The 2014 NHL Season - Two Accounts, No Cups - Page 2

FaCE_1

Canada6158 Posts

July 16 2013 19:46 GMT

#21

I'm happy to have the wings in my division (Habs here

).

On the other hand, I don't really like where my team is going. I'm still really not sure about our goaler and our front line in offence is SO small... It was good for a 42(?) games season but it will go to hell in a 82 games season.

And wtf.. Briere.. really??? go to hell...

GolemMadness

Canada11044 Posts

July 16 2013 22:59 GMT

#22

On July 17 2013 00:21 monx wrote:
IMO Boston and Chicago could still be the two favorite yet again this year. Boston has improved imo with the coming of Eriksson. Horton and Seguin wont be missed imo and Iginla could spark some lines.

Have no clue what to think about my Habs after the signing of yet another small forward. Hopefully MAB hasn't finished his work. I really hope we get rid of Pleky or Gionta (because we all know DD is untradable) so the youngsters can grow properly.

They won't miss the guy who led the playoffs in +/- and tied for second in points...? Uhh...?

QuanticHawk

United States32027 Posts

July 17 2013 01:35 GMT

#23

Eh, Loui Eriksson is pretty friggin awesome. The b's knew they were losing Horton from the start due to their cap situation. While Seguin long term is gonna be better than eriksson probably, Eriksson is a natural winger, and great in his own end to boot.

while wont miss him is far too strong, i do think that, given their cap situation and that they were gonna lose horton, turning a top 6 center into a top 6 winger is pretty decent. they probably shoulda gotten a bit more for seguin but idk, i am really high on Loui. also, his playoff showing aside, horton had been declining a tad and Eriksson's deal is amazing

tbh, that was probably one of those rare trades that will probably work well for both sides.

Sub40APM

6336 Posts

July 17 2013 03:15 GMT

#24

Ericksson is one of the most underrated wingers in the game, and all because he played on the terminally mismanaged Stars. Had a good team gotten him, he would be a Henrik Zetterberg level star if not better.

sharkeyanti

United States1273 Posts

July 17 2013 19:05 GMT

#25

So I usually like/tolerate the hockey writers that ESPN has for the website, but some guy named Paul Grant started posting content. He is a total hack, good god. Do not heed a word that man says.

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

July 17 2013 19:37 GMT

#26

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JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

July 17 2013 19:48 GMT

#27

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Sub40APM

6336 Posts

July 17 2013 22:02 GMT

#28

On July 18 2013 04:48 JimmiC wrote:

Show nested quote +

I disagree with Dal, I think Erikkson is better then you have given him credit for. If the trade works out as a win win I think that will still be 2-3 years out. I think Dal got a great name to sell some tickets but I don't think they will be that much better this year.

Also I would predict that they finish second or 3rd last in the division. I think NSH will be ahead wild, perhaps even Win. Only team they should still be conviningly better then is COL. Who was seen as a up and comming team 2 years ago and doe have a lot of young talent.

I would be shocked if Dal makes the playoffs.

Erickson is a great winger but they had Benn playing as center for him, and the next best center was Vernon Fidler! Now they have 3 centers, even if Seguin never pans out to be anything but a dbag cokehead he can still play 2C and they pick up someone next year. The important thing is, now Benn can go back to being a power winger he is, and they have a semblance of winning draws and everything.

Satire

Canada295 Posts

July 17 2013 22:44 GMT

#29

Edmonton had a decent off-season. We signed a couple gritty players and managed to offload Horcoff's terrible contract to Dallas. While Horcs is a good player, his contract was going to tie our hands next year when we had to sign RNH and J. Schultz. Our defense is beefed up a bit. Top 6 if looking pretty decent with the signing of Perron. Still worried about our bottom 6 though. Thinking we might be able to squeeze into a wild card slot this season if the stars align. Still too many question marks past our top 6 though to really be consistent.

I really like Ferrence from Boston though - thinking that will pay off a lot. In an ideal world, I'd like to see us trade Gagner and bring in Grabovoski. Gagner has little defensive upside, and massive offensive upside... but we need a more well rounded second center. Likewise, I think if Gagner goes to arbitration this week we'll only get a 1 year contract out of him and then he's an UFA next year and we lose him for nothing... I also think Grabo could be had for less money than Gag's will end up getting. So I'd like to see Gags moved for a gritty 3rd line center.

GolemMadness

Canada11044 Posts

July 17 2013 23:34 GMT

#30

I predict that Emery will be a beast this year.

Orcasgt24

Canada3238 Posts

July 18 2013 03:37 GMT

#31

Edmonton did exactly what needed to be done this off season. Horcoff is gone, drafted the second best available defenceman, signed a top tier d-man in Ferrance and added a few other nice pieces. Still work to be done but I like whats happened so far.

Sub40APM

6336 Posts

July 18 2013 04:14 GMT

#32

On July 18 2013 07:44 Satire wrote:
Edmonton had a decent off-season. We signed a couple gritty players and managed to offload Horcoff's terrible contract to Dallas. While Horcs is a good player, his contract was going to tie our hands next year when we had to sign RNH and J. Schultz. Our defense is beefed up a bit. Top 6 if looking pretty decent with the signing of Perron. Still worried about our bottom 6 though. Thinking we might be able to squeeze into a wild card slot this season if the stars align. Still too many question marks past our top 6 though to really be consistent.

