The Ditch part deux

What if the Islanders sucked, like they were supposed to? Wouldn't have been bullshit, then.

Of their last 8 games, the Panthers play 6 teams either firmly entrenched in the playoffs, or fighting to hold onto a wildcard spot. Trust me, plenty of teams have a reason to complain, Catfish. You just take the schedule as it comes.

 

Secondary scoring is the biggest concern I have for Boston. TB will be vulnerable against scoring depth. I don't trust the TB blueline. If a team can't sustain consecutive offensive pressure against TOR or TB, I think they'll get steamrolled in 5 against either of them...until the CF which will be a battle of health as much as anything.

If Boston can find some offense on the bottom end...and sustain it, look out. Saw too many teams this decade throw a matchup book out the window in the postseason because they found a 3rd line that could sustain offense. Tough to do though and who knows how Pastrnak is going to be coming back?

 

Secondary scoring is the biggest concern I have for Boston. TB will be vulnerable against scoring depth. I don't trust the TB blueline. If a team can't sustain consecutive offensive pressure against TOR or TB, I think they'll get steamrolled in 5 against either of them...until the CF which will be a battle of health as much as anything.

If Boston can find some offense on the bottom end...and sustain it, look out. Saw too many teams this decade throw a matchup book out the window in the postseason because they found a 3rd line that could sustain offense. Tough to do though and who knows how Pastrnak is going to be coming back?

 

Colorado sucks.

They need a serious front office and ownership committed to hockey management before they do anything other than assemble a bunch of high picks next to each other. I think Barrie is the only mid to late pick they've developed since Brad Richardson. Speaks to their ability to scout, trade, and develop. I wouldn't bet Dan's money on Colorado doing anything much (individually, or team) after the deadline anytime soon.

 

I was really excited for the Phylers trading Simmonds, only about 4-6 years too late. What a waste. They have an equal skater in Hartman...without as much as talent in the other areas. PHI has their work cut out for them.

 

Speaking of sucks...Go Hawks.

At least they picked a lane. After watching the late-to-the-party rebuilds like DET, NYR, PHI (each time), LA, etc. Bowman punched the time-to-suck button quicker than his counterparts. I thought this year was going to be more interesting but given Hossa's retirement and Crow's woes off the ice they weren't doing anything in that division this year or last so I don't mind the losing...but they ought to stop winning too. Maybe it doesn't matter, I haven't followed the draft class close enough.

Hawks have some really good dmen on the way up, Kane is awesome for several more years, and Toews gets hammered too much for what he doesn't get on the score sheet.

Watch out for Chicago about January of 21' and ignore them until then. They only need 2 of their 6 young dmen (who project high) to stick. Keith and Murphy will be able to produce well enough even 2 years from now.

Dumpster fire for now, but they have enough high end pieces and depth to be something...just a matter of getting the blueline shifts over the next year and a half. WPG will have difficulty sustaining depth after next year and NAS will have to do some major shuffling to keep the team speed high.

I'm going to pretend the Hawks don't have to ID a goalie too.

 

@hockeybob ....I thought you were dead or something. Nice to see your name pop up on the screen.

 

Hear, hear.

 

well it seems like the schedulers didn't even out the teams dline. i don't mind how good they are, but it's the same teams over and over. washington 3 in 3 weeks. islanders 3 or 4 times in 3 weeks. carolina twice in 3 weeks etc. spread it around. flyers are basically out now. lottery bound here we come.

 

Speaking of sucks again...Detroit.

Way too long to commit to the suck. Good young player after good young player dumped for picks, lost on waivers, etc. or kept 2 years or more after their high water mark of value. I liked the haul for Tatar though. Athanasiou is another one, he's 24 now, cash in or suck it. Mantha was always going to be a project, didn't fault that one sticking around. Not sold on Bertuzzi's long term value. Not sure why DeKeyser is still there, when Detroit is good, he will never have known what a player in his role is supposed to do to win. Why the Frk didn't they trade him for lotto picks...get it? Rasmussen is interesting...and huge. They're going to need to load up on high end skill dmen, enough defensive types floating around these days to plug holes, obviously I'm not real high on Chowolski.

Anyway, so much to break down. Should be interesting when a real turnover happens there. Thought they would have set the table better for Yzerman than they have, but he's still walking into an impossible to eff up scenario given the volume of assets and low expectations following this year. Way overrated.

I hope Seattle doesn't land Kenny, Kenny is behind the game and I don't trust him to put together an analytics team, scouts, and extra coaches to get them going compared to most franchises. He's missed on way too many guesses on prospects and picks...a bad decade is a little too much to dismiss by sample size.

 

dead? that was a vicious rumor. i thought he was with Quineville on a beach in Fiji? Then he was possibly seen in the United Center either fighting fans or fighting the mascot. one of the other. He always bleeds red, white and black. he goes as the hawks go. haha. welcome back HBOB.

 

I really like where Toronto is sitting. They did not eff it up. Still can't stand Shanny but he let the pros do their thing.

I think a pair of RD and they're beastly. Big boys in the Peg, might be interesting in Tor. Stralman or Girardi make alot of sense this offseason. Rutta, Polak, and plenty of other RD that can hold their own will be available and make sense. Wouldn't be shocked if they made a big salary retained trade either even a Seabrook. They'll want some grindy gritty old-school character somewhere on the backend. A deal for somebody like Brendan Smith wouldn't shock me. They need to clean up that RD spot and they will be a brutal matchup for a few years...as opposed to just a really tough matchup.

 

Gracias.

My bunker calls...and the voices don't let me pop out much.

 

Welcome back, Hockeybob! You have made my day... well, you and the voices.

 

It would help, cap issues have to be figured out soon.

 

I hope Seattle doesn't land Kenny, Kenny is behind the game and I don't trust him to put together an analytics team, scouts, and extra coaches to get them going compared to most franchises. He's missed on way too many guesses on prospects and picks...a bad decade is a little too much to dismiss by sample size.


Welcome back H-Bob..............I thought maybe you got in a Internet Fight with someone and you Vanished.

I'm thinking Holland will come to Seattle.........he wants to come back to the West Coast (from British Columbia) and his contract ends April 2020..........Perfect Storm for Seattle.

Nice to read your Post's again.........\+/......BEER

 

I say Skinner could be had for $7.5M/7yrs right now.

 

They are in a very good cap situation relative to their talent in my opinion. Look for them to trade like Bowman would, depth players with retained salary while Toronto eats salaries and buries them with the Marlies. Looking at "real dollars" instead of cap dollars and they are in an awesome spot. They have some decent prospects and plenty of picks to toss into a deal as well.

Kadri, Brown, Hyman will be easy to move. Marleau has a 3mil signing bonus on July 1st, at which point he's a 1.25 mil player. He'll be able to go about 20 NHL cities should he waive the NMC...and I'm confident TOR promised (winked) him a front office gig if he does.

Look for depth shuffling where Toronto can get a team to absorb a cap hit in return for TOR absorbing salary. When Chicago traded for Ladd in 16', they took on Matt Fraser's and Jay Harrison's contracts and buried them. Look at Bowman's cap wrangling history and apply it to Toronto. They're already built to exploit...and they've managed assets effectively. Lots of prospects, plenty of picks, etc.

I would maintain an aroused state for the next several years if I like the Leafs.

 

Just distracted, lots of kids sports stuff. I have 3 weeks of down time to get OCD with hockey...where I belong.

I agree, I think Kenny is going to Seattle...I don't want that for Seattle though. On the upside, they're going to have a much higher floor than with the other likely candidates.

 

I really like Skinner. I was hoping the Hawks were going to move for him.