#ahl all star game 2024

[husshow]

ahl all-star game 2/4/24

[fossore]

Devin Cooley walks us through some of the contents of his 2024-2025 AHL All Star Game stall.

[hughesybear]

This game was already going to be a test for the shorthanded Canucks, and the heat of the game only kept getting higher after the Hughes ejection. With a combined 63 PIM, both captains getting game misconducts, and Tyler Myers dangling a Senators player and going for a slapshot empty-netter from his own end, this sure was a game!

Canucks thoughts 11/23/2024:

Honestly, this game felt like the Canucks were just sitting back and watching the Senators unravel. When your captain has 21 PIM and gets ejected for fighting twice in a game, the rest of your team doesn't have much to keep them focused. The sequence where the Canucks just played keep-away with an empty net for 1:45 on a delayed penalty was hilarious, but it feels like the refs lost control of the game, especially in the third period. Great to see the Canucks grind out a resilient win and demonstrate the mental fortitude that has become such an integral piece of their identity.

Pettersson set the tone early in the first period with this big hit on Stützle - he saw another star European centre who people accuse of being soft and chose violence. Stützle also made a dangerous hit on Höglander, throwing his body on top of Höglander and sending them both into the boards, which could have turned out a lot worse if Höglander hadn't been able to shield his head with his torso. Again, it felt like the Senators were losing their composure and the refs were letting the game slip, especially when the Senators ended up on the power play after this hit (even after Ullmark pulled Höglander's helmet off as well).

My issue with the Hughes ejection isn't necessarily with the rule or how it was applied (crosschecks into the numbers of a player whose head is facing the boards are something we'd like to see out of the game), but with the lack of consistency in how these types of plays are officiated across the league. Because the hit was assessed as a major penalty and resulted in an injury to the head of Norris, Hughes had to be assessed a game misconduct as well. The defencemen really had to step up with Hughes gone, and they did a great job! Hronek in particular settled into the 1D role nicely, creating zone exits with poise and calmness and playing 27:38. It was encouraging to see him carry his own pairing and justifying his extension.

It was awesome seeing Sasson get a point in his NHL debut, and his reaction to his dad watching in the crowd! The fact that the Canucks have been able to call up so many players from Abbotsford in the midst of their lineup troubles is a testament to how strong their organizational development system is now, and so refreshing after the dark days of the Benning era when the AHL affiliate was all the way in Utica, NY and it felt like there were no plans for any prospects.

The DeBrusk-Pettersson-Sherwood line (I'm calling them DPS now) was dominant again, combining for three goals and seven points on the night. Their chemistry just keeps building with every game, and I bet Nashville regrets not re-signing Sherwood at the 2x$1.5mil the Canucks got him at. Pettersson's excellence defensively and as a playmaker demonstrated his ability to lead this team in the face of adversity as well.

Look at how much fun they're having playing together :) The next game against Boston should be a good one with DeBrusk and Heinen returning to their old team, along with Lindholm and Zadorov on the other side!

[korshrimpski]

...my liege korshrimpski. I fear you may have tipped the last straw into the hat and have me trying to be watching AHL games. For korch. Your lore posting is much appreciated, and I hope my mixed metaphors may be excused. You are very cool, by the way.

-signed, tynedtime.

Ahhh thank you 🫶😭💗✨ im glad you enjoy the lore as much as I do >:))

But there is some lore that i did leave out that i think adds to the bigger picture of 1498 but i think didnt fit in the primer

Both Connor and Kevin fell under an older guy/vets wing during their rookie season

Connor and Nick Folignio’s relationship is already well known. Everyone knows Nick treats connor like his own kid they banter a lot and connor plays mini sticks with nicks kids.

He also saw Taylor Raddysh as an older brother. And Taylor and his wife (who is also named Taylor) helped take care of connor when he had his broken jaw [article link (sorry it’s not archived)]

Taylor hall was also their even though he spent majority of 1498 rookie season out with an injury. but since Taylor hangs around with the older guys and connor he’s helped and seen Connor’s personality grow, since connor was so focused on hockey he never really had much of a social life out of it [youtube link] <- that is a what chaos podcast episode and I am so sorry

And kevin on the other hand had colin blackwell. they would car pool together some days and during the 2024 all star break colin and kevin hung out and colin taught him how to cook

Some footnotes (that aren’t technically footnotes but still)

Taylor Raddysh is now a Washington Capital

Taylor Hall is now a Carolina Hurricane

Colin Blackwell is a Dallas Star

Also the colin teaching kevin to cook is a tad bit of a theory I won’t lie. Mainly because the only evidence of this is a photo of Mickey seasoned steak that kevin posted on his story (that i screenshot it apparently don’t have the screenshot anymore so what can you do)

[garymaugeri]

A Look at the New York Rangers 2024 Offseason Moves

The New York Rangers finished first in the National Hockey League (NHL) Eastern Conference in 2023-24 and won a pair of playoff rounds but came within two wins of reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in three seasons. Despite fans hoping for big changes to improve the team's roster in the offseason, president Chris Drury was relatively quiet, making a few minor moves to round out the Rangers' talented core, which includes Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, and goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who is a pending unrestricted free agent after the 2024-25 season.

Pressed against the NHL's salary cap, Drury and the Rangers had little financial flexibility entering the offseason. The team cleared some cap space by waiving forward Barclay Goodrow and his $3.6 million cap hit. New York also reportedly attempted to trade defenseman Jacob Trouba, who is signed for $8 million per season for the next two seasons.

