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san jose sharks

The Friday Three – Final Four

WHO WILL WIN THE WEST

buy generic neurontin online IAN SHEPPARD:

The Sharks. Ever since their series win over Vegas I’ve had them as my favourite to win the cup. Colorado gave them a good fight and St.Louis has been playing with a lot of momentum as of late but I’ve given San Jose the edge since that miraculous Game 7 win in round one. Now with their captain Joel Pavelski is back in the line up and lighting a spark I don’t know what stops them.

They have the top two leading scorers in the playoffs so far with Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl and as a team have had one of the higher powered offences in the postseason so far.

where can i buy phenergan syrup TYLER YAREMCHUK:

These playoffs have hardly made any sense. That’s why we love the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the West, I’m going to pick the Blues. They seem to be a team of destiny and if Jordan ‘Win-ington’ keeps up this level of play, then they’ll be fine. No disrespect to the Sharks, who are a wildly deep and dangerous team, but I just have a feeling about the Blues.

They’re also getting contributions from lower in their lineup, which is massive. If Tarasenko, Schenn, and Schwartz stay hot and their depth players continue to come through, the Blues can make the Stanley Cup Final.

WYATT ZIEGER:

The wild, wild, west as they call it. Much like the cowboy I was named after, I’m going to shoot from the hip and say the San Jose Sharks.

This is their second west final in four seasons and most of the core remains in-tact from the cup final loss to Pittsburgh.

I love the fire power that San Jose possesses; Couture, Hertl, Meier, Pavelski, Kane, the list goes on. It’s not only the offence though, Burns has been the best defensemen in these playoffs and even Karlsson on one ankle can dazzle you from shift to shift. Martin Jones is the achilles heel of this team and will need to continue to build off a “good” performance against Colorado in order to move on.

WHO WILL WIN THE EAST

IAN SHEPPARD:

Boston. We saw them dominate in Game 1 with the 5-2 win. Carolina has been a great cinderella stories this year making it all the way to Eastern Conference Final. The Bunch of Jerks has gone on a solid run but I don’t see it being enough to make it past the Bruins. Whether it be Brad Marchand and his postseason leading 15 points, or the amazing performances from Tuukka Rask, Boston just looks unstoppable right now.

And the latter is what I think makes them the best team in the playoffs right now. You need stellar goaltending to truly have a chance at the Cup and Boston has been getting that with Rask. I give them the edge over Carolina.

TYLER YAREMCHUK:

In the East, my pick was the Hurricanes and I’ll stick with them, but they blew a massive chance in game one. Petr Mrazek was nearly unbeatable through 40 minutes and the Bruins were missing Charlie McAvoy and didn’t have Chara for a chunk of the game. Add on the lead heading into the third and that opening game loss stings even more.

I like the Hurricanes defensive core and if Mrazek can return to form, I still like the Canes.

WYATT ZIEGER:

Somebody in Carolina better call an apiaries because the killer B’s are going to swarm.

In round 1 people said “can Rask out-duel Anderson?” He did. In round 2 they said “Can he out-duel Bobrovsky?” He did. Now when people look across and see Mrazek in net, I don’t think they write the same narrative.

Special teams will also play a huge part in the series as we saw in game one. Carolina comes into the season with worst PP of the remaining teams at 10.5% and is tied with St.Louis for the worst PK at 75%. Boston on the flip side has the most lethal PP of any postseason team with 28.6% and the best PK hovering at 84.8%.

The Hurricanes are going to need a lot of puck luck to get past a veteran Bruins squad that captured 1-0 series lead, without their best defenseman.

WHO’S WINNING IT ALL

IAN SHEPPARD:

San Jose. See answer to question one. I feel like the Sharks are riding a wave right now and have the perfect mix of of veterans and young stars who can contribute. As proven in the Game 7 of the semis with Joonas Donskoi coming up with the massive goal, this team is full of players who can land on the score sheet.

Goaltending has been shaky for them at times but I think it’s something they can overcome. If they are to face Boston in the Cup Final it will be tough going up against Tuukka Rask but I still give the edge to the Sharks.

