League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) - 2021-2 Regular Season Edition, Vol. 2

[Hivemind]

The trade up and Vanecek pick were considered a questionable reach the day it happened, and history hasn’t done a whole lot to change that narrative. There was a mini-run on goalies before they traded up to grab VV, which made it seem like a panic move. But even if they were going to move to grab a goalie, VV was not projected to be a 2nd round pick just about anywhere. So if you’re gonna reach on a goalie there, at least try and come away with one of the best remaining. The fact that so many later goalies drafted have surpassed Vanecek makes the trade and pick look rather poor.

 

[twabby]

So they're actually going to have the all-star game?

Why would any player actually go to it if it means potentially getting COVID and being out for 5+ days?

I uh, don't get this decision by the league.

 

[895]

The optics of cancelling the Olympics and having an ASG is not great. Players are gonna be furious.

 

[Hivemind]

“You can’t play best on best for national pride, but we will suspend you a game if you don’t show up to this 3on3 exhibition game”

 

[ovikovy817]

They should cancel ASG and play some of the ppd regular season games instead.
But this is the NHL...

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

They also traded up for Vanecek, which always suggested to me that they were interested in Demko & Nedeljkovic who went a few picks earlier and scrambled to that run rather than coveting Vanecek. Another goaltender in McDonald went before those two so a run had started and they didn't want to come away empty-handed. Vanecek seemed more like the best option in that tier/range at best. It seemed to hinge on his U18 performance alongside Vrana but he was never considered on the level of Demko or Ned. Interestingly the Rangers did take another goaltender in the second round in Halverson who never amounted to much.

I think Scott Murray deserves the scrutiny he gets mostly because he lacks the track record compared to his predecessors. It's on the goalies to be consistent but on a technical level it's hard to be convinced he's maximizing them.

We don’t know if Vanny was their main target but the run on goalies and their trade up does make you wonder. Another question is, if they got their guy in 2014 (assuming it wasn’t Vanny), do they still take Samsonov in 2015 or do they go a different direction that draft? Interesting to think about. I remember some people here being high on Boeser, Konency, Merkley, Forsbacka Karlson, and others that year. I think a bunch of people liked Sebastian Aho as well but he’s a Finn so we knew that was a nonstarter.

 

[Hivemind]

We don’t know if Vanny was their main target but the run on goalies and their trade up does make you wonder. Another question is, if they got their guy in 2014 (assuming it wasn’t Vanny), do they still take Samsonov in 2015 or do they go a different direction that draft? Interesting to think about. I remember some people here being high on Boeser, Konency, Merkley, Forsbacka Karlson, and others that year. I think a bunch of people liked Sebastian Aho as well but he’s a Finn so we knew that was a nonstarter.

They made the trade after Demko and Ned had already been taken, so Vitek better have been their guy.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

They made the trade after Demko and Ned had already been taken, so Vitek better have been their guy.

Maybe one of them was their guy and they felt they had to get someone and Vitek was next on their list, so he wasn’t their guy but he was the best they could have gotten.

 

[shtorm2005]

The optics of cancelling the Olympics and having an ASG is not great. Players are gonna be furious.

They voted against Olympics and now they are furious? Make sense

 

[IafrateOvie34]

The optics of cancelling the Olympics and having an ASG is not great. Players are gonna be furious.

I can't imagine watching the ASG. I think the last one I watched was early 90s.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

They should cancel ASG and play some of the ppd regular season games instead.
But this is the NHL...

The Gary Bettman NHL. Then again they had Eagleson who was a criminal, lol.

 

[Hivemind]

Maybe one of them was their guy and they felt they had to get someone and Vitek was next on their list, so he wasn’t their guy but he was the best they could have gotten.

