News Article: Around the NHL

[LadyStanley]

Good luck

 

[CupInSIX]

If I'm Kelly McCrimmon I wait until Seattle comes calling, then eventually...back home with the Jets. I mean Cheveldayoff can't stick around forever.

I hope Kelly sticks around here a couple more years at least though.

All right well...it may be time to listen to @MordedGK on Panarin. Dude is as available as available gets IMO. Nabbing him would be huge in trying to get Gusev to come over.

Though on the other hand, trying to afford his next contract might be problematic.

I was thinking more as a free agent though. I would hope he's learned his lesson about trading on deadline day.
Besides which, I think if Haula comes back in April that should be considered an addition. With him, Pirri and Stastny getting back that's a lot of forwards added since December. I'd love to see what this team can do with Haula-Eakin-Smith as a 3rd line. Unlimited power!

 

[HanSolo]

If I'm Kelly McCrimmon I wait until Seattle comes calling, then eventually...back home with the Jets. I mean Cheveldayoff can't stick around forever.

I hope Kelly sticks around here a couple more years at least though.



I was thinking more as a free agent though. I would hope he's learned his lesson about trading on deadline day.
Besides which, I think if Haula comes back in April that should be considered an addition. With him, Pirri and Stastny getting back that's a lot of forwards added since December. I'd love to see what this team can do with Haula-Eakin-Smith as a 3rd line. Unlimited power!

Convince Panarin to sign a sweetheart cup chasing deal, use that to leverage Gusev overseas

Marchy-Wild Bill-Tuch
Panarin-Stastny-Gusev
Patches-Haula-Smith
Pirri-Eakin-Reaves

I'm drooling just thinking about it.

 

[mundyc3]

Convince Panarin to sign a sweetheart cup chasing deal, use that to leverage Gusev overseas

Marchy-Wild Bill-Tuch
Panarin-Stastny-Gusev
Patches-Haula-Smith
Pirri-Eakin-Reaves

I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Haula and Pacioretty was a disaster.

 

[CupInSIX]

Haula and Pacioretty was a disaster.

Everyone that wasn't a 4th liner or MAF was a disaster at that point in the season.

 

[CupInSIX]

Convince Panarin to sign a sweetheart cup chasing deal, use that to leverage Gusev overseas

Marchy-Wild Bill-Tuch
Panarin-Stastny-Gusev
Patches-Haula-Smith
Pirri-Eakin-Reaves

I'm drooling just thinking about it.

That's like an 85m team tho

(and what have you done with the Glassman? You gotta have both Codys)

 

[Vegan Knight]

You want to trade Smith for a 4 month rental?

I made mention we would of course get a feel from whether he would be willing to re-sign here (seems likely Vegas could offer him the lifestyle he might want and could work out a competitive offer with a Cup contending team and lower taxes and the comfort of already playing there).

Top line, and Smith in particular, has not worked like a top line all year and he has spent a fair amount of time both years on the shelf. Smith is the one who will either underperform, be injured or be solid but unspectacular among that group.

We have a lot of options moving forward among top six wingers already (Gusev, Haula, Pirri as options for next season, and Glass moving forward beyond that) I wouldn't be averse to taking the risk if it allowed us to snag our first truly elite skater with a good chance of signing him long term.

 

[IceNeophyte]

I made mention we would of course get a feel from whether he would be willing to re-sign here (seems likely Vegas could offer him the lifestyle he might want and could work out a competitive offer with a Cup contending team and lower taxes and the comfort of already playing there).

Top line, and Smith in particular, has not worked like a top line all year and he has spent a fair amount of time both years on the shelf. Smith is the one who will either underperform, be injured or be solid but unspectacular among that group.

We have a lot of options moving forward among top six wingers already (Gusev, Haula, Pirri as options for next season, and Glass moving forward beyond that) I wouldn't be averse to taking the risk if it allowed us to snag our first truly elite skater with a good chance of signing him long term.

One of the things I look at most keenly when I'm watching a game back is how they're playing when they aren't scoring. Smith is a key piece of the line still, and the fact that neither Tuch nor Pirri has made that line perform any better in Smith's absence should give that observation credence. Smith is a master on the boards, particularly on the PK, where I think we most miss him right now. The two players on the team that I can rely on to either pull the puck off the boards in the backcheck or be the first on the puck in the forecheck are Smith and Reaves. If, as a team, you can't possess the puck, NO ONE is going to score.

Honestly, if I had to cash one person in on that line for a Panarin, it would be Marchy. He's competitive, he's fun to watch, but he's small and constantly gets knocked off the puck, and he'll almost always pick even a bad shot at the goal over a pass to a more open linemate. Smith has a good combo of size and speed that I wouldn't want to abandon based on a single tepid season. According to a recent article I saw somewhere, his teammates, to a person, name him as the best player among the skaters VGK has.

If we could get pre-arranged terms of extension with Panarin like we did with Patches, I'd trade just about anyone on our team, but I don't think that's going to happen and I don't think Vegas is on Panarin's short list of desirable destinations. I don't like the idea of gambling an established and happy forward on the possibility of bringing him as rental and having him fall in love with the organization and community. I would hate the team to be out both Reilly and Artemi on July 1. Pirri is nowhere near a replacement for Smith, and Gusev is another example of counting a chicken that ain't hatched.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Everyone that wasn't a 4th liner or MAF was a disaster at that point in the season.

