NHL Off-Topic thread

[SPTO]

If i'm Katz (sure wish I was, the guy has tons of cash) i'd give the GM job and ultimate control to Mark Hunter. I bet he'd turn things around within a few years.

[Majingir]

Hunter would be a good choice. I'm surprised the Islanders didn't get him given that Lou and Hunter worked together for a few years.

Quote: Originally Posted by ImTellinTim

Best part of that story is they fired him during the game so he could sneak out.

And the decision to fire him was done before the game, so it was just a decision on when would be the best time to tell him. A pro of being a west coast team. Doing something during a game and don't have to deal with the eastern media until the next day since they're asleep when it happens.

[Majingir]

Panthers seem to want Bobrovsky AND Panarin.

I don't see how Bobrovsky will make sense given they have Luongo AND Reimer already. Reimer maybe could be involved in Bobrovsky deal (assuming Panthers decide to trade for him instead of wait till July 1st), but Luongo is staying in Florida with his 4.5M cap hit for up to next 3 seasons.

Maybe even seeing something like Brassard,Reimer + something else for Bobrovsky?

[Majingir]

It begins.

Leafs sign Matthews to a 5 year 11.6m AAV deal.

Marner probably won't negotiate during the season like his agent said, but at least Leafs get a huge deal done so they can go into this deadline really knowing how much they have to play around with.

My ideal scenario would be trading Brown,Hainsey and more to get Gudas this year. Then in July let Marleau end his career in SJ.

All that and Leafs would be under the cap and a better team.

[SPTO]

Kyle Dubas may think way out of the box but the man gets the job done. I still think he got played big time with the Nylander signing but I have a feeling Nylander might be traded in the offseason.

That being said, Dubas has to be one of the more creative GMs in the entire league. Kudos to him getting Matthews extended.

[Majingir]

Quote: Originally Posted by SPTO

Kyle Dubas may think way out of the box but the man gets the job done. I still think he got played big time with the Nylander signing but I have a feeling Nylander might be traded in the offseason. That being said, Dubas has to be one of the more creative GMs in the entire league. Kudos to him getting Matthews extended.

Nylander could still get traded, but I think that'd depend on development of other guys. If a guy like Johnsson could legitimately crack the top 6, Nylander could be expendable. Right now though Johnsson is a guy many teams want included in a deal for a dman so we'll see.

I don't see Leafs in as big of trouble as many make them out to be. Next season might be the toughest of all years to fit guys under, but if they can get through that, they can get through anything. And even then, a big help would be dealing Marleau back to SJ which I don't think would be too hard.

By time Seattle enters the league I see cap hit being over 90M. New CBA + Expansion Money + New TV Deal, how does that not lead to a cap going up from mid 80s into 90M mark? Maybe even into the 100M mark by time Matthews 5 year deal is up.

Think about it, first full season after last shortened season we had cap hit of 64.3M. It's jumped up each of the 5 seasons since to 79.5M. 15M increase in 5 years? More happening in league now, it's not an unrealistic though of thinking we could see a 100M cap in 5-6 years from now.

Matthews is also making a lower percentage of the cap than McDavid,Ovechkin,Toews/Kane made when signing their deals. It's only slightly higher percentage than a signing like Crosby and Eichel (not even a 1% difference)

[Majingir]

Just over a week until trade deadline. Flyers have traded for Talbot from the Oilers. He'll be their 8th goalie this year which will set an NHL record.

[slickdtc]

G Anthony Stolarz going the other way.

People are somehow upset at this trade. They seem to think Stolarz has any chance of unseating Carter Hart or any of our other prospects coming up at goalie. Stolarz has been around this team for what seems like forever for a young goalie, but between health and us having more established goalies, he never really got a consistent chance.

I did not know Talbot had declined sharply over the last 2 seasons. But prior to that he came right over from the Rangers and was an iron man in net for them. Yet another reclamation project at goalie for the Flyers (Mason, Biron, Neuvirth, Elliot, Mrazek, etc). Guys who are decent and may have even been pretty good at one point, but we never get that consistent high and they eventually fade away. Until Hart was forced in to action, this team HATES playing a really young goalie. In fact, they’ll go out and sign a guy to replace one who had a good year before trading him away after he struggles as a backup (Bobrovsky).

Some people may think Stolarz is Bob in this scenario, I guess with Talbot playing some form of Mrazek/Bryzgalov. Not quite. Talbot is a free agent at years end, Stolarz is a RFA, Elliot is also an UFA. We got something for a goalie who probably wasn’t going to be here next season. That seems like a good idea. I don’t think Stolarz was going to overtake Hart this year or ever.

Stolarz may blossom in Edmonton. But as long as Hart is the man, this doesn’t matter that much. Maybe some picks would’ve been a nicer haul but I don’t think Stolarz value to some fans is as high as they think it is within the league. It’s highly like the Flyers got hosed, but dude got dealt for a 31 year old, terribly (stats wise this season) pending free agent. I’m not sure either of these clubs expects these guys to be the answer, they’re just rolling the dice.