2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[VanillaO]

The scheduling is for sure screwed up. The most glaring problem with it is that Montreal played Game 4 on Tuesday.. and Philly/NYR didn't until Friday. And as pointed out above, Chicago and St. Louis just play every other day.. I realize there are arenas that need booking, and shit like that, but someone dropped the ball big time. Whether it was the teams, or the venue manager, or the NHL, someone fucked up royally... again. I'm sure they'll show it on ESPN or TSN, but I don't have a tv.. if someone sees some info on how sitting for a week or more (at this rate it's going to be at least a week) effects a team, can you relay the info? I'm just curious.. doesn't matter if it is a positive or negative effect.

[Stommped]

*Two. SJ at LA and CHI at STL

I said that before the Hawks won :P

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[Elgefar]

I stand corrected then.

Poor STL though. They just can't catch a break from the Hockey Gods.

[Rennadrel]

So no one else is surprised McPhee and Oates are out in Washington eh? Can't say I am, however the team failures have been as much about shitty management as they have been about terrible coaching. But it seems no coach can get the lazy attitude out of that locker room. I wonder if the Caps owners will just stroke a big cheque for Ovechkin and use the compliance buyout on him just to be rid of that horrid contract and his lazy attitude on the ice. The experiment is over with him and it hasn't been working for some time.

[VictoriousSecret]

Mason stood on his head tonight.

Refs are still terrible both ways. They don't call blatant penalties (Giroux getting absolutely mauled at the blue line), then call nothing penalties (lovetap crosscheck to Giroux's back in front of the net literally 5 seconds after getting mauled at the blue line, Read bringing his stick within a foot of a Ranger's player's face)

[Elgefar]

It was a long time coming. Especially for McPhee who has done nothing to improve the team the last few years. His additions have been playing horribly and even those additions did nothing to correct the problems the team have.

They should have traded Ovie years ago. His value is dropping every minute he plays and for a guy who is in his "prime" he can't really get any better. He is a liability defensively, and is easily their laziest player. Wouldn't surprise me if he is on the trading block.

[Rennadrel]

It was a long time coming. Especially for McPhee who has done nothing to improve the team the last few years. His additions have been playing horribly and even those additions did nothing to correct the problems the team have.

They should have traded Ovie years ago. His value is dropping every minute he plays and for a guy who is in his "prime" he can't really get any better. He is a liability defensively, and is easily their laziest player. Wouldn't surprise me if he is on the trading block.

Very few teams will take on that contract though, you have to understand that. With the cap as tight as it is and it going up less then anticipated for next season, only cap basement dweller teams would be willing to make a move for that kind of salary and to be honest I don't think it's worth it. Those kinds of teams don't exactly have the income to support it either. Consider what any bidder is going to have to give up for a trade, probably two first round picks (and reasonably positioned one's at that if it were to happen at the draft this year) plus probably a couple of decent prospects as well. To be honest, I think the best solution is to just compliance buyout his sorry ass and send him packing back to Russia where he can play with his fellow lazy countrymen like Radulov.

[Nazrark]

It's funny that most of you throw Ovie under the bus. But if his contract is bought out. Almost every other team will be lining up to sign him to a contract.

[draynay]

It's funny that most of you throw Ovie under the bus. But if his contract is bought out. Almost every other team will be lining up to sign him to a contract.

not my team, so fuck him

[Rennadrel]

It's funny that most of you throw Ovie under the bus. But if his contract is bought out. Almost every other team will be lining up to sign him to a contract.

I can think of a lot of teams that won't sign him because of their cap issues, his laziness as a player is just a secondary issue.

[Greeney]

There are so many teams that would take him. He may not get quite as much as he gets now, but teams would still be lining up to get him.

Additionally Oates had Ovechkin playing a decent defensive game the second half of last year. You're all crazy if you think he would have a problem getting signed.

Draynay, I think LA would rather have Ovechkin than Gaborik to be honest.

[draynay]

Draynay, I think LA would rather have Ovechkin than Gaborik to be honest.

Gaborik started out under Jacques Lemaire, he knows how to play in a defensive oriented system, in which Ovechkin would be worth less than nothing. He is a cancer that gets coaches fired by failing to buy into what they teach. Explain to me why a team building for a championship would want to blow up everything they have in order to sign a one-dimensional player that disappears in the biggest games?

[VanillaO]

I actually read a pretty interesting article like 3 weeks back when they'd effectively been eliminated from the playoffs about what Ovechkin and the Caps choices are. The only logical choice is - work out some kind of trade for a player of similar contract value who is rumored to be on the trading block (Eric Staal is 1.25M away and fits the second part), or convince Ovechkin's agent to get Ovechkin to just opt out of his contract and go play in the KHL. Does anyone know where his fiancee does her training? If it's not in the US, it might make no difference if Ovechkin is playing here or in Russia.