TYLER YAREMCHUK:

My Stanley Cup winner will be the St. Louis Blues! Back in December in one of our Friday Three’s I called them bounceback team to watch. Well, look at them now! The story would be incredible for so many reasons. Patrick Maroon returning to his hometown, rookie goalie Jordan Binnington, and the fact they were dead last in the league on January 3rd. In a postseason that’s barely made any sense, the Blues winning the Cup seems perfect.

WYATT ZIEGER:

Your 2018-19 Stanley Cup winner is … The Boston Bruins.

Boston has the best goaltending left, a strong top 6 and more than capable D corps. The Bruins will lean heavily on the top line of Marchand – Bergeron – Pasternk as well as McAvoy off the backend.

Out of the remaining teams they have highest goal differential at 12, the best GAA, 2.08 and as I mentioned before the best special teams. The only question mark is how much gas does Chara have left in the tank, at times he as been a liability defensively off the rush. The game passes all eventually but can he lead this Bruins squad to another cup victory?

Sorry Jumbo Joe, you deserve a ring more than anyone but like every other year for San Jose “always the bridesmaid, never the bride.”

May 10, 2019 0 comment

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The Friday Three – Wild Playoffs Stays Unpredictable

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

Which second-round matchup in the west has been most exciting for you?

IAN SHEPPARD: For me, we haven’t seen the same sort of excitement that came with the round one upsets but for me, the series I’m most interested in has been the Blues Stars series. With the series tied at 2-2, each game so far has been one or two goal games. Not to mention the exciting finish to Game 3 with Patrick Maroon scoring late to win it, and Dallas bouncing back in Game 4 to tie the series.

This Series has been the closest with a total of 24 goals through four games. This series will almost definitely go to seven games with the back and forth action we’ve seen so far.

WYATT ZIEGER: In the West, it has to be the Av’s and Sharks.

The old boys vs the new wave has lived up to the hype and is a rare 2nd-round series that has featured some goals in it. Each game is a coin toss and that’s why it’s my favourite. At this point either could win the series and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the cup final. Who can get steadier goaltending is the key in this one.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I’ll break the tie here and go with the Blues and Stars series. There’s been thrilling finishes, games with lots of goals, games with great goaltending. It’s had a bit of everything. I also think the winner of this series will go to the Stanley Cup Finals so I’m really keeping a close eye on this one.

Which second-round matchup in the east has been most exciting for you?

IAN SHEPPARD: This one is a pretty easy one. The Islanders/Canes series has been really one-sided so far with the 3-0 series lead for Carolina, so I’ll have to go with Columbus and Boston. No one expected the Jackets to make it past Tampa, let alone sweep them. I for one didn’t think they’d have a chance to make it out of the second round after the first round upset.

They have found themselves in prime position to compete with Boston and potentially make a splash into the ECF and I’ll be tuning in all series long to see if they can do it! Excluding all of that, two games so far have gone into OT with three games being decided by one goal, and each team exchanging wins resulting in a 2-2 series tie. Talk about an exciting series.

WYATT ZIEGER: The East is an easy answer, Bruins/Jackets. Carolina has runaway on the Islanders but the other East matchup has been tighter than the lid on a pickle jar. Columbus has approximately 6 more wins than most would of thought to date and the Bruins who remain the most “obvious” cup pick haven’t pulled away at all.

This has all the makings of a seven-game series in what has been a sub-par 2nd round. I’m still excited to see how Carolina and New York plays out but I wouldn’t hold my breath Islanders fans.

BOSTON MA. – APRIL 25: Marcus Johansson #90 of the Boston Bruins puts a shot on Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Columbus Blue Jackets as the Bruins take on the Blue Jackets in Round 2, Game 1 of the NHL Playoffs on April 25, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

TYLER YAREMCHUK: It’s definitely Boston and Columbus. It’s fast and it’s hard hitting. Both of these teams have goaltending capable of stealing a game yet they’re both capable of giving up five or six goals on any given night. I love that element of unpredictability. Like the Dallas/St. Louis series, I believe the winner of this one is going to the Cup Final, so I got my eyes glued to this series.

Who’s been the MVP of the playoffs thus far?

