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NHL Off-Season 2015 |OT2| What are the Odds of Hockey in Vegas?

Red_Man

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
we'll know by midseason, but I seriously doubt Galchenyuk will play for the Canadiens in 2017
Word is he's playing center this season. Goes without saying this is a huge year for him, I think given the ice time and the right wingers, he'll show us what we've been waiting for.
 

Means NHL is going to have superior streaming, unless they follow their garbage blackout restrictions.
Why would they dictate the blackout terms and why do something that would lose customers for their service as a third party? I'm just not following the logic of people afraid of horrible blackouts now.

I'm excited, should be tied for best streaming service once this goes live so it means I might finally give my money to gamecenter again.
 

Red_Man

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
Le sigh.

Also, Weisbrod has been named Assistant GM, pigs are flying, and hell has frozen over.
5yKBgUb.png
 

Sanjuro

Member
Why would they dictate the blackout terms and why do something that would lose customers for their service as a third party? I'm just not following the logic of people afraid of horrible blackouts now.

I'm excited, should be tied for best streaming service once this goes live so it means I might finally give my money to gamecenter again.

Oh, no idea. I doubt that will change for the NHL. I'm just pointing out why MLB.tv is a bit of a buzzkill as a whole.
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
Sportsnet Stats ✔@SNstats
#Canucks sign Brandon Sutter. His $4.375M cap hit in 2016-17 is the highest of any NHL forward to have never tallied over 40 PTS in a season

Haha.

Sutter makes more than Bonino + Matthias or Bonino + Richardson combined.
 

Socreges

Banned
Haha.

Sutter makes more than Bonino + Matthias or Bonino + Richardson combined.
Who's our 4th C? Vey? TBD?

At least TBD comes with a reasonable contract. He's also proven more of himself than Sutter has.

Our winger situation is pretty dire. Unless you believe in guys like Burrows and Higgins, which I no longer do.
 

Socreges

Banned
Who's our 4th C? Vey? TBD?

At least TBD comes with a reasonable contract. He's also proven more of himself than Sutter has.
Fuuuuuuck:
Sportsnet Stats ✔@SNstats
#Canucks sign Tobe Determined to an 8-yr contract @ a $5.2m AAV. Benning added in a press release, "Tobe has created a lot of buzz in online forums. He's a definite foundation piece. We can't wait to meet him and/or see who he is."
 

Tabris

Member
Funny thing is next season will probably play out the same, if not better then last season though due to rookies advancing. Sedins are still here. So expect squeezing into the playoffs and maybe hoping for a 2nd round.

Our winger situation is pretty dire. Unless you believe in guys like Burrows and Higgins, which I no longer do.

They should give Virtanen his 8 games or whatever. Maybe Baertschi ends up being amazing as he'll be on the team no matter what due to 1 way contract. If Jensen can't perform this year then he's a bust.

I assume you didn't list Vrbata as assumed.
 

Red_Man

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
Funny thing is next season will probably play out the same, if not better then last season though due to rookies advancing. Sedins are still here. So expect squeezing into the playoffs and maybe hoping for a 2nd round.
5yKBgUb.png
 
Funny thing is next season will probably play out the same, if not better then last season though due to rookies advancing. Sedins are still here. So expect squeezing into the playoffs and maybe hoping for a 2nd round.



They should give Virtanen his 8 games or whatever. Maybe Baertschi ends up being amazing as he'll be on the team no matter what due to 1 way contract.

I assume you didn't list Vrbata as assumed.

Destiny™
 

Tabris

Member
Why are you guys laughing? It's still basically the same team as last year. 1 less high end d-man with Bieksa gone. A bit of depth gone but should be replaced by the farm this year. Lack leaving sucks but if Ryan Miller stays healthy, same deal just at a much higher cost.
 

Cake Boss

Banned
Why are you guys laughing? It's still basically the same team as last year. 1 less high end d-man with Bieksa gone. A bit of depth gone but should be replaced by the farm this year. Lack leaving sucks but if Ryan Miller stays healthy, same deal just at a much higher cost.

:looooooool
 

zroid

Banned
Usually when a team gets worse while every other team in its division (barring Arizona) gets better (in some cases much better), it's a bad sign
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
Usually when a team gets worse while every other team in its division (barring Arizona) gets better (in some cases much better), it's a bad sign

It'd be okay if the Canucks got worse to the point that they were lottery eligible. The issue is that Benning's doing enough to keep the team a bubble playoff contender, while anchoring the team with big, long contracts, and poorly managing assets.
 

Tabris

Member
They are 100% a bubble team that is probably on the playoff side of the bubble until EDM proves itself and CGY doesn't have sophomore issues.

The reason why they are like this is because Aquilini's need that playoff revenue to fund their current real estate projects. They are building 4 skyscrapers around Rogers Arena, 1 almost complete.
 

