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yessadirichards · 3 years ago

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NHL training camps open with several big-name stars missing

ARLINGTON, Va

Sidney Crosby's injured left wrist and Evgeni Malkin's right knee are keeping them off the ice in Pittsburgh. Jack Eichel and Buffalo cannot agree on a course of action for his back problems. Evander Kane and San Jose agreed it's best he stay away.

Training camps got under way around the NHL on Thursday with several big-name stars nowhere to be found. From Washington's Nicklas Backstrom being considered week to week while rehabbing a hip injury to the Vancouver Canucks not knowing how long they'll be without unsigned Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, the absences overshadowed the attendance in many places on the first day of on-ice workouts.

With more than two weeks until the regular season, there's also no reason to rush.

“I think you see with the compressed schedule that we’ve had over the last couple seasons that there’s injuries that need to be maintained,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. "Especially if you’re an older player, (it's important) that you take the time to get it healed properly and don’t insert the player into the lineup too early.”

The archrival Penguins will have at least a couple of weeks to see how they play without Malkin and Crosby. Malkin is expected to return in late November at the earliest and Crosby will miss at least the first two weeks of meaningful games.

They are two generational talents, arguably the best players of their generation, and so those guys aren’t easy to replace,” coach Mike Sullivan said. ��Having said that, I think whenever players go down from an injury standpoint, it’s going to provide opportunity for others and others need to step up.”

Someone else will — eventually — step up as the Sabres' captain after Eichel was stripped of the title amid his stalemate with the team over how to treat a herniated disk that has sidelined him for six months. Under the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement reached last year, teams now have the final say on how players can treat injuries, so the Sabres could eventually opt to suspend Eichel, which would likely lead to him filing a grievance.

In San Jose, Kane was cleared of allegations he gambled on his own and other hockey games, but the league is still investigating allegations of sexual and physical abuse made by his estranged wife. The Sharks said a mutual decision was made for him not to attend camp.

“I don’t think it’s any different than guys getting hurt, not being there for lineup,” Sharks defenseman Brent Burns said. “We don’t worry about that stuff. We can’t. There’s too much other stuff.”

Asked if Kane would be welcomed back, captain Logan Couture said, “What happens in the dressing room stays in the room.”

Some returns Thursday were happy ones. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews is practicing with teammates again after missing all of last season and said with a smile, “It feels really good to be back.”

Vladimir Tarasenko is at St. Louis camp despite asking for a trade. Same with Evgeny Kuznetsov in Washington after an offseason of trade rumors.

“As long as I play here I will work 100 percent,” Tarasenko said. “I don't want to be a distraction in the room. I'm here to work, I'm healthy, I'm happy to play hockey again.”

The distraction of unsigned players is not affecting most teams. Only Vancouver with Hughes and Pettersson, and Ottawa with Brady Tkachuk, have restricted free agents without new contracts.

Vaccinations do not appear to be a major distraction, either. The league figures 98% of its players will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the time the season starts, a rate that could be credited to protocols and Canadian federal law that would prevent border-crossing without it.

“Once they said they weren’t going to file for the exemption to go to Canada, it really put a lot of pressure on the people that were holding out because that’s a huge chunk of the season that you’re not going to get paid for,” Sabres forward Kyle Okposo said. “It’s funny what happens when you start to affect people’s wallets.”

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paradoxicalca · 5 years ago

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[OC] Jack Eichel Takes Over the Sabres (An Alternate Reality)