IAN SHEPPARD: It’s tough to argue with what Logan Couture has done so far in helping his team make it past the first round and into a 2-2 series tie with Colorado while leading the playoffs with 9 goals. But for me, it’s Nathan MacKinnon. MacKinnon leads the playoffs in points with 13 and has been a one-man wrecking crew all playoffs.

His six goals are second in the postseason only behind Couture’s nine, but he almost singlehandedly took down the Calgary Flames in round one and has so far scored three goals in each round. He continues to be a playmaker and a leader for his team, one that much like Columbus has over excelled the expectations that were laid upon them.

WYATT ZIEGER: There are a few deserving players as of today; MacKinnon, Bobrovsky, Couture, but it has been Jacob Slavin who has impressed me most.

Whether it’s his incredible defensive play with his stick or the offense that’s come off of it, he has been the calming eye of the Hurricanes. His 12 points are one off the franchise record for most in a postseason (13 by Frantisek Kaberle) and he is the best D-man in these playoffs.

If Carolina is going to sneak their way into a 3rd cup final it’ll be on the broad shoulders of Slavin.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I really like the way Logan Couture has stepped up with Joe Pavelski out of the lineup. He’s been the heartbeat of that Sharks team and that video of him yelling “that’s one” at the Sharks bench during their comeback against Vegas will be iconic in San Jose if they go all the way this year. He leads the playoffs in goals with nine like Ian mentioned so not only has he brought energy and leadership, he’s brought the offense to back it up.

May 3, 2019 0 comment

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The Friday Three – Wild First Round

written by BelowTheIce

WHO’S YOUR NEW FAVOURITE TO COME OUT OF THE WEST?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I used logic and numbers to predict the first round… I went zero-for-eight. So now Im throwing logic out the window. Are the Avalanche a one-line team? YUP! Do they rely on their powerplay? YUP! Is their goaltender proven? HARDLY!

I’m taking the Avalanche to come out of the west! Book it!

WYATT ZIEGER: In the west, it’s a bit more complicated, St.Louis and San Jose have the deepest rosters but the Avalanche have the best player left in these playoffs (MacKinnon). I’m going to go with St.Louis though. They have a strong D core, only 2nd to SJS but they have a balanced offence and solid goaltending.

First, they’ll have to get through Ben Bishop and the rest of the Stars, but I see them as a cup finalist.

IAN SHEPPARD: The Sharks. They’re easily the most talented team left in the West for starters with a nice mix of younger aged players to savvy veterans with the experience to win. Goaltending has been an issue for them with Martin Jones having a very shaky playoff so far. Even after the magnificent comeback in Game seven, Vegas was able to tie the game in the dying seconds, so there is a weakness there for San Jose.

But ultimately what puts me behind them is the momentum I think they’ll carry the rest of the way. Storming back to win that Game seven the way they did is something very few if any team can do. For me, that boasts a team with confidence. They were playing for their captain that night and I think this is something they can rally behind to give themselves an edge.

WHO’S YOUR NEW FAVOURITE TO COME OUT OF THE EAST?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I really don’t trust this Islanders team, but I also don’t trust the Hurricanes. I think that series could be a snooze-fest. So I will go to the other series and take the Columbus Blue Jackets. They have four strong forward lines, a strong and speedy d-core that can move the puck like crazy, and a goaltender who can be the best in the world when he’s on his game. CBJ to the Cup Final!

WYATT ZIEGER: I hate to give the boring answer but how could you not say the Bruins?

The other 3 remaining teams just don’t scare me. I know CBJ took it to Tampa but I don’t think Boston will be as complacent as the Lightning. Boston’s got the most playoff experience and the deeper you go the more valuable that becomes.

IAN SHEPPARD: The Islanders. I said it coming into the playoffs and I’m sticking with it now! I’m all aboard the Trotz train! Barry Trotz has his team playing as just that, a team. They have the firepower to put up points and they’re getting an outstanding performance from their goaltender. Robin Lehner has led the playoffs with a 1.47 GAA and a .956 SV% while being the backbone of his team.

I can see them moving past the Hurricanes in five or six games and I think the Isle would hold up well against either Boston or Columbus. With teams like Tampa and Washington now out of the playoffs, I could see a team like New York pave a way to the cup final.