When free agency opened on July 1, the Rangers signed veteran forward Sam Carrick to a three-year, $3-million contract. A fifth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Carrick has 53 points (28 goals, 25 assists) in 240 career regular season games. He split last season between the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers, recording 16 points (10 goals, 6 assists) in a career-high 77 games. Carrick also played in 10 playoff games for the Oilers last season and is a cost-effective fourth-line alternative to Goodrow, who was claimed by the San Jose Sharks.

The Rangers also made a pair of depth signings, agreeing to terms with forward Benoit-Olivier Groulx and defenseman Casey Fitzgerald. Groulx had two assists in 45 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season, while Fitzgerald had 21 points (4 goals, 17 assists) in 69 games with the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League (AHL).

New York also made a trade on July 1, sending a conditional fifth-round 2025 NHL Draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Reilly Smith. Signed for one more season at $3.75 million, Smith has been a productive player since his first full season with the Dallas Stars in 2012-13. He had 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) in 82 games the following season with the Boston Bruins and has recorded at least 40 points in all but three of his last 11 seasons.

Smith, 33, won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 and had 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) with the Penguins last season. He has 513 points (213 goals, 300 assists) in 840 career regular season games and 79 points (26 goals, 53 assists) in 106 playoff games. He fills the role previously held by Jack Roslovic, who signed a one-year, $2.8-million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 4, 2024.

In addition to Roslovic, New York opted not to re-sign Alexander Wennberg and Erik Gustafsson, who signed with the Sharks and Detroit Red Wings, respectively. Gustafsson's departure opens the door for Zac Jones, a 23-year-old defenseman who fared well as an injury replacement for Trouba and Gustafsson late last season.

New York re-signed defensemen Chad Ruhwedel, Braden Schneider, Matthew Robertson, and Ryan Lindgren. According to ESPN's Kevin Weekes, the team also tried to re-sign Shesterkin, but he turned down an eight-year, $88-million offer that would have made him the highest-paid goaltender in league history.

[makarshughes]

— makarshughes !

welcome to my gif-blog for all things hockey! will feature posts of any nhl team, and most players, excluding those who have committed crimes and/or shown deplorable character.

that being said, i do have a few favorite teams and players, which you may see often. (list subject to change at any time)

favorite teams; NHL – detroit red wings & vancouver canucks ! AHL – grand rapids griffins & abbottsford canucks ! NCAA – michigan !

favorite players; q. hughes, c. makar, w. johnston, a. räty, s. jarvis !

— about me;

tiana \ she-her \ twenty-two \ pharmacy technician \ michigan native

scorpio \ hufflepuff \ enfj-t

— what i use;

laptop: macbook pro (2021)

program(s): photoshop (2024), inshot pro (mobile app), documents (mobile app)

website(s): espn +, youtube, nhl.com

— additional info;

everything that is able to be linked to the source will be done so, either in tags (Source:), or in the caption (will be underlined). gifs made from games will not be linked/sourced, as they are pulled directly from the game streams themselves and cannot be.

if you are looking for a specific player or team, my tag system is very simple. i will tag everyone applicable in the gif, as well as the team name. i also tag every penalty box gif under penalty box, and the national anthem gifs under oh canada and star spangled banner respectively.

if you would like to see more of a team, or a specific player, please shoot me an ask or private message! i will be more than happy to do that.

if you have any general questions, comments, or concerns, again, please shoot me an ask or private message.

[x75-productions]

NHL Daily - Thursday Thrills

NHL Daily - Thursday Thrills On a 13 game night, there were Thursday Thrills with action across the NHL, plus All-Star player announcements #LetsGoPens #LetsGoBuffalo #NYR #CBJ #GoAvsGo #GoBolts #Flames #stlblues #Isles #SeaKraken #NHLAllStar #NHLStats

On a 13 game night, there were Thursday Thrills with action across the NHL, plus All-Star player announcements NHL News and Notes from Thursday, January 4th, 2024 News The Calgary Flames announced that they have sent defenseman Oliver Kylington to the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL for a conditioning assignment. The #Flames have announced Oliver Kylington has been assigned to the @AHLWranglers…

[reavenedges-lies]

Okay now to the proper answer and not just an expansion on others content. (This is long and also functions as a mini primer about Dylan Guenther)

Now unfortunately as you've seen with other responses this is a very nuanced conversation with many factors e.g., age (Prime or Peak ages usually ranging from 23-30 for forwards and 25-32 on defenseman and goalies), location, coaching & staff, availability, and physicality. Now I will go over some of these things but since the Penguins have already been touched on by my lovely friend and mutual @coffee-at-annies I'll be focusing on the Coyotes. Notorious in the last decade or so for having atrocious luck with prospects and draftees.

My poor poor desert dogs have been in a off and on rebuild since 2013, and with multiple bad ownership groups starting back in '09 its been a long and draining process on our fans and players. Our General Manager situation didn't seem to help either with Chyka in 2020 seemingly not wanting to be here and also breaking league rules and getting the Yotes 1st rounder taken away that year. Later that same year we had a GM with a mere 2 month stint before we landed on our current GM Bill Armstrong (I will be referring to him as GMBA from here on out for times sake). We (Yotes fans and maybe @desertpups or @patrichornkissed can corroborate) haven't had this stable of a GM with a solid plan in what seems like ages, and under him we have completely revamped our Player Development staff and programs.

Now that we have some context out of the way, I'm going to go through all of the Yotes 1st rounders from the last decade (2014's draft) and go over how many games they played for ARI and if they got traded. (If you have any questions about these players send me an ask and i'll answer to the best of my abilities.)

