Strome is a bust. Worse skater than Lucic.
- The_Big_Heen

Lucic can skate?

Tanner strongly criticized the Caps last offseason and predicted them to miss the playoffs, but recently defended himself by claiming that his criticism was spot-on at the time. I anticipate the Yotes being near the bottom of the league again and Tanner insisting that he was still right about them secretly being contenders.

Tanner strongly criticized the Caps last offseason and predicted them to miss the playoffs, but recently defended himself by claiming that his criticism was spot-on at the time. I anticipate the Yotes being near the bottom of the league again and Tanner insisting that he was still right about them secretly being contenders.
- Osprey

ya, 'slowest d in the league' , terrible contract for Oshie, etc.. etc...
the sky was falling in Oct.

via GIPHY

- Cape Breton Bruins

I can’t look away.

Tanner strongly criticized the Caps last offseason and predicted them to miss the playoffs, but recently defended himself by claiming that his criticism was spot-on at the time. I anticipate the Yotes being near the bottom of the league again and Tanner insisting that he was still right about them secretly being contenders.
- Osprey

Picking the Capitals to miss the playoffs was perfectly reasonable.

These were my picks last year:

Atlantic: 1. Toronto 2. Buffalo 3. Lightning
Metro: 1. Hurricanes 2. Blue Jackest 3. Penguins

Wild Cards: Rangers , Devils

5/8

West:

Central: 1. Jets 2. Stars 3. Wild
Pacific: 1. Flames 2. Oilers 3. Kings

Wild Cards: Predators, Coyotes

4/8.

I suck at predictions, which is why I wrote this:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=91837

Strome had 9 points in 21 NHL games and got bounced around being called up and down.

I wouldnt be saying he is some scary 1-2-3 punch with Stepan and Galy (dont even know if he is a true C to be honest)

Yotes are getting there but contenders..come on BFF lets not get silly here
- DDM-Coga

Strome finished the season with eight points in his last ten games. I think he'll be a superstar.

You wrote this same exact blog after the Stepan trade last year

Nice pick up on chucky. He's a better winger than center though. Right now I'd say your top 4 in the division. With Vegas, Edmonton, and San Jose above you. And Calgary is pretty close because the flame goaltending always suspect. Then LA, Anaheim, and Vancouver. It's gonna be a good fight for playoff spots in the Pacific division this year. But all this can change with free agency and the draft coming up.

I can’t look away.
- RafiDRW

It is oddly hypnotic.

So a year ago Kruger is a fringe NHL player? Yet now he is worth mentioning in a "rose colored glasses' blog about the "potential" of the Yotes team?

Strome finished the season with eight points in his last ten games. I think he'll be a superstar.
- james_tanner1

YIKES...

When its garbage hockey time at the end of the season, guys can put up some points.
Based on that logic, Andrighetto would have been a super star when he put up 16 points in 19 games after being traded there in their dumpster fire season.

Might have to reserve judgement when guys are playing for something meaningful

OR even better. Their current roster is good, but they have that 5th pick, they have 30 million in cap space, a bunch of tradable players and all their other picks. They should be able to move the needle a bit more between now and September.
- james_tanner1

As long as he gets creative they could make some solid moves. I think they need four things:

1) An upgrade over Schenn for the top four

2) An upgrade to the bottom d-pair

3) A scoring winger who can post around 30 goals / 60 points.

4) A legit 3C.

Question for you James. Do you see Dvorak playing up the middle at all? He was a great center for London. Do they only use him on the wing?? Just curious as I don’t see many coyotes games.

Strome finished the season with eight points in his last ten games. I think he'll be a superstar.
- james_tanner1

Considering you yourself are always complaining about people pointing to small sample sizes (ie. the whole playoffs), it's rather ironic seeing you point to a successful ten game stretch as if it is a solid indicator of a player's future skill level.

Most players go on stretches of good or bad play for a dozen or so games. An example: You could've pointed to Mitch Marner's 2 goals in almost half a season this past year and said he was a bust, but then he turned it on in the second half and finished the season with 22 goals and 69 points. So is he a bust, or McDavid level scoring phenom? Well, it depends which half of last season you wish to cherry pick.

I'll admit Dylan's AHL success is encouraging.

can you tell me which goggles you are wearing maybe we can then we can see what you are seeing?

They could surprise. I don't think they have the depth to make a lot of noise in the playoffs, but their D is good

1) Hjarmalsson + Chycrun do NOT equal Subban + Josi. This is a silly comparison.