OUTSIDE OF TB LOSING, WHICH FIRST ROUND RESULT WAS THE MOST SURPRISING?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: The Islanders SWEEPING the Penguins stunned me. Straight up. I thought the Penguins would find a way to handle the Islanders, but the magic of Barry Trotz proved to be too much. That was the one series I was VERY wrong on. It’s a shame because I like watching Sidney Crosby play in meaningful hockey games.

WYATT ZIEGER: The most surprising for me is a tie between Carolina and NYI. This is the first time since 2007 that neither the Caps or Penguins will be in the 2nd round.

I’ll give the edge to the Islanders because of the dominant fashion in which they beat Pittsburgh. I don’t think anyone saw a sweep coming in that series. If you did you’re a liar.

IAN SHEPPARD: The Avalanche eliminating the Flames. I wasn’t shocked to see Calgary lose the round even though I predicted to win it. But I really didn’t see them losing in five games. This was the best team in the West record wise and I thought they could make it past an Avalanche team with a thinner lineup. I was shocked by the lack of production from a few bigger name stars on the roster, like Johnny Gaudreau, and I did not expect Colorado to dominate the way they did through most of that series.

April 26, 2019 0 comment

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Trade Deadline Thoughts

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

Well, that was a straight up snoozefest up until around 2:00 pm eastern time. I was handling the behind the scenes duties for TSN 1260 and I spent most of my day just staring blankly at my main Tweetdeck column. There weren’t even any exciting rumours to keep track of either. It was just a slow day.

Then the NHL hit us hard and quick with a wave of moves. Plenty of teams got active, some surprisingly stayed quiet, and at the end of the day, this was actually a pretty good deadline day. Here are some of my thoughts:

February 26, 2019 0 comment

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The Friday Three – Long-term fit for Nylander?

written by BelowTheIce

The belief is that William Nylander won’t be a Maple Leaf for very long, even if he signs a bridge deal. Where’s a good long-term fit for him?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I think Carolina is obviously the best fit. It’s clear they have interest, and they have the pieces on defence to get it done. Outside of them, I could see Columbus making a push this summer if they lose Artemi Panarin to free agency.

Philadelphia could be hungry for a big splash, as could Anaheim, Minnesota or LA should they miss the playoffs. I could see the Rangers being interested as well. Every team should be making a pitch though.

WYATT ZIEGER: I’ve been preaching it for over a year, but I firmly believe that William Nylander will be an Anaheim Duck. Anaheim is out of the division so they’ll only have to see him twice a season and Toronto is in desperate need of a top 4 right defensemen. The Ducks have two in Brandon Montour and Josh Manson.

Montour, 24, has a higher ceiling offensively and is a power play specialist. Manson is a big boy, who loves to throw the body and is one becoming one of the hardest defensive defensemen to play against.

I assume Toronto would lean more towards Montour because he is three years younger than Manson and can grow with the Maple Leafs young core. Throw in whatever draft picks to make the HFBoards crowd happy and let’s get the ball rolling.

IAN SHEPPARD: Carolina Hurricanes: The Hurricanes have an estimated $23 million in cap space right, and a flurry of draft picks after the Jeff Skinner trade with Buffalo. With Nylander wanting somewhere between $8-10 million a season the Hurricanes have the enough to pay the talented winger what he wants.

They also have the ability to trade some higher end draft picks with four selections in the first three rounds this year. Not to mention a few next years they could with as well. For Carolina who currently sits just outside of a Wild Card spot, Nylander would be the perfect piece to throw into their top-six and help them reach the post-season.

After 20 games, which team would you say improved the most thanks to their offseason moves?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: How could you say anyone other than Buffalo? Starting in free agency when they signed Carter Hutton, basically getting a number one goalie for nothing more than a cap-hit.

They acquired Conor Sheary, who has been a good fit when he’s been healthy. They realized that Casey Mittelstadt and Jack Eichel were there future top-six centres, so they dealt Ryan O’Reilly for Tage Thompson, Vlad Sobotka, and Patrik Berglund which gave them tremendous depth.

Oh yeah, they also got Jeff Skinner who has become one of the most lethal goal scorers in the NHL. He already had three game winners as well.

