NHL 2022-2023: FA July 13th - LET IT BEGIN

[Anguyen92]

^^ It should have, but the league higher-ups is so morally bankrupt that their idea for punishment for something like this coverup is basically a minor fine in comparison to how much the Blackhawks is worth.

[jingle.boy]

Right??  A $2M fine would be like a $2 fine to anyone of us.  It was a joke.  It was like DOPS was handing out the punishment to the team.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/nhl-draft-chicago-scandal-1.6837773

[Anguyen92]

It starts with one game, Leafs.  Now ride the f*** off of the momentum as much as you can go.  Most importantly, make the Panthers doubt themselves in Game 5 onwards.

[jingle.boy]

Leafs played like the ‘95 Devils tonight. What a defensive clinic.

<insert Sanford & Son heart attack gif>

I have no delusions that they’ll win the series. The won’t… but at least they didn’t get swept.

[Anguyen92]

I didn't expect this Oilers/Golden Knights series to be this testy to say the least.  I expect Kane to do the things he wants to do and the league isn't going to do much discipline post-game.  Game 4 is getting closer to the boiling point for both sides.  Pietrangelo committed a slash on Draisaitl in the dying seconds of the game long after the puck left Draisaitl's area.  People want a suspension it seems.  The Oilers has been doing whatever to Stone's injured back and has been taking liberties at Pietrangelo.  I don't know how the refs are going to maintain order for the rest of the series.  I don't know even know, at this point, the refs wants to maintain order.

[gmillerdrake]

I’ve never seen Petro do such a blatant and dangerous act like that. Very out of character. You could see that the toll has been taken from the beating he’s taking.

[Stadler]

Eh, I think Bettman is kind of right though.  "Different context, different facts".   The punishments to the other two teams that lost draft picks can be correlated to their wrong-doings directly impacting their competitiveness and (ultimately) their position in the draft order.   As heinous as it is, this IS an off-ice issue, and there have been enough heads rolling (Bowman, McDonough, MacIsaac, Vincent, Gary, Quenneville) that I think criticism of the draft picks is really just about preference. 

And no, we shouldn't be bullying Connor Bedard to jeopardize his future in the name of an arbitrary standard that some of us want to unilaterally impose. There should be no insinuations drawn if Bedard opts to play for the Blackhawks.  (Though if all this results in a trade of Bedard to the Bruins, I'm all for that!) 

[gmillerdrake]

Best case scenario is Bedard is a flop like the majority of #1 pics are. He is tiny and hasn't really played against 'men' yet. This is a LOT of hype to live up to.

And I say 'best case' only in the terms of Chicago getting screwed. As for Bedard personally...I don't wish ill on him.....but it'd be poetic justice for Chicago if he just didn't live up to what he's being built into.

[pg1067]

<insert Sanford & Son heart attack gif>

The INSTANT I read this the show's theme song popped into my head (and probably will stay there through the morning).   

[SchecterShredder]

Best case scenario is Bedard is a flop like the majority of #1 pics are. He is tiny and hasn't really played against 'men' yet. This is a LOT of hype to live up to.

And I say 'best case' only in the terms of Chicago getting screwed. As for Bedard personally...I don't wish ill on him.....but it'd be poetic justice for Chicago if he just didn't live up to what he's being built into.

Wishful thinking that he'll be a flop. At 5'11 and 185lbs, I wouldn't call him 'tiny' either. The kid absolutely embarrassed his peers on the ice in the WHL, and will very likely do the same in the NHL. Will he do it right out of the gate like McDavid? Maybe not. But he'll get there.

None of the 1st overall flops you're alluding to dominated like Bedard has. Furthermore, there haven't exactly been many flops taken at 1st overall in the last 20 years, aside from Nail Yakupov of course. Would you call Erik Johnson a flop? Otherwise, the list of 1st overall picks looks like a quality batch of NHLers. There's obviously many cases where the 1st overall pick has been overshadowed by someone taken later in the draft, but that doesn't mean the pick is a flop.

[pg1067]

Furthermore, there haven't exactly been many flops taken at 1st overall in the last 20 years, aside from Nail Yakupov of course. Would you call Erik Johnson a flop? Otherwise, the list of 1st overall picks looks like a quality batch of NHLers. There's obviously many cases where the 1st overall pick has been overshadowed by someone taken later in the draft, but that doesn't mean the pick is a flop.