Still, Stast-Patches-Tuch is looking good, why would we break that up?

Actually, Stast and Patches made Pirri look like an MVP.....

 

[Vegan Knight]

One of the things I look at most keenly when I'm watching a game back is how they're playing when they aren't scoring. Smith is a key piece of the line still, and the fact that neither Tuch nor Pirri has made that line perform any better in Smith's absence should give that observation credence. Smith is a master on the boards, particularly on the PK, where I think we most miss him right now. The two players on the team that I can rely on to either pull the puck off the boards in the backcheck or be the first on the puck in the forecheck are Smith and Reaves. If, as a team, you can't possess the puck, NO ONE is going to score.

Honestly, if I had to cash one person in on that line for a Panarin, it would be Marchy. He's competitive, he's fun to watch, but he's small and constantly gets knocked off the puck, and he'll almost always pick even a bad shot at the goal over a pass to a more open linemate. Smith has a good combo of size and speed that I wouldn't want to abandon based on a single tepid season. According to a recent article I saw somewhere, his teammates, to a person, name him as the best player among the skaters VGK has.

If we could get pre-arranged terms of extension with Panarin like we did with Patches, I'd trade just about anyone on our team, but I don't think that's going to happen and I don't think Vegas is on Panarin's short list of desirable destinations. I don't like the idea of gambling an established and happy forward on the possibility of bringing him as rental and having him fall in love with the organization and community. I would hate the team to be out both Reilly and Artemi on July 1. Pirri is nowhere near a replacement for Smith, and Gusev is another example of counting a chicken that ain't hatched.

I think Smith is a good player but nowhere near the best skater we have. Marchessault drives that line and his points are very valuable considering not many of our players are putting up much.

I also don't know if I agree about Smith and Reaves being the only guys going to/ can go to the boards or keeping possession. Tuch and Eakin go to those areas, we have a lot of forecheckers.

I agree though that Pirri or Haula are downgrades on Smith but I really think Panarin would be open to stay here or we wouldn't consider giving up something like Smith.

Big city with stuff to entertain, close to LA, exciting team that is loved, Cup contender, cap space and low taxes. The team has quickly become a premier franchise, I think we would only be missing a friend on the team as far as reasons for him to want to stay with VGK.

 

[IceNeophyte]

I think Smith is a good player but nowhere near the best skater we have. Marchessault drives that line and his points are very valuable considering not many of our players are putting up much.

I also don't know if I agree about Smith and Reaves being the only guys going to/ can go to the boards or keeping possession. Tuch and Eakin go to those areas, we have a lot of forecheckers.

I agree though that Pirri or Haula are downgrades on Smith but I really think Panarin would be open to stay here or we wouldn't consider giving up something like Smith.

Big city with stuff to entertain, close to LA, exciting team that is loved, Cup contender, cap space and low taxes. The team has quickly become a premier franchise, I think we would only be missing a friend on the team as far as reasons for him to want to stay with VGK.

Marchessault makes a lot of bad decisions. Among them are risky passes that cause turnovers, and he has a lot of points because it seems he is on a mission to be the scoring alpha this year, and that isn't good for the team if he is shooting when a pass is a better play.

As to whether Smith is the best player, I'll defer to his teammates on that. Eakin is really good on the forechexk, almost as good as Smith. I don't see Tuch as one of our best possession guys, though.

 

[LadyStanley]

First domino falls.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Well we don't have to worry about Bjugstad tomorrow.

 

[BattleBorn]

Well we don't have to worry about Bjugstad tomorrow.

Just former Golden Knights center Derick Brassard.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Just former Golden Knights center Derick Brassard.

Yeah, I miss him on our roster. That 30 seconds was a hell of a run.

 

[mundyc3]

Just former Golden Knights center Derick Brassard.

Either I am totally missing the joke/reference or this never happened.

Edit the salary, now I remember.

 

[HanSolo]

Lol Florida trades Bjugstad, the reason we got Marchy and Smith.

That's like an 85m team tho

(and what have you done with the Glassman? You gotta have both Codys)

I expect Glass to start in the AHL next season tbh.

 

[CupInSIX]

Bjugstad & McCann literally just joined the Penguins for their game tonight - during the anthems they got to the bench.

That's a new one.

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[Nevada Jones]

She's great! If I wasn't already married (and old enough to be her father)...

 

[LadyStanley]

Gritty is everywhere

 

[mundyc3]

Gritty is everywhere

Nancy and Chuckie working? Hahahaha.

 

[CupInSIX]

Copely re-signed 3 years 1.1m AAV.
I guess this means we can re-sign Subban 2 years around 850k.

 

[CupInSIX]

Holy smokes Matthews 11.63m (mostly signing bonuses) for just 5 years.

So glad McPhee locked up Theodore, Schmitty and Tuch.

 

[willy702]

Holy smokes Matthews 11.63m (mostly signing bonuses) for just 5 years.

So glad McPhee locked up Theodore, Schmitty and Tuch.

If we had the second best player in the league we'd have to pay that kind of money too. These guys are good fits for us and have nice future upside, but they are not Mattews.