They didn’t have to sell the farm either. They still have four first round picks over the next two drafts. They could stock up at this year’s deadline and make a serious run.

WYATT ZIEGER: It’s got to be everyone’s favourite new wagon, the Buffalo Sabres who made out like gangbusters this summer.

The offseason started by trading Ryan O’Reilly for essentially two over-the-hill players in Sobotka and Berglund and a promising prospect in Tage Thompson, a trade which plugged depth holes for Buffalo.

On the same day, they signed Carter Hutton, who has been a revelation after the train wreck that was Robin Lehner in net.

But the biggest move of them all; Acquiring Jeff Skinner for a B- level prospect in Cliff Pu, plus a 2nd, 3rd and 6th round picks. Skinner looks like currently sits tied for second in league scoring with 19 goals after scoring only 24 all of last year.

IAN SHEPPARD: Calgary Flames: Sure, there are some more obvious choices out there, but let’s think outside the box a little here. The Flames made a big splash this past off-season trading Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and a prospect to Carolina in exchange for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. They also picked up free-agent Derek Ryan who played under current Flames Head Coach Bill Peters in Carolina.

Currently, Lindholm, Hanifin, and Ryan all find themselves in the top-10 in scoring for the Flames. Lindholm with 24 points (11G-13A) Hanifin with 11 (2G-9A) and Ryan with 8 (3G-5A) all play a significant role in the Flames success this year.

Not to mention David Rittich who was on the roster last year but brought back as a free agent this past offseason and has been the better goaltender on the team. Looking at these contributions, it’s no surprise the Flames find themselves currently at the top of a tight Pacific Division.

Who is the best offensive defenseman in the NHL?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: In past years, I would have said Erik Karlsson because he’s always been head and shoulders above his peers in my opinion. This year, you could say, Brent Burns, Morgan Rielly, or one of three other names and make a good argument.

I’m going to go with the guy who has surprised me the most, and that’s Thomas Chabot. In just his second season, he’s stepped in and become their best defender. He eats tough minutes and plays against the other teams best, and his offence doesn’t suffer. He ranks top three in almost every underlying offensive stat. Incredible.

WYATT ZIEGER: The legend, the myth, the beard, Brent Burns.

Although Burns has been snake bitten recently when it comes to scoring with only three goals through 26 games; even without the higher goal volume this season he is still at a point per game, over a quarter of the way through the season.

This season and last Burns shooting percentage this season is almost half of his career average, so there is hope the switch still flips this season.

Look for the forward turned D-man to contend for another Norris this season.

IAN SHEPPARD: Morgan Reilly: Reilly is currently second in scoring among defenseman with 28 points (9G-19A) just one point back of first place. Reilly has been enjoying an increased scoring output since the start of the year. With Reilly on the first pairing of a paper-thin Leaf’s defensive core, his almost double-digit number in goals is the perfect balance for an already offensive-heavy team.

November 30, 2018 0 comment

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The Friday Three

written by BelowTheIce

Back again, three of BTI’s writers tackle three questions from around the NHL in ‘The Friday Three’

November 15, 2018 0 comment

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NHL 31 for 31: San Jose Sharks

written by Wyatt Zieger

The Below the Ice crew brings you, NHL: 31 for 31

This year as the clock ticks down towards the NHL season, the writers here at BTI will be bringing you our preview of all 31 NHL teams, in 31 days.

DAY 6:

“On to the next one” – Jay Z

Today we bring you the last of our Californian teams, the San Jose Sharks.

LAST SEASON

3rd in the Pacific, 6th in the West, 45-27-10 (100 points) Lost in 2nd round to Vegas (6 games)

After losing their all time leader in almost every single franchise statistic, Patrick Marleau to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Sharks were missing their identity. After a middling start to the season going 10-10-0 the Sharks found themselves swimming aimlessly in the middle of the Pacific (division).

These were not the same San Jose Sharks that had been to a Stanley Cup final two years prior. Age started to show, bringing injuries to the two oldest players on the roster, Joe Thorton (38) and Joel Ward (37).

