brian wrote: ↑Mon Feb 25, 2019 12:58 am
San Jose can save a lot of money firing their amateur scouting department since they won’t have any draft picks the next three years.
I don't think that's true. They received two seconds from Florida in the Hoffman trade. One of them just went to Detroit in the Nyquist deal. I'm not really worried about the pipeline anyway. They've got some blue-chippers in juniors and the AHL, Their AHL team is leading the league with a very young team.
I've been reading articles about San Jose's window closing for at least five years, and it still hasn't happened.
Maybe, but I think you have to be at least a little concerned. Once they sign Karlsson, they'll have a total of four picks in the top three rounds in the next three drafts. In the 2021-22 season they'll be paying five players (Kane, Couture, Burns, Vlasic and Karlsson) about $41M and all will be age 30 or older with only Kane and Karlsson really being still what could be considered in their prime.
When time and the regression hits, it hits quickly (see Chicago the last two years).
But all that aside, I'm mostly agreeing with you. Given the way they have their long-term deals structured they have to try and win in the next two or three years, so if that costs some more draft picks so be it I guess.
Cool. I wouldn't describe that as less-than-thrilling at all. I'm thrilled.
And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness. - God
brian wrote: ↑Mon Feb 25, 2019 2:50 pm
Christ. Just no Glass and no Brannstrom and I'll probably be OK.
Looks like Oscar Lindberg, Brannstrom and a second-rounder. If VGK can extend Stone, maybe not too bad but damn that hurts to lose him.
I suspect the pick upgrades if Stone signs with Vegas, which is fine. I guess you can't get too attached to prospects and Vegas has drafted well at D, so there's some other guys who can probably step in but I thought he is going to be special.
ETA: VGK beat writer for Athletic reporting that Stone extension is coming, maybe even later today.
rass wrote: ↑Sat Feb 23, 2019 8:55 pmI’m going to pretend Letang is fine until I know better and just worry that the Pens are screwed if Dumo is out for a long time.
Vegas has more picks in the first five rounds of the 2019 draft than San Jose or Columbus has in the 2019 and 2020 drafts combined and still has a pretty decent prospect pipeline even with the loss of Brannstrom and even after overpaying for Tatar last year (though the forward pipeline isn't as good as at D and depends largely on Glass and Elvenes, so that's why Glass was probably untouchable and Brannstrom wasn't).
Been trying to talk some VGK fans off the ledge today, but this team is still in really great shape going forward (and they have the rights to Nikita Gusev and the tea leaves seem to be leaning towards him finally deciding to make the jump from the KHL to the NHL).
There were some Zucker to Vegas rumblings too earlier today (he's a Las Vegas native, the first and only one in the NHL), but Vegas was never going to be able to get both. I was kind of surprised Minnesota was thinking about dealing him to begin with. He's under contract for a reasonable term and price if I recall correctly.
brian wrote: ↑Mon Feb 25, 2019 7:28 pm
There were some Zucker to Vegas rumblings too earlier today (he's a Las Vegas native, the first and only one in the NHL), but Vegas was never going to be able to get both. I was kind of surprised Minnesota was thinking about dealing him to begin with. He's under contract for a reasonable term and price if I recall correctly.
Also, this would be unprecedented I think, but remember Gusev just finished with the second-highest point total in the history of the KHL (81 points in 62 games) so VGK would have to at least think about it. I don't think they'd want to shake up the roster in such a big way just two weeks before the playoffs and downside is signing him for this season means VGK would lose one year of RFA rights but since he's 26 that's not a huge deal.
(Conversely imagine if Tampa had kept his rights and signed him for the playoffs. *shudders*)
brian wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 3:39 am
Also, this would be unprecedented I think, but remember Gusev just finished with the second-highest point total in the history of the KHL (81 points in 62 games) so VGK would have to at least think about it. I don't think they'd want to shake up the roster in such a big way just two weeks before the playoffs and downside is signing him for this season means VGK would lose one year of RFA rights but since he's 26 that's not a huge deal.
(Conversely imagine if Tampa had kept his rights and signed him for the playoffs. *shudders*)
TBH, it was probably worth it to get rid of Garrison, (and keep everyone else that was protected).
Until everything is less insane, I'm mixing weed with wine.
I know it's still early and playoff hockey is a different animal, but it's hard to imagine Tampa doing anything but winning the Cup right now. Team is just scary dangerous.
I'm somewhat nervous about playoff hockey being a different animal, and that the Bolts are so good on PP and PK, which might not matter as much if the refs swallow their whistles, but yes, this season has been a joy.
Until everything is less insane, I'm mixing weed with wine.
Playoff hockey is such a crapshoot. The NHL has way more playoff upsets than other sports. So, even though Tampa certainly looks like the class of the league, I'd be willing to take the field against them in a bet.
I've always argued that in the NHL playoffs, the higher seed should get 5 home games in the 1st round and 2nd round. Reward the Division Champs.
But I think the NHL likes the crapshootness of it all.
Kung Fu movies are like porn. There's 1 on 1, then 2 on 1, then a group scene..
Was at the game last night and can confirm. I re-watched the game on the DVR this morning and you can hear the whistle on the TV broadcast (are refs miked up?) but in person it was impossible to tell. (Watching live it was pretty clear the play was offside, but there was a lot of confusion for a few seconds there. I thought the refs missed the call and it was going to get overturned on replay.)
brian wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 3:39 am
Also, this would be unprecedented I think, but remember Gusev just finished with the second-highest point total in the history of the KHL (81 points in 62 games) so VGK would have to at least think about it. I don't think they'd want to shake up the roster in such a big way just two weeks before the playoffs and downside is signing him for this season means VGK would lose one year of RFA rights but since he's 26 that's not a huge deal.
(Conversely imagine if Tampa had kept his rights and signed him for the playoffs. *shudders*)
TBH, it was probably worth it to get rid of Garrison, (and keep everyone else that was protected).
With the benefit of a couple years, TB played the expansion draft about perfectly even if Gusev comes over next year and plays well. Would be interesting to see if McEndoe or some of those guys re-grade every team in the expansion draft before Seattle comes in. That will be the optimal time to judge which teams really played themselves.
Teams like Florida, Anaheim, and Minnesota played the expansion draft really poorly, and got their pockets picked by Vegas. I’m glad the Sharks only lost a bottom pairing defenseman (David Schlemko, who is currently with Philly’s AHL team).
You could make a pretty decent argument that the two best teams in the Western Conference might meet in the first round. Though you could make a decent case for any of about five teams as the best in the West. It's going to be a pretty entertaining playoffs over there.
