What’s your unpopular hockey opinion?

[General Disarray]

While I'm patriotic and a fan of all Canadian teams, Winnipeg should not have a team and thank God Hamilton didn't get one. Neither should Buffalo. Carolina needs to be in Charlotte and Sharks in San Fransisco. We can do without Anaheim too. Having these small market teams kind of cheapens NHL's image.

 

[ToDavid]

Tampa Bay won’t win a cup in the near future. They don’t have the mental fortitude. They’re more akin to the San Jose Sharks than the Washington Capitals.

Your example of a team that has the mental fortitude to win the cup is the team that everyone claimed didn’t have the mental fortitude to win the cup for the better part of a decade, until they did.

Which is exactly why the whole narrative of playoff chokers and big game players is such a joke.

This seems contradictory to your point about body language. I would put those two things in the same useless pseudo-science analysis basket.

 

[WADEugottaBELAKthat]

Bettman is good for the game

 

[wavaxa2]

While I'm patriotic and a fan of all Canadian teams, Winnipeg should not have a team and thank God Hamilton didn't get one. Neither should Buffalo. Carolina needs to be in Charlotte and Sharks in San Fransisco. We can do without Anaheim too. Having these small market teams kind of cheapens NHL's image.

Other leagues have smaller markets as well (Green Bay, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Oakland). Not sure this argument holds.

 

[Dancing Plague]

Olympic hockey just isn't that entertaining.

I like Gary Bettman and side with the owners on most issues during lockouts.

The infatuation with hockey insiders completely eludes me, I think the league would be more interesting without them.

 

[FissionFire]

I think you may be referring more to flashiness than talent.

Because talent speaks for itself over a large sample size. Malkin is considered a top 3 player of his generation and he outplayed Crosby in a few seasons, but over the bulk of their career, most would say it heavily leans in Crosby's favor. More consistently dominant and the stats show it.

I disagree, but then again that’s why it’s an unpopular opinion.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Your example of a team that has the mental fortitude to win the cup is the team that everyone claimed didn’t have the mental fortitude to win the cup for the better part of a decade, until they did.

Which is exactly why the whole narrative of playoff chokers and big game players is such a joke.

This seems contradictory to your point about body language. I would put those two things in the same useless pseudo-science analysis basket.

When the going gets tough, the Lightning crumble.

I’m not betting on them to win a cup. I’ve been fooled for three years in a row.

I do think yeah, it’s a bit contradictory, but there’s a dude on HFOil that puts stock into a guys body's language during a press conference and I think it’s horse crap.

 

[Hisch13r]

If the Devils look like a playoff team then you do not move Hall even if he is unsigned by the deadline unless he flat out says he will not re-sign

When the going gets tough, the Lightning crumble.

I’m not betting on them to win a cup. I’ve been fooled for three years in a row.

I do think yeah, it’s a bit contradictory, but there’s a dude on HFOil that puts stock into a guys body's language during a press conference and I think it’s horse crap.

Sounds identical to what people said about the Blues and especially Caps. The truth is it's hard to win a Cup and just because a team didn't win it during a few year span that doesn't mean they can't

 

[Peasy]

Matthews will never be a top 10 player

Damn, would have never guessed you'd have any other opinion.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

If the Devils look like a playoff team then you do not move Hall even if he is unsigned by the deadline unless he flat out says he will not re-sign



Sounds identical to what people said about the Blues and especially Caps. The truth is it's hard to win a Cup and just because a team didn't win it during a few year span that doesn't mean they can't

I think defining whole teams as playoff chokers is impossible, there are far too many variables going at once to pin it on an entire team. And those variables change every year.

Now if he said a specific player like Steven Stamkos was going to choke in the playoffs, that I could definitely believe. It’s a lot easier to quantify when specific players crumble when the going gets tough, and Stamkos is a classic case of it.

 

[Johniac]

The Habs should be relocated to the southern US

 

[DowntownBooster]

While I'm patriotic and a fan of all Canadian teams, Winnipeg should not have a team and thank God Hamilton didn't get one. Neither should Buffalo. Carolina needs to be in Charlotte and Sharks in San Fransisco. We can do without Anaheim too. Having these small market teams kind of cheapens NHL's image.

