NHL 2022-2023 Thread: Pourin' Like An Avalanche Comin' Down The Mountain

[rebs]

Congrats to Daniel Alfredsson for induction into the HoF!!!!

[Firesprocket]

Listened to the majority of the acceptance speeches last night.  All of them are pretty good and entertaining in their own way.  If you have an hour I recommend sitting down and listening to them all.

[Firesprocket]

New Jersey wins again!  Next up the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Legitimately they could run the table this month and have 40 points in the standings 2 months into the season.  Vanecek is on fire and probably punching well above where he should be.  Damn though if I don't feel like the Caps A) got fleeced and B) defense and overall play is bad enough that Lavs gets fired this week.

[gyedid]

New Jersey wins again!  Next up the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Legitimately they could run the table this month and have 40 points in the standings 2 months into the season.  Vanecek is on fire and probably punching well above where he should be.  Damn though if I don't feel like the Caps A) got fleeced and B) defense and overall play is bad enough that Lavs gets fired this week.

At this point, maybe somebody had better start checking what's going in to the Devils' water bottles?
Leafs?  Easy pickings for a team flying this high.  Seems like only Boston or Vegas have any chance of stopping the Devils right now.

cheers,

Gabe

[rebs]

Trade rumbling....

Patrick Kane to Boston

I think this would be insane stupid.  But what do the resident B fans think?  I'm entertained just imagining what might be said.

[Firesprocket]

I'm just panning the B's roster and looking at what they have in the way of picks on Capfriendly and I'm not certain how the Bruin's end will work.  Outside of the Devils' winning streak they are on top of the NHL in all the important team stats.  I think trading Kane to Boston is just someone's pipe dream right now.

[Dragon Cat]

Trade rumbling....

Patrick Kane to Boston

I think this would be insane stupid.  But what do the resident B fans think?  I'm entertained just imagining what might be said.

Oh what...

I'm just panning the B's roster and looking at what they have in the way of picks on Capfriendly and I'm not certain how the Bruin's end will work.  Outside of the Devils' winning streak they are on top of the NHL in all the important team stats.  I think trading Kane to Boston is just someone's pipe dream right now.

Agreed they are bouncing players due to cap at the moment as noone wants to pick up Reily (Toronto your blue-line is devastated)

The team fits pretty well together at the moment not sure what they'd do trade Smitty and Reily for Kane I think that would be ridiculous

[rebs]

I thought it all sounded highly foolish too.  Just thought I'd run it by here.

[Firesprocket]

Oh what...

Agreed they are bouncing players due to cap at the moment as noone wants to pick up Reily (Toronto your blue-line is devastated)

Toronto has to give up something to get something because they have the max amount of player contracts right now.  Even if they wanted to pick someone up waivers they have to shed a contract to do it.

[Dragon Cat]

Toronto has to give up something to get something because they have the max amount of player contracts right now.  Even if they wanted to pick someone up waivers they have to shed a contract to do it.

They need to do something 2 (or 3) defenders injury list at least 1 on LTIR

EDIT Wayne Simmons on waivers

I thought it all sounded highly foolish too.  Just thought I'd run it by here.

Foolish but depends on what Hawks and Kane want

Even if they retained salary until end of year the Bruins couldn't pay half his cap and then next year they've still got to nail Pastanaks contract which will probably be higher than 8

[Firesprocket]

Pasta's going to get paid.  Fair amount of cap space comes off the books after this season with various UFAs.  The question is how you replace some of the other bodies they will shed.  Plenty of time though to figure that out.

[JadeHellbringer]

I'd rather not see Kane in Boston. Without going into it further than need be, I think we've had enough talented and morally-bankrupt star players signed to the B's this season.

The cap hit would be difficult- doable, I suppose, but I'm not sure it would really be worth it. I'd rather see them stick with what they've got, or at the very least plan ahead for the future with some prospects and picks- this season is sure fun, but the wet-slap in the face coming up after Bergeron/Krecji/etc. finally call it a day is going to hurt- I'd like to see them plan for that.

