The NHL Discussion Thread

[rottersclub]

The rumours have about this trade have been swirling around town fora while. I heard about the three-way deal several days ago, but apparently, the Sens have been ready to part ways with Turris since negotiations over an extension faltered over term. So the Sens are giving up their #1 centre, their first rounder from the most recent draft, the Hamburgler who has been playing well in the AHL so far this season, PLUS a first rounder in 2018 and third rounder 2019! I am really disappointed with this deal - I think the Sens overpaid big time for Duchene. Duchene is a UFA after next season, so they still have to pay up for a first line centre - all they've done is kick the can down the road for a year.

Turris has been a really good player for the team since they stole him from the Coyotes for a guy who isn't in the NHL any longer (David Rundblad). The Preds are giving him $6M for the next 6 years, but I thought the issue in Ottawa was that he wanted 7 or 8 years. So he settles for less to get the hell out of Dodge and Ottawa overpays anyway. This guy Duchene better be something special because I don't remember him winning me any money when I had him on fantasy team a few years ago.

[Klonk]

Ooh I like Turris! He was great in the playoffs last year. Those high draft picks always come back to haunt you. The Rangers being the perfect example. But Duchene is a really, really good player and this long awaited change of scenery should be rewarding for you OTT fans. Good luck!

[Yves]

shhh....Habs slowly digging themselves out of the basement and have won 4 of their last 5, including 3 out of 4 on their current road trip.....shhh....

[Lino]

shhhh...suicide watch off in southern ontario as Leafs nip the knights in S.O.

[Yves]

Yeah, Leafs been dipping a bit. You can't give up 5+ goals per game and expect your offense to constantly bail you out.

[Klonk]

4 in a row for NYR too. Lookin MUCH better now Hope they keep it goin tomorrow night as I'll be there.

[ForeverAutumn]

4 in a row for NYR too. Lookin MUCH better now Hope they keep it goin tomorrow night as I'll be there.

Ooooh! Have fun!

[headcrash]

4 in a row for NYR too. Lookin MUCH better now Hope they keep it goin tomorrow night as I'll be there.

Be sure to give Pierre my regards.

[Lino]

4 in a row for NYR too. Lookin MUCH better now Hope they keep it goin tomorrow night as I'll be there.

Enjoy!

[Lino]

Yeah, Leafs been dipping a bit. You can't give up 5+ goals per game and expect your offense to constantly bail you out.

That's true. But being the ever eternal Leaf optomist, here's my take:

1. I still think they are assessing, especially the back end where they are a) trying to see what Rosenberg has b) trying to figure out if Carrick is an nhl Dman c) Trying to find out if Polack can come back from a second bad leg break. d) trying to showcase some players for potential trades. To me it's a very good sign when an organization can hover around 500 or better, while still really feeling out a very important part of the team. Good nhl teams can do this...I'm hoping that this is the case here.
2. We know that very few teams are able to play winning hockey by out gunning teams 6-4. Yet, I'm not panicking yet because we saw in the series against the Caps, that they were perfectly capable of playing and winning 2-1 games. So I think , as a team, they kinda know what it takes, having been there for a cup of coffee. You can bet that the Leafs are looking to make moves, especially if Polack (who I personally love as a dman) can't regain form. Right now he's struggling.

But anyway... it's fun to actually be involved in hockey with a team that has potential and something going on. That's all I ever wanted...if they lose, I don't care as long as they build from the ground up, have a lot of young prospects, and coach that demands they work their asses off.

[Yves]

Too bad the Leafs and Habs are not trade partners. We could ship you Price for a boatload of young promising players. I think Carey'd lift his no-trade clause to move to Toronto. Price is damaged goods and will never return to his form of 4 years ago. Time to get what we can for him and let some other team find this out after the fact.

[rottersclub]

Wow, is it that bad Yves? Everybody has a dip or two in their career, so I can't believe Price is never going to get back to the level he's been at the past few years (except against Ottawa, heh heh). Surely Al Montoya isn't Plan B so what kind of player(s) could the Habs expect to receive in return for a player named "the best player on the planet" not too long ago?

[oilersfan]

I think Charlie Lindgren's play will be a huge factor in determining whether or Price is perceived as expendable, much more so than Montoya.

[Yves]

I see Price as a Hershel Walker type player. A guy you could get A LOT for; more than he's worth. He has been average at best for over a season now. In fact I can't recall the last time I watched a game and proclaimed that Price "stole 2 points". However, there are many teams out there who think he's just what they need. He has a no-trade clause in his contract so I'm just speculating here... Right now the Habs are winning without him so food for thought....

As for who they could get...hopefully some young prospect who can fill the net, or a bunch or draft choices they could then bundle up to move up in any given draft and target a goal scorer. I'd like to see Fucale get called up and see what he can do on this level. Habs being very careful with him, but he might be NHL-ready now. And we have another kid named McNiven who was the OHL goalie of the year last year. Habs are deep between the pipes.

