Around the NHL: 2024-2025 Season

[ska-T Palmtown]

35 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

By points %, Montreal and Columbus are tied for WC1 and WC2.  They are on pace for 85.936 points each.  Those two things are incredible to consider.  1.) Half way through the season it is Montreal and Columbus who have, for now, emerged as the leaders in the WC race.  Incredible.  2.) The pace for either WC spot is 86 points.  Incredible.  Both might also be referred to as embarrassing and shameful. 

The Sabres are almost certainly not making it.  We are dead last. There is no indication we are prepared to do anything to make ourselves better, aside from continuing to horde draft picks, acquire more prospects, waste millions of $ in cap space, and generally continue on the dithering path of extreme patience driven by misguided frugality and the fear of making a mistake.  But I digress.

So...this comment is more about the race for the WC spots among all of the bottom 10 teams in the East, than it is about the Sabres specifically: If I was a GM, coach, or player, on one of the 8 Eastern teams currently below a WC position, I would find Montreal and Columbus being in WC 1 and WC2, and the 86 point pace that they are on, to be comforting. Neither Montreal or Columbus seems positioned to sustain their current hot streaks. Neither is likely to make a big splashy trade for a player who pushes them to greater heights this season. It is possible that both of them, or two other teams in the WC race, stay or get hot for a longer period and that the race is over by the trade deadline, but none of the teams in the race seem built to sustain, say, a .675, winning % over 25-30 games. 

85-87 points just might do it this year.  

Probably important to note that while 86 points seems like a low target, after the Sabres last game, it was 85 and just a little over a week ago, it was 84 - point is, the bar for WC2 seems to be slowwwwwly trying to eclipse the 90 point mark.

The last several full seasons for the eastern conf have been 91, 92, 100 (!), Skip 2021 and 2019-2020, 98, and 97 ... jeez.

[JohnC]

8 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I'm just surprised Montreal SEEMS to have turned things around so quickly. Most 'experts', media, even myself thought there rebuild was 1-2 years behind Ottawa and Buffalo (and Detroit, but I never really liked Detroit's rebuild myself).

About a month into the season the Canadians were 4-11. They had just lost 6 in a row by a combined score of 29-12. 

The team they played next that was a turning point in their season so far? Buffalo. They beat the Sabres, put up 7 goals, only allowed 18 shots...and from that night they have gone 16-9-1 (playing at a 100+ point pace for over 2 months now)

The Pegula cheer them up speech inspired the wrong team in Montreal. Ever since they have been on fire.  😀

[mjd1001]

1 minute ago, JohnC said:

The Pegula cheer them up speech inspired the wrong team in Montreal. Ever since they have been on fire.  😀

What would most people say if I told you in the next 2 weeks, The Sabres had to play At Florida, At Tampa, At Vegas, At Colorado, home to Vancouver, and then At Washington. All in less than a 2 week period?

Oh, and the Colorado and Tampa games were on the 2nd night of back to backs where you are the traveling team. It might be challenging to find a harder 2 week stretch to play.

Well, Montreal just played all those teams over 2 weeks.  They beat every single one of them.

(Funny the only other game they played was a loss to Chicago)

 

[JohnC]

3 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

What would most people say if I told you in the next 2 weeks, The Sabres had to play At Florida, At Tampa, At Vegas, At Colorado, home to Vancouver, and then At Washington. All in less than a 2 week period?

Oh, and the Colorado and Tampa games were on the 2nd night of back to backs where you are the traveling team. It might be challenging to find a harder 2 week stretch to play.

Well, Montreal just played all those teams over 2 weeks.  They beat every single one of them.

(Funny the only other game they played was a loss to Chicago)

 

When it comes to the prediction game, put your money $$$ on the unexpected. The hockey season is a roller coaster. Your team can go on an unexpected glorious run followed up by a gut wrenching inglorious losing streak. The shame of this season is that our extended losing streak has infected the rest of the season. Simply being mediocre would have kept this team in the hunt. The moral of the story: When you shoot yourself in the foot, you can't run well for a long time. How this season transpired is so stupid---and to make it worse self-inflicted. 

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

I'm just surprised Montreal SEEMS to have turned things around so quickly. Most 'experts', media, even myself thought there rebuild was 1-2 years behind Ottawa and Buffalo (and Detroit, but I never really liked Detroit's rebuild myself).

About a month into the season the Canadians were 4-11. They had just lost 6 in a row by a combined score of 29-12. 

