2016 NHL Off-season Thread: NHL 17 Rates Weber Higher Than Subban, HABS WIN, Nynja still loses

[BadKarma]

Oh goddammit do not make Vancouver a verb for failing rebuilds

someone should have taken Bennings phone away

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[bluefan]

Kinda late, but grats to Pens for the championship.

And as per usual, Hawks begin their annual culling.

Yes I'm still alive.

[Izzy]

I have mixed feelings about the Pens winning.

I'm always happy for the true fans. The ones that watch the team, the seps, the aks, etc. I don't hate anyone on the pens. Obviously they're a good fucking team and they deserve the cup.

I fucking hate that I have to hear about Crosby being THE CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM GREATEST OF ALL TIME BLAH BLAH BLAH. The pens won the cup because of everyone, not because of him. The media really makes me hate the team more than I should.

[Vaspinne]

I'm not saying he's the greatest of all time or anything like that but you have to give credit where credit is due. At least up until a year ago, if not even closer to now, when people were asked who they'd build a team around most would say Jonathan Toews over Sid because of his full 2-way game and all the shit he contributes to his team outside of the score sheet. After this season and these playoffs, the way he played, Sid put himself back into that conversation of being the top guy to build a team around.

His numbers on the scoresheet may not have been great (he was still second on the team), but the doode did a hell of a lot to help his team win. That whole controversy about him timing his faceoff wins or whatever it was the Shraks were saying, honestly, I think it was moreso because he was just being that good at the draw that he was constantly dominating. Blocking shots, playing smart defensively, setting shit up offensive before and during plays, having a real command of the ice. Sid took his game which was hella-lackluster at the start of the year and really took it to a gear we hadn't seen from him so far in his career.

So yeah, I'm totally on that bandwagon of him deserving all that praise, if it wasn't obvious already

That being said, fuck the Pens, I still wanted to Shraks not to Shrak it up and win the cup.

[NynJa]

Fuck crosby

[Obsidian]

Only two players EVER have had an Olympic Gold, World Championship Gold, World Juniors Gold, Stanley Cup, the Hart Trophy and the Conn Smythe. Joe Sakic, and Sidney Crosby. And I'm pretty sure Crosby captained every one of those teams.

He's the best player in the world, period.

[Vaspinne]

I don't think I'd like Sid as much as I do if I hadn't seen that short documentary video about him during the off-season about what he does... during the off-season. You compare him to the antics of some of the more notorious/infamous players and the guy just seems more genuine and down to earth.

This vid. Worth a watch if you haven't seen it yet

[NynJa]

Crosby hasnt carried a team though...How many people in here were stunned (but not surprised) to hear Crosby got the Conn Smythe? Quite a few, including Brill.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profes...27_Association

How many people on that list do you think said "fuck Kessel" when voting on MVP?

[Vaspinne]

Honestly outside of goaltenders I don't think there are really any players, forward or defence, who could carry an entire team on their back in this era of the NHL. The last one I can really think of off the top of my head was Messier when he called the game 6 win and scored a hat trick to do it back in 1994.

Basically, I'm not saying that Phil didn't deserve it, but that Sid wasn't undeserving of it. Phil led the team offensively (by a whole 3 points over Sid, which a lot of people forget) but even then, I'd give it to Letang over Phil if anything. And to add to your notion of all those people saying "fuck Phil", I feel like a lot of the hype around him was perpetuated by that same Canadian media that just ate up the story of "OMG, PHIL THE THRILL!!! OUTCAST IN TORONTO BUT HUGE STAR IN PITTSBURGH!!!! OMG!!!".

Again, not saying he didn't deserve it, but arguments can be made about a lot of players and ultimately it's kind of subjective. I think Letang deserved it most. Guy played 30 minutes in every game of the SJ series and was an anchor on a defence that EVERYONE in this thread said was complete trash at the beginning of the year.

