NHL Thread

[Thom Yorke]

Originally Posted by Paul Smeenus

What was Chara's plus/minus for the series? Seems like he was on ice for practicality every Blackhawks goal. He looked lost out there

Not sure off hand. I think the stat was that they were on for 10 of the last 12 Hawks goals or something. I don't generally put much into plus/minus but Chara and Seidenberg single-handedly were at fault for most of those goals. It was an incredibly bad series by two guys that are two of the more reliable defensive players in the league.

[Thom Yorke]

Just a few comments on the draft:

- I do not understand what Colorado is doing. If you like Mackinnon, fine, but I don't understand why they're coming out and saying that they are dead-set on taking a forward. Personally, I think Jones is the definite #1 player in this class. I'm not 100% sold on Mackinnon. I sort of get that sense that he'll be a nice player, but doesn't have what it takes to get to that superstar elite-level status. I could see him turning into a Parise type player, which isn't bad by any means, but you can get a lot more with Jones.

It's a lot more rare to get a defenseman of this quality than it is to get a forward. His size/skill/speed combo is pretty deadly and he really looks like the best d-man to come along in a long time. I just don't know how you can pass that up if you're Colorado. I'm not a believer in picking for position needs, but it doesn't hurt that the Avs are loaded at center and are very poor on the blueline. If the Panthers pass on him as well because they feel their set on their blueline with all the young talent they have there, the Lightning hit the jackpot.

- Lindholm is going to be/already is incredible. It's very rare for an 18 year old kid to be this complete and polished of a hockey player. Whatever team gets him is going to get a steal that could step into the NHL very soon. When you're evaluating young talent coming into the draft, I really think hockey sense is the most important thing to look for, and I think Lindholm has the best hockey sense in the draft.

- How far will Nichuskin, Domi and Shinkaruk slide? Nichuskin looks like a huge offensive talent but the Russian factor is always at play. The Sabres didn't shy away from this with Grigorenko last year, so I'd bet they'll take him. Domi and Shinkaruk are two guys that suffer because of the size factor. Both are still projected to go in the top 20 at least, but I think we could see one of them slide.

- I think you could see someone jump on Zadorov earlier than expected. Someone's going to be enamored with his size and physicality. Somewhat similar to McIlrath a few years ago.

[Laces Out Dan!]

I disagree with you about Seth Jones..I honestly don't think he's close to the player that either Mackinnon or Drouin are. If you look at some of recent history, with high drafted, highly scouted defensemen, it hasnt worked out. All of these guys were drafted in the top 4 in the last couple years. Rostislav Klesla, Joni Pitkanen, Cam Barker, Zach Bogosian, and of course Erik Johnson. Thats just my opinion though, time will only prove either of our arguments. But just remember Mackinnon's performance in the memorial cup in comparison to Jones'. 5 points with a hattrick I believe in the finals.

[Thom Yorke]

Originally Posted by Laces Out Dan!

I disagree with you about Seth Jones..I honestly don't think he's close to the player that either Mackinnon or Drouin are. If you look at some of recent history, with high drafted, highly scouted defensemen, it hasnt worked out. All of these guys were drafted in the top 4 in the last couple years. Rostislav Klesla, Joni Pitkanen, Cam Barker, Zach Bogosian, and of course Erik Johnson. Thats just my opinion though, time will only prove either of our arguments. But just remember Mackinnon's performance in the memorial cup in comparison to Jones'. 5 points with a hattrick I believe in the finals.

You can't just base it on past d-men though. Yes, defensemen are harder to evaluate and they usually take longer to develop, but it doesn't mean they can't. Seth Jones reminds me a lot of Pietrangelo. He doesn't look quite as good defensively, but he looks to have more offensive upside. Both play very similar styles though and his size and speed should translate well to the NHL, as it did with Pietrangelo.

As for Mackinnon's performance in the Memorial Cup, yes it was great but I think people are too enamored with these small sample sizes. Just look at what people were saying about Mackinnon after the World Juniors. He had a poor performance and Jones and Drouin were great; all of a sudden people started to question everything. When you look at what people were saying going into the Memorial Cup, Jones was #1. For 4 games to completely flip that opinion, it just seems crazy to me.

[Laces Out Dan!]

Mackinnon just didnt get the minutes in the World Juniors because of the players surrounding him. I just feel that both Drouin and Mackinnon will be better players than Jones.

[anticipation]

I see it more as this; quality defenseman can and do exist in the later rounds, and the % of top 4 d-men who actually got drafted in the 1st is fairly low. NHL teams now use the Detroit formula for drafting, where players with solid fundamentals and large upside are vigorously scouted and then drafted in the later rounds. The growth of the AHL as a developmental league, and the rise of successful NCAA defenseman (Nick Leddy, Ryan Suter, Duncan Keith, etc) has given teams more avenues with which to gain skilled defenseman. However, teaching offensive prowess is much more difficult a task. That's why choosing the BPA is more often than not choosing a skilled winger/center. They are more "versatile" and have more noticeable and measurable stats to verify their skills, whereas young d-men take time to blossom and reach their potential.

[Thom Yorke]

Thanks for coming out, Kovalchuk. Absolutely blown away by this one, even with all those rumours that he might stay in Russia after the lockout. The Devils have to replace a guy that can log 25-30 minutes a night effortlessly if he needs to (as a friggen' forward, by the way) with no draft (along with no first pick next year because of Kovalchuk) and a picked over free agent market. Good luck.

It'll be interesting to see Jones on the Preds. Absolutely massive steal IMO. I get why they want to pair him with Weber but I don't know about bringing an 18 year old in on his off-side.

