Running 2017-18 NHL thread

[Cosmo]

Metro will be good. Carolina and New Jersey will be improved and fight for wild cards. I think the Islanders will be worse. No idea what to think of the Flyers.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Bruins placing a LOT of eggs in the "our young defensemen will be great" basket.

 

[The Big Ragu]

Metro will be good. Carolina and New Jersey will be improved and fight for wild cards. I think the Islanders will be worse. No idea what to think of the Flyers.

The Rangers had their last 2 preseason games against Philly, and Philly had made a lot of its cut downs already -- they probably wanted to have things in place quickly coming off a non-playoff season.

They actually played Claude Giroux on the wing in one of the games as an experiment. I think they were trying to decide whether the core of Giroux, Simmonds, Voracek, Couturier will be their key. ... or if they are going to need to rely heavily on some of the young players they have collected. They are stacked with young centers, which is why they were considering moving Giroux to the wing. I am not sure what they settled on. Their top pick in the draft, Nolan Patrick, might be REALLY good. Look out for him. I am so used to Philly's defense sucking eggs, and that could be different this year. Ivan Provorov will probably take a step up this year, Shayne Gostisbehere has always been solid and in one of the preseason games I watched, Travis Sanheim, a rookie, scored two goals. They'll be young, and I think they are going to have trouble competing in the Metropolitan this year, but they are a team that could be on the way up. I think their goaltending is going to be meh. Brian Elliot, with Michal Neuvirth backing him up.

 

[Liut]

Jagr signs a one-year deal with Calgary. I like it. Laugh at me if you want, but Calgary could be a serious contender in the west. That is if the Flames get the improved goaltending they think they have. Saw a report he turned down an offer from St. Louis.

 

[JC]

Jagr signs a one-year deal with Calgary. I like it. Laugh at me if you want, but Calgary could be a serious contender in the west. That is if the Flames get the improved goaltending they think they have. Saw a report he turned down an offer from St. Louis.

Mike Smith is awful and has been for a while. Maybe he can be sheltered by the best or second best d group in the league. I like Calgary as well but I can't see their goaltending standing up.

 

[The Big Ragu]

I have no idea how Calgary is going to do, but I was just happy to see that they also signed Tanner Glass from his PTO. If you are a Ranger fan, Glass has been like a fungus you couldn't get rid of. ... first chance, Alain Vigneault would have had him back and playing over more talented players.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

Bruins placing a LOT of eggs in the "our young defensemen will be great" basket.

Same with the Lightning. They are banking on Sergachev being a stud and hopefully making up for some of the deficiencies of their vets like Coburn and Girardi.

 

[Cosmo]

Good insight as always, EF. Really like No. 23, something I've been trying to hammer home to my Caps fan friends. Also why I think Vrana can be a big piece. He needs a serious look. If he stinks after 20 games, trying something else.



Can't get the actually 31 thoughts to link here for some reason. Only posts the video.

 

[Liut]

Same with the Lightning. They are banking on Sergachev being a stud and hopefully making up for some of the deficiencies of their vets like Coburn and Girardi.

I've noticed the television prediction shows on both sides of the border have given Tampa Bay a lot of love. Melrose predicted a Stanley Cup as did TSN. Seems a little over the top to me, but I'm nowhere near their league in expertise. What say you?

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

I've noticed the television prediction shows on both sides of the border have given Tampa Bay a lot of love. Melrose predicted a Stanley Cup as did TSN. Seems a little over the top to me, but I'm nowhere near their league in expertise. What say you?

Lot of scoring depth. If Stamkos is healthy he should get to about a 35-goal season, Nikita Kucherov could be a Hart Trophy finalist. They had to add a little more grit and they did with Callahan returning and Chris Kunitz and maybe Girardi too. Victor Hedman is a Norris Trophy candidate but there's a lot of youth behind him and a 23-year-old goalie with a lot of talent and work ethic, but he's never carried the load like he will this season.

I think they will win 45 games and be the home team in a 2-3 series in the Atlantic, if they win 48 than they win the Atlantic Division IMO. After that we'll see how things shake out and if all that international tournament experience will serve Vasilevskiy well in the playoffs.

And this is all assuming they won't have the rash of injuries they did last season.

 

[The Big Ragu]

I didn't think much of the Kunitz and Girardi signings, but they must think they are really close and needed the depth -- a few veteran, gritty players, blah blah. I do like Tampa, though. The triplets, Stamkos, Killorn, Hedman, Stralman. This is their window of opportunity. I can definitely see them winning the Atlantic.

 

[JR]

Leafs demolish Jets 7-2 and Patrick Marleau, former Shark for 19 years, scored two. Andersen is the first good goalie Leafs have had since, ****, Belfour. Not too many holes in the Leafs so there is hope. Next up: Rangers on HNIC on Saturday night.​

 

[JC]

Leafs demolish Jets 7-2 and Patrick Marleau, former Shark for 19 years, scored two. Andersen is the first good goalie Leafs have had since, ****, Belfour. Not too many holes in the Leafs so there is hope. Next up: Rangers on HNIC on Saturday night.​

I hate the hockey world I am living in where Leafs Oilers is a legitimate Stanley Cup prediction.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

Looking through some of the game summaries. It looks like either the NHL crackdown on slashing did its job in the preseason and guys were more careful or they aren't calling what they said they would call. Because in the preseason games were getting 5+ slashing calls a night.

 

[The Big Ragu]

Looking through some of the game summaries. It looks like either the NHL crackdown on slashing did its job in the preseason and guys were more careful or they aren't calling what they said they would call. Because in the preseason games were getting 5+ slashing calls a night.

Rangers-Avs last night the penalty box door got a workout. 6 of the 14 penalties were slashing calls. It seems like if you get your stick anywhere near an opposing player, they are going to call it.

 

[Justin_Rice]

Caps didn't look terrible last night, especially offensively. If Kuznetsov can look that interested every night, that's going to be a good line.

Jury is still out in my mind on Ness, Chorney and Smith-Pelly.

 

[maumann]

For Detroiters of a certain age, these letters meant something special. The arena on Grand River was where my normally sweet, calm grandmother smashed a mirror in her purse by pounding it against a railing in the loge section to protest a bad call during a Stanley Cup playoff game back in the 1950s. I'm certain she and my grandfather would be pleased the sign was saved, refurbished and restored to a place of honor in the new barn. I definitely am.

 

[Liut]

Vegas defeated Dallas last night 2-1. Enjoyable game to watch. Fleury played dynamite, Vegas went 0-7 on power plays, Neal scored two third-period goals and knocked the crap out of Seguin with a check, one of several good hits by both teams.
Fun viewing.

 

[Cosmo]

Jury is still out in my mind on Ness, Chorney and Smith-Pelly.

Not really. They all suck. That third D pair is dumpster fire. Trotz's unwillingness to give Bowey a shot is maddening. We know who Chorney is. He's a 7th D and will never be more than that.

 

[Liut]

Not really. They all suck. That third D pair is dumpster fire. Trotz's unwillingness to give Bowey a shot is maddening. We know who Chorney is. He's a 7th D and will never be more than that.

You think Trotz is on the hot seat?