2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[Zeoni]

Were you happy when it came down to crunch time and he had 2 goals in the last stretch? I agree though, overall I liked Olli this year, thought he had some really good stretches of hockey and made everyone he played with better. But, at the end of the day hes a professional athlete. He's going to gun for the best possible contract and I really hope they don't offer him a 5 year because it could end in a huge bust. As for UFA, how many good players do you think actually want to come and play in Calgary? The only thing that would draw anyone here is the fans and I don't think thats enough. I want to see the best Flames team possible and the only way thats going to happen is with a rebuild. It really sucks that they're eventually going to have to trade Inginla and Kiprusoff to make this happen. Imagine the team in 3 years if they DON'T do this? Cross your fingers for a Datsyuk / Zetterberg draft pick LOL.

[Greeney]

No need to be upset, they're not a good team. Haven't been for the last 3 years. It's time to trade Kipper and Iggy while they still have value for draft picks.

Does anyone else think the Flyers could make a run at the cup if they make it out of the first round? They've won 2 in a row on Pittsburgh and they definitely have the depth to go head to head. I think the series is going to come down on the performance of Malkin and Bryzgalov. Philly has so many quality players; Girioux, Hartnell, Jagr on occasion, Talbor/Simmons/Voracek for secondary scoring, and their rookies seem to be doing pretty good. In my opinion its going to be one of the best first round series' if you don't watch it on NBC of course If hoomongus plays well, they're a really scary team imo. Time will tell, and I can't wait for the playoffs to start - I think this is going to be a very good year.

Flyers were having goalie difficulties until recently. Before the start of the season, I thought they were going to make a run for the SC finals. They could very well beat Pittsburgh, but I think their goaltending will become more shaky the further they can go in the playoffs.

[Zeoni]

Never know, Bryzgalov hasn't been out of the first round (I think?)

[Irony]

He's been out of the first round once, with the Ducks back in 06.

[Rennadrel]

Constantly bandaging a terrible team together to make a run at 8th place. Your two best players, are soon going to be on the wrong side of thirty and their play will start to decline. You're the 5th oldest team in the league, and have spent basically all of your cap to be the 11th best team in the West. Quite clearly the "quick fix" solution isn't working.

Yeah, Jay Feester needs to take lesson 1 out of JFJ's "How Not to Build An NHL Team" book and blow the whole thing up. The clock is quickly ticking on the trade value of Iginla and Kipper, if he wants to get the best value out of these players for a rebuild, the trades need to go down now. Mind you, he took on all that horrible talent in the Phaneuf trade and honestly I can't say we really won the entire deal but we got rid of some considerably useless dead weight.

[Grrwaherr]

Thanks Tampa! or should I say Stamkos?

[Rennadrel]

Thanks Tampa! or should I say Stamkos?

Have fun being eliminated in regulation tomorrow

[Zeoni]

Yeah, Jay Feester needs to take lesson 1 out of JFJ's "How Not to Build An NHL Team" book and blow the whole thing up. The clock is quickly ticking on the trade value of Iginla and Kipper, if he wants to get the best value out of these players for a rebuild, the trades need to go down now. Mind you, he took on all that horrible talent in the Phaneuf trade and honestly I can't say we really won the entire deal but we got rid of some considerably useless dead weight.

I believe Daryll Sutter made that Phaneuf deal which turned out to be a complete bust. Should have gotten a draft pick or two instead of half those players. Of the dudes we got, only Matt Stajan is still with the Flames. Hagman, Mayers, White, all had really really unproductive stints here. Shortly after the trade Daryll signed Stajan to a 4 year extension for 3.5 a year which was just awful. When he made that trade, I knew it was a horrible idea. I just had the feeling it was going to be a bust. For what we could have got for Dion, made me real sad. Not even bad luck, just poor GM moves by Sutter at the end of his tenure here.

I keep forgetting about Bryz playing for Anaheim because whenever I associate Ducks playoff success I think of Guigare, my bad.

