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The NHL Thread

With NHL 11 coming out in a week (I don't have an XBox 360 or a PS3 :(), the preseason beginning a couple of weeks after that, and the 2010-11 National Hockey League season beginning (finally) a couple of weeks later, I thought it would be a good idea to set up a thread here for the hockey-loving population of SPPf. Speculation, trades, game scores and all that.

I'll start by saying that I support my hometown Maple Leafs, and expect them to make a playoff appearance or fall just short of one. Either way, we won't give Boston a high pick in what looks to be a weak draft class.

Legitimate cup contenders for me this season are the Capitals, Flyers, Penguins, Canucks, Red Wings and Sharks.
 

ElectiCrow

Do The Tevez!
Finally an NHL thread although it seems like it's just you and me lol.
Anyway i live in the UK and i support the Ottawa Senators and i think a playoff finish is fair and we could (depending on, Sabres, Penguins etc.) even get a top-four finish.

What i can dream right?
 
Finally an NHL thread although it seems like it's just you and me lol.
Anyway i live in the UK and i support the Ottawa Senators and i think a playoff finish is fair and we could (depending on, Sabres, Penguins etc.) even get a top-four finish.

What i can dream right?

Don't worry, it'll pick up once regular season starts. :)

I expect the top four in the East to be something like:

1 - Washington Capitals (SE division is soft, even though Tampa's improving)
2 - Pittsburgh Penguins/New Jersey Devils
3 - Boston Bruins
4 - New Jersey Devils/Pittsburgh Penguins

Course, Philadelphia could slide themselves into one of the top Atlantic spots if they fix their goaltending issues.

Leafs rookies beat Chicago rookies 6-3 in the rookie tournament last night. :) But Kadri's going to sit through the game with the Penguins tonight due to minor injury. :(
 
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Frygon

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Flyers fan here. They don't have a goaltender issue. They had three goalies with more than 10 wins last season.
 
Well, compared to the rest of the Flyers team the goaltending is looking lackluster. The Flyers are deep on forward with 3 solid scoring lines, and have one of the best d's in the league. Leighton is a serviceable #1, but inconsistent.
 

Frygon

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The Flyer's top D is good. The rest is quite meh. The fact that they resigned Braydon ****ing Coburn pisses me off to no end. I'll just stick to my love for the Kings this season.
 

Pseudo-Unlegendary

I be an Exotic One
I'm still on my Stanley Cup hangover this year so I'm so pumped for Basketball and Hockey this season. I think the Blackhawks, with what they were tasked to do, did fairly well with removing the replaceable players and replacing them well.
 

Frygon

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I disagree. I feel like, while keeping the key components, lost a few strong points as well. Still cannot understand why they thought picking up Turco was a good idea. He's been trash for the last three seasons.
 
The way I saw it, the Blackhawks got ripped apart by the cap... but maybe it's just because there were two huge trades and at one point they were over the cap with only 17 players on contract. Getting rid of loaning Huet helped their situation a lot.
 

Frygon

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Well Toews's bonus didn't help at the slightest. You would think he would have passed on it to free up the cap space. Shame he is too immature to put his wallet before his team.
 

Pseudo-Unlegendary

I be an Exotic One
Well Toews's bonus didn't help at the slightest. You would think he would have passed on it to free up the cap space. Shame he is too immature to put his wallet before his team.

Are you serious?! To say Toews puts anything before his team is an insult to his character. He is a great leader who honestly, was more deserving of a raise than Dustin Byfuglien, and about Turco, he hasn't been trash, he was on bad teams and was forced to save a lot of shots, wearing him down. And if it doesn't work, it is a one year thing.
 

M4zz

Banned
I bleed copper and blue. We may not make the Stanley Cup Final, but, we'll be pissing-vinegar like hell for it. I really think that either Edmonton or another Canadian team is going to be beast this year. Hall+Eberle+Svenson=Epic win
 

Frygon

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Are you serious?! To say Toews puts anything before his team is an insult to his character. He is a great leader who honestly, was more deserving of a raise than Dustin Byfuglien, and about Turco, he hasn't been trash, he was on bad teams and was forced to save a lot of shots, wearing him down. And if it doesn't work, it is a one year thing.

