Around the NHL 2020-21

[Scoresberg]

Jason Spezza on waivers in TOR? That’d be nice name recognition from a branding perspective.

F no. He said no to us back then we’ll say no to him now.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

F no. He said no to us back then we’ll say no to him now.

Looks like the years lost to lockouts will result in him not hitting 1,000 points. Those were right in his peak.

 

[BigFatCat999]

Jason Spezza on waivers in TOR? That’d be nice name recognition from a branding perspective.

He made it known that if claimed he will retire.

 

[Armourboy]

He made it known that if claimed he will retire.

I claim him for that reason alone.

 

[Scoresberg]

Blackhawks may not win a game this year..

 

[101st_fan]

Blackhawks may not win a game this year..

To dream the impossible dream ...

 

[Soundgarden]

Blackhawks may not win a game this year..

I'm ok with that.

 

[Legionnaire11]

The Red Wings still aren't good, but they're definitely improved this season. Greiss specifically is a huge step up from Howard and Bernier.

edit: I jinxed Greiss, oops

 

[herzausstein]

To dream the impossible dream ...

As long as they don't get 1st overall pick, they can lose all the games they want.

 

[BigFatCat999]

To dream the impossible dream ...

To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear the unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

 

[Scoresberg]

Fiala with 0 points in 4 games to start the season and a -2.

Turris with 0 points in 5 games and a -4.

Smith with 0 points in 2 games and a -1.

 

[herzausstein]

Fiala with 0 points in 4 games to start the season and a -2.

Turris with 0 points in 5 games and a -4.

Smith with 0 points in 2 games and a -1.

Bonino with 1 G in 4 games and a -1.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

Bonino with 1 G in 4 games and a -1.

People seem to forget that Bonino sucked for the first couple years of his contract and was way overpaid. He had one good season as a third line center with Grimaldi pushing the line.

 

[herzausstein]

People seem to forget that Bonino sucked for the first couple years of his contract and was way overpaid. He had one good season as a third line center with Grimaldi pushing the line.

Hockey largely is a "what have you done for me recently" mentality

 

[nine_inch_fang]

Hockey largely is a "what have you done for me recently" mentality

And that's why fans are General Managers

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Hockey largely is a "what have you done for me recently" mentality

It was really only his first year that was somewhat underwhelming anyway. 2nd and 3rd years were very good. He's a player that's easy to miss because he does everything right, just not in a flashy way. He was the real glue that held that 3rd line together last year. Nevertheless, I'm sure we're not going to regret adding Kunin for him, as long we navigate the expansion draft adequately.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

It was really only his first year that was somewhat underwhelming anyway. 2nd and 3rd years were very good. He's a player that's easy to miss because he does everything right, just not in a flashy way. He was the real glue that held that 3rd line together last year. Nevertheless, I'm sure we're not going to regret adding Kunin for him, as long we navigate the expansion draft adequately.

Agreed, and it helps when Kunin has been noticeable in his minutes thus far.

 

[Predsanddead24]

Bonino was brought into be our 2C though and failed at that. He ultimately worked out as a very good 3C but he didn't do what we had signed him to do.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Bonino was brought into be our 2C though and failed at that. He ultimately worked out as a very good 3C but he didn't do what we had signed him to do.

He was signed because he was basically the best center on a barren market and we needed centers. There wasn't a 2C on the market. So I don't think just because we signed him it was ever really a realistic proposition that he'd be 2C. Hence Turris being acquired very shortly thereafter. Bonino hardly even had a chance to "fail" at being 2C.

 

[predfan24]

People seem to forget that Bonino sucked for the first couple years of his contract and was way overpaid. He had one good season as a third line center with Grimaldi pushing the line.

I thought he was good overall in his time here. He isn't a star so some ups and downs were to be expected. '

He was overpaid a bit when we signed him to that deal, but it's not unusual for above average free agent depth players , especially 3Cs, to get a bag of money. It seems to me he met expectations of providing depth scoring, playing smart and responsible, not being out of place in all situations (EV, PP, PK), and being adept defensively.

He is the one guy we let go of this summer who didn't play his way off the team.

 

[Predsanddead24]

He was signed because he was basically the best center on a barren market and we needed centers. There wasn't a 2C on the market. So I don't think just because we signed him it was ever really a realistic proposition that he'd be 2C. Hence Turris being acquired very shortly thereafter. Bonino hardly even had a chance to "fail" at being 2C.

Yeah my recollection was that he was supposed to be the Mike Fisher replacement but you're right that he never really got a shot as the 2C. Looking through his game logs he only played 5 games before getting hurt and then Turris was traded for before he got back from that injury. Now I wonder what an alternate world would look like where we stuck with him at 2C for a bit and see what played out.

 

[herzausstein]

Yeah my recollection was that he was supposed to be the Mike Fisher replacement but you're right that he never really got a shot as the 2C. Looking through his game logs he only played 5 games before getting hurt and then Turris was traded for before he got back from that injury. Now I wonder what an alternate world would look like where we stuck with him at 2C for a bit and see what played out.

I wish Poile would've just accepted that as a lost year. We would still have Girard, 2M in capspace, a good 1st round pick in 2018 (b/c we wouldn't of wasted it on Ryan Hartman). Yeah not being able to hang that central division champs banner would be bad but the short term pain would've help more long term. Poile still hasn't learned that you have to sometimes accept a mediocre year.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I wish Poile would've just accepted that as a lost year. We would still have Girard, 2M in capspace, a good 1st round pick in 2018 (b/c we wouldn't of wasted it on Ryan Hartman). Yeah not being able to hang that central division champs banner would be bad but the short term pain would've help more long term. Poile still hasn't learned that you have to sometimes accept a mediocre year.

I don't know if it would have been a completely "lost" year even then. They entered the season without Turris, although I suspect Poile was spending A LOT of timing scheming how to find that 2C, including chasing Duchene, which probably is what ended up leading to the Turris trade, and ironically maybe to the later on signing of Duchene!

But there were going to be fallback options to not getting a real 2C. And indeed, Bonino, Jarnkrok, throwing somebody like Kamenev into the deep end, or... some other crazy experiment could have been pursued, and ultimately saved us a lot of grief. Oh well.

 

[Predsanddead24]

One interesting thing of note is that Bonino and Fiala have primarily been on the same line rounded out with Marcus Johansson. That seems like a horrible grouping to me so I'm not surprised neither of them have had much success. That center group for Minnesota is just straight up terrible.

 

[triggrman]

I wish Poile would've just accepted that as a lost year. We would still have Girard, 2M in capspace, a good 1st round pick in 2018 (b/c we wouldn't of wasted it on Ryan Hartman). Yeah not being able to hang that central division champs banner would be bad but the short term pain would've help more long term. Poile still hasn't learned that you have to sometimes accept a mediocre year.

I mean if you only look at it from an asset prospective yes. As far as marketing and feeding that redhot Predators fire in Nashville that year makes it understandable. That season really brought in a lot of new fans to the sport and made the Predators the team in Nashville.