yave1964

Two games. That slash came straight out of the seventies. I have Johansen on my fantasy team and need him this weekend but damn he deserves at least two games.

Nothing to see here. Both in their mid twenties past the time when you could legitimately consider them a prospect both failed in their shot when a spot was open, both failed several times actually. A couple of players who had a chance and didn't take advantage of it with their original organization now start the AHL depth phase of their career probably bouncing from organization to organization for a few seasons with one or both destined for the KHL shortly after that. Bailey at least has an interesting back story as his father played in the NFL for a bit. At least they made it as far as they did. I often wonder how tough it must be for guys like this who came this close to the real money and fame but didn't quite cash in.

Lots of great Hockey coming from up north this season, Calgary and Winnipeg look like the class of the West, Toronto with a nice statement win against Tampa last night, Montreal, Vancouver and Edmonton doing just enough to hang around the conversation (forget Ottawa, they are hoplesssly out of it) so I thought I would put a two part poll in here: First part: Will a Canadian team win the Cup? Second part: if so, who? Here are the Candidates: VANCOUVER: Somehow still hanging around, Horvat and Pettersson are brilliant young centers, Markstrom is having an outstanding season, a lot of smoke and mirrors however. EDMONTON As of now not in a playoff spot but if they squeak in McDavid and Draisatl are a deadly duo. MONTREAL: Looking as if they have turned a corner as an organization and Carey Price is quite capable of stealing a series or two on his own. CALGARY: One of the leagues surprise team combining grit and skill, Lindholm a huge addition to the top line, the question is if they have enough in net. TORONTO: The media darling (if you dont believe me turn on Hockey Central at noon any day and listen to the drone on about the Leafs five days a week) the knock is they beat up on the weak sisters and lose to the top teams. May have turned that corner last night in Tampa. WINNIPEG: Put distance between themselves and Nashville last night in the battle for first in the division. Simply loaded with skilled players at every position and depth everywhere of rugged young kids who are a pain to play against. OTTAWA Threw them in here because they are in Canada, lol but it would take a few mid air plane crashes involving other teams, a LOT of players from other clubs testing positive for steroids and half the league retiring to take up curling and even then they probably wouldn't have much of a chance. So that is the bunch, will Canada win a cup for the first time since Roy led his Habs to a surprise victory? And if so, which team will it be?

I get that Nino is glacially slow but Rask has a well earned rep for lack of speed as well which has hindered him throughout his career. I understand that sometimes you have to move on from a player and go a different direction but I believe that Minny could have gotten more than Rask for him.

I posted elsewhere about the trade, didn't see it here or I would have posted it here. Essentially it is Rask/Aberg for Nino which IMHO is a terrible trade off for the Wild, Rask is soft as an ice cream cone in August, Aberg has been run out of three organizations in a year not for lack of skill but because when you mention backchecking he has to grab a dictionary because he has no idea what that means. Arguably the softest team in Hockey just got considerably softer.

Trade today between two teams tired of their underachieving forwards. Doesn't make sense to me from either side. Nino Niederreiter was shipped from the Wild to Carolina for Victor Rask. Nino can play both wings, can (if he wants to) play with an edge. Rask is a center only and a chronic long lasting underachiever who has 1 goal and 5 assists this season as his ice time has dwindled. Here is why it is, IMHO a trade that can negatively impact both teams. Nino is a winger only, is a big guy who (when the mood strikes) can set up in front of the net. The 'Canes have a bunch fo these guys and are desperate at center and have been for years and years. Minny on the other hand plays a soft game, probably the softest team to play against in the West and maybe in the entire league. They need wingers, they need scoring, instead they added a soft underachieving center whose work ethic has been questioned for years. Both teams dealt from weakness and added a player who they didn't need. I know what the 'Canes are thinking, getting rid of Rask is addition by subtraction, even though Niederreiter is the same as a bunch of their wingers already moving Rask out makes it worth while. And from the Wild perspective, yeah they lost Nino who has frustrated them by showing flashes but never putting it together but replace with Aberg and Rask with the hopes that Aberg replaces Nino's offense and Rask can slot into a 3C role. They are struggling and need a change. Of the two, I think the Canes win this trade easily, Niederreiter has 9 goals and 23 points, compared to the 1 and 6 for Rask. A change of scenery is more likely to give his game a bounce IMHO. As for the Wild, again, they play a soft game and Rask/Aberg are two of the softest players in the game, there is a reason that every few months Aberg has been finding a new home it has nothing to do with talent and all to do with frustration from his coaches in Nashville/Edmonton/Anaheim because he doesn't believe in playing a 200 foot game. Win for Carolina, I guess, Niederreiter slots in with Justin Williams, Ferland and Svechnikov as heavy playing top nine wingers and will probably be on the move for draft picks when/if the Canes slip out of contention.

