2011-12 NHL Regular Season Thread

[DeToxRox]

Pre-season is over. The real fun begins. About damn time.

[DeToxRox]

Also, here is one that is sure to rile up fans in the West:

The Winnipeg Jets are content to sit and smile while NHL decision-makers work on realignment formulas.

The Jets would prefer to be shifted to the Northwest Division next season, joining Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and a geographic rival in the Minnesota Wild.

Playing more games in Canada not only has obvious rivalry benefits but has its financial advantages because it's less costly flying principally in Canada than in the U.S.

A shift to the Central Division is also a strong possibility for the Jets; with Detroit, Nashville and Columbus all eager to move east.

The Red Wings will continue to quietly campaign for a move, perhaps, seeking support from influential Eastern Conference teams like Toronto, Philadelphia and the New York Rangers to help sway the vote at the December board meetings.

Detroit, however, has offered a concession.

The Wings are willing to stay in the West, providing they travel to Western Canada once instead of twice and far West into the United States once instead of twice per season.

Eastern Conference teams don't see a need for a drastic change and all clubs remain concerned over the uncertainty of the Phoenix Coyotes and the potential for future realignment.

The perfect scenario would see the Coyotes ownership issues resolved prior to the December vote.
In any case, the Winnipeg Jets will be keen observers of the process.

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/darren_dreger/?id=377001

[DeToxRox]

Fabian Brunnstrom earned (well, nothing official yet) a contract with a great pre-season. It didn't hurt that Mursak is out three months but he is an intriguing guy to make the roster. Has some offensive upside, we'll see if he can be another Wings reclamation project.

Also, Gustav Nyquist was amazing this pre-season. The Wings farm system is just so loaded right now with solid prospects, but Nyquist has superstar potential.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by HiFiRevival

It seems like the most obvious re-alignment move is:

Winnipeg to the Northwest
Minnesota to the Central
Nashville to the Southeast

As a Caps fan, it would please me to see David Poile's blissfully unexciting hockey back in town.

I'm not sure what will happen, but I think it would be a better idea to keep Winnipeg and Minnesota in the same division somehow. To me it seems goofy to put Winnipeg in the same division as Calgary, Edmonton, and especially Vancouver. We are closer to cities like Minneapolis and Chicago, and also share their timezone. It also keeps from having some kind of strange defacto "Canadian" division that I don't think would be a good idea for the league.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by HiFiRevival

Daniel Carcillo may get a suspension from taking a run at Alex Semin's head today. What's more telling to me is that absolutely none of Semin's teammates came to his aide and nobody picked a fight after that. That's with DJ King in the freaking lineup. Matt Bradley's words seem to be ringing even truer about the feeling in the locker room toward Semin.

And Steckel....and Shaone Morrisonn...

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I'm not sure what will happen, but I think it would be a better idea to keep Winnipeg and Minnesota in the same division somehow. To me it seems goofy to put Winnipeg in the same division as Calgary, Edmonton, and especially Vancouver. We are closer to cities like Minneapolis and Chicago, and also share their timezone. It also keeps from having some kind of strange defacto "Canadian" division that I don't think would be a good idea for the league.

Agree with this.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by HiFiRevival

Yup. Watching the game again, it wasn't Carcillo though. The hit came from Peter LeBlanc, who jumped and reached with an elbow, and was served by Carcillo. Not a single player even moved towards where the hit happened while Semin was laid on the ice.

I think you can add Olie Kolzig to the list of guys who left and had a few words about Semin. Matt Cooke as well. Hopefully George McPhee wakes up and realizes this at some point in time.

Now I can't believe anything those other guys have said. Guilty by association.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by HiFiRevival

You could just flip Colorado and Minnesota, but I was going purely by geography.

I think if we had to stick with 3 divisions of 5 teams I'd go with something like this:

San Jose
Anaheim
LA
Vancouver
Phoenix

Colorado
Calgary
Edmonton
Winnipeg
Minnesota

Dallas
Chicago
St. Louis
Detroit
Nashville

That moves Columbus east. I should be commish.