2014- Brendan Perlini (12 OVA) Currently Inactive at the NHL level, played 153 games for ARI with 57 points (33-24-57) 2015- Dylan Strome (3 OVA) Currently with WSH, played 48 games for ARI with 16 points (7-9-16) 2015- Nick Merkley (30 OVA) Currently Inactive at the NHL level, played 1 game with ARI 2016- Clayton Keller* (7 OVA) Still with ARI, as of right now (MAR 25, 2024) he has played in 509 games with 404 points (163-241-404) 2016- Jakob Chychrun* (16 OVA) Currently with OTT, played 373 games for ARI with 170 points (60-110-170) 2017- Pierre-Olivier Joseph (23 OVA) Currently with PIT, Traded before he could play for ARI 2018- Barrett Hayton (5 OVA) Still with ARI, as of right now (MAR 25, 2024) he has played in 209 games with 84 points (35-49-84) 2019- Victor Söderström (11 OVA) Still with ARI-AHL, as of right now (MAR 25, 2024) he has played in 53 games with 11 points (1-10-11) 2020- NONE 2021- Dylan Guenther (9 OVA) Still with ARI-AHL, as of right now (MAR 25, 2024) he has played in 67 games with 37 points (17-20-37) 2021- FORFEIT (11 OVA) 2022- Logan Cooley (3 OVA) Still with ARI, as of right now (MAR 25, 2024) he has played in 71 games with 34 points (13-21-34) 2022- Conor Geekie (11 OVA) Prospect -WHL 2022- Maveric Lamoureux (29 OVA) Prospect -QMJHL 2023- Dmitriy Simashev (6 OVA) Prospect -KHL/MHL 2023- Danil But (12 OVA) Prospect -KHL/MHL

5/10 of our last NHL playing 1st round draftees are no longer with the team and 2 are no longer active in the NHL. Of the remaining five only two can be considered full time players for the Coyotes -I'm not counting Cooley just yet as he may get assigned to the Roadrunners next year for Dev reasons- those being Hayton and Keller. The two players with Stars next to their names played in the season they were drafted with everyone else on this list getting at least one full season in a development league or college. Keller IIRC didn't play until the end of the season post his college season rounding out, but I really want to talk about his line mates.

Now I have a lot to say about Hayton's development as a whole, as he is a fantastic skater who makes great decisions and moves the puck beautifully with his line mates, but has no finish. He does not score often, with last seasons 19-24-43 being his best since he has been playing at an nhl level, this year he has been plagued with injury after injury. But the real enigma is Dylan Guenther and his progression.

Gunner (Guenther) played his first year post draft and post ELC signing with the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings and would've been part of the WJC-U20 team had it not been cancelled. After that he officially joins the Coyotes to everyone's excitement. However he only posts 6 goals in 33 games prior to that years WJC-U20. Post WJC he gets sent down to WHL's Thunderbirds (Traded from EDM to SEA at the deadline) for more development and a chance once again at the playoffs ultimately winning them a championship. The season is over, and he is doing off-season training trying to bulk up on his own before the mini training camp and ultimately the AUS games. He is looking dead ringer for a spot in the opening night line-up, and he starts the season in the AHL. He is mad, and turned that into an opportunity to get better.

According to reports from the Roadrunners HC Potvin he was spending almost all his free time training in some way or another and taking advantage of all the resources provided to him. He gets better over the course of his time down in Tucson and eventually is the team leader in points. He is working on himself and his game and Zucker gets suspended for 3 game. There is an empty spot on the roster for the best player on the Roadrunners, and Guenther is it. His mentality as a call up? “I’m not really thinking about what might happen. I’m just gonna go out there and I’m gonna play well. That’s all I can do, make it impossible for them to send me down. Absolutely, that’s the plan.” And He Does Just That. He has been playing since Zucker got suspended, he is currently at 34 games played and 22 points (11-11-22). He is the epitome of how you want development to go at this stage.

Right Now, the coyotes have the stability in their coaches on and off the ice as well as in their want and drive to be here. We could not have said that in 2020. As of the beginning of this season fans got an interview with GMBA where he said "We're in Phase 2 right now. It's right on track". We've got depth, we have draft picks, we have prospects and we have players who want to be here. The Prospects are the life blood of any given team, but that means nothing if you don't have a working system around them of a stable GM, HCs, Scouts and Development team. Prospects and Rookies take time, they take effort and they take what they can, to get what they need. There is no real stigma around whether or not you can call them up, its a decision on whether they're ready mentally and physically, if they're ready to be pushed into more grueling hours than they had been prior, if they're ready to use their drive to be better into being better not only for themselves but their team, coaches and fans, and whether or not the coaches and gm are ready to help those players each step of the way to the best of their abilities even when its not what the players want.

NHL-wide thought: it's funny how when a team has reached it's expiration date they call for a retool to get younger and refresh the roster to compete. but when they see prospects doing so well before coming in the show, they're like "but does his game translate well to the NHL???" or "is he NHL ready?" What really is the deal about prospects and why is there so much stigma about them despite the need to rebuild at some point?

good question, anon! I would like to know the answer to this too, but sadly I am here exclusively for the shits, giggles and pretty faces so am probably not the best person to ask.

I would suggest asking... perhaps @reavenedges-lies @coffee-at-annies or @idontlikeem all of whom i think know far more about Proper Hockey Stuff!

[husshow]

ahl all-star game 2/4/24

[highbuttonsports]

Toronto Star

Muzzin Out; Does Dubas Go Big Game Hunting?

