Leaderboard

Ok, I'll post my Leafs comments here (I live in the Toronto market), because some of my friends are pissed at me for saying things like this on Facebook The Leafs organization is a mess, another 1st round exit, and another, "We believe in the group" press conference. Dubas and Keefe are coming back. I think the reason why Dubas and Keefe are back, is no one else is interested in coming to Toronto. What GM or coach would want to try and win when 50% of the cap is spent on 4 forwards? I think Dubas is an complete idiot, and way in over his head. Also, if Babcock couldn't teach these guys how to play defense, what other coach wants to try? Matthews and Marner are being babied too much by the organization. All they want to do is play all out offense, and get 100 pts a year. The Leafs are still 3 years away from being a serious Cup contender. They need to take at least one more season to get past the 1st round, then they'll need another couple seasons to learn how to win in the later rounds. They don't have that much time left. Matthews and Nylander are UFA's in two years, and Marner and Tavares are UFA's in three years. If they think they have cap problems now, just wait until they try and sign Matthews and Marner. They can both ask for $14 Million a year. The Wing will win a Cup before the Leafs do. Ok, rant over, Let's Go Red Wings

The article I read said Zegras had 2 lacrosse style goals and 1 lacrosse style assist, as if a new stat had been added to hockey. I was like, Seider had 14 reverse style hits so there. Stupid asses.

Bert is our Brad Marchand and you don´t trade players like them.

Who has two thumbs and a massive boner for the future of our blue line? This guy.

Ive always thought these types of categorizations are not very useful anyway. Florida currently has a 70 point player on the 3rd line wing. Pittsburgh won a Cup with Kessel on the 3rd line wing. Meanwhile Mike Hoffman has played his whole career as a top six wing despite really only being able to score on the powerplay, and getting absolutely caved in every other facet of the game. For the most part where you play in the lineup doesn't say a whole lot about your skill level or contributions to the team. I always laugh when people trip over themselves to explain why guys like Draisaitl and Malkin are not 2Cs despite the fact that they center the 2nd line. It's fully possible that your 2nd and 3rd line guys might actually be better than your first line guys, or vice versa. NHL coaches aren't dumb, they don't put their five best players on the top line and the top defensive pair. Elmer Sodorblom might well play on the 3rd line, but I almost guarantee he'll score 20-30 goals a season from that position. His shot's too good (I'd argue it's currently about the 3rd-4th best in the organization), his puck protection is good good, his skating is too good (at that size). He's also shown he can produce a lot in limited minutes at 5 on 5. This is very much NOT Justin Abdelkader, this is a guy who was top ten in goal scoring (as a 20 year old) in one of the hardest leagues in the world. Wherever the coach puts him in the lineup he's going to produce.

I love Ken and Mick, best game call in the league.

Where is the anybody but Blashill option?

The defense - everyone outside of Seider is utter garbage. They cannot handle a strong forecheck at all and routinely give up defensive zone turnovers. It's like they have no idea how to break the puck out of the zone once they obtain it. This leads to us getting hemmed in to our own zone for too much of the game. You'd think Blash would have a solution or change or remedy for this by now, he's been dealing with this same problem for 7 seasons. But it's just business as usual. When Babcock started losing D men and his blue line got weaker there was instantaneous action and change. He buttoned down the hatches everywhere and started playing the entire team in a more defensively oriented scheme to compensate for his crippled blue line. Fans griped about these changes and boring hockey, but it was probably exactly the right move given his circumstances. I have never seen any innovation like this from Blash for better or worse. He's just not a tactician in even the slightest regard. Like bro - you gotta try something new. Play trap hockey. Clog up the neutral zone. Do something. I'd be knocking down Yzermans door to get somebody anybody off the waiver wire to help the defense. Give Oesterle a serious stint in the top4. Try Juolevi. Call up Sebrango. Just do. Leddy, Staal, DK are trash. The goalies - thank God Blash had the brains to start Greiss last night. He's running a young goalie into the ground in Ned. It's beyond obvious but it took him 2 weeks plus to notice. The forwards - dump and chase not working. How about drop passing? Drop passing not working. How about dump and chase? PP been a mess for years. What players has he developed in the last 7 years? Bertuzzi, the ultra confident individualist who marches to his own drum and could probably will himself to success anywhere? Raymond, the super high pick that was instantly an impact player? Svech, the dissapointment? Ras, the dissapointment? Zadina the dissapointment? Veleno, the dissapointment? AA, the dissapointment? Mantha, the dissapointment? Don't fire this guy tomorrow. Fire him now.

