Official Hockey discussion thread

Hey, if Ottawa did it, then so should Seattle!

In other related news:
Woohoo (for Seattle, maybe not for other teams).

“Along with the award of the franchise, Bettman also announced that Seattle would in fact get the same expansion draft rules that the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league with.”

So, depending on what kind of GM tbey hire, maybe they’ll be playoff competitive their first season like Vegas was.
 
Going to put in a plug for The Athletic... some of the the best hockey (and baseball/football) writing I have ever scene ... going back to me reading The Hockey News from the early 1980s. Both league wide, bigger issues in the sport, and individual team coverage for every team, not so much game recaps, but state of the organization kind of stuff and a lot of behind the scenes stuff (read a really interesting story about the Flames and how they assign lockers at home and the road for example ... not the most exciting topic perhaps, but interesting as hell). It is a pay site, but they usually run 3 months for $1 kind of specials. I would recommend it highly. The quality of writing is just insanely high


http://www.theathletic.com
 
I bought when they launched the local NHL coverage this year and got a year for like 40% off. Read it daily, especially Down Goes Brown - the best hockey humourist in the business.
 
LooseCannon said:
I bought when they launched the local NHL coverage this year and got a year for like 40% off. Read it daily, especially Down Goes Brown - the best hockey humourist in the business.
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Yeah, that is a good one. I spend about 45 minutes a day on that site .. some days longer every morning between the NFL, NHL, and MLB. Great writers all around.
 
Thanks for the plug! Will take a look.

Speaking of in-depth news, not sure where he got it from, but my brother mentioned an article about McDavid. It said McDavid was the NHLs best product on its worst team. Not to mention unable to showcase him. No more NHLers in Olympic games, and no World Cup or World Championship in the near future. No opportunity for him to become a triple gold winner. Another friend of mine wondered if he might ask to leave the Oilers all together.cccccccc
 
So some intersting deals lately. L.A traded Muzzin to Toronto who has seen immediate dividends. Pittsburgh shipped Sheahan and Brassard to Florida for two young centers. All eyes are on OTT and Columbus and what's going to happen to their top end pending FAs.

My only question is, Is Muzzin enough for Toronto? Is he really the missing component for them to go deep in the playoffs? After all they'll have Tampa, Washington and Pitts to deal with at some point.
 
Onhell said:
So some intersting deals lately. L.A traded Muzzin to Toronto who has seen immediate dividends. Pittsburgh shipped Sheahan and Brassard to Florida for two young centers. All eyes are on OTT and Columbus and what's going to happen to their top end pending FAs.

My only question is, Is Muzzin enough for Toronto? Is he really the missing component for them to go deep in the playoffs? After all they'll have Tampa, Washington and Pitts to deal with at some point.
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I personally believe that Muzzin is good enough.
 
LooseCannon said:
Matthews just resigned.
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I was about to mention that. 5 year deal at about 11M per year. According to one article it was the best deal under the cap if they want to keep their core. The piece they want to keep is Mitch Marner who doesn't want to negotiate until the end of the season. His rep says Mathews signing changes nothing, but all signs point to Mathews deal being team/cap oriented in order to facilitate a deal with Marner.

Also Ovie just became the highest scoring (points) Russian in the NHL. It's weird witnessing history, because everyone focuses on end results. How many goals, assists and points in how many games. Neatly brushing his horrendous shot % and that abysmal minus 35 season he had dispite leading the league in goals. No one will remember that. Must be nice putting up tons of numbers. I wonder how many legends/hall of famers had said blemishes in their career and were lost to time.
 
And this years Free Agent diva award goes to.... Artemi Panarin! Who first didn't want to discuss an extension with Columbus, THEN changed agents for the third time in four years, THEN announced he wants to "try out" free agency, BUT Columbus still had a chance to sign him again. Seriously? He sounds like an unstable girlfriend, not a hockey player.

I wonder how many teams would be interested in him anyway. He's good, but I think the bigger fish in a similar, but with less drama, situation is Babrovsky. Two time Vezina winner and playing well. Rumors abound now that they both have the same agent that they may be a packaged deal.