Just a few comments about the millions of moves the Bruins did... I thought this offseason in general has been a stroke of genius by Chiarelli. The Bruins could have been in a situation similar to what the Hawks went through in 2010 (not as severe, but they could have been gouged without getting much back in return). Instead Chia made a bunch of savvy moves that, when all is said and done, could make the Bruins a better team next year than they were last year. Obviously that all depends on chemistry, but I'm confident all the new-look lines can get something going.

Seguin trade: I like it overall. Maybe they could have gotten a bit more value out of it, but I think Eriksson makes them the better team in the short-term, which should be a huge focus of the team with the type of team they have right now. I could not think of a better winger to put on the Bruins other than maybe Marian Hossa. He's a two-way force that plays a very cerebral game and should fit like a glove on the Marchand-Bergeron line. If Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin was arguably the best two-way line in the NHL with Seguin being a defensive liability at times, just wait until you see one of the best two-way wingers in the NHL alongside Bergeron. I cannot wait to see these guys in action.

Seguin is going to be a terrific player but he really didn't mesh with the Bruins style of game. The Bruins identity is that you either have to be great defensively, strong on the puck, and/or tough as nails. He was really the only guy on the team that didn't fit that mold. I think the Bruins may have held him back a bit, and he may have held the Bruins back a bit as well. It just wasn't a good fit. You could just tell his confidence was shattered this year, and his entire game was affected because of that. He's going to be able to roam free in Dallas and he'll be much better off for it. I could care less about all the rumours about him being an off-ice issue.

Losing Peverley hurts, but not if he plays like he did last year. He's one of the most versatile guys in the league when he's on his game. The third line wing spot is one of the biggest question marks for the Bruins. It'll be nice to have some competition for it and I hope one of the kids in the Dallas trade takes it (Smith looks like a likely candidate at this point). Morrow is also a nice get. It never hurts to have some good puck-moving defensemen in the system, as this year's playoffs showed.

Iginla signing: LOL. As crazy as this seemed, it was a perfect fit all along. If you put the tape on Horton and Iginla, it's tough to tell that they aren't the same player. Iggy wants a Cup and Boston is as good of a place as any to get it done. Once they get the chemistry going, I really think the production and play from this new line will be similar to if not better than the Lucic-Krejci-Horton line. Absolute perfect short-term replacement and a great move on the cap as well with it being incentive-laden.

Not a fan of the Rask contract but it was one of those things that had to be done. Rask and his agent literally had all the power in those contract talks when you consider how Rask has taken cap-friendly deals his entire career, never complained when he was stuck behind Thomas, and has been a consistent money goaltender when called upon, particularly this year. Still, the guy has never played more than 50 regular season games in a single season and goalies are known for being inconsistent. 8 years is a loooooong time. He's not going to be worth $7 million year in and year out, I can pretty much guarantee you that. No proven back-up this year (although Khudobin wasn't exactly proven last year either), so there's a ton of pressure on him.

Bergeron contract is fantastic. People might point to injury concerns, but he's a very smart player and knows to not put himself in dangerous situations regarding head injuries. Yeah, he's still had some the past few years, but they looked like freak injuries. If there's one player in the league that you know what you're going to get from him every single year, every single game, and even every single shift, it's this guy.

Losing Ference sucks but when you have three young guys that clock in at a very reasonable cap hit and have proven themselves somewhat in this league, you have to use them.

[Paul Smeenus]

What do you guys see for this coming season? This time with a full schedule. One thing I missed last year was inter-conference play.

The new conference alignment:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division:

Boston
Buffalo
Detroit
Florida
Montreal
Ottawa
Tampa Bay
Toronto

Metropolitan Division

Carolina
Columbus
New Jersey
NY Islanders
NY Rangers
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Washington

(I pick Boston in the Atlantic and Pittsburgh in the Metro)

Western Conference

Central Division:

Chicago
Colorado
Dallas
Minnesota
Nashville
St Louis
Winnipeg

Pacific Division

Anaheim
Calgary
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Phoenix
San Jose
Vancouver

(I pick Chicago in the Central and the Kings in the Pacific)

Discuss...

[Ninetales]

Ok here are my predictions for how the divisions will shape up. Bold make playoffs.

East

Atlantic

1. Boston
2. Ottawa
3. Montreal
4. Detroit
5. Toronto
6. Tampa Bay
7. Florida
8. Buffalo

Metro

1. Pittsburgh
2. NYR
3. Washington
4. Phillie
5. NYI
6. NJ
7. Columbus
8. Carolina

West

Central

1. Chicago
2. St. Louis
3. Dallas
4. Minnesota
5. Nashville
6. Winnipeg
7. Colorado

Pacific

1. LA
2. SJ
3. Vancouver
4. Edmonton
5. Anaheim
6. Phoenix
7. Calgary

[Thom Yorke]

Atlantic

1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Ottawa
4. Montreal
5. Toronto
6. Tampa Bay
7. Florida
8. Buffalo

Metro

1. Pittsburgh
2. New York Rangers
3. Washington
4. Philadelphia
5. Carolina
6. New Jersey
7. New York Islanders
8. Columbus


Central

1. Chicago
2. St. Louis
3. Minnesota
4. Dallas
5. Nashville
6. Colorado
7. Winnipeg

Pacific

1. Los Angeles
2. San Jose
3. Vancouver
4. Anaheim
5. Phoenix
6. Edmonton
7. Calgary

Presidents Trophy - Pittsburgh
EC Champion - Boston
WC Champion - Los Angeles
Stanley Cup - Boston
Art Ross - Crosby
Hart - Crosby
Lindsay - Crosby
Richard - Stamkos
Norris - Pietrangelo
Vezina - Rask
Selke - Bergeron
Adams - Ruff
Calder - Baertschi