Official 13-14 NHL Regular Season Thread

[Primis]

So batdad.... gimme the run-down on Alex Edler an why he finished dead last in the league in Plus/Minus. I know you've mentioned poor team skating but.... why was he on the ice for so many more GA and not for GF?

[batdad]

I ve said it before I will say it again about Edler. He is IMMOBILE 90% of the time. He cannot pivot in one direction very well (Forget which one). He is slow in making decisions. Straight line skating is good.

Also every time he gets in rubbish with a coach, gets suspended or gets injured he sucks for months afterwards. Has to play physical and aggressive to be worth anything.

Also...the - is big for a variety of other reasons.

1. The Canucks sucked this year.
2. TOrtorella kept playing him with Bieksa and the two of them together are two riverboat gamblers who make decisions too late and telegraph anything. Also they have ZERO chemistry.

There are charts somewhere of Edler and Bieksa numbers when playing together vs with other partners. It is astounding the difference in both of them.

He is slow on his release of his shot. The twins sucked because hurt most of the year and they are why he gets most of his points in the past. he has a hard shot, but like I said forever to get rid of it...(Decision making and wind up), and never hits the net.

[philou21]

Dammit he beated Ovy? I would've loved to see Ovy getting the record for the most goals and the worse +/-.

[nino33]

NHL Draft Lottery's done...here are the top 13 picks (I've added in blue where they would have drafted based on just Points)

1. Florida Panthers 2
2. Buffalo Sabres 1
3. Edmonton Oilers 3
4. Calgary Flames 4
5. New York Islanders 5
6. Vancouver Canucks 6
7. Carolina Hurricanes 7
8. Toronto Maple Leafs 8
9. Winnipeg Jets 9
10. Anaheim Ducks (from Ottawa Senators) 10
11. Nashville Predators 12
12. Phoenix Coyotes 13
13. Washington Capitals 14

New Jersey would have picked 11th but they pick 30th as a result of NHL consequences for circumventing the Salary Cap

Also apparently the Islanders have the option to keep their pick or transfer it to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the in-season trade involving forward Thomas Vanek

[philou21]

Oilers still in top three how pathetic those are. I hope this time they'll go for a d-men. I don't think Ekblad will still be there at #3 though but that could be the guy the Oilers needs in defense.

[CJ]

2. TOrtorella kept playing him with Bieksa and the two of them together are two riverboat gamblers who make decisions too late and telegraph anything. Also they have ZERO chemistry.

You'd think Torts would know these kinda things.

[CJ]

Oilers still in top three how pathetic those are. I hope this time they'll go for a d-men. I don't think Ekblad will still be there at #3 though but that could be the guy the Oilers needs in defense.

I'd pick Ekblad as #1. But it depends on what the teams are looking for though. Edmonton might get him if FLA/BUF doesn't want a D-man. EDM sure needs a good D-man!

[Primis]

Everything I read last night said that FLA is going to take Ekblad #1.

Then again, COL was undoubtedly going to take Seth Jones #1 last year so.... whatever. FLA could do worse than Reinhart I guess too. They seem to have a knack for taking promising young forwards and having them somehow underachieve.

[jesterx7769]

Buffalo won't take Ekbald, they just took two big D in the first round last year. Oilers could always trade up to get him as well. FLA needs D prospects as well however and Ekbald seems the consensus most NHL ready

[batdad]

Ek is 1 or 2. Both Florida and Buffalo could use him.

Reinhart is 1 or 2 in my mind. Although Florida could mess that up big time.

to me the two best by far (I have seen each of the top 10 on Mackenzie list 10 times between TV and live...seen Virtanen live 5 times over the last 2 years, and on TV like 8, and Reinhart and Draistl similar times.

All others have gigantic question marks...Sam and Aaron have minor ones. Sam is his skating,and intensity...which have been asked about all his life as a player...and he still comes out as the smoothest player on the ice every game. Henrik Sedin like vision, but may be even better, and has more game breaking ability as can actually...score a goal.

Ekblad--knock is two fold...one many think he is a man among boys, and when plays with men will be just okay. Fear is fully developed and won't get better size wise. Offensive upside question but will NO QUESTION be a top 1-2 dman somewhere..just may not be FRANCHISE guy.


to me...these are the only TWO players who COULD be FRANCHISE players...and their downsides? Still as top level players 1 line or top pair. Bennett, Draistl and the others could all end up 2-3 line. 3-6 dman type guys. Sam and Aaron are guaratneed to be top level players on playoff bound teams. The others if they are a top level guy on teams...may not make the playoffs. Will not be as strong a team.