Sure, that sounds real patriotic. Having those type of comments kind of cheapens HFBoards image.

 

[raymond23]

Idk if this is unpopular but the draft lottery is a f***ing joke.

 

[Rangers79]

Idk if this is unpopular but the draft lottery is a ****ing joke.

A lot of people hate it

I'm gonna go opposite and say it's fine. Bottom 15 teams having chances with the last team having the most chance for top pick works fine. Teams shouldn't be rewarded for tanking or being in last. At worst they'll get the 4th overall pick and even that's not too bad. Only people who don't like the draft are teams whose teams are run bad and always lose even though they constantly get top 5 picks.

 

[RaginRonic]

Nobody anywhere in the hockey world should agree with Gary Buttman's position at all on any matter, whether he's right or wrong. The hockey fanbase can't afford to keep him around for anything anymore.

Those who prop him up are weak-kneed, weak-willed whackos who lack the mental qualifications to exercise their own free will, I think. =P

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Svechnikov will be in top 5 players for the next decade

On the Canes? For sure.

 

[Foppberg]

Eichel is better than Matthews.

 

[Skolman]

Yeah totally, I mean who would want a 47 goal scorer on your team for 11 millions? That’s some terrible waste of money. He’s lucky he’s a local boy...

Why pay a 47 goal scorer 11 mil when you can get a 50 goal scorer for 8.5 mil?

As for my prediction.

Draisaitl could easily be an elite #1 Centre, if he had 2 top-6 wingers on his line.

 

[SnizzMitch]

Why pay a 47 goal scorer 11 mil when you can get a 50 goal scorer for 8.5 mil?

As for my prediction.

Draisaitl could easily be an elite #1 Centre, if he had 2 top-6 wingers on his line.

UFA vs RFA are two different things. And nobody knew Draisaitl could score 50 at the time he signed that contract....

 

[MoeBartoli]

Two items -
Aside from my own team winning the Cup, I think it’d be healthy to see a Canadian team win it (even if it’s the Leafs ).

I’d like to see Florida relocated to a more deserving Quebec City.

 

[Skolman]

UFA vs RFA are two different things. And nobody knew Draisaitl could score 50 at the time he signed that contract....

Clearly, Matthews was proof of that....

 

[Varan]

Auston Matthews is still one of the most overrated players, if not the most, in the NHL. He’s not a generational talent and isn’t top five let alone in his position.

Tampa Bay won’t win a cup in the near future. They don’t have the mental fortitude. They’re more akin to the San Jose Sharks than the Washington Capitals.

People on this forum overrate nostalgia: Datsyuk is a shining example. Or any player in the 1990s.

Analytics are useful and numbers don’t lie. It’s the people who use them in a very ****ty fashion, especially on this site, that do lie. Posting a chart and saying X player is bad, doesn’t explain your point. Stop being lazy and actually say WHY they’re bad BASED on the chart.

People who value body language above skill can’t assess **** all when it comes to sports.

Agree

Agree

Agree and disagree. Datsyuk is not long removed from the NHL and most of his damage was down after the lockout, but the point still stands.

Agree

Agree however I don't think I've ever seen someone on HF try to assess a player's worth with their body language. It's mainly for talking heads like Skip Bayless.

 

[SladeWilson23]

Making the draft where it rewards the bubble teams rather than rewarding the bottom feeders would NOT ruin the parity of the league.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

While I'm patriotic and a fan of all Canadian teams, Winnipeg should not have a team and thank God Hamilton didn't get one. Neither should Buffalo. Carolina needs to be in Charlotte and Sharks in San Fransisco. We can do without Anaheim too. Having these small market teams kind of cheapens NHL's image.

..how does it hurt their image? The NHL does plenty to make itself look bad, having successful small market teams isn't one of those things. Sabres and Carolina are fine. SJ's fanbase and location are amazing, why would they move? Just a weird one, this.

 

[Claypool]

NHL hockey was better pre-salary cap, from the physical play, the summer free agent signings, trades and star players.