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Misc 2018 Playoff News Thread

Recapping last night ...

Pittsburgh put the Flyers out with a predictable enough blowout win for a 4-1 series result.

Tampa beat NJ 3-1 to take a 3-1 series lead back to Tampa for game 5. That one looks a lot like a formality, but the Devs are scrappy so ...

Nashville hung on to beat Colorado 3-2 to take a 3-1 lead in that series home for game five. This one is a tighter looking 3-1 than the Tampa/NJ series.

San Jose put Anaheim out of their misery with a 2-1 win for the sweep. IMO Anaheim is ripe for a sea change organizationally.
 
Pittsburgh put the Flyers out with a predictable enough blowout win for a 4-1 series result.
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Wishful thinking maybe? That was just game 4. They play again Friday night.

Now that both the Ducks and Kings have gone out in ugly fashion, the media is already stating that both teams need major changes. Of course we have zero idea what the Canes plan is going to be, but you do have to wonder if somewhere in the summer whoever is building the Canes roster for next year under the new 'don't be TOO patient philosophy' might be looking to pick at the carcasses of some of these teams. Just how impatient are we willing to be? Willing to trade prospects for Jeff Carter impatient?
 
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cmaleski2 said:
Wishful thinking maybe? That was just game 4. They play again Friday night.

Now that both the Ducks and Kings have gone out in ugly fashion, the media is already stating that both teams need major changes. Of course we have zero idea what the Canes plan is going to be, but you do have to wonder if somewhere in the summer whoever is building the Canes roster for next year under the new 'don't be TOO patient philosophy' might be looking to pick at the carcasses of some of these teams. Just how impatient are we willing to be? Willing to trade prospects for Jeff Carter impatient?
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A. Ugh ... I want that series to stop, so yeah. I was probably channeling that a bit.

B. Both LA and Anaheim have multiple keystone type forwards, which makes those conversations so tempting for fans of the wanna-have franchises in the league. Problem being ... those kinds of moves are rare for a reason. It's hard enough to accumulate players like Carter, Kopitar, Perry, and Getzlaf. Any of them would instantly transform the look of a team like Carolina, but agin ... those moves are rare and people get fired up about the possibilities in part because of that rarity.
 
andyt said:
At $5.2 million per season until he's 37?
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Which is why I didn't address Carter specifically, but rather opened up to the whole group of "franchise players." Getzlaf for example is a different kettle of fish.
 
Right, I was just using Jeff Carter as an example of what impatience and 'win now' might look like. We have all these prospects piled up, have gaping in holes in our lineup still (goal scorers). You might be able to use prospects to get some established proven goal scorers, but just how far would we be willing to take that to try to making the playoffs again? No GM, no history with Dundon, no clue....
 
jeffbear said:
Which is why I didn't address Carter specifically, but rather opened up to the whole group of "franchise players." Getzlaf for example is a different kettle of fish.
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$8.25 million per year until he's 36. But Skinner would have a center who could get the puck to him, Getzlaf was nearly an assist per game this year.
 
Getzlaf is basically Jordan Staal with some playmaking skill. He is not much of a goal scorer, but everyone he plays with becomes a better goal scorer.

If we are going to go all 'make a big franchise altering trade' this offseason, I would much rather get someone like Getzlaf than someone like Nugent-Hopkins. Then again the Ducks would be expecting a huge package in return, probably more than anyone could stomach for a guy on the wrong side of 30.

Of course we have no idea if we are looking to make that type of trade and bring in a big money vet/star or what we are doing yet. The Ducks biggest problem is not Ryan Getzlaf, its Corey (used to be good) Perry and the complete disappearance of Ryan Kesler.
 
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It will be fun to see what Tavares gets on the open market this summer. I'd stay clear of the older, established stars with too much term and money owed and try and swing for the fences to land a younger star and throw the money at someone like that instead.

The more I watch the Leafs, the more I think they need big time help on defense and might be willing to listen to part with a player like William Nylander if the Canes were willing to trade a Hanafin or Slavin type of D. The Canes are going to need to find a legit scoring center soon enough, Nylander can play center and is going to have to get paid soon...can the Leafs afford Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Kadri and all these high end forwards without finding solid defense help?
 
cmaleski2 said:
Of course we have no idea if we are looking to make that type of trade and bring in a big money vet/star or what we are doing yet. The Ducks biggest problem is not Ryan Getzlaf, its Corey (used to be good) Perry and the complete disappearance of Ryan Kesler.
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And the fact that they've peeled a pretty impressive number of really good players to be able to fit those three guys under the Cap. As those three faded a bit, there's not much to pick up the slack.
 
CanadaCanes said:
It will be fun to see what Tavares gets on the open market this summer. I'd stay clear of the older, established stars with too much term and money owed and try and swing for the fences to land a younger star and throw the money at someone like that instead.