The week did not get off to a great start for the Leafs, after getting absolutely pounded by the lowly Habs Monday night in Montreal, who were basically icing an AHL team and their third string goalie. To top off a terrible performance from the entire team, the Leafs lost Muzzin again to what appears to be another concussion after an incidental collision with Wideman in the Habs zone. It looks as though Muzzin has suffered his second concussion in less than a month and will be out for an extended period of time. Thankfully, Dubas went out and traded for Ilya Lyubushkin from Phoenix Saturday night and will draw into the lineup Tuesday night against Columbus. Additionally, and thankfully, Justin Holl will see time in the pressbox for Tuesday’s game which means Sandin also draws back into the lineup.

What does all this mean for the Leafs as we approach the trade deadline you ask? Well, first the Leafs need to determine if Muzzin will be going on long term injured reserve and if that is the case, Dubas has an additional 5.65 million in cap space to acquire a top 4 defenseman and add some additional depth up front. Elliot Friedman was on the FAN590 yesterday and stated that the Leafs would prefer to not trade their first rounder or any of their top prospects for a rental player, but given the current circumstances and the uncertainty around Muzzin’s health, even once playoffs arrive, I would put money on Dubas spending at least this year’s first round pick to acquire a minute munching, steady, defensive defenseman such as Giordano or Hampus Lindholm. Giordano likely would not cost much more than a first rounder, but if Dubas really wants to swing for the fences, giving up a first and more to acquire Lindholm would give the Leafs a top 2 defenseman that averages 23 minutes a night in Anaheim.

Do I think Dubas should get Lindholm, I don’t think so. I think he is better off going after a Giordano or Justin Braun type of defenseman and using the leftover cap space to add another forward, whether it is Brandon Hagel from Chicago or an elder statesman like Pavelski from Dallas. Both, Braun and Giordano are steady, stay at home defenseman that can provide some stability and mentorship for Sandin and Liljegren and both would allow Keefe to permanently break up the Muzzin-Holl pairing for the rest of the season and playoffs. Hagel would be a better add for the Leafs long term, as he is signed until the end of the 2023-2024 season at a reasonable 1.5 million. It would give the Leafs some cost certainty and ability to fill a void left by a pending free agent should they not be able to resign them. Pavelski on the other hand, gives the Leafs some much needed, proven playoff scoring and prowess as Pavelski seems to elevate his game during the playoffs. Additionally, it gives the Leafs an actual net front presence on the second powerplay unit.

Again, it all depends on what the Leafs do with Muzzin and how well Ilya Lyubushkin plays during this stretch before the trade deadline. We should know more about Muzzin’s status in the coming days, but having had multiple concussions in the past and given that the Leafs are always extra cautious when it comes to injuries, it would be surprising to not see Muzzin listed on Long Term IR at some point this week.

- Smitty

[hughesybear]

Canucks thoughts 10/30/2024:

The stars needed to show up, and Quinn was the only one on Vancouver’s side during the first Hughes bowl of the season. The Pettersson conversation is never-ending, but the Miller line also couldn’t do enough either (punctuated by Miller’s ugly PP giveaway that led to a Devils shorthanded goal). This is the situation where having two 1Cs should provide you with enough scoring when one is having an off night, and I have full faith that Petey will be able to get back to the player we all know he can be soon.

I just feel bad for Šilovs, who was getting booed in the third period (and the whole team, who got booed off the ice). Of course he could have played better, and come up with some big saves to bail the Canucks out, but a lot of the Devils goals were off of glaring defensive breakdowns that have so far been masked when Lankinen is in net.

Šilovs’ struggles at this level (puck tracking, point shots, reading the play, etc.) are things that are very specific to game situations and can’t really be effectively worked on in practice. He needs both AHL and NHL reps in order to improve, and it’s unfortunate that Demko can’t be here yet to enable him to get more development time in the AHL. (When Demko comes back, that creates a logjam of goaltenders in Abby, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it…)

Šilovs is also just 23 years old and only played 21 AHL games in his D+1 and D+2 seasons, missing out on crucial development time because of the pandemic. He has 12 games of regular season NHL experience and 10 games of playoff experience. He probably thought he was going to be the interim starter going into training camp, only for Lankinen to be signed after camp ended and for the fanbase to immediately put all their hopes into him after his first game. He was the reason Vancouver got to advance to the second round, to come alive with playoff magic again, and to see some fans repay that with boos must be a blow to his confidence. Latvian fans cheered him after Latvia got shut out 6-0 against Canada in the 2023 IIHF Worlds - the same tournament where he backstopped them to their first ever IIHF medal and was awarded MVP of the tournament. Some Canucks fans could learn something from them.

Canadian markets are always high-risk, high-reward. Quinn is an expert at staying even-keeled, which this team needs right now. Getting booed off the ice must be bringing up unpleasant memories of that unspeakable 2022-2023 season. The group that was here for those years is trying to prove themselves every night, and they’ve already known that their process hasn’t been where they want it to be for a full game at any point this season - they’ll work it out.

It was nice to see them having fun this Halloween after that game! Hopefully they got a chance to reset and come into practice today with fresh energy. If the Canucks are the team to extend the Sharks’ win streak to four games on Saturday, I will cry.

[thrashermaxey]

Roos Lets Loose: Battle of the Netminders

  Back when Cage Match was still my weekly column, you had to wait until the summer and winter for tournaments/polls; but the good news is now you’ll get one every month! And what better way for me to kick things off than having a tournament involving goalies, which I never got a chance to cover while doing Cage Match.