After scoring 29 goals and capturing his first Norris the year prior, Brent Burns would go his first 20 games without registering a goal finishing the season with 12, his lowest amount in a full season since 2011-12. Burns would still finish the season with 67 points and 55 assists 2nd in D scoring only to John Carlson.

The season would take a turn when Doug Wilson went out and traded for the controversial Evander Kane. Kane made his debut February 27, against the Edmonton Oilers putting up 2 assists in the game. In the 17 contests Kane suited up for the Sharks had a record of 11-5-1 propelling San Jose into the playoffs, while Kane put up 14 points (9G,5A).

OFFSEASON MOVES:

May 23, Extended Evander Kane 7-years, $7AAV
June 19, Traded Mikkel Boedkker and Julius Bergman to Ottawa for Mike Hoffman and Cody Donaghey
June 19, Traded Mike Hoffman + 7th to Florida for a 2nd + 4th +5th picks
June 21, Waived Paul Martin for the purpose of buying him out
June 30, Extended Logan Couture 8-years, $8AAV
July 1, Signed Joe Thornton 1-year, $5AAV, Tomas Hertl 4-years, $5.625AAV

IN:

Cody Donaghey

OUT:

Paul Martin, Mikkel Boedkker, Julius Bergman, Jannik Hansen, Joel Ward

OFFSEASON MOVES: D

I’m sure San Jose would tell you that their summer could of been better.

They swung on Free Agent John Tavares and missed, swung on Ilya Kovalchuk and missed. Just when it seemed they got a hit by trading for Hoffman, they inexplicably flipped him to the Florida Panthers for picks hours later.

They managed to lockup key assets such as Kane and Couture but at 15 million combined for two players that have been near a point per game might seem a little steep.

Buying out Paul Martin gave San Jose some cap relief.

One thing I would of liked to see the Sharks do would be to get younger, most of their core; Vlasic, Pavelski, Burns, Braun and Thornton are all on the wrong side of 30 and their window to win the cup is starting to shut.

The summer is not over yet though, San Jose who could still swing for the fences and trade for Erik Karlsson, as it appears Ottawa is ready to have a fire sale. San Jose does not have a 1st round pick this year but they do next year as well as two second-rounders. I could see a package from San Jose that focuses on Ryan Merkley.

BREAKOUT CANDIDATES:

Timo Meier

81GP, 21G, 15A -2017-18

Last year was a coming out party for Meier, the former 9th overall pick scored over 20 goals and topped 30 points in his freshman season.

Meier has great net front presence as 18 of 21 goals came from within 20ft of the goaltender. His hand eye is also something to behold as all four of his PP goals were deflections. It’s not just in tight or off rebounds he can beat you, Meier has a very accurate wrist shot that may not come with blazing speed but is deceptive thanks to his quick release.

I would look to Meier to continue his goal scoring abilities in the NHL, being a left shot RW on a team of centres gives Meier all the advantages to become a 30 goal scorer.

2018-19 Projection: 27G, 23A

Tomas Hertl

79GP: 22G, 24A – 2017-18

Tomas Hertl has been the ideal candidate to make the leap into 60 point territory since his rookie season, we can also credit Hertl with helping provide perhaps the best Joe Thornton quote ever. I’ll leave you to find that yourself.

He’s a flashy scorer, strong on the puck and uses his backhand quite often to score on goalies in close as its almost impossible to read coming off his stick. Hertl has left me wanting more several years now because I feel there is a potential in him thats yet to be tapped.

Heading into what is his 6th NHL season, it is time for him to turn the corner and join some of his other San Jose teammates like Pavelski and Couture and start filling the net. There are as many as 5 Sharks with the skill and shot to score 30 goals next year and ill book Hertl as one of them.

2018-19 Projection: 33G, 28A

DUE TO REGRESS:

Justin Braun

81GP: 5G, 28A

Last season feels as if it was a bit of an anomaly for Braun. Entering the year with a career average of under 17 points, Braun essentially doubled his production while playing essentially the same minutes he’s become accustomed too.

The number that really stands out for me is his negative Corsi over the last two seasons, 46.5% in 2017 and 45.6% in 2018, his regular defensive partner Vlasic managed almost 3% better in the same amount of contests.

