The Swamp

Ryan wrote: ↑Mon Jan 31, 2022 1:12 pm This will be awesome on one end of the spectrum or the other

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/331 ... -star-game

Reading about this now. I agree with your prediction. Anybody here going to watch? I plan to be a hardcore hockey traditionalist and complain about every event online, while wondering why nobody is fighting. Or maybe I'll find myself charmed by the spectacle and actually enjoy it. Or I'll tap out and watch old boxing on YouTube instead.

There will be full deck of oversized playing cards on a rack and essentially is hockey-as-blackjack: Players will try to build a hand that equals 21 in the least number of shots without going bust by shooting pucks at the cards. The player who wins two rounds is crowned 'Puck Shark.'

Yeah, okay, I need to watch this. Do you think 'Puck Shark' will be listed on somebody's Hall of Fame plaque someday?

Not sure if I'll be able to watch live, but I'm going to try and record it and watch when I can.

IMO, every sport should just go full on skills/fun competition and just do away with the games. The games are always stupid, with zero defense, so why even pretend? (MLB is the only exception, as it's a non-contact sport where injuries are much flukier AND it makes sense to have the WS homefield advantage at stake because of this.)

So, hell yeah I'm gonna DVR and watch it all. The only thing that gets cringy is when one of the skills is just too difficult and even the best players on the planet can't complete them.

Hardest shot, fastest skater... awesome. Blackjack?? Fuck yeah.

Metro vs. Atlantic vs. Pacific vs. Who cares? Whatever, man.

Watching the Skills Competition on tape delay is a level of commitment/masochism that I just don't have. But I agree that I'm much more likely to watch something like this than an actual all-star game.

bapo! wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:55 pm Watching the Skills Competition on tape delay is a level of commitment/masochism that I just don't have. But I agree that I'm much more likely to watch something like this than an actual all-star game.

What about a 20-30 year delay?

I actually caught some of the NFL skills one last night and it was fairly entertaining.

rass wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:55 pm What about a 20-30 year delay?

Well, this is a perfect response. And yes, I'm about due to rewatch the 1990 festivities.

bapo! wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:55 pm Watching the Skills Competition on tape delay is a level of commitment/masochism that I just don't have. But I agree that I'm much more likely to watch something like this than an actual all-star game.

I VERY rarely watch sport live anymore. The only sports that I'll sit through consistently are soccer and hockey, with the latter only when I'm really preoccupied with other stuff and don't mind the intermission dreck.

Also, while not as buzzworthy in the Nonlinear household as previous years, Mrs. NLFC is extremely predictable, and now that she's sniffed the Olympics, that's all she wants to watch the next two weeks.

Hey Brian and Ramsfanny, how do you expect this to play out? My guess is they wait until the playoffs to activate Eichel (like Tampa did with Kucherov), to avoid the cap issue until the offseason.

I thought simply having a healthy player on LTIR was circumvention? No? Only trying to place one on?

I looked and I guess the good thing about being over the cap is you need a lot of expensive guys to do it. Either Smith straight up or someone incented to take Dadanov would do the trick in one move.

mister d wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 8:13 pm I looked and I guess the good thing about being over the cap is you need a lot of expensive guys to do it. Either Smith straight up or someone incented to take Dadanov would do the trick in one move.

Yup. But Dadanov has a limited no-movement clause.

They're trading someone and soon. Kuch's timing worked out way better for that. Eichel is skating in a regular (not non-contact) jersey.

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:52 pm They're trading someone and soon. Kuch's timing worked out way better for that. Eichel is skating in a regular (not non-contact) jersey.

Yeah, sadly likely Reilly Smith which will suck, but if you can trade Smith for Eichel that's a no-brainer and they weren't going to be able to re-sign Smith in the offseason anyway.

As for any Eichel for Kucherov comps, VGK are going to want Eichel to get as much game time as possible with his new teammates. Kucherov stepping in to Tampa's lineup for the playoffs is a whole different thing than a guy who has never played with anyone on VGK's roster (that I'm aware).

So they're going to want to get Eichel at least a month and a half of regular season action before the playoffs.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 12:54 pm

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:52 pm They're trading someone and soon. Kuch's timing worked out way better for that. Eichel is skating in a regular (not non-contact) jersey.

Yeah, sadly likely Reilly Smith which will suck, but if you can trade Smith for Eichel that's a no-brainer and they weren't going to be able to re-sign Smith in the offseason anyway.

Except in reality the trade will be Smith, Tuch, Krebs, and a first rounder for Eichel and a couple lower round picks (3rd from Buff, and whatever lower rounders they get as make-weight for Smith. They could also do a Flower trade and "get" a player(s) they have no intention of playing). I argue you don't make that deal.