[Armourboy]

We've also been eating a lot of cap hits from other deals, such as Hagman's re-entry waivers, still paying for Nigel Dawes and absorbing a huge salary for Cammalleri that he was given in Montreal. This off season we've got Jokinen, Sarich, Stempniak, Moss, Hannan and Kostopoulis as UFA's. Blair Jones, Backlund and Comeau as RFA's. With a very strong UFA market coming up and if we can get the right price on guys like Jokinen, and our RFA's, leaves a lot of room to improve the veteran roster and bring up the AHL'ers. You don't just trade away a 30+ goal scorer though for the past 11 years, or a tender who is playing some of his best in almost 8 years.

Average Age seems largely irrelevant, it's only an issue when you're under-performing versus the rest. Blowing it up and going young isn't going to help...look at the oilers and leafs. Then account other similarly "old aged" teams; Boston, New Jersey, Detroit, Panthers, Penguins.

We need less Bouwmeesters and more Giordanos. Less Moss' more Backlunds...and dare I say it, some more Stajans.

It's easy to bash "rankings" while ignoring that up until a month ago there was only 3 points separating 6th from 11th.

But then you look at Nashville which had the youngest roster in the league prior to the trade deadline, youth doesn't always = bad. However, I agree with others, the Flames need to just bite the bullet and start over. Even if they go out and make some moves they are at best still just barely making the playoffs.

It stinks as a fan to know your team probably doesn't have a shot when you start the season, but it hasn't been that long since we were in those first expansion years so I know that feeling. Trust me when I say its 100% worth suffering for a couple of years to be on the back end of that and making the playoffs every year.

[Tuukkatime]

Tim Thomas won't play at all tonight. Turco getting the start with Khudobin as the back up. I don't think this is a very good idea. Not against the Penguins. Then again it's not like they have anything to lose. They're locked in at the top of the Northeast and second in the East.

Potential second round preview here too. I don't see Ottawa or Philly getting past the first round.



I would also like to see some more of this tonight. You get what you deserve Crosby.

[Garbles]

Who do you guys think is going to end up with the 4 spot? Wings, Preds, or Hawks? Im perfectly fine with the Hawks staying in the 6 spot.. idk.. who do you guys think it'll be?

[Raleik]

I'm glad Thomas is resting tonight. Granted, I'd rather see Khudobin get the start over Turco just to see what the kid's got. But mehh. I'm all for getting Thomas some much needed rest because we're gonna be riding him hard through the playoffs. This game has no bearing on our position in the playoffs, so there's no need for Thomas to be out there facing a ton of shots because you know the Pens will put a lot of pucks on net. I'd like to see Thomas rest tonight, play against Ottawa, and rest against Buffalo. Give him a nice little break here before the playoffs.

[Greeney]

Bozak's beating Buffalo.
[Still rather lose at this point.]

[conscript]

So how many times has your team won a Cup in it's history?

Yes because history matters lol. How many of those Cups have you actually witnessed? Oh ya, zero. (Well I assume you aren't 50ish). Claiming that Cups matter from decades and decades before you were alive is comical. At least a lot of Montreal fans can say they were alive to see their team not be terrible.

And Buffalo was one skate in the crease away form a Cup potentially.

[Grrwaherr]

So how many times has your team won a Cup in it's history?

Thats my one problem with sports. It basing things off teams pasts. I think things should only be looked at in their current state. But to answer the question - 0.

But they've been in the playoffs 13 times during my sentient life which is fun!

[Rennadrel]

Yes because history matters lol. How many of those Cups have you actually witnessed? Oh ya, zero. (Well I assume you aren't 50ish). Claiming that Cups matter from decades and decades before you were alive is comical. At least a lot of Montreal fans can say they were alive to see their team not be terrible.

And Buffalo was one skate in the crease away form a Cup.

The Leafs were 1 game away from final against a team they would have beaten in Montreal.

[Ostrichsized]

These calls in the Rangers/Flyers game are going to give me a fucking aneurysm. If the Flyers don't win they should just quit hockey.

[Rennadrel]

Gunnarrson might be out after an early hit and Phaneuf just got smashed in the chest with a puck prior to that goal, I am very concerned for our defence closing out this game, playing 5 games would be detrimental to a victory.

[Logonov]

I would also like to see some more of this tonight. You get what you deserve Crosby.

gosh all the Crosby hate.....

[Rennadrel]

Gardiner certainly makes nifty goals look easy, that one was pure patience and skill.