(Previous parts of this series include: Jim Benninging the Canucks, Mike Milburying the Islanders, Don Cherry Drafts the Leafs, Tom Wilson-Proofing the Penguins, Dundon DIYs the Hurricanes, Re-Chiarelling the Oilers, Moneyballing the Sens, Covertly Tanking the Wild, and Frenchifying the Canadiens.)Part 1It's April 17th 2015, and the Buffalo Sabres have just suffered their first unintentional loss of the season: the draft lottery. GM Tim Murray thought that he and Connor McDavid would form the backbone of a new era for the Sabres - now all they have in common is that both of them are trying not to cry on national television. The consolation prize is Jack Eichel, a Boston University product who miles away is pounding down Sam Adamses and declaring "Buffalo... I'm coming for ya!" while privately wondering where exactly Buffalo is. When asked by the Sportsnet host how he feels about picking Eichel at #2, Murray blurts out "I'm disappointed for our fans."Flash forward to the draft itself. After two months of utter depression, Murray finally meets the #2 ranked prospect at a pre-draft interview featuring scouts, the coaching staff, and members of ownership. While they all seem very taken with the kid, Murray can't help but notice that Eichel refuses to make eye contact with him, speaking directly to owner Terry Pegula instead. But prospects are weird sometimes, and there are trades to focus on. He completes one with Colorado that afternoon to bring in Ryan O'Reilly, who will be the perfect #2 centre behind Conno- sorry, Jack Eichel - and acquires a number 1 goalie in Robin Lehner. He almost acquires the 16th pick in the draft, but Peter Chiarelli demands Zemgus Girgensons, and you can't trade away an all-star like him for pennies on the dollar.When Murray blankly calls Eichel's name on the draft stage that night, the young player looks at the sweater handed to him and says "where's the captain's 'C'?" Murray laughs, but Eichel does not. Once they get off the stage, the GM doesn't see Eichel for the rest of the night.Part 2Tim Murray arrives at his office a few days later to prepare for unrestricted free agency and is shocked to see it completely redesigned, covered in Boston University paraphernalia and pornographic posters. Leaning back with his feet on the GM's desk is the rookie, framed by the towering Buffalo skyline out the window behind him and chugging a tall can of Miller Lite."Jack, what the hell have you done to my office?""Your office? This is my office bud." The phone rings. "Hold on a moment."Murray sputters as Eichel picks up the phone. It's Avalanche GM Joe Sakic - Murray had inquired about a potential swap the night before."Hey. No, this isn't Mr. Murray, that bender's history. It's Jack Eichel. Yeah, I'm in charge now, what of it? The fuck did you just say to me? You wanna go bud? Don't call this number again you fuckin' turkey" Eichel yells, and slams the phone down. Murray gapes at him in horror.His secretary calls over from the reception area. "Sir, there's a call coming in from Brett Hull.""Who the hell is that?" Eichel asks. "Put him through I guess.""This is Brett Hull. If you talk to Mr. Sakic that way again I'll stick my foot in your crease.""Hang on bud, I know who you are! You were fuckin' useless in NHL 06, get the hell outta here."As he hangs up, Terry Pegula walks in. "Hey Jack, how are you settling in?"Murray interrupts "What the hell's going on here Terry? I just got here and this kid is making calls on my behalf?""I also made a few signings" Eichel adds. "Coupla beauties I went to school with, real gamers. Just some crafty roster moves ferda. "Tim Murray is bright red, fuming at the behaviour of his new rookie player and attempted usurper. He finally loses control."Jack, I swear to god if you don't start showing a little respect I'm gonna slap you in the pee-pee!"The room falls completely silent."Tim what the hell is the matter with you?" Terry Pegula says. "Jack was so right about you. You're fired."Utterly defeated, Murray takes one last look at his beautiful office view of downtown Buffalo before exiting. Before he can close the door an empty beer can hits him on the back of the head.Part 3GM Jack Eichel makes a number of unusual decisions.He signs every eligible player from his Boston University team and fires recently hired head coach Dan Bylsma in favour of David Quinn. Bylsma assumes that the jig is up and that Eichel has merely figured out he's a terrible coach, and leaves without even questioning it.He brings on two former players with no management experience, Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney, as his assistant GMs. He also hires Mike Richards and Jarret Stoll as "scouts," although nobody ever sees them at any games and their salaries are much higher than everyone else on the staff's.Somewhat inspired by Peter Laviolette, he institutes a controversial "Wet Island" policy, asking players to commit to getting absolutely bombed in order to help the team win.He receives a reprimand from the National Hockey League for his official response to Ryan O'Reilly crashing his car into a Tim Hortons: "Honestly, that's fuckin' hilarious. That's classic Snook right there, holy fuck. Buddy musta been fuckin' hammered, I mean, this guy can pound em' down no doubt about it so if he's crashing into a Timmies you know that's at least a two-four deep. What a fuckin' beauty."He signs Eric Staal as a free agent, a move that confuses the hockey media considering the team's glut of centre talent. When asked what role he'll play on the team, Eichel replies "designated driver."It shouldn't work, but it does. Thanks to the lack of anything else to do in the city, the Sabres are able to form deep and lasting friendships in Buffalo's dazzling Holiday Inn bars and after-hours parking lot swap meets. This chemistry translates on the ice, as the Boston University boys bolstered by O'Reilly and Evander Kane start winning games at will. Robin Lehner, suddenly overcome with a deep sadness at the debauchery taking place around him every night, discreetly sobers up and fully dedicates himself to nobler endeavours (namely winning hockey games and volunteering for the Trump campaign). Sick of "that tall Finnish dork" Rasmus Ristolainen, GM Eichel trades him to Edmonton for Taylor Hall.In 2019, everything comes together. The acquisition of Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty from the rebuilding Kings and Jack Johnson from the Penguins puts the finishing touches on a championship roster, and it's truly a playoff run to half-remember. Eichel's Sabres look like the 1980s Edmonton Oilers both on and off the ice, defeating Lou Lamoriello's stone-faced and jealous Islanders in a four-game sweep to advance to the Cup final against the Vegas Golden Knights.Despite every player showing up 5 minutes before each game covered in glitter and missing half their paycheques, the Sabres roll over the Knights to win their franchise's first Stanley Cup. Tragically, Jack Eichel, the architect of it all, winner of the Hart, Jack Adams, and GM of the Year Award, suffers a career-ending arm laceration while trying to shotgun a bottle of champagne in the locker room and is forced to retire. [OC] Jack Eichel Takes Over the Sabres (An Alternate Reality) Source

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thrashermaxey · 7 years ago

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20 Fantasy Hockey Thoughts

Every Sunday until the start of the 2018-19 regular season, we'll share 20 Fantasy Thoughts from our writers at DobberHockey. These thoughts are curated from the past week's "Daily Ramblings".

Writers: Michael Clifford, Ian Gooding, Cam Robinson, and Dobber

(Ed. Note: We’re just a few days away from the release of the 2018-19 DobberHockey Fantasy Guide, set for this Wednesday, August 1st! Be sure to grab your copy from the Dobber Shop. Don’t worry about the release being so early as it’s constantly updated with new information. There’s a truckload of content throughout our Guide, so give yourself the time you need to prepare!)

