THE 2014-2015 NHL Regular Season Thread

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 1:52 pm

Its like Washington decided their biggest issue was only having one Brooks Laich.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 4:01 pm

Mister D Status: Pre-barfing

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 4:37 pm

you're pre-barfing...? i'm starting a 6-week vomitorium in which i worry that Arizona steamrolls past the Buffalo tank...

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 5:27 pm

Arizona knocked it out of the park with these past two trades. Duclair paired with Domi, two firsts this year with one being very close to 1st overall and two first next year.

If Arizona wins the lottery, they have Domi - McDavid - Duclair

That said I do like this deal for the Rangers. It's their window to win it all.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 5:48 pm

f the Coyotes and hard. i hate everything about that entire franchise.

Shane Doan can smoke it too. dingus.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:01 pm

By dumping players like Vermette and Yandle (and, Michalek, next?), Arizona can dump salary, stockpile picks and prospects, and tank for McDavid, all at the same time.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:13 pm

slightly more rational after a few minutes...if Yandle can bring a price like that I'm hoping Stewart can bring back maybe as much.

p.s. f Arizona.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:40 pm

btw this Jets/Kings game was highly entertaining. I love these Winnipeg Sabres.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:42 pm

MaxWebster wrote:btw this Jets/Kings game was highly entertaining. I love these Winnipeg Sabres.

Myers seems reborn.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:45 pm

not really - he's just on a good team now. he was actually pretty decent for the Sabres this year.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:48 pm

Mats ZUC re-signs in NY. 4/$18M

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:56 pm

I said here a couple of months ago that I've made my peace with the Coyotes. I would much rather see the Sabres win the lottery, but I could talk myself into the 'yotes if I have to. Getting Duclair makes that a little easier.

Mister D, I'm sorry that the Rangers traded Duclair. I know that it's a frustrating thing when your team trades away a young player just as he's about to explode. I still remember the Moises Alou/Zane Smith trade, which was a very good trade and made perfect sense for the Pirates in 1990, but it still hurt. And in retrospect, I might have been wrong when the Penguins gave up Angelo Esposito (remember him?) to get Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis in 2008.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 7:54 pm

So now we've traded fucking Duclair and 21 seasons of first round fucking pick control for less than three full fucking seasons of Yandle and fucking St. Louis. We were not a short window team until Sather turned us into a short window team.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 8:14 pm

mister d wrote:So now we've traded fucking Duclair and 21 seasons of first round fucking pick control for less than three full fucking seasons of Yandle and fucking St. Louis. We were not a short window team until Sather turned us into a short window team.

Making the SCF and not winning will do that. It's one of the worst positions to be in because it forces your hand to be a short window team. Also Nash playing out of his mind this year forces that hand even more because people start to think you're better than last year and a few more pieces will guarantee a trip back to the Final.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 8:21 pm

Not that you asked, but James Sheppard is an interesting case. In juniors he looked like a future NHL star. 1st round Minnesota pick. But he settled into a 3rd/4th line center grinder role and never looked likely to be any more than that.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 10:22 pm

wow. Angelo fn Esposito. the (former-then-not) consensus #1 overall pick? i saw him play in juniors that draft year. total meh.

speaking of having seen...James Sheppard was fantastic in junior. you just never know.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 2:12 am

Flyers deal Coburn to Tampa for 1st, 3rd and Gudas

Wow that's an arm and a leg. The sellers are absolutely killing it this year.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:04 am

If past history indicates anything, its that the Sheppard trade will be the good one from this deadline. Rangers front office is great at taking former 1st round picks and using them as valuable bottom 6 / bottom pair guys.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:04 am

degenerasian wrote:Making the SCF and not winning will do that.

Even better when you fluke into that finals appearance. Maybe Yandle has a sick parent.

rass · Post by **rass** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:37 am

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:04 pm

mister d wrote:
degenerasian wrote:Making the SCF and not winning will do that.
Even better when you fluke into that finals appearance. Maybe Yandle has a sick parent.

Yup. Flames made the Finals in 2004 and by not winning it, it set them back 7-8 years. The belief that just getting in the tournament, you can win it all. While that may be true, you can't build a team to hopefully finish 8th every year. Signing Bouwmeester, holding onto Iginla too long etc...

Rangers are not scraping in though, they're gunning for the Metro Division title and a long playoff run while the iron's hot.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:08 pm

Upgrading your 3rd pair doesn't make the iron that much hotter.

rass · Post by **rass** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:50 pm

Not vomiting, but I don't get the Depres/Lovejoy swap for the Pens.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 4:22 pm

This twitter exchange which trolled the Maple Leafs is particularly funny, given that Toronto just suffered two shutouts in a row.

trill dyl @DylanBreen31
@MapleLeafs you've been the longest lasting disappointment in my life.

Toronto Maple Leafs @MapleLeafs
@DylanBreen31 just wait until you start dating ;)

trill dyl @DylanBreen31
@MapleLeafs I'd ask for dating advice but clearly you can't score either.
6:08 PM - 28 Feb 2015

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 4:55 pm

Giordano out for the season.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:10 pm

MaxWebster wrote:Giordano out for the season.

figured that was the case. They got him to warm up in Long Island just for show but after the deadline it's safe to announce it.

MaxWebster · Post by **MaxWebster** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:44 pm

sucks...boy was he having a hell of a year.

will be even more tough for the Flames to fight off the Kings (and others)... i know this has been a bit of a bonus/unexpected year anyways but i'm still rooting for them to sneak in.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:50 pm

MaxWebster wrote:sucks...boy was he having a hell of a year.

will be even more tough for the Flames to fight off the Kings (and others)... i know this has been a bit of a bonus/unexpected year anyways but i'm still rooting for them to sneak in.

