2023-24 NHL discussion thread

[tomh009]

Finding space. Playing without the puck. Anticipating the next move. This is prototypical hockey IQ, and Gretzky was indeed the master at this. And the goals followed.

[alfredoh2009]

Interesting to see how the xG for NYR vs MTL matched and how the game turned out. When you go down the list, it gives a good representation of expectation versus result

 

I love this graph 

 

Recap of yesterday's games. pic.twitter.com/z5B6N8rYM6

— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) February 16, 2024

 

[GHT120]

Interestingly (?), Marc Bergevin in not amongst the 8: 

Mathieu Darche

Chris MacFarland

Jeff Gorton

Ray Whitney

Derek Clancey

Jason Botterill

Eric Tulsky

Chris Clark

[tomh009]

The list is just speculation, though. I really think guys like MacFarland and Gorton are long shots. Very qualified, but unlikely to be interested.

[GHT120]

10 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

The list is just speculation, though. 

Obviously ... but former GMs, especially those who "took a team to the finals" an have yet to be "re-cycled" usually/often pop-up in such speculation.

[Neech]

Minny and Vancouver put up a 10-7 football score with Casey Desmith letting in 8 on 25 shots.

 

Matthews keeps scoring and looks like he'll hit 70 easily.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

10 hours ago, Neech said:

Minny and Vancouver put up a 10-7 football score with Casey Desmith letting in 8 on 25 shots.

 

Matthews keeps scoring and looks like he'll hit 70 easily.

 

Canucks fans had previously regarded DeSmith as a steal -a quality backup G for a broken-down Pearson - but yikes. Dat’s gotta hoit. Interesting decision from Tocchet to leave him in there rather than compromise the plan to rest Demko. I like that, it shows an “eyes on the prize” focus that you can afford to engage in when you’ve locked down the playoffs and are looking to bigger things.

 

Vancouver’s been .500 since the All Star Break and the big Lindholm trade. 🤷‍♂️ I wouldn’t panic if I were them, but it seems as though they need to buckle down, refocus, and recommit to Tocchet’s system. 

[GHT120]

 

[TurdBurglar]

If what Bettman said is true, Reilly disagreed with others saying his actions were appropriate.  As much as it pains me to respect a Leaf, I give him kudos for at least that.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I’m here listening to sports radio in Vancouver…there is a huge proportion of the fanbase that is skeptical about whether the Canucks should re-sign Elias Pettersson. 

 

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

17 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

I’m here listening to sports radio in Vancouver…there is a huge proportion of the fanbase that is skeptical about whether the Canucks should re-sign Elias Pettersson. 

 

 

Hmmmmmm perhaps the Canucks should consider trading him for a player like Josh Anderson 🤡 (or Gallagher). 

[Commandant]

I can do both if they include Quinn Hughes.

[alfredoh2009]

34 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Hmmmmmm perhaps the Canucks should consider trading him for a player like Josh Anderson 🤡 (or Gallagher). 

LOL

 

[GHT120]

This video of Adam Ružička got posted online

And now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

31 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

This video of Adam Ružička got posted online

And now

 

He might have another chance as there is another team in Alberta that likes giving players 2nd chances. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hab29RETIRED]

1 hour ago, GHT120 said:

This video of Adam Ružička got posted online

And now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe that was his strategy to get out of Arizona!!😁😆

[GHT120]

Shades of Ottawa in days-gone-by ... wish I could say this surprises me.

 

Ignoring Arizona, Winnipeg has the lowest average attendance this season ... even in their best season, it had the 6th lowest attendance in the NHL ... Winnipeg has the second smallest population of any NHL city, by 175K behind Buffalo.

 

Metropolitan Quebec City is about the same size as metropolitan Winnipeg (20K bigger) ... neither city/region has the private sector economy to provide the business ticket sales/sponsorships/etc. necessary to offset the challenge of selling tickets in a small market ... hence, I-M-O, the NHL will only ever return to Quebec City as a last resort.

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

11 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

Shades of Ottawa in days-gone-by ... wish I could say this surprises me.

 

Ignoring Arizona, Winnipeg has the lowest average attendance this season ... even in their best season, it had the 6th lowest attendance in the NHL ... Winnipeg has the second smallest population of any NHL city, by 175K behind Buffalo.

 

Metropolitan Quebec City is about the same size as metropolitan Winnipeg (20K bigger) ... neither city/region has the private sector economy to provide the business ticket sales/sponsorships/etc. necessary to offset the challenge of selling tickets in a small market ... hence, I-M-O, the NHL will only ever return to Quebec City as a last resort.

 

Agreed. It's unfortunate but Winnipeg just doesn't have the economic base that other Canadian cities have. It's not cheap to buy season tickets for an NHL team so you need that big corporate base to support it. Winnipeg has great fans and an excellent team but it seems it will always be a struggle to support it. 

[tomh009]

34 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

Agreed. It's unfortunate but Winnipeg just doesn't have the economic base that other Canadian cities have. It's not cheap to buy season tickets for an NHL team so you need that big corporate base to support it. Winnipeg has great fans and an excellent team but it seems it will always be a struggle to support it. 

13,000 average attendance is not just a question of the size of the city. London gets more than 9,000 to their OHL games!

[GHT120]

5 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

13,000 average attendance is not just a question of the size of the city. London gets more than 9,000 to their OHL games!

Slight difference in the cost of OHL and NHL tickets.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Hopefully the Nordiques stay dead. Forever.

 

Winnipeg fans simply do not have the option of NOT coming out in massive numbers, night in and night out. I thought that was understood when they got their team back. 🤷‍♂️

[GHT120]

6 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

Hopefully the Nordiques stay dead. Forever.

 

Winnipeg fans simply do not have the option of NOT coming out in massive numbers, night in and night out. I thought that was understood when they got their team back. 🤷‍♂️

The Atlanta ownership group was embroiled in a nasty fight and I believe that the NHL was desperate to get out ASAP.

[tomh009]

14 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

Slight difference in the cost of OHL and NHL tickets.

Indeed. And slight difference in the level of hockey.

 

My point was that the size of the city is not the only thing. The product and the price matter, too.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

4 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

The Atlanta ownership group was embroiled in a nasty fight and I believe that the NHL was desperate to get out ASAP.

 

Probably. What I’m saying is that Peg fans are absolutely in a “use it or lose it” situation and should have understood this from the get-go. Ultimately, if they’re not going to games, then they will lose the team, period - and quite quickly, I’d imagine. 

 

I don’t know what their problem is. I always thought they were devoted fans. They have a surprisingly competitive team this year, they should be banging the doors down.

 

If the issue is that the average fan in Winnipeg just can’t afford NHL prices, then that is truly sad, but it also means that they are not an NHL city, full stop.  

[GHT120]

Just now, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

Probably. What I’m saying is that Peg fans are absolutely in a “use it or lose it” situation and should have understood this from the get-go. Ultimately, if they’re not going to games, then they will lose the team, period - and quite quickly, I’d imagine. 

 

I don’t know what their problem is. I always thought they were devoted fans. They have a surprisingly competitive team this year, they should be banging the doors down.

 

If the issue is that the average fan in Winnipeg just can’t afford NHL prices, then that is truly sad, but it also means that they are not an NHL city, full stop.  

In the long-term, even filling their building may not be enough ... it has the lowest capacity in the NHL (ignoring the joke in Arizona obviously) ... especially as "regular fans" can't pay the premium "corporate" prices that most teams depend upon, and the corporate market is likely the weakest in the NHL.