1. Johnny Gaudreau leads all wingers in primary assists over the last two seasons but note that Alex Radulov isn’t very far behind. On a team with Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and John Klingberg, I think the fact that Radulov had 72 points last year gets a little overlooked. The additional ice time he received in Dallas compared to his season in Montreal helped boost his numbers across the board, even though his actual shot attempt rate per 60 minutes declined slightly.

Unless there’s some sort of trade for Erik Karlsson, it looks like the Dallas lineup last year will largely be the same this year. They brought back Valeri Nichushkin but he won’t be a big threat to Radulov’s ice time. It does seem possible that Nichushkin grabs the top-line slotting with Seguin and Benn but unless he shows more consistency than his last season with the Stars, it won’t be a long-term solution. I like Nichushkin’s skills a lot but he’s probably better suited to play more sheltered minutes on the second or third line. (july24)

2. I’m not really a guy that targets prospects in one-year fantasy drafts. The list of guys I’ve targeted over the years in their age-18 season can probably be counted on one hand. On the other hand…I’m finding it really hard not to get enamoured with Andrei Svechnikov.

I know, breaking news. Svechnikov is good. The thing is, it’s not really that hard to envision him with a top-nine slotting and top power-play minutes this year. My one concern would be that they stick Victor Rask on the top PP unit as they did at times last year. But if Svechnikov shows in camp to the level he’s capable and starts impressing with that shot of his, I find it hard to believe any coach would not give him the power-play minutes for him to succeed, even if it’s a month or so into the season.

Maybe this is all wishful thinking. Maybe he’ll bounce around the lineup and they limit his exposure in his first year. Or, maybe they let him play his game, give him 15 minutes a night, and he puts up a 25-goal season. Someone talk me off the ledge for this year, please. (july28)

3. It could be tough sledding for Florida prospects for a while. Looking up how many years Evgenii Dadonov has left on his deal, I realized the following: Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau, Mike Hoffman, Dadonov, and Nick Bjugstad all have at least two years left on all their contracts. Jared McCann has two years on the deal he signed. Presumably, if all goes well, left/right wing on the third line are the only spots up for grabs that could have fantasy relevance.

I was just thinking of Henrik Borgstrom, Aleksi Heponiemi, and Owen Tippett. They are certainly talented enough where they could earn a roster spot but in the short-term, nothing is a given. They will get there eventually, but it could be a couple years before they have any real fantasy impact. (july28)

4. We knew that Rick Nash would probably be a rental player for the Bruins, but do you think maybe the Bruins might want to have Ryan Spooner back? After joining the Rangers, Spooner was sizzling with 16 points in just 20 games. Add that up with his numbers in Boston and it resulted in 41 points (13g-28a) in 59 games, an average of 0.69 points per game. That placed him in line with the likes of Alex Pietrangelo, Evander Kane, Corey Perry, David Krejci, Bo Horvat, and Nazem Kadri.

That group above is where you could feel comfortable drafting Spooner in points-only leagues, but remember that in multicategory leagues, Spooner’s point totals are fairly assist-heavy, as he has never scored more than 13 goals in a season. Spooner’s non-scoring peripherals in particular are also very light. He had to receive Lady Byng consideration from someone, as he took just two minor penalties in all of 2017-18 and only took 24 hits in 2016-17. In spite of the scoring breakout with the Rangers, just two of his 16 points were on the man advantage, and his power-play time actually decreased with the Rangers.

One side note: Spooner is an RFA who remains unsigned and is scheduled for an August 4 arbitration hearing. According to Blueshirt Banter, the deal isn’t expected to be long-term, since the Rangers are on a rebuild and could move Spooner. But assuming he sticks with the Rangers for a full season, you could expect him to hold something like a second-line role with around 50 points. And remember that he’s better in pure points leagues than multicategory leagues. (july29)

5. Quinn Hughes won’t suit up for the Canucks in 2018-19, deciding to return to the University of Michigan instead. Although a tiny part of me would love to see him in a Canucks’ uniform this coming season, this is logically and completely the right move for both Hughes and the Canucks in the long run.

Bringing a teenager into the NHL can be risky. That risk is elevated when the player happens to be a defenseman, and the team happens to be a rebuilding one like the Canucks. Hughes was no guarantee to make the Canucks out of training camp, as the team already has eight defensemen under contract. Hughes will be in a much better position to make the squad in 2019-20, as both Alex Edler and Michael Del Zotto will be UFAs, and Chris Tanev could be traded by then. Ben Hutton and Derrick Pouliot will also be RFAs and the Canucks could easily decide to move on from either if they do not take a step forward this coming season. (july29)

6. Jake Gardiner can get you seven or eight goals and a pile of assists. That’ll play very well in points-only formats. But in leagues that count peripheral stats, he won’t give as much as people may think. Just for an example: in my points league that counts peripheral stats, he was just inside the top-40 defensemen in value. And that’s with a 50-plus point season. When looking through keeper defensemen, if you’re in a multi-category league, Gardiner can probably be left to the side, depending on league depth. (july28)

7. Though I’m not sure there will be much fantasy relevance, I’m a little surprised no team has signed Tobias Enstrom yet. His 50-point seasons are a thing of the distant past, but he’s still a pretty good defender, and a lot of teams can use a good left-handed defensive blueliner. A real defensive defenseman, not a face-punching defensive defenseman. Maybe he will return to Sweden after all, as had been reported earlier this summer. It’s hard to imagine an NHL team couldn’t use what he brings, and likely for very cheap. (july28)

8. Conor Sheary has a vastly different floor and ceiling fantasy-wise. Dobber said it best in his Fantasy Take on the Sheary trade to Buffalo: “You won’t see Sheary get between 30 and 55 points if he plays 80 games – he’ll either click and top 55, or he’ll sputter and fall short of 30.”

