The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

I'll laugh/be mad if Edmonton wins the lottery. They're probably going to take Ryan Murray if they get #2, however if they win the lottery Yakupov, Hall, Eberle, RNH

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

I'm interested to see whether Landeskog or RNH wins the Calder.

Or Matt Read.

But he should get a few votes.

[jyoung]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

Weber's going to win the Norris because he's "due".

Yeah Weber finished tied with Karlsson for the most goals from a defenseman at 19.

Lidstrom won't get it this year due to injury. So it's basically between Chara and Weber imo.

[rdnk]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

Karlsson is going to get jobbed out of the Norris like Visnovsky did last year. It's almost as if you have too many points as a defenseman, you get disqualified from the Norris trophy.

Whatever, it'll be Chara, Weber and Pietrangelo as the finalists, and in those three, I think Chara would win it.

[RealmK]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

Lucic pretty much sabotaged our season by taking out Miller for a few weeks in November, it should have been time for payback and affecting their chances of a repeat haha

How so? I'm pretty tired of hearing that excuse from Buffalo fans, your forwards didn't put up goals, that's why you didn't win enough points to qualify for the playoffs. Brad Boyes, 8 goals in 65 games, Ellis 3 goals in 60 games, Tyler Ennis 15 goals in 48 games. The over rated Ville Leino (just ask Wings or Philly fans) 8 goals in 71 games. You didn't have a player break 30 goals all year long.

Don't use Miller's sore neck for the reason that you didn't make the playoffs.

[RealmK]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

Karlsson is going to get jobbed out of the Norris like Visnovsky did last year. It's almost as if you have too many points as a defenseman, you get disqualified from the Norris trophy.

Whatever, it'll be Chara, Weber and Pietrangelo as the finalists, and in those three, I think Chara would win it.

The Norris is given to the best DEFENSIVE defenseman. Karlsson barely plays on the PK and makes mistakes in the defensive zone often.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

Karlsson is going to get jobbed out of the Norris like Visnovsky did last year. It's almost as if you have too many points as a defenseman, you get disqualified from the Norris trophy.

Whatever, it'll be Chara, Weber and Pietrangelo as the finalists, and in those three, I think Chara would win it.

I had no problem with Lidstrom winning last year. Visnovsky had a 6-point lead on his nearest competitor, not a 25-point lead like Karlsson has.

What I hated about last year's Norris voting was the way all the writers dismissed plus-minus as soon as it didn't meet their preconceptions. Pierre LeBrun last April: "Lidstrom's the best D-man in the league. Plus-minus means nothing!" Pierre LeBrun this January: "Lidstrom's as good as ever. Look at his plus-minus!"

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

The Norris is given to the best DEFENSIVE defenseman.

Hardly. It's officially "given to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position", but in reality, it's whatever the writers want it to be. Paul Coffey won three Norris trophies, but he had to "wait his turn". Weber's been a candidate for a few years, therefore he's "due". If Karlsson leads NHL D-men in scoring by large margins over the next couple years, he'll eventually get a Norris, even if his D never significantly improves.

[rdnk]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

The Norris is given to the best DEFENSIVE defenseman. Karlsson barely plays on the PK and makes mistakes in the defensive zone often.

Yeah right, or we'd see guys with 20 points winning the award. I wouldn't say that Karlsson is good in his own zone, but I don't he is as bad as he is made out to be. Although I think in this case, his offensive abilities make up for his defensive mediocrity.

I was more miffed that Lubomir Visnovsky didn't even get nominated. He's no defensive slouch and he would play the 2nd PK from time to time, due to the lack of defensive depth on the Ducks. Doesn't matter much now, but if it's like Dr Jones is suggesting, the Norris is beginning to look like the Gold Glove.

[RealmK]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

Yeah right, or we'd see guys with 20 points winning the award. I wouldn't say that Karlsson is good in his own zone, but I don't he is as bad as he is made out to be. Although I think in this case, his offensive abilities make up for his defensive mediocrity.

I was more miffed that Lubomir Visnovsky didn't even get nominated. He's no defensive slouch and he would play the 2nd PK from time to time, due to the lack of defensive depth on the Ducks. Doesn't matter much now, but if it's like Dr Jones is suggesting, the Norris is beginning to look like the Gold Glove.

Fair enough, Doc corrected me anyway. Still though you would think defensive ability would play more in the award. But then again you never know when it comes to NHL awards anyway.

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

Karlsson is going to get jobbed out of the Norris like Visnovsky did last year. It's almost as if you have too many points as a defenseman, you get disqualified from the Norris trophy.

Whatever, it'll be Chara, Weber and Pietrangelo as the finalists, and in those three, I think Chara would win it.

Yea Karlsson improved his defense a lot, and I consider him above average watching Sens games this year. I doubt he gets nominated as a finalist though, he has that stigma of a bad defender and I don't see him getting rid of that rep soon. I enjoy watching him play D though, he lets opposing skaters go close to the boards, steal the puck and start the breakaway the other way.

However I don't think he gets jobbed out of Norris if he doesn't win it. But Norris Award is a funny thing like Doc already explained.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

the Norris is beginning to look like the Gold Glove.

That is exactly what it is. The NHL's version of that paperweight.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

That is exactly what it is. The NHL's version of that paperweight.

Nah, it's not that bad. While I don't necessarily agree with all the Norris winners, I can't think of any particularly egregious choices. By the letter of the law, Selke voting is much more flawed because it's supposed to be for "the forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game", not the best defensive forward who puts up at least 60 points. Even then, it's not nearly as bad as GG voting.

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

Central Scouting's list is out
http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=62970

Griffin Reinhart would have been perfect for us, if we had our first round pick this year. I'll be ecstatic if Dalton Thrower fell to us in the second round. Would love Henrik Samuelsson or Tim Bozon though. From reading their scouting reports I'll probably get that CHL pass if there is a lockout next year.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2011-12 Regular Season Talk Thread

Central Scouting's list is out
http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=62970

Dalton Thrower

Ah. The "kids whose dads loved Road House" generation is finally coming of age.

Henrik Samuelsson

Good to see that the EA name generator is still going strong.