2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[BicycleMafioso]

Nono, I meant that I think they are doing well with updates to the NHL-games considering what they have to work with. Adding more strategies, improving the engines, fleshing out the modes.
I meant that I think the people criticising are a bit harsh. Sure, they could just release roster-updates, but there are still functions updating and making it a better game.

[sharlez]

Radulov showed some really bad attitude when he didn't take the cup seriously two years ago when Nashville was in the Conference Semi and went back to KHL shortly after.

But this, Kovalchuk signing a huge 13 year contract and abandoning ship 2 years later is even worse. Devils even brought him to the Stanley Cup Final for the 1st and last time of his career and the fans showed nothing but love and respect towards him.

And to think just a day ago things looked pretty good for the Devils for this next season, Schneider acquired, Clowe & Ryder signed and Boucher likely to develop into a very good player within a couple of seasons.

Gonna be a tough year for New Jersey Devils for sure, had great trouble scoring goals with Kovalchuk in the lineup...

[Armourboy]

My first NHL game was the old 989 studios version, I think it was in '97 but could be wrong on it. If I remember right it was one of the first to actually keep a running total of your season stats and then use them as placards during replays. It was easy to cheese the AI, but it was still fun as hell.

[VanillaO]

You misunderstood what I was trying to say. I'd say Nash is better individually than either of them but a margin, but I rather have both Gaborik and Horton than Nash.

Ah... then yes, absolutely agreed.



I am still having a hard time understanding what our lines might look like this year. I seriously can't imagine a world where either Kadri or Bolland are happy with 3rd line duties and minutes. We trade 3 picks (2 meh picks) for a guy for a year? Doesn't seem likely. I'm beginning to think Kadri might actually end up on the trading block, especially after the year he had. It's insane, but if you could get back a solid top 3 D, or a couple top 9 forwards with small contracts, for a guy who is easily a #2 center on a number of teams around the league, I would definitely have to think about it. Also, Nonis isn't the type of guy who will need to be absolutely blown away by a deal (ie Mike Gillis) to pull the trigger. If it's a smart deal, and he gets fair value in return, he will do it. Keeping in mind that Joe Colborne was just signed to a 1 year contract (important thing to note is it's 1-way), I really think they're going to try to use him in 3rd/4th line minutes and see how he does. With McClement on the 4th line and PK duty, that gives us 5 centers. 1st/4th line centers are pretty much locked in.

JvR Bozak Kessel
Lupul Bolland/Kadri Clarkson
Smith? Bolland/Kadri/Colborne Kulemin
McLaren McClement Orr


Any of the Leafs crew care to chime in here? I just don't really understand what's going on. There's no way we trade for Bolland, and have him play garbage minutes and be unhappy and leave. To me it just seems like there could be a trade in the works that might be completely unexpected. Maybe nothing happens. I don't know. It's just been bugging me all day and I had to share my confusion.

[Raleik]

I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see someone offer sheet Kadri. I mean, according to cap geek Toronto has I believe 4 or 5 RFA's right now, and only around 10 million in cap space. Plus, Kessel's in line for an extension soon as well. If someone offer sheets Kadri for 3-4 million, it may be tough for Toronto to match that and still do everything else they want to do. If I was a GM looking for a center, I'd definitely give that a shot.

[Rennadrel]

Kovalcheque, totally earned that nickname now. Have fun in Russia you talentless hack, I feel sorry for New Jersey and their fans for filling your bank account only to walk out on them without even playing half the contract. What a dick move.

I pity future Russian players and European players in general, teams aren't going to draft them or give them long term deals because of Kovalcheque.

As for the Leafs:

Bolland here is to be a 3rd line grit player, I think his experience and skill will go well with Jay McClemment and Nikolai Kulemin, that should be an excellent two way line. Right now though with Colborne getting an extension, I think he is there more to fill a hole left at centre by the Grabovski buyout. I just don't think Colborne is good enough to take a job away from anyone on the team right now. Bozak is the #1 C, Kadri is clearly the #2, McClemment is #3, so maybe they kept him for cheap in hopes that he can be a shut down 4th line guy, if not then he is replaceable.

JVR - Bozak - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Clarkson
Bolland - McClemment - Kulemin
McLaren - Colborne - Orr

I think our weakest true position up front is the #4 C, even if Bozak isn't the ideal centre, he is better then Colborne and far more proven.

[draynay]

The problem is with the NHL if they can't compete with KHL contracts, the only thing that will suffer is the quality of the product we're left to view when a sizable number of players would rather play closer to home at better pay, and who's to blame them?

[conscript]

The problem is with the NHL if they can't compete with KHL contracts, the only thing that will suffer is the quality of the product we're left to view when a sizable number of players would rather play closer to home at better pay, and who's to blame them?

The NHL is never going to be able to compete with KHL contracts. If the NHL removed the salary cap the league might as well contract to 20 teams. Small markets would be destroyed in free agency. Remember the 2001 Red Wings? That was the most fun I have ever had watching hockey, but a team like that is detrimental to the league's health. Fun story, I found out the Wings signed Hasek, my favorite player in the league as I played goalie in my indoor league, when I was in New York City and saw it on the scroll in Times Square. That is beyond a doubt the happiest I have ever been about a free agent signing by any team I follow. Where was I? Oh ya, the KHL is going to always be able to offer more than the NHL. It is a dirty league run by dirty moneymen and dirty politicians. I got no problem with Kovy, or any player, going to the money. Its going to hurt the quality of the league slightly, but there isn't much you can do unless the KHL institutes a cap and even then its going to be wink wink nudge nudge we are only paying him $10 million per year. Ethical entities can not compete against the unethical. Its how business works.

