Re: The NHL Thread
 

yea don't get me wrong, chicago is a true powerhouse now, but playing 100+ games for 6 years is really tough

not to mention their core, although still in their primes, will be yet another year older

still super scary though

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Meh I don't really put that much stock into the extended seasons thing. These guys are pro athletes, and top level pros at that. And I understand playoffs are way more intense and injuries and all that, but their bodies can more than handle playing games 7-8 months a year vs 6.

I can't really think of anyone that could reasonably beat Chicago in the playoffs, except LA. But they just lost Williams. Maybe Anaheim doesn't drop another game 7? Maybe, but maybe not. Nashville or St Louis? Meh, I doubt it. The East? :lol Sure, they definitely could lose to anyone. But there's no reason to think they will.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

as a former non-pro athlete, this was never a deal.
i've played 2 90 minute soccer games in the same day.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

:lol:lol:lol:lol

excuse me while i go clean the egg off my face

Re: The NHL Thread
 

if it's healthy vs. healthy, I would have easily said Rangers in 6. You get to the SC final though...and you have guys at 70% or not in your lineup. Unfortunate.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

as a former non-pro athlete, this was never a deal.
i've played 2 90 minute soccer games in the same day.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

As a former non-pro athlete thiswas never the deal. I've bowled for 5 hours straight before

Re: The NHL Thread
 

:lol:lol

shomer fucking shabbos

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Nope, there haven't. Never said there was, just said the Williams deal was one of the better ones.

I don't like Beauchemin's deal, just because he's older and I've seen the effects of that over the past two-ish seasons. I feel like the Avs think they're signing 2007 Francois Beauchemin instead of 2015 Francois Beauchemin. But what do I know?

I also question Anisimov's... maybe Sekeras's - unless he can rock playing top-pair minutes like they're banking on. But yeah, there have actually been some real sensible signings, both in dollars and term.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

]

Before my back derailed me, I golfed 36 holes, walking usually, in the heat many times. So there :D

Slow news day so far. Come on. I'm off work today. Let's go!!!

Re: The NHL Thread
 

You can read this for entertainment.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/p...s/201507020185

Re: The NHL Thread
 

that was really unprofessional

but i agree with almost everything :lol

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Yeah that was unproesstional. The draft pick thing I am 100% with. No 1st rounders from 13-16. I'm sure they feel the pressure with Chicago doing what they are doing and teams like the Kings won two Cups out of nowhere basically because before 2012 no one thought they'd be doing that. And here are the Pens who a lot thought would be a dynasty with nothing since 2009.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

yea i expected multiple cups by now, especially after they won 1 rolling out that 3 center model

i'd love for them to find a way to get back a 1st round pick but that will be really hard

Re: The NHL Thread
 

They'll probably be ok in the short term but could bite them in a few years. I always hate July 1st because most of the time I get excited for the season to start and we're 3 freaking months away.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

That was funny, yet, like you guys said, unprofessional. I hope he has a good relationship with Francis because you aren't going to be attracting a quality gm, executive treating people like that.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Just throwing this out there.

Blackhawks: Toews/Kane/Hossa 26.5 mil/yr

Pens: Malkin/Crosby/Kessel 25 mil/yr

for all those "pens are top heavy" arguments

Re: The NHL Thread
 

thats what i try telling people

and people try to lump Fleury into there as well but Fleury's contract is a STEAL given his talent level

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I think we all know they are top heavy, too. The problem you have is that they 3 Cups in 6 years and then Pens have nothing to show for that top talent since 2009. Something isn't working.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

but the penguins arent top heavy, they're actually really deep...

they just dont perform in the playoffs

this top heavy stuff is so wrong

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I do think the Pens need to address their lower lines. It's not about finding scoring talent as much as it is finding guys who can play their part well. It's the Marcus Krugers of the league. That, to me, is one of the bigger differences between Chicago and Pittsburgh, despite similar payrolls. There's some talent there, yes. But maybe some more attention paid would be a good thing.

But here's the thing about the whole "top heavy" argument: Teams are SUPPOSED to be top heavy to a degree. Your big guys SHOULD be making a lot of the money. Now, that doesn't mean you just fill in your 3rd and 4th lines willy nilly with leftovers (that can be a big differentiator between a good team and a bad team). You still need to take a targeted approach to rounding out your team. But your big guns should be making the big money.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

That's next year. This past season those 3 plus Saad, Kurger and Sharp come to about 26.3. Hawks will have less depth this year because of the now 21mil going to Kane and Toews. I'm sure they'll still be good but no more Saad and probably not more Sharp.

Edit: To add to what Matty is saying, yes you want to be top heavy and most teams would rather have that problem. It just makes it tough if your bottom lines can't produce. It's what the cap does to teams like the Hawks and Pens and eventually probably the Oilers and Sabres. When you accumulate that much talent from being bad for years and it works out, you have to pay those stars.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Yes, it will be interesting to see how Chicago handles depth decisions going forward. I don't think they're in trouble or that they'll fail necessarily, but it will be different.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Yes, the cap makes it ever sticky and tricky. You constantly have to be moving with your team-building.

The best way, of course, to handling depth is to develop players internally really well and have them playing on ELC's and bridge deals. But then, of course, if they continue to play well you have to make the decision to pay them more and move them up the depth chart (probably pushing someone higher than them out), or move them to another team. Then, of course, you've got to have developed other prospects sufficiently enough to take their place on the lower lines. It's definitely a challenge.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

That's why I'm happy and beyond fortunate that the Wings didn't have to deal with a cap pre-2005. They were able to spend money to cover up their lack of high picks and still win a few Cups. But because of it guys like Zetterberg and Datsyuk came in at much lower salaries and slowly got larger ones. Same is happening to Tatar and Nyquist that follow. If those guys were playing on worse teams and getting more points, Tatar wouldn't be making under $3mil per year to score 30 goals. Because of that Wings are able to add Green and Richards to have another push for a Cup before Hank and Pavel are gone. On top of that they have Larkin and Pulkinen and maybe Mantha and some others coming along too.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Yep, the Wings are a good example. You've just gotta have a long term plan in place. As you're moving young guys up into bigger roles, you've gotta have in mind who you're going to move out so those young guys can take their place. Then, at the same time, you've gotta know who you're going to move into those vacated positions lower on the depth chart. The good teams always have someone waiting in the wings to fill those spots.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Plotnikoff is going to be a big help next year. As is getting back Dupuis. Those two guys alone, plus Kessel already make your top 3 lines much stronger. That also possibly pushes Beau Bennett down to a 4th line role.

3rd line of Kunitz/Sutter/Perron? looks pretty damn good

Re: The NHL Thread
 

i love the way Nyquist plays and i can't put my finger on exactly why. dude can finish. i would pay him for sure

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I'm a big fan of Sutter when he's played in the correct role. :thumbsup

Re: The NHL Thread
 

3rd line is gonna be Dupuis--Sutter--Kunitz i bet

Beau Bennett is probably gone,he'd be a waste on the 4th line...if not, i see something like this:

Kessel--Crosby--Perron
Hornqvist--Malkin--Bennett
Dupuis--Sutter--Kunitz
?????--Sundqvist/Wilson--????

Letang--Maatta
Cole--Pouliot
Lovejoy (christ)--Dumoulin/Scuderi (barring a buyout)

that's looking like a pretty deep team to me...health is always an issue with them though