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Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

CBJSprague24 posted:

Biznasty and Jason Williams played in the EIHL for a couple years. I think there have been a couple other random NHLers and a few punchmen who have wound up there for a bit only to come back to the US.

My recollection is they absolutely killed it too. There's a huge difference in skill between even the worst player to play in the NHL and the minor leagues.

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Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

FBS posted:

What happened with the Bruins to make them good?

Rask is being Rask again and rookies stepping in and filling important roles. Specifically, the middle six. Boston struggled with depth despite Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak being one of the best lines in the league. DeBrusk and Heinen have been a huge asset. Cassidy seems to actually be a very good coach too.

Also doesn't hurt to draft two top-4 defensemen capable of stepping in as teens in McAvoy and Carlo.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
Re Bruins chat: the other strength is drafting. There are a ton of players who could realistically challenge for spots in the next year or two. There's already guys stuffed in Providence who could be in the NHL now. For all the poo poo Sweeney has gotten, a lot of his picks have panned out. I can't remember a time the system has been this promising. Lacking in net, though.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

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Only time I've ever seen the Devils live, Parise had a hatty (it was cool)

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
the Rangers are going to trade him to Boston and we're going to get to see jerseys that say Ril. Nash and Ric. Nash

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
I do think Boston makes a pitch for Nash. They have the pieces to make it happen and I think he'd be a good fit for the middle 6. Depends what NY is asking for I guess. I'm sure it's "A 1st + good prospects" and that seems like too much. That's paying for what he used to be and not what he is now.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

Levitate posted:

a 1st and a prospect for a guy who can play in all situations, generate his own scoring chances, drive play and score some goals if he gets on a hot streak isn't an insane ask if a team is willing to go all in for a run

Or you have like the Eric Staal trade, two 2nds and a good but not top tier prospect, could see something along those lines too depending on draft position etc

Yeah, a B-level prospect plus either a first or a mix of picks seems about right. My gut feeling is that Nash's perceived value is higher than that though, and it wouldn't surprise me if NY is asking for more and a team ponies up. You can never tell with NHL GMs at the deadline.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
Patrik Laine is cool
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/patrik-laine-winnipeg-jets-nhl/

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
It's more about Laine being goofy and admitting stuff like not knowing anyone on the Jets when he got drafted because no one ever played as them in NHL video games because they sucked.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

CBJSprague24 posted:

NHL N/V February: All Our Teams Suck

feeling pretty good about Boston actually, although they did lose a game in regulation for the first time since mid-December the other night

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

ThinkTank posted:

Three Russian goalies were listed in the top 10 for some reason

https://www.tsn.ca/cupboard-is-stocked-for-up-and-coming-canucks-1.989909

To be fair, all three of them are incredibly good. I think they also get a bit of a bump since they play in the KHL.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

hifi posted:

strome and merkley., great. start the rebuild again

yea but to be fair a lot of your good prospects are already in the NHL, and we can see how successful that's going. oh.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

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wow, there goes Ottawa's season

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

Duck Rodgers posted:

Laine confirmed that he didn't write it and hasn't read it. He did an interview and then someone wrote that.

That's how they tend to do it though, I thought? Actual writer interviews the guy and writes it down in a narrative format.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

DJExile posted:

Nolan Patrick seems to finally be in form. I'm sure getting to 2C and further away from surgery both helped

Obviously it's way to early to say he's a bust, he's only 19, he was injured, and making the NHL that young is probably a good sign, etc. - but I completely forgot that Nolan Patrick even existed.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

DJExile posted:

Fair. The flyers sheltered the hell out of his minutes right out of the gate and mostly stashed him on the 3rd line. Then he got concussed and was out a while.

I guess maybe another part of it is the last two years we've had rookies stepping in right away as full-blown stars competing with each other in Matthews v Laine and McDavid v Eichel. I think I might have subconsciously expected the first and second overall picks to be immediate impact players (I occasionally forget about Nico too) and that's usually never the case, we've just been spoiled recently. Generally it's like what's happening this year where the star rookies are all older/had an extra year or two of development.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
Yeah, in today's NHL 50ish points is solidly top-6, maybe even first line depending on the roster.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

Mind_Taker posted:

It’s going to rule when the two best teams in the East meet in the second round again this postseason. What a swell playoff format the NHL has.