That whole 2012 draft was subpar.  None of the top 10 picks (and 13 of the top 15) ever were named all-stars, and two of them are all but out of the NHL.  Interestingly, 4 of the top 10 and 5 of the top 15 are or have been members of the Oilers organization.  But yeah...other than Yakupov, every #1 overall going back to at least 2010 through 2019 has been an all-star and is having at least an above average career.

[Stadler]

David Pastrnak and Linus Ullmark to the Blackhawks, for Connor Bedard, a couple draft picks next year, and some relief on Pastrnak's salary.  Sounds good to me, let's do it! 




(That's not based on anything substantial, just my musings, though a local Boston writer did moot that a couple days ago).

[Anguyen92]

And now we look into 2020-22 so far

2020 - Lafreničre.  I'm not sure what's going on with this guy.  Everyone was hyping him to be the next best thing around the draft.  Was the Rangers just the wrong team to pick him, because his main position was already filled by guys like Panarin and Kreider and thus couldn't get proper top-6 minutes to excel in a main role?

2021 - Owen Power.  Been nominated for the Calder Trophy, probably won't win it, but I'm sure the Sabres are very happy they will have Dahlin and Power to drive their Blue Lines for a good long while.

2022 - Slafkovsky.  That's a weird pick by the Canadiens.  The season stats doesn't look that promising and he got injured halfway in the season.  They will give him time to cook.

[romdrums]

From 2020, it's looking like Tim Stutzle is the breakout star from that class so far, with Lucas Raymond comfortably in second.

[Anguyen92]

Oh, Stutzle has been fantastic for the Senators and is going to be there for a long time.  I mean people knew he was going to be the more ready player over Byfield and the Kings, at the time, had the luxury to wait out a few years to see if Byfield can be something while they ride out Kopitar's contract.  Well, that contract ends in 2024 and Byfield's development has been one of the more frustrating things to talk about amongst certain Kings fans, especially knowing that Stutzle has been fantastic and the Kings could have picked him. 

Not for me though, Byfield's potential is there and it's been shown in spurts and in good key moments for the Kings this season.  He just needs to put it together on a more consistent basis game-to-game and not have freak injuries or illnesses ruin that growth and play a full season.  It took Kempe 7-8 years before we saw his potential realized.  Took Vilardi 5 years to finally put his game together.  People wish the players the team drafts can be all good to go and ready to take on the NHL in year 1 onwards, but sadly, that's not always the case.

My point is.  I don't want the team to give up on Byfield.  If he turns out to be a bust under the Kings, so be it.  I just don't want the team to trade him and he ends up actually realizing his potential elsewhere on another team.

[jingle.boy]

Who is “bullying” Bedard?

I didn’t watch the 3rd last night, but Nurse is getting a game for instigating a fight?  WTH?

[Anguyen92]

I mean Nurse and Hague were jawing at each other to fight for a good while this series.  That being said, Nurse did come between Hague and Foegele in the last minutes of the game and in the eyes of the rulebook, if anyone is caught instigating a fight in the last 5 minutes of the game, they are getting suspended next game.

[Stadler]

Who is “bullying” Bedard?

I didn’t watch the 3rd last night, but Nurse is getting a game for instigating a fight?  WTH?

Anyone at all pressuring him to not play for Chicago because they feel the penalties weren't stiff enough.

[jingle.boy]

Fair point regarding the Nurse suspension. I didn’t know they rule. 1 game for Pietrangelo is a joke. They was a clear intent to injure, retaliatory (to the team, not specifically from anything Draisaitk did to him) and NOT A HOCKEY PLAY.

DOPS is a joke - so inconsistent.

[gmillerdrake]

Fair point regarding the Nurse suspension. I didn’t know they rule. 1 game for Pietrangelo is a joke. They was a clear intent to injure, retaliatory (to the team, not specifically from anything Draisaitk did to him) and NOT A HOCKEY PLAY.

DOPS is a joke - so inconsistent.

The only thing I can even imagine that ‘helped’ him was that it was completely out of character for him and that he doesn’t have that type of history or reputation. Not that it should matter anyway…..it was a brutal act.

But as you mentioned…..DOPS is so wildly inconsistent he could have gotten 5 games or just a fine.

[jingle.boy]

That kind of hack would’ve been a match penalty during a game. So basically, he only got a match penalty.

