Around the NHL 2019-20

[PredsV82]

New season, new thread.

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[FilthyScoresberg]

How about that Boeser signing.. wow. One of the best contracts in the league, imo. Definitely the best-paid RFA that was holding out.

 

[jumb0]

Apparently Dustin Byfuglien is contemplating retiring.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Apparently Dustin Byfuglien is contemplating retiring.

It has been a shocking off-season for Winnipeg to say the least. They were the scariest team in our division for a couple years with what it seemed like they might be building there. But first you had some of the lockerroom strife aired, then Trouba gone, Laine and Connor still un-signed - and Laine's case sounds quite contentious to the point that you wonder how they will ever reconcile. Myers, Tanev, and Chiarot are gone too... alone that might not seem as important but it's a few more regulars gone. I thought Tanev played really well against us in his role. Losing Buff would possibly be the death stroke. Hard to imagine all that's hit them! Wow.


And I guess it drives home my general feeling that the Preds need to do everything in their power every season right now to try to contend. You never know when or how quickly everything falls apart. So when you think you're close, you really have to go for it.

 

[Armourboy]

Oh shit. If you're Winnipeg that's gotta be a big concern.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

A Big Buff sized concerned if you will....

I'll see myself out.

 

[hockey diva]

I will do the happy dance if I never have to see Buff manhandle any of our guys again.

It’s nice to see someone else have the off season from you know where.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I will do the happy dance if I never have to see Buff manhandle any of our guys again.

It’s nice to see someone else have the off season from you know where.

I am definitely too scared to gloat. Not too classy... just too scared.

 

[Predsanddead24]

This probably belongs in the trade proposal thread since its never going to happen, but if Buff retires and the Laine situation escalates a trade with Ellis for Laine as the core would be pretty compelling to me. Laine would give us the true sniper we need and he'd probably be happy playing with either Duchene or Johansen. We'd then need to move Smith or Granlund for a Top 4D on the right side I would think. I dunno just a thought that popped in my head when looking at how Winnipeg would have basically no RD if Byfuglien retires,

 

[jumb0]

This probably belongs in the trade proposal thread since its never going to happen, but if Buff retires and the Laine situation escalates a trade with Ellis for Laine as the core would be pretty compelling to me. Laine would give us the true sniper we need and he'd probably be happy playing with either Duchene or Johansen. We'd then need to move Smith or Granlund for a Top 4D on the right side I would think. I dunno just a thought that popped in my head when looking at how Winnipeg would have basically no RD if Byfuglien retires,

While I would love to have a pure sniper like a Laine I would need assurances that we are going to have a replacement for Ellis as well.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

With both Faulk and Ristolainen having been "on the block" for a while, those seem preferable trade targets for the Jets than doing something in division. I'm a bit wary of Laine to be honest, despite the obvious talent.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

This probably belongs in the trade proposal thread since its never going to happen, but if Buff retires and the Laine situation escalates a trade with Ellis for Laine as the core would be pretty compelling to me. Laine would give us the true sniper we need and he'd probably be happy playing with either Duchene or Johansen. We'd then need to move Smith or Granlund for a Top 4D on the right side I would think. I dunno just a thought that popped in my head when looking at how Winnipeg would have basically no RD if Byfuglien retires,

On paper this is "interesting", but... Laine's basically a red flag factory right now isn't he? I'd be pretty nervous about signing up to him right now.

That said, if it's just for Ellis... it's not like I'm a big Ellis fan either. And I'm pretty sure getting out of that contract on Ellis would pay off for us at some point. 8 yrs and $6.25M for a 28-year old... if that was converted into something like an 8x$8M on Laine, it would probably be worth it... Laine is just 21... even if he "only" scores 30 goals and is a bit of a headcase that ought to be better than Ellis, in a vacuum. Of course, right now it would pulverize our RD as you say, however, so it would also need some other moves.... which starts to become a little too complicated to imagine. Really, Poile seems to love Ellis anyway, so even just the premise of trading Ellis is probably a dead-end, alas.

 

[Byrddog]

I know a number of you guys have been Kamenev fans. It looks like he is going to be waived in Colorado after camp. There has been some talk of him being in the pressbox as an extra but Bellemare has not been a disappointment and there seems to be no need to retain Kamenev.

 

[BigFatCat999]

I know a number of you guys have been Kamenev fans. It looks like he is going to be waived in Colorado after camp. There has been some talk of him being in the pressbox as an extra but Bellemare has not been a disappointment and there seems to be no need to retain Kamenev.

Only problem is is claimed he must stay on the main roster. Is he better than Carr or Grimaldi?

 

[Byrddog]

Only problem is is claimed he must stay on the main roster. Is he better than Carr or Grimaldi?