If that's the case, I still question why they felt the need to trade up. VV wasn't projected to be a 2nd rounder. I've said it before in some of the discussions about GMBM's tendency to trade up in the draft, but I bet they could have not only got VV at 44th OA, but possibly even at 74 OA. And it also calls their targeting into question, considering that Elvis Merzlikins (76), Ilya Sorokin (78), Ville Husso (94), Kaapo Kahkonen (109), and Igor Shesterkin (118) were all available at the 3rd round pick (74) that they gave up. So why did they feel that VV was the next best option and so far ahead of that pack he was worth moving up for?

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Protas!

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

If that's the case, I still question why they felt the need to trade up. VV wasn't projected to be a 2nd rounder. I've said it before in some of the discussions about GMBM's tendency to trade up in the draft, but I bet they could have not only got VV at 44th OA, but possibly even at 74 OA. And it also calls their targeting into question, considering that Elvis Merzlikins (76), Ilya Sorokin (78), Ville Husso (94), Kaapo Kahkonen (109), and Igor Shesterkin (118) were all available at the 3rd round pick (74) that they gave up. So why did they feel that VV was the next best option and so far ahead of that pack he was worth moving up for?

Agree with all you wrote and it was kind of the basis for my post. That was a strong goaltending class and we didn’t get a bust but we didn’t get a franchise guy either.

In terms of trading up, Vitek isn’t the only head scratcher. Nathan Walker was always a strange one to me.

 

[um]

They voted against Olympics and now they are furious? Make sense

based on the players reactions, seems like they didn't vote at all.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I can't imagine watching the ASG. I think the last one I watched was early 90s.

literally the last decade where one was good….


Used to be such a treat….now it’s a sad event nobody tries hard at.

 

[g00n]

The ASG is the fashion show from SLAPSHOT. It's a shameless promo event to hype the league via the players.

The worst part is the always the bands. Barenaked Ladies, 3 Doors Down, and Fallout Boy really amp me up for some hockey, bro.

 

[twabby]

The ASG is the fashion show from SLAPSHOT. It's a shameless promo event to hype the league via the players.

The worst part is the always the bands. Barenaked Ladies, 3 Doors Down, and Fallout Boy really amp me up for some hockey, bro.

 

[Calicaps]

The ASG is the fashion show from SLAPSHOT. It's a shameless promo event to hype the league via the players.

The worst part is the always the bands. Barenaked Ladies, 3 Doors Down, and Fallout Boy really amp me up for some hockey, bro.

Every year. If you ever need confirmation that the NHL is 2nd tier sports league, the ASG/SCF bands are it.

 

[PlushMinus]

I’ll give him a few seasons before I proclaim him a future HOFer…

That's fair, but it's also true that Shesterkin already has a better career record than Samsonov and Vanacek.

 

[zappa4ever]

Malkin's return to NHL greeted with a 6-2 drubbing by LAK, lol

Crosby and the GCR line = nada
Malkin = nada (unless you want to count his penalty taken )

Kings get 4 in the 3rd incl 2 in 10 seconds (3 in 1:23)


and somehow CBJ doled out the what-for to CAR with a 6-0 shellacking

 

[Ridley Simon]

Should I know who that is?

 

[Ridley Simon]

Malkin's return to NHL greeted with a 6-2 drubbing by LAK, lol

Crosby and the GCR line = nada
Malkin = nada (unless you want to count his penalty taken )

Kings get 4 in the 3rd incl 2 in 10 seconds (3 in 1:23)


and somehow CBJ doled out the what-for to CAR with a 6-0 shellacking

He came back on Tuesday (game earlier than predicted), and had 3pts (2G) in their 4-1 win over the Ducks

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Every year. If you ever need confirmation that the NHL is 2nd tier sports league, the ASG/SCF bands are it.

16 year old me would have been pumped to see 3 Doors Down and Fall Out Boy. Throw in a little The Used, Story of the Year, and My Chemical Romance and you’ve essentially captured my high school years.

But I was a dumb ass in high school so maybe don’t brand your product for that population?

 

[twabby]

Should I know who that is?

No I had no idea who it was either until I looked them up. Def Leppard is way after my time.