But Bennett...is darn tempting as is Dal Colle. Not a big fan of Draistl...his worst performances are ALWAYS in games that mean alot. World Junior, last few games in playoff chase for Prince ALbert, the sudden death playoff game against Red Deer. he was invisible for the most part in all those spots.

VIrtanen is a freaking wild card. He is a nutter. Loose cannon and can cost your team at times as much as he can help them. Bad hits, dumb fights (ie last game of year in a mean nothing game smashed his hand up in a fight with a Kootenay ICE dman). He was TERRIBLE in the Kootenay-Calgary playoff series. He has a world class shot and release, but is selfish and does dumb things. Lots of maturing to do...and if that happens...could be a stud. But he is not going to be a big guy (Size is decent but not huge) and with the style he plays,...going to have alot of answering the bell to do. Which will hurt him

[Primis]

VIrtanen is a freaking wild card. He is a nutter. Loose cannon and can cost your team at times as much as he can help them. Bad hits, dumb fights (ie last game of year in a mean nothing game smashed his hand up in a fight with a Kootenay ICE dman). He was TERRIBLE in the Kootenay-Calgary playoff series. He has a world class shot and release, but is selfish and does dumb things.

So what you're saying is he's absolutely destined for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

I really have nothing to add, save that a number of Wings fans have stated they'd like Dylan Larkin at #15, and I really know very little about him.

[DJP19]

Big fan of Ekblad and Dal Colle. Excellent games both times I've seen them play here in London. Can't really comment about the Q or WHL players, but I would easily rank Ekblad #1 and might even be tempted to take Dal Colle #2 if I were Buffalo.

[philou21]

The Q after a record last years have nothing this year as I expected.

[batdad]

Anyone who would take Dal Colle OVER Reinhart needs to see Reinhart play a little more. He was if not the best, the 2nd best Canadian forward at World Juniors. Plays in all situations. Incredible hockey IQ. Sees the ice better than anyone his age, and perhaps within 5 years of his age. He will make a bad PP good just like that. Instantly.

My belief is that the only player in this draft ready for the NHL is Ekblad, but that is only because of his build and general physical maturity. He may not turn out to be the best player out there...but is the one ready. Reinhart is close but still too slight. Like RNH...but not as bad. Both will likely play in the show though as both are going to get drafted by horrible teams. Unless Reinhart somehow gets taken 3rd by the Oilers the others in the top 5 can all play him in a top 2-3 line role. Sam will rise to the occasion as he always has.

[philou21]

Good game between the Habs and the Lightning! Lots of goal scored and it was more intense than I thought it would be. I don't care how the goalies were doing, I want all the playoffs games to be like that.

[jesterx7769]

Yeah lots of good games last night. Blue Jackets made things exciting. Lindback actually played decent overall for Lightning I think, yeah he let in 5 goals but faced 44 SA, that's is a lot to ask in the playoffs to be outshot so bad. Should have stopped 1/2 more to get the win? Yeah of course. But not an awful showing from your backup goalie.

[Manimal]

Good game between the Habs and the Lightning! Lots of goal scored and it was more intense than I thought it would be. I don't care how the goalies were doing, I want all the playoffs games to be like that.

A bucket-load of giveaways for both teams in that game. Both need to improve their defensive play, IMO.
The inexperience of several Lightning players was obvious

[philou21]

Stamkos was pretty good though. Man I like that player. Both team have unexperienced players but MTL is better. Doesn't mean that experience is talent though. *cough* Moen *cough*

[Primis]

Filppula was -2 and had only 1 Shot. Sounds like the Playoff Fil is back, sorry Tampa.

[philou21]

He had a good season though. Playing with St. Louis and Stamkos sure helped him though but when he was traded and Stamkos was injured he was still putting up some numbers.

[batdad]

1 game...wow.

[philou21]

Crazy first period between the Hawks and the Blues!

[Manimal]

https://twitter.com/TheTSNOutsider/stat ... 60/photo/1

On the wings and injuries

[philou21]

What the Dickens Manimal

[Primis]

https://twitter.com/TheTSNOutsider/stat ... 60/photo/1

On the wings and injuries

I love that picture of Ericsson. It's old, but it ranks up there with the "Everybody's Happy" Hudler pic from the Cup Finals with the Penguins.

It's still no Joe Thornton getting his legs cut off with a lightsabre though.

http://images.wildammo.com/wp-content/u ... cently.gif