Phil Kessel will be third in scoring this season

[DragonfromTO]

i looked quickly, saw 2

its just an odd way to predict scoring, i.e "well the high scorer was down 13 pts from the year before".

crosby will break 110 this year, easily.

Projections are essentially a "middle of the road" forecast. The guy that scores 50 goals and/or 100 points next year isn't going to be someone that meets expectations, it's going to be someone that exceeds them. It's not that it's incredibly unlikely that someone in the league will do it, it's just unlikely that one specific player will do it.

 

[DragonfromTO]

That's fair, but they were in a corner to begin with.

They were never negotiating from a position of strength. That was always going to make them losers here.

They put themselves in that corner. No one was really talking about the Ducks being in a corner the summer after Getzlaf had 11 goals and 57 points, because the Ducks weren't actively devaluing the guy.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

They put themselves in that corner. No one was really talking about the Ducks being in a corner the summer after Getzlaf had 11 goals and 57 points, because the Ducks weren't actively devaluing the guy.

True, but Getzlaf was also entering his UFA season. if anything, that bad season worked to the Ducks' advantage.

If the Leafs hadn't moved Phil and he had a repeat performance this year the Leafs would be on the hook for 6 more years and if you think they had to bend over on this deal imagine what would've happened 10 months from now. It could definitely have been handled better, but the risk was just too big.

 

[DragonfromTO]

True, but Getzlaf was also entering his UFA season. if anything, that bad season worked to the Ducks' advantage.

If the Leafs hadn't moved Phil and he had a repeat performance this year the Leafs would be on the hook for 6 more years and if you think they had to bend over on this deal imagine what would've happened 10 months from now. It could definitely have been handled better, but the risk was just too big.

Was him having a "repeat perfomance" a likely scenario though? I didn't think it was.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Was him having a "repeat perfomance" a likely scenario though? I didn't think it was.

It was possible. Most of the roster culprits are still here. New coach can only make such a high-grade omelette with low-grade eggs.

 

[DragonfromTO]

It was possible. Most of the roster culprits are still here. New coach can only make such a high-grade omelette with low-grade eggs.

Sure but most of those "roster culprits" were there in 2013-14 too, and that was an 80 point season for Phil.

 

[DragonfromTO]

That's fair, but they were in a corner to begin with.

They were never negotiating from a position of strength. That was always going to make them losers here.

That sounds like a pretty strong argument against making a trade then.

 

[evolver115]

 

[RP-29]

id like to see pitt use a super line of phil, sid, and malkin somehow for entertainment purposes alone...but they have to split them up for obvious reasons.
would be oiler-esque.

It will happen:
- late in games with the goalie pulled
- late in a period on the power play with an offensive zone faceoff

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Sure but most of those "roster culprits" were there in 2013-14 too, and that was an 80 point season for Phil.

They were.

I get your point. I advocated it myself prior to the trade. And above all, I liked the goals Phil provided to this hockey club. But after the trade and seeing what it is exactly they're trying to do here, it was both the best for both sides to move on, and the lowest-risk move the Leafs could make. At least in my mind.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

That sounds like a pretty strong argument against making a trade then.

When you're trading the best player in a deal, you're almost always losing that deal. There aren't many examples of the opposite.

 

[BGDave]

It will happen:
- late in games with the goalie pulled
- late in a period on the power play with an offensive zone faceoff

Would love to see it in OT.

 

[Shawn Sheffield]

I hate the Penguins but this is probanbly true.