Red Mosquito

Went to both days of Avs Training Camp, and their intra-squad scrimmage today.

MacKinnon is ridiculous. Not only is he just as fast, but he's put on muscle and is tossing players around. He's going to be tough for teams to stop.

Advice request: Jeff Skinner, Jordan Eberle, Ryan O'Reilly or Oliver Ekman-Larsson for my last keeper spot? I'm leaning towards Skinner right now because I draft last out of 8 teams and I think he's the most likely to be drafted before it gets back to me.

Islanders acquire Johnny Boychuk from Boston for two 2nds and a 3rd.

The Islanders have also acquired Nick Leddy and Kent Simpson from Chicago for TJ Brennan, Ville Pokka and Anders Nilsson.

Pokka is going to be a really good d-man, I don't like having to give him up. Nilsson just went back to Russia, so I'm not sure why Chicago wanted him.

Boston fans are going apeshit over Boychuk getting traded...I like him but the fans REALLY overvalue him

and it's going to be frightening what some team pays him next July 1st given what friggin Brooks Orpik got

Brooks Orpik is so bad. How could any team watch him play and think "yeah, he deserves this money"? He was particularly terrible in the Olympics.

shinkdew wrote:Islanders acquire Johnny Boychuk from Boston for two 2nds and a 3rd.

The Islanders have also acquired Nick Leddy and Kent Simpson from Chicago for TJ Brennan, Ville Pokka and Anders Nilsson.

Pokka is going to be a really good d-man, I don't like having to give him up. Nilsson just went back to Russia, so I'm not sure why Chicago wanted him.

Chicago was probably more interested in clearing cap space... the return was less important.

I'm really surprised T.J. Brennan hasn't had a chance to stick with an NHL team. I don't know what he's like defensively, but he's put up some huge numbers from the blueline in the AHL, so I could see him at least getting a chance as a 6th D/PP specialist or something. Chicago will probably turn him into a solid mid-pairing defenseman, because that's what they do.

I think the Isles have done a solid job this offseason. Boychuk, Leddy, Grabovski and Kulemin may not be stars, but they're solid players who add a lot of depth to the team.

philpritchard wrote:

shinkdew wrote:Islanders acquire Johnny Boychuk from Boston for two 2nds and a 3rd.

The Islanders have also acquired Nick Leddy and Kent Simpson from Chicago for TJ Brennan, Ville Pokka and Anders Nilsson.

Pokka is going to be a really good d-man, I don't like having to give him up. Nilsson just went back to Russia, so I'm not sure why Chicago wanted him.

Chicago was probably more interested in clearing cap space... the return was less important.

I'm really surprised T.J. Brennan hasn't had a chance to stick with an NHL team. I don't know what he's like defensively, but he's put up some huge numbers from the blueline in the AHL, so I could see him at least getting a chance as a 6th D/PP specialist or something. Chicago will probably turn him into a solid mid-pairing defenseman, because that's what they do.

I think the Isles have done a solid job this offseason. Boychuk, Leddy, Grabovski and Kulemin may not be stars, but they're solid players who add a lot of depth to the team.

Indeed, the Hawks had to clear some space to get under the cap. Someone had to go.

philpritchard wrote:Advice request: Jeff Skinner, Jordan Eberle, Ryan O'Reilly or Oliver Ekman-Larsson for my last keeper spot? I'm leaning towards Skinner right now because I draft last out of 8 teams and I think he's the most likely to be drafted before it gets back to me.

not skinner

Mecca wrote:

philpritchard wrote:Advice request: Jeff Skinner, Jordan Eberle, Ryan O'Reilly or Oliver Ekman-Larsson for my last keeper spot? I'm leaning towards Skinner right now because I draft last out of 8 teams and I think he's the most likely to be drafted before it gets back to me.

not skinner

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, we did the draft Friday and I went with Skinner. As I expected, Eberle was picked first. Luckily, I ended up getting O'Reilly and Ekman-Larsson later in the draft.

I also drafted Derek Stepan because I somehow missed that injury. I usually draft a handful of young breakout candidates for my team, but this year pretty much everyone on my team fits that category. It's pretty exciting.

Tonight!

Thank God hockey is back.

BigRedLedbetter wrote:Thank God hockey is back.

Time for the Habs to break the opening-night losing streak vs. the Leafs. I think it's been 4 in a row that the Leafs have won.

Go Canada's Team!
http://www.citynews.ca/2014/10/08/the-h ... news-poll/

Mecca wrote:Brooks Orpik is so bad. How could any team watch him play and think "yeah, he deserves this money"? He was particularly terrible in the Olympics.

i think the punishment he laid out on the ice for the pens cup runs really took a lot out of him (as well as giving up his body for blocked shots)

i like him for what he did for the pens but there was just no way with the tykes they had in the system he was sticking around

southp wrote:Time for the Habs to break the opening-night losing streak vs. the Leafs. I think it's been 4 in a row that the Leafs have won.

Go Canada's Team!
http://www.citynews.ca/2014/10/08/the-h ... news-poll/

Is it really that surprising that "Canada's Team" is the one that had the most success last year? Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary were all "Canada's Team" at some point over the last decade or so.

The Bruins-Flyers game was a nice one to watch to start the season. I hate being at the mercy of standard cable when it is NHL season. :/

E.H. Ruddock wrote:The Bruins-Flyers game was a nice one to watch to start the season. I hate being at the mercy of standard cable when it is NHL season. :/

whats your team, ruddo?

Growing up my dad was a huge Islanders fan. Never really liked them so I always rooted for the Whalers. When I lived out west I followed the Sharks, but only because I could go to their games. Don't really follow anyone in particular now, just enjoy watching hockey.

I grew up in PA but have always hated all PA sports teams. The only one I ever liked was the Sixers because of Dr. J.

I especially have always strongly disliked the Flyers, though.

E.H. Ruddock wrote:I especially have always strongly disliked the Flyers, though.

You'll fit in well here.

E.H. Ruddock wrote:
I especially have always strongly disliked the Flyers, though.

welcome in my world