Rams Fanny wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 1:18 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 12:54 pm

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:52 pm They're trading someone and soon. Kuch's timing worked out way better for that. Eichel is skating in a regular (not non-contact) jersey.

Yeah, sadly likely Reilly Smith which will suck, but if you can trade Smith for Eichel that's a no-brainer and they weren't going to be able to re-sign Smith in the offseason anyway.

Except in reality the trade will be Smith, Tuch, Krebs, and a first rounder for Eichel and a couple lower round picks (3rd from Buff, and whatever lower rounders they get as make-weight for Smith. They could also do a Flower trade and "get" a player(s) they have no intention of playing). I argue you don't make that deal.

Sure, but what's done is done at this point. You have to make room for Eichel to get 25-30 regular season games before the playoffs start.

Rams Fanny wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 1:18 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 12:54 pm

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:52 pm They're trading someone and soon. Kuch's timing worked out way better for that. Eichel is skating in a regular (not non-contact) jersey.

Yeah, sadly likely Reilly Smith which will suck, but if you can trade Smith for Eichel that's a no-brainer and they weren't going to be able to re-sign Smith in the offseason anyway.

Except in reality the trade will be Smith, Tuch, Krebs, and a first rounder for Eichel and a couple lower round picks (3rd from Buff, and whatever lower rounders they get as make-weight for Smith. They could also do a Flower trade and "get" a player(s) they have no intention of playing). I argue you don't make that deal.

I like VGK. Went to 2 games at the Fortress this year. Can't help but think there's underlying issues with the way they're managed. It's a really old squad, and they have a reputation for being ruthless with their trades. Their longest and highest AAV contracts are for guys who are already past the "prime" age of 27. Seems like it's a high wire act that management is running to rely on getting other GMs to take your bad deals on old guys, while also trying to keep some semblance of happiness among the players. I suppose as far as the players go, the ability to live in Vegas is a plus, and the fact that the team seems committed to competing is good, but god help you if you're the fading high priced vet.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 1:19 pm

Rams Fanny wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 1:18 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 12:54 pm

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:52 pm They're trading someone and soon. Kuch's timing worked out way better for that. Eichel is skating in a regular (not non-contact) jersey.

Yeah, sadly likely Reilly Smith which will suck, but if you can trade Smith for Eichel that's a no-brainer and they weren't going to be able to re-sign Smith in the offseason anyway.

Except in reality the trade will be Smith, Tuch, Krebs, and a first rounder for Eichel and a couple lower round picks (3rd from Buff, and whatever lower rounders they get as make-weight for Smith. They could also do a Flower trade and "get" a player(s) they have no intention of playing). I argue you don't make that deal.

Sure, but what's done is done at this point. You have to make room for Eichel to get 25-30 regular season games before the playoffs start.

Simply pointing out that just because they are doing it piecemeal doesn't mean it's great trading when you put the whole cost together. As great as Eichel appears to be, this is not a good deal. It is similar to essentially trading Flower and Subban to Chicago for Lehner. Whatever short-term benefits there are, it is to long-term detriment.

Rams Fanny wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 1:27 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 1:19 pm

Rams Fanny wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 1:18 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 12:54 pm

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:52 pm They're trading someone and soon. Kuch's timing worked out way better for that. Eichel is skating in a regular (not non-contact) jersey.

Yeah, sadly likely Reilly Smith which will suck, but if you can trade Smith for Eichel that's a no-brainer and they weren't going to be able to re-sign Smith in the offseason anyway.

Except in reality the trade will be Smith, Tuch, Krebs, and a first rounder for Eichel and a couple lower round picks (3rd from Buff, and whatever lower rounders they get as make-weight for Smith. They could also do a Flower trade and "get" a player(s) they have no intention of playing). I argue you don't make that deal.

Sure, but what's done is done at this point. You have to make room for Eichel to get 25-30 regular season games before the playoffs start.

Simply pointing out that just because they are doing it piecemeal doesn't mean it's great trading when you put the whole cost together. As great as Eichel appears to be, this is not a good deal. It is similar to essentially trading Flower and Subban to Chicago for Lehner. Whatever short-term benefits there are, it is to long-term detriment.

If there's any good news, there's no more home runs for GMGM/McCrimmon to swing at. Hopefully they focus on building back up the farm system, which isn't in horrible shape. Maybe by the time Stone, Pietrangelo and some of the older guys on the roster start to show age in 2-3 years, they'll be able to have some younger cost options to eat some of their minutes and provide some flexibility on bringing in mid-cost replacements for Pacioretty et al. But I think the VGK's window is pretty wide open for about 2-3 years and even then you'll still have Eichel and some half-decent younger guys like Theodore, Whitecloud, etc. to build back around

To the point above, I think you're going to see Vegas get real value for Smith and I think you're going to see a certain person here absolutely lose their shit over the trade. Might look something like: "How the fuck do you trade all that value for 30 games of Reilly Smith less than a year after trading out an even better player on the same expiring contract for a fucking 4th line grinder and a 2nd?!?!?!?"

