The Everything NHL Thread

So I was trying to figure out scenarios that get the Caps under the salary cap, since they're about 550k away from the cap with Alzner and Brouwer to resign. I'm still in favor of dumping Green, but since I doubt McPhee will actually do that I was trying to think of rosters where we might be able to win even with him! My favorite requires one more FA signing and would require careful contract negiotiations but I mean if he got Vokoun for 1.5 why not...

Fehr(2.2), Poti(2.875), and probably King(.637) need to get dropped for futures which leaves 6.256m to sign Brouwer, Alzner, and super fun 4th line FA option Chris Clark. Similar to before, but roster would look like this...

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble
Brouwer-Johansson-Semin
Chimera-Laich-Ward
Beagle-Halpern-Clark

Carlson-Alzner
Hamrlik-Wideman
Green-Schultz

- Line 4 would end up with two former Capitals captains and be a pretty respectable energy line with the two veterans and Beagle or enforcer Hendricks.
- I think we're very likely to see this third line no matter what the Caps do and it should be one of the best checking lines in hockey. Fast, physical, gritty... good at the things the Caps are bad at it in the playoffs.
- The top 6 almost looks like the weak spot since Brouwer is on his offwing and 20 year old 2nd year Johansson is playing line 2C. I feel like he's the weak link here and that the team would be a lot better with Arnott back and in that slot, but he'll need top 6 minutes to keep developing and the guy got 6p in 9gp in the playoffs, so maybe it'll work out. Hopefully Ovechkin and Semin stay split to make it harder to defend them this year.
-Could easily give all 3 pairings even time and be OK, best the Caps would be defensively in a very long time and five of them can actually defend people. All pairings have decent offense and defense... which will be important to help make up for Green losing one on one five to ten times a game.
- lol Vokoun for 1.5m
- Are you sure we can't fire Bruce?


Cautiously optimistic
 

Carl

or Varl
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Yandle re-signed for 5 years, $26.25mil but he doesn't have a no-trade clause. Channeling my inner homerism... go trade for him Holland! lol

Also, Kaberle in and Corvo out in Carolina. Eagerly awaiting Justin's thoughts.
 
I'm still not too sure what I think about this. The Hurricanes have needed a top line winger to play next to Eric Staal for FOREVER. I was hoping that this would be the year that they go out and get that guy, but it isn't. This is the year where they decide it is time to clone Joni Pitkanen.

Apparently once Cole left, Corvo had a talk with the GM and said that he wasn't getting younger, he wants to win, etc. He took a hometown discount to stay with the team last year, so I guess they decided they would be nice and send him to Boston for a low price. This is basically the reason why the Hurricanes went after Kaberle.

What worries me about Kaberle is basically everything I've read any Leafs fan say about him. They say that he never shoots the puck. They say that he has defensive lapses. He sounds identical to Joni Pitkanen. I'm just not sure if I can handle 2 Joni Pitkanens on the same team. I've seen Pitkanen pass up soooo many great wide open shots just to make that one extra pass. I don't understand these guys that just refuse to shoot the puck. It's very frustrating. When he is in his own zone, he tends to float around, just watching the puck and not keeping track of the guy he is supposed to be covering. If the other defenseman is behind the net, he has no issue at all going behind the net and leaving Cam Ward out to dry. I mean, Pitkanen is a great defenseman on the rush. He never ever gets beat 1 on 1 by anybody because he is such a smooth skater and a big body. I've never heard this about Kaberle though. Can he effortlessly skate and stop the elite snipers in the Southeast like Pitkanen? I highly doubt it. I have a feeling that he is going to be nothing more than a 3rd line pairing/PP specialist for 4.25 a year. That is something the Hurricanes should not be spending that much money on as a small market team.
 
Kaberle doesn't really have more defensive lapses than the average defencemen, most of them are actually due to his partner(s) being out of position (and that's not really his fault). He's usually in a pretty good position, but outside of that he won't really dazzle you with his large stick (<3 you Pierre) or shot blocking. He won't shoot, which is a shame because when he does, he almost always creates a goal scoring chance.
 
The Blues just got a bit older. They could use some more veterans in that young lineup IMO...

Also, i've been pondering this, but why exchange Young Brouwer with Elder Statesman Brunette. I know Brunette's put up more numbers but Brouwer's young and can develop.
I'm having trouble solving Chicago. They have a first line, a reconstructed gooney fourth line, and a grittier defense... What goes in between the first a fourth lines?
 
The Blues just got a bit older. They could use some more veterans in that young lineup IMO...