The saving grace for Braun is that he is not a power play player and all 33 of his points did come at even strength. This year I could see 2018 1st-round selection Ryan Merkley coming into camp and stealing ice-time from some defenders included Braun who plays on the same side.

2018-19 Projection: 3G, 17A

SEASON PREDICITION

1st in Pacific, 3rd in the West, 109 points

There’s no way in hell Burns will go his first 20 games without a goal and that makes all the difference to a team that struggled to score to start the year. As well, Evander Kane in his first full season with San Jose should easily eclipse the 30 goal mark for the first time in his career, 29 is his career high.

There are a lot of teams that are going to struggle in the basement of the Pacific like; Vancouver, Arizona and Edmonton. The Sharks will smell blood in the water and take the division by hold during the 1st quarter of the season.

San Jose is not getting any younger and you have to wonder if this is the year they can finally get it done and make the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in the last four years. There are not many players that I would rather see get to hoist the Stanley Cup other than Joe Thornton. Thornton is already a first ballot hall of famer but a cup would cement his legacy and keep him away from the Mats Sundin comparisons. I am not rooting for the Sharks to win the West but expect them to make it through to the 2nd or 3rd rounds.

Come back tomorrow when on day 7 of NHL 31 IN 31, our own Jordan Clarke covers the Vancouver Canucks.

September 13, 2018 0 comment

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The Jam Packed Western Conference

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

Every year in the NHL there is a handful of teams who really have no hope of competing, and most of the time that’s by design. The teams will obviously never admit that they’re tanking, but instead, say that they’re focused on getting younger and giving ice time to their “next generation”. The best example of this was when the New York Rangers wrote a letter to their fans this past season:

I’ll get to the Eastern Conference in a second, but for now, I want to focus on the Western Conference where it appears that there are as many as 15 organizations who are coming into this season with a “playoffs or bust” mentality.

Notice that I used the word “organization” instead of “teams”. Obviously, the players in the room are going out trying to win every single night, but it isn’t that hard to see which organizations are more focused on the future, than the upcoming season.

Let’s start with the teams who made the playoffs last year:

NASHVILLE PREDATORS: They led the West with 117 points last season and there’s no doubt that they’re going for it. With over $7 million in cap space, I could even see David Poile make another move before the season starts.

WINNIPEG JETS: Yes, they lost Paul Stastny, but the rest of their young core is still in-tact. They didn’t make any big additions, but it’s more-or-less the same roster that delivered last years 114 point season. It’s clear what their intentions this year are.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS: The biggest surprise in sports last year went out this offseason and brought in Paul Stastny and Nick Holden. They lost David Perron and James Neal, but they still have decent depth on the wings. It still sounds weird to say, but anything less than the playoffs for Vegas would be disappointing.

MINNESOTA WILD: With a new GM at the helm, I was expecting big changes to the Wild’s roster this summer. That didn’t happen. It’s still the same team that finished fourth in the West last season. If they don’t make it this year? Then we could be looking at a roster overhaul.

ANAHEIM DUCKS: Getzlaf, Perry, and Kesler are only getting older but they do have some really nice young pieces who could take steps forward this year. They’ll be leaning on the likes of Rakell, Montour, Silfverberg, Kase, and Ritchie more than ever this year, but it’s obvious that the organization has playoff expectations.

SAN JOSE SHARKS: They missed out on John Tavares, but locked up Evander Kane and brought back Joe Thornton. Playoffs have been the standard in San Jose for close to a decade, that isn’t changing this year. With only 5 forwards under contract for 2019-20 though, a disappointing year could lead to some big changes.

LOS ANGELES KINGS: All three California teams are in similar spots. While they all have some nice young pieces, their cores are aging. LA is another example of that. Their window is closing, and with the acquisition of Ilya Kovalchuk, it’s clear that they won’t be satisfied with anything less than a playoff berth.

COLORADO AVALANCHE: The Avalanche didn’t get a lot of attention for their breakthrough 17-18 campaign and that’s mainly because everyone was too busy gushing over the Golden Knights. They squealed thanks to a win in game 82 over St. Louis and had a good offseason as well. With a new goalie (Grubauer), some added depth (Cole and Calvert), and a young core that should take another step forward, it’s easy to see why the Avs have their sights set on taking another step forward.

