The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

I still think of Kessel as a disappointing top pick and it’s totally unfair. Everyone after Ovechkin and Crosby were supposed to be the same great players as those guys, but those type of players only come around every decade or so. Kessel has carved out an amazing career by any measure, and this unexpected Ironman streak is just another notch on his belt. All those goals, all those Cups, all those hot dogs. We salute you, Phil Kessel.

The only bad thing to me about Kessel wasn't even his fault.

Leafs traded for him when they had no right to.

How does a 12th place (in the east) team with a bottom 10 pick in the draft comfortably trade away the following TWO years first, completely unprotected in a deal for Kessel? There's no guarantee he'd even help them make the playoffs.

If it was a team like Rangers who just missed out by a single point, I could understand the deal.

It forced Kessel to be thrust in a position as the franchise guy in the biggest market, on a team that wasn't even good when he got there, all while now having the added baggage of being associated with the Seguin pick.

[bhurst99]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

Sheldon Keefe might want to start updating his resume. I'm guessing they'll give him 20 games this season before making a decision but the Leafs have looked pretty awful.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

Sheldon Keefe might want to start updating his resume. I'm guessing they'll give him 20 games this season before making a decision but the Leafs have looked pretty awful.

Fire Keefe and trade Marner.

Too bad they didn't let someone offer sheet Marner. I would've taken the 4 firsts for him and then spend a few million less and get someone else in free agency.

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

Fire Keefe and trade Marner.

Too bad they didn't let someone offer sheet Marner. I would've taken the 4 firsts for him and then spend a few million less and get someone else in free agency.

The problem wasn't signing Marner. Dubas gambled and lost by forgoing bridge contracts entirely and paying all of his RFA's like UFA's right before COVID hit and ensured that the cap would stay flat for a few years. The Lightning and Avs (and almost the Bruins before them) won Cups because they had RFA star players on reasonable bridge deals.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

The problem wasn't signing Marner. Dubas gambled and lost by forgoing bridge contracts entirely and paying all of his RFA's like UFA's right before COVID hit and ensured that the cap would stay flat for a few years. The Lightning and Avs (and almost the Bruins before them) won Cups because they had RFA star players on reasonable bridge deals.

Marner demanding as much as he did has hurt the team too.

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

Erik Karlsson being good again makes me happy

[l3ulvl]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

Man, 10 days after taking a slapshot to the face, Matt Luff made his triumphant return to the Wings, without a cage, and ended up taking a dirty hit near the boards and will miss "significant time".



<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/if8O-TEa_SU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

With Shane Bowers debuting, every 1st round pick from the 2017 draft have played in a NHL game. Not bad for a draft that was considered "weak" leading up to it.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

This is just sad to see how fast his health declined in a matter of months.

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1591226793142366208?t=HizOTAwM-TdsHkF-jo-grw&s=19

[bhurst99]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

This is just sad to see how fast his health declined in a matter of months.

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/statu...kF-jo-grw&s=19

That was really tough to watch.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

That was really tough to watch.

I'm not crying, you're crying.

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1591588095396581376?t=wo9-7Ocz3-sOxHI7r47B3g&s=19

Just seeing Matthews/Dubas and others choked up, and seeing Salming not able to keep it together either at all the cheers for him, I'm glad the Leafs were able to do this now with him still here. The bittersweet part about everything going on, you at least have a chance to honour him now.

[Jeffrey Smith]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

This is just sad to see how fast his health declined in a matter of months.

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/statu...kF-jo-grw&s=19

I just started watching the game in the 3rd so I missed this.[emoji22]

Salming was always my favourite player growing up in the late 70’s/ early 80’s.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[DrJones]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

DING DONG, THE WITCH IS DEAD

I wouldn't celebrate until you know who the replacement is. Vancouver could bring in Chiarelli for all you know.

Looks like Vancouver hired BBQ Bruce to coach. It sounded like Benning wanted to bring in Julien.

Just give me a day or two to bask in this long nightmare ending, will you?

I'm sure the next nightmare will begin soon enough.

The next nightmare has begun. Welcome Jim Rutherford, your new Canucks GM.

Here for DrJones reactions.

Look, considering that truly dystopic options such as Tallon, Bergevin, and Chiarelli were on the table, I'm willing to reserve judgment on Rutherford for the time being. (And yes, I'm well aware that he traded for Gudbranson.)

If he's actually willing to stay in his President role, and picks a young, smart GM to mentor, who knows how this will turn out? (Well, yes, we all know how this will turn out.) I'll ride this out for now, address the next disaster when we come to it.

Gentlemen, we've come to the next disaster.

[Kobalt]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

Gentlemen, we've come to the next disaster.

I would say I’m curious how they will blow it with Bedard but they aren’t getting the #1 pick with their luck.

That said, Michkov and Fantilli are two guys that would’ve been 1st overall picks in other years so they might have a chance with those two.

[Majingir]

Re: The Official 2022-23 Season Talk Thread

Hawks retire Hossas number.

I still remember that crazy stretch for him in the late 00s.

Winds up in Pittsburgh, loses in the cup finals in 2008 to Detroit, joins the Wings, loses in the cup finals in 2009 to Pittsburgh, joins the Hawks and finally wins the cup in 2010.