Around the NHL - the deadline is around the corner

[Honour Over Glory]

The Caps we’re favourites when they got Shattenkirk too

Unless Muzzin can play vezina level in goal, that 1 addition is not enough to fix their warts.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Unless Muzzin can play vezina level in goal, that 1 addition is not enough to fix their warts.

Andersen is pretty good. If he is off they are pretty much screwed though.

Trades for contenders during the season are to round things out more but whoever plays the best in the playoffs usually wins.

It’s a good move for Toronto because he’s a really good D man and signed at a good rate next season as they will be in cap trouble but doesn’t mean they’re favourites now because of one move.

Tampa last year and Caps year before got a great D man in and it didn’t put them over the top.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Andersen is pretty good. If he is off they are pretty much screwed though.

Trades for contenders during the season are to round things out more but whoever plays the best in the playoffs usually wins.

It’s a good move for Toronto because he’s a really good D man and signed at a good rate next season as they will be in cap trouble but doesn’t mean they’re favourites now because of one move.

Tampa last year and Caps year before got a great D man in and it didn’t put them over the top.

Fred is pretty Jekyl and Hyde though, there's a lot about him that gives me Fleury breakdown vibes, you know?

 

[NMK11]

How can you be a favorite if you've never won a round? I'd say Tampa and the Caps are the favorites.

Then you're not watching the Leafs. They have an incredible forward depth, Tavares is finally on a good team, and they're big deficiency was on defense and goaltending. They made a big step toward the former. If they get even average goaltending they're going to be a handful.

The Caps we’re favourites when they got Shattenkirk too

Well, yeah, they were. But that's why we play the games. I'm not handing anyone anything yet, just saying there are two teams that are distancing themselves from the rest.

Lots of teams with money have bought the best players over the years. Few of them have won it all.

See above.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

As someone pointed out already, Shatts was also a big add, it's all about how well Muzzin fits that will move the gauge on how worried I am about the Leafs as a noise maker in the playoffs.

For now, good move on paper, on ice...we'll have to see.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Fred is pretty Jekyl and Hyde though, there's a lot about him that gives me Fleury breakdown vibes, you know?

Yeah he seems better this season but that could just be the team being better too. They’ve started him 66 games in each of the last 2 seasons and would have been this season except he missed over 3 weeks. I think that’s too much going into the playoffs.

 

[KIRK]

Muzzin to Toronto. If Toronto gets even average goaltending it's them and Tampa as the favorites out of the east right now.

Muzzin helps Toronto. He doesn't make them favorites in the east.

 

[Icarium]

All I know is that if the Leafs fail to get out of the first round once again these boards will crash for sure.

 

[vikingGoalie]

Fleury is gonna run out of gas by the playoffs, the guy has played 45 out of 52 games this season! that's nuts. He's always been a workhorse but just sayin.
Wonder if they would like Jarry and ? to pry away a center...

 

[MeinerEiner]

It's gonna be interesting to see how the Leafs will manage the cap next season.

 

[Tom Hanks]

It's gonna be interesting to see how the Leafs will manage the cap next season.

Sure will. Muzzin is good insurance if they have to walk away from Gardiner though (at least for 1 more season)

 

[NMK11]

Muzzin helps Toronto. He doesn't make them favorites in the east.

Out of curiosity, who would you put over them? TB for sure, and maybe the Capitals but for whatever reason the games I've caught of theirs they haven't looked as dominant. Maybe with the SC monkey off their back they are taking the I-don't-care-about-the-regular-season approach. But who else? NYI? Columbus? Us? The first two have less high end talent that I think you need to be considered a favorite, and until we get a 3C who can help us match with depth we're a half-step below TB, Toronto, and maybe the Caps.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Buffalo against CBJ tonight.

Who the heck are your suppose to root for in that game as a Pens fan?

I guess anything, but a 3 point game.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Buffalo against CBJ tonight.

Who the heck are your suppose to root for in that game as a Pens fan?

I guess anything, but a 3 point game.

I think we’ll finish 2nd in the Metro with CBJ and the Caps battling out for 3rd. I would bet the Easten finalists don’t change just the order.

 

[cheesedanish87]

I think we’ll finish 2nd in the Metro with CBJ and the Caps battling out for 3rd. I would bet the Easten finalists don’t change just the order.

Your expecting the Isles to win the division?

I'd be pretty surprised if they won the division, i think you will see the NYI cool off and the Caps will end up winning the division like they do every year.

I got no idea what's going to happen with CBJ, so many unknowns with that team right now because you don't know what they are going to do with Bob and Panarin.

