Gravesy

I think I'd rather have Kakko than Hughes and have felt that way for quite some time. You obviously don't need to be a massive unit in the NHL anymore, but Hughes lack of strength scares me (a little bit). I mean I'm sure he'll be a good player, but I wonder if his skating is so good that he'll be able to dominate at the NHL level despite his physical shortcomings.

Agreed. I also think his skating, edge work and ability to shield the puck and cut in from the wing really lends itself to him playing as a winger. I’m certainly in no rush to move him to C.

He looks very wingery to me. That doesn’t make it official, to be fair.

I'd need Kleenex for that as well in all fairness.

Panarin-Zibanejad-Kravtsov. Someone pass the Kleenex.

Well, he's got 15 points in 17 playoff games, playing for teams who went home early. So, small sample size notwithstanding, his playoff production checks out as a ppg player.

Staal and Pionk. So good we're playing them twice :cool:

*boards this train*

I'm in two minds on this one. I fully get where Fatty is coming from. I don't see this team competing in a few years, with or without Panarin. There is a bit of a risk involved, of course it is. He'll be 28 in October, and who knows what he'll look like in 4 years time when the Rangers are hopefully ready to contend again. He could still be excellent, he could slow down significantly. He's obviously choosing lifestyle over hockey and that could be a concern in terms of his motivation to put a struggling, young team on his back. And I think it's fair to say the Jackets have gone pretty much nowhere with him. However. He doesn't have the NHL milage that other players his age usually have. And there is definitely a lot of value in adding a great player to a young squad. It could do wonders for players like Chytil and Kravtsov playing with a player like him. Zib, Panarin +1 is immediately a competitive 1st line. I don't think this team is tanking next season, certainly not enough to get close to the 1st overall pick, so there is an argument to trying to build a winning culture with this young roster. I must admit I'm leaning towards throwing caution to the wind. But I can definitely see the other side of the argument.

A hundred times this.

I get the feeling the fire sale is done now. They'll probably move guys like Namestnikov and Strome, possibly Vesey and/or Fast, but the teardown is done and they'll be looking to add quality players. Whether that is a better strategy than 1) remains to be seen.

To be honest there is no "Henrik-window". This team requires such a massive roster turnaround to be an actual contender that it seems incredibly unlikely that they will contend for the Stanley Cup in the next 2 years. With or without Panarin. I would say that if they're going for Panarin it would have to be for the long term, with a view to contending within 3-5 years.

The fact you did it every season probably has something to do with it. And I imagine as a kid you probably don't care all that much. For my brother and I, playing our whole lives to that point on a bigger sheet and then moving over to play junior hockey at the highest level it's definitely a significant transition. In Shestyorkins case, he'll have played something like 17-18 seasons as a goaltender on a European sheet and making the transition at NHL will obviously take some getting used to. He might be able to make the switch immediately, but I think most goaltenders (and skaters) need some sort of adjustment period to get used to it.

I don’t mean to sound like a prick, but saying the transition from European to NA ice is something that only takes “a couple of practices and a few games” is extremely ignorant. Speaking as someone who made that move as a C and my brother as a goaltender. It’s the same game but it’s almost as if you’re learning it anew. The time it takes to adjust varies from player to player, but it’s even tougher for a goaltender. It’s a game of inches and the inches change.

FWIW my brother is a goalie who moved from Europe to NA and he always says the angles felt really different and took a good couple of months getting used to.

A game misconduct and potential suspension for that :palm:

Nominated for the Hobey for good measure. https://www.hobeybaker.com/vfh2019-morgan-barron

The Brendan Lemieux of goaltending. :cool:

I like Vegas. Can't really think of any reason to dislike them. Good fans, good atmosphere, coach seems like a pretty nice guy, some excellent players there. As for the question, I think all of the Flames, Leafs and Jets are well positioned to challenge in the next couple of years. I have a hunch neither of them will get over the line this season though. They seem like 3 really good teams with soft underbellies.

Depends on their plan for him I guess. Unless something dramatic happens in Hartford I'd be sceptical of him spending a year there. The Rangers certainly could do with a big, skillful winger but if he winds up playing on the 4th line with Brickley and Boo I'm not so sure. It might be for the best that he spends another year in the KHL, even though from a personal perspective I'd be a lot more interested in next season if he's with the Rangers.

Two birds with one stone?

I've never seen Dach play, but guys like Pronman and Wheeler say his skating has improved a lot and that he moves very well. Wheeler. Make of it what you will.

Some decent company he's in here.

Winnipeg are currently 13 points clear in the west. It’s probably not worth getting worked up about.

But they were never re-signing him, so in context of that it’s a good return for a rental. You can’t judge the return based on your wish to re-sign him. It’s a completely separate discussion. A valid one, but not in context of judging the trade.