Who knows in two years in Colorado he has done little before getting hurt and missing the majority of the seasons. In 27 pro games he has 2 goals and a total 5 points. For a guy that showed so much promise I don't know if it would be worth the risk. He was only given a 1 year contract as a RFA in July that tells you Colorado wanted to look at him in camp but now looks like he will be looking for a home.

 

[PredsV82]

So a good thing Poile got a little value from him, right?

 

[BigFatCat999]

Who knows in two years in Colorado he has done little before getting hurt and missing the majority of the seasons. In 27 pro games he has 2 goals and a total 5 points. For a guy that showed so much promise I don't know if it would be worth the risk. He was only given a 1 year contract as a RFA in July that tells you Colorado wanted to look at him in camp but now looks like he will be looking for a home.

He's a 20pt player offensively. That's slightly better than Grimaldi. Carr is a question mark.

 

[triggrman]

He's not NHL level.

 

[PredsV82]

The Matthews story just keeps getting worse and worse. Wonder where all the people who wanted Watson run out of the league stand on this one.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

The Matthews story just keeps getting worse and worse. Wonder where all the people who wanted Watson run out of the league stand on this one.

If the allegations are true and they seem pretty credible I’d suspend him for at minimum half the season.

 

[predfan24]

If the allegations are true and they seem pretty credible I’d suspend him for at minimum half the season.

Is there more to the story than I have seen? I saw where him and his friends were drunkenly messing around with a female security guard at 2AM and he mooned her. He also didn't inform Leafs management about the situation. I see immaturity and irresponsibility but I'm not seeing where this is a huge deal that should warrant a long suspension. What am I missing?

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Is there more to the story than I have seen? I saw where him and his friends were drunkenly messing around with a female security guard at 2AM and he mooned her. He also didn't inform Leafs management about the situation. I see immaturity and irresponsibility but I'm not seeing where this is a huge deal that should warrant a long suspension. What am I missing?

Not knocking you here, and I know there are obviously far, far worse things on the planet than this, but I wish acting stupid while drunk wasn't so easily dismissed (in general as well as on hockey message boards). Being intoxicated past the point of good judgment can equally lead to relatively "harmless" incidents as well as horrific. The Leafs' fans chorus on this increasingly sounds like a "boys will be boys" defense.

 

[Legionnaire11]

Not knocking you here, and I know there are obviously far, far worse things on the planet than this, but I wish acting stupid while drunk wasn't so easily dismissed (in general as well as on hockey message boards). Being intoxicated past the point of good judgment can equally lead to relatively "harmless" incidents as well as horrific. The Leafs' fans chorus on this increasingly sounds like a "boys will be boys" defense.

Yeah, there's always a lot of "come on, who hasn't gotten a DC or a PI when they were young?"

Well, I haven't and neither have any of my friends. Even given the US legal system and our insane levels of incarceration and whatnot, there are about 70M US adults with some type of criminal record, including crimes well above and beyond DC or PI. So even if HF boards was comprised of only US adults, and you said "raise your hand if you've got one of these charges" 76,000 of the 115,000 members would not be raising their hand. And none of us are #1 picks and face of the franchise for the biggest hockey team on the planet with millions of dollars on the line.

 

[Legionnaire11]

That said, I don't know that a suspension comes of this. Maybe 1-3 games from the league and actually the Leafs (if they value character above winning) have a bigger case for implementing their own lengthier suspension for withholding this information from them. I could see 3 from the league and 7 from TML for 10 games total, but I'm not sure if the CBA even allows that.

I wouldn't be mad if it's zero either, Matthews has done a lot of damage to himself here. Hopefully he grows out of this like some others have in past situations.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Yeah, there's always a lot of "come on, who hasn't gotten a DC or a PI when they were young?"

Well, I haven't and neither have any of my friends. Even given the US legal system and our insane levels of incarceration and whatnot, there are about 70M US adults with some type of criminal record, including crimes well above and beyond DC or PI. So even if HF boards was comprised of only US adults, and you said "raise your hand if you've got one of these charges" 76,000 of the 115,000 members would not be raising their hand. And none of us are #1 picks and face of the franchise for the biggest hockey team on the planet with millions of dollars on the line.

Right?

Wonder what was going through the female security officer's head as she sat there alone in her car with a group of drunk men crowding around? Hopefully it didn't occur as sinisterly as I would fear.

That said, I don't know that a suspension comes of this. Maybe 1-3 games from the league and actually the Leafs (if they value character above winning) have a bigger case for implementing their own lengthier suspension for withholding this information from them. I could see 3 from the league and 7 from TML for 10 games total, but I'm not sure if the CBA even allows that.

I wouldn't be mad if it's zero either, Matthews has done a lot of damage to himself here. Hopefully he grows out of this like some others have in past situations.

Don't think he gets formally punished by the league at all. This is bad timing for Matthews with the Leafs talking about naming the leadership group though. Might have cost himself the captaincy.