The team they played next that was a turning point in their season so far? Buffalo. They beat the Sabres, put up 7 goals, only allowed 18 shots...and from that night they have gone 16-9-1 (playing at a 100+ point pace for over 2 months now)

If you dig a bit deeper, the Sabres really are the "get yourself right against" team, at least for Montreal.

Even in the last 2 months where they were playing better, they hit another mini-slump.  In early December, they had lost 3 of 4, allowing 19 goals in 4 games.  Next up? Buffalo. That is the game they blew out the Sabres, 6-1, and since that night Montreal has been 11-2.

There was an article, in the Atlantic I think, where Montreal GM Kent Hughes was sounding a lot like Botterill after the 10 game win streak in 2018 and like Adams in 2022-23.  Rather than embracing his team's surge, he was cautioning against being too aggressive too soon. Though, he also referenced trying to learn from the mistakes made by Buffalo after 22-23 and Detroit after 23-24. He seemed resigned to accepting that it wasn't quite their year yet, but also wanting to make sure they don't slide backwards.

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, ska-T Palmtown said:

Probably important to note that while 86 points seems like a low target, after the Sabres last game, it was 85 and just a little over a week ago, it was 84 - point is, the bar for WC2 seems to be slowwwwwly trying to eclipse the 90 point mark.

The last several full seasons for the eastern conf have been 91, 92, 100 (!), Skip 2021 and 2019-2020, 98, and 97 ... jeez.

I agree.  It is entirely possible that it creeps up to where it has been the last two years. 

One thing though is that it is both WC1 and WC2 that are currently on pace for 86 points.  In 23-24 on this date, WC 1 and 2 were on pace for 94 and 94 points respectively.  In 22-23 on this date, the pace was 98 and 97.  It could also slide back a bit. The more teams that stay in the race for a longer period, will suppress point totals I think.

 

[Sidc3000]

The Panthers keep their streak of no losses in one goal games alive with a goal from Reinhart with 2.8 seconds left to tie the game. Wow

[pastajoe]

Reinhart blew it by not taking a split second longer to look where the Bruins point man was, and clearing it out the middle. 🙄

[SabreFinn]

9 minutes ago, pastajoe said:

Reinhart blew it by not taking a split second longer to look where the Bruins point man was, and clearing it out the middle. 🙄

And Boston ends six game loosing streak. It was a good hockey game. I was entertained.

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, pastajoe said:

Reinhart blew it by not taking a split second longer to look where the Bruins point man was, and clearing it out the middle. 🙄

Played that like he was wearing blue and gold. 

Very entertaining game. Weird bounce to tie it, weird bounce to win it. Bruins not good to start and Florida dominated but it appears at least for now that Swayman is back to form so that might change things for them a little. Let's not forget E-Rod also scored. 

[Flashsabre]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/oilers-make-jeff-skinner-healthy-scratch-vs-blackhawks/

[LGR4GM]

Redwings wildly better after coaching change. Maybe they'll prove me wrong after all. 

[PerreaultForever]

They certainly destroyed Seattle today that's for sure. Makes that another 4 point swing vs. Sabres in the standings. 

Ottawa also winning against Dallas. They are a tough one to figure. Some nights they look really good and then others complete garbage.

[LGR4GM]

CBJ are a team that I wish we had drafted like:

2020:

Yegor Chinakov, 6'1" winger really starting to come into his own as a middle 6 forward

2021:

Kent Johnson, 6'1" C/W who was small and grew and has gotten better and better. He really had all the tools you wanted in a forward, it was just getting them all together.

Cole Sillinger, 6'2" C/W who I desperately wanted but he went 2 picks before Rosen. He's not a finished product at all and needs to work on defense but he's got all the assets to be what we thought Cozens was going to be

Corson Ceulemans, 6'2" RHD that is a guy I would target if I am Buffalo because I think you can get him and I think he could potentially make your team next year.

Stanislov Svozil, 6' defender who like Strbak is just solid all over the ice even though he's a bit smaller with more offense

2022:

David Jiricek, 6'4" RHD is now gone but it was still the correct pick and they weren't afraid to move him for a 1st round pick and some other picks

Denton Mateychuk, 5'11" LHD that quite frankly I love. Not quite in the NHL but he's well on his way

Luca Del Bel Belluz, 6'1" C who has started his NHL journey with a bang. Kid was amazing in his draft year and stupidity and ignorance and the old boys club ways of scouting kept him out of Buffalo

Jordan Dumais, 5'9" wing but man does he have skills on skills. Idk if he makes it but for a 3rd round pick, this is the type of thing you do

2023:

Adam Fantilli, 6'2" center and if Adams had had even the smallest of brains he would have slid a first from 2022 into this draft, it was just loaded. Fantilli went 3rd overall. He's probably a first overall in a lot of other drafts.