  The premise of this tournament/poll is deceptively simple – pick the five goalies who’ll get the most wins in the next five seasons, starting next season. But it’s more difficult than it appears, since it has as much, if not more so, to do with a netminder’s age, the team he plays for and his contract/cap situation as it does with his pure skill. Keeping those things in mind, here are the choices (in alphabetical order, along with their current age plus their contract status and cap hit). Vote for the five whom you believe will have the most cumulative wins from the 2019-20 season through the 2024-25 campaign. Although not listed below, the tournament/poll will also include a “none of the above” choice in case you think a goalie who’s not listed here and either currently playing in the NHL or not will be among the five goalies with the most wins during this period. Look for the link at the end of the column to cast your votes; but without further ado, here are the 18 contenders:

  Jake Allen (age = 28; signed through 2020-21 at $4.35M per season)

Once thought to be a surefire Tier 1 goalie, Allen has instead struggled with injuries and inconsistency, to the point where for now he’s lost his hold on the starting gig to Jordan Binnington (more on him below). With what they’re paying Allen, he should continue to get chances to recapture #1 netminder status; and who knows, perhaps if he connects the dots – and assuming Binnington doesn’t just steal the starting job away from him for good – Allen could become one of those netminders who finally hits his stride in his late 20s and then excels into his 30s.

  Frederick Andersen (age = 29; signed through 2020-21 at $5M per season)

If Andersen was a lock to stay in Toronto, then on paper it would be difficult not to vote for him, what with the Leafs arguably built to be one of the top teams the NHL over these next five years. But with Andersen only signed for two more seasons and the Leafs likely to be feeling a cap crunch in the coming years, it’s not impossible to think he might find himself on a new team for 2021-22; and if that happens, who knows if he’ll excel to the extent he is now.

  Jordan Binnington (age 25; signed through 2018-19 at $0.65M per season)

It’s not that Binnington wasn’t on anyone’s radar when the season began – he was a virtual nobody just over a month ago, with a grand total of one NHL appearance prior to this season and 146 AHL games for two different organizations. Fast forward to now, however, and he’s won 12 of his first 14 starts this season, with four shutouts and allowing more than two goals a grand total of twice. Is it more likely than not teams will find a way to adjust and he’ll come back to earth, ala Andrew Hammond a few years ago? Quite possibly; however, his beyond stellar play merits him at least being a voting choice here.

  Ben Bishop (age = 32; signed through 2022-23 at $4.916M per season)

One of the two oldest netminders on the list, Bishop has proven to be a great signing for the Stars and, unlike in his past, has managed to stay healthy for the most part. He’s the type who might not lead the league in wins for any given season but could be high enough on the list to end up within the top five when all is said and done.

  Devan Dubnyk (age = 32; signed through 2020-21 at $4.33M per season)

The other elder statesman on the list, Dubnyk benefits by playing a lot of games (he’s started the second most contests of any NHL netminder since 2014-15, behind only Braden Holtby – more on him below) and having no threat to take his job on the immediate horizon. The question is whether the Wild will opt to retain him in a couple of seasons when he’s a UFA and, if they do, how good the team will be given its ageing core.

  John Gibson (age = 25; signed through 2026-27 at – starting next season – $6.4M per season)

If winning was based on talent alone, Gibson likely would be a shoo-in for the top five. But what we cannot ignore is he’s had a history of injury issues and the Ducks look to be a team on the decline. While some goalies have played well enough to carry a team on their shoulders, as we’re seeing this season that might be too tall an order for Gibson despite how skilled he is.

  Carter Hart (age = 20; signed through 2020-21 at $0.73M per season)

Although always a highly touted prospect, Hart’s big splash came earlier than expected, resulting in him having been anointed the NHL’s next young goalie phenom. Even more importantly he’s already proven himself to be a true difference maker, with poise and maturity that wins him games often less so due to the team in front of him as much as notwithstanding them. Of course much the same could’ve been said of former Flyer upstart netminders like Brian Boucher and Antero Niittymaki, who began their careers with so much promise then quickly faltered. Plus, Philly has been known as the place that chews goalies up and spits them out, so Hart would need to defy those odds to be a true star netminder.

  Connor Hellebuyck (age = 25; signed through 2023-24 at $6.16M per season)

After inking a deal that, on paper, labelled him one of the league’s top netminders, Hellbuyck has taken somewhat of a step back this campaign. But the wins are still there, and this poll is solely about wins, not peripheral stats. With him inked to play for Winnipeg at least four of the next five seasons and the team seems poised to be a top squad for that entire time, the ingredients seem to be in place for him to be a wins stalwart.

  Braden Holtby (age = 29; signed through 2019-20 at $6.1M per season)

Surprisingly – at least to me – still only 29 years old, Holtby likely would be a clear pick if this was two seasons ago or even last year at this time. But with the exodus of Barry Trotz during the summer and Holtby getting a year older, he’s looked barely above average for most of this season. That being said, plenty of other goalies have suffered from a Stanley Cup hangover then rebounded to their formerly elite selves; and Holtby’s skill, combined with Washington likely to be a top team for at least a few more seasons, makes him a viable selection.

  Martin Jones (age = 29; signed through 2023-24 at $5.75M per season)

Think of Jones like you would Devan Dubnyk, only except three years younger. Lacking any near or even long-term threats to his spot as the top Sharks goalie, Jones looks poised to rack up wins. The big question is how good San Jose will be in the years to come, as their core is ageing and it’s not clear whether their younger players are poised to step in and keep the team elite enough to help Jones pile on the wins.

  Robin Lehner (age = 27; signed through 2018-19 at $1.5M per season)

What do you get when you have a player who’s always had talent and finally put his demons behind him, then couple that with the wisdom and tutelage of goalie whisperers Barry Trotz and Mitch Korn? You get the season Lehner is having, with a GAA and SV% among the league’s best. The problem is the same magic that Trotz and Korn are working on Lehner is also the cure for what ailed Thomas Greiss. With Greiss signed through next season, will Lehner be able to secure enough wins, and beyond that, keep his demons at bay? Time – and your votes – will tell.

