Messages

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Main Leafs Hockey Talk / Re: 2020 NHL Draft

« on: Yesterday at 04:27:26 PM »

It's different then a player because you can't turn 1st line goalie into a third or fourth liner, he's either really good or he's not so it is hit or miss. Higher risk involved for sure.

I don't think it's completely hit or miss. Look at someone like Bernier. Bernier obviously didn't turn into a franchise goalie but the Kings got some good back-up years out of him and then flipped him for a 2nd round pick and minor NHLers. They almost definitely got more value out of that pick than they would a forward who became a 4th liner.

So I think there's a range of outcomes here, like with any pick.

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Main Leafs Hockey Talk / Re: 2020 NHL Draft

« on: Yesterday at 01:00:01 PM »

Feels like you could probably say effectively the same thing a out draft picks at any position.

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Non-Hockey Chatter / Re: Coronavirus

« on: Yesterday at 10:34:21 AM »

I mean, I don't think any of us didn't know that the press to open back up "for the economy" wasn't going to lead to this resurgence without a vaccine in place.

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2020 Stanley Cup NHL Playoffs / Re: Stanley Cup Final: Tampa Bay Lightning (2) vs. Dallas Stars (3)

« on: Yesterday at 09:13:40 AM »

Luke Schenn, whom I had written off as too slow for this league, is in the Stanley Cup final.

(Helps to be carried by Hedman and McDonagh)

No getting around the fact that either Schenn or Polak will end up with a cup ring for this year.

(I assume they do rings like they do in Baseball re: Polak)

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All Sports But Hockey / Re: 2019-2020 Toronto Raptors Thread: ā€œHail to the Champions! In Masai We Believeā€

« on: September 17, 2020, 06:18:05 PM »

Love a "but what about Black on Black crime?" question disguised in "should the Raptors not also focus on gun-violence in our city?"

— Kayla Grey (@Kayla_Grey) September 17, 2020

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General NHL News & Views / Re: 2019-2020 NHL Thread

« on: September 17, 2020, 04:34:48 PM »

More concerning financial news for Arizona Coyotes: Team still has an outstanding balance that has yet to be paid with ASM Global, which operates and manages Gila River Arena. Balance for 2019-20 season, due on June 30, has yet to be paid.

— Katie Strang (@KatieJStrang) September 17, 2020

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Main Leafs Hockey Talk / Manny Malhotra to join Leafs as assistant coach

« on: September 17, 2020, 12:07:10 PM »

Hearing the open spot on TOR's bench will be filled by Manny Malhotra, who is moving from the VAN staff.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 17, 2020

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NHL Transactions / Re: Eric Staal traded to Buffalo for some reason

« on: September 16, 2020, 07:43:52 PM »

It's a weird return and I don't think much of Johansson but I wouldn't burn too many brain cells trying to figure out why a team might want to move on from a 36 year old who seems to be declining.

Johnasson might be younger but if anything he seems to be showing more signs of declining than Staal is.

Sure. Guerin may absolutely 100% be wrong about which guy is a better bet for next year but that's true of every trade more or less.

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NHL Transactions / Re: Eric Staal traded to Buffalo for some reason

« on: September 16, 2020, 06:33:21 PM »

It's a weird return and I don't think much of Johansson but I wouldn't burn too many brain cells trying to figure out why a team might want to move on from a 36 year old who seems to be declining.

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2020 Stanley Cup NHL Playoffs / Re: Eastern Conference Final: Tampa Bay Lightning (2) vs. New York Islanders (6)

« on: September 16, 2020, 12:11:52 PM »

Yeah. I think the most we can ask for is for an improved level of consistency throughout the season and post-season - which has notoriously been a problem for the league. We're never going to find a level of enforcement where everybody is happy, but we can hope to find one where everyone at least has a good idea of where the line between a penalty and not a penalty exists.