I think the target is Minnesota. LA will right itself and make it in. San Jose seems to be reeling after a disastrous February they must beat Montreal tonight or they're done.

Essentially 5 (maybe 6 with SJ) teams fighting for 4 spots (NSH, ANA, STL and CHI are in). Fighting for 3rd in division or 2nd wildcard (sounds like baseball). I think MIN and VAN are the most vulnerable but VAN now has a 5 point lead on CGY so they might be safe.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:05 pm

rass wrote:Not vomiting, but I don't get the Depres/Lovejoy swap for the Pens.

Him and TJ Brodie are going to be really interesting to track possession stats on for the rest of the year. (I guess Fowler too if you want to wonder if Lovejoy was actually the carrier.)

Player: Corsi/60, Fenwick/60
Fowler: -0.3, 0.4 (41.2-41.5, 30.9-30.5)
Lovejoy: 1.7, 2.8 (48.7-47.0, 35.5-32.7)
Brodie: -3.7, -2.6 (39.6-43.3, 27.7-30.3)

And for fun ...
Yandle: -1.2, -1.1 (44.9-46.1, 33.5-34.6)

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:36 pm

mister d wrote:
rass wrote:Not vomiting, but I don't get the Depres/Lovejoy swap for the Pens.
Him and TJ Brodie are going to be really interesting to track possession stats on for the rest of the year. (I guess Fowler too if you want to wonder if Lovejoy was actually the carrier.)

Player: Corsi/60, Fenwick/60
Fowler: -0.3, 0.4 (41.2-41.5, 30.9-30.5)
Lovejoy: 1.7, 2.8 (48.7-47.0, 35.5-32.7)
Brodie: -3.7, -2.6 (39.6-43.3, 27.7-30.3)

And for fun ...
Yandle: -1.2, -1.1 (44.9-46.1, 33.5-34.6)

I'm going to bet that Lovejoy's numbers don't compare with the other guys', for the months of March and April.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:42 pm

degenerasian wrote:
MaxWebster wrote:sucks...boy was he having a hell of a year.

will be even more tough for the Flames to fight off the Kings (and others)... i know this has been a bit of a bonus/unexpected year anyways but i'm still rooting for them to sneak in.
I think the target is Minnesota. LA will right itself and make it in. San Jose seems to be reeling after a disastrous February they must beat Montreal tonight or they're done.

Essentially 5 (maybe 6 with SJ) teams fighting for 4 spots (NSH, ANA, STL and CHI are in). Fighting for 3rd in division or 2nd wildcard (sounds like baseball). I think MIN and VAN are the most vulnerable but VAN now has a 5 point lead on CGY so they might be safe.

I'll be very surprised if Winnipeg and Minnesota aren't the West's wild card teams. They seem solid there. I think the real race is for third in the Pacific. LA and Calgary are in a dead heat with 20 games left, and even though they've been shitting the bed lately, the Sharks are still only two points behind them, having played one more game.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:46 pm

I dont think LA can be caught. Champs are scary.

If we're both right then both our teams are toast.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:19 pm

Sharks get an early goal again.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 9:17 am

rass wrote:Not vomiting, but I don't get the Depres/Lovejoy swap for the Pens.

I understand that Lovejoy has become a good defenseman for Los Angeles of Anaheim, but I'm trying to talk myself out of hating this trade. I guess it doesn't matter who's in charge of coaching or management -- I'm going to be a bigger fan of Despres than anybody connected to the organization. Wouldn't be surprised to hear something about this sometime down the line. They just did not like this guy, apparently.

I don't know enough about Ian Cole to have an opinion. Folks here seem happy with that trade, tho.

I'm just happy that they didn't trade Beau Bennett. He's another guy who I seem to like a lot more than anybody whose opinion actually matters.

Yandle+ for Duclair+ is still my least favorite trade, even tho I like Yandle.

My favorite trade is Michael Neuvirth to the Islanders for Chad Johnson and a 3rd-round pick. Neuvirth had been playing well for Buffalo, so they had to scramble to find somebody not quite as good. Going to be a close race to the bottom now.

Here's a complete list of the trades. A bunch of moves in the past week, but no huge ones.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:17 am

Every time I've ever watched Despres, I've thought "this dude is really a legit prospect???"

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:43 am

mister d wrote:Every time I've ever watched Despres, I've thought "this dude is really a legit prospect???"

Meh. He's up-and-down, like every other young defenseman. Nobody thinks that he's going to be the next Erik Karlsson or Dmitri Kalinin, but I think he's going to be solid.

Lovejoy is apparently better right now, and the Penguins still have a bunch of young defensemen in the system. So, this trade could help in the short term and might not hurt too badly in the long term. But I just do not like these kinds of trades. Unless they think that Despres is really going to hurt them in the playoffs, I'd rather keep the young guy.

rass · Post by **rass** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:49 am

Of a mind with bapo!.

And as for the playoffs, I know it's been 3 years, but I can't forget how bad Lovejoy was against the Flyers in the meltdown series. Just helpless, hopeless.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 10:51 am

Lovejoy is a serviceable 3rd pair defenseman, for now. He'll plug a gap until your younger prospects are ready.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:08 am

sancarlos wrote:Lovejoy is a serviceable 3rd pair defenseman, for now. He'll plug a gap until your younger prospects are ready.

And if that's the best that you can say about him, then I'd rather keep Despres.

Also, Lovejoy is going to be a different player with Rob Scuderi than he was with Cam Fowler. Just a hunch.

[It still irks me that 'defenseman' gets flagged in spellcheck. As does 'spellcheck,' apparently.]

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:10 am

That probably cuts both ways, right? Maybe with Scuderi, Lovejoy can release the inner offensive beast he's had to repress while covering for Fowler.

(Nice drop of Kalinin. Boy did and do I hate him.)