OT: 2022-23 NHL thread….Devils & Rangers & Islanders
- Thread starter zappaa
- Start date
I actually do enjoy the 3 on 3 tournament format even though I thought I was going to hate it when they announced it. I hate 3 on 3 overtime but since this is just for fun anyway I'm okay with it. It allows for more creativity compared to the normal 5 on 5 all-star games, which were pretty dry.
The skills competition needs work though. The off-site events don't really do it for me, and I think it's just too long in general. I also think the creativity shootout or whatever they call it with the costumes and props has run its course for me. When they introduced that event, I'm pretty sure they were expecting it to be players trying out stuff like those fancy lacrosse moves you see on the internet, but the problem is the guys in the NHL for the most part (with a few exceptions like Trevor Zegras) don't do that stuff because they're good at actual regular hockey, so it turned into costumes and guest appearances instead. If it were up to me, I'd go back to just the classic events from the 90s:
--puck control relay
--fastest skater
--shooting accuracy
--hardest shot
--shootout
Cut the fat by getting rid of the other nonsense, and fill that void by bringing back the old Heroes of Hockey old-timers game taking place before the skills competition. Even as a kid I loved watching it to learn about the guys who were the stars of the sport before I got into it.
The skills competition needs work though. The off-site events don't really do it for me, and I think it's just too long in general. I also think the creativity shootout or whatever they call it with the costumes and props has run its course for me. When they introduced that event, I'm pretty sure they were expecting it to be players trying out stuff like those fancy lacrosse moves you see on the internet, but the problem is the guys in the NHL for the most part (with a few exceptions like Trevor Zegras) don't do that stuff because they're good at actual regular hockey, so it turned into costumes and guest appearances instead. If it were up to me, I'd go back to just the classic events from the 90s:
--puck control relay
--fastest skater
--shooting accuracy
--hardest shot
--shootout
Cut the fat by getting rid of the other nonsense, and fill that void by bringing back the old Heroes of Hockey old-timers game taking place before the skills competition. Even as a kid I loved watching it to learn about the guys who were the stars of the sport before I got into it.
I’d be okay with just the bold.
And agree with @TM94goRU, go back to a real game with 5 on 5. Keep it simple with an East vs. West format too.
Might not be the most popular idea but I also like the idea of the NHL all star game being played in a warmer climate.
Horvat is a good player, but I don't know he's worth paying $8.5M a year. He's only eclipsed 60 pts in a season once in his career.
You are just looking at his stats but how many times have you watched him play?
Prob not a lot
If the islanders have the money it’s not even a Question that he’s worth it
He’s a top Line two-way leader
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It's tricky because demand and values are always higher for unrestricted players. Is Horvat worth 8.5? In a vacuum, no, and Hughes deal looks splendid in comparison. Does Horvat get that or more this summer as UFA? No question.
Lou had no choice to penny up, you can't let Horvat walk after giving up key assets for him. My fear for the Islanders is Lou is leading them down the same path he led the Devils in his final years, always reloading until the cupboard is bare.
Lou was one of the best hockey GMs of his time, maybe in all of sports. We need to put a statue of the man at Championship Plaza for everything he did for us. He was at his best during an era of no cap which is amazing because he didn't have the money to spend for bigtime FA's like the Rangers could, but once the cap was instituted he struggled with it for some reason.
He was also done in by his scouting department especially when it came to drafting Euro players, for example after we selected Petr Sykora in the 1995 draft, the next 38 Euro players we drafted were ALL misses. Yeah it hurt selecting in the bottom of the first round for most of two decades, but it doesn't take away that the firsts we did select were mostly busts and we rarely found gems from the second on.
But the bottom line is the Devils are still in Jersey because of Lou. The gratitude we owe him is immense.
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Islanders have to take a shot, because if they look like they are not competing Sorokin can walk after next season.
He's not going to be cheap to keep unless he takes a hometown discount, he could easily fetch $9M+ as a UFA, maybe even over $10M.
Just need Lou to fire the coach & name himself head coach and I'll know we're in the ballpark.
Think of the teams who have been good but lacked a top goalie (Toronto, Edmonton, Carolina and you can envision quite the bidding war if Sorokin hits the market.
Then you add in the teams who are on the upswing (Devils, even Buffalo and Detroit) and the number could get crazy. He would be the best goalie on the FA market in a while.
I still think parting ways with Trotz was a big mistake.
No doubt, in his prime, LL was excellent. But, Bill Torrey was epic. Has never been a better one before and hasn’t been a better one since. Pollack has the rings, but I just can’t give a lot of credit to those pre-modern-draft (69) players that he acquired.
And, yes he had Gretzky so a huge asterisk, but Slats was pretty damn good back in the day as well.
To me, the issue really isn’t - is he worth the money or is he a top player? Yes to both.
The problem is the mix. NYI is already chock full of 2 way players, it’s almost the entire team. They needed a sniper. A Bossy-lite. Like the need he filled for those 80s teams, NYI needed a complimentary component to an already thick, rugged, playoff ready team.
It would not be fun to play against Tank, Lee and Horvat if they ever put them together.
That would be a big time throw back line
I'm sure he made the deal assuming they'd resign him, but you're spot on in that Lou isn't worried about their roster / cap situation 8 years from now. He's got a couple year window.
No, he is scratching Gauthier (top five on the team in 5v5 scoring) AND Kravstov (second on the team in defense) for two guys who haven’t scored a goal in 80+ games combined and who suck at defense.
We’ll dominate the “meaningless hit long AFTER the opponent has already gotten rid of the puck” stat tonight, though.
Was at devils game. Fun game ! Canucks played with a lot of heart ! Defense played like crap. We can use another scoring forward. Glad to see Marino back !
Timo baby. Go get him.
Also like to see Graeme Clarke get a chance in the bottom six.
I'd be tickled pink if that's all it took.
We're probably going to have to give up one our top defensive prospects, either Muk, Vilen or Casey, I'm praying it's not Casey. And I'd imagine they would want Holtz since him and Eklund have been dynamic together for Team Sweden's junior team.
Holtz, Muk and 2023 1st is my bet if it goes down.
Amazing how Laf helps drive the kid line.
If there’s one thing GG has to have learned, it’s that line must not be broken up no matter how poorly the top two lines are playing.
Once again, the only reason they don’t get significant more minutes and Chytil doesn’t get PP time is he loses 7 out 10 face offs and he’s about 1 in 10 against the good face off men in the league
If there’s one thing GG has to have learned, it’s that line must not be broken up no matter how poorly the top two lines are playing.
Once again, the only reason they don’t get significant more minutes and Chytil doesn’t get PP time is he loses 7 out 10 face offs and he’s about 1 in 10 against the good face off men in the league
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Putting aside the OT game winner, Laf was very visible last night.
If you could combine Trochek’s face off skills with Chytil’s 5v5 play, you’d really have something cooking.