I think the big problem is that there's a disconnect between what the league wants and what the coach/gm/fans of a team want. I don't think any of us would turn our noses up at a title if the Leafs played that hockey and coaches out there have actual fortunes at stake as to whether or not they can stay employed and winning keeps them employed. Whatever standard the league comes up with, coaches coaching underpowered teams are going to test that standard and dare the refs to call penalties on them in big situations.

And it's pretty hard for the league to take a big stand against teams testing that standard when their entire off-ice message is "Every team has to be competitive at all times or else the league falls apart" and then complain when less talented teams find ways to neutralize better clubs.

Until the league is in an emotional/financial state where teams can afford to be bad, you're going to get this sort of thing.

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NHL Transactions / Re: COVID Cap Crunch - 2020 Offseason

« on: September 16, 2020, 11:55:45 AM »

I admit I may not be tapped into online hockey discourse the way I once was but I never felt like Chayka had much of a reputation as some sort of genius wunderkind outside of his hiring at such a young age.

Which isn't to say I thought he did badly in Phoenix, just that I never noticed a big "Chayka's doing incredible work out there" movement.

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2020 Stanley Cup NHL Playoffs / Re: Eastern Conference Final: Tampa Bay Lightning (2) vs. New York Islanders (6)

« on: September 16, 2020, 11:47:25 AM »

It's interesting how the NFL, NBA and hell even baseball (catchers can't block the plate, pitchers have to face at least 3 batters, talk about trying to limit shifts) are making moves to limit defensive play while the NHL is content to have clutch and grab hockey continue to roar back into prominence.

Like I've said before, the instinct to give the NHL crap on this is fair to an extent but when they tried calling things honest after the 04-05 lockout fans complained all the time about that too. So I'm not sure there's an easy fix for the league.

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All Sports But Hockey / Re: 2019-2020 Toronto Raptors Thread: ā€œHail to the Champions! In Masai We Believeā€

« on: September 16, 2020, 11:43:31 AM »

That's honestly Masai's best move in not trying to make that trade happen.

For all of Siakam's struggles this year, we can hope that he goes to work hard in the offseason and builds off the learning experience.  Kawhi/PG could easily walk in a season if you make that move because I don't think you get a long-term deal out of him in that scenario and then we are left with a long rebuild.

I hear what you're saying and maybe even on-balance agree but I'm not sure the alternative is a lot better. They may not be able to afford Van Vleet anyway and Ibaka and Gasol are probably at the tail end of their time as big contributors. Lowry, though he's coming off what might be his best ever season, is 34.

So yeah, if a rebuild is inevitable you obviously want to do it with Siakam and those picks but at the expense of maybe another 1 or 2 finals appearances?

Like I said, you're probably right if we're looking at this rationally but I got a little goofy off of that title last year and taking another couple shots of it might have been worth the pain.

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All Sports But Hockey / Re: 2019-2020 Toronto Raptors Thread: ā€œHail to the Champions! In Masai We Believeā€

« on: September 16, 2020, 11:33:30 AM »

I don't begrudge Kawhi for leaving Toronto, but if he had stayed, both he and the Raptors would be in the Conference Finals, and now neither are.

I think the interesting question though is that if the story is true that Kawhi would have come back if the Raps had made a trade for Paul George that was Siakam + Van Vleet + a ton of picks was it a mistake not to?

That George trade looks terrible for the Clippers right now but Siakam didn't look much better in the playoffs and maybe the Raps missed an opportunity there.

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2020 Stanley Cup NHL Playoffs / Re: Western Conference Final: Game 1: Vegas Golden Knights (1) vs. Dallas Stars (3)

« on: September 15, 2020, 12:43:52 PM »

Yeah, I mean, Herman is right that the way the playoffs get called is a constant issue that speaks to how broken the NHL is but there's no getting around the fact that it's still the reality the Leafs are in. Building a team to win in the playoffs isn't just analytically averse hockey hokum, it's a real consideration.