  Jacob Markstrom (age = 29; signed through 2019-20 at $3.66M per season)

If you’re like me, you were surprised to see that Markstrom is 29, as it’s difficult not to think of him still as still a young prospect. But as he’s aged he’s found his game and the Canucks might be poised to do better – and sooner – as a team than many would’ve expected, all leading to Markstrom being a sneaky pick to do well in wins.

  Matt Murray (age = 24; signed through 2019-20 at $3.75M per season)

With his injuries and failure – thus far – to truly recapture his early magic, some are anointing Murray the next Cam Ward. Murray has put together stretches of play where he’s unbeatable, only to follow that with a few stinkers. Still only 24, he can likely work out the kinks in his game to be more consistent, unless of course injuries take their toll. And although the Pens are ageing, they still figure to be among the most successful teams in the NHL in the near term, so the recipe for Murray to earn wins is there.

  Carey Price (age = 31; signed through 2025-26 at $10.5M per season)

With by far the biggest contract among the voting choices, Price likely has the safest #1 netminder job in all of hockey. But now on the other side of 30 and after a couple of seasons of injuries, he doesn’t look like a former Vezina winner on some nights nowadays. Beyond that, although the Habs have made strides this season it’s not clear the team itself will be good enough for Price to pile on the wins – not unless he can get back to stealing games for them.

  Tuukka Rask (age = 31; signed through 2020-21 at $7M per season)

Another season, another case of early talk of Rask losing his skill followed by him silencing his critics with superb second-half play. If Rask was a couple years younger and signed for a few more seasons, he’d look to be a safe pick; however, at some point in the future he might not be able to recover from a slow start, and Boston might choose to let him walk as a UFA, in which case who knows if Rask will land on a team like the perennially strong Bruins.

  David Rittich (age = 26; signed through 2018-19 at $0.8M per season)

For a while, it was assumed Rittich’s hold on the Calgary crease was merely temporary until either he inevitably faltered or Mike Smith managed to find his game. Yet here we are in February and Rittich owns one of the best winning percentages of any netminder and appears to have staked an official claim as the #1 goalie on a Calgary team that’s poised to get better in the coming years. The wrinkle is Rittich is signed only through this season and has to show he’s more than a one-year wonder. But if he secures this #1 spot and his play continues to be comparable to what we’ve seen from him this season, the wins will surely pile up.

  Juuse Saros (age = 23; signed through 2020-21 at $1.5M per season)

As covered in my column last week, past precedent suggests that Saros should be – at worst – the 1B netminder for the Predators next season. And with his already apparent skill and Rinne’s advancing age, Saros could realistically step in and seize the reins even before Rinne’s deal runs out in 2021, in which case Saros could have no trouble earning wins on a Nashville team that is built to be a top contender for a number of years to come.

  Andrei Vasilevskiy (age = 24; signed through 2019-20 at $3.5M per season)

A top goalie on a top team – what’s not to like? But is Vas truly one of the best netminders in the NHL? Last season he hit a major wall in last third of the season, so he might be the opposite of Rask – a netminder who gets worse as the season drags on. There’s also the challenge of finding enough cap space to be able to re-sign him next summer without at the same time disrupting the strong skater core of the Lightning.

  **

There you have the choices – now it’s up to you to pick the five you believe will earn the most wins from the 2019-20 season through the 2024-25 campaign. To cast your vote, click here.

  **

Mailbag questions needed for next week

  Next week will be my monthly mailbag column. You can send me questions in one of two ways – (1) emailing them to admin@dobbersports.com with the subject line “Roos Mailbag”, or (2) as a private message to me (“rizzeedizzee”) from within the Dobberhockey Forums. See you next week!

      from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/fantasy-hockey-rick-roos/roos-lets-loose-battle-of-the-netminders/

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DGB Grab Bag: Kessel’s Hot Dog Hockey Card, Shootouts, and a Puck to the Dome

Three stars of comedy

The third star: Joe Thornton and Brent Burns – When they’re not challenging WWE tag teams, they’re mastering the weirdly specific sub-genre of commercials that involved them just randomly yelling at people.

The second star: Jonathan Ericsson – Just be a nice guy and toss a puck to a fan, what’s the worst that could happen?

(Via r/hockey.)

The first star: Phil Kessel’s hockey card – It was tempting to give this week’s obligatory Phil Kessel spot to this or maybe this, but instead we’ll go with his new hockey card featuring his day with the Cup. Yes, that one:

At some point, we’re going to have to disqualify Kessel from future appearances in the three stars. That moment is currently scheduled for one day after I write my last column. Besides, he had to be first star because everyone in his family is winning stuff this week. Hey, speaking of which…

Debating the Issues

This week’s debate: Wednesday’s women’s gold medal game between Team Canada and Team USA was an all-time classic. But should Olympic gold medal games end with shootouts?

In favor: No, of course not.

Opposed: No, of course not.

The final verdict: No, of course not.

The NHL Actually Got Something Right

The NHL does not award the Stanley Cup based on the results of a shootout.

Trivial Annoyance of the Week

The women’s gold medal game ended in a freaking shootout.

OK, I think the point has been made. But we all agree on this, right?

Actually, it seems like we do. In the moments before and after Wednesday’s shootout, the reaction was pretty close to unanimous. Just about everyone was dreading the way that game ended. American media. Canadian media. Analytics guys. Legendary American players. Canadian Olympians from entirely different sports. Me. You, assuming you’re a decent person.

So why did the game have to end in a shootout?

