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ABNuck

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Everything posted by ABNuck

  1. No reason to give up assets to get rid of Loui's salary...his hit comes off the books right when BB needs a payraise. More importantly, Sutter and Pearson (8.125mil combined) come off the books when Petey and Q43 need their respective bridge contracts (sign them to 1 year bridges with big payraises the following year). I would ride out all 5 players - including Roussel and Beagle - and keep the assets that we would have needed to toss in just to rid ourselves of the contracts. Take the 8.125 in 2021-22 then add the 12.000 when Loui, Rouse and Beags are gone in 2022-23 to lock in the core 3 to the longer term (that's a minimum total of almost 28 mil available to split between the 3...Hogs and Podz will still be on ELC that year). Plus Lu, Spooner and Baer's cash will also be off the books by then (that's another 6.35mil available). We just gotta get through the next 18 months and the dark cap crunch cloud will be dissipated. I don't think that Benning's back is up against the wall like it was back when he signed Roussel and Beagle (we needed NHL players)...we now have great assets available in the system that can do the work for millions cheaper...so we shouldn't be needing to sign any bottom 6, overage players to multi-million, multi-year contracts. PS/ HOGS and PODZ sounds like an awesome ice cream shop to open at Roger's...might get sued though.
  2. For sure there are surprises, but to just see who qualifies for the playoffs usually just comes down to the 2 wildcard spots anyways...so a tournament between spots 7 through 12 in each conference, battling out for the 2 wildcard spots, would have been the most likely scenario had the season carried on...I think it would have given the most likely outcome similar to what really would have happened. And more realistic because those wild card and bubble teams would have been battling each other in the regular season so the mini tournament would have duplicated that battle. Plus any stats that were accumulated could have just been added on to the regular season stats and would have given a "cleaner" and more traditional and comparable statbook on this year's playoffs...as of right now there WILL have to be an asterisk beside any record broken (ie/ somebody scores 19 goals but they took 4 more games to do it than in any other playoff year). Apples to apples. Another flaw is that now CHI and MTL have no shot at the #1 draft pick...something probably needed more than just a round of playoff experience. That #1 draft pick would have far further reaching value in the long run. But as they say...it is what it is...
  3. Blues...I feel like we own them most of the time in the regular season. For each of the past 2 seasons we have a 2W / 1L record against them...and the last time we met in the playoffs (although irrelevant today) we swept them in 4. As for the Stars...well...we dropped both games to them this year...
  4. Although I am happy in general for hockey being...and especially for a shot at either playoff hockey or the #1 pick but... I know this horse carcass has been beaten up so much...I think the NHL really dropped the ball on how this "play-in" is being done. Right now both Chicago and Montreal are poised for meaningful games, something that NEVER would have happened save for COVID. So, in my opinion (for what that's worth) I think the NHL should have had 2 separate tournaments: 1 for the top 6 teams in each conference (5 games each team) to set the seedings for round 1; then 1 for the bottom 6 in each conference to fight for the remaining 2 spots (with any tie in places 2 and 3 going automatically to the higher finishing team from the regular season). Let's face it, MTL & CHI were never battling with PIT & EDM for a playoff spot...they were battling lower seeded teams. Now a higher seeded team might not even "officially" get a chance to play (whereas in ANY other season they would have at least gotten to RD1). Sure, LA won the cup as the #8 seed, but they don't even get a shot if they were #9.
  5. Would it be PC to go with TOTEMS? There's a Junior team that still uses TOTEMS and so far nobody has kicked up a stink about that yet. If it's a fishing theme (as the video suggests) then there was an old baseball team in Seattle called the "Steelheads"
  6. I'd say it's time to bite the bullet so that this mess doesn't spill over (delayed draft, delayed start to next season, delayed expansion draft...continual ripple effect). My proposal: Start the playoffs now with top 8 teams...top 8 teams right now are also the same 8 teams with the best winning percentage (BOS / STL / COL / TBL / WSH / PHI / PIT / VGK)...in all likelihood these are the 8 teams that would stand the best chance to run through to 2nd round anyways. Go with neutral sites: Saskatoon SK & Grand Forks ND for Round 1 at least (can revert to team arenas if lockdown gets removed for RD2 / RD3). Round 1 is Best-of-five (seed teams 1 thru 8), round 2 & 3 best-of-seven. Award the SC this year...if we can start this tournament by May 1st then round 1 would be done by May 10th, round 2 would be May 13th to 26th. SCF runs May 30th to June 12th max. Hold draft lottery on June 15th (bottom 10 teams in lottery for #1 pick, bottom 15 teams in lottery for #2 pick, bottom 20 teams for #3, then everyone else falls into place). Hold the virtual draft (if needed) on June 23rd. Let's be done with this mess sooner rather than later so that we can all move forward with 2020-21 season as normal.