So, just know that if you invest in Sheary that you’ll either hit a home run or you’ll strike out. No middle ground. But, sometimes taking risks on these kinds of players are what you’ll need to win your fantasy league.

Sheary will have the opportunity to line up alongside up-and-coming Jack Eichel this season. But his most frequent center in Pittsburgh was no slouch either – his name is Sidney Crosby. In fact, nearly half of both his even-strength minutes and his even-strength points were on Crosby’s line.

Personally, I think there is significant risk in reaching for Sheary. Sure, there was the ‘breakout’ 53-point season. But he struggled in the playoffs after that, scoring just seven points in 22 games and getting healthy scratched. If you’re curious about 2017-18’s playoffs, Sheary recorded just two assists in 12 games. So, he’s really been in a funk for over a season. A new opportunity with a new team could be exactly what the doctor ordered. But since I’m more of a ‘believe it when I see it’ type, I’ll admit that I’m more bearish on Sheary than bullish. (july29)

9. Something I’ve just been thinking about for this year is Jeff Carter’s value. He lost two-thirds of his 2017-18 due to injury but still managed 13 goals and 22 points in 27 games. That’s pretty good.

My big issue is that he’s going into his age-34 season. The list of centers with 25-goal, 30-assist seasons at that age or older over the last five seasons is as follows: Pavel Datysuk (2014-15). That’s it. That’s the whole list. In fact, Datsyuk is the only center in the last decade to have a season with at least 25 goals and 30 assists at the age of 34 or older. We know of aging curves in hockey. We know that shots and shooting percentage fall off in the late 20s and get worse.

Carter is a shooter. He’ll still get 17-18 minutes a night centering the second line and on the top power-play unit. With Ilya Kovalchuk in town, do some of his shots on the PP disappear? This will largely be a question of average draft position (ADP). He was often drafted inside the top-75 last year. Even if he’s still just inside the top-100, it might be worth passing on him. Once I finish my projections, I’ll have a better idea of where to grab him. This might be a situation where I’d rather be a year early jumping off the boat than a year late. (july27)

10. The Flames re-signed Mark Jankowski for two years with an AAV of $1.675-million. Jankowski’s first full year was 2017-18, a year with 17 goals and 25 points.

I personally had hopes that Jankowski and Sam Bennett could form two-thirds of a solid third line in 2018-19 – they performed well with Garnet Hathaway last year – but the addition of Elias Lindholm could throw a wrench in these plans. If James Neal slides on the top line, and the second line is left as it has been for a couple years, Lindholm seems the logical choice for the third-line center position, pushing Jankowski to the fourth line. It’s good news for Calgary’s depth but bad news for Jankowski’s flickering fantasy value.

There has been talk from the team that Lindholm will go to the top line, Neal to the second line, and that would possibly put Michael Frolik on the third line with Jankowski and Bennett. With the addition of Derek Ryan, this might make some sense. We’ll have to see what Calgary decides to do. For now, Jankowski is still waiver fodder in most leagues.

11. Last year was Brandon Montour’s first full season and he didn’t disappoint with 32 points in 80 games. The moves Anaheim made on the blue line, namely trading Sami Vatanen and letting Shea Theodore go in the expansion draft, opened some ice time for Montour and he responded with a productive season.

It’s hard to see a lot of progression here fantasy-wise, though. It looks like he’ll be playing behind Josh Manson for the foreseeable future at even strength and will be the second option after Cam Fowler for the top PP unit. Expecting more than 19-20 minutes combined between EV and PP time is a bridge too far barring an injury (which did happen to Fowler last year). For most leagues, Montour is a guy who is at best a bench option or more likely a waiver option.

12. I enjoyed last week’s Cage Match piece by Rick Roos, particularly his discussion of Bryan Little. I agree with Rick that 2017-18 was an aberration from Little and with no help coming in the off season down the middle, he’s back to his second-line role, likely between Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine. His PP production may not improve much, but if he can play 82 games again, he’ll improve on those 43 points. He should come a big discount in season-long leagues.

13. With the Hurricanes acquiring Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk was assumed to be on the trading block. Yet here we are nearing the end of July and Faulk is still a Hurricane. So, we have to project Faulk as if that is where he will stay. Not only could Hamilton cut into Faulk’s power-play minutes by possibly bumping him to the second power-play unit, but Faulk is also fighting a downward point trend over the past three seasons. That’s not a positive sign for a player who is only 26.