Yeah, by the end of the year it might easily be the two best teams in the entire league and one of them won't get to the ECF. Dumb system.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

Furnaceface posted:

When did Nashville and Winnipeg get moved to the east?

I'm looking at the standings and it says Tampa and Boston are 1 and 2 in the NHL? Must be a mistake.

Nashville and Winnipeg are good as hell though. Wouldn't surprise me if one of them is first by the end either.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

iospace posted:

That would imply the Bruins would make it past the first round.

yeah. do they have some kind of "first round choker" label that I am unaware of? They've made the Cup Finals twice in their last five appearances lol

Fateo McMurray posted:

They’re gonna win the cup bro

also this

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

Mind_Taker posted:

The Bruins are really good and possibly better than Tampa, but I'm not sure they'll be a better team once the Lightning acquire Karlsson and/or McDonagh.

I have a really hard time seeing how any of the elite teams make the trade for Karlsson. Between cap constraints and the type of return Ottawa will be looking for, it just seems tough. Unless you can convince Ottawa to take a ton of picks and prospects, I'd imagine you're giving up one or two solid young players on your roster (in addition to picks and prospects) and that seems like a thing teams that are already top-5 in the league might think twice about. I mean if I'm Ottawa and Boston or Tampa calls, I'm probably hanging up if the offer doesn't include guys like McAvoy, Sergachev, or Point. Then you factor in that Karlsson is going to Get Paid when his contract is up, and it makes it a huge gamble.

I think McDonagh is gonna be the guy those elite teams will go for. He'll probably be cheaper to acquire, which means you're not risking as much but still improving the team in a big way. I'm hoping the Bruins go for him and Rick Nash. If the Rangers are going for a real rebuild I think they could be acquired for a handful of 1sts and 2nds, and some of the organizations better non-NHL prospects.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

ThinkTank posted:

In the case of Boston or Tampa, that probably does mean moving McAvoy or Sergachev, but given the return I don't think that's a totally unappealing decision. It's an immediate upgrade for two teams poised to make a run for the cup, and Karlsson isn't some run of the mill rental.

I'm probably in the minority but I think I'd rather have McAvoy or Sergachev for the next decade or so than have Karlsson for a season and change, even if it gives the team a better shot at a Cup in that small window.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

ThinkTank posted:

McAvoy is a good young player, but what does he project to long term? A decent #2? I'd take eighteen months of arguably the best defenceman since Lidstrom over that every day.

Trying to not be a homer here, but McAvoy is already a #1. Topping out as a decent #2 would be a surprise. The list of defensemen who play more even strength minutes than him is 8 guys long (Karlsson, Doughty, Jones, Suter, E. Johnson, Ristolainen, Gardiner, Green), and most of the articles I've read analyzing the Chara-McAvoy pairing have shown that it's actually McAvoy making Chara look good - not the other way around. Do I think McAvoy will ever be as good as Karlsson? No, absolutely not. But being a Doughty-type is not out of the question and having that caliber player for ~10 years vs 18 months of Karlsson is why I'd hesitate.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

Aphrodite posted:

The extra year in the NHL is way, way more of a factor than age.

I'm not saying I think he'll score 60 next year or that I necessarily agree with Jamwad but at that age range playing in the NHL and more importantly having access to NHL quality training programs and equipment and all that is much more important than aging a bit.

Yeah. With younger players it's a lot more useful to compare inaugural seasons, second years, etc., than raw age. Doughty had a great second year, but he had a year of NHL experience. McAvoy was in college last year and his rookie year is looking like it will be better than Doughty's (although team quality certainly plays into that too).

I'm not saying he's going to be Doughty, but the potential is definitely there. Decent #2 is the very low end of his potential. Ultimately I'd probably accept him being part of a trade for Karlsson, but I certainly wouldn't be happy about it.

