GDT: End of Season Press Conference | 12:30pm | Allvin & Tocchet

[tantalum]

Maybe he can picture himself as a good fit in Rick’s system with a summer of weight training and skating work. In a well functioning system with everyone playing their part there is room for guys to not all be Donovan Bailey. He is someone I can see playing fast as in snappy and decisive as opposed to being fast.

That's the important thing to remember. It isn't really about foot speed especially for skilled players. It's about positioning and decision making. The puck moves faster than the feet. For your less skilled players speed becomes a bit more important I think as a good chunk of those shifts are going to be dump and chase.

But you need a minimum level of speed and fitness. Right now that is where Boeser is failing. I don't expect him to be a fast skater but you see glimpses that he can have a decent skating pace. But it is only glimpses. That's either a conditioning thing or he has trouble getting his legs to fire due to injury (back or hip). Nothing right now suggests injury issues so I lean towards fitness. He sorts that out he can be an effective player because, in general, throughout his career his positioning on the ice has been very, very good.

 

[kranuck]

Allvin is not going to do a buyout basically.

OEL is starting as 2nd LHD beside Hronek and we're going to bleed goals in the first few games of the year as that pairing drowns. Confirmed

Starting whining about your own predictions as fact.

Amazing.

That is quite something.

edit.

How on earth do they expect to make the playoffs next year without getting OEL off the books?

Better goaltending would be a big start. They have improved the defense.

I think they are banking on OEL bouncing back closer to tthe level he was two years ago. They are kind of asking less of him now that he won't have to play with Myers.

I dunno, Benning handcuffed them so damn badly.

Allvin mentions he doesn't think any Russians are going back to Russia this offseason based on what he knows right now.

This is surprising to me and I don't know if this will be 100% true.

Mass conscription for their fascist dictators war. A bunch of 20-someethings not wanting to go home in that environment makes a lot of sense.

 

[kranuck]

The hated Drance is one of the few people who actually asks legit questions.

He asks legit questions but there is no answer that won't be turned into a whiny rant.

f***ing hate Drance. So sick of his shit.

Kuzmenko is probably the only guy who feels safe going back given that he has a military exemption due to his indigenous ancestry.

Didn't they just get rid fo a ton of exemptions and put in draconian conscription laws?

 

[MarkMM]

Not been a fan of Allvin but liked pretty much everything he said and how he handled that; feeling better about things, but a lot will come down on whether he can offload Boeser / Myers if they're not buying out OEL.

 

[kranuck]

For some reason I thought there was a riciprocal
Between the two leagues to not sign players under contract.

At this point why would the NHL live up to any deals with the KHL?

Russia is a failing pariah state. f*** 'em. Hire a team to smuggle out anyone with talent.

 

[MS]

Has there ever been a team that hasn't claimed this?

The Benning regime literally advertised the opposite of this with their Accelerated Development! press release.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Perhaps and I think mentally for sure. The issue with this player is that it has seemingly been EVERY offseason prep. Seems to simply rely on the Da Beauty League to get ready for the season.

Training with Real Gud in the offseason.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Starting whining about your own predictions as fact.

Amazing.

Better goaltending would be a big start. They have improved the defense.

I think they are banking on OEL bouncing back closer to tthe level he was two years ago. They are kind of asking less of him now that he won't have to play with Myers.

I dunno, Benning handcuffed them so damn badly.


Mass conscription for their fascist dictators war. A bunch of 20-someethings not wanting to go home in that environment makes a lot of sense.

Are you okay?

You seem to call everyone whiners alot.

Maybe you need a break from following the team or these forums?

He asks legit questions but there is no answer that won't be turned into a whiny rant.

f***ing hate Drance. So sick of his shit.

Like I said in that other post...

Maybe you are just tired of this team and what its happening with it?

You seem to think everyone who disagrees with your (rather simplistic) takes is apparently "whining."


Take a breather and come back invigorated.

 

[LuckyDay]

I'm pretty sure the NHL is no longer honoring this agreement due to the war in the Ukraine.
Remember, there were players, some that had NHL contracts I think, that managed to get fake or foreign passports to sneak out of Russia so they could earn a $1m paycheque instead of dieing.
Even still, the gov't there would likely like having the money from the rich athlete sent back home given their bad economy. Back in the CCCP days, the ballet and sports teams were a big source of foreign currency for them.

 

[kranuck]

Are you okay?

You seem to call everyone whiners alot.

Maybe you need a break from following the team or these forums?


Like I said in that other post...

Maybe you are just tired of this team and what its happening with it?

You seem to think everyone who disagrees with your (rather simplistic) takes is apparently "whining."


Take a breather and come back invigorated.

The whining is endless and completely thoughtless. it's the same tantrum again and again and again.

"WHY GM MAN NO SAY MAGIC R WORD? WHY TEAM NOT DELIBERATELY SUCK?"

Sick of it.

 

[MS]

The whining is endless and completely thoughtless. it's the same tantrum again and again and again.

"WHY GM MAN NO SAY MAGIC R WORD? WHY TEAM NOT DELIBERATELY SUCK?"

Sick of it.

Like, we just saw Quinn Hughes level up and provide Norris-type play down the stretch which is something this franchise has been waiting for for 53 years ... and people are OUTRAGED about it because this young player levelling up and dominating in huge icetime is slightly lowering a draft pick, which is apparently the only thing that matters.

I honestly can't even.

 

[Gurn]

The amount of people whining, about the amount of people that are whining; is almost going to turn me into a bitcher.