Some teams are not making moves, because they are getting players back from injury and they're calling it, a deal without making a deal. I hate that. It's like Americans calling their tax returns a "refund." Dude... just like it's their own money, it's your own player. You had a strong team to begin with and now it's healthy. You made NO deals. /rant.
 
He's gonna get paid crazy money by some team. Seems like he wants to live in a really exciting city, so I think that rules out a lot of options. Like, a guy who wants to get paid and live in an exciting city isn't going to be playing for the Hurricanes or the Jets anytime soon.

Randy Carlyle was just fired by the Ducks, Bob Murray will coach the rest of the season. Odd time to do it, Carlyle should have been fired months ago. I think the organization doesn't want to pay a replacement.
 
LooseCannon said:
He's gonna get paid crazy money by some team. Seems like he wants to live in a really exciting city, so I think that rules out a lot of options. Like, a guy who wants to get paid and live in an exciting city isn't going to be playing for the Hurricanes or the Jets anytime soon.
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What do you think the Rangers' chances are of landing him to quicken their rebuild? Doesn't get more exciting than NYC. Or maybe a bubble/contending team like MTL, Vegas, Boston... Hell, even Dallas?

Randy Carlyle was just fired by the Ducks, Bob Murray will coach the rest of the season. Odd time to do it, Carlyle should have been fired months ago. I think the organization doesn't want to pay a replacement.
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I thought they'd fire him months ago too. Thought he might at least last the season after they held on to him for so long. The ducks are toast (roasted? hehe). I'm more concerned with Colorado, which started hot, but once teams figured out the line one did everything, they've dropped like a rock. There's a couple of teams in a similar situation, but can't recall which. I want to say BUF and MIN, but not 100% on that.
 
Onhell said:
What do you think the Rangers' chances are of landing him to quicken their rebuild? Doesn't get more exciting than NYC. Or maybe a bubble/contending team like MTL, Vegas, Boston... Hell, even Dallas?
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I think Vegas is a prime point for him.

Onhell said:
I'm more concerned with Colorado, which started hot, but once teams figured out the line one did everything, they've dropped like a rock. There's a couple of teams in a similar situation, but can't recall which. I want to say BUF and MIN, but not 100% on that.
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Buffalo was leading the league in end November, now they're out of a playoff spot. Minnesota I think is bubble.
 
When Panarin came to the Hawks, he mentioned Chicago was favorable because of a good sized Russian population, the big city, and they were a good team. Not sure how much those things matter now since he has been here a while.
 
bearfan said:
When Panarin came to the Hawks, he mentioned Chicago was favorable because of a good sized Russian population, the big city, and they were a good team. Not sure how much those things matter now since he has been here a while.
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They've turned things around too, for now. 7 game winning streak and Kane is on another 14 game point streak. If they close strong, playoffs or not, they may be an attractive destination indeed.}

OTT is about a week away in deciding what will happen to Duchene, Stone and "the other guy."
 
They have at least made the end of the season more fun to watch ... the dug themselves such a deep hole, but there is at least some promise in that they have 2 legit lines now and a 3rd line that shows promise. The Defense is just horrible though. Ward and Delia have really stepped up in goal, they give up so many shots. But, seeing enough good things that with some additions next year (with cap money for once), they might bounce back pretty well next year.
 
Indeed! I was thinking how sad it was that Ward went from rookie darling and cup winner to back up in Chicago. Yet he is definitely playing well.

I was looking at the standings today. Out East all the teams with current playoff spots have positive goal differentials. Pittsburgh, currently in a slump, still has a +17. The next two teams, Carolina has a big fat 0, and Buffalo is -4. In other words, as long as Pittsburgh rights the ship and chances are that they will with the return of Malkin and Shultz, those will be the teams in the playoffs.

Out West though... good god. From the teams in wildcard spots down... ALL are in negative differentials. The west is just WEAK. Chicago does have a chance if they continue playing strong, deep whole or not. There negative differential isn't that big of an indicator as with the Eastern teams.
 
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