Could Faulk still provide value in multicategory leagues? In spite of another down season, he still finished 12th in shots on goal among defensemen (211). With less power-play time with the arrival of the free-shooting Hamilton, that number could also decrease. He’s arguably still an option as a D5 in deeper multicategory 12-team leagues, particularly those that don’t count plus-minus (he has averaged a minus-21 per season over his past four seasons). But unlike past seasons, I won’t be making a point to draft Faulk again. (july25)

14. Once upon a time, Henrik Zetterberg was a keeper league mainstay, but eventually Father Time catches up to everyone. Keeper leaguers tend to avoid the over-35 crowd like the plague, yet in some cases they can provide some sneaky value. Z is still that kind of player, as he has recorded at least 50 points in each of his last four full seasons. In fact, he has never posted below 0.6 PTS/GP in any season, including last season (56 points, 0.68 PTS/GP).

Don’t reach too much for Zetterberg, particularly in multicategory leagues. The point totals have been assist-heavy for quite some time. Z has not recorded a 20-goal season in six seasons, dating back to the 2011-12 season. There is also the matter of him possibly not playing because of a lingering back issue, which caused him to skip all practices during the second half of last season. Zetterberg has three years remaining on a contract that pays him just over $6 million per season, so it wouldn’t be out of the question for the Wings to LTIR his contract.

Zetterberg probably isn’t worth targeting until more is known about his situation. But if he returns and is healthy, he should again play a prominent role on the Wings, who aren’t exactly loaded with scorers. So, he could be a cheap source of 50 points if he can pull it together for another full season. (july25)

15. A special shout out to Gustav Nyquist. I know he hasn’t really lived up to expectations since bursting on the scene with 28 goals in 57 games way back in the 2013-14 season. The PP production has been what’s holding him back, having averaged just shy of 10 PP points per season over the last three years. The 2018-19 season is the last one left on his current contract, so he could find himself with a new team once head-to-head playoffs hit in March (though he does have a no-trade, so he has control of where he goes). Unless the team moves to a heavily-used top PP unit, it’s hard to see Nyquist as more than a 20-goal, 50-point guy. Not bad for fantasyhockey but certainly capable of more. (july24)

16. Only eight players have managed at least 20 goals in each of the last two seasons. Some of those names make sense like Vladimir Tarasenko, Connor McDavid, Evgeni Malkin, Patrik Laine, and Auston Matthews. Wingers Anders Lee and Rickard Rakell are also on the list. The final name? James van Riemsdyk.

Van Riemsdyk has been known more for his power-play prowess over the last couple years as everyone marvels over his hands around the net. That is prolific five-on-five scoring, however. Now that he’s back in Philadelphia, maybe he’ll be made a focal point of the offense where he can average somewhere in the 17- or 18-minute range per game rather than the 15:24 he has the last two years. (july24)

17. These are the top-3 players in five-on-five goals over the last two years: Auston Matthews (55), Connor McDavid (51), and Rickard Rakell (48). That’s not a typo, only McDavid and Matthews have more five-on-five goals over the last two years than Rakell.

There is probably some quibbling to be done whether he’s just a good player skating with a Hall-of-Fame center or a great player skating with a Hall-of-Fame center, but for our purposes, it doesn’t really matter. He doesn’t seem destined to split from Ryan Getzlaf anytime soon and is locked into that top PP unit. I’m curious to see where his ADP lands because there isn’t a reason to suspect a decline coming from Rakell this year barring injury or a terrible streak of unluckiness. (july24)

18. I went to Twitter for some Keeper Bubble Week questions. Here’s one from Barry Miles: “Who’s got a better likelihood of holding a top six spot, Anthony Beauvillier or Andreas Athanasiou?”

Athanasiou’s fancy stats indicate that he can really make an impact and put up first-line points on Detroit, perhaps even better than Gustav Nyquist. And he probably deserves that spot over Nyquist. But zero chance that happens. This is another stepping-stone year for Athanasiou. So my answer is Anthony Beauvillier. If Jan Kovar fails to make things happen in the NHL as a top-sixer, then Beauvillier will get his chance. And then, whether or not he makes that chance work is up to him. If Kovar clicks, then Beauvillier is a depth guy again. So, in that sense, Athanasiou is a safer play. I have Athanasiou for 42 points. Nice and safe. So this question becomes: do you want safe, or do you want to swing for the fences? (july23)

19. Jacob Trouba was awarded $5.5 million in arbitration on a one-year deal. He becomes the second-highest paid defenseman on the Jets. I’d feel more bullish about him if he didn’t miss at least 17 games in four of his last five seasons. He saw the second-most ice time on the entire team last season (average per game), but was third on the totem pole behind Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers in terms of PP time. Now that he’s making more than Myers, and the Jets could lose Myers to free agency next year, I think you’ll see that flip-flop. Trouba’s PP time should get a boost. If only I could feel comfortable projecting 80 games out of the guy, I’d feel so much better about him. (july23)

20. You may recall a few weeks ago when I discussed players who have babies and the impact that it has on their season, particularly with their second child (link on that is here). Getzlaf was a great example – his season after his second baby was terrible. Last year, Cam Talbot’s wife had twins. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on what happened to him in 2017-18 after that. Further to this, guess who had a baby on the weekend? Alex Pietrangelo. Guess who else had a baby? Alex Pietrangelo. Also, guess who had a baby on the weekend? Alex Pietrangelo. I’m not repeating myself, the guy actually welcomed triplets into the world! Congratulations to the Pietrangelo family, but let’s look at this from a fantasy hockey standpoint: If you think having three infants in the house in August, September and October will have no impact on his training schedule, then you’ve never had kids.