Can you all please cut it out?!

 

[m9]

Like, we just saw Quinn Hughes level up and provide Norris-type play down the stretch which is something this franchise has been waiting for for 53 years ... and people are OUTRAGED about it because this young player levelling up and dominating in huge icetime is slightly lowering a draft pick, which is apparently the only thing that matters.

I honestly can't even.

It's weird that you can't separate the two things.

People can still be happy that Hughes "leveled up" while being frustrated that this team is on a multi-year streak of not making the playoffs while still not getting a top pick.

I would also be very wary about throwing around "level up" every time a player has a good run of games. It was thrown around after Miller got his 99 points. It was thrown around again after Horvat had his hot streak earlier this year. We'll see with Hughes, but an excellent 2nd half of meaningless games isn't enough to state this as fact. That being said, I'm more confident with Hughes than the other two names it got thrown around for.

The amount of people whining, about the amount of people that are whining; is almost going to turn me into a bitcher.

Can you all please cut it out?!

It's been the same thing for a half-decade or more. Many people are frustrated by how bad the team is and some people still defending management and falling back on "the core". The names have moved around a bit, but it's all the same.

 

[Cancuks]

OEL was never any good. He had a couple of good offensive seasons 7 or 8 years ago but his defensive game was always terrible. Now that he's lost his offense, he's become useless because he doesn't have the hockey sense to play solid defense. If we can't buy him out then perhaps we can trade him for another bum who at least knows his role - Vlasic. Maybe OEL would like to go help Karlsson with the tank.

 

[MS]

It's weird that you can't separate the two things.

People can still be happy that Hughes "leveled up" while being frustrated that this team is on a multi-year streak of not making the playoffs while still not getting a top pick.

I would also be very wary about throwing around "level up" every time a player has a good run of games. It was thrown around after Miller got his 99 points. It was thrown around again after Horvat had his hot streak earlier this year. We'll see with Hughes, but an excellent 2nd half of meaningless games isn't enough to state this as fact. That being said, I'm more confident with Hughes than the other two names it got thrown around for.

I mean, the usage and the breakout are intrinsically interconnected. Do you think Hughes breaks out if he's getting his minutes cut with Boudreau still as coach and the team trying to lose games? I sure as hell don't.

Obviously there are no guarantees. But we just had a 23 y/o defender play the best 40-game segment (by a mile) by any defender in the 53-year history of this franchise. If he can do that for a full season next year, he'll be a Norris finalist. But people spent the last two much whining incessantly about WHY IS HUGHES PLAYING SO MUCH in every GDT and every thread on this board because to them a couple spots of draft position >>> having a young player break out as a superstar in superstar minutes.

It's absolutely f***ing mindboggling to me.

 

[4Twenty]

Quinn Hughes has always been good.

The “leveling up” is being exaggerated.

Quinn Hughes - Summary - Natural Stat Trick

www.naturalstattrick.com

 

[VanillaCoke]

Imagine calling Hughes Norris level for any of stretch of time this year, and especially during the softest schedule of meaningless games, playing huge mins , and against backup goalies.. wow

Actual Norris level defense is a clear level (or two) above.

We'll find out the next few years if Quinn is even the best Hughes Dman in the league.

 

[Kevinsane]

Thinking OEL will bounce back to the player he was in Arizona is like having faith that Eric Cartman will finally slim down.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Like, we just saw Quinn Hughes level up and provide Norris-type play down the stretch which is something this franchise has been waiting for for 53 years ... and people are OUTRAGED about it because this young player levelling up and dominating in huge icetime is slightly lowering a draft pick, which is apparently the only thing that matters.

I honestly can't even.

Yes. It was those 4-5 minutes per game the final 3 - 4 weeks that made him level up.

Great point you are again making.

 

[MS]

Yes. It was those 4-5 minutes per game the final 3 - 4 weeks that made him level up.

Great point you are again making.

Do you honestly think that Hughes levels up if they're cutting his minutes under Boudreau on a team with no structure trying to lose?

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Wonder how many bets Tocchet has placed with players on their condition going into next season.

 

[Ernie]

Thinking OEL will bounce back to the player he was in Arizona is like having faith that Eric Cartman will finally slim down.

The question isn't whether he bounces back to his previous form, the question is whether a buyout is worth it? In other words, will he be a player worth $9.7m over the final four years of his contract?

I'd argue probably not, but it's not clear cut. I'd think a player of his ability could probably rebound to that level, but his health issues are also a concern.

On the other hand, his health issues could also lead to a LTIRetirement, which may be what management is hoping for.

 

[Nomobo]

At this point why would the NHL live up to any deals with the KHL?

Russia is a failing pariah state. f*** 'em. Hire a team to smuggle out anyone with talent.

Okay. So, you mean like a special forces type of operation to smuggle all Russian athletes out of the country? So, we don’t really care which way they lean politically? As long as they’re good at hockey? And then we process them in a special draft?

 

[Nucker101]

Not buying that Hughes needed 3-4 extra minutes to level up. If anything it hurt his production during the last 2-3 weeks of the season.

I’ll buy that Hughes played better under Tocchet due to changes made by how the team was coached, not due to usage.

 

[EverTheCynic]

Imagine calling Hughes Norris level for any of stretch of time this year, and especially during the softest schedule of meaningless games, playing huge mins , and against backup goalies.. wow

Actual Norris level defense is a clear level (or two) above.

We'll find out the next few years if Quinn is even the best Hughes Dman in the league.

Bruh, they're gonna give the Norris to Karlsson this year.