Around the NHL Summer 2021

[FabricDetails]

I think part of it might be losing getting old. After the Avs were eliminated he made some comment about how he's been in the league 8 years and hasn't won a thing yet. The food thing was what struck me as kinda nuts. These guys burn calories like crazy and there have been more than one report of guys working to just maintain weight during the season...if they want some actual pasta with a carbonara sauce then they should be able to just have their damn pasta.

I'm not sure how you change that locker room dynamic at this point, though. Maybe the right coach, but it has to be someone with some clout. Maybe Sutter. Quenville.. Trotz. Torts. Someone with some winning and some history behind them to just step in and say, "nah, this is crap. We're doing it this way." I wonder how much having Devellano and Bowman around maybe kept some craziness in check before the Wings won in 97.

I was trying to think back to how Yzerman developed as a leader, which is a little different than MacKinnon. I remember some early anecdotal tidbits of him wearing headphones in the locker room in his first few years as captain, which was perceived by the coaches as him not engaging with other teammates. The point being that all leaders have the challenge of evolving past their own individual blind spots.

 

[FabricDetails]

So much ...

 

[deca guard]

 

[deca guard]

 

[Mount Suribachi]

The path to winning can vary from team to team but regardless, it ain't for everybody...

At the NHL level this description of someone like MacKinnon isn't surprising. Especially for someone who has experienced a lot of tough playoff losing.

Getting vibes of lots of different sportsmen in there.

Harry Kane employs his own personal chef who prepares all his families meals.

Most F1 drivers employ their own personal trainer who follows them around the world.

Roy Keane and Steven Gerrard (two legendary captains) were renowned for setting unbelievably high standards in training. I've seen numerous interviews with ex teammates describing how a misplaced pass in training was totally unacceptable in their eyes.

 

[chances14]

Honestly that is a bit far and if they come up short for the next couple years, I think you're going to hear a different narrative. I dig the commitment to himself and what he believes is the right way. They have won what 2 playoffs series, take a lap champ is what I would be thinking. One of the guys that just left there for St. Louis had two cups, do you think it is because Toews was running around slapping food out of peoples hands...

Agreed. I'm sure some players don't mind it but I'm sure there's just as many who would prefer not to get lectured about what food they're eating by a dude who hasn't won anything at the NHL level yet

 

[Konnan511]

Agreed. I'm sure some players don't mind it but I'm sure there's just as many who would prefer not to get lectured about what food they're eating by a dude who hasn't won anything at the NHL level yet

I mean, he's won some stuff:

.

I'm with Nathan, to be the best, you have to train like the best. All he is asking is for 100% commitment during the season. There's videos out there of star QBs screaming at people who f*** up fundamentals, those QBs are in the HOF. "Eat right","keep the partying down","practice like it's a game". Doesn't sound too overbearing for regular season play.

 

[FabricDetails]

I mean, he's won some stuff: View attachment 459389.

I'm with Nathan, to be the best, you have to train like the best. All he is asking is for 100% commitment during the season. There's videos out there of star QBs screaming at people who f*** up fundamentals, those QBs are in the HOF. "Eat right","keep the partying down","practice like it's a game". Doesn't sound too overbearing for regular season play.

It's easy to understand why some are concerned though. Because that approach to the extreme doesn't necessarily lead to winning. It's mainly about the feeling of "I emptied my clip at least".

 

[Konnan511]

It's easy to understand why some are concerned though. Because that approach to the extreme doesn't necessarily lead to winning. It's mainly about the feeling of "I emptied my clip at least".

No doubt.

 

[ricky0034]

it's kinda funny how the draft lottery got changed because of Buffalo and then got changed again just in time to help them get Wright/Bedard

 

[Ricelund]

Kenny!

 

[Frk It]

Kenny!

He had a really nice year last year but…. Dude, that’s nuts.

 

[ricky0034]

this D market is yikes

actually a little worried about what Hronek is gonna get now which isn't something I thought i'd be saying anytime soon

 

[Winger98]

He had a really nice year last year but…. Dude, that’s nuts.

How crazy do you think the Dougie Hamilton contract is? Nurse has been a pretty solid producer for a few years now while eating some heavy minutes on that blueline.

 

[jkutswings]

How crazy do you think the Dougie Hamilton contract is? Nurse has been a pretty solid producer for a few years now while eating some heavy minutes on that blueline.

But it's not that Hamilton (or Nurse) don't deserve a raise. It's that teams like Edmonton in particular already struggle with assembling a roster around their high end talent. Cap hits like these aren't exactly helping with the need to add depth.

If 9M is the new normal for a good defenseman, then a lot more teams will run into the Toronto/Edmonton problems with cap structure.