  7. Not sure if already discussed...couldn't find anything in search. Anyways, what about Tanev (born in Toronto - UFA MNT8) at 4.45m off book for Barrie (born in Victoria - UFA) at 2.75m on book (2.75 retained by COL)...net savings for VAN of 1.70m to use at TDL or to use for Ferland off LTIR. Toronto gives up a bit of offense from the back-end but shores up the D more defensively...offence is not an issue for TML but keeping the puck out of their own net does seem to be more of an immediate issue if they are to compete. Vancouver gains a bit on the back-end offense but loses a shutdown guy. Barrie is 2 years younger so the concept here is more about competing for the next 5 years. I would then skate MYERS - HUGHES / EDLER - BARRIE as our top 4. Re-sign Stetcher and let him go to Seattle then add Olli into our bottom pairing (then go looking for a bottom pairing Right D to replace Stetcher). I think for the future (both players being UFAs) that both might be more likely to sign, what would probably amount to their final NHL contract, in their home town areas. Sidenote: WHC2016...Tanev with Rielly was Team Canada's top pairing, so there's some successful pairing history there. Thoughts?
  8. I believe that they broadcast out east somewhere (probably Toronto)...they have folks like Matt Barnaby as regular broadcasters and most contributors on the Channel are eastern based as well (minor scouts, College hockey reporters etc). I once called in and accused the Eastern media of ignoring the Canucks and I got an earful from the sportscaster on at that time...sooooo...defensive much?
  9. I was listening to SXM91 and the commentators continually referred to the PAC DIV as the weakest in hockey...I wondered if this was just typical media bias (eye test vs. actual stats) so I did some stats analysis...turns out they were right! Here's what found: When tallying up the divisional records vs each of the other 3 divisions and calculating the winning percentage vs the others divs, the MET is the strongest earning 63% of the available points vs the other 3 divisions. Next is the CEN at 61%, then the ATL at 53% then lastly the lowly PAC at 51%. The inter divisional records include the 2pts for win + 1 pt for OTL (hence the reason all divisions appear to be above 50%) vs total available points. Bottom line is, chances are that the SC Finalists this year will come from the MET and CEN ... maybe WSH vs. STL or COL? Will be interesting to see if the trend continues. PS/ Last PAC team to win the SC...LAK in 2014 and man do they suck now! All SC winners since then have come from either the MET or CEN
  10. I personally do not wear a poppy on or around Remembrance Day. And that is MY choice. I don't mind if immigrants want to move to Canada or move out. I don't mind if people want to wear rainbow colored poppies, poppies with a symbol of Quebec, paint sidewalks and crosswalks rainbow colored, fly rainbow flags etc etc etc. That is all THEIR choice. I am a veteran (having served Canada for 6-1/2 years as a Combat Engineer - 1CER)...what did we fight to preserve? FREEDOM! Freedom to choose. NOBODY should EVER tell another human what they can or should do or not do just because it doesn't line up with their own opinion...it is at the very core of FREEDOM, that for which so many sacrificed. For Don Cherry to come on National TV and TELL everyone that they should where a poppy (immigrant or otherwise) is dead set against what all those veterans served and for which some paid the ultimate sacrifice. Don't spit on their sacrifice by taking freedom away!!
  11. The Art of Racing in the Rain...5/10 Moved far too fast to establish any connectivity with the audience. You feel briefly happy for a small event, then briefly sad for another...wash, rinse, repeat.
  12. Was just reminded of another movie that could be considered the GOAT: Apocalypse Now "THE HORROR...THE HORROR..." Brando's greatest...
  13. I lean towards "Gladiator" myself... AM I NOT MERCIFUL!!!
  14. Carborundum Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?
  15. Was gonna suggest some sort of Eriksson for Alzner (with MTL retaining) type deal but it looks like Karl has cleared so might not be as attractive to MTL now.
  16. I'm more in the south central area of Alberta...but still, given a choice (and even a league minimum paycheque) gimme a southern destination. I'm getting to be Snowbird age (I'm still awaiting the so-called "Freedom 55"...should have kicked in last week...didn't see a penny...oh well), so the warmer climate in the hockey season beckons. I'll go check out the Nux in Vegas again this winter, and maybe catch a Cali road trip, but other than that it'll be bundle up and shovel for me this winter...BLAH!
  17. Preferred destinations would be: Vancouver, San Jose, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Dallas My NTC cities would be: Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto Seems like I kinda mirror what quite a few NHL'ers have in the NTC cities...seriously, I could NOT live in Winnipeg in the winter...
  18. Nucks hit 90-91 pts...just miss the playoff cut. Sutter, Tanev and Baertschi get injured...not really a prediction, just stating the facts. Tanev gone at TDL.
