake for Montreal.

 

[raynman]

Is it me or is it kinda effed up that Arizona loses a retention slot because Vancouver made a bad deal and had to buy out OEL?

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Is it me or is it kinda effed up that Arizona loses a retention slot because Vancouver made a bad deal and had to buy out OEL?

yea its a stupid rule but I guess it is there to prevent a team from retaining on a contract to ship to another team to have them buy him out. Which would split the buyout cap hit amongst two teams (the buyout cap hit is supposed to be a penalty for the team signing bad deals).

Idk maybe alter the rule to say if the player has been on the roster for at least 2 full seasons or 155+ games then the penalty is waived (at that point the player wasnt traded to be bought out immediately).

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I don't know. Arizona messed up by signing him to that terrible deal and then had to retain to get out of it, so I don't see it as that big of a deal that AZ is feeling some of the pain. They saved a bunch of money getting out of that deal even if they will pay some of the buyout money.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

If the Yotes need retention slots years 5-8, they have bigger problems.

 

[hblueridgegal]

Feels like Dallas may have missed a moment but can take comfort in being the salutatorian.