Also, i've been pondering this, but why exchange Young Brouwer with Elder Statesman Brunette. I know Brunette's put up more numbers but Brouwer's young and can develop.
I'm having trouble solving Chicago. They have a first line, a reconstructed gooney fourth line, and a grittier defense... What goes in between the first a fourth lines?
Chicago signed everybody to 1 year deals for less money. They also got a 1st round pick for Brouwer. Win win.

http://blackhawks.nhl.com/club/depthchart.htm?dcid=16 looks good to me.
 
I enjoy Olesz as the scratch considering how much he makes... I think it's great cap management by Chicago though, after this year they'll have no one but the aforementioned clown and newbie Montador under contract that isn't part of their core(though Sharp needs to be reupped). They've really recovered from a cap standpoint and they're still a competitive team.
 
Stalberg went to arbitration so he's GONE. Frolik and Campoli get resigned, maybe Frolik plays 2C because I REALLY want the Kane-Toews-Sharp line putting up 5 goals per game.

FORWARDS
Patrick Kane ($6.300m) / Jonathan Toews ($6.300m) / Patrick Sharp ($3.900m)
Marian Hossa ($5.275m) / Michael Frolik ($2.275m) / Andrew Brunette ($2.000m)
Rostislav Olesz ($3.125m) / Dave Bolland ($3.375m) / Jeremy Morin ($0.886m)
Daniel Carcillo ($0.775m) / Marcus Kruger ($0.900m) / Bryan Bickell ($0.541m)
Ben Smith ($0.812m) / Jamal Mayers ($0.550m)

DEFENSEMEN
Brent Seabrook ($5.800m) / Duncan Keith ($5.538m)
Niklas Hjalmarsson ($3.500m) / Steve Montador ($2.750m)
Nick Leddy ($1.116m) / Chris Campoli ($2.000m)
Sean O'Donnell ($0.850m) / John Scott ($0.512m)

GOALTENDERS
Corey Crawford ($2.666m) / Alexander Salak ($0.612m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $62,362,629; BONUSES: $965,000
CAP SPACE (24-man roster): $1,937,371
 
still hoping we find a way to get rid of Olesz. Either he has a ton of potential that has just never seen the light of day, or he is ridiculously ridiculously overpaid. Honestly just sending him to the minors might even be the best option. I'd rather the bottom lines be:

Bickell/Bolland/Morin
Carcillo/Kruger/Mayers
Smith
 

Chill Murray

get well soon jacoby..
Not surprised at all with the assessment of my team's announcers. It shows that Howie Rose is first and foremost a Mets announcer, and you can tell that he announces for a shitty team when he gets just as excited for the opposing team's goals as he does for ours.

I would have put the Ranger's announcers up a bit higher but that's just me. I ALWAYS use the Rangers telecast for Isles-Rangers games, since I like Rosen and Micheletti.
 
Here's a pretty good article about the 30 NHL broadcasters and where the writer ranks them:

http://www.sbnation.com/2011/7/8/2250696/nhl-broadcaster-rankings-announcers-commentators
I agree with most of the rankings. I was actually kind of surprised to see the Canes' broadcast team ranked that high. I feel like Forslund is easily one of, if not, the best in the business, but Tripp Tracy is just completely awful. Even as a Canes fan I cannot stand listening to that guy.
 
29.

"I didn't rank Montreal's crew because I don't speak French and therefore do not watch Canadiens broadcasts on RDS."
lol I thought there was something missing. A penny for your thoughts?

But ya it's a shame that alot of the 'lesser' markets have pretty good broadcasters, yet they probably have even less viewers than people in attendance at the games.
 

Vineon

Fleurdelysé
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lol I thought there was something missing. A penny for your thoughts?

But ya it's a shame that alot of the 'lesser' markets have pretty good broadcasters, yet they probably have even less viewers than people in attendance at the games.
Wouldn't rank them very high. Perhaps 2 or 3 stars.

I feel the play-by-play man (Pierre Houde) is very tolerable but lacks punch. The colour commentator (Benoit Brunet) will be replaced next year ; it seems nobody liked him.

I give a 5 stars rating to the radio broadcast team however (Martin McGuire & Dany Dubé). I would love them doing the tv broadcast. If I could properly synch the radio broadcast with what I see on tv, I'd mute the tv and listen to them instead.
 

DM

Ce soir, on va danser.
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I appreciate the 4 stars for the Sabres guys. Obviously, I'd give them five, but I agree sometimes Harry can get a little... old.
 

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