January NHL News

cshea

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Montreal with 2 trades today that accomplish very little:

1. Mike Reilly traded to Ottawa for Andrew Sturtz and a 2021 5th round draft pick

2. Acquired Marco Scandella from Buffalo for a 2020 4th round pick. The pick here is San Jose’s 4th, which is fairly notable because San Jose sucks so this could be the proverbial “late” 3rd round pick.
 

MiracleOfO2704

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Jul 12, 2005
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I didn't want to start a new thread for it, especially since they're doing nominations for another month and I don't know what it'll let American IPs do, but Kraft-Heinz is starting the Hockeyville process again. Three years ago, O'Leary, PEI, won the grand prize, but we may have a more worthy case out here this year. The Community Sports Centre in nearby Tyne Valley burned down two weeks ago, and while it had had its share of problems, the amount of work it needed just went from onerous to impossible without help. The rink's rally page is here, so hopefully we can spread the word and get them a little help getting back on their feet.
 

Salem's Lot

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The Rangers aren’t trading Georgiev unless they get a haul. If they’re moving anyone it would be a subsidized Lundqvist if they can get him to waive his NMC.
 

Salem's Lot

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Why not? The future in NY is Igor Shesterkin. They'll hang on to Lundqvist until his contract expires after next year and then Shesterkin will be the man going forward.
Because he’s an asset. They don’t need to move him right now unless they get a godfather offer. And they don’t have to worry about losing him, he’s on a two way deal. They can just send him to the AHL and try to move Lundqvist in the offseason if they really don’t want to carry three goalies in a rebuild year. If I were Gorton, I wouldn’t deal him unless I absolutely won the trade. Especially not before his RFA in July.
 

cshea

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Georgiev has been on the block, I think they’ll trade him. They can’t keep all 3, Hank’s not going anywhere so it is between the 2 younger ones. Igor appears to be better and is cheaper next year. He’s also a flight risk. Georgiev needs a new deal. My guess is Georgiev lands somewhere like Detroit or New Jersey, some crappy team looking for a starter.
 

kenneycb

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Dec 2, 2006
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Tuukka's refugee camp
This has no real spot but, since you mentioned them, I want to point out how awful Detroit is this year.
  • Least points in the league by 12
  • -75 goal differential. NJ is next with -36
  • 100 goals for, 15 fewer than Anaheim
  • 175 goals against with next closest at 155
The incompetence is staggering. Maybe Stevie Y will actually hit with a lottery pick this time around (Connolly, Koekoek, Drouin, Cal Foote)
 

PedroSpecialK

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Dec 12, 2004
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Not sure how much better they expected Gallant to do... SCF run year 1, knocked out on a horseshit call last year, and tied for a playoff spot this year.
 

TFP

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How you can look at that play with a brain and come to that conclusion?
 

Salem's Lot

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This league wow. They basically penalize the Bruins to the point where they have to change the makeup of the roster so they’re not short handed the entire game, now guys can take blatant cheap shots at their best players and the league lets it slide. It’s maddening.
 

The Napkin

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This on the heels of suspending Kassian because they didn't like it that he "took matters into his own hands" because the league would do that. It's ridiculous.
Every fucking time a Bruin is breathed on near the other team's goalie I want them to barrel into him.
And fire Ritchie into the Sun. How anyone on the team could look Tuukka in the eyes on the flight home is beyond me.
 

RIFan

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Jul 19, 2005
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NHL continues to find ways to make a great sport laughable. I guess they figured if it wasn't important enough to the Bruins players to stand up and address the hit, it must not have been a problem. Ritchie has a minimal role and was 100% the guy that had to step up. You know Backes would have and I don't think it's too far fetched to say the failure to do so factored heavily into his name ending up on the waiver wire when they needed a spot.

Vegas firing Gallant is also ridiculous. I could squint and see why someone might do it for Laviollette, but hiring a guy like DeBoer who has hasn't had a team that didn't underachieve is just plain dumb. I give it about 2 days before Gallant on a flight to Montreal and Claude is packing a bag.
 

LogansDad

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Got to be honest, after last night's debacle and that league ruling, this is the first night in a really, really long time that I'm glad I don't have any hockey to watch tonight. That's depressing.

At least Ritchie is gone.
 

Maximus

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Jul 18, 2005
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How you can look at that play with a brain and come to that conclusion?
It is a clown show, ridiculous. Hopefully Neely is going off on them. If Marchand did that, he'd get 10 games.
 

durandal1707

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Apr 18, 2007
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Well that makes it more than apparent that this league doesn't give a shit about its players' health and safety or maintaining the quality of the on-ice product. One of the game's best goaltenders now has a concussion on a completely avoidable, completely predatory hit and the league did absolutely nothing. This sport deserves much better than the NHL.

Meanwhile, it'd be wise for the Bruins to stop expecting the officials to actually do their fucking jobs anymore. I say this as someone who feels like the reduced presence of enforcers/goons has greatly elevated the quality of play and wouldn't mourn if fighting was removed from the game.
 