2) Raanta is NOT one of the best goalies in the league.

3) Had the Coyotes played 82 games the way they did the last 41, they would have had 94 points NOT 96 points and would NOT have made the playoffs

4) The Yotes do NOT have one of the best bluelines in hockey. What a ridiculous thing to say.

5) The Yotes are NOT a secret contender. Lol omg.

6) What are you SMOKING because I would love some!

The Yotes look exciting, just like last year and the year before.. You should learn not to hold your breath with this team.

I wonder what it would take to get Eric Staal.

Its like you guys aren't even watching the same players.

Galchenyuk is a guy that does exactly one thing, score goals, if he doesnt score 30 or more he is a liability because of everything else that he does not do.

Domi is a young player that still makes lots of errors, but what he does that sets apart from Galchenyuk is a consistent effort.

And Domi's offense is not that far behind Galchenyuk, especially when you consider the garbage linemates Domi has been saddled with thus far.

Montreal totally won this trade, and Arizona is actually further from being competitive for making this trade.

As long as he gets creative they could make some solid moves. I think they need four things:

1) An upgrade over Schenn for the top four

2) An upgrade to the bottom d-pair

3) A scoring winger who can post around 30 goals / 60 points.

4) A legit 3C.
- Rinosaur

Whether or not Dvorak or Galchenyuk ends up as a centre, I think they've got a good top three. Schenn was never in their top four, he's their #7 assuming he's even brought back which he probably won't be.

Top four of OEL, Hjalm, Demers, Chychrun is good.

Considering you yourself are always complaining about people pointing to small sample sizes (ie. the whole playoffs), it's rather ironic seeing you point to a successful ten game stretch as if it is a solid indicator of a player's future skill level.

Most players go on stretches of good or bad play for a dozen or so games. An example: You could've pointed to Mitch Marner's 2 goals in almost half a season this past year and said he was a bust, but then he turned it on in the second half and finished the season with 22 goals and 69 points. So is he a bust, or McDavid level scoring phenom? Well, it depends which half of last season you wish to cherry pick.

I'll admit Dylan's AHL success is encouraging.
- Thecakeisalie

Buddy, it's all about context. I was responding to a post saying he had only a few points in however many games. I was just pointing out that he did have success at the end of the year. I wasn't telling you how much to weight it.

1) Hjarmalsson + Chycrun do NOT equal Subban + Josi. This is a silly comparison.



The point was to say that even the league's best team would have trouble making the playoffs if they missed a half season from two of their best D and their goalie.


2) Raanta is NOT one of the best goalies in the league.


He certainly was for 42 games last year.

3) Had the Coyotes played 82 games the way they did the last 41, they would have had 94 points NOT 96 points and would NOT have made the playoffs

OK but missing by two points in a league where the expansion team almost wins the Cup is not that bad.

4) The Yotes do NOT have one of the best bluelines in hockey. What a ridiculous thing to say.

I'd like to see which teams besides Nashville, Tampa, Anaheim and Calgary rank ahead of them. A few probably, but they're easy top ten, maybe higher and it's certainly not even close to a ridiculous thing to say.

5) The Yotes are NOT a secret contender. Lol omg.

Come on, it's bad enough to say lol but don't say omg.

6) What are you SMOKING because I would love some!
- Steve32

I doubt you could handle it!

Its like you guys aren't even watching the same players.

Galchenyuk is a guy that does exactly one thing, score goals, if he doesnt score 30 or more he is a liability because of everything else that he does not do.

Domi is a young player that still makes lots of errors, but what he does that sets apart from Galchenyuk is a consistent effort.

And Domi's offense is not that far behind Galchenyuk, especially when you consider the garbage linemates Domi has been saddled with thus far.

Montreal totally won this trade, and Arizona is actually further from being competitive for making this trade.
- Cephalopods

If you take away the empty netters Domi score four goals last year. Despite playing the third most minutes on the PP of all forwards on the team, he scored 1 pp goal (an empty netter).

He also played over half his minutes with Clayton Keller, who is awesome. I don't know where he gets the rep as a gritty hard worker. He's an offensive player who produces very little offense. He's talented, so there's a chance Montreal wins the trade, but it looks terrible today.

Whether or not Dvorak or Galchenyuk ends up as a centre, I think they've got a good top three. Schenn was never in their top four, he's their #7 assuming he's even brought back which he probably won't be.

Top four of OEL, Hjalm, Demers, Chychrun is good.
- james_tanner1

I’m being a bit Penguin-centric, but Cole would be a good get for them.