The more I watch the Leafs, the more I think they need big time help on defense and might be willing to listen to part with a player like William Nylander if the Canes were willing to trade a Hanafin or Slavin type of D. The Canes are going to need to find a legit scoring center soon enough, Nylander can play center and is going to have to get paid soon...can the Leafs afford Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Kadri and all these high end forwards without finding solid defense help?
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I like this line of thinking much better for Carolina. Make a hockey trade for need and the Leafs are a great example of a place you can pluck some young talent at forward in exchange for some of Carolina's D.

I sincerely hope the Canes stay away from the players of yesterday's NHL like Carter and Perry who would be a bad fit in the Metro division speed/skill game. The don't help the Canes win going forward.

Kopitar and Getzlaf are a little more intriguing as they do address Carolina's #1 center gap but each comes with their own issues. Getzlaf would be a good option if the Canes really believed he would be a difference maker in next 2 year window given he is in the decline period of his career. Kopitar is the youngest of the bunch at 30 (31 by next season) but has a LOT of term left at a $10M per year cap hit. He is clearly one of best 2-way centers in the league but the Canes would overpay to get him via trade considering he is coming off his career best year. As long as the Canes don't have to give up too much I would swing a deal for either of these guys. Would they really want to come to Carolina since they have NMCs...I doubt it?
 
The Leafs are going to have a hard time paying all of their forwards...but before they go purging William Nylander they are going to let Van Riemsdyk go. They are not about to give away these young kids until they have to.

Hanifin for Nylander I would probably do...remember though that Hanifin also needs to get paid...he is going to be looking for $4-5 million per so that is an expense as well if the Leafs make that deal. The Canes would be nuts to trade Jaccob Slavin away unless its part of a package for a young established superstar. I would be hesitant to trade Slavin...I'm reluctant to trade Hanifin....
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I agree on that. Making the big play for a center with a few years under his belt and room to grow into the role instead of going the fossil route has a lot of appeal. You have to get the right guy, obviously. And it'll cost you. Still, those deals for the up and coming flagship players tend to work out pretty well for smart buyers ... see Hall in New Jersey and at least for a little while Seguin in Dallas. Not that it's Seguin's fault that they can't seem to get their roster mix right down there. He's been terrific.

Speaking of Seguin ... how come we always got stuck with the crap Plymouth Whalers and not the good ones?
 
jeffbear said:
Speaking of Seguin ... how come we always got stuck with the crap Plymouth Whalers and not the good ones?
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We got Justin Williams and...Justin Williams. In a trade. He was drafted in the 1st round, 28th overall. Four picks later, the Canes selected his teammate, Tomas Kurka, 2nd round, 32nd overall

In the Carolina Hurricanes era, these are the Whalers who have been drafted by the Canes: Randy Fitzgerald, Alex Nedeljkovic, Brett Bellemore (IIRC, he wasn't in the central scouting database), Matt Mahalak, Michal Jordan, Jonas Fielder, Rob Zepp, Kevin Holdridge, Damian Surma, Josh Wesley, Chris Terry, Austin Levi, Jared Newman, Tomas Kurka. Most of them were mid to low round picks. Ned and Kurka were 2nd rounders, Holdridge was 3rd, everyone else was 4th or later.
 
jeffbear said:
And Wisniewski ... for part of one game.
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Also Chad LaRose, but I thought you were looking for the good Whalers. Wis was a 5th round pick, not a Williams/Seguin/Stephen Weiss 1st rounder.

It wasn't just us who drafted the crap Whalers. Williams went 24th overall in the 2000 Draft. There were 5 other Whalers drafted that year; Tomas Kurka (2nd round, 32 overall) and Jared Newman (4/110) by the Canes, Libor Ustrnul (2/42) by Atlanta, Kris Vernarsky (2/51) by Toronto and Nate Kiser (5/160) by Phoenix. Kurka and Vernansky each played 17 NHL tames and were done by 2004. The others never played in the NHL.
 
Back to the actual theme of this thread ...

Last night's results:

Boston stole on in Toronto 3-1 without Bergeron in the lineup (upper body, typical mystery) to take a 3-1 series lead back home to Boston for Game 5. Riley Nash was superb as Bergeron's stand-in, for the record.

The Caps emphatically took game 4 in Columbus with a 4-1 result on the back of another strong effort from Holtby (restored to starting?) and a swarming forecheck. Columbus looked like hot garbage, but Washington was mostly the cause. The Caps were all over them right from the opening draw. That series is knotted at 2 all heading back to DC for game five.

Tonight ... the Pens, Jets and Preds all have the chance to finish off 3-1 series leads at home.
 
Columbus has more talent than Washington but I think playoff history is a factor. Columbus has never won a playoff series....in their entire history. This is only the second time they have won 2 games in a series and as a result, have never made is past a game 6 in the first round. I am guessing Washington in 7 just to give Columbus a new way of not making it past the 1st round.
 
I was at the game. Columbus looked awful and disinterested. Only bright spot was knowing Jack Johnson was a healthy scratch
 
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