2018-2019 NHL Season

[sancarlos]

Yeah, he has a right to feel vindicated. Carolina could be a dangerous team for the Capitals to face in the first round.

[sancarlos]

[govmentchedda]

Can't get over how quiet Scotiabank is. We started nearly every Go Leafs Go chant last night, as they had to respond to our, "Let's go Lightning".

[Pruitt]

Can't get over how quiet Scotiabank is. We started nearly every Go Leafs Go chant last night, as they had to respond to our, "Let's go Lightning".

The team is doing very poorly... but Toronto crowds are notoriously quiet. I think Edmonton may be the only quieter crowd. It's a white Canadian thing, Raptors crowds are pretty good.

Back in the day at Maple Leaf Gardens, I was told to sit down during a commercial break.

[sancarlos]

Can't get over how quiet Scotiabank is. We started nearly every Go Leafs Go chant last night, as they had to respond to our, "Let's go Lightning".

The team is doing very poorly... but Toronto crowds are notoriously quiet. I think Edmonton may be the only quieter crowd. It's a white Canadian thing, Raptors crowds are pretty good.

Back in the day at Maple Leaf Gardens, I was told to sit down during a commercial break.

Toronto's season is paralleling San Jose's. Looked really good for awhile, but doing poorly going into the playoffs. That lack of confidence quiets the fans.

Funny though that they told you to sit down. You'd think they would be begging the crowd to liven up.

[Pruitt]

Can't get over how quiet Scotiabank is. We started nearly every Go Leafs Go chant last night, as they had to respond to our, "Let's go Lightning".

The team is doing very poorly... but Toronto crowds are notoriously quiet. I think Edmonton may be the only quieter crowd. It's a white Canadian thing, Raptors crowds are pretty good.

Back in the day at Maple Leaf Gardens, I was told to sit down during a commercial break.

Toronto's season is paralleling San Jose's. Looked really good for awhile, but doing poorly going into the playoffs. That lack of confidence quiets the fans.

Funny though that they told you to sit down. You'd think they would be begging the crowd to liven up.

It was fans behind me telling me to sit down.

Leafs fans are unbelievably loyal and passionate, but man they are so stereotypically Canadian.

[sancarlos]

Funny. Today is the last game of the regular season, and right now we only know for sure two of the eight playoff matchups (Boston vs. Toronto, and San Jose vs. Vegas).

[degenerasian]

Broken leg for McDavid last game of the year.
That sucks.

[sancarlos]

Broken leg for McDavid last game of the year.
That sucks.

Better than in the first game of the year!

[govmentchedda]

That NHL first game for Poehling was quite the game to attend in person.

[degenerasian]

If he doesn't win the Norris, it's a shame.

[sancarlos]

I'd bet money he wins it. In addition to his accomplishments, he is also the sentimental choice, given his age, he's never won it, and the level of respect he gets around the league. So, I'm pretty sure he wins.

I'm guessing Brent Burns and Morgan Rielly will be the other finalists, and Rielly is a strong contender given that he plays in the city that is hockey central, and in the eastern time zone.

[degenerasian]

Hedman as well. 54 points in 70 games and a complete defenceman for the best team in the league.

[degenerasian]

The Draft Lottery (AKA Oilers Christmas) is tonight

he 2019 NHL Draft Lottery, which will be held Tuesday, April 9, in Toronto, will consist of three drawings: the 1st Lottery Draw will determine the club selecting first overall, the 2nd Lottery Draw will determine the club selecting second overall and the 3rd Lottery Draw will determine the club selecting third overall.

The results of the Draft Lottery will be revealed live by national rightsholders NBCSN, Sportsnet and TVA Sports during a one-hour show beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Lottery odds (Fewest Points to Most)

Colorado Avalanche (from OTT) 18.5%
Los Angeles Kings 13.5%
New Jersey Devils 11.5%
Detroit Red Wings 9.5%
Buffalo Sabres 8.5%
New York Rangers 7.5%
Edmonton Oilers 6.5%
Anaheim Ducks 6.0%
Vancouver Canucks 5.0%
Philadelphia Flyers 3.5%
Minnesota Wild 3.0%
Chicago Blackhawks 2.5%
Florida Panthers 2.0%
Arizona Coyotes 1.5%
Montreal Canadiens 1.0%

[mister d]

Good question via twitter: If your team holds the #1 pick, who is the worst player you'd be ok with their career / who is the best player you wouldn't be ok with. The dude used Giroux as the last good but I feel like maybe I'm a little unhappy with the assist-heavy line at #1?

[brian]

Good question via twitter: If your team holds the #1 pick, who is the worst player you'd be ok with their career / who is the best player you wouldn't be ok with. The dude used Giroux as the last good but I feel like maybe I'm a little unhappy with the assist-heavy line at #1?