[bronconick]

I don't think anyone defended Semin because he farking took a dive.



And what, Detroit wants a schedule where they only play 1 game per season out West, or they want a 14 game road trip?

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by HiFiRevival

Where does Columbus fit in the East? There's no way to justify putting them in the Southeast with Nashville sitting there and they're not going to mess with the Atlantic or Northeast divisions at all.

I don't care about the east

Just kidding, you're right, swap Columbus for Nashville then. You can be Assistant Commish.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by bronconick

I don't think anyone defended Semin because he farking took a dive.

That doesn't really come off as a dive to me. Dude put his elbow right to the side of Semin's head. What would be the non-dive reaction to that play?

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by HiFiRevival

Exactly. The gif shows clear, intentional contact to the head with the elbow/forearm. He swings right through the head. There's no debate to the intent or the result.

The issue is the 4 other Caps skaters not even making a move toward Semin after he goes down.

Crosby says he is not impressed with the way Semin gets hit in the head, and that players like himself and Ben Smith receive headshots in a much more interesting way.

[Doug5984]

So glad hockey season is back.

[Suburban Rhythm]

DOLA

Not very many big names exposed on waivers.

Viktor Tikhonov waived, and cleared already.
Gilbert Brule on waivers today, 48 hours to clear.

[MizzouRah]

Blues hockey this Saturday, can't wait!

[Suburban Rhythm]

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.ht...id=DL|PIT|home

Two of the NHL’s biggest rivals will team up for a great cause when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals face off Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. at CONSOL Energy in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins and Capitals today announced a joint effort to raise money for the families of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the KHL team that perished in a plane crash Sept. 7 in Russia. Pens and Caps players will wear jerseys with commemorative Lokomotiv patches at the Oct. 13 game, then autograph the game-worn and game-issued jerseys afterward and auction them off at nhl.com. All proceeds will benefit the Lokomotiv players’ children and families.

[Logan]

Avery waived.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Logan

Avery waived.

Oh Sean Avery...

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by HiFiRevival

Awesome move by both teams. They should have DJ King and Matt Cooke drop the gloves and then sign those after the fight.

Cooke is going to elbow Ovy in the mouth, and the tooth he loses will be auctioned.

[TurnerONU22]

Originally Posted by HiFiRevival

Where does Columbus fit in the East? There's no way to justify putting them in the Southeast with Nashville sitting there and they're not going to mess with the Atlantic or Northeast divisions at all.

Time zones. Columbus is on EST, whereas Nashville is on CST. I'm just sick and tired of missing 10-20 games a year on TV because they start at 10 PM. It really doesn't help a fanbase that could use some help growing.

[TurnerONU22]

Originally Posted by HiFiRevival

You still run into the problem of a team in Ohio playing in the Southeast. Nobody in the Atlantic or Northeast divisions is moving unless there's a major realignment. Nashville makes a lot more sense with Raleigh-Tampa-Sunrise than Columbus does.

I don't think you can solve this problem without some sort of major realignment.

Personally, I think we need to do 4 divisions (2 w/8 teams and 2 w/7) and no conferences. First two rounds of playoffs inside the division (1v4 and 2v3) and then however they want to decide who plays after that.

[Dr. Sak]

Schenn: Pure Money Move | Frequent Flyers | 10/04/2011

It all has to do with the cap. By not skating in Thursday’s opener against the Bruins, the Flyers will save themselves a ton of money on the cap - and make Schenn’s seemingly large $3.11 million cap hit turn into a much more manageable $1.75 million cap hit, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.

Schenn would have qualified for a $1.405 million bonus payout - which counts against the salary cap - if he played in all 82 games with the Flyers this season.

Thus, by spending Thursday on the the AHL roster, Schenn would immediately save the Flyers that money off the top of the cap. That bonus clause reportedly only applies to the 2011-12 season on his contract.



