The 2023 NHL Thread

[Toe]

How are people feeling with the new season officially starting (at least for 2 teams) tomorrow? 

I think the Leafs will be fine. I don't trust either of the goalies they've brought in, but I think at worst the Leafs have the firepower to still score their way to a playoff spot. Once we get to the postseason? Who knows.

[gunnar hendershow]

It feels like a pretty wide open season but they usually feel that way. The tankathon for Connor Bedard will be rather interesting as well, been a lot of prospects hyped for a year+ as the sure number 1 in the last few seasons but Bedard feels like the closest to Matthews and McDavid since their respective drafts. And this overall draft pool very deep, so consolation prizes abound.

If I were to predict a final it'd be Toronto vs Edmonton because both teams just feel like they have to get over that hump at some point. Far too much talent not to.

[Krabby]

I'm not sure the Wild got much better (or better at all) but I'm hoping Kaprizov continues to be a tour de force

[gunnar hendershow]

23 minutes ago, Krabby said:

I'm not sure the Wild got much better (or better at all) but I'm hoping Kaprizov continues to be a tour de force

Wild have been a very trendy pick for a team that drops off from where they were last year. I would agree they're probably not better than they were last year which typically spells out a rough or at least disappointing season.

[Ruki]

I'm ready to be hurt again.

[gunnar hendershow]

This feels like a true goodbye.

[Ruki]

7 hours ago, Ruki said:

I'm ready to be hurt again.

I didn't think it would be that quick.

Edit: spoke too soon!

 

Edit 2: I spoke too soon again!

[caucasianheat]

7 hours ago, Ruki said:

I'm ready to be hurt again.

Good to start early.

[Toe]

Toronto controlled good stretches of the game, but the powerplay just couldn't come together. That final goal by the Canadiens was one that Murray should definitely have stopped. Let's see what Samsonov has tonight. 

[Gabriel]

The Flames had the craziest off-season in franchise history and lost two of our most important players from last season.

I predict they finish 1st or 2nd in the Pacific and fall in the Conference Finals.

Surprisingly, I think this team is significantly better built for playoff success than last year's... but they didn't make that happen at the expense of making their regular season more difficult. Treliving pulled some Jericho-level wizardry to escape what could have been a hellish nightmare, and put the team in a much better position.

That said, I think Markstrom starts to get frustrated at some point. He wants to play more, not less... but the eye test and analytics both show that he needs to be better rested for the playoffs. Dan Vladar is the real deal and will have earned himself 20 to 30 games this season. The big question is, does Marky take it in stride and do what's best for the team.... or do him and Sutter choose to ride him too much and put us in a position where we HAVE to rely on Vladar, or worse, a position where Markstrom gets absolutely shelled again because he's tired and hurt?

[Toe]

One thing that these Leafs have had - and continue to have - is a dangerous penalty kill. They always seem to create chances. 

Samsonov let in a stinker last night but seemed to calm down after and looked OK. The Leafs also did a good job limiting quality chances against him.

[The Buscher]

Second straight season I won't be able to just turn on the TV and watch the Islanders as Xfinity and MSG still have no deal after more than a year of a lockout between the parties.

[gunnar hendershow]

Just now, Jacob deBusch said:

Second straight season I won't be able to just turn on the TV and watch the Islanders as Xfinity and MSG still have no deal after more than a year of a lockout between the parties.

Well to be fair they may be doing you a favor with how the Isles project to be this season.

[gunnar hendershow]

Reverse retro knocks it out of the park again. 1/3 instant classics, 1/3 going to be loved by their team's fans, and only 1/3 that are not good or unimaginative.

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/34829213/ranking-all-32-nhl-reverse-retro-jerseys-2022-23?platform=amp

[Maxx]

It's time to once again trust the Gorton's Fisherman

[Kaney]

I saw Kraken get pumped by the Hurricanes on Monday there.

Do all NHL teams have a totally mental video/....stage show/bizarre team intro that involves stories, projections and props or is it just Seattle?

[gunnar hendershow]

9 minutes ago, Jimmyanite said:

I saw Kraken get pumped by the Hurricanes on Monday there.

Do all NHL teams have a totally mental video/....stage show/bizarre team intro that involves stories, projections and props or is it just Seattle?

Most of them do. Varying degrees of how over-the-top they are though.

[Toe]

John Tavares with a hat-trick last night, and the Leafs finally played an entertaining game of hockey. And now there are rumours that Ryan Reynolds wants to buy the Ottawa Senators, which would be major whiplash from the last 20 years of Melnyk. 

[gunnar hendershow]

I saw he wants to get involved to make sure they remain in Ottawa. Given that the new arena never happened under Melnyk's ownership and the fact the team needs one they're very much a team I could see getting snatched by an ownership group from another city.

[Krabby]

Bruins with the super cool move of signing convicted racist psychopath torturer Mitchell Miller, nice job lads...

Bittman has said that he won't be playing in the NHL and may not ever be eligible