Look at this way – if Pietrangelo has a great season in 2018-19, then we’ll know he’s a pretty neglectful father! All kidding aside, I think even with a nanny to help, you still love your kids and you want to spend time with them especially during the first few months. It’s going to have an impact. I haven’t reviewed St. Louis for the DobberHockey Annual Fantasy Guide yet, but whatever my formula pits out for Pietrangelo, I’m rolling it back an additional five or six points (and just hope it doesn’t get any worse than that). (july23)

Have a good week, folks!!

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/20-fantasy-hockey-thoughts/20-fantasy-hockey-thoughts-34/

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years ago

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Your Favorite NHL Team Is Going to Blow It at the Trade Deadline

It happens once a year like clockwork. The names are usually big, the expectations are always high and even though you know you will come away disappointed, you can’t avert your eyes from it. No, it’s not a big budget DC movie—it’s the NHL’s trade deadline.

Instead of wasting your time by looking at the needs of teams and potential available players and getting your hopes up, I’m going to give you the straight truth about the deadline—your GM will botch it and/or the players your team gets won’t matter. Maybe your team will acquire a draft pick that becomes the star player that leads your team to a title in 2026, but chances are, your GM will screw up the pick like he’s screwed up everything else.

So here’s why your stupid team will screw up the trade deadline.

Listen to the latest episode of Biscuits, VICE Sports’ hockey podcast

31. Arizona Coyotes

When your organizational philosophy is, “Spend as little on the team as possible so we can invest it in cryptocurrency,” the Stanley Cup isn’t in your future. John Chayka took over a team with 76 points two seasons ago and, after an offseason designed to improve the team immediately, they are on pace for 61 points this season. That would be the fewest points in team history. Look for Chayka to acquire dead salary cap money or a talented young player he will trade again in two years.

30. Buffalo Sabres

What possible trade can a team make when the team is haunted? Can it acquire a Ghostbuster? Jack Eichel has to be one of the five unhappiest millionaires in the world. Why does Stephen King set all his books in a fake New England town when Buffalo is clearly the scariest place in the world? The Sabres are somehow worse than they were two years ago when they landed Eichel.

29. Ottawa Senators

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We are two weeks away from owner Eugene Melnyk firing the GM, coach, trainer, a popcorn guy in the lower bowl of the Accumulated Debt Center, and a parking attendant so he can do the jobs himself and save a few bucks. I’m no hockey scientist but when your trade deadline strategy is to shed money like you’re Montgomery Brewster, the Stanley Cup isn’t in your plans. Ever. Melnyk should just put himself in the lineup for a Leafs game and get it over with. Maybe he’ll do that after he deals Erik Karlsson for 35 cents on the dollar.

28. Montreal Canadiens

Imagine being two years removed from having traded PK Subban and still being in charge of that roster? This is like Exxon letting the guy who crashed an oil tanker into an iceberg chart courses for all future tanker voyages. And now the Habs are letting Marc Bergevin make another round of franchise-altering decisions. Somehow I doubt Max Pacioretty for Ryan Callahan straight up will help the Habs end their Stanley Cup drought.

27. Vancouver Canucks

Listening to Jim Benning talk about why he re-signed Erik Gudbranson as opposed to trading him should make clear why the Canucks are doomed. Instead of fleecing a team for a second-round pick, Benning wanted to lock up a defenseman that’s never been good but people thought he’d be good a decade ago. Also, he’s tall. A professional talented evaluator is basing decisions on the length of a guy’s stick. I’m excited to see if Benning forgets to trade Thomas Vanek. “Oh, right, that guy is a UFA after this season, isn’t he? That’s on me, guys. My bad.”

26. Edmonton Oilers

Canadian teams all suck again, huh? Do you think the Oilers have a handler for Peter Chiarelli at things like the GM meetings? Like, there’s a guy with a taser that renders Chiarelli unconscious if he ever wanders into a room alone with David Poile so he doesn’t trade Connor McDavid for Nick Bonino. “The Oilers are in the market for some wingers” is a damn fun sentence to type. What a league!

25. Detroit Red Wings

This once-proud franchise is desperately and obviously in need of a rebuild, which was why after last season it was fun to hear Ken Holland say, “Nobody wants to see a rebuild.” Hey, when you’re packing 6,000 per night into a taxpayer-funded pizza joint, you have to get to 85 points any way you can. Waiting to trade Petr Mrazek until his value was at an all-time low is the type of progressive thinking you want from a general manager that’s not under contract for next season. Hanging on to Mike Green until he has a lingering upper-body injury days before the deadline? Holland is playing chess while you’re playing checkers, my friends.

24. Chicago Blackhawks

It’s hard to see a way the Blackhawks bounce back any time soon. Cap circumvention is no longer allowed and they are out of valuable players to package with bad contracts in trades that only help in the short term. What exactly would Stan Bowman have to attach to Brent Seabrook to get another team to take him? The formula for time travel? The pee tape? They say it’s wrong to take delight in the misery of others but that does not include the Blackhawks.

23. Florida Panthers

I love that the guy who let Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith go to Vegas in exchange for massage coupons is once again helming a pivotal point for the franchise. What do you think Dale Tallon would have paid for Erik Gudbranson in a trade? Aleksander Barkov and a first? Tallon is probably only still employed by the Panthers because of a human resources paperwork error. He’s Milton from Office Space but with power. He will yet again be given the opportunity to drag the team down even further because nothing matters in this organization. It’s a great reflection of America, when you think about it.