[axeman90210]

Totally random thought, but I'd like to join the "puck out of play shouldn't be a 2 minute minor" brigade 

[jammindude]

Can I just say that mid game interviews are the most annoying thing to be introduced to any sport at all?

[jingle.boy]

Totally random thought, but I'd like to join the "puck out of play shouldn't be a 2 minute minor" brigade 

Yeah, tough break there.

Can I just say that mid game interviews are the most annoying thing to be introduced to any sport at all?

I’m so glad the Canadian broadcasts don’t do that shit. I’m sure every coach looks forward to them!

[Stadler]

Can I just say that mid game interviews are the most annoying thing to be introduced to any sport at all?

Depends who is conducting them. 

[jammindude]

Can I just say that mid game interviews are the most annoying thing to be introduced to any sport at all?

Depends who is conducting them. 

I don’t mean “mid game” as in middle of the game during intermission. I mean mid game as in going into the bench and interviewing the coach while the game in being played!  I swear if I was the coach I’d spill an entire cooler of water on the reporter and make it look like an accident.

[Anguyen92]

Then you got John Tortorella being very blunt and to the point on why he thinks his team was off to a not so great start in an interview during the period.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjP0XJuTu-U

[pg1067]

Then you got John Tortorella being very blunt and to the point on why he thinks his team was off to a not so great start in an interview during the period.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjP0XJuTu-U

Outstanding!

[Stadler]

Can I just say that mid game interviews are the most annoying thing to be introduced to any sport at all?

Depends who is conducting them. 

I don’t mean “mid game” as in middle of the game during intermission. I mean mid game as in going into the bench and interviewing the coach while the game in being played!  I swear if I was the coach I’d spill an entire cooler of water on the reporter and make it look like an accident.

Still depends who's conducting them.  Sofia Jurksztowicz can interview anyone she wants whenever she wants, as far as I'm concerned (I'm only half joking, too; she asks some GREAT questions, seriously.  Woman knows her hockey.)

[pg1067]

Can I just say that mid game interviews are the most annoying thing to be introduced to any sport at all?

Depends who is conducting them. 

I don’t mean “mid game” as in middle of the game during intermission. I mean mid game as in going into the bench and interviewing the coach while the game in being played!  I swear if I was the coach I’d spill an entire cooler of water on the reporter and make it look like an accident.

Still depends who's conducting them.  Sofia Jurksztowicz can interview anyone she wants whenever she wants, as far as I'm concerned (I'm only half joking, too; she asks some GREAT questions, seriously.  Woman knows her hockey.)

Ditto Linda Cohn.  Leah Hextall, on the other hand....

[Stadler]

Can I just say that mid game interviews are the most annoying thing to be introduced to any sport at all?

Depends who is conducting them. 

I don’t mean “mid game” as in middle of the game during intermission. I mean mid game as in going into the bench and interviewing the coach while the game in being played!  I swear if I was the coach I’d spill an entire cooler of water on the reporter and make it look like an accident.

Still depends who's conducting them.  Sofia Jurksztowicz can interview anyone she wants whenever she wants, as far as I'm concerned (I'm only half joking, too; she asks some GREAT questions, seriously.  Woman knows her hockey.)

Ditto Linda Cohn.  Leah Hextall, on the other hand....

I haven't made a decision on Leah Hextall yet; but not a fan of Emily Kaplan either.  Sometimes she asks questions and you can't tell what sport to which she's referring.

[pg1067]

Hextall gets residual negative points because of how bad she was doing play-by-play and the obvious fact that she only got that job because of her last name.  In her favor, though, she's better at her current job than when she did PBP.

[zerogravityfat]

Fuckin Canes gave me flashbacks to another series I shall not name, but we are developing to be a dynasty for the decade.

[jammindude]

My expectations are still running very low. I expect to lose game 7 in Dallas. But then again, I expected to lose the game tonight.

But it’s pretty exciting to think that we came in as a 1st wild card, and now if we can pull out just one more win, we’ll be in the Western Conference Finals!!!

Love being a new fan of a new team!

[gmillerdrake]

Super excited for you to be experiencing this jammindude     I'm pulling for the Kraken.....I detest DeBoer. He's a douch bag schmuck....hated him in San Jose and hate him now. His smug little smile after the 'hand pass' game against St. Louis and the way he whined and cried as the Blues literally beat the shit out of his team that whole series was like a spoiled little brat who wasn't getting what he wanted. I hope the Kraken knock he and his team out so we can see him sulk some more. Good Luck!!