  19. When I made my original post on this topic up above I think I missed the point...my apologies. So I guess my T6 for 2019-20 would be: Boeser 31 Pettersson 30 Horvat 25 Miller 17 Baertschi 16 Ferland 15
  20. Not sure if mentioned: Article written July 9th...we signed Ferland July 10th. So that gives Canucks an add of 2 of their top 15 ranked FA's, plus add Miller...I'd say we did OK. Will the Laffs finish above us in the standings by year-end??? Probably...but I still say we improved the most. By my estimation we will improve by about 10 points in the standings (to 91)...I would actually say that TML drops a couple (to 98)...so I'd say we will improve more than Toronto next year.
  21. Boeser 31 (up from 26 last season) Pettersson 30 (up from 28) Miller 17 (up from 13...he will benefit from more 5-5 time than he got in TB...potentially 1st line vs 2nd/3rd + 1st unit PP time) Pearson 14 (up from 9...minutes and stable linemates will help) Horvat 25 (down from previous 27...will be more complete 2 way player) Ferland 15 (down...won't have Aho feeding him on the PP...he'll be 2nd PP unit) Baertschi 16 (obviously up from injury season...but still off pace for him...3rd line, some 2nd line, 2nd PP unit minutes) Sutter 11 (up from 4...also injury riddled season...and career...so if can stay healthy. With his IQ and speed I can even see a couple of shortys from him, maybe 3) Leivo 12 (up from 10...more stabilized role, locker room dynamics for him - no up/down to minors etc...should settle in nicely on the 3rd line) Motte 7 (down from 9...I see limited ice-time for these last 4 guys, so it will hurt the production a bit) Beagle 4 (up from 3...I see him actually having that 1 special game next year where he pots 2 in 1 game...the rest will be the usual trash) Roussel 6 (down from 9...he will suffer most from loss of ice-time. Any output he can give by moving up due to injury would only replace what was already there) Virtanen 12 (down from 15...total wildcard, could be 10, could be 20...my guess right now, with the Canucks depth up front, is that he gets 3rd/4th line mins) So that's 198 from the front-end combined. From the backend I figure Edler and Myers to both drop a bit but for the others actually step up a bit (due to the better depth and distribution through the top 3 dmen...so I'm giving our backend 30 goals for all 8 of them combined this year. Add in a few (say 6) from callups then it puts our yearend total at about 234...that's an overall improvement of 15 goals in the GF column. By adding Myers, Miller and Ferland combined with a stable Marky/Demko duo in the backstop I would say that we can improve our GA even more than our GF...I'd say about 18 GA improvement would bring us to a 234 / 230 (+4) line...not spectacular but a decent improvement for sure. Improving 15+ vs 18- should add a few more wins for sure (we had 90 goals against us in the 3rd period last year...2nd worst in the Western Conf)...so if we can hold a lead longer into a game so that we're not giving up the dreaded ENG to pretty much crush us, then I think we'll pull out 4 additional wins in reg + 2 additional wins in OT for 10 point improvement overall in the standings (39-30-13 for 91 pts)...right on the bubble...
  22. That f#@$%ing new Beverley Hills 90210 commercial...over and over and over and over and over again on every f*&^%ing channel...I AM SICK OF IT! WE GET IT! YOU COULDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING NEW SO YOU'RE RE-MAKING A POS SHOW!!! STOP WITH THE COMMERCIAL!!!! I'M GONNA PUT A HAMMER THROUGH MY TV AND MY LENNY KRAVITZ CD THROUGH THE PAPER SHREDDER!!!!!
  23. There's really only one thing about JB that I would want him to change: STOP DYING YOUR HAIR OUT BEFORE THE DRAFT EVERY YEAR!! Does he somehow think that he relates to the next Gen-Z's by not having any gray hair? Gray hair is a sign of wisdom...show it some respect JB!
  24. That's the scenario I see happening...not a huge change, not a huge splash but satisfies the fans' need for us to get tougher and move up in the draft...check and check. A lot of shade has been thrown Lucic's way...yes, he has struggled offensively (but so has Eriksson), he has struggled to be a big power forward, but so have quite a few other players of his type with the "new" rule interpretations in today's NHL...but if Wilson can be semi-successful (even with the suspensions), then I think Lucic can figure it out as well; maybe a fresh start in his hometown is exactly what he needs.
  25. I'm just a bit bummed that UofM made the playoffs...7 teams in the B1G and 6 of them are in the playoffs?! Anyways, I guess another solid run will build his confidence and help him to know what it takes to win...we can use a bit of that swagger! So we might not see him til next year...something else to be positive about the future... Now if we could just lose for (the other) Hughes...or how about cookoo for Kakko? No? Too much?
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