I keep seeing Kane rumors about Buffalo, and that makes a lot of sense as that team tries to rise up- offensive powerhouse stepping onto a team that already has some exciting talent up front, he plays for his home team, they have cap space... seems perfect.

[gyedid]

Leafs?  Easy pickings for a team flying this high.  Seems like only Boston or Vegas have any chance of stopping the Devils right now.

Well, I can always be wrong.  But seriously...THREE disallowed goals for NJ?  Leafs don't take that game if not for that.

Other big shockers of the night:  the 'Canes receive a lesson in playing down to the opposition, blanked 4-0 by the 'Yotes!  The Panthers take down the Bruins!

And the Habs bounce back from their worst game of the season so far (actually, a string of bad games, even when they won), gritting out a win against the Jackets in Columbus for the first time since 2019! 

cheers,

Gabe

[Dragon Cat]

I only watched the Bruins v Panthers but the scoreline is very complementary to Panthers

The Bruins got "reffed" and "goalied"

Don't get me wrong it was simple the Bruins didn't play their best, they had lots of opportunities and Knight was dancing on his head at times.

But the Bruins had 2x 5 on 3 occasions as the Panthers got hit with 2 double minors for high sticking in the game while they scored a lot of the other penalties felt like "make up" penalties and the Panther PP was on fire.

Moral of that game if you want to beat Panthers stay out of box as their PP is beginning to click

[gyedid]

Toronto has lost one of its hockey heroes.

Longtime Leafs blue-line stalwart Börje Salming, who many say opened the door for European players in the NHL, lost his battle with ALS today.  He was 71 years old.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/borje-salming-death-maple-leafs-1.6663024

And to think he was at the Hall of Fame game just 13 days ago, where he received a thunderous standing ovation.

cheers,

Gabe

[gyedid]

Pasta's going to get paid.  Fair amount of cap space comes off the books after this season with various UFAs.  The question is how you replace some of the other bodies they will shed.  Plenty of time though to figure that out.

How long do they think he's going to keep playing like he is?  Take it from a fan of a team where management bet big that certain stars were going to continue performing like they did in their prime, when they were actually past it.  Give him money or term, but not both.

cheers,

Gabe

[Firesprocket]

Give him money or term, but not both.

His track record means that you have to go ahead and give him both and hope as the roster changes his outpoint was not entirely linked to the players around him.  He's 26 now and would be 35 by the time a max contract would expire if re-signed. $9m+ a year should be expected as should a NMC for at least half of that.  Some depreciation in that NMC toward the back end of the contact seems reasonable.  I know for certain he won't be making that bargain Marchand contract money that has allowed for cap flexibility the last few years.

[rebs]

Ruh Roh Raggy! 

The 'yotes are the opponent tonight.  Red Wings need to not let them have any slack.

[Dragon Cat]

His track record means that you have to go ahead and give him both and hope as the roster changes his outpoint was not entirely linked to the players around him.  He's 26 now and would be 35 by the time a max contract would expire if re-signed. $9m+ a year should be expected as should a NMC for at least half of that.  Some depreciation in that NMC toward the back end of the contact seems reasonable.  I know for certain he won't be making that bargain Marchand contract money that has allowed for cap flexibility the last few years.

No, I agree on all points including that he won't take a "home-team" discount to help for the cap.  Pastanak is an awesome player and he knows it, he's seen others in the league (and in his own team McAvoy) make the money and gives the impression he wants the same

[gyedid]

Ruh Roh Raggy! 

The 'yotes are the opponent tonight.  Red Wings need to not let them have any slack.

As Carolina can well attest to.

What a bevy of Black Friday matinees today!  Habs over the 'Hawks in the SO.  Perfect ending for Kirby Dach to finish off the team that gave up on him.  Also must sting a bit for Luke Richardson to lose to Marty St. Louis, the man whose current job he arguably should've had.

cheers,

Gabe

[rebs]

Well look at that!