[Lino]

Kerry has been the best bandaid on the planet for the last 5 years. The effect a player like that, at the top of his game, has on a team are incredible. The other team is squeezing sticks, always trying to be perfect because that's what it takes to beat him. His own team played better because didn't matter what...superman was between the pipes. It gives a team a hope every single night. The Habs are now exposed for the average team that they are when Price isn't Price.

Six in a row for Leafs, including back to back shut-outs.

Austin Matthews first game back after missing 4.

[Yves]

Habs need to make sweeping changes, from the front office onward. Bergevin just doesn't have the touch. Julien is a retread coach who just doesn't have it anymore. Mayb a big trade is in order, though I have to think that our entire team is devalued on the market right now.

[Score2112]

Habs need to make sweeping changes, from the front office onward. Bergevin just doesn't have the touch. Julien is a retread coach who just doesn't have it anymore. Mayb a big trade is in order, though I have to think that our entire team is devalued on the market right now.

Completely agree. While highly unlikely, wouldn’t mind seeing Price get dealt for Tavares (if the new arena deal doesn’t get done before his contract is up he’s gone, and Snow is dumb enough to make that deal).

But it will take much more than that, the damage Bergevin inflicted on this team will take years to undo, IMO.

[Yves]

As Lino posted above, Price saving the day game after game in the past gave the impression that this team was better than it is. Those days are over as Price will never be again what he was. I'd like to see Pacioretty demoted to assistant captain only. He should just be concerned with scoring goals. Make Weber the captain. The only player I have liked consistently this season has been Gallagher. He is untouchable imo. As for the rest? Let's see what we can get!

[Score2112]

As Lino posted above, Price saving the day game after game in the past gave the impression that this team was better than it is. Those days are over as Price will never be again what he was. I'd like to see Pacioretty demoted to assistant captain only. He should just be concerned with scoring goals. Make Weber the captain. The only player I have liked consistently this season has been Gallagher. He is untouchable imo. As for the rest? Let's see what we can get!

I can agree with all of this. Rebuild.

[Yves]

The two biggest things standing in the way of this team truly making strides:

1. Their reluctance to TRULY rebuild. It's always a patchwork; just enough to get into the playoffs.

2. Their refusal to hire a non-French speaking coach. This limits their candidates considerably, and forces them to hire retreads like Julien and Therrien.... It's the only franchise in this city that demands this.

[Lino]

The two biggest things standing in the way of this team truly making strides:

1. Their reluctance to TRULY rebuild. It's always a patchwork; just enough to get into the playoffs.

2. Their refusal to hire a non-French speaking coach. This limits their candidates considerably, and forces them to hire retreads like Julien and Therrien.... It's the only franchise in this city that demands this.

Welcome to Leaf land as you know. Always reluctant to fully re-build untill Shannahan took over. Nobody else had patience, they wanted to be immortalized immediately, trying to build teams through trades etc...they never imagined fans would go for it. Well they did , no problem as I said all along. Short term pain for the long term gain of a consistently competative team. I think Montreal fans are savvy enough to understand that this is how the new nhl works. In salary cap world there is only ONE way to do it...from the ground up, through the draft etc. You can't buy your way out of a problem any more. Toronto and Montreal have been used to having the big bucks and using them.

[Lino]

If there was ever a night that Canada, and Maple Leaf fans didn't mind seeing the Leafs lose...it was this past Saturday night.
There wasn't a dry eye in hockey land. Alex Ovechkin has elevated himself to all Canadians for his fucking incredible display on Saturday night, as the Toronto Maple Leafs put on a special night for a cancer victim with Ovi and the Caps in town. Kudos to both organizations, and especially to Ovechkin for putting on a dazzling display.
Watch this only if you want to smile, and feel your eyes well up.

[Scott Bails]

The Flyers (winless in their last 8) are perfecting the art of giving away 3rd period leads and then losing. Good times.

[Yves]

Still early in the season but in the East I think that the Metropolitan division will lock up both wild card spots. The real playoff race will be for third place in the Atlantic division. Right now Boston, Detroit, and dare I say Montreal, are looking like they will be battling for that spot.

[rottersclub]

Ottawa's season is going down the drain. They've lost 7 in a row gaining a single point in that span and they have another 6 games on the road before they get home. The Duchene trade has not paid any dividends yet (while Turris continues to score in Nashville). I posted earlier that they won't fire Boucher until the owner blows a head gasket. And to make matters worse, they traded away their first round pick this year to get Duchene (TBH, the pick defers to next year if the Sens finish in the bottom 10). Mark Stone is playing great (as he will be an RFA on July 1st). Other than that, pfffft.