2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[Puupi]

In my opinion Nylander is far from ready to play in NHL. He is skillful but lacks strength and hasn't been tested against tougher opponents that much. He needs a year in SHL..... he is 18, no need to rush his way to NHL...

[Rennadrel]

In my opinion Nylander is far from ready to play in NHL. He is skillful but lacks strength and hasn't been tested against tougher opponents that much. He needs a year in SHL..... he is 18, no need to rush his way to NHL...

Why would anyone send a kid at 18 to Sweden to play when he needs to work on his game on the smaller ice surface? If he is good on the larger ice, odds are aside from the few rule differences, he will be just as good if not better in North America. And odds are with the Marlies he has the opportunity to play top 6 minutes and lead that team to a Calder Cup championship, it's a really solid team that has been competitive in the AHL playoffs for the last few years.

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Because he has 40-60 point potential if he stays healthy, and because Lupul (and realistically Booth too) will inevitably be on the IR at some point. It's 1.1M, so it's not really going to hurt them that much. If he sucks, they drop him, if he Raymonds, he signs with Calgary next year. /shrug It's not the best forward group we've ever had, but we actually have enough forwards now to roll 4 reasonably good lines consistently. They still have 6.5M to lock up Gardiner and Reimer (since he's legitimately the only good backup available now IMO unless Bryzgalov [ya I'm going there] wants to play here for like 1.5M). That would give them 16 forwards, 6 D and 2 goalies with enough room to find a 7th D and let guys fight it out in training camp. The only real downside to this situation is that the brass were giving lip service about letting young guys have a chance to crack the lineup - that looks less and less likely for the forward spots now (could still see Granberg or Percy making the 7th D spot out of camp, though - I wouldn't do it if they aren't getting quality ice time, mind you).

Well, I am all for getting some experience in the lineup, which is what Booth brings but his health is a massive issue. If he can roll with Kadri and Lupul and stay healthy, that contract is golden because we already have seen just how good the other two guys are together. Booth brings some experience and the dollar value certainly isn't horrible, but I hope that Nonis and Carlyle both made it clear that he has to go into camp in top shape if he wants to try and get some minutes. I think the Leafs know what they have with their young players and they probably don't feel that Nylander is NHL ready yet and so Booth is their plug for the second line while Nylander plays with the Marlies. If Booth gets injured, that spot will probably be given to Nylander. Booth has only played one full season in the NHL and he is 29, that doesn't make me very hopeful but at least it gives the team some time to get Nylander working with the Marlies and playing on the NHL ice surface for a while in hopes that he can start making an impact.

[Puupi]

Why would anyone send a kid at 18 to Sweden to play when he needs to work on his game on the smaller ice surface?

Well that's what teams usually do with young European players. Surely wouldn't be the first time.

If he is good on the larger ice, odds are aside from the few rule differences, he will be just as good if not better in North America.

Okay now you are saying this about Nylander, but what was all that bash about Kontiola earlier on?

[Rennadrel]

Well that's what teams usually do with young European players. Surely wouldn't be the first time.


Okay now you are saying this about Nylander, but what was all that bash about Kontiola earlier on?

Because Kontiola has never played more then a few games in his life in North America, Nylander already has a fair amount of experience since he grew up in Canada and played much of his youth hockey here, he only started playing in Europe 4 years ago.

[Puupi]

Because Kontiola has never played more then a few games in his life in North America, Nylander already has a fair amount of experience since he grew up in Canada and played much of his youth hockey here, he only started playing in Europe 4 years ago.

Now that's just so bullshit.

First of all, Kontiola has played 12 (0+5=5 points) games in NHL and 147 (37+93=130 points) games in AHL.
You really think some 12 year old youth hockey has anything to do with NHL?
Which of them has proved himself in NA hockey?

Now when it comes to Nylander and proving, he has yet to prove that he can even play at MEN'S level. He has only 1 season in men's league and that was the 1 division of Swedish league. Therefore he should prove that he can play at men's level Europe.

SHL/Liiga/KHL are a lot better places for young players to develop themselves becoming ready to NHL than what AHL is.
The season in Europe is a lot shorter than in AHL and the schedule isn't that tight. Therefore the players have more time to develop their physical capabilities (aka build muscle instead of sit in a bus and recover from back to back games), stickhandling and skating technique.

AHL is a good test tool for players' capabilities. But an absolutely horrible development tool.