That’s not a rhetorical question; I’d really love to know why you’d ever use a shootout in a gold medal game. In the round robin or earlier playoff rounds, sure—maybe you don’t want one team to get trapped in a six-period marathon that hurts them for the rest of the tournament. But the gold medal game? Why?

It’s not about keeping the rules consistent, since they already make overtime longer in the final game. It’s not about needing the ice for the next game, since there isn’t one. It’s not about fatigue, you’d think, since it’s the last game. Or is it? That’s the only option that makes sense. But not much.

Sure, players are going to get tired in long games. We saw that on Wednesday, when Team Canada looked absolutely gassed as overtime went on. But that’s hockey. Conditioning is part of the sport. So is bench management. The shootout probably didn’t change the result of the game, since a Team USA win was looking inevitable the longer it went.

But that’s the problem—they deserved that win, a real win, not a gimmicked one that gives Canadians an out. Wednesday’s shootout was just about as good as a shootout can possibly be, with some dramatic stops and truly great goals. Jocelyne Lamoureux’s winner will become an iconic goal in international hockey history. But it was still a shootout. Shootouts suck. Sometimes they’re a necessary evil, maybe. But gold medal games are never one of those times.

The Canadian men will play for gold this weekend, and while there’s no chance they can match the drama and intensity of the women’s final, here’s hoping they at least get to settle the biggest hockey game of their lives by playing hockey.

And if at some point in the future, somebody tries to invoke Wednesday’s classic as a reason to consider using the shootout in the NHL playoffs, load them into a bobsled and slide them into a lake.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

It’s been an interesting week for Montreal Canadiens fans. Their current captain, Max Pacioretty, is expected to be traded before Monday’s deadline. And the guy who held the job before him, Brian Gionta, was the captain of Team USA at the Winter Olympics.

Not many players can say they’ve worn the “C” for the Canadiens; it’s a list that includes legends like Rocket Richard, Doug Harvey, Jean Beliveau and Newsy Lalonde. In recent times, the honor hasn’t been quite as prestigious, with names like Mike Keane, Vincent Damphousse and Pierre Turgeon taking their turns. But the Canadiens are so enamored with their own history that just holding the job confers a certain type of fame on a player. You wouldn’t think it would be possible for there to be any obscure former Habs captains.

But then you’d be forgetting this week’s player: Walter Buswell.

Buswell was a solid defensive defenseman who started his NHL career with the Red Wings in 1932. He spent three seasons in Detroit, racking up 13 points in 140 games, before being traded to the Bruins as part of a deal for future Hall-of-Famer Marty Barry. Boston flipped him to the Canadiens two days later for Roger Jenkins, and Buswell spent the next five seasons in Montreal.

Those seasons weren’t very good. The Habs missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade in Buswell’s first year, then lost in the opening round in each of the next three. It was a tumultuous time, with Montreal burning through five coaches and three GMs. By the 1939-40 season, Buswell was one of the oldest players left on the team, and was given the captaincy after Babe Siebert retired to become the team’s latest coach.

It ended up being a forgettable year; Siebert never coached a game because he drowned in Lake Huroan during the offseason, the team had a stretch where they won one game out of 20, and the Canadiens finished dead last, a feat they haven’t repeated in the almost eight decades since. It was also Buswell’s last as captain, and as an NHL player. Toe Blake took over the honor and held it for most of the next decade, while Buswell headed to the QPHL and was out of hockey entirely by 1941.

Be It Resolved

The trade deadline is now just three days away, and while the market is picking up, it’s still been fairly slow. That’s a bit of a surprise, given that there are a decent number of sellers this year. And you’d think there would be more draft picks in play, since this year’s crop is considered to be a relatively weak one. But so far, GMs don’t seem to want to move their 2018 picks.

But maybe there’s a way around that. And the key may be hidden in this week’s least interesting deal: The one that sent Eric Fehr from the Maple Leafs to the Sharks for a seventh-round pick.

Most Leafs fans’ reaction to the trade was something along the lines of “Wait, we still have Eric Fehr?” And they only kind of did—he’d been loaned to Anaheim’s AHL team, so he wasn’t even playing for the organization. But the Leafs wanted to free up a roster spot and a bit of cap space. The Sharks needed some fourth-line veteran depth, so they coughed up a late pick.

And it really was a late pick, because the Leafs don’t get the choice until 2020.

It’s relatively rare in the NHL these days to see a draft pick traded more than two years in advance. But maybe it shouldn’t be. Maybe that’s the way to loosen up the market a little bit. If NHL GMs are going to be tightwads with their next bushel of draft picks, then let’s start trading ones for future drafts.

Like, way in the future. Forget 2020. Who wants a 2024 first rounder?

There’s actually plenty of precedent for hockey trades involving far-off future picks. It happens in junior hockey all the time. Check out this year’s biggest CHL deadline trades; they’re full of future picks. Here’s a team trading nine draft picks that stretch all the way to 2023. Here’s a team giving up three picks, none earlier than 2021. Here’s a team trading their second-round pick in 2026. That’s eight years in the future. That’s so long that the Sabres might even be good by then.

How much fun would it be to see NHL teams trading picks from 2026? Do you know how to properly value a draft pick that far down the line? I don’t! I bet NHL GMs don’t either, which would lead to all sorts of unpredictable results when they sat down to work deals. Plus imagine tracking the ups and downs of a rival team, knowing your team owned their first rounder a half-decade from now. It would be great.

Granted, junior hockey isn’t the NHL. Draft picks aren’t as valuable, and teams go through cyclical and relatively predictable stages of contending that make trading away future picks a little easier. But it’s not like an NHL GM has never thought of acquiring future picks. In fact, it was pretty much the trademark of the best GM ever, Montreal Canadiens’ legend Sam Pollock. He built a dynasty out of ripping off dumb teams, stockpiling their future picks and then turning them into guys like Guy Lafleur and Larry Robinson.