Gavin Brindley, the 5'8" high motor high skill guy that is a gamble for sure. However, CBJ could afford this pick because look at the forwards they have taken up until now, the only other short guy is Dumais. Brindley has 11pts in 18AHL games as a rookie

sidenote: Picks 1, 2, and 3 are 1, 3, and 2 for scoring so far in this draft class. #4 is a guy you may have heard of, Zach Benson. #5 and closing fast is one Matvei Mitchkov. What an absolutely loaded class.

2024:

Cayden Lindstrom, 6'4" C and this pick has risk because Lindstrom has been injured but if he hits, he's gonna hit big. 

Charlie Elick, 6'4" RHD that is physical. If Novikov and Elick had a physical-off idk who wins. This is the Sabres Kleber or McCarthy equivalent and while I think he was overdrafted (one of the few picks I will criticize) I understand it. 

 

When I look at this, I see a team that was able to add skill, size, grit in different packages and ways. Buffalo fell into a trap of loving the same types of players for a couple of years and now needs to sell a few of them. Savoie is already gone but Rosen, Östlund both fall into that mold. I think Buffalo did course correct and Benson, Helenius, and Ziemer while not big, fir the grit and skill part and are not light (Ziemer and Helenius are 190lbs+). That all said, the important part here is that CBJ understands the same thing I hope Buffalo does, in the first round forwards are king and you only take defenders that are dynamic. Curious to see how both draft in 2025 but CBJ have a plethora of forward talent that frankly will surpass Buffalo's if it hasn't already. Of course, in the NHL fortunes can change quickly. Maybe Buffalo will finally win a draft lottery or have the chance to take a Fantilli level guy. 

 

 

 

 

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

CBJ are a team that I wish we had drafted like:

2020:

Yegor Chinakov, 6'1" winger really starting to come into his own as a middle 6 forward

2021:

Kent Johnson, 6'1" C/W who was small and grew and has gotten better and better. He really had all the tools you wanted in a forward, it was just getting them all together.

Cole Sillinger, 6'2" C/W who I desperately wanted but he went 2 picks before Rosen. He's not a finished product at all and needs to work on defense but he's got all the assets to be what we thought Cozens was going to be

Corson Ceulemans, 6'2" RHD that is a guy I would target if I am Buffalo because I think you can get him and I think he could potentially make your team next year.

Stanislov Svozil, 6' defender who like Strbak is just solid all over the ice even though he's a bit smaller with more offense

2022:

David Jiricek, 6'4" RHD is now gone but it was still the correct pick and they weren't afraid to move him for a 1st round pick and some other picks

Denton Mateychuk, 5'11" LHD that quite frankly I love. Not quite in the NHL but he's well on his way

Luca Del Bel Belluz, 6'1" C who has started his NHL journey with a bang. Kid was amazing in his draft year and stupidity and ignorance and the old boys club ways of scouting kept him out of Buffalo

Jordan Dumais, 5'9" wing but man does he have skills on skills. Idk if he makes it but for a 3rd round pick, this is the type of thing you do

2023:

Adam Fantilli, 6'2" center and if Adams had had even the smallest of brains he would have slid a first from 2022 into this draft, it was just loaded. Fantilli went 3rd overall. He's probably a first overall in a lot of other drafts.

Gavin Brindley, the 5'8" high motor high skill guy that is a gamble for sure. However, CBJ could afford this pick because look at the forwards they have taken up until now, the only other short guy is Dumais. Brindley has 11pts in 18AHL games as a rookie

sidenote: Picks 1, 2, and 3 are 1, 3, and 2 for scoring so far in this draft class. #4 is a guy you may have heard of, Zach Benson. #5 and closing fast is one Matvei Mitchkov. What an absolutely loaded class.

2024:

Cayden Lindstrom, 6'4" C and this pick has risk because Lindstrom has been injured but if he hits, he's gonna hit big. 

Charlie Elick, 6'4" RHD that is physical. If Novikov and Elick had a physical-off idk who wins. This is the Sabres Kleber or McCarthy equivalent and while I think he was overdrafted (one of the few picks I will criticize) I understand it. 