Wait until Seider has a good team around him... he's coming for this league

I think Yzerman needs to sign Bertuzzi at this point in the rebuild. That doesn't make him untradeable in the future, not in the least. See how Yzerman dealt Mantha a year ago, and overall, we're probably pretty pleased with the return on that deal so far. There is room under the cap now, sign an impact FA or two, keep drafting well, make some trades here and there when the pieces fit your purpose, and see what the next HC and his staff can do to get the team closer to the playoffs. If he stays healthy, and the Canadian restrictions on his travel go away soon, he will have trade value for the next few seasons, at the very least. No need to trade him now. JMHO.

Don't forget you can actually watch the exact moment Blashill's career ended: "NO HE'S GONE"

I'm pretty much in agreement with this. And because of the way he plays, I do not think his production is sustainable as he gets older. But someone got to pay the f*** up for him to get moved. Either a Mantha-level fleecing or getting a younger, high-end player in return. Obviously, the latter involves giving up more than just Bert. But Bert is probably a big enough piece to prevent having to give up a first-rounder.

Guy was pissed he got traded to Detroit and had no interest whatsoever in playing for the Wings. It's a miracle we got that 2nd for him, let alone Walman and Sundqvist. F*ck Nick Leddy.

I listened to Gronborg on the "Winged Wheel Podcast" and he speaks better English that most people I know. Apparently went to college here and then coached in North America for more than 10 years at lower levels. Has a weirdly gravely voice that sounds nothing like a Euro typically sounds when speaking English. Edit:

I love that Rasmussen is producing, its got to be great for his confidence. As you'll all recall, I predicted big things for him this year and that really hasn't happened so it's good to feel like I wasn't 100% in the weeds. But I'd like to see a few things vis-a-vis the big fella. First, the team (i.e. coach) needs to figure out a role for him that makes sense. They've previously said they want him to be a Jordan Staal-esque 3C, which he's never ever been, and he's put in some serious work trying to make that happen...to mixed results. His defense is actually pretty good, but his offense hasn't really shone through in that role the way a Staal's does. That's probably because Ras needs to be near the net to score, and in Blash's system the center plays the F3 position high (almost like a 3rd defenseman) so something's gotta give (and it's his scoring). If they intend to keep him in that role, then it's got to be as a 4C because he's just never going to score enough as a center (in that system) to be a 3C. The other option, obviously, is to make him a winger where he'll score more but you'll lose him as matchup center. Essentially, he can be Tom Wilson or he can be Martin Hanzal but not both. The 2nd thing the team needs regarding Ras is for him to squat about 600lbs. His lower body is crazy weak for his size and it limits his ability to really wear down the opposition (an obvious appeal for a 6'6 player). Anybody remember when he absolutely buried Hampus Lindholm on the forecheck the other day in Boston and then Lindholm left the game later with a lower body injury? Anybody think those things are unrelated? Me neither. Ras needs to do this every single game.

Al wasn't part of the "process" and Blash needs a job after May 1 so he gets a soft landing. Blash will drive the Zamboni which is about all he is capable of at this point

My source says the Isles wouldnt budge unless Zadina was included with Bertuzzi. But Yzerman was only willing to part with Bertuzzi. Not Zadina.

Or... Yzerman: I'd like to introduce the new head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Lane Lamb... *Lights Go Out* *Lights Come Back On* Yzerman: As I was saying, I'd like to... *Chelsea Dagger begins to play" Jim Ross: BAH GAWD THAT'S JOEL QUENNEVILLE'S MUSIC! SOMEBODY STOP THE DAYYUM PRESSER! JOEL QUENNEVILLE IS HERE! JOEL QUENNEVILLE IS HERE!

https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2022/03/new-dad-tyler-bertuzzi-dismisses-trade-talk-committed-to-red-wings.html Bert doesn´t want to go anywhere else.

I totally missed that Sustr played in China seasons 19-21. I guess DK is injured now. Must have tripped on the waiver wire