Red_Man

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
Why are you guys laughing? It's still basically the same team as last year. 1 less high end d-man with Bieksa gone. A bit of depth gone but should be replaced by the farm this year. Lack leaving sucks but if Ryan Miller stays healthy, same deal just at a much higher cost.

Bieksa is a d-man that plays 1st pairing often. He will be first pairing in ANA. Not sure how that wouldn't be considered on the high end of the d-man pool?
tVBA15y.gif
 

Socreges

Banned
Funny thing is next season will probably play out the same, if not better then last season though due to rookies advancing. Sedins are still here. So expect squeezing into the playoffs and maybe hoping for a 2nd round.

They should give Virtanen his 8 games or whatever. Maybe Baertschi ends up being amazing as he'll be on the team no matter what due to 1 way contract. If Jensen can't perform this year then he's a bust.

I assume you didn't list Vrbata as assumed.
I'm not going to put much stock in guys like Virtanen and Baertschi yet. I'm excited about them getting a shot, but have no expectations. Even if they do surprise, you have a core of aging vets who will decline. Time giveth and time taketh away.

Canucks are going to be in the 9th or 10th position I'm thinking.
That's generous.
 

Tabris

Member
I'm not going to put much stock in guys like Virtanen and Baertschi yet. I'm excited about them getting a shot, but have no expectations. Even if they do surprise, you have a core of aging vets who will decline. Time giveth and time taketh away.

Keep talking about decline, like it's a sudden rapid thing instead of a small difference per season.

When players hit 30, they don't all of a sudden change. It's incredibly slow changes and the rate is different per player.

Daniel Sedin had more points then Tarasenko and Stamkos last year.

It's still going to be a while before they are no longer elite players.
 
why Jets and Preds? every indication is they're on the upswing

Jets are mediocre as fuck (albeit have a good prospect pool) and I don't see Kings missing again, Preds had first year coach magic, but lack offensive ability, I think Forsberg will have a downturn too.
 

zroid

Banned
I guess when you look at the West, it seems like almost every team could make it... except the Yotes and Oilers. And probably the Avs (sorry).

hard to count anyone either in or out
 

Tabris

Member
If Brandon Sutter ends up playing to his draft day perceived potential on our team, will you forgive Benning for Eddie Lack?
 
I guess when you look at the West, it seems like almost every team could make it... except the Yotes and Oilers. And probably the Avs (sorry).

hard to count anyone either in or out

I don't think we'll make it, but we have a chance to. Last year we had the second most man games lost to injury with Johnson missing half the season. Our bottom six is also much better than the previous year. I had big problems with acquiring players like Briere, I knew it wouldn't pan out. Losing O'Reilly will hurt in the short term which is why I think we'll miss, but we're better everywhere else.
 
Fuuuuuuck:

Not 140 characters, immersion ruined.

Edmonton got better, LA won't miss again, Calgary added Hamilton, Anaheim could win the division in their sleep. I can see San Jose missing due to their starter being Jones, but they're still loaded with talent.

The Canucks will struggle to score: they replaced Kassian and Bonino with Prust and Sutter. Offensively they're still a one-line team, and outside of Edler and Weber they don't have a lot of production from their blueline. In fact I could see the Sedins struggling a bit with Burrows declining fast and Vrbata stapled to the second line. Hopefully a prospect is given a chance with them and exceeds everyone's expectations.

Bieksa hasn't been a top-pairing defenceman in years, if not ever. The Canucks won't miss him much.

The unfortunate thing is that they're still good enough (Miller will steal a few games) to be a bubble team by the deadline which would make the team hang onto Vrbata and Hamhuis.
 

Socreges

Banned
They are 100% a bubble team that is probably on the playoff side of the bubble until EDM proves itself and CGY doesn't have sophomore issues.

The reason why they are like this is because Aquilini's need that playoff revenue to fund their current real estate projects. They are building 4 skyscrapers around Rogers Arena, 1 almost complete.
They're an old team that just got older. There have been no substantial changes toward getting younger or better. Richardson and Bieksa will be replaced by younger players that are also worse. Kassian was traded for Prust (older, probably worse). Lack (41 games last season,. 921%) replaced by Markstrom (less than unproven as an NHL starter).

In terms of youth they've essentially added Sutter and Baertschi (while removing Bonino, Matthias). And we'll see glimpses of a few rookies that aren't expected to be difference makers. This is particularly troublesome at D, where the Canucks have few decent prospects.

We've worked you down from 'improved team, maybe 2nd round' to a more generalized yet contrived '100% a bubble team'. Can we downgrade that further to a more reasonable 'probably a bubble team, probably not a playoff team'.
 

Foggy

Member
Whenever I've gotten GCL I've used a VPN to get around the blackout restriction, but I wonder if the new MLB stuff will curb that option. I think the overall viewing package in GCL is better than HS, so I'd like to return it next season if it makes sense. Damn blackout nonsense.
 
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