 

[Frk It]

How crazy do you think the Dougie Hamilton contract is? Nurse has been a pretty solid producer for a few years now while eating some heavy minutes on that blueline.

Dougie Hamilton's production has been pretty consistent.

Nurse saw a spike in shooting % and goals this last season that gave him a pretty good bump from the previous 3-4 years.

I don't think its nearly as bad, but it reminds me of Kenny rushing to extend Abdelkader after putting together a career year. That would kind of be my concern here.

Nurse could play on my team any day, but there is potential for that contract to look ugly for sure.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

He had a really nice year last year but…. Dude, that’s nuts.

9 mil for Darnell f***ing Nurse? Holy shit. He'd be getting paid more than several guys that are much better than him.

Browse - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

He has 1 40+ point season and was on pace for 53 points this year. He's OK defensively, but I would never confuse Darnell Nurse for a shut down D. He's a legit number one defenseman but this guy shouldn't cost much more than 7 mil.

 

[FabricDetails]

He's a legit number one defenseman but this guy shouldn't cost much more than 7 mil.

"Canada tax", perhaps leveraged in the negotiation?

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

"Canada tax", perhaps leveraged in the negotiation?

Possibly. Holland is also paying the, "Please don't leave me standing here like Adam Larsson" tax.

The Werenski and Jones contracts are f***ing things up for everyone. Both of those guys were slight to massive overpays that screwed up the top pair D market.

Hamilton's contract is about ballpark for a legit #1 scoring defenseman who has strong underlying metrics and a consistent record of performing. 6 of his 9 seasons he scored 40+ points, including scoring at a 62 point pace last year, and a 69 point pace the year before while consistently scoring double digits in goals. I take him at 9 million over Jones and Werenski. And I sure as hell take him over Darnell Nurse.

 

[jkutswings]

The 2021 approach to NHL free agency:

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

The 2021 approach to NHL free agency:

Sad but true.

I think this offseason is one where teams will look back at it 3 or 4 years from now and wish they didn't give certain players a big payday. I could imagine a buyout or three coming in a few years, and some teams gutting themselves to get under the cap.

 

[jkutswings]

Sad but true.

I think this offseason is one where teams will look back at it 3 or 4 years from now and wish they didn't give certain players a big payday. I could imagine a buyout or three coming in a few years, and some teams gutting themselves to get under the cap.

And the other aspect is that you can't put the genie back in the bottle. Going forward, every good defenseman around the league who's coming up for a new contract will cite these comparables and ask for a king's ransom.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

And the other aspect is that you can't put the genie back in the bottle. Going forward, every good defenseman around the league who's coming up for a new contract will cite these comparables and ask for a king's ransom.

Also sad but true. It all but guarantees that Seider will be our top paid player moving forward. (Which I don't mind) but what we're not seeing much of is an increase in the pay of middle and bottom pair D. Oleksiak and Larsson got under $5 million each. Savard got less than 4 million to play in Montreal.

Also bottom pair guys are still getting paid about the same. Murray got 2 mil (at a discount) Bogosian went for less than a mil (discount) and so on. That's a good sign for us considering we're probably going to have a rotating stable of UFA Dmen for another couple of seasons.

 

[Winger98]

But it's not that Hamilton (or Nurse) don't deserve a raise. It's that teams like Edmonton in particular already struggle with assembling a roster around their high end talent. Cap hits like these aren't exactly helping with the need to add depth.

If 9M is the new normal for a good defenseman, then a lot more teams will run into the Toronto/Edmonton problems with cap structure.

Edmonton needed to draft better the past five years. With Nurse (Hamilton, etc.), though, the alternative is to let them walk or deal them - which isn't really an option for a lot of teams if they don't want to take a step back.

Dougie Hamilton's production has been pretty consistent.

Nurse saw a spike in shooting % and goals this last season that gave him a pretty good bump from the previous 3-4 years.

I don't think its nearly as bad, but it reminds me of Kenny rushing to extend Abdelkader after putting together a career year. That would kind of be my concern here.

Nurse could play on my team any day, but there is potential for that contract to look ugly for sure.

Hamilton has been more productive, but I also don't think he has the all-around or physical game that Nurse has. I think we're just seeing the new norm for #1 D who can do what Nurse does (23+ minutes a night, all situations, 40+ points). If Seider becomes anything similar to what we hope he can be, I think we're just going to have to come to terms with the idea that he's going to be paid a lot of money, and fairly quickly in his career.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I would rather pay Nurse that than Hamilton. But it is a gamble. I care about this because of what I think it will mean with Seider shortly.