[BicycleMafioso]

The biggest reason they can't compete, is taxes. They match the contracts with the same $, but they have only like 13% income taxes, so the portion the player keeps is far larger.

[Rennadrel]

It won't hurt the quality of the NHL, it makes the KHL better slightly, but losing the few Russian players who come here isn't going to be an issue. Honestly, Ovechkin is one of the most popular Russian players and enjoys playing here, and he is getting paid well, he doesn't want to leave, at least not until his name is on the Cup anyway.

[BicycleMafioso]

I'm really not a fan of the KHL at all, don't get me wrong, but having a league be attractive outside the NHL is a good thing. I don't think domestic European hockey leagues would survive with all the talent and all the good players being siphoned over to America and then maybe not even making it out of the minors.
Having a fall-back is not a bad idea. Outside Russians, I don't think I've seen anyone really pick the KHL over the NHL. Not anyone who seriously had a chance to beat themselves in there. And I have seen none who still had the drive to really compete for hockey still and the skills to be top 4 lines in the NHL and not to old leave for the KHL either.

I don't think the KHL is a bad idea. The actual KHL, I do not like however. And I don't follow anything. At all.

[Greeney]

Ah... then yes, absolutely agreed.



I am still having a hard time understanding what our lines might look like this year. I seriously can't imagine a world where either Kadri or Bolland are happy with 3rd line duties and minutes. We trade 3 picks (2 meh picks) for a guy for a year? Doesn't seem likely. I'm beginning to think Kadri might actually end up on the trading block, especially after the year he had. It's insane, but if you could get back a solid top 3 D, or a couple top 9 forwards with small contracts, for a guy who is easily a #2 center on a number of teams around the league, I would definitely have to think about it. Also, Nonis isn't the type of guy who will need to be absolutely blown away by a deal (ie Mike Gillis) to pull the trigger. If it's a smart deal, and he gets fair value in return, he will do it. Keeping in mind that Joe Colborne was just signed to a 1 year contract (important thing to note is it's 1-way), I really think they're going to try to use him in 3rd/4th line minutes and see how he does. With McClement on the 4th line and PK duty, that gives us 5 centers. 1st/4th line centers are pretty much locked in.

JvR Bozak Kessel
Lupul Bolland/Kadri Clarkson
Smith? Bolland/Kadri/Colborne Kulemin
McLaren McClement Orr


Any of the Leafs crew care to chime in here? I just don't really understand what's going on. There's no way we trade for Bolland, and have him play garbage minutes and be unhappy and leave. To me it just seems like there could be a trade in the works that might be completely unexpected. Maybe nothing happens. I don't know. It's just been bugging me all day and I had to share my confusion.

Not suggesting that Kulemin is better than Clarkson, but I would keep Kulemin with Kadri and Lupul. He seems to play a lot better with those two than he did with Grabovsky and MacArthur and if the chemistry works you may as well keep it, if not replace him with Clarkson afterwards. I would like to see Bolland and Clarkson together as well to start the season. If you compare Grabovsky and Kadri's time on ice last season, you'll see it's pretty close. I don't think being on 2nd or 3rd line is going to make a big difference; it's going to be more about match ups with Carlyle, and hopefully Kadri will be matched up with players he has a better chance of scoring against like he was at the first half of last season.

[BicycleMafioso]

So Raycroft got confirmed for a team in the Swedish second league. Where Pogge is also playing.
Well done, Toronto. Much better than Rask, right?

[Greeney]

So Raycroft got confirmed for a team in the Swedish second league. Where Pogge is also playing.
Well done, Toronto. Much better than Rask, right?

I'm pretty sure the heavy majority of the responsibility is with John Ferguson Jr. and the Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan for hiring him.

[Rennadrel]

So Blake Geffrion retired at the age of 25 today, he only played 55 games in the NHL. Apparently he sustained a skull fracture over 8 months ago during an AHL game, so I would assume he is having PCS problems.

- - - Updated - - -

So Raycroft got confirmed for a team in the Swedish second league. Where Pogge is also playing.
Well done, Toronto. Much better than Rask, right?

Yeah, but Optimus Reims is so much cooler sounding then Andrew Raycrap. Guy couldn't stop a fucking beachball in the NHL.

[AceofHarts]

really excited about being in the east "this" year.

[Rennadrel]

Have fun missing the playoffs.

[Garbles]

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/90...eoffrion-story

Bucci is my idle...

[AceofHarts]

Have fun missing the playoffs.

people have been s aying the wings are gonna miss the playoffs since like....1999.
keep hating.

[Rennadrel]

Well, look at it this way. Every other team in the east is younger and arguably more skilled all around. There are only a couple of teams who I will say are going to be mediocre and they are the obvious one's. Tampa and Florida are still developing their talent, Buffalo is going to be shit as they restructure and I don't see the Islanders being competitive this year. God knows where Philadelphia and Carolina end up, and I'd peg Boston as a question mark due to their roster changes.