The Swamp

GET TO THE CHORUS

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Fecking Rangers wins the Lafreniere lottery. Sheesh. Congrats, D.

He’s right!!!

Told you guys. I'm also predicting VGK vs. Tampa in SCF, though sadly I believe Tampa is going to win.

Dont they know the team logo is supposed to be inside the ball? Haven't we watched a million soccer draws?

Hey guys I was at softball tryouts did I miss anything since 5:45?

Wonder if this reduces the likelihood that the Rangers go after Taylor Hall in the off-season.

I think signing Kreider ruled that out. Do wonder what it means for DeAngelo, who I both wanted gone and kinda thought might be gone for a top 6 wing.

So as of today, everyone is 100% assuming Lafreniere goes to NYR. I wonder how different this looks in a month or two, given the Rangers need down the middle and the fact that Lafreniere profiles as a potentially great winger but Byfield's upside seems to be somewhere around 2nd (Malkin comps) to McDavid but with far more downside.

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 10:01 am So as of today, everyone is 100% assuming Lafreniere goes to NYR. I wonder how different this looks in a month or two, given the Rangers need down the middle and the fact that Lafreniere profiles as a potentially great winger but Byfield's upside seems to be somewhere around 2nd (Malkin comps) to McDavid but with far more downside.

Seems like you're overthinking yourself into a potential Manning/Leaf situation, though to be fair normally Leaf's comps would be someone like Joey Harrington and not a dude who crashes out the league because of drug and mental health issues.

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 10:01 am So as of today, everyone is 100% assuming Lafreniere goes to NYR. I wonder how different this looks in a month or two, given the Rangers need down the middle and the fact that Lafreniere profiles as a potentially great winger but Byfield's upside seems to be somewhere around 2nd (Malkin comps) to McDavid but with far more downside.

You're being silly.

I too think I'm being silly and I can't imagine, especially in a late rebuild, taking this sort of chance knowing Byfield is further out. But I also strongly worry about taking the wing over the center and am now looking back at the recent-ish drafts where the consensus was one C and one wing and its ... interesting?

(Its also possible I'm obsessed with maximum upside and would completely blow it here rather than taking the safe call.)

When I was a kid my father had a subscription to The Hockey News. I remember a letter to the editor insisting that Bobby Smith was going to be a better pro than Wayne Gretzky.

I'm going to go back to 2004 since that's the best example of having a center and wing as the clear 1-2 and see how many times this has happened and how its looking.

2004: (1) Ovechkin + (2) Malkin ... there's obviously no arguing this pick given what's happened over 15 years, but I also think you could very easily justify flipping them if you knew Malkin would stay as healthy as Ovechkin.

2005: (1) Crosby + (2) Ryan ... the #1 overall was never in doubt and the positionality worked out. This is the ideal scenario for winning 1st overall.

2007: (1) Kane + (2) Van Riemsdyk + (3) Turris ... the half-cautionary tale draft. Turris was ranked 1st in central scouting but Chicago (having just picked Toews the year before) was able to shoot for upside and go with Kane. He's been an outstanding hockey player and even better person ever since.

2010: (1) Hall + (2) Seguin ... the one I can't stop looking at. Central scouting again went C over wing, but this time the draft went the other way. I don't think there was a clear consensus, but I feel like Hall was considered more polished at the time. There hasn't been a huge gap and Hall has peaked higher, but in a do-over scenario I think Seguin goes first.

2011: (1) Nugent-Hopkins + (2) Landeskog ... same as most, C ranked higher, C picked higher. Before looking at the stats I would have guessed Landeskog the clear better player, and he probably still is overall, but its closer than I thought. This one was supposed to make me feel a lot better.

2016: (1) Matthews + (2) Laine ... again, C over wing and its been the right call.

2018: This one could have been interesting if there had been a top center available given Svechnikov's ranking plus what he's done on the ice.

2019: (1) Hughes + (2) Kakko ... Devils clearly fucked up.


None of this has made me feel better about going wing over center(s), aside from 2007, unless I can be convinced that Byfield's upside is either being overstated or barely reachable where the odds of him having the better career are minuscule. Two months to go.

Back to teams actually in the playoffs:

DeBoer makes correct but difficult decision to start Lehner over MAF tonight.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:08 pm Back to teams actually in the playoffs:

I barely read this thread, but even I was like "Jeez, start and offseason thread already"

Sorry, my bad.

DID YOU KNOW: Before 2020, the Las Vegas Golden Knights were one of only 31 NHL teams to NEVER play a regular season or playoff game in the month of AUGUST?

brian wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:08 pm Back to teams actually in the playoffs:

DeBoer makes correct but difficult decision to start Lehner over MAF tonight.

Nervous or think that VGK wipes the floor with them? I'm hopeful for the former but expecting the latter. VGK has one thing that held EDM back and that's scoring depth.