That's a tough question because there's so much expectation for that pick.

For D, I'd say someone like Drew Doughty probably. For forwards, maybe someone like Brad Marchand?

To be clear, those would be the "worst" players I'd be happy with.

Best player I wouldn't be OK with would probably be like a Blake Wheeler or thereabouts.

[sancarlos]

Good question via twitter: If your team holds the #1 pick, who is the worst player you'd be ok with their career / who is the best player you wouldn't be ok with. The dude used Giroux as the last good but I feel like maybe I'm a little unhappy with the assist-heavy line at #1?

You'd like your #1 overall pick to be a real difference maker. So, you'd want him to be more than just "solid". Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Oilers was a #1 overall, and he is solid. Just solid. So, he might fit the bill for "best player you wouldn't be ok with." For comparison, he was picked over other first-rounders Gabriel Landeskog, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Mark Schiefle. I'd take any of them over him. But any of them might fit the "worst player you'd be ok with" label.

[mister d]

Funny, Wheeler was one of the guys I thought of as the just-not-quite-enough too. Marchand is under the threshold to me, I think there's enough of a team component there that he's not going to carry a lottery team later on.

[sancarlos]

Since we don't have the offseason thread fired up yet, I'll put this here.

[mister d]

Is Backstrom clearly not a guy you'd want as #1 overall or does he work as my bottom threshold?

[degenerasian]

The Devils win the lottery!

Rangers get #2, first time ever picking in the top 3.

[brian]

Hughes will do a great job of replacing Taylor Hall after he leaves Jersey.

[mister d]

YOU MAY BE WONDERING IF I'M EXCITED YES I AM VERY EXCITED I WILL BE ACCEPTING ANY AND ALL PERSONAL CONGRATULATIONS HERE

[sancarlos]

YOU MAY BE WONDERING IF I'M EXCITED YES I AM VERY EXCITED I WILL BE ACCEPTING ANY AND ALL PERSONAL CONGRATULATIONS HERE

If this works out, the Rangers may again reach the conference sweet sixteen!

[mister d]

If you include himself, Taylor Hall has won 60% of the possible draft lotteries.

[A_B]

YOU MAY BE WONDERING IF I'M EXCITED YES I AM VERY EXCITED I WILL BE ACCEPTING ANY AND ALL PERSONAL CONGRATULATIONS HERE

You can use the “we”.

[mister d]

Still very excited about this.

[brian]

Still very excited about this.

So would you say you've been Kakkling?

[sancarlos]

Still very excited about this.

Who was the last great Ranger prospect? Anthony Duclaire? Michael Del Zotto?

[mister d]

{ }

Kreider was a legit prospect but there was always a lot of margin between his present and his potential upside, not sure if he was ever top 10 on any lists. If we're talking great prospect like "this guy is either a top line / top pair or he's missing his projection" ... Brendl? There hasn't been anything resembling a pipeline in forever, its either been picks being traded or late 1sts who can slot in as middle 6 or 2nd pair types on established teams. Kaapo probably becomes our best prospect since Kovalev or Leetch the minute he's drafted.

[mister d]

Shit, I forgot about Cherapanov. He's probably our best drafted prospect of the last ~20 years.

[mister d]

Day 3 excitement level: Still high and increasing with every Laine comp.

[sancarlos]

I hate the Kings but this is a great video. Note Drew Doughty’s reaction.

[govmentchedda]

Bert is from Tampa! WTF, bro?!?!

[brian]

Couple of uninspiring hires in Philly and LA to be honest you guys. Not that I'm upset that the Kings have basically decided to tank for the next two or three years apparently.

[mister d]

So two top ~50 prospects added to the Rangers pool over the last 3 weeks. Certainly possible they overpaid, although Fox may have wanted to turn immediately and been willing to expand his list to do so.

[brian]

Interesting move by Vegas to keep Kelly McCrimmon from going to Edmonton or Seattle. George McPhee steps aside as GM and retains title of President of Hockey Operations and McCrimmon promoted to General Manager. That's what good teams do though. The Red Wings did the same thing to keep Ken Holland in 1997 and that worked out pretty well (well, for a decade and a half at least).

[brian]

It's Chicago (Vegas) vs. Charlotte (Carolina) playing for AHL title. Charlotte was by far the best team in the AHL in the regular season.

Interestingly, these are the only two markets where the AHL club plays in a larger city than the parent club (i.e. Chicago is larger than Vegas and Charlotte is larger than Raleigh)*

*I've obviously excluded AHL/NHL pairings where the teams are in the same market (i.e. San Jose, LA, Dallas) and there's a couple that are close (Columbus/Cleveland and St. Louis/San Antonio), but the latest metro area population data shows the NHL clubs with higher populations for both of those.