 

[KIRK]

Out of curiosity, who would you put over them? TB for sure, and maybe the Capitals but for whatever reason the games I've caught of theirs they haven't looked as dominant. Maybe with the SC monkey off their back they are taking the I-don't-care-about-the-regular-season approach. But who else? NYI? Columbus? Us? The first two have less high end talent that I think you need to be considered a favorite, and until we get a 3C who can help us match with depth we're a half-step below TB, Toronto, and maybe the Caps.

That's about where I was before the deal . . . and after. Adding Muzzin definitely makes that team better and narrows the gap with TB a little, but it does not make them the favorite.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Your expecting the Isles to win the division?

I'd be pretty surprised if they won the division, i think you will see the NYI cool off and the Caps will end up winning the division like they do every year.

I got no idea what's going to happen with CBJ, so many unknowns with that team right now because you don't know what they are going to do with Bob and Panarin.

Yeah I think they can. They have the lowest goals against in the league right now. Goalies are playing well in this system. If they can get some better scoring forward depth they will be a team to really watch out for.

Yeah CBJ are in a tough spot. They won’t sign Bob and if they can’t sign Panarin do they trade because I don’t think they can go far this season but a quick retool might help for next season. They should make the playoffs anyway so financially it shouldn’t hurt the business side of things.

 

[BHD]

The addition of Muzzin could (could) bump Hainsey down the depth chart. That alone would make them more competitive. I still prefer Tampa's and Boston's defense more, but Toronto's is passable now.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

The addition of Muzzin could (could) bump Hainsey down the depth chart. That alone would make them more competitive. I still prefer Tampa's and Boston's defense more, but Toronto's is passable now.

Toronto's defense is good at moving the puck, but I still question how effective it is at preventing goals. All one has to see is how bad they look whenever Andersen is either hurt or just playing average. They usually give up a boatload of goals.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Toronto's defense is good at moving the puck, but I still question how effective it is at preventing goals. All one has to see is how bad they look whenever Andersen is either hurt or just playing average. They usually give up a boatload of goals.

Yeah they gave up 2.7 goals a game before Andersen was injured. In his absence and since his return (which he has been up and down coming back from the groin injury) it’s now at 3.2 goals against.

They should be trying their hardest to get a good back up so they don’t have to play him so much. I won’t be sad if they don’t

 

[NMK11]

That's about where I was before the deal . . . and after. Adding Muzzin definitely makes that team better and narrows the gap with TB a little, but it does not make them the favorite.

I never said they were THE favirite, just a favorite. You can't say a team is top 3 in the conference and not be a favorite.

 

[KIRK]

I never said they were THE favirite, just a favorite. You can't say a team is top 3 in the conference and not be a favorite.

I took what you wrote to mean Toronto is on par with Tampa after the Muzzin move. I don't see it. I see Tampa on it's own level, then the Caps and Leafs a notch below. Of course, that's rotisserie stuff. Someone COULD get hot down the stretch, and it's a whole new game.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Yeah they gave up 2.7 goals a game before Andersen was injured. In his absence and since his return (which he has been up and down coming back from the groin injury) it’s now at 3.2 goals against.

They should be trying their hardest to get a good back up so they don’t have to play him so much. I won’t be sad if they don’t

In fairness to them, that's the kind of defense I kind of wish JR would have aimed to build. A good puck moving defense whose defensive warts can be hidden somewhat by strong team play and clutch goaltending.

When I see our defense's inability to move the puck when Letang's pairing isn't on the ice, I wonder how much better our team would be if we had Rielly, Gardiner, Dermott, and now Muzzin moving the puck up to the forwards.

 

[KIRK]

In fairness to them, that's the kind of defense I kind of wish JR would have aimed to build. A good puck moving defense whose defensive warts can be hidden somewhat by strong team play and clutch goaltending.

When I see our defense's inability to move the puck when Letang's pairing isn't on the ice, I wonder how much better our team would be if we had Rielly, Gardiner, Dermott, and now Muzzin moving the puck up to the forwards.

I'm old enough to remember when JR building a 'flawed' defense like that was key to a pair of cup wins.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'm old enough to remember when JR building a 'flawed' defense like that was key to a pair of cup wins.

Exactly. We've seen how strong commitment to team defense can cover for the flaws of a defense corps defensively. Unfortunately, we're also seeing that puck moving flaws of said defense corps can't be covered up by even elite talent up front.

Sort of like the cliche about how you can teach defense but not offense when drafting a kid with natural talent over a hard worker with no skill.