22. New York Rangers

I totally have faith in a front office that fancied itself a contender seven months ago when it gave Kevin Shattenkirk a gigantic contract and is now announcing to the world it will sell anyone that is bolted to the ice. You mean the fellas that overpaid Brendan Smith and then sent him to the AHL are plotting the course for the future? How do you not have confidence in that sort of vision?!? This is also the leadership group that chose Dan Girardi over Anton Stralman. The Rangers went 54 years between their last two Stanley Cups and it will be another 100 years before they win another one.

21. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets could somehow acquire John Tavares, Erik Karlsson, Ryan McDonagh, Rick Nash, and sign a 24-year-old clone of Wayne Gretzky created from his DNA, and John Tortorella would still find a reason to play Jack Johnson and Brandon Dubinsky 40 minutes a night. This is also the team that let William Karlsson go in the expansion draft, so there’s no one to trust here. Either the trade will be bad or the trade will be good and Tortorella will cut the player’s ice time because he refused to block a shot with his dick in practice.

20. New York Islanders

Garth Snow has botched more picks than a greasy-handed defensive back and wasted the prime years of a Hall of Famer, but hell yeah, let’s have him in charge of the biggest decision in franchise history… what to do with John Tavares. In any other sport, the GM trades the elite talent headed for free agency when the team is at best a coin flip to make the playoffs, then pushes to re-sign him in the offseason. But this is the dumbest sport in the world, so the GM that’s underwhelmed for a decade will hang onto Tavares for the rest of the season and potentially lose him for nothing instead of reaping a bounty of futures at the deadline (that he’d probably botch, anyway). The Islanders are the Kobayashi Maru of hockey.

19. Carolina Hurricanes

This is the fourth season of Ron Francis’ reign as GM and he’s got a shot to bring the Hurricanes to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Francis already messed up his best chance to improve the goaltending with his idiotic signing of Scott Darling (please do not search for my opinions on Darling before this season) and now the team is one or two pieces away from being a perennial playoff contender, so look for him to pull the trigger on someone like Kris Versteeg or James Wisniewski, moves that won’t help or hurt either way.

18. Colorado Avalanche

Joe Sakic is still in charge of the Avalanche, right? It’s amazing how after he netted a bunch of prospects and picks for Matt Duchene, suddenly people wondered if he was now good at his job. He is not. It’s not a great transaction history for Patrick Roy’s best buddy. He found a way to get less for Nick Holden than the Rangers did. Life is a mystery but you can be assured that Sakic will get suckered by someone that had fewer than 1,000 points in their NHL playing career.

17. Calgary Flames

Brad Treliving has done well and the Flames are headed in the right direction, but there’s still a little bit of that We Need Guys Who Will Punch Your Dicks Guys thing that doesn’t help. I could see the trade report across the scroll: “Flames acquire C Zac Rinaldo from the Coyotes in exchange for sixth-round pick.” And that will be the Flames’ only move.

16. Los Angeles Kings

Dean Lombardi’s ghost is still running things if the Kings think Dion Phaneuf on the roster for the next 100 years helps. The Kings won two Cups after robbing the Blue Jackets blind at the deadline so I will withdraw this if there is a big Kings-Blue Jackets trade on Monday that sends Artemi Panarin to the Kings for Phaneuf in a 1-for-1 deal. Maybe the Coyotes are the new Blue Jackets but somehow I don’t think Tobias Rieder is headed toward a Jeff Carter/Marian Gaborik finish to the season.

15. New Jersey Devils

It’s been an unexpectedly great season for the Devils, who look locked into a playoff spot with two months to play. But really, what did Ray Shero really do here? He answered a late night drunk dial from Peter Chiarelli and robbed him in the Adam Larsson-Taylor Hall trade; won a draft lottery that landed him Nico Hischier, and dealt Adam Henrique for Sami Vatanen in a no-brainer deal that was only possible because of winning the draft lottery. Shero is due to drop a turd on the floor. Maybe he brings Douglas Murray out of retirement.

14. Philadelphia Flyers

Ron Hextall hasn’t been a buyer since becoming a GM in 2014, as the Flyers have mostly been bad thanks to another former Flyer running the team into the ground. Hextall has made some good deals away from the deadline, and getting Petr Mrazek was one of them. I guess what I’m saying here is the Flyers suck and there’s nothing Hextall can do to help this team win a Cup this year. The Flyers have been run by an ex-player since 1994; guess how many times they’ve won the Cup over that stretch? It’s zero. That was an easy game.

13. Anaheim Ducks

Last year, Bob Murray acquired Patrick Eaves and the Ducks lost in the conference finals with Eaves missing most of the playoffs with a high-ankle sprain. Two years ago, Murray loaded up by landing Patrick Maroon, Brandon Pirri, and Jamie McGinn, who made it possible for the Ducks to lose in the first round in seven games instead of six. The list of times Murray did the wrong thing goes on and on.

12. Minnesota Wild

Some GMs get their jobs because they were awesome at hockey decades ago; others get the gig because their dads were GMs. Meet Chuck Fletcher, the guy who let Alex Tuch go to the Vegas and gave up a first- and second-round pick at last year’s trade deadline for Martin Hanzal, who legally dies before every postseason. I don’t know what Fletcher has up his sleeve this year but I bet it’s used to overpay for someone who doesn’t help the Wild win more than five playoff games.