Branche rickey famously stated to always trade players before they turn 30. Judging from the ages of the vast majority of players involved in this discussion Mr. Rickey would be smiling.......

OH and the Ducks recalled Troy Terry (finally) who has been killing it at San Diego and the teams top offensive prospect Max Jones. both should help fix a lot of the problems the ducks have had with scoring, both play solid two way games as well. And Eaves was sent down to rehab for a couple of games and should be back soon. The ducks should be fine, I think all this tinkering added together makes them a much better team.

Actually a series of three trades: Del Zotto for Schenn. Schenn buried in the A, Del Zotto can at least run a second power play unit a bit. Slight upgrade. Derek Grant for Joseph Blandisi. Blandisi a nothing AHLer, Grant had a very good year as a bottom six center last year in Anaheim, big hard body to play against can score a bit, was lost in Pittsburgh's system, knows Carlyle and the team decent add. Jordan Kloos for Pontus Aberg. Curious one, I know Aberg has fallen off a cliff the last month, his only skill is scoring wretched two way player, but Kloos is an undrafted undersized local Minny boy who was signed as a feel good story for the AHL Think Jordan Weal lite if you will., So essentially it is Del zotto who can run a power play-ish, Grant who can center a bottom six line allowing Sherwood to go back to the A as he looked a bit lost in the two Ducks games I have watched recently, and getting Aberg off the roster for the Ducks whohave become disenchanted with his lack of two way play. All three moves combined make the Ducks marginally better. Add in the return of Rackell and the expected soon to return Perry and the Ducks are in as good of shape as a team that has lost 12 in a row can be.

I haven't heard anything but I would love it, the Aeros should have stuck around long enough to make it to the NHL when the 'merger' between the two leagues occurred back in 79-80. They had a good run with an AHL club there a decade or so ago mosly as the Wild affiliate before the Wild wanted their AHL club to play in a corn field somewhere in Iowa so they could be closer to home. It couldn't be any worse than Phoenix/Flagstaff/Glendale/Glenda the good witch/Wichita or wherever the Coyotes are lost in the desert now.

I like Korpy, I truly could see him as a number one in the league, but for this season, IF (again big IF) the CBJ trade Bob I think they would want an NHL tested starter back which is why the premise of Varly makes sense or someone like Talbot, both are UFA's at years end and would be good solid veteran playoff insurance. Columbus really has a need for a 1C, I love Dubois but he is a kid and IMHO would be better served with some of the pressure off, that is why I think RNH makes a lot of sense for the Jackets, it would allow them to bump Jenner to the 3C slot where he has thrived in the past as well. If they hold onto Bob I could see them becoming a big player for Duchene when he returns from injury with the Senators who have fallen to last in the NHL and are unlikely to be able to keep either Duchene or Stone, and as Colorado has their first rounder I think they will be looking for assets for veterans. so RNH in a Bob deal or Duchene in a deal for picks/prospects makes a ton of sense.

@hf101 @OccamsRazor Yeah Bob to Florida or Bob to the Avalanche makes a lot of sense all around, I still think the odds are very high he remains with the CBJ and while I think both of the above are solid picks, I would bet on Edmonton going for the home run as Koskinen has cooled and Talbot is thrashing around hopelessly most nights. Chiarelli has never been afraid to make a big splash and he cannot have too many bulets left in his gun before he gets fired, a move for Bob even if it cost RNH probably locks up a playoff spot for the Oilers and saves his job. I predict that IF he is traded it is to Edmonton for Talbot/RNH with a few other pieces to make the money/rosters work.