Gabe, I was just logging in to talk about that. 

Dach was heavily booed.  Then he netted the game winner in a shootout, and got booed even more.

He responded by cupping his ear to hear better, then raised his arms and stick in triumph.

I %$%#&@ love players like that.  Big time respect.

[rebs]

Filip Hronek!  I said about a year back this guy would be important for the Wings going forward, even though his name may not move the needle much.

But now he has 5 goals in a 5 game span, the first Wing Defenceman to do so since Nick Lidstrom.

Got to see more from this younger Czech player.

[JadeHellbringer]

It took until the first week of December for Boston to finally lose at home... and even then, after being down 3-0, still salvaged a point in the shootout. I admit to some bias, but it would be hard to keep Jim Montgomery out of the discussion for coach of the year at this point.

The week ahead features a western road trip consisting of a stop to visit the few uninjured members of the Colorado Avalanche, a stop in the Arizona hockey-closet, and finishing with a rematch against the Golden Knights. Players called the late-Nov/early-Dec stretch 'The Gauntlet', and so far they've dropped a single point through it all- just astounding stuff from a team that wasn't supposed to even be competitive during the early part of the season.

[gyedid]

Well...that was a, um, interesting debacle between the Habs and Canucks yesterday.

Is it just me, or did the wheels fall off for the Habs after Sean Monahan left the game? (he's been playing hurt as it is).

There's really no reason they shouldn't have been able to take that game after the Canucks melted down in the first period and Sam Montembeault stood on his head.


Cheers,

Gabe

[gyedid]

FYI:

Yes, I know what's going on with Carey Price.

No, I'm not at all happy about it.

To expand on that anymore would violate all manner of forum rules and risk getting myself banned so that's all I'm going to say about that here.

Cheers,

Gabe

[JadeHellbringer]

Yeah, let's skip that whole thing, please. Whooole lot of debate that needs to take place on literally any website that isn't this one.

[Dragon Cat]

It took until the first week of December for Boston to finally lose at home... and even then, after being down 3-0, still salvaged a point in the shootout. I admit to some bias, but it would be hard to keep Jim Montgomery out of the discussion for coach of the year at this point.

The week ahead features a western road trip consisting of a stop to visit the few uninjured members of the Colorado Avalanche, a stop in the Arizona hockey-closet, and finishing with a rematch against the Golden Knights. Players called the late-Nov/early-Dec stretch 'The Gauntlet', and so far they've dropped a single point through it all- just astounding stuff from a team that wasn't supposed to even be competitive during the early part of the season.

The whole run was crazy, and coming back against the Knights was impressive 3-0 I was struggling to sleep woke up and thought well first home lost do it in style...

Didn't expect a comeback and shootout

[rebs]

Wish the best for Mr. Price.  Not debating, just wishing him hope and good vibes that he can turn things around.

On a personal note: I finally kicked cigarettes to the curb this March, and renewed my vow to not smoke anything ever again, after about 30 years of habit.

Cold turkey; no patches, gum, vapes, cigars or chew. 

Every time I had an urge to smoke, I stepped outside and walked a mile.  The urges are 90% gone, but I'm walking 2 to 6 miles a day still, a habit I will keep up for as long as the winter allows me this year.

I literally walked off smoking!   

[Dragon Cat]

Wish the best for Mr. Price.  Not debating, just wishing him hope and good vibes that he can turn things around.

On a personal note: I finally kicked cigarettes to the curb this March, and renewed my vow to not smoke anything ever again, after about 30 years of habit.

Cold turkey; no patches, gum, vapes, cigars or chew. 

Every time I had an urge to smoke, I stepped outside and walked a mile.  The urges are 90% gone, but I'm walking 2 to 6 miles a day still, a habit I will keep up for as long as the winter allows me this year.

I literally walked off smoking!   

Nicely done!

[Fat Guy]

Congratulations on kicking death sticks!

I went cold turkey as well when I quit in the early 90s.

I also put on 30 pounds in the following 6 months.