I beg your pardon for the absolutely cringe worthy title. It’s Halloween though, so just take it easy. I wrote it down about an hour before I learned Dansk got hurt and I can’t figure out a way to make it work with Legace added.
Speaking of Halloween. What the heck is wrong with the media, social and corporate? Connor McDavid dressing up as Donald Trump is news? It’s not like Riley Sheahan getting drunk off his arse in a Teletubby outfit. Or Jack Eichel’s infamous sexy unicorn costume. Nor the terrifying Zdeno Chara as a giant pink rabbit. Sheesh, you’d think he dressed up as Hitler with Anne Frank (It apparently happened per our lord and master Google). I don’t know how people can live in such a state of constant need for outrage. It must be exhausting. Next year I’m going as Vladimir Putin and I’ll send pictures to my old friends in Orenburg.
I would like to give a shoutout to John Jaeckel who is leaving Hockeybuzz. Congrats on the new position and I hope it works out for you (if you read this). I'll never forget the time I wrote for the Coyotes and they played the Blackhawks and the fun good natured trolling we had against each other. Fun times and we all know it was a Bettman conspiracy!
Now enough of that nonsense. Back to hockey.
Russian Roulette - Can we talk about this non-troversy? Shipachyov made 2 million dollars in US Currency when he signed his two year deal. That is roughly 120 MILLION RUBLES. Things are different in Russia and I can give some details, but that level of money is substantial. This is just to sign. He allegedly made 1.5-2 million in US Dollars per season in the KHL. Think about that. He made his entire yearly earnings with a stroke of a pen. Now I have no doubt he hoped to be a star in the NHL. I have no doubt that George McPhee hoped he would be a star in the NHL. Yet here we are. A Rock and an Olympic Gold, Gagarin Cup and 1.5 Million place. You’re 30 years old…you just got the payday of your life, the team seems to be in a fight with you…what do you do? Seriously? Go home and make money seems the most logical. Why would any team take the risk? Is it really a waivers issue? Is it something more? Is it his play? 3 games and 1 goal and being benched and sent to the AHL as a Veteran. Suspended without pay…might as well win the Gold with Russia…or face the hilarity of losing to Mason Raymond and Canada’s pride or more hopefully the full storm of the NCAA. I don’t get this insanity as a person who has watched the KHL a lot. He’s not Radulov. Point totals can be hard to compound in Europe against North America. It’s an imperfect science. Especially when it comes to age, usage and style. Would he have been a good fit for the Penguins? Maybe. McKegg is pretty rough…but I don’t think he’s a replacement for Cullen or Bonino. Overall I think he made the right move simply going back to the KHL. He’ll make 2 million, live in the culture he’s spent his entire life in and play on a team that features easily the most talent in the KHL. Bon voyage.
Underappreciated – Aleksandr Barkov. Or Sasha. Who knows why people have so many names. Maybe it’s because he’s mad that they forgot the “e.… Barkov is a personal favourite of mine. It goes back to the olden times of 2012 when I predicted he would go First Overall in the 2013 Draft! That didn’t go exactly as planned…however he did go second! Which surprised a lot of people who saw Seth Jones or Johnathan Drouin in that spot. Barkov has slowly become a quiet star. Some injuries and some tumultuous times in Florida have masked a player who has grown into one of the best two-way centre’s in the game. Despite starting almost 60% of his shifts in the defensive zone, he’s owning possession. For those fancy friends out there he has a 57% Corsi For % and a 60.2% Fenwick %. What that means is that he’s really freaking good at Even Strength. Not only is he getting it done at 5 vs. 5, he’s playing on the Penalty Kill and making it dangerous. He’s tied for the League Lead with 2 Short Handed Goals. His line with Dadonov and Huberdeau flanking him are arguably playing like the best in the league. With 14 points in 11 games, it looks like he’s just scratching the surface. It’s unfair to do a re-draft, but I still have him number one, especially when you take into account he’s the youngest guy in that draft (ya, ya, MacKinnon is one day older).
Goalie Carousel – Has anyone ever seen anything like what is happening in Las Vegas? Fleury down. Subban down. Dansk down. Now they’re forced to run a bad AHL goalie in Maxime Legace. Their backup is a 19 year old playing terribly from the WHL. Insanity. People on the radio are talking about how they’re going to get The Hamburglar. That’s serious desperation. Andrew Hammond is the very essence of a one hit wonder. I’m not sure what their plan will be, but it can’t be running Legace/Ferguson. Can it? They are hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive and that’s just not happening with that tandem. Unless Fleury is coming back in the next 5 games, they need to make a move. Even if it’s a minor one. Even if it’s something like rolling the dice with a low pick on Tokarski or Hutchinson. Somebody with NHL experience at the very least.
Sneaky Good Move – Mike Smith to Calgary has been a very good move for the Flames. I’m not shocked he’s playing well, just at how well. He has a .930 sv% and has played almost every single game for the Flames. That’s very impressive. Playing behind what was expected to be a top-3 defense also helps. However I doubt Elliot, Mason or any of the other goalies available would be playing this well behind them. Really impressed by his play and just a really good pick up for the Flames. Hopefully he can stay healthy for their sake.
Staying With Calgary – Is it too early to say Sam Bennett is a bust? He’s an ex-Kingston Front so it was unfourtunately inevitable. Nobody comes out of that organization looking rosy. It’s just science. 0 points this year and less shots than Travis Hamonic…that’s simply awful. He’s only 21, so there is still time to bounce back, but is it with the Flames? He seems to play better on the wing than centre, but doesn’t seem to mesh with Monahan-Gaudreau. They also aren’t going to be breaking up –Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik anytime soon as they are one of the better defensive forward tandems. I’d like to hear Flames fans thoughts on Bennett if any read this.
Bounce Backer of the Year? – So who has been this year’s bounce back player? Last year was clearly Eric Staal who went from 13 goals and 39 points and having one of the most pathetic playoff performances in history to 28 goals and 65 points the following year. Radim Vrbata was also a contender.
Candidates
Claude Giroux Last Year : 14g 44a 58p -15 Current Year : 12gp 6g 8a 14p
Anze Kopitar Last Year : 12g 40a 52p -10 Current Year : 12gp 7g 7a 14p
Taylor Hall Last Year : 20g 33a 53p -9 Current Year : 10gp 3g 10a 13p
Dustin Brown Last Year : 14g 22a 36p -4 Current Year : 12gp 6g 6a 12p
Jason Pomminville Last Year : 78gp 13g 34a 47p +2 Current Year : 12gp 6g 6a 12p
Derrick Brassard Last Year : 14g 25a 39p +12 Current Year : 12gp 6g 5a 11p +8
My heart says Kopitar, but my head says Brown. Kopitar was unfairly lambasted and accused of being “done… after last season’s disaster. Going from being arguably the best two-way centre in the league to scoring just 12 goals was Tommy Wiseau levels of terrible. However we all knew that he would be back, he’s too freaking good not to. Dustin Brown though…we’ve all thought he was done since 2013. Stripped of the “C… and looking more like a molasses riddled gorilla, I don’t think anybody could have predicted he would come out the way he has this year. He’s one third of the way to reaching last year and October is just ending. No idea if he can keep it up, but even returning to the 50 point player he was during his peak would be a boon for the Kings.
Thanks for reading. For those with children or are adolescents at heart, have a happy and safe Halloween.