So those were the eight teams that made the playoffs last year, and it should be no surprise that they all expect to be right back in the big dance this season. The West gets interesting when you start looking at the teams that missed the playoffs last season. Almost every team that missed out last year, is in “playoffs or bust” mode.

ST.LOUIS BLUES: After dealing Paul Stastny at last years deadline, there were reports that Doug Armstrong was making close to everyone available. Instead of selling off in the summer, he bought into his current core. They gave their forward core a facelift by adding Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Bozak, Patrick Maroon, and David Perron. If the playoffs don’t happen this year, jobs will most likely be lost.

DALLAS STARS: Many thought the Stars would be a juggernaut last season after they had added Martin Hanzal and Alex Radulov. They missed the playoffs last year and you’d imagine that a second straight miss for a team with the amount of skill that the Stars have, someone will have to pay the price.

CALGARY FLAMES: Glen Gulutzan and Brian Burke got the ax after the team underperformed last year, only winning 37 games. They made a big splash acquiring Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm in exchange for Dougie Hamilton and Michael Ferland. They also signed James Neal, which should give their offense a much-needed boost. Goaltending still worries me, but there incredibly improved and should be right there in terms of the playoff picture.

EDMONTON OILERS: No playoffs this year will likely mean the end for both Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan. They didn’t do a lot to improve their team this summer, instead, they’ll be relying on some bounce-back performances and better special teams. They’re good enough to make the playoffs, they just need to live up to their potential. There isn’t an organization with more on the line than Edmonton.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Did I say no one has more on the line than Edmonton? I lied. After missing the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade, there were rumours that the Hawks would be making huge changes. They have a core that appears to be getting close to its expiration date, and they didn’t do a lot to change that this summer. Still, they have a tonne of skill and they know how to win. A healthy Corey Crawford will go a long way to helping them rebound, but if the Hawks miss this season, it could lead to the dismantling of a dynasty.

ARIZONA COYOTES: Clayton Keller is going to be a superstar, Oliver Ekman-Larsson already is, and Antti Raanta was one of the best goalies in the league once the calendar flipped to 2018. The pieces are there in Arizona, and it might sound surprising, but this is a team that could shock a lot of people in 18-19. When they say their goal is to make the playoffs, you better believe they mean it.

That’s 15 teams who will be playoff contenders. Only eight will get in and that means seven teams will be mightily disappointed. Now you might be thinking “well there are 16 teams in the Western Conference. What do you mean only seven will be disappointed?”.

Well, that brings me to the Vancouver Canucks. Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat are fantastic young players. Quintin Hughes will be one day as well, and I’m very high on Jonathan Dahlin and Elias Pettersson as well. The bottom line is that they will not be remotely good enough for the playoffs this year. Coming dead last and getting the first overall pick would be fantastic for this organization and I’m pretty sure they recognize that, even if they won’t admit it publicly.

The West is clearly jam packed and it should make for a fantastic 2018-19 NHL season.

August 19, 2018 0 comment

Featured NHL

Landing spots for Tavares

written by Wyatt Zieger

It’s no secret that upcoming free agent John Tavares has been meeting with teams this week in LA. Five to be exact; The Leafs, Bruins, Sharks, Stars and Lightning as well as phone calls with at least three other teams.

Each team will present a different package to Tavares, who is the most coveted free agent on the market.

June 28, 2018 0 comment

Featured NHL

The NHL’s Busiest Teams

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

Rumours are flying, the insiders are tweeting, and bloggers are writing. It’s the offseason, baby.

Last year, the Vegas Expansion Draft was the talk of the league as every team looked to avoid losing a key piece. It was expected to be one of the craziest offseasons in NHL history, but honestly, it was underwhelming.

This year, it won’t be an expansion draft making noise, it will be the number of star players who could be on the move. John Tavares and John Carlson are top-tier NHL talent and both will likely hit the UFA market come July 1. You also have names like Erik Karlsson, Ryan O’Reilly, and Max Pacioretty on the trading block.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone if we see more than a few big splashes this summer, but which teams could be the busiest? Here’s my list:

June 11, 2018 0 comment

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