[Obsidian]

I think it should have gone to Kessel but it doesn't shock me that Crosby won it nor do I think he didn't deserve it. I just think Kessel deserved it more.

The Conn Smythe isn't "best player on the team." It's most valuable player. People say Phil outscored Sid because he was on the "third" line and Crosby was getting the harder matchups, but that's kind of the point. You need people other than your first line to produce. Phil did that, in spades. Is he better than Sid? No. Was he as/more valuable than him during the playoffs? The argument can certainly be made.

[Vaspinne]

I don't disagree. Like I said, ultimately it becomes kind of subjective.

[Sepukku]

Phil also massively changed his game and started hitting in the playoffs and not shying away from board play. I also don't think the penguins get past the capitals without Phil where as Crosby was a non factor in that series

[Brill Weave]

Crosby hasnt carried a team though...How many people in here were stunned (but not surprised) to hear Crosby got the Conn Smythe? Quite a few, including Brill.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profes...27_Association

How many people on that list do you think said "fuck Kessel" when voting on MVP?

I never said a word about being surprised that Crosby won it. I said I had hoped Kessel would. Crosby was a worthy MVP. A few points less than Kessel, I think three(?) game winning goals, working end to end every shift etc. No dude, I'm not surprised he won it.

[Wulfgang]

Honestly outside of goaltenders I don't think there are really any players, forward or defence, who could carry an entire team on their back in this era of the NHL. The last one I can really think of off the top of my head was Messier when he called the game 6 win and scored a hat trick to do it back in 1994

Generally agree, but Pronger in 2006 is another example (21 pts in 24 games on defense; +10). Briere in 2010 was really great as well (30 pts in 23 games is pretty nuts). Both lost in the finals though.

[BadKarma]

I think the way you should look at the mvp should be: would this team have won without this player? in Phil's case I can say I don't think Pitt beats Washington in Crosbys case I don't know.

Murray is also a weird one in that he had relatively pedestrian to his peers numbers for a playoff winning goalie, comparing him to Thomas etc. But you couldn't rule him out of mvp because would the pens have won with zatkoff or flower in net

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[synistar]

Kopitar named captain of the Kings.

Press Release: http://kings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=886199

No decisions on who gets the A's. Best guess is Carter and Doughty. Also based on the conference call with DL and the press, very likely Lucic hits free agency.

[NynJa]

I never said a word about being surprised that Crosby won it. I said I had hoped Kessel would. Crosby was a worthy MVP. A few points less than Kessel, I think three(?) game winning goals, working end to end every shift etc. No dude, I'm not surprised he won it.

GWGs are also a product of coincidence. Yes he had the OT goal against Tampa, but scoring the second goal in the first period of a 4-1 win is also considered a GWG. Its not something i would look too deeply into.

Crosby had the third goal late in the second period putting the Pens up 3-0 against the Lightning in game 6. The Lightning went on to score 2 more goals in the third period, so Crosby gets credited with the GWG.
Same with game 3 of that series:
2nd Period
19:50 PIT Carl Hagelin (5) from Phil Kessel
3rd Period
05:16 PIT Phil Kessel (7) from Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin
05:30 TBL Tyler Johnson (5) from Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat
10:50 PIT PP — Sidney Crosby (5) from Evgeni Malkin and Justin Schultz
13:12 PIT Chris Kunitz (2)
18:16 TBL Ondrej Palat (4) from Nikita Kucherov and Matt Carle

Its considered the "game winner" by circumstance. I honestly believe Kessel or Letang easily were more deserved of it, but a decent chunk of the voters were probably on the "fuck Kessel" train, or "Crosby's legacy needs a Conn Smythe"

[Sepukku]

Pens extended qualifying offer to beau Bennett

FML

[NynJa]

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2016/06/16/...-fleury-trade/

I hope the pens trade him and Murray becomes another Ward lol

[BadKarma]

I don't get trading a proven starter for a guy who in reality has less than half a season nhl experience. I understand he had a pretty good playoffs but the team he was playing behind was insane

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