Realistically, the problems run way deeper than one guy. You've got just under 1/3 of your cap tied up in 3 guys who are just not performing close enough to the levels you expected when you signed them (the other 2 being Backstrom and Green). Backstrom is putting up point per game numbers over the last few years, which is fine... but defensively, he hasn't exactly been miles ahead of Ovechkin himself. Green hasn't managed to stay healthy, and honestly hasn't been spectacular when he is healthy enough to warrant his 6M either... Brooks Laich making 4.5M.. there are big time problems with this team that go well beyond one guy or a coach and GM.

Every year for 3-4 years it seemed like they had some hotshot new goalie coming up the system... he'd get to the NHL, play his ass off for half a year or a year.. and then (this one is solely on GMGM) trade away the one guy who looks like a bonafide #1 for years to come. Varlamov is fucking 26 years old tomorrow... how the fuck they legitimately thought Holtby or Neuvirth were better is beyond me.... Roll of the dice, I guess?

What I think happens: Ovie stays in the NHL, because his dream has always been to win the Cup, and he has a lot of pride. New management will probably put some feelers out for him, everyone will blow it out of proportion when Dreger or McKenzie announce Washington has interest in trading him... and he stays in Washington, because most teams have already figured out that big time goal scoring doesn't buy shit in the NHL these days if the rest of your team isn't good enough. Going to Carolina wouldn't help Ovechkin or the Canes.. I'd have to figure out where else he could land that could trade or afford him. Clarkson + Franson + 3rd rounder for Ovechkin? I'd consider it. Doubt the new Caps GM would.. but I would.

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The Kings wouldn't have to blow everything up.. trade one of your underperforming forwards (cough Mike Richards) and you have enough cap room for next season. LA's biggest problem isn't their defensive effort (at least until the playoffs started).

[Elgefar]

Snip

Well aware of that, doesn't change my position on him being on the trading block though. The Caps will lose out regardless of what they do anyway. If they buy him out they lose a 50-60 goal scorer, if they keep him they will lose valuable cap space and the ability to start over again pretty much.

I agree with you that buying him out would be the best option, but I can't imagine an owner or GM being stupid enough to blow 46$ million for a non-playing player. From a business PoV it wouldn't make sense really.

[Zeoni]

Anyone who says they woulden't want Ovechkin on their team is thick in the skull. He's one of the 3 best players in the world, I don't give a fuck about his defensive game he puts out stupid amounts of offense that it completely offsets it. 10 game winning goals too. The most gifted natural goal scorer in the NHL right now I'd say. Washington has bigger problems than Ovie, his contract sucks dick but what can you do. They have awful defenseman and almost even worse goaltending. They're right to fire McPhee, especially after the Filip Forsberg trade. How the hell do you even get clearance to do that lol.

[Reg]

[IMG]https://d13csqd2kn0ewr.cloudfront.net/uploads/image/file/45409/cropped_Giroux.gif?ts=1398476266[IMG]

I see nothing wrong with that hip check, especially coming from one of the smallest players in the NHL.

[draynay]

I'm sad I didn't get to see any of the Bruins/Red Wings series, and I didn't even have Marcellos (or whatever he changed his name to) around to tell me how unfair every penalty was, so that series really seemed to pass me by.

[Sykol]

Oh, Jesus. I wouldn't want Ovie within a hundred miles of my team, and I cheer for the Canucks. He'd actually somehow make them worse. Sure, he can score goals, but anyone can when they're literally only out there to score goals. He's not on the ice trying for the defensive plays, or to help his teammates in any way, but rather just to get another point for himself on his way to an awesome -35. I think the Caps not even making the playoffs shows how much 51 goals helps in the long run.

Also, just wanted to say how thrilled I am to see Detroit knocked out so early and easily. Now just for Boston to get Montrealed next round, and the two reject teams to get knocked out if Pittsburgh and Colorado can finally get their acts together, and we'll have some interesting playoffs.

[Deleted]

Great.. I am just going to Congratulate Kings on turning 0-3 to 4-3 in games in advance since Sharks has stoped playing hockey.....

[draynay]

I'm gonna feel a lot better if we hang on to this one, then it will just take a win at home to set up game 7 and then whatever happens I will be OK with it. I don't think Sharks fans should be too appalled, I realize you are Sharks fans and have been hurt before, but you're up against as tough a playoff opponent as there is and still have plenty opportunities to pull this one out.