[Strakha]

In my opinion Nylander is far from ready to play in NHL. He is skillful but lacks strength and hasn't been tested against tougher opponents that much. He needs a year in SHL..... he is 18, no need to rush his way to NHL...

well if the leafs have learned anything, hopefully it's from the oilers where they rush every player into the NHL and stall their career horribly. i dont like the leafs, but they are not even close to a cup contender so just let the kid develop imo. no reason to push him into the nhl this season.

[Zeoni]

AHL is a good test tool for players' capabilities. But an absolutely horrible development tool.

How is it an absolutely horrible development tool? It's literally the same game as the NHL without the top end elite talent on every team. There's a reason teams like the Detroit Red Wings and the Los Angeles Kings let their prospects season in the farm. It instantly throws you into the North American game which is much different from hockey in Europe. Do you honestly think players sit on the bus and recover when they're not playing the game? They don't train any less because they play 2-3 games a week or anything like that. Not to mention the organization will also have their own guys developing him the way they want him to be playing. With all that being said, all that matters at the end of the day if the prospect is NHL ready or not. If he isn't, wherever he gets to play more important minutes is the better place for him to be. If he's going to be on the 3rd line for the Marlies but the top line for Modo/Södertälje SK or whichever team he is signed to that's the place for him to play and get better and vice versa.

[Rennadrel]

Now that's just so bullshit.

First of all, Kontiola has played 12 (0+5=5 points) games in NHL and 147 (37+93=130 points) games in AHL.
You really think some 12 year old youth hockey has anything to do with NHL?
Which of them has proved himself in NA hockey?

Now when it comes to Nylander and proving, he has yet to prove that he can even play at MEN'S level. He has only 1 season in men's league and that was the 1 division of Swedish league. Therefore he should prove that he can play at men's level Europe.

SHL/Liiga/KHL are a lot better places for young players to develop themselves becoming ready to NHL than what AHL is.
The season in Europe is a lot shorter than in AHL and the schedule isn't that tight. Therefore the players have more time to develop their physical capabilities (aka build muscle instead of sit in a bus and recover from back to back games), stickhandling and skating technique.

AHL is a good test tool for players' capabilities. But an absolutely horrible development tool.

Canadian junior hockey from children up to 18 is the best hockey training program in the world, if you honestly think that Nylander would have been better off developing in Sweden as a kid, you know nothing about hockey. Ontario specifically, has some of the greatest development leagues in the world for hockey, and both the OHL and the WHL are the two best leagues for junior hockey players under 20 bar none. The quality of hockey at both the CHL and AHL levels blows the doors off any development program in Sweden.

[Puupi]

How is it an absolutely horrible development tool? It's literally the same game as the NHL without the top end elite talent on every team.

That's exactly why it's a bad developing tool. We are talking about young players. NHL/AHL is so physically- and time-consuming that young players can't progress that well while playing in those leagues. That's why NA prospects usually do one or two extra seasons in the junior/university leagues. For NA players those are the choices.

There's a reason teams like the Detroit Red Wings and the Los Angeles Kings let their prospects season in the farm. It instantly throws you into the North American game which is much different from hockey in Europe. Do you honestly think players sit on the bus and recover when they're not playing the game? They don't train any less because they play 2-3 games a week or anything like that.

Just out of the ass numbers here, but the difference between AHL and European leagues is roughly 30% less games, 50% less traveling. You can get a lot more individual exercise here.

With all that being said, all that matters at the end of the day if the prospect is NHL ready or not. If he isn't, wherever he gets to play more important minutes is the better place for him to be.

Most of the time 18 year olds are far from physically ready to play in NHL (eg. Teräväinen, Granlund, Yakupov). That's why they need those 1 or 2 years to build up their body. Those rare cases that actually are physically ready when they are 18 (eg. Barkov, Nugent-Hopkins, Toews, Crosby) can jump straight in to NHL or AHL.

If he's going to be on the 3rd line for the Marlies but the top line for Modo/Södertälje SK or whichever team he is signed to that's the place for him to play and get better and vice versa.

It depends on whether the player is not ready physically or gameplay-wise. If he wasn't ready for either of those, he probably wouldn't have been drafted in the first rounds. So, physically not ready = play in Europe, physically ready, but gameplay isn't quite there = AHL. They are athletes afterall, so the physical part is priority number one.

