The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

[sharks]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

Dominate Anaheim...get swept to Buffalo, Columbus, and Florida. Yeah...

[jack1535]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

And Sabres tank fans can be happy as we move further down the standings.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

Cody Hodgson: 2 goals, 5 assists in 48 games; healthy scratch in Vancouver tonight. Ouch.

[IlliniM1ke]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

Cody Hodgson: 2 goals, 5 assists in 48 games; healthy scratch in Vancouver tonight. Ouch.

As someone who watches no Buffalo games what happened did he just stop developing or what? I recall he always looked like he'd have a bright future during the Canucks/Blackhawks rivalry.

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

Leafs went 1-11-1 in January, they scored 16 goals. Fire Carlyle!!

At least they're not the Sabres, right? 0-16-0 in January, scored 18 goals.

Bobby Mac/TSN's midseason prospect ranking has McDavid at #1. All 10 scouts picked him over Eichel. http://www.tsn.ca/mcdavid-the-unanim...nking-1.193058

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

As someone who watches no Buffalo games what happened did he just stop developing or what? I recall he always looked like he'd have a bright future during the Canucks/Blackhawks rivalry.

Dunno. He's certainly got the skill to be a 2C, but I've heard he's lost a step (and Hodgson has always been slow). Advanced stats say he's been unlucky, but to go from 78 points in 122 games to 7 in 48 at age 24...

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

Bobby Mac/TSN's midseason prospect ranking has McDavid at #1. All 10 scouts picked him over Eichel. http://www.tsn.ca/mcdavid-the-unanim...nking-1.193058

I've seen a lot of "generational talent" labels thrown around at both, which sounds like hyperbole to me.

IMO a generational player is an instant superstar, among the best of all time, a no doubt Hall of Famer, someone who'll rack up MVP's and 1st Team All-Stars, someone who you could make a strong case for being in the top 5-10 ever at his position.

Crosby, Ovechkin, and Jagr are the only current players who strike me as "generational talents". Malkin's a longshot, but possible. I don't think there's ever been a US-born player with generational talent, though if LaFontaine had stayed healthy his entire career, he might've had a shot. I'm supposed to believe that McDavid and Eichel are both this elite? Either the definition doesn't mean what it used to, or Buffalo and Edmonton aren't tanking hard enough.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

As someone who watches no Buffalo games what happened did he just stop developing or what? I recall he always looked like he'd have a bright future during the Canucks/Blackhawks rivalry.

Victim of a worthless culture.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

I've seen a lot of "generational talent" labels thrown around at both, which sounds like hyperbole to me.

IMO a generational player is an instant superstar, among the best of all time, a no doubt Hall of Famer, someone who'll rack up MVP's and 1st Team All-Stars, someone who you could make a strong case for being in the top 5-10 ever at his position.

Crosby, Ovechkin, and Jagr are the only current players who strike me as "generational talents". Malkin's a longshot, but possible. I don't think there's ever been a US-born player with generational talent, though if LaFontaine had stayed healthy his entire career, he might've had a shot. I'm supposed to believe that McDavid and Eichel are both this elite? Either the definition doesn't mean what it used to, or Buffalo and Edmonton aren't tanking hard enough.

I'm with you. Hockey has this unhealthy obsession with trying to find the next Lemieux or Gretzky. As far as I'm concerned, only Crosby belongs in that company in the last 15 years. Ovechkin is great, but he doesn't transcend the game like Crosby has.

[DaRK]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

I'm with you. Hockey has this unhealthy obsession with trying to find the next Lemieux or Gretzky. As far as I'm concerned, only Crosby belongs in that company in the last 15 years. Ovechkin is great, but he doesn't transcend the game like Crosby has.

Huh? Ovechkin doesn't transcend the game as much as Crosby?

He is 6th all time for goals per game. That sounds pretty transcending to me.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

I put Crosby in the all time great category, but Ovie is more to me a prolific goal scorer. Brett Hull-ish. Pavel Bure. Teemu Selanne. Great players but not in the same special category as Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr.

Please don't make me defend Crosby!

[carko32]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

We were debating with my friends how many franchise centers are in the league atm.
This is my list and I'd like to know, if you can agree with it or you think that there should be smaller number.
Getzlaf(Anaheim), Kopitar(LA), Thornton(SJ), Sedin(Vancouver), Toews(Chicago), Datsyuk and Zetterberg(Detroit), Stamkos (Tampa), Tavares (NYI), Giroux (Philadelphia), Crosby and Malkin(Pittsburgh) and Backstrom(Washington) (12 players).
On the fence with Bergeron and Seguin(he hasn't been on this level long enough, but it seems that he can be that franchise player, but from guys on the fence he is the closest), and also with Johansen( too young) and with SJ players, because there are so many good C, that I just can't identify which of them is actually franchise C.


Regarding Ovechkin, I think that he is generational player. He can change game like nobody can in the league(except Crosby).

[daflyboys]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

Flyers on a mini-roll these past 6 games as needed. But now comes another long layoff just in time for the Islanders. O joy.

Long lay off in 2015 + Islanders = probably loss.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

I put Crosby in the all time great category, but Ovie is more to me a prolific goal scorer. Brett Hull-ish. Pavel Bure. Teemu Selanne. Great players but not in the same special category as Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr.

Please don't make me defend Crosby!

By my definition, Ovi is a generational talent. Very, very few wingers have this kind of resume.

3x MVP
1x led NHL in points
4x led NHL in goals
6x 1st Team All-Star
2x 2nd Team All-Star (I'm not counting the 2013 dupe)
3rd in career PPG among wingers (behind Bossy and Lafleur)
3rd in career GPG among wingers (behind Bossy and Bure)
4x 100 point seasons
5x 50 goal seasons

In the same category as Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr? No. As good as Crosby? No, though they were equal through their first 5 seasons IMO. One of the top 5-10 wingers of all time? Yes, no question.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2014-15 Regular Season Talk Thread

We were debating with my friends how many franchise centers are in the league atm.
This is my list and I'd like to know, if you can agree with it or you think that there should be smaller number.
Getzlaf(Anaheim), Kopitar(LA), Thornton(SJ), Sedin(Vancouver), Toews(Chicago), Datsyuk and Zetterberg(Detroit), Stamkos (Tampa), Tavares (NYI), Giroux (Philadelphia), Crosby and Malkin(Pittsburgh) and Backstrom(Washington) (12 players).
On the fence with Bergeron and Seguin(he hasn't been on this level long enough, but it seems that he can be that franchise player, but from guys on the fence he is the closest), and also with Johansen( too young) and with SJ players, because there are so many good C, that I just can't identify which of them is actually franchise C.

Bergeron and Seguin are both franchise C IMO. Does Zetterberg play much C these days?