2023-24 NHL Season Thread.

[Zeoni]

But there are still many others that can replace Kronwall. He is pretty much done now.

Maybe they wanted a bit more experience? Hell if I know, I'd prob take Oduya over him if I was the GM.

Also anyone catch the stats on Vlasic defensively for the Blues series? 5on5 when he was on the ice, St Louis had FOUR high danger chances and scored 0 goals in the 100 minutes he played. Not just Vlasic obviously but that's pretty impressive. Guy is an elite defender and I'm jealous as hell.

http://i.imgur.com/GfRI7rs.png Full World Cup rosters for all the participants. I'm pulling for Team North America but that's because of Monahan and Gaudreau. I feel like Canada is showing too much loyalty to Jeff Carter and Matt Duchene but that's just me. Muzzin over Letang is a head scratcher but it won't make or break their chances either way imo.

[Deleted]

Maybe they wanted a bit more experience? Hell if I know, I'd prob take Oduya over him if I was the GM.

Also anyone catch the stats on Vlasic defensively for the Blues series? 5on5 when he was on the ice, St Louis had FOUR high danger chances and scored 0 goals in the 100 minutes he played. Not just Vlasic obviously but that's pretty impressive. Guy is an elite defender and I'm jealous as hell.

Vlasic has to be the most underrated D in the league. He played almost EVERY shift against Tarasenko and completly shut him down. I love that the talk before and in the start of the series we would loose because Blues had the better depth in the D.. Blues D's sucked. They lost the series for them.

[Zeoni]

Vlasic has to be the most underrated D in the league. He played almost EVERY shift against Tarasenko and completly shut him down. I love that the talk before and in the start of the series we would loose because Blues had the better depth in the D.. Blues D's sucked. They lost the series for them.

It's because he plays for the Sharks and none of the hockey media that is based in Toronto (aka almost all of it) is awake when they play. I've known about that guy for awhile since we play in the same division but I don't think he's underrated tbh. Everyone who watches the Pacific division at all knows how good Vlasic is. He shut down Tiffoli, Forsberg then Tarasenko. Final boss is Sidney Crosby who is a whole different animal but I still think the Sharks eat the Penguins in 5 games.

[Greeney]

Maybe they wanted a bit more experience? Hell if I know, I'd prob take Oduya over him if I was the GM.

Also anyone catch the stats on Vlasic defensively for the Blues series? 5on5 when he was on the ice, St Louis had FOUR high danger chances and scored 0 goals in the 100 minutes he played. Not just Vlasic obviously but that's pretty impressive. Guy is an elite defender and I'm jealous as hell.

http://i.imgur.com/GfRI7rs.png Full World Cup rosters for all the participants. I'm pulling for Team North America but that's because of Monahan and Gaudreau. I feel like Canada is showing too much loyalty to Jeff Carter and Matt Duchene but that's just me. Muzzin over Letang is a head scratcher but it won't make or break their chances either way imo.

A near identical team won Olympic gold last year. Not really too shocked they're keeping a similar team and Carter is solid defensively. More surprised that Bouwmeester and Kunitz aren't being brought back to keep it more similar than the team leaving off Subban or Letang. They have a team that will play the exact same style and can't have too many offensive defenseman. Perry not on the list is kind of stupid when there's too many strict centres.

As a side note, no I'm not saying Kunitz or Bouwmeester deserve to make the list based purely on skill.

Going to be interesting to see how NA does with McDavid, Eichel and Matthews.

[Zeoni]

A near identical team won Olympic gold last year. Not really too shocked they're keeping a similar team and Carter is solid defensively. More surprised that Bouwmeester and Kumitz aren't being brought back to keep it more similar than the team leaving off Subban or Letang. They have a team that will play the exact same style and can't have too many offensive defenseman.

I can see that I guess but Letang has been unbelievable these playoffs carrying the Pittsburgh blue line. As someone who watched the Preds/Sharks series, Weber being in there makes me a bit anxious. He was god awful that entire series but we'll see. I'd like to believe we're still the favourites but lookout for that NA team. McDavid and Gaudreau playing together is gonna be fuckin sick.

[Greeney]

Weber played very well in previous Olympics. I'm sure he was a lock up there with Keith, Doughty, and Pietr because he played the system well, has chemistry with others there, and was a dominant force in winning the gold (second or third best player). Hell we may have lost that one game without him where the dehydrated goalie from Latvia (was that the right country?) almost stopped Canada. Weber blasted the puck through his net. Who knows if Weber was injured? I would never make a decision over won series. In the last few years, Weber has been better than Letang overall.

