Yumcha

How can I NOT, dude?

It's too easy. We have a team with one of the greatest players to lace the skates playing for them now and they can't out-trip themselves to that lottery pick.

MSZ

The Leafs have just traded Matt Martin and 100% of his 2.5 mil cap hit to the Isles for some ECHL goalie.

Unfuckingbelievable. I thought the Isles hate Toronto?

Yumcha

I say Louuuuu and Shanny are in cahoots.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

Sure sounds like it

TacoBello

TacoBello

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

I member him...

Yumcha

This had me -ing...

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

Yea! We got a D-man that is -8 lifetime.


wheeeeee

https://www.nhl.com/player/fredrik-claesson-8476368

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

:gheywave:

Yumcha

Not that he was ever going to play again given his illness, but Hossa is now going to the place where long contracts go to die: Arizona.

Hawks gave up some kids in order for the Yotes to take the deal but it frees up the cap space Chicago needs to maybe get that blueline depth because golly, right now, I think they need another top 4-type to help badly.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

That contract is still a head shaker to me, but good for the cawks

Yumcha

Geebus. Ray Emery dies in a swimming incident.

RIP, Razor: https://www.tsn.ca/hamilton-police-f...t-35-1.1139647

TacoBello

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

So, did he just not know how to swim, or?

CCColtsicehockey

MSZ

Iggy officially retires.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl...ment-1.4760893

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

^Bout time

I'm sure he'll end up as an assistant coach somewhere

CCColtsicehockey

Did he even play anywhere last year? Kind of sad the way his career ended as his play dropped off but I guess if you still love to play the game and someone is willing to pay you to do why not then. Extremely classy player.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

Nope, no one signed him

CCColtsicehockey

I figured my answer was in the article but didn't feel like opening it. Thanks

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

Is it hockey season yet?

Yumcha

Likely over for Taco's Oilers already. Looks like Sekera -- the 1st/2nd-pairing guy that Sharelli admitted to not adequately backfilling for in tanking last season -- is gone likely for the year again with an Achilles tear. And well, did Sharelli do anything to patch his blueline this year? Nope. He did get gifted a nice prospect in Bouchard but hey, with Sekera gonzo, let's watch Justin Schultz Part 2 with Edmonton running this guy into the ground.


Edmonton for #1 overall pick, baby!

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

The fail is strong with the TacoOils

TacoBello

It's going to be a rough season. I heard on the radio they are likely looking to give Bouchard a chance, and use Ethan Bear, and whoever else...

Well let me tell you- Bouchard hasn't played a single fucking game in the NHL and is now likely going to get hammered with pressure. Ethan Bear has his moments, but he's very much a rookie stills and makes LOTS of rookie mistakes. What a fucking joke. As if they didn't know well in advance that Sekera would need surgery.

Yumcha

If they rush Bouchard, that pick is forfeit.

He looks good...has the tools. Kinda wished Chicago selected him instead of Boqvist. But, Bouchard needs seasoning in the AHL at least for couple of seasons. If he were a Predator or on a team with mega-depth and can lean on some elite and experienced vets on the blueline, different story. But, in Edmonton, he has no one and is going to be hung out to dry. Sure, let's line up the kid against another squad's top line. Good luck shutting down Crosby, Kane, Tarasenko, and etc.

TacoBello

Nah they'd put him out against 3rd and 4th lines only. I'm sure there might be the odd moment where he is caught with a top line... And they will likely score just being honest here. And if he is playing against 4th lines, he might as well be in the AHL then, getting three times more playing minutes.

Now what's going to happen is he will make mistakes and feel the heat, his performance will suffer even more and not really improve due to playing limited minutes, and seeing as Edm fans are borderline psychotic, they'll eventually chase him out of town, then he will end up in another team where they will go slow with him and he will flourish. 100% Schultz part 2.

I can't fucking believe what this team is doing again.

Yumcha

...with McDavid. It's like, you have a Pagani in your garage and instead, you decide to run it through a mosh pit every day.

TacoBello

I hope you guys don't mind me cursing, complaining, and being bitter all season. This will be a train wreck right from day 1.

It's great they replaced the assistant coaches, but I'm not sure how much was their actual fault overall for Edmonton's terrible season, last year. The year before, these same assistant coaches apparently worked wonders. What I do know is our team is largely the same it was last year... meaning you still have guys who for whatever reason doubt themselves and get defeated by a stronger, more confident team. No new players. No big line changes. Still no Sekera. It's all the same $hit it was the year before. Apparently time off is supposed to make these guys feel confident in themselves again... it seemed to work well at the xmas break, last season. Oh wait, nothing changed.

I've heard rumors of how amazing this Bouchard kid is... I don't believe it. Not for one second. I'll believe it when he either a) starts lighting it up with his first foray into the big league (let's be honest- doubtful), or b) he goes down to the minors and learns to dominate there first.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

We get it man, I've had Season tickets for 20 years and sat through a lot of bad management and a lot of bad teams to get all those draft picks. Definitely not the same as what's going on in Oil Town but I feel your pain, Yummy can relate as well when the Hawks struggled for all those years before drafting Kane and Toews, etc. Definitely frustrating as a fan, I really thought with all those draft picks that Edmonton would be farther along, but they keep signing the wrong people to ridiculous contracts, it's a head shaker for sure

Yumcha

I'd add their development was horrid as well. VERY VERY few prospects come from the draft and transitions into the NHL as a stud without proper development. Oilers have had a glut of picks that so teams would be envious of but completely torpedoed the growth of the kids.

How many players that are non-1st-rounders that are in their roster? Do we know any 2nd-rounders, 3rd, 4th, and so on who are regulars? Over the last several years, I would say you could count on maybe 1 hand if at all for Edmonton.

Yumcha

Hawks trading away my heroes as a kid was heart-breaking.

Larmer, Belfour, Roenick, Savard, Chelios...

Yumcha

Was thumbing through THN's season forecast and out of morbid curiosity, looked through Edmonton and THAT publication has NO ONE close to 40 points as the 4th scorer.

After Nooj, Drysigh-toe, and McD, there is no one. Wow.

TacoBello

Yep. and when those three don't put up any points, no one else does either.

Yumcha

They have Loocheechandchong at 20ish points.


Wow, what an anchor. THN is being very damning on Sharelli's team.

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

Loocheech is F'ing worthless.... Obviously

Yumcha

Wow...this is very sad...

https://www.tsn.ca/tsn-originals/vid...-murph~1466368

Yumcha

Taco, this may resonate with you as you're an Oilers guy and you'll remember him on the Kid Line.

Of course, I will know Murph as a Hawk for his 4 seasons there.