2024-25 NHL discussion thread

[GHT120]

15 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Dach is possible 

Slafkovsky is possible 

Anderson is possible if he scores 30

 

Dubois is possible if he explodes in Washington. 

 

Is Dach "improved" if he is coming back from injuries?

 

Can Slafkovsky be most improved after the second half of the season he had in 23/24? Based on 16 goals and 37 points in his last 46 games he would have to exceed 30 goals and 66 points just to be improved, let alone most improved.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

10 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

 

Is Dach "improved" if he is coming back from injuries?

 

Can Slafkovsky be most improved after the second half of the season he had in 23/24? Based on 16 goals and 37 points in his last 46 games he would have to exceed 30 goals and 66 points just to be improved, let alone most improved.

Slafkovsky will be judged on his 50 point season as a whole. I peg him at 80 points this season and going from 50 points to 80 points is pretty impressive. 
 

I think similarly about Dach. He will be judged on his best season points total. But perhaps he wins to comeback player award because it fits better. 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

8 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Slafkovsky will be judged on his 50 point season as a whole. I peg him at 80 points this season and going from 50 points to 80 points is pretty impressive. 
 

I think similarly about Dach. He will be judged on his best season points total. But perhaps he wins to comeback player award because it fits better. 

 

I certainly hope you are right. I think 80 points is just a little optimistic next year. If Dach can stay healthy and score 60-70 points then we can stay in the playoff race for a while. 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

I’m expecting an enormous year out of the Suzuki line. 
 

Top 5 in the entire league since Slafkovsky joined that line and I expect to at least match that. 
 

Dach hasn’t had the real opportunity to show what he’s got because of injuries. I’m speculating entirely based on watching him when he was healthy. I believe Dach has higher offensive potential than Suzuki and I hope he can stay healthy to prove it. 
 

A top 6 winger to play with him would help Dach’s point totals too - come on Hughes

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

1 hour ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

I’m expecting an enormous year out of the Suzuki line. 
 

Top 5 in the entire league since Slafkovsky joined that line and I expect to at least match that. 
 

Dach hasn’t had the real opportunity to show what he’s got because of injuries. I’m speculating entirely based on watching him when he was healthy. I believe Dach has higher offensive potential than Suzuki and I hope he can stay healthy to prove it. 
 

A top 6 winger to play with him would help Dach’s point totals too - come on Hughes

 

I like your optimism, agree about Dach. I have no doubt Hughes has been looking hard for a winger but he is patient and won't overpay. 

[DON]

3 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

I’m expecting an enormous year out of the Suzuki line. 
 

Top 5 in the entire league since Slafkovsky joined that line and I expect to at least match that. 

Seems lofty expectations.

Is possible sure, but seems unlikley.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

2 hours ago, DON said:

Seems lofty expectations.

Is possible sure, but seems unlikley.

Seems realistic to me because that line did it already for the half season they were together. 
 

Why is it unlikely to continue?

[DON]

21 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Seems realistic to me because that line did it already for the half season they were together. 
 

Why is it unlikely to continue?

23-24 Habs 26th in goal scoring, 27th in PP

22-23 Habs 26th in goal scoring, 25th in PP

[Prime Minister Koivu]

50 minutes ago, DON said:

23-24 Habs 26th in goal scoring, 27th in PP

22-23 Habs 26th in goal scoring, 25th in PP

The PP did improve towards end of the season and I really don’t know how much Bellows contributed to the bad PP but maybe his absence helps. 
 

The Suzuki line was top 5 in the league for a long stretch despite the team being 26th in scoring. 
 

That says to me that the Habs had one great line and not much else. 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Slaf is one thing, because he has two proven, premium linemates - which is not to pretend that he doesn’t bring serious value to that line in his own right. He found his form in the second half and, even assuming some periods of regression during the season, he’s in a perfect spot to flourish. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get at least 60 points.

 

Dach is something else. All the faith in him is predicated on a quarter season two years ago when he looked like a beast, plus half a game last year when he did the same.

 

I’m pulling for him. But I’ve seen way too many guys who had fans drooling for short stretches like that. He needs to prove both that he can stay healthy AND that he can be that guy night in and night out. Right now, he’s a player whose peak season was 14 goals and 38 points (albeit in 56 games) and whose development has been subject to massive lost time due to injury. 🤷‍♂️

 

 

[GHT120]

 

Is it also part of Project Get Tavares To Waive His NMC?

[Prime Minister Koivu]

8 hours ago, GHT120 said:

 

Is it also part of Project Get Tavares To Waive His NMC?

Sure seems like a ploy to piss him off. I mean he only has one season left so why do this?