A McDavid - Gaudreau line will be insanely fun to watch if that happens like it should. I would like to see Drouin on that line as well but I imagine they'll throw him with Mackinnon (who I'm guessing will be a RW here) along with Eichel on the second line.

[Deleted]

It's because he plays for the Sharks and none of the hockey media that is based in Toronto (aka almost all of it) is awake when they play. I've known about that guy for awhile since we play in the same division but I don't think he's underrated tbh. Everyone who watches the Pacific division at all knows how good Vlasic is. He shut down Tiffoli, Forsberg then Tarasenko. Final boss is Sidney Crosby who is a whole different animal but I still think the Sharks eat the Penguins in 5 games.

Yea. I guess that is different. But I am 100% sure he will be able to shut down Crosby. This is our year

[Armourboy]

I haven't really heard if Weber was hurt in the series or not, although doubtful if nothing came out by now. I think in his case the number of minutes played, all the travel and the fact we didn't get an extra day off until after game 6 just caught up with him. He plays a very physical game and he and Josi both were targeted pretty heavily in the Anaheim series.

The major injuries I heard for us was Smith, Josi, and Forsberg's back. It was one reason he was shut down so easily. He couldn't be nearly as physical as he normally is. He likes to throw that back shoulder check, and I noticed in the series he completely stopped doing it or it just had no effect. Usually when he does it he just lays people out. The couple times he tried it it looked like Peter Dinklage doing it to Andre the giant.

[Rennadrel]

Letang is a liability defensively, sure he can put up points, but he won't get that opportunity against grinder European teams playing actual defense

[Zeoni]

He's definitely not a defensive liability right now, he's been playing half the damn games vs players like Ovechkin and the Kucherov/Johnson fuckshow. The dude is absolutely driving possession every game which would be huge in a world cup setting. It's even more impressive when you consider that no one else on the Penguins blue line is that great of a player. The way he keeps the powerplay flowing is huge too, I'd take him just to have that option for powerplays. The amount of offensive zone time Canada is going to have, I don't know if there's many players who move the puck as well as him as a defenseman. And he's a better skater than everyone on the squad except maybe Duncan Keith.

edit: willy Ny AHL hat trick from last evening https://streamable.com/hruo

[Rennadrel]

That last one was a pure rocket. The fact that it went in from that far out was amazing.

[Greeney]

Time to see (if) Marner win(s) every MVP award in the CHL/OHL this season.


Tkachuk definitely did his best to raise his draft value. I'd love to see him on (besides Toronto) Calgary with either Monahan and Gaudreau or Bennett. He'd also make a nice addition to Vancouver if he's NHL ready before the Sidings retire.

[Zeoni]

Time to see (if) Marner win(s) every MVP award in the CHL/OHL this season.


Tkachuk definitely did his best to raise his draft value. I'd love to see him on (besides Toronto) Calgary with either Monahan and Gaudreau or Bennett. He'd also make a nice addition to Vancouver if he's NHL ready before the Sidings retire.

Marner already got OHL mvp, I don't know? if they do a CHL but I'd imagine he gets that too. Mem. Cup mvp also, great season for the kid. Tkachuk is goin to the Oilers, I'm almost positive of it. And he'll be a great fit there, he is more of a complimentary player to a good line (as seen during this absolute tear the Knighs just went on). He'd go well with McDavid but I think a Hall - Draisaitl - Tkachuk line would be beastly and hard to play against.

I've heard the Canucks are very high on Pierre-Luc Dubois who would be a great fit there as well. I think PLD and Tkachuk are both better players than any of the top 3 D men and that's why I think teams like Edmonton and Vancouver who are desperate for good young defenseman will pass on them. Oilers need someone who can step into the lineup now, not in 2-3 years like is expected with Chychurn/Juolevi/Sergachev. I think by the time we pick, we're gonna have a decision on our hands between a D and Nylander. I'm cool with either although I change my mind daily lol.