 

When I look at this, I see a team that was able to add skill, size, grit in different packages and ways. Buffalo fell into a trap of loving the same types of players for a couple of years and now needs to sell a few of them. Savoie is already gone but Rosen, Östlund both fall into that mold. I think Buffalo did course correct and Benson, Helenius, and Ziemer while not big, fir the grit and skill part and are not light (Ziemer and Helenius are 190lbs+). That all said, the important part here is that CBJ understands the same thing I hope Buffalo does, in the first round forwards are king and you only take defenders that are dynamic. Curious to see how both draft in 2025 but CBJ have a plethora of forward talent that frankly will surpass Buffalo's if it hasn't already. Of course, in the NHL fortunes can change quickly. Maybe Buffalo will finally win a draft lottery or have the chance to take a Fantilli level guy. 

 

 

 

 

Jarmo is available, doubt that he ends up here though 

[SabreFinn]

33 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Jarmo is available, doubt that he ends up here though 

He has no problems to complete a trade 😀

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

Jarmo is available, doubt that he ends up here though 

I would bring him in to support Karmanos and ditch Forton but we know that won't happen. I fire Adams in this scenario as well.

[PerreaultForever]

This is true, Columbus has used their picks to draft a wide array of different types of players and we have many times drafted the same guy over and over which leaves us lacking in many areas. We assumed the idea was BPA and then trade the duplicates but so far little of that has taken place. Savoie out with Benson in as mentioned but that's about it. 

[mjd1001]

Flyers look to be getting brand new Arena. Their current Arena is the same age as the Key Bank Center, although it did go through a $265m renovation about 5 years ago.  New Arena scheduled to cost about $1.3 Billion:

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Comcast Spectacor Announce Joint Venture to Build World-Class Arena in South Philadelphia as Well as Revitalize Market East

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Comcast today announced that HBSE and Comcast Spectacor have entered into a binding agreement to form a 50-50 joint venture to build a world-class, state-of-the-art arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex that will be the new home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers.

Full article here: https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/harris-blitzer-sports-entertainment-and-comcast-spectacor-announce-joint-venture-to-build-world-class-arena-in-south-philadelphia-as-well-as-revitalize-market-east

[Crusader1969]

Anyone else remember a good portion of the posters here thinking Samson was a bust?  
 

[Weave]

46 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Anyone else remember a good portion of the posters here thinking Samson was a bust?  
 

I honestly don’t.  I think it is hyperbole to state it.

There were literally a handful that said he was too weak, etc. to be a good player.  A handful more (including me) who said he wasn’t properly cast as a center (and he’s not).  And a few that simply thought he wasn’t a good personality fit.  
 

The majority saw that he was a good, young player that was going to negatively impact the team when he was moved.

[Brawndo]

 

[mjd1001]

14 hours ago, Weave said:

I honestly don’t.  I think it is hyperbole to state it.

There were literally a handful that said he was too weak, etc. to be a good player.  A handful more (including me) who said he wasn’t properly cast as a center (and he’s not).  And a few that simply thought he wasn’t a good personality fit.  
 

The majority saw that he was a good, young player that was going to negatively impact the team when he was moved.

I never thought he was a bust.  I DID think his ceiling was 35 goals.  He would be good on the PP, but not someone I would want out there short handed due to...what I percieved as lack of being a good skater.

So yeah, not a bust, but I WAY underestimated the ceiling on his production.

[PerreaultForever]

19 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Anyone else remember a good portion of the posters here thinking Samson was a bust?  
 

It wasn't that simple and in many ways it is similar to what is going on right now with Cozens and others. Sabres did not surround him with the players he needed to develop with and his "leadership" role was thrust upon him too early and too much. 

He's a different player in Florida and that's because of the players around him and what his role is. They identified his skills and used them properly. He does many of the same things but one step closer, one step harder, etc. because he knows he has support on all levels and so he thrives. The skill level was never in question but the losing and quitting became a thing here as it does for almost every player here. 

I am almost certain if Cozens gets moved within a year he will be exactly what we wanted him to be on his new team. If we move him to Detroit for example they will slap somebody like Kane on his wing and not some green kid. Sabres have thrust him into a leadership center role and "developed" him carrying young wingers almost exclusively while what he needed was to play between two veterans. 

Sabres are just a stupid team. 

Edited 20 hours ago by PerreaultForever

[Doohicksie]

On 1/11/2025 at 1:23 AM, Porous Five Hole said:

GIFs are going away soon, so I couldn’t help myself 

GIF integration is going away soon, but no reason you can't post GIFs from other sites.