NHL Offseason 2011

[Canadave]

I think I started this same thread last year. As a Maple Leafs fan, it's my duty, since it's the one time of the year we can actually get excited about things.

There hasn't been too much happening yet, but I figured that with the draft coming up on Friday, it might be nice to get this started. What's your offseason wishlist for your team?

 

[AdmiralGarak]

\There hasn't been too much happening yet, but I figured that with the draft coming up on Friday, it might be nice to get this started. What's your offseason wishlist for your team?

Wishlist for Penguins:
1.) Re-sign RW Tyler Kennedy
2.) Sign free-agent RW
3.) Sign another free-agent RW
4.) Draft RW

 

[tomalak301]

Sharks have made a ton of headlines already:

1) Not resigning Nichol or Mayers (Going to miss Mayers)
2) Trent Yawny is not coming back (Assisstant coach)
3) Possible speculation that Ian White isn't coming back (Which would suck)
4) Not resigning Nic Wallin

In terms of the draft, I really don't know much about the Draft, but historically the Sharks don't do well in terms of the Defenseman and I kind of hope they draft one.

 

[eastman23]

I think I started this same thread last year. As a Maple Leafs fan, it's my duty, since it's the one time of the year we can actually get excited about things.

There hasn't been too much happening yet, but I figured that with the draft coming up on Friday, it might be nice to get this started. What's your offseason wishlist for your team?

1. Board of Governors approval.
2. Team name and logo.
3. A head coach.

Simple wishlist, but you gotta start somewhere.

 

[Danny99]

A Leafs fans wish for the draft: keep stocking the cupboard. If Burke can move higher great, but we need to draft another strong forward prospect (already have a glut of goalies and defensemen).

Burke should also ignore the whole "sign Brad Richards" campaign if the price is going to be ludicrous.

 

[Skywalker]

I think I started this same thread last year. As a Maple Leafs fan, it's my duty, since it's the one time of the year we can actually get excited about things.

There hasn't been too much happening yet, but I figured that with the draft coming up on Friday, it might be nice to get this started. What's your offseason wishlist for your team?

1. Board of Governors approval.
2. Team name and logo.
3. A head coach.

Simple wishlist, but you gotta start somewhere.

Something tells me you'll be getting all three of those.

Are folks up there hoping they bring back the Winnipeg Jets, or would you rather see them go with something new?

 

[AdmiralGarak]

1. Board of Governors approval.
2. Team name and logo.
3. A head coach.

Simple wishlist, but you gotta start somewhere.

Place a check mark beside #1.

 

[Garak]

Looks like Jagr finally figured out playing in Russia sucks donkey balls and will be making a return to the NHL. Rangers, Detroit, Penguins and Habs seem to be likely destination.

And how about Nick Lidstrom coming back for a 20th season? Best D-man ever to play the game in my humble opinion.

 

[tomalak301]

In my time watching the game, Lidstrom was the best. Glad he's coming back for another season.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

Looks like Jagr finally figured out playing in Russia sucks donkey balls and will be making a return to the NHL. Rangers, Detroit, Penguins and Habs seem to be likely destination.

Jagr loves to drop hints every summer about returning. I'll believe it when I see it.

Things have become more interesting this week with Jagr's agent finally reportedly contacting Ray Shero, who had not had any contact with Jagr up to this point. I wouldn't hold my breath, though.

 

[eastman23]

I think I started this same thread last year. As a Maple Leafs fan, it's my duty, since it's the one time of the year we can actually get excited about things.

There hasn't been too much happening yet, but I figured that with the draft coming up on Friday, it might be nice to get this started. What's your offseason wishlist for your team?

1. Board of Governors approval.
2. Team name and logo.
3. A head coach.

Simple wishlist, but you gotta start somewhere.

Something tells me you'll be getting all three of those.

Are folks up there hoping they bring back the Winnipeg Jets, or would you rather see them go with something new?

I think the overwhelming majority want "Winnipeg Jets", but I would personally like them to be named "Manitoba <something>" simply because I'm originally from outside the city and think it would be nice to recognize the whole province.

 

[Garak]

Holy. Shit.

In the space of an hour, the Flyers made these two trades:

Jeff Carter to Columbus for Voracek, a 1st and a 3rd

Mike Richards to LA for Schenn and Simmonds

WOW. I think we all saw the Carter trade coming as the Flyers needed to dump some salary for Bryzgalov, but the Richards trade shocks me. I guess the Philly media won, lol.

Richards on LA scares the hell out of me, I think that moves them in to solid Stanley Cup contender status.

The Flyers are now set for years to come, Schenn is going to be a superstar and Voracek has the potential.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

The Flyers are now set for years to come,

They look like they're in full rebuild mode. I don't understand this at all. The remaining core of the team features quite a few over 30 players. They aren't going to be getting any younger as the team waits for Schenn and the picks to mature. If I were a Flyers fan, I'd be worried that we just missed our window.

 

[Canadave]

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what the Flyers plan is right now. Seems like a very confused set of moves for a team that finished with 106 points last year.

Word on the street is that the Leafs were in the running for both Richards and Carter, but when the best prospect they can offer is Nazeem Kadri... well, I can see why they didn't pull it off.

 

[Skywalker]

So what's the deal with the Maple Leafs? Do they have an inept front office, or have things just not been going their way recently?

 

[AdmiralGarak]

And now comes the Flyers' Bryzgalov signing. 9 years, $51 million. Somewhere in the $5 million cap range. Much cheaper than the $7 million initially predicted.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what the Flyers plan is right now. Seems like a very confused set of moves for a team that finished with 106 points last year.

They said last year was a make or break year and it's clear we need to have a championship caliber goalie.

We got the top prospect in the NHL, a lot of free cap space, and a bunch of draft picks. I could see packaging a bunch of picks for one more trade. Either way, I like Carter, but this was kind of expected. Richards obviously wasn't, but I think we got good value for him.

 

[Canadave]

So what's the deal with the Maple Leafs? Do they have an inept front office, or have things just not been going their way recently?

Despite the hand-wringing of many fans, I think the front office is in pretty good shape. The problem is that when Brian Burke came in two and a half years ago, the team had NOTHING. Going into the 2008 season, the team had barely any prospects (seriously, once you got past Luke Schenn there was virtually no one interesting) and the lineup was old and washed up. So Burke's basically had to work from an empty farm system with no really interesting talent to trade in order to build the team up.

And to his credit, I think he's done a decent job (the Kessel trade notwithstanding) but the cupboard still isn't exactly well-stocked, so it's tough for him to make a big splash on the trade market.

 

[Danny99]

If the signing of Bryzgalov was meant to give the Flyers a goalie to bank on for a long playoff run, the trading of both Carter and Richards sets them back. Schenn is still young, he's not going to be able to step in and score forty goals. Simmonds is nothing to sneeze at, but there is going to be a void in scoring and leadership on this Flyer's team.

The move is also puzzling for the Kings. They trade their number one prospect for a star, but one several years older. I still don't believe this team is a Stanley Cup contender right now, but we'll see.

As for Columbus, they pretty much won the day here.

As for the Leafs...

 

[Danny99]

So the Leafs pick up John Michael Liles for a second rounder.

He's pretty much equivalent to Tomas Kaberle in point totals, though the fans on the Colorado page are ready to send a lynch mob after Greg Sherman.

I for one am okay with this. A draft pick is an unknown commodity. Sure it could be Wayne Gretzky. But it could also be Alexandre Daigle or Patrik Stefan.