Read more: Schenn: Pure Money Move | Frequent Flyers | 10/04/2011
Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else

[Dr. Sak]

Leafs acquire David Steckel from Devils for a fourth-round pick in 2012.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Dr. Sak

Schenn: Pure Money Move | Frequent Flyers | 10/04/2011

If only this were baseball, and instead of tie-breakers, a play in game was used to determine the last playoff team/division winner. In essence, an 83rd game, that, assuming healthy, would give Schenn the chance to play an 82nd game.

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

If only this were baseball, and instead of tie-breakers, a play in game was used to determine the last playoff team/division winner. In essence, an 83rd game, that, assuming healthy, would give Schenn the chance to play an 82nd game.

If Schenn were to get traded, this could happen.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Dr. Sak

If Schenn were to get traded, this could happen.

This was my other thought...but even Homer wouldn't trade him within a year of trading for him. That'd be like moving a player on an 11 or 13 year contract!

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

This was my other thought...but even Homer wouldn't trade him within a year of trading for him. That'd be like moving a player on an 11 or 13 year contract!

I believe he did that to Mike Comrie.

Well that was Clarke not Homer.

[bbor]

Why is there such a big market for Kylie Turris?

Has;nt he been a fairly large bust?

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by bbor

Why is there such a big market for Kylie Turris?

Has;nt he been a fairly large bust?

22 year old defenseman with a 20 and 25 point season so far? I mean, he's not Doughty, but I can see why teams would try to poach him from a team without an owner.

[bbor]

He's a center... a 20 and 25 point season makes him 3rd,4th line material.3rd over all pick sounds like he is on the verge of busting...unless he is a late bloomer.

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by bronconick

22 year old defenseman with a 20 and 25 point season so far? I mean, he's not Doughty, but I can see why teams would try to poach him from a team without an owner.

Turris is a center though.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by bbor

He's a center... a 20 and 25 point season makes him 3rd,4th line material.3rd over all pick sounds like he is on the verge of busting...unless he is a late bloomer.

His draft year, people kept comparing him to Sakic.
Those are the same people who said Kris Beech was the next Ron Francis.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Those are the same people who said Kris Beech was the next Ron Francis.

Well it is true that neither of them are in the NHL, so they have that in common at least.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by bbor

He's a center... a 20 and 25 point season makes him 3rd,4th line material.3rd over all pick sounds like he is on the verge of busting...unless he is a late bloomer.

He is still young at 22 and has time to grow into a decent player, especially if he goes to a team that knows how to develop players.

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

His draft year, people kept comparing him to Sakic.
Those are the same people who said Kris Beech was the next Ron Francis.

That makes sense now why the Pens traded Jagr for him.

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by bbor

He's a center... a 20 and 25 point season makes him 3rd,4th line material.3rd over all pick sounds like he is on the verge of busting...unless he is a late bloomer.

Doh. Totally confused him and Yandle.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Dr. Sak

That makes sense now why the Pens traded Jagr for him.

Honestly, at that time, it was allegedly a good return.
Beech was a top 6 center, Sivek a top 6 winger and Ross Lupaschuk was the big D with a huge shot.

Beech played with, what, about 5 teams, but nothing more than 20 games with each. Lupaschuk never reached the NHL. Sivek was decent, but he returned to the Czech Republic when his mother got sick, and chose to never return.

But trading Jagr allowed Pittsburgh to keep Kovalev, Straka, Lang, etc for a couple more years.

And then trade those guys for more bums - Rico Fata, Mike Wilson, Martin Strbak, Joel Bouchard...and Mikael Samuelsson.

Mikael Samuelsson was used to move from 3rd to 1st in the 2003 draft, to take Fleury, who made the Cup winning save on Lidstrom.

So really, without trading Jagr, Pens never win in 2009.

[Chief Rum]

Who is Stefan Elliott and why did the computer AI draft him for me over several proven veteran Dmen?

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Who is Stefan Elliott and why did the computer AI draft him for me over several proven veteran Dmen?

An Avs prospect who I don't believe is going to even see the NHL this year. But I could be wrong.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

An Avs prospect who I don't believe is going to even see the NHL this year. But I could be wrong.

Awesome. He's not even a former 1st rounder.

Well, if anyone in your league wants a shot at Elliott, they're gonna get it.