NHL 2013: Off-Season Running Thread

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

McPhee noted yesterday that he wants to see the Caps play with the same sort of "buy-in" that they did in the playoffs but added that he wants to see it done at a faster pace. Which is kind of what I was saying to my friends after they lost to the Rangers, that there had to be some sort of middle ground between Hunter and Boudreau. Hunter was just a little too extreme on the other end for my tastes, and probably for the taste of Ovechkin.

I still say give the C to Laich and make Ovechkin an A.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Biggest issue of the offseason: the CBA.

I have little doubt a deal will get worked out with few (or no) games missed, so I'm not really worried about a repeat of 2005. Will the percentage of revenue players get decrease (57 percent seems insanely high compared to other pro leagues)?

Will owners allow an Olympic break in 2014?

Will there be realignment?

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

What more did they accomplish under Hunter than they did Boudreau? I really don't get all the love that people have for Hunter. I agree that they need more buy in but there is no way in hell that Hunter's ways were going to work long term.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

They didn't get embarrassed in the second round? That's about it. I wasn't sorry to see Hunter go. He wasn't going to be the guy to elevate them to the next level. Not enough offense. You can't just waste the offensive talent on that roster by turning guys like Ovechkin into grinders. There has to be some middle ground. Great to see Ovechkin get more responsible on defense, but he needs to be able to play his offensive game as well.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Not a Crawford fan. Look who was on the '96 Avs Roy, Sakic, Forsberg, Deadmarsh, Claude Lemieux. A trained chimp could have coached that team.

And they swept the Florida Panthers

And the Moore/Bertuzzi affair still makes me sick Screw Bertuzzi and Crawford.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

They also had to get by a stacked Scotty Bowman coached Red Wings team to get there.

Bertuzzi was going to what he was going to do regardless of the coach. It is weak to put any of the blame on Crawford for that.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

You should think "Damn! That dude looks like a hedgehog". Walking reminder why you shouldn't use too much hair product.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

From all accounts, Crawford encouraged him.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

I suspect if Bertuzzi had indeed acted on his own the Canucks' management, (hello Marc Crawford and Brian Burke) would have thrown him to the wolves. Instead they circled the wagons to protect one of their own because they were all mixed up in it to some degree.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

There was a note in the Toronto Sun today that the Jackets might look to trade the second overall pick

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Cmon JR, you have been around hockey for longer than most. I doubt there is not a coach in the world that hasn't said "make that guy pay" or words to that affect. What Bertuzzi did was way beyond anything I have ever heard a coach say. Moore had taken out their best player, not many coaches would not have said something. Moore had already answered the bell once and it should have been over, what Bertuzzi did is so beyond the scope of "getting even" I don't think it is fair to pin that on Crawford.

Crawford isn't a likeable guy for the most part, I just love the way he plays up tempo hockey instead of the shit we saw in the playoffs. Anyways, I think we can all hate him for leaving Gretzky out of the shoot out in Nagano.

 

Re: NHL 2012: Off-Season Running Thread

Sounds like he is seriously considering moving down. Pretty good strategy to stockpile prospects.

When you have trouble developing prospects, the more you can get, the better. This is one of the best years to move down since the talent between 2-6 really isn't all that different.