[Zeoni]

RNH was 160 lbs when he got drafted, just fyi. I think you have it backwards, a physically unready player isn't meant to play in the AHL, he'll get dominated and beat up. In fact, if someone isn't physically ready then they should probably go back to where they played junior hockey and that happens 90% of the time. So much talent passes through the AHL on a yearly basis that I'm pretty sure it's the highest quality league outside the NHL and probably a rung down from the KHL. I'm also pretty sure an AHL team and a SHL team played an exhibition game last year and the AHLers destroyed them (*upon further research I see there was a couple games, AHL allstars dominated a team that was in the SHL finals -Farjestad- while the Marlies played them and the game went to OT with the Marlies eventually winning. It's the last step before the NHL for most players. But all of that doesn't really matter, what matters is the minutes the player is playing like I said before. If he's going to get top line minutes over in Europe wherever he decides to play as opposed to if he'll get bottom of the barrel minutes in the AHL, it's better for him to play in Europe. (Him being a hypothetical player at this point). Same thing if the situations are reversed.

[Puupi]

RNH was 160 lbs when he got drafted, just fyi.

It's not just about weight. There is a lot more than just body weight to the issue

I think you have it backwards, a physically unready player isn't meant to play in the AHL, he'll get dominated and beat up.

You got it backwards, because that's exactly what I said. Or well, not the beat up thing, but the league isn't correct place for unready players. Physically not ready = go to Europe or university/junior leagues.

In fact, if someone isn't physically ready then they should probably go back to where they played junior hockey and that happens 90% of the time.

That, or Euro mens league. Depends how big the gap obviously is.

[Zeoni]

I read it wrong, my bad lol. RNH was 6 foot 160 and he got injured because he wasnt strong enough in his first season.

[Nazrark]

I prefer the approach that the Jets took with Schiefle. They had him in Barrie and grow into his body. But at the same time they sent a strength and conditioning coach with him. To get him to his current weight and be comfortable there. Afterwards they had him in the AHL for a season.

You don't have to rush someone who isn't physically ready into the league. You shouldn't do it as well.

[Rennadrel]

I read it wrong, my bad lol. RNH was 6 foot 160 and he got injured because he wasnt strong enough in his first season.

He still isn't. Heck, most of Edmonton's forwards are scrawny and need to put on weight. They get pushed around for the puck so easily.

And if the Leafs want Nylander to excel in a league for a season, he needs to play in the OHL. It's competitive enough, it's a North American game with probably a more offensively focused play style which will help him show his scoring abilities because the defensive system under Carlyle is going to be rough on a young kid who isn't all that big. He might not be ready for the AHL but it's an option if they don't want to send him to Sweden. And if I were management I'd want him playing in North America and getting top 6 minutes. The problem with him playing in the OHL though is they can't manage his minutes as an organization, they can with the Marlies because they are the minor league team.

[jackofwind]

Because he has 40-60 point potential if he stays healthy

Because he has potential if he stays healthy

he has potential if he stays healthy

if he stays healthy

healthy

healthy

healthy

He won't, because he never does. I'm sorry you guys got him, you shouldn't want him.

[VanillaO]

Needed some forward depth and most of our AHL players aren't really capable of playing higher than bottom 6. Booth can maybe step up, or at least take some pressure off. I'm not too worried - if he's a bust, he's not much against the cap and he's gone after a year. If he puts up 40 points, I consider it a huge victory for him and the team.

[Shaani]

Finally, the Canadiens signed Eller:

MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens avoided arbitration with centre Lars Eller, agreeing to terms of a four-year contract with the 25-year-old Thursday that reportedly pays him an average of US$3.5 million a season.

"Now it's up to me to go out and play the best hockey I can," he said by phone from the airport in Toronto, where he was waiting to catch a flight home to Denmark.

"This (Montreal) was the place I want to be. Four years was a term that both sides have been working on for quite some time."

Eller was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on Friday. He reportedly asked for $3.1 million for next season while the team offered $1.65 million.

Source: http://www.thehockeynews.com/article...year-deal.html

I am kind of puzzled why the Canadiens offered at first only 1.65 millions, but I guess that was just their "poker-face" and initial offer.
Glad Eller got a decent deal in the end.

[Puupi]

Kind of odd. He asked for 3.1 million for one year and got a 3.5 million per season deal for four years.

[Greeney]

Kind of odd. He asked for 3.1 million for one year and got a 3.5 million per season deal for four years.

Makes sense to me, he's getting paid more this year and next, but the team gets two more years (that they think he'll become wore valuable) until he becomes an UFA.

[Puupi]

Makes sense to me, he's getting paid more this year and next, but the team gets two more years (that they think he'll become wore valuable) until he becomes an UFA.

Well to me the only reasonable explanation would be something like 1st year being 1.6 million, 2nd 2.4 mil, 3rd 3,5 mil, 4th 4,5 mil.

But the salaries for individual years weren't published, right?