Ongoing NHL thread - Part deux

[jstewismybastardson]

Oilers will go 80-1-1 next season (Flames get a regulation win and Canucks a SO win)

*ahem* if Cole Cassels makes the canucks the coil arent taking a game from us

 

[DragonfromTO]

It's my Bestern conference bias showing through, Dragon. I'm not a fan of the Stars defense and that goaltending tandem of Lehtonen and Niemi looks to me to be a ton of dough for two average goaltenders.

But you're a fan of Buffalo's defense and Lehner?

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Eh.

Dallas might have one of the best top-six' in the league. Sabres, despite a good off-season, have a drunk Chevy-wrecking mess of a top centre and two rookie centres (assuming both Eichel and Reinhart make the jump) to go along with Matt Moulson and Evander Kane.

Their defence is still very weak whereas Dallas at least adds Oduya to a core that mixes young and old pretty well. Goaltending both teams are going out there with question marks.

Buffalo is also being coached by Bylsma. Not Ruff's biggest fan but I'll take him over disco fry anytime.

I think Dallas takes this one.

Don't forget All Star Zemgus Girgensons

In all seriousness though, I expect the Sabres to at least hang around in the WC discussion for most of the season, but I don't expect them to immediately jump to contender status. No question that they will be better than last year though.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Buffalo's division isn't much easier - Montreal TB and Detroit are all probably locks to make the playoffs again, Ottawa will too if their goaltending doesn't collapse, Florida might finally make the jump, Columbus and Jersey could both be WC contenders out of the other div...tough go of it.

I think you mistyped something there? Or do you actually think the Devils are in the playoff mix?

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Don't forget All Star Zemgus Girgensons

In all seriousness though, I expect the Sabres to at least hang around in the WC discussion for most of the season, but I don't expect them to immediately jump to contender status. No question that they will be better than last year though.

I think they'll improve, for sure. I just can't see them sniffing the crotch of a playoff spot unless Lehner takes the crease and goes all fucking Hasek on us.

 

[dash]

But you're a fan of Buffalo's defense and Lehner?

I think Lehner has the potential to be a pretty good goalie in this league, of course the big question mark is will he be able to bounce back from his injury issues. I am in agreement that the Buffalo defense corps is not very good. I guess if I'm Oduya, though and I just won the Stanley Cup and this could be my last contact, if Buffalo was willing to go 3 years and 5 million per season, that's a sweet offer to turn down.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

6 more years for Kesler with the ducks


oof ...

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I think you mistyped something there? Or do you actually think the Devils are in the playoff mix?

Good goalie, few guys on defence who could take the next step. They'll struggle to score but it wouldn't shock me if they hang around like Philly did last season.

 

[dash]

Holy crap, Kesler just won the lottery.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Ducks put a NfuckingTwivesC in the contract

/this post brought to you by poonerman

 

[dash]

Call me crazy, but if Giordano signs a 6 year extension with those dollar figures, I would be quite pleased.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

 

[DragonfromTO]

Good goalie, few guys on defence who could take the next step. They'll struggle to score but it wouldn't shock me if they hang around like Philly did last season.

They had two guys last year with more than 40 points and one of them is now gone. Their depth chart at centre makes the Leafs look like the Penguins. Schneider was Vezina level good last season, and where did it get them?

I don't see it, not at all.

 

[dash]

I gave this post the cake reward because that's a lot of cake.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Kesler got a NMC for 5 years of the deal wow!

 

[dash]

Down Goes Brown ‏@DownGoesBrown

Everyone saying that Kesler deal is way too much money for a guy who'll be 31 is just wrong. (It doesn't start until 2016-17. He'll be 32.)

 

[jstewismybastardson]

 

[dash]

I would like to see the breakdown of Kesler's contract extension year-by-year because I'm curious to see if it is a diving contract.

 

[DragonfromTO]

They're going to be paying him more per year through age 38 than the Penguins are going to pay Kessel through age 34, and he hasn't scored 50 points since 2010-11. But yeah, the latter was overpaid and had an untradeable contract.

 

[Comeds]

The Kessler deal is crazy.