Dabura

I'm right tho, right? Nielsen's contract expires right before the lockout? And Abby only has a year left at that point (most of which will probably be eaten up by the lockout)?

I heard Helene recently confirmed Bouchard was our guy. Either way, it was definitely gonna be a defenseman -- right up until the moment Arizona announced their selection. I mean, why not. Tiger Woods is back. Steve Yzerman is home. All the division winners were ousted in the first round of the NHL playoffs. S***'s broken. Watch Podkolzin slide to the Wings. And then watch Broberg slide to the Wings at the top if the 2nd round.

And Datsyuk and Fetisov can help. This is how we heal the wounds. This is how we get the band back together. We're gonna be a family again. Here is every TSN draft ranking piece in a nutshell: "The Canadian guys are real good and the US guys are mostly less good."

I'll allow it. Jagr 2.0. Let's go. https://youtu.be/7Of_JnJ746o?t=17 He respecks da system. He is a huge, huge respeckter of da system. Imagine the kind of system respeckting he could do in the system respeckting capital of of the hockey world.

(Worth noting: Assuming we get a lockout in 2022, Nielsen will be off the books and Abby only has one season left.)

Oh, yeah, I've no interest in signing Karlsson for the term he's probably gonna want. Big money? Sure. Max term? Hell no. I just think amnesty buyouts could be a key consideration for some suitors. If a team is *right there* and thinks that Karlsson woud put them over the top and help win them a cup or two or three within the next five years, I think they go all in on him. The possibility of amnesty buyout handouts probably just emboldens them.

Well, we're due for another lockout soon and that'll probably gift everyone a couple amnesty buyouts again. Just saying.

Freaking Koreans.

Hopefully we're in the same position in a couple of years.

I'm thinking Colorado probably takes a forward. Could see it going this way tho.

Nah, I just think the similarity between the two situations would be kinda funny, in a cosmic way. I really like Podkolzin, but I've never fully bought that he's the undisputed #3 and that "Really, it's not a Big 2, it's a Big 3." Nah. I still feel Hughes and Kakko are above everyone else and then *maybe* Podkolzin is the best of the rest. Byram, Krebs, Turcotte. Those are My Guyz right now. I've cooled on Cozens and Zegras a bit, still kind of on the fence about Dach. All very good players and I'll be happy with any one of them.

Based on last year's draft, you'd think it would be Byram. Wings wanted a defenseman last year and were prepared to take Bouchard. To me, Byram is basically a better Bouchard. But we think lots of things and most of them end up being wrong. IMO, there's a good case to be made for Cozens and a good one to be made for Byram. What would really make it like last year's draft is Podkolzin being available at 6. While I still think it's unlikely, I would say it feels more plausible now than it did a few months ago. >>> EDIT: Edited for ugly grammar.

Just like my soul!

I'm in it for the chaos and schadenfreude; tears are all the lotion I need.

You gonna be ok there, bud? Want me to draw you a bath, maybe put on some Dashboard Confessional?

Holy s***!

Nice hat.

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/dylan-larkin-or-sean-monahan.2508519/ https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/your-1-center-to-the-flames-for-anything.2638029/ Life comes at you fast.

I second this.

It's definitely a possibility. I'm guessing Turcotte and Byram are at the top of their list. You never know tho.

I just can't get over the fact that the Isles are still alive and the Leafs are golfing. What a time to be alive.

Oops, forgot the USDP numbers: Larkin in his draft season: 31 goals and 56 points in 60 games played Turcotte this season: 26 goals and 61 points in 34 games played So, yeah. Alex Turcotte is really good at hockey.

Turcotte's on record saying he models his game after Bergeron's. It definitely shows. (I wouldn't expect him to become the next Bergeron, of course). Larkin's a good comparable. Both are elite skaters. Turcotte's a little smaller, but he's arguably more skilled and his production this season is better than Larkin's production in his draft year: Larkin in his draft season (USNTDP-USHL): 17 goals and 26 points in 26 games played Turcotte this season (USNTDP-USHL): 12 goals and 34 points in 16 games played This video's from last year, but it's held up well:

I think Babcock is safe. To me, there's blame on both sets of shoulders; Dubas gave Babcock a fundamentally flawed roster, but Babcock isn't being paid All The Money for first-round exits and excuses and questionable player management. At the end of the day, I assume Dubas knows that there's work to be done and that the work probably shouldn't include firing a very good (if overrated) coach. "The devil you know" and all that. I actually think their cap situation isn't too bad. Might have to shed a couple good players, but they'll probably be ok.

Never said he should spend all of his cap.