 

Its not like Mathews oozes leadership 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

1 hour ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Sure seems like a ploy to piss him off. I mean he only has one season left so why do this?

 

Its not like Mathews oozes leadership 

 

It's a natural evolution, the Leafs need Mathews to be the leader much like the Oilers need McDavid to be the guy.  The extra responsibility MIGHT bring his game up to another level. Tavares's play is starting to deteriorate which is to be expected given his age.  I don't think he is seen as THE leader anymore in the dressing room. I think it's a logical move, whether it works or not remains to be seen. 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

47 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

 

It's a natural evolution, the Leafs need Mathews to be the leader much like the Oilers need McDavid to be the guy.  The extra responsibility MIGHT bring his game up to another level. Tavares's play is starting to deteriorate which is to be expected given his age.  I don't think he is seen as THE leader anymore in the dressing room. I think it's a logical move, whether it works or not remains to be seen. 

I agree with everything but why not wait the year until Tavares is gone? 
 

I hope this causes hard feelings and controversy in their dressing room. 
 

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Leafs are trying to paint this as Tavares’ idea but he was approached by management and counselled to step aside. 
 

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Well, well, well 

 

🍿 

 

 

[GHT120]

1 hour ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

I agree with everything but why not wait the year until Tavares is gone? 

 

Maybe they worried that would make it look like Matthews only got the "C" because Tavares left.

[GHT120]

1 hour ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Leafs are trying to paint this as Tavares’ idea but he was approached by management and counselled to step aside. 
 

 

 

I expect you are correct ... "John, we are going to make Matthews Captain but would prefer not to embarrass you by 'stripping you' of the title, so be a good guy and step aside.  By the way, anywhere you would like to be traded?"

[DON]

Love it, not exactly sure why.

Maybe because it causes GMs/Owners to loose their minds.

 

"The Sabres were livid about Lowe’s move. Sabres general manager Darcy Regier said it was “an exercise in futility” and Larry Quinn, a minority owner of the team, stated that “if there’s ever an opportunity for us to put an offer sheet on [an Edmonton] player, as long as we’re alive, we’ll be very comfortable doing that.”

 

"Ducks general manager Brian Burke was furious with Lowe, stating that the move was “gutless” and “an act of desperation for a general manager who is fighting to keep his job.”

"The following summer, Burke again took shots at Lowe in a radio interview, claiming that his signing of Penner was escalating salaries for young players around the league. Lowe responded in a radio appearance of his own by calling Burke a “moron,” a “media junkie” and that he “destroyed” the Vancouver Canucks during his time with the team."

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

27 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Well, well, well 

 

🍿

 

 

You could see this coming. Tough to match Broberg. Getting only a 2nd round pick for a talented young D really sucks. They might match Holloway. Very interesting 

[GHT120]

25 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Well, well, well 

 

🍿

 

 

 

I assume that the players have signed the offer sheets ... teams can "tender" offer sheets as much as they want, they are useless unless the player signs them.

This would be a quick "rebuild on the fly" for the Blues if it works.

[tomh009]

I think the offer sheets are a healthy thing in the NHL, glad to see the Blues doing this, with two offers yet!

[GHT120]

9 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

You could see this coming. Tough to match Broberg. Getting only a 2nd round pick for a talented young D really sucks. They might match Holloway. Very interesting 

 

Kane likely to start the season on LTIR so that provides some immediate relief (kicking the issue down the road as it is reported he is unlikely to miss the entire season) ... I won't be surprised if they try to move Ceci and keep both youngsters ... wonder how much they are willing to "pay" to do so?

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

Just now, tomh009 said:

I think the offer sheets are a healthy thing in the NHL, glad to see the Blues doing this, with two offers yet!

This really messes with the Oilers. If they match they have real serious cap issues. Don't match and they lose their top 2 prospects for not even a 1st. What to do Stan Bowman??

[Prime Minister Koivu]

12 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

 

I expect you are correct ... "John, we are going to make Matthews Captain but would prefer not to embarrass you by 'stripping you' of the title, so be a good guy and step aside.  By the way, anywhere you would like to be traded?"

I love the last line HAHA and it’s probably true to boot

 

 

1 minute ago, GHT120 said:

 

Kane likely to start the season on LTIR so that provides some immediate relief (kicking the issue down the road as it seems unlikely to miss the entire season) ... I won't be surprised if they try to move Ceci and keep both youngsters ... wonder how much they are willing to "pay" to do so?

I expect both offers will be matched. You can’t let good players walk for peanuts. 
 

Pay the price and fix your cap to make room.