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 2:02 pm To the point above, I think you're going to see Vegas get real value for Smith and I think you're going to see a certain person here absolutely lose their shit over the trade. Might look something like: "How the fuck do you trade all that value for 30 games of Reilly Smith less than a year after trading out an even better player on the same expiring contract for a fucking 4th line grinder and a 2nd?!?!?!?"

Yandle's getting traded?

I would PM you with something that life-changing.

Brad Marchand ruining my curling high. Asshole.

rass wrote: ↑Tue Feb 08, 2022 9:49 pm Brad Marchand ruining my curling high. Asshole.

How many games do you think he’ll get for that bit of assholery?

This is a bad hit, but I can't figure out if I think it wasn't legal or simply shouldn't be legal. There's a solid size difference even before you factor in Kase leaning forward, its not late and avoiding the hit would take Zadorov out of the play while keeping Kase in it. Its a really great example of why the league needs to find a way to remove open ice hits because otherwise you're just looking for reasons to punish players for bad results.

As far as whether or not the hit is legal, I'd think that maybe it's high. I don't know the rule book, but the contact is clearly with at least the neck, if not the head. I don't think there should be any room for a hit like that in the league either.

I'm not sure how that can be avoided at full speed. Zadorov just can't let him go by.
No extension, jump, elbow, or targeting...

It's also a terrible pass.

Looks like VGK is going to go the Full Kucherov and put Mark Stone on LTIR with a “back injury” (which he legitimately has but has been playing through)

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:56 amI'm not sure how that can be avoided at full speed. Zadorov just can't let him go by.
No extension, jump, elbow, or targeting...

If Zadorov works to avoid the hit, its both (1) a good human thing to do and (2) the opposite of what he's being paid to accomplish. So I'm pretty much with you and I 100% wish it weren't allowed. Probably because I'm "soft" and "never played the game" and "hope none of these guys has lifelong issues".

mister d wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 4:29 pm

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:56 amI'm not sure how that can be avoided at full speed. Zadorov just can't let him go by.
No extension, jump, elbow, or targeting...

If Zadorov works to avoid the hit, its both (1) a good human thing to do and (2) the opposite of what he's being paid to accomplish. So I'm pretty much with you and I 100% wish it weren't allowed. Probably because I'm "soft" and "never played the game" and "hope none of these guys has lifelong issues".

No not at all. But if you don't allow that hit then you don't allow hitting period.

If that was a women's game play, Zadorov would have to try and lean on Kase or back off.

It's an option the NHL can take if it wants to.

Yeah, that's what I wish they'd do. Its amazing how quickly the collective we forget how terrifying the Tavares hit was and how its only a matter of time before the next version of that or worse happens.

Flames are playing really well right now. So enjoyable to watch with a legit coach after a carousel for 10 years.

Best GA in the league. I think with a couple of moves at the deadline, fix the 3rd line, this team can do anything!

degenerasian wrote: ↑Sun Feb 13, 2022 7:19 am Flames are playing really well right now. So enjoyable to watch with a legit coach after a carousel for 10 years.

Best GA in the league. I think with a couple of moves at the deadline, fix the 3rd line, this team can do anything!

Looking good. But, cynically, how will Gaudreau and Lindholm do in the playoffs, when the referees turn a blind eye to interference and holding?

sancarlos wrote: ↑Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:50 am

degenerasian wrote: ↑Sun Feb 13, 2022 7:19 am Flames are playing really well right now. So enjoyable to watch with a legit coach after a carousel for 10 years.

Best GA in the league. I think with a couple of moves at the deadline, fix the 3rd line, this team can do anything!

Looking good. But, cynically, how will Gaudreau and Lindholm do in the playoffs, when the referees turn a blind eye to interference and holding?

This is why I'm happy that they're solid defensively, playoffs will be a lot of 2-1 games.
Lindholm brings it in the playoffs but Gaudreau, Tkachuk and Monahan disappear. Monahan is done, overpaid 4th line center and PP specialist.
Having Coleman really helps protect those guys but Flames need a solid 3rd line veteran (rumors are Toffoli) and a 2nd pair defenseman, rumors are maybe they get Giordano back from Seattle.

Well, you're making moves now, Degen. Maybe I'm just perpetually too low on Toffoli, but he's not the guy I'd want to see my team spending their 1st on.

Maybe a little high but Toffoli is exactly the type of player the Flames need so got to gamble.

He still has two years. I've seen teams trade a 1st for pending UFAs at the same level.

I thought he was UFA so you're right, that does make a lot more sense.

Eichel activated. Freed up the cap space by putting Stone on LTIR. Mebbe Stone gets activated near the start of the playoffs?