I really like Ferrence from Boston though - thinking that will pay off a lot. In an ideal world, I'd like to see us trade Gagner and bring in Grabovoski. Gagner has little defensive upside, and massive offensive upside... but we need a more well rounded second center. Likewise, I think if Gagner goes to arbitration this week we'll only get a 1 year contract out of him and then he's an UFA next year and we lose him for nothing... I also think Grabo could be had for less money than Gag's will end up getting. So I'd like to see Gags moved for a gritty 3rd line center.

You arent getting Ferrence from Boston, you are going to get Ference from the Flames. In the faster West he is going to get brutalized, and the more minutes he plays the worse he will look. Ya'll need to move one of your number 1 draft pick guys for a real 1D. Otherwise playing the tougher Pacific you are going to get beaten up pretty handily by LA/SJ/Van/Anh

sharkeyanti

United States1273 Posts

July 18 2013 05:00 GMT

#33

Ference is pretty far from a top dman. He can play decently with a good puck mover, but his possession stats aren't great. He does generally move the play forward, but also happened to play on a very good team. He also had some rather sheltered minutes, starting in the OZ over 50% of the time. Most dmen are going to be under that, and closer to 45%. He can be a decent top-4 contributor, but his age and recent performance would suggest that the last few years of the deal aren't going to be great for him.

With luck, Schultz can develop into a #1/2. If they move some of the assets for a legit #1, then that'd be a real nice core there. And who knows, maybe Nurse can turn into that #1 guy. Unlikely to tell now, because the only comparable that big dmen ever get is Pronger. And no one is Pronger but Pronger.

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

July 18 2013 13:32 GMT

#34

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QuanticHawk

United States32027 Posts

July 18 2013 13:35 GMT

#35

oh wow i didnt realize perron is an oiler... i always like him a real lot. paav has a lot of potential though, and Flaccid must be sad because I know he liked him. Ferrence, I think the Oil overpaid because he really shouldnt be any higher than your second pairing if that. That D was so meh that they kinda had to go there and do that. Overall though I agree. TOugher division, still lacking defense and lower line offensive depth. I think the offense last year was just uncharacteristically bad and has to bounce back with the talent there this year, but those other issues really werent addressed. Also, i dont know the oil cap situation, but why would they have to trade gagner to bring in grabs, isnt he an fa?? if theyre that hung up, get rid of useless ass ryan smyth. at least horcoff, despite his salary, was legitimately very good in a defensive bottom six role. smyth's a nostalgia thing, nothing more. too early to call on schultz, but early returns look good thus far. idk, as they have been for the last 3 years or so, the oil look like theyre a couple pieces from being a playoff team at least.

i also agree with jimmic, about boston still being a fav. I also prefer teams built from the net out like them, but still have lots of talent up front.

QuanticHawk

United States32027 Posts

July 18 2013 16:22 GMT

#36

http://mapleleafshotstove.com/2013/07/17/an-in-depth-chat-with-associate-coach-of-the-leafs-greg-cronin/

leafs ac talks aobut how advanced stats are useless, says colton fucking orr is a quality player who can play o nthe third line.

i dont even know what to say. the orr statement says all you need to know about the leafs.

about 25sec is the grabs thing mentionedi n there

Sub40APM

6336 Posts

July 18 2013 18:03 GMT

#37

I think this is just remnants of Burke's regime of fake old schoolness. Burke was notorious about hating on advanced stats and in the same breath saying 'but even if money ball worked, it ruined baseball' and instead you get his 'truculence' which wilts under pressure. truly the good old boys in hockey needs to gtfo but it will only happen one owner's death at a time.

Sub40APM

6336 Posts

July 18 2013 18:15 GMT

#38

Brown go an 8 year extension, wow talk about paying for past services. But I guess with the Clowe and Clarckson deals, with the going number for essentially 3rd line pluggers is going through the roof. Oh well, at least LA is making sure it wont be endangering anyone elses SC chances by freezing their team in place and time.

QuanticHawk

United States32027 Posts

July 18 2013 18:24 GMT

#39

cant say i care for any 8 year deal for a non superstar player, but he is about as durable as they come, esp when you consider how he plays. kinda wanna see the $$ first before i give a real comment. he is def more than a third liner though. dude has been pretty consistent at his scoring rate long before LA was even close to being decent. clarksons skill is very one dimensonal. brown is far from that. hes more in the callahan mold than the clarkson

sharkeyanti

United States1273 Posts

July 18 2013 18:35 GMT

#40

Read that article with Greg Cronin earlier today. I found it a bit odd that he wasn't at least somewhat sure about their goal differential and whether they were one of the top scoring teams in the league. Coaches don't need to be in the advanced stats community to believe in the stuff. He doesn't clearly, but that's not my concern. If the stats he is concerned about are this and that, he should really know where his team stands. "We were probably in the top 10 in goals for," is a ridiculous statement. (For the record, they were 6th) An assistant coach should know those things, though. He clearly focuses on the final outcome of a situation, not the possession/corsi stuff. It's a worthy theory to put out there - quality chance creation - but having more shots and more possession really does correlate highly with winning.

Definitely a worrying sign for the Leafs.

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