It seems almost certain that Sergei Bobrovsky is winding down in Columbus, Joonas Korpisalo is stealing starts, Bob who is an unrestricted free agent at seasons end and coach Tortorella have butted heads and his contract demands, rumored to be in the neighborhood of 11 million a year on a long term deal will almost certainly price him out of Columbus the question therefor is where does he finish the season. As it see it the likely scenarios: COLUMBUS The most likely scenario is finishing the season where he started it. First off, they are leading the division and they very well may decide to keep him for the playoff run, treating the remainder of the season as a rental player and hope that he helps carry them to a deep playoff run before showing him the door. The two time Vezina trophy winner has been haunted by lack of playoff success and a long run with the Jackets could go a long way towards a big payday for Bob. EDMONTON They have Talbot and Koskinen both as free agents at years end, they are hanging around the bottom of the playoff race and dont want to waste another great year by McDavid/Draisatl. A RNH/Talbot for Bobrovsky deal is certainly not out of the question, the question is if the Oilers could resign him with a slew of bad contracts in place. CALGARY Mike Smith is aging and not the answer, Rittich has had a brilliant year but is untested in the postseason, bob as a rental for arguably the West's best team would be ideal, they have assets to burn and an aggressive GM who might want to add him for this year only with Smith and a forward going the other way. ISLANDERS Greiss/Lehner are not the answer, the Isles are hanging around in playoff contention and have some solid prospects such as Ho Sang and Bellows that may be moved if they can work out a long term deal for Bob. SENATORS Dont laugh, I doubt it too but they are simply bristling with young talented forward prospects and have the aging soon to depart Anderson and nothing else in net, Bob coming over and signing a long term deal could go a long way towards letting their fans know they are still trying. Duchene to Columbus could fit the Jackets biggest need for a top six center. BLUES St. Louis has to realize by now that Jake Allen has wrecked their season almost single handed and is not the answer, a Bob/Schenn deal would greatly strengthen both teams. FLYERS Because he started there. Because Bob is one of only three NHL goalies who hasn't already played for the Flyers this year. Seriously though, with Hart as the future I see this as unlikely but possible. He is a two time Vezina winning goalie who could turn a franchise around in a hurry, if a team can lock him in long term for a decent salary obviously he is worth going after. Columbus has a need for a true number one center and possibly one more scoring winger and in the right deal Bob could fill those needs.

Oh the carnage! Last season saw exactly zero NHL coaches fired in season. In a league where chaos is the norm as far as head coaches go and there are usually at least two to three coaching changes during the season regardless, I remember seeing Kevin Weekes commenting on the NHL network that perhaps GM's have finally developed patience with their coaches and are going to allow coaches a longer leash to get their message across. Nope. 2017-18 was just a blip. After zero coaches were fired during last year, at seasons end six teams (Calgary, Carolina, Dallas, Rangers, Islanders and Capitals) brought in new men, and during the seasons first few months the Kings, Blackhawks, Blues, Oilers and Flyers all fired their head coaches and replaced them. THink about that one for a moment, that means that 11 of 31 head coaches were replaced in a matter of seven months, in a little over half a year over one third of NHL head coaches lost their jobs. How would you like to work a job where you had a one in three chance of getting fired over the course of half a season? Jon Cooper is now the longest tenured coach in the NHLat six seasons. So the question is who is next? Is the carnage done for this season or will there be more blood and if so, who will it be? To me the obvious candidates are: RANDY CARLYLE 12 game losing streak on a team that cannot score and is wasting brilliant goaltending and defense on a popgun offense. GM bob Murray is loath to fire coaches midseason but 12 game losing streaks tend to get GM's to change their minds. JEFF BLASHILL The Wings are bad and at times bordering on unwatchable but have lots of young kids, again, an organization that hates to fire midseason but Windsor native Quenneville is sitting at home with his feet propped up and would be a great fit. BRUCE BOUDREAU The Wild are struggling to find an identity, a coaching change for change sake may be in order. PHIL HOUSLEY After a great start to the season including a 10 game winning streak the Sabres have really struggled and right now are out of the playoff picture. Other candidates for next man fired IMHO would have to include Boughner in Florida whose Cats have really struggled and possibly one of the interms such as Desjardins in LA or Berube in St. Louis. So who gets canned next? How many more get fired in season?

Wings fan, I come in peace, just a few thoughts about your Wild. That cannot be a typical Wild game, I dont remember seeing a softer team in years, the Wings regularly get outshot by double digits almost every game, Niederreiter scored a minute into the second and then the Wild had no shots for like eleven minutes. Absolutely no push. Bertuzzi's goal where he came from behind the net in the third, literally four Wild stood there motionless and watched him do so without confronting him. Unbelievable. I am a huge Wings fan going back to the Marcel Dionne and Danny Grant days of the seventies but I have no illusions, I dont wear rose colored glasses, I am critical of my team for lack of skill players and their need for changes, I am not gloating, I feel this game was more the lack of intensity by the Wild than anything else. It was almost as if they looked past the Wings and thought, we are at home, they have lost nine of their past ten, easy two points here and the Wild simply forgot to show up. I have only watched a couple of Wild games all year and parts of a few others but I dont recall this lack of intensity.