Salem's Lot

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They don’t need an “enforcer” like in the old days. What they need is a couple players that play a heavy game, go in hard on the forecheck, go to the net, and are more than willing to drop the gloves in cases like this, in the bottom six. Frederic could be one of those guys. Blidh is another one. If you can find a veteran like that outside the organization without giving up something ridiculous for them, go ahead. All I know is that the guys in the bottom 6 now aren’t giving them much right now. Put Frederic with Coyle and Heinen, and Blidh with Kuraly and Wagner.
 
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TFP

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They don’t need an “enforcer” like in the old days. What they need is a couple players that play a heavy game, go in hard on the forecheck, go to the net, and are more than willing to drop the gloves in cases like this, in the bottom six. Frederic could be one of those guys. Blidh is another one. If you can find a veteran like that outside the organization without giving up something ridiculous got them, go ahead. All I know is that the guys in the bottom 6 now aren’t giving them much right now. Put Frederic with Coyle and Heinen, and Blidh with Kuraly and Wagner.
This is dead on. Hell even Acciari's forecheck/hitting game would help. Obviously they weren't keeping him, but they never replaced it with anyone else either.
 

Maximus

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They don’t need an “enforcer” like in the old days. What they need is a couple players that play a heavy game, go in hard on the forecheck, go to the net, and are more than willing to drop the gloves in cases like this, in the bottom six. Frederic could be one of those guys. Blidh is another one. If you can find a veteran like that outside the organization without giving up something ridiculous got them, go ahead. All I know is that the guys in the bottom 6 now aren’t giving them much right now. Put Frederic with Coyle and Heinen, and Blidh with Kuraly and Wagner.
This. We have assets that can fill the heavy player role in the bottom 6, use them.
 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
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right here
They don’t need an “enforcer” like in the old days. What they need is a couple players that play a heavy game, go in hard on the forecheck, go to the net, and are more than willing to drop the gloves in cases like this, in the bottom six. Frederic could be one of those guys. Blidh is another one. If you can find a veteran like that outside the organization without giving up something ridiculous got them, go ahead. All I know is that the guys in the bottom 6 now aren’t giving them much right now. Put Frederic with Coyle and Heinen, and Blidh with Kuraly and Wagner.
They really really miss Kevan Miller filling a good part of this role.
 

LogansDad

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They don’t need an “enforcer” like in the old days. What they need is a couple players that play a heavy game, go in hard on the forecheck, go to the net, and are more than willing to drop the gloves in cases like this, in the bottom six. Frederic could be one of those guys. Blidh is another one. If you can find a veteran like that outside the organization without giving up something ridiculous got them, go ahead. All I know is that the guys in the bottom 6 now aren’t giving them much right now. Put Frederic with Coyle and Heinen, and Blidh with Kuraly and Wagner.
I absolutely agree with this. This team is not far from being really, really good... but they are definitely missing something heavy.
 

Salem's Lot

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It really is a shame what happened to Miller. He checked all of the boxes for toughness, accountability, leadership and no one worked harder to improve his skate to the point where he was a good 2nd pair shutdown guy. Unfortunately that knee sounds like a career ender. I hope they find a place in the organization for him if he is indeed done playing.
 

Maximus

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It really is a shame what happened to Miller. He checked all of the boxes for toughness, accountability, leadership and no one worked harder to improve his skate to the point where he was a good 2nd pair shutdown guy. Unfortunately that knee sounds like a career ender. I hope they find a place in the organization for him if he is indeed done playing.
It is a shame. He did work hard to improve his skating and was a good leader with an edge signed by Sweeney to a favorable contract. I don't think we'll see him again but I'm sure he's working hard continuing to try and get back. Thankfully, Carlo has been terrific in the 2nd D pair since the playoffs last year.
 

veritas

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Miller was a fine 3rd pair guy and enforcer but could never stay on the ice.

I think the enforcer thing is a little overblown anyway. Tuukka still would have gotten elbowed in the head if they had a 4th line of Thornton-Stock-McQuaid. And it cost them10 points in the standings at the end of the year. It would have felt good to get revenge, it’s not going to prevent these things from happening.

I find it interesting that Wagner gets a free pass here. And Acciari did last year. If your physical presence is a big part of your value as a player and you can’t/won’t fight...uhhh fine, I’m ok with that, I’m surprised the rest of Bruins nation is though. I have to think they see Frederic as having a spot on the 4th line eventually this season and are just giving him time to continue to develop his game in Providence.
 

Salem's Lot

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Miller was a fine 3rd pair guy and enforcer but could never stay on the ice.

I think the enforcer thing is a little overblown anyway. Tuukka still would have gotten elbowed in the head if they had a 4th line of Thornton-Stock-McQuaid. And it cost them10 points in the standings at the end of the year. It would have felt good to get revenge, it’s not going to prevent these things from happening.

I find it interesting that Wagner gets a free pass here. And Acciari did last year. If your physical presence is a big part of your value as a player and you can’t/won’t fight...uhhh fine, I’m ok with that, I’m surprised the rest of Bruins nation is though. I have to think they see Frederic as having a spot on the 4th line eventually this season and are just giving him time to continue to develop his game in Providence.
I’m not giving Wagner a free pass. He’s not doing enough physically either. He’s just been better than guys like Ritchie and Lindholm.
 

Lupe Whalewatch

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Anyone have any idea how I could watch the Connor McDavid "Whatever it Takes" special here in the US? Any link floating around out there?