11. St. Louis Blues

Doug Armstrong might be Batman. He’s made a lot of bad moves yet he uses these diversion tactics and people think he’s a hero. He’s adapted to the darkness. Remember the Ryan Miller deal? Goodness. That was also the Steve Ott deal. The Blues have been fading since a strong start so your only hope is he’s out fighting crime and using a weirdly deep voice instead of taking calls from other GMs.

10. San Jose Sharks

Doug Wilson has been pretty much winging it since he tried to shame Joe Thornton into accepting a trade a few years ago and then the Sharks got good again. Despite an aging core, Wilson never looked at rentals, and instead focused on getting players with term left on their contract, like Jannik Hansen. Why make your team much better in the short term when you can do virtually nothing to help it over a longer timeline with guys like Hansen? Sharks hockey, baby!

9. Dallas Stars

Jim Nill once traded a conditional first-round pick for Kris Russell. That’s the end of this section.

8. Pittsburgh Penguins

Jim Rutherford has actually made some helpful moves at the deadline to help the Penguins win Cups. But just like other wise GMs, Rutherford has already fortified his contender with [squints at roster] Riley Sheahan and [rubs eyes] Jamie Oleksiak. When you run out of cap space, you always do it for a 30-point center and the Dallas Stars’ worst defensemen. Someone should do a study on how many GMs create legacies by winning titles with another GM’s players and put Stan Bowman and Jim Rutherford statues outside the Other People’s Titles Hall of Fame.

7. Washington Capitals

Against all odds, after a summer of shedding salary and useful players, the Capitals are still near the top of the league. Objectively worse than they have been the past two years, Brian MacLellan has said he doesn’t expect the team to be buyers like they were last year, because as we all know, Alex Ovechkin will not continue to age, nor will Nicklas Backstrom. It’s also important to pin your team’s perpetual shortcomings on two months of Kevin Shattenkirk, this way you can be gun shy about landing a big name again. If at first you don’t succeed, trade for Michal Kempny.

6. Toronto Maple Leafs

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From the team that brought you “Patrick Marleau for three years and $19 million” last summer comes the exciting late-winter follow-up, “some guy Mike Babcock likes that isn’t all that helpful.” I don’t know who is coming to Toronto but you know it will be someone that gets too many minutes and isn’t all that skilled. Maybe it will be Roman Polak’s cousin Greco Polak who will play 22 minutes a night because he’s “hard to play against.” Someone should let the Leafs know their window to win a title is open sooner than they expected so they should go back in time and get Marleau’s cap hit off the books so they can add an expensive defenseman.

5. Winnipeg Jets

I like to picture Kevin Cheveldayoff around deadline day like other people are when it comes to visiting the dentist. He knows he has to go but he’s constantly putting it off for silly reasons. “What’s that? Ken Holland’s on the phone? Oh, um, tell him I can’t talk trade right now because… ummm… my dog’s sick, yeah. Sorry.” Then enough time passes and instead of his teeth falling out his team falls apart. They say when a door closes, God opens a window. Maybe that window is a championship window in Winnipeg and God is Cheveldayoff, ready to land a fourth-line winger for a sixth-round pick.

4. Nashville Predators

David Poile does all his work before the deadline so he can spend deadline day doing things like signing 37-year-old men that haven’t played hockey in eight months. When it’s time to load up at the deadline, that’s when Poile lands all his playoff healthy scratches, like PA Parenteau and Mike Santorelli. The Preds lost James Neal in the expansion draft and as a Cup favorite, it’s great to see Nashville looking into offensive-minded replacements like Rick Nash, because any time you can snag a guy that hasn’t cracked 40 points in three seasons and consistently falls flat in the playoffs, you have to look into that.

3. Boston Bruins

Once you add Nick Holden to a Cup contender, isn’t your job already done? Don Sweeney can put his feet up and relax now that he added the defensemen who was run over during last year’s playoffs by the run and gun Ottawa Senators. When you have a fast moving boat, it’s always important to tie anchors to it. Look for Sweeney and Cam Neely to add to the “Bruins culture” by acquiring 100 pounds of literal grits to rub on David Pastrnak’s body.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

Steve Yzerman is a tremendous GM when it comes to arriving at a job where the foundational pieces are already there or using a terrible CBA to leverage great RFAs into taking bad deals because other GMs are too chicken shit to use an offer sheet. At the trade deadline, this is when Yzerman lands guys like Braydon Coburn and Ryan Callahan. He’s also the guy who let Jonathan Marchessault walk for nothing and gave three-goal scorer Callahan $6 million a year through 2020. That’s the guy you want evaluating talent for a Cup favorite.

1. Vegas Golden Knights

What a season. What a time to be a sports fan. An expansion team with championship aspirations in its first year. And what other general manager would you have in charge of a team like this other than George McPhee? The guy who traded Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat and got in on the ground floor of the Capitals Can’t Get Past The Second Round movement is now tasked with getting the team over the top. Maybe a trade of Alex Tuch for Brent Seabrook? Tie McPhee to a blackjack table all day Monday. It’s the only way Vegas wins.

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports CA.

Your Favorite NHL Team Is Going to Blow It at the Trade Deadline syndicated from https://australiahoverboards.wordpress.com

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