Avatar bet?

Isn't Byfield nearly a full year younger than Lafreniere as well? I don't think this is as open and shut as all non-Mr. D'ers seem to think. Byfield is 17 and 6'4". He could easily be the better player over the course of his career.

BSF21 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:31 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:08 pm Back to teams actually in the playoffs:

DeBoer makes correct but difficult decision to start Lehner over MAF tonight.

Nervous or think that VGK wipes the floor with them? I'm hopeful for the former but expecting the latter. VGK has one thing that held EDM back and that's scoring depth.

Avatar bet?

The usual nervousness that is always extant in the playoffs, but I don't perceive Chicago as much of a threat. Vegas matches up well with Chicago. Puck possession team with skill up and down the forwards. VGK was 1st in NHL in regular season xG offensively and Chicago was 31st in xG defensively.

I'd be more scared if Chicago had kept Lehner and it was MAF vs. Lehner, but I'll guess VGK in 5.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:39 pm

BSF21 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:31 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:08 pm Back to teams actually in the playoffs:

DeBoer makes correct but difficult decision to start Lehner over MAF tonight.

Nervous or think that VGK wipes the floor with them? I'm hopeful for the former but expecting the latter. VGK has one thing that held EDM back and that's scoring depth.

Avatar bet?

The usual nervousness that is always extant in the playoffs, but I don't perceive Chicago as much of a threat. Vegas matches up well with Chicago. Puck possession team with skill up and down the forwards. VGK was 1st in NHL in regular season xG offensively and Chicago was 31st in xG defensively.

I'd be more scared if Chicago had kept Lehner and it was MAF vs. Lehner, but I'll guess VGK in 5.

It's hard to argue with any of that. About the only thing the Hawks have going for them is the inherent randomness of NHL playoffs and the extra randomness engendered by this year's chaos.

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:31 pm Isn't Byfield nearly a full year younger than Lafreniere as well? I don't think this is as open and shut as all non-Mr. D'ers seem to think. Byfield is 17 and 6'4". He could easily be the better player over the course of his career.

Thank you Ched! I'm admittedly getting very stuck on "if he clicks, he can be Malkin or atleast Kopitar" and less on the fact that he isn't finished. I went through hockey-ref and the number of high 1st round picks with August b-days is really, really low.

Tampa very shaky already.

degenerasian wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 2:18 pm Tampa very shaky already.

I'm gonna miss these noon games when this round is over.

4:30 left in a 2-2 game is not an opportune time for a too many men penalty. #analysis

The first game of the real playoffs going to OT? Sure, love it.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 4:41 pm The first game of the real playoffs going to OT? Sure, love it.

My under 5.5 goals bet is a winner. Will my Bolts bet be?

Lightning: Callahan
Blue Jackets: Dubinsky

Great work by Goodrow on that tying goal by the Bolts.

Playoff Lucic is on a 5-game point streak.

I’ve got both games on with picture-in-picture.

Saw that Corey Perry was fighting Matthew Tzachuk. All you can hope for there is lots of blood.

What's the deal with Dallas not starting Bishop? Freaking bizarre.

Double OT? Sure!

(There's nothing worse than an OT game when it's your team playing.)

I really don't have a dog in this fight, though I'm already dreading the "Tampa just isn't built for the playoffs!" hot takes that are queued up if Columbus takes Game 1. I can't even imagine how Chedda feels about it, but I'm sick to death of that idiocy.

My best retirement plan currently is winning that $1 million prize for a perfect bracket.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 5:29 pm I really don't have a dog in this fight, though I'm already dreading the "Tampa just isn't built for the playoffs!" hot takes that are queued up if Columbus takes Game 1. I can't even imagine how Chedda feels about it, but I'm sick to death of that idiocy.

My best retirement plan currently is winning that $1 million prize for a perfect bracket.

That Yanni Gourde-Blake Coleman-Barclay Goodrow line was built for this series.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 5:29 pm I really don't have a dog in this fight, though I'm already dreading the "Tampa just isn't built for the playoffs!" hot takes that are queued up if Columbus takes Game 1. I can't even imagine how Chedda feels about it, but I'm sick to death of that idiocy.

My best retirement plan currently is winning that $1 million prize for a perfect bracket.

Yeah, that's complete idiocy, and hopefully we don't have to hear about it.

sancarlos wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 5:35 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2020 5:29 pm I really don't have a dog in this fight, though I'm already dreading the "Tampa just isn't built for the playoffs!" hot takes that are queued up if Columbus takes Game 1. I can't even imagine how Chedda feels about it, but I'm sick to death of that idiocy.

My best retirement plan currently is winning that $1 million prize for a perfect bracket.

That Yanni Gourde-Blake Coleman-Barclay Goodrow line was built for this series.

Yep, I'll happily give up 2 late first rounders to have added these guys.