If Pollock could do it, couldn’t the GM of your favorite team? Well, no, because they’re not as smart as Sam Pollock. But you think they’d be willing to try. And even a dumbed-down version of the Pollock strategy could probably break a few logjams.

So be it resolved, let’s stretch out the event horizon for NHL trades. You can’t give up your precious third-round pick this year? Fine, give us your second from 2021. You probably won’t even be the GM by then, so let’s get this done and hit the bar.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

With the trade deadline looming, GMs all across the league are sitting in conference rooms with their front office staff, plotting out the moves that will impact their teams for years to come.

But what do those highly private conversations sound like? As it turns out, we have at least some idea, thanks to one team that figured it would be a good idea to film a crucial decision and put it on the internet. Spoiler alert: It would not be the only bad decision they made that week.

It’s June 29, 2013, with the draft and free agency just days away. These fine folks you see here are the assembled brain trust of the Boston Bruins, who’ve just finished up their second Stanley Cup final appearance in three years. Everything is going well. Let’s see if we can pinpoint the moment that changes.

The star of our clip is, of course, then Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli. He also looks really miserable throughout this entire clip, which makes me wonder what he must look like today with the Oilers. Has anyone seen him lately? Are we completely sure he hasn’t gone goth on us?

Things start off with what seems like a reasonably straightforward problem: The team wants to re-sign Nathan Horton, but as Chiarelli puts it, “we’re having difficulty.” That was true; Horton was basically stringing the Bruins along, waiting out the clock to get to free agency. We eventually found out he wasn’t happy with the Bruins waiting to negotiate, but at the time, the whole thing was a bit of a mystery.

Still, it’s Nathan Horton. Good player, but he’s not going to make or break your team. No need to panic, right?

Yeah, not so much. As Chiarelli explains, signing either Horton or a reasonable replacement will mean they’ll have to move a player, and the guy he’s focused on is Tyler Seguin. At this time, Seguin is 21 years old, three years removed from being the second overall pick, and has already led the Bruins in scoring. But he’s coming off a disappointing playoff run, and now he might be on the block. Chiarelli opens the floor to feedback.

First up is Keith Gretzky, making his second ever YouTube section appearance. He apparently isn’t much a Seguin fan, accusing him of not wanting to pay the price. He’s followed by director of player personnel Scott Bradley, who suggests Seguin isn’t physical enough and relies on his skill.

“Sound familiar?” Chiarelli asks, in a pretty transparent reference to Phil Kessel. “Yeah, it does,” Bradley replies, and then there’s a weird jump cut where something is clearly edited out. I’m assuming it was somebody else going “It sounds like Keith’s older brother, somebody remind me if he turned out to be any good?” and then being dragged out of the room and thrown down an elevator shaft.

We see a shot of Chiarelli talking to Don Sweeney, which ends up being a bit of ironic foreshadowing given how this all plays out. Meanwhile, we get a voiceover by Denis Leary, which is weird, because I don’t even remember Bill Hicks doing this bit.

Chiarelli calls “Paul,” which is Horton’s agent Paul Krepelka. We only hear one side of the conversation, but we can tell from Chiarelli’s reaction that he’s not hearing good news. “Done,” he tells the group. We then cut to a shot of Jim Benning making the exact same face that every Canucks fan made last week when they found out about Jim Benning’s extension.

We skip ahead a day, and now Chiarelli wants everyone to weigh in one a potential Seguin trade. Bradley’s up first, and this time he’s done being subtle; he just buries Seguin. So does Bruins legend and team president Cam Neely. If there’s a dissenting voice in the room, we don’t get to hear it—these guys clearly don’t like Seguin, and they want him gone.

I mean, can we just take a moment to appreciate how insane it is that this was all filmed and released? As a fan I love behind-the-scenes stuff and as media I want as much information as possible, but it’s crazy that the Bruins would let this see the light of day in a league that obsesses over bulletin board material. The only saving grace is that surely everyone involved learned their lesson and never let themselves be filmed talking trade ever again.

All that said, now I kind of want to know what the Kessel trade conversation was like in 2009. I’m guessing it was just Chiarelli taking off his jacket Ric Flair-style and elbow-dropping a photo of Kessel over and over.

Chiarelli goes to work the phone, talking to an unnamed GM about first round picks and prospects. That’s where our clip ends, although you can watch the rest of the episode here. That clip doesn’t give us any additional insight into the eventual trade, which saw the Bruins send Seguin to Dallas as part of a seven-player deal for Loui Eriksson and prospects. We just skip ahead to Eriksson meeting Cam Neely, touring the rink, and waving a watch in front of Benning while repeating “You will sign me to a terrible free agency contract in three years.”

The epilogue: Seguin immediately blossomed into a point-a-game star, and is the sixth-leading scorer in the league since the trade went down. Eriksson, who’s never been anyone’s idea of a physical player, lasted three years in Boston. All in all, not good.

So what happened to the brain trust in the meritocracy-based NHL? Well, three (Chiarelli, Benning and Sweeney) are currently running teams, and two more (Gretzky and Bradley) have since been promoted to assistant GM. But at least they all learned a valuable lesson about the dangers of trading a top pick from the 2010 draft.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you’d like to see included in this column? Email Sean at nhlgrabbag@gmail.com.

DGB Grab Bag: Kessel’s Hot Dog Hockey Card, Shootouts, and a Puck to the Dome syndicated from https://australiahoverboards.wordpress.com