It's not about a raise. It's about keeping together a working machine. I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, he did. I just think, given the problem they have, he should have walked away from it. The money he is making from endorsements and his inflated contract is more than enough to get by. I don't think Buff deserved a raise, and I don't hate his as much as I did all last season (after seeing the below picture). Hossa did it right when he signed with them. Kinda funny Kovy couldn't get away with pulling the same ****. lol

40886_562175389665_81404660_32524842_7274821_n.jpg
 

Pseudo-Unlegendary

I be an Exotic One
It's not about a raise. It's about keeping together a working machine. I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, he did. I just think, given the problem they have, he should have walked away from it. The money he is making from endorsements and his inflated contract is more than enough to get by. I don't think Buff deserved a raise, and I don't hate his as much as I did all last season (after seeing the below picture). Hossa did it right when he signed with them. Kinda funny Kovy couldn't get away with pulling the same ****. lol

40886_562175389665_81404660_32524842_7274821_n.jpg

So, hypothetically speaking, if you were in the league, just won the cup, and is still expected to be very good this year despite the offseason moves, you wouldn't take the raise. I think the fact of the matter is, it is still his job, and pay raises are part of a schedule, he adhered to the schedule, and he deserves his raise. Case and point.
 

Frygon

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
To be fair, it's a matter of perspective. You and I arguing the decision of a professional athlete isn't going to change anything. It's just my opinion and neither of us will lose sleep over it.

Any one have a team they are looking at to break out this season? I'm thinking the Lightning and Thrashers in the east and the Preds in the 'west'.
 

BCVM22

Well-Known Member
Well Toews's bonus didn't help at the slightest. You would think he would have passed on it to free up the cap space. Shame he is too immature to put his wallet before his team.

I just think, given the problem they have, he should have walked away from it.

Don't take offense at this (or do, your call), but you're talking nonsense. It has nothing to do with Toews being greedy (he isn't) or anything of the sort. The bonus was written into his contract, itself a somewhat below market value yet long-term deal, designed to keep Toews well-paid while keeping his cap hit reasonable. It's not a matter of whether he should have turned down the bonus (which is malarkey, Cap'n Serious earned his money), but very likely he couldn't.

It's very likely that the player's association would have actually moved to stop him from doing so because it sets a dangerous precedent for the body of individuals the association represents, that being, of course, the players. If someone like Toews actually gives back a bonus in the name of helping his team stay under the cap, what's to stop other teams from "gently encouraging" their players to do the same? It's a slippery slope.

I'm not accusing you of anything, but getting on the soapbox and talking about "well he shouldn't be paid this" or "he shouldn't have demanded that money" is not a cut-and-dry conversation when it comes to professional sports, because the players in any sport will only be paid what teams decide they're worth and the unions on both sides make the issue a complex one no matter what sport you're discussing.

And yes, Buff will be missed, but somehow lost in the story of his playoff contributions and how the Hawks will be lost without him is the fact that he basically disappeared for extended stretches of the season.
 
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Frygon

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That I did not know. Thank you for the explanation.

I will say, Buff was not an essential part of anything. His line mates were all the difference. Same can be said for Bill Guerin the year before. With the right line mates, just about any player will flourish. I could see more teams going with a heavy player crashing the net with two top forwards in order to try and get that same flow this season. It was hard for teams to defend against it (up until the Flyers series). I do think Buff will be a welcomed addition to the Thrashers. I do appreciate him back on D.
 

BCVM22

Well-Known Member
I do appreciate him back on D.

Byfuglien's value is, as you said, as a forward, where he and his colossal keister can park it in front of the net and cause havoc. Ask Roberto Luongo what causes him to wake up in a cold sweat at night.
 
Byfuglien's value is, as you said, as a forward, where he and his colossal keister can park it in front of the net and cause havoc. Ask Roberto Luongo what causes him to wake up in a cold sweat at night.

Hopefully Kulemin can work the front of the net well, he's big and can do the dirty work for Bozak and Kessel.
 

YamiGekusu

New Member
Gotta support my Sharks. I'm not from San Jose, but I was born in a town not far from San Jose.

I live in a town where there are a TON of Red Wings fans. I mean, I almost got kicked out of a few cars for saying that I hate the Red Wings.

And the most recent playoffs, oh man, I'm still kinda mad at the Blackhawks for beating the Sharks. :( But I was really happy when the Sharks beat the Red Wings. :)<

GO SHARKS WIN THE CUP :D
 
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