23/24 NHL Thread

[Gabriel]

12 hours ago, Malenko said:

The Oilers can't even beat the Sharks this year. 

I love it mostly because it's giving Calgary time to get their shit together before anybody really panics. If the Oilers weren't so shit, eyes would be on Cow Town and the pressure cooker would get hot. Thanks, Edmonton. Less attention meant that my boys could sort through their shit quietly. Still need to get Hubie going, and get better goaltending (not that it's been a tire fire, but it's not good enough)... but the young guys are really going. Get some of those big money guys going too and see what happens.

[Ruki]

The Leafs being a bag of shit so far has been made easier because I can laugh at the Oilers.

[Beeker00Zero]

It is the weirdest timeline with the Canucks being the best team in Canada.

Also seeing the triple stacked dumpster fires of Oily Maple Flames is a delight. Because everyone knows the Canucks have a dedication to finding new and creative ways to break their fans' hearts.

[Gabriel]

A couple weeks ago, Nikita Zadorov called out some of the under-performing Flames players during an interview. Big Z didn't throw any names under the bus, but he said some very honest things, and unfortunately it looks like it had the opposite effect he was looking for. Obviously, as a leader, you call out the bullshit and hope the responsible parties use it to light a spark. It seems like this interview ended up driving a wedge between him and those under-performing players, because now after an off-season talking about wanting to stay in Calgary long term and as recently as last week hoping to sign an extension... well, he's requested a trade.

Sutter was a problem. We're not even going to pretend like his archaic thinking and bully-mentality works to develop players in 2023. He was a problem.

But it's really starting to feel like Treliving gave money to a bunch of soft ego's who would rather push out one of their hardest working players than try harder themselves.

I really hope that Conroy doesn't just pull the trigger on a move here. If I'm the new GM, I'm flying out to wherever Zadorov is and sitting down with him to figure out what the fuck happened. If Z just wants out and there aren't bigger issues in the locker room, then do the guy a solid and find him a new home. He's been a great professional and fantastic representative for the team. He deserves to feel valued. BUT, if Zadorov has asked for a trade because of the "star" players not putting forth the effort to turn this around, then Conroy should be trying to talk him into staying with the promise of moving those soft, big money "leaders".

I think the coach and GM are fairly well aligned here. Big Money Jon sat the entire third period of their win the other night. The dollar amount on your contract dictates higher expectations. It shouldn't dictate ice time. If you're going, you're going. If you're not, collect your easy money sitting on the bench until we can send you somewhere else and let the kids play.

[Gabriel]

Edmonton has fired Jay Woodcroft. Another coach bites the dust.

lol, Oilers.

[Ruki]

I think I read that this is the 3rd coach in 4 or 5 years for them? It's like, the coach isn't the issue....

 

[Krabby]

[Lineker]

On 29/10/2023 at 11:39, DFF said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/ice-hockey/67253892 

Former Penguins player Adam Johnson has sadly died in a freak accident during a game between the Nottingham Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers last night. 

BBC News - Adam Johnson: Arrest over ice hockey player's death
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-67419951

[caucasianheat]

No doubt in my mind it was accidental. It is troubling how much is going to be made of this tragedy because of racism. 

[DFF]

16 hours ago, Lineker said:

BBC News - Adam Johnson: Arrest over ice hockey player's death
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-67419951

 

10 hours ago, caucasianheat said:

No doubt in my mind it was accidental. It is troubling how much is going to be made of this tragedy because of racism. 

The arrest has caused a huge divide in the British Hockey scene. Even Johnson's team, the Nottingham Panthers, said it was a freak accident. 

Also, be very very wary of Twitter / X, there's plenty of right wing types sharing graphic footage of the incident. 

[Adam]

That Twitter stuff was happening the day after it happened, horrendous.

My brother and his daughter, my teenage niece, were in the crowd and saw it happen. Sounds like it's really had an impact on them both, the whole thing is awful. I'm not a legal expert by any means, but I do wonder if the manslaughter arrest will go any further as the vast majority of those I've seen who know hockey have said it was a complete accident.