imo the draft goes Matthews > Laine > Puljujaarvi (although I can see him making a case for being the more complete player between the 2 Finns) > Dubois > Tkachuk > Nylander and the 3 D are all equal. There is about 9 really good players with the top 3 having an immediate impact. Tkachuk and Dubois likely need another year in junior but I could see PLD making the jump over Tkachuk depending on where he goes. All 3 of the D should require another year at least to season in the OHL. Same goes for Nylander, kid needs to bulk up but from the Steelheads games I've seen, his shot and offensive ability might just be good enough to make an NHL debut in the 2017-2018 season. After those 9 players I'd sprinkle in Brown and Tyson Jost making shaking up the top 10. I've heard many teams are interested in Brown including the Canucks. If he makes it to #9 I'm almost positive the Canadiens will pick him. Jost is interesting because he plays in the BCHL which is basically a tier 2 league but he dominates there. When he represented Canada at the u17 tournament I believe he set a new record for points scored which was just set by McDavid. Everyone outside the top 9 I mentioned earlier probably needs at least 2.5 years of further development. The top 20 are all solid players with different tiers of skill level and projections but past that, the 21-90th picks are just a toss up right now. Interesting draft, fairly weak and top heavy but the top 10 should be all intriguing players.

[Greeney]

I don't think oilers take Tkachuk. I see them either taking defence or trading down. I'm hoping he falls to you guys though, would make for a fun team to watch. I could see other teams having to trade a bit more to be able to draft 4th now though if they want to nab him. Not surprised Vancouver is high on PLD though.

[Deleted]

Not sure how the hell I am going to survive this series... The first two periods are killing me!

[Zeoni]

I don't think oilers take Tkachuk. I see them either taking defence or trading down. I'm hoping he falls to you guys though, would make for a fun team to watch. I could see other teams having to trade a bit more to be able to draft 4th now though if they want to nab him. Not surprised Vancouver is high on PLD though.

If they pick at 4, I say there is a very high chance they pick him. I won't be in the least bit surprised if/when they do trade the pick but if they decide to keep it I believe Tkachuk fits their needs and the difference between him and Dubois is preference. Personally, I think PLD is too much of the same player as the guys they have already whereas Tkachuk has shown he can be an extremely good complimentary piece to a McDavid or a Hall. However, both those players are just better than the 3 D available. I don't think teams should draft based on positional need when you're passing up good players just because your teams D sucks.

I don't see the Oilers keeping the 4th pick and taking a defenseman because they need defense now. They can't afford to wait 2-3 more seasons for a guy to develop and even then not be ready to step in for meaningful minutes. None of those 3 guys are going to step into the NHL when the Oilers need them to and play big minutes. There just simply isn't an Ekblad or a Hanifin in this draft unfortunately as those types of players are rare as heck. Most D aren't ready to step in and shoulder meaningful playing time right out of the gate. Ekblad is an exception because that kid is/was just a freak and had hockey IQ through the roof. I could see Chychurn playing after next season (17-18) because his skating is very very good but I don't expect him to be a cornerstone D until he's 22 or 23. Unfortunately the Oilers have had to rebuild their initial rebuild because of incompetency in the front office and they're paying for it now. But if they draft Tkachuk it makes Eberle and RNH very expendable. Anyone not named McDavid or Draisaitl should be traded imo even if that means trading Hall. But they're not gonna give away a top 5 LW in the league that easily. If Hall goes, the return absolutely has to be a top 3 potential D.

If I had to make a prediction about what actually happens with the 4th overall pick I'd say: If the Oilers keep it, they take Tkachuk. If they trade it, it's going to be part of some sort of deal for a D man who no one knows is available or trading back for a top 4 D. Buffalo, Arizona, Montreal are as far as I see them going unless Colorado does Barrie for 4th overall +. I've heard Faulks name out there as well. I don't think Arizona has the assets to move up unless they want to give up Connor Murphy +, neither does Montreal. It'll be interesting for sure and I imagine what happens is going to come out of left field ala the Dougie Hamilton trade last year.

[Nazrark]

They will take Tkachuk just because it offers them more flexibility for dealing their other players.

[Zeoni]

Well, I guess I didn't expect San Jose to look so flat for the majority of these games so far.

[Greeney]

I'd really love to see Kessel win the Conn Smythe, but if Pittsburgh doesn't blow it I can't see how you don't give it to Murray. Probably the best rookie year for a goalie since Roy.

- - - Updated - - -

They will take Tkachuk just because it offers them more flexibility for dealing their other players.

Tkatchuk has more value at this point, but I still feel Chychrun is better for their long term needs. Especially when their window to be competitive hasn't even started. It would be a big mistake for them to not try and trade down a couple spots IMO.

[Nazrark]

http://www.tsn.ca/buckle-up-for-a-bu...ivity-1.500124

Here's a picture for everyone.


Any surprises?