Call Your Grandma posted:

Just from the last game Boston played vs. Leafs, Chara looked like 30-35 year old Chara where he was big and imposing but you couldn't just skate around him like you could for the last few years. I don't know how or why or if it was just the one game, but he seemed to be pulling his own weight to my own eyes.

A lot of it is because they don't have to play him 30 minutes a night anymore. Used to be the defense was garbage outside of Chara and Krug, but McAvoy, Carlo, and Grzelcyk have all been able to step in, and Kevan Miller isn't bad anymore.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

clean ayers act posted:

The Red Wings inability to draft and develop a defenseman since Kronwall is astounding

Jeez, I looked it up and the draft for the last decade or so has been rough for them.

Jamwad Hilder fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Feb 8, 2018

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

Nissin Cup Nudist posted:

Is Brandan Carlo actually good?

He seemed like the obvious "cant teach size" bust when he was drafted.

He is a big guy, but he skates well and is responsible defensively. He doesn't really make any flashy plays but you won't see him mess up very often either. He doesn't really have an offensive game but I don't know that he needs to with Krug, McAvoy, and Chara on the backend for the PP and stuff, although he's still capable of making some really nice passes. Given a few more years of development I could see him being sort of like a Niklas Hjalmarsson type of defenseman.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
I hope the Rangers deadline is as eventful as Cleveland's just was in the NBA. Been a while since we had a wild deadline like that.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
A lot of teams, especially the established/O6 teams it seems like, would rather suffer through mediocrity for decades than embrace having to rebuild for a few years. It's refreshing that teams like Toronto and the Rangers are starting to be willing to go for it, and I'm very happy that Montreal is run by morons who won't.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
So who's safe on the Rangers? I'd guess Zibanejad, Buchnevich, Shattenkirk, and Skjei are safe no matter what, but it's hard to say who else might be outside of them. Maybe Miller and Hayes due to age? They have expiring contracts though, so they might be prime rental candidates.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

grack posted:

When's the last time a mid-season starting goaltender trade worked out?

Devan Dubnyk from Arizona to Minny?

Fake edit: Actually I guess he might have been the backup in Arizona.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

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Craig Anderson maybe?

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
Vegas is cool but I really don't want them to win the Cup

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

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pseudodragon posted:

So how badly has Vegas screwed over team 32? Can’t imagine them getting the same expansion draft rules with how well he Knights have done.

I think they'll get the same rules actually. I think the NHL is probably thrilled that an expansion team was able to be competitive right away.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa
Sweeney is gonna look real stupid for passing on Barzal forever. DeBrusk at least looks like he'll be a top-6 guy, he's really good and should end up right around 50 points his rookie year, which is great but jeez. Barzal will end up with more assists than that.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

T-Bone posted:

Those picks aren't happening in a vacuum, as bad as passing up on Barzal/Connor is looking for Boston, one draft isn't going to doom you if you come up with picks like McAvoy a year later (add getting Pastrnak at #25 a few years earlier and you can certainly afford to whiff).

Yeah 2015 wasn't great, but it was sandwiched between (I think) good years. In 2014 they picked up Pastrnak, Heinen, Bjork, and Donato (playing in the Olympics). 2015 they whiffed on Barzal, but DeBrusk looks good and they got Carlo in the second. McAvoy in 2016 was a home run. Taken as a whole I think most teams would be envious of those results over a 3 year period.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

ThinkTank posted:

You do know that the Pacific is the one with the Canucks, Coyotes and Oilers in it, right?

their two in-division losses are to the Oilers. No one else from the Pacific has beaten them yet. I guess that's one thing Edmonton can take pride in.

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

surfin usa

Levitate posted:

lmao Kampfer has a broken hand and is out 4-6 weeks so now the Rangers called up Ryan Sproul

Their defense is

Skjei
Holden
Gilmore
Pionk
Sproul
DeAngelo

lol

Some of these names were surely picked out of a bag of Scrabble tiles

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

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I think its Beauchemin for me

Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

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I didn't forget about Chimmer since he's been on the Caps recent enough that it's not surprising I still see him playing. I'm more surprised that he's 38.

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Jamwad Hilder
Apr 18, 2007

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Furnaceface posted:

Michal Rozsival

What the gently caress no way

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