[Ruki]

So .. Perry totally hooked up with Bedard's mom, right?

[Toe]

1 hour ago, Ruki said:

So .. Perry totally hooked up with Bedard's mom, right?

The term "unacceptable conduct" sounds pretty strong. 

[RazorsEdge]

Four NHL players charged in 2018 sexual assault case.

Carter Hart of the Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the Devils, and Dillon Dube of the Flames. All were on Canada's 2018 world junior team.

[Gabriel]

Craig Conroy pulled off a stunner last night, sending Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks.

The return is weird. Calgary ends up taking on salary with Kuzmenko, but he's got similar numbers this season to Lindholm, and vastly out-performed him last year. Kuz is also younger and he's under contract for next season as well. He could end up being a $5.5 million albatross, but I don't think for a second that Connie brings him in without knowing what the kid needs from his coaches to succeed. People said that the deal to bring the Shark in for Tyler Toffoli was Conroy being fleeced, but he knew exactly what he was doing and the team has put the kid in a position to succeed. He's doing great this year.

On top of Kuzy, there's a couple of defense prospects coming over, one of whom is THIRD in point totals in the OHL this season.

More than that, there's a 1st Round Pick for this summer and a 4th that becomes a 3rd if the Canucks reach the Conference Final.

If Lindholm finds his game and re-signs with Vancouver, the Canucks might make us regret this one... but if he's gone after the season or just can't get himself back to the level he was playing at with Tkachuk and Gaudreau, then Conroy made out like a bandit. Even if Kuzmenko bombs, the prospects and draft capital alone are a nice return.

I don't see the team going into a full-on rebuild in the classic sense. There's no desire from ownership to perform badly, and that's hampered the previous GMs of the team. Conroy though, seems like he knows that it's imperative he adds legitimate pieces to the roster, even if they're reclamation projects... but he's doing so in a very smart way, targeting players that he believes will thrive with the team and adding to the prospect pool at the same time.

With them taking on salary in this trade, I would expect that there's more to come. I would also expect that there are veteran guys with term who may be looking at moving out now, with the current core showing that they can't get the job done. Even without a full rebuild, does Markstrom really want to play the next two seasons on a team that's trying to right the ship? Or does he ask to be moved to a contender so he can maximize the last prime years of his career?

[Gabriel]

After 1 game with their new teams, it's looking good on both sides of that deal.

Lindholm immediately plays his best game of the season in his Canucks debut. Good for him. Good for Vancouver.

Kuzmenko lights the lamp in his first five minutes as a Flame... but infinitely more importantly? Gets Huberdeau to play his best game of the season. Good for them. Good for Calgary.

We all knew Huberdeau wasn't going anywhere. That contract might as well be an anchor, paired with his play since signing it. Lindholm is a very strong player, and I'm going to miss him, but he hasn't been the same since Gaudreau and Tkachuk left. I think he struggles under the pressure of being the top dog, so Vancouver is a good fit for him as he can slide back into that role of being sneaky good (if only because other teams will be focused on shutting down different players).

The most important thing for Calgary here is the idea that we might be able to bring out the old Huberdeau. Something's been off with him since arriving in Calgary, and I think early on, it was linemates and lack of chemistry, which led to low confidence and just spiraled out of control. If Kuzy is able to ignite that fire under Huberdeau consistently, the stretch run will be very interesting for Flames fans.

[Toe]

The Blue Jackets have fired Jarmo Kekäläinen. He probably should have been sacked during the Babcock bullshit before the season.

[gunnar hendershow]

That could be a great landing spot for the top assistant GMs in the league. Lot of potential there over the next few years.

[Your Mom]

I know less than zero about Hockey but I love this ref  

 

 

[gunnar hendershow]

That's great because it does more to remind you as a fan that refs are people than just about anything else they do.