NHL season 2023-2024

[von Rantala]

Its been great season so far. A lot suprises. Its been big surprise how Flyers has been able to stay in playoff run. Can PIT made one more run with older core? EDM has came back to Playoff position. Skinner been able to play better, and EDM finally defenced bit better. Toronto is interesting to follow too. They are close on Nylander deal. If they sign him, next year they have over 50% salary cap on 4 players. If all stay healthy, they should be playoff team, but if any injuries to those four, they widness cant save them. They also still need to solve goalie problem and defenders problems. If use 46,7 milj to four players that leave 40,8 milj for 16 players and after taking Reilly 7,5 milj that leave 33,3 milj for 15 players to use. If you want solid starter that cost 5+ milj. So then you have 28,3milj to use 12 players. They probably is in the problems or they have to try trade Marner or Tavares. Nylander contract should be published in any days now.

 

I been happy to see Vancouver playing so well and they are my favorite Canada team to win Cup. Is Demko right guy to goal, is still question mark for me. He played well. Colorado been dissapointment. I dont like how they give Rantanen, MacKinnon and Nichuskin all the gametime, they are new Edmonton. Its great example on team who give 10+milj Contract and lose they widness. They won Cup because MacKinnon was playing under cheap and NHL best contract. Best NHL teams keep they star forwards in 18:00-20:00min range and defenders in 21:00-25:00 range. Once players get constantly over that they get tired and losing they best sharp once playoff start. Game is so much faster these days that you cant play too much. You also cant get goals or support from other lines, if you dont give them enough gametime.

 

This year been very difficult for many goalies. Samsonov, Raanta and Cambpell all sent in AHL. Georgiev, Shesterkin, Saros, Oettinger, Vasy, Kuemper, Markström, Binnington, Sorokin all played under they normal level and had periods of strugles. Vanecek, Husso, Korpisalo, Gustavsson all has failed too, but they never been top lvl goalies in long time. Gustavsson did been strong lately tho. Its been difficult season for goalies. Many team looking goalie improvement.

 

Many teams has gone through hot streaks and then longer losing streaks too. There is still many team in playoff picture. Its been great season.

 

My middle season favorite to long playoff run

 

East

Carolina

Rangers

 

Florida has widness and Bobrovsky finally playing great season, but he is very irregular and playoff records prior last season was awfull.

 

West

Dallas

Vancouver

 

 

LAK could go long too if they can continue playing solid two-way hockey and Vegas too if Hill can continue great game once he return.

 

Edited January 7 by von Rantala

[Lusciousdrunk]

[mraw435]

@Hulk who was your team before the kracken?! Not gonna lie, almost left the bruins when i saw the kracken's intro video!

 

 

@von Rantala i see you still dont like to mention the bruins in the playoff run...swayman is the man absolutely crushing it whenever i have time ti watch a game. 

 

Also reading your post made me think of the capitals - great last few seasons but they have quite an old (age) team now and then a bunch of rookies - will see how they grow over next few yrs

[Hulk]

@mraw435 in last 5-8 years would be current Kraken,Vegas Golden knights, and 7-8 years ago avalanche 

[von Rantala]

On 1/10/2024 at 6:12 AM, mraw435 said:

@von Rantala i see you still dont like to mention the bruins in the playoff run...swayman is the man absolutely crushing it whenever i have time ti watch a game. 

 

East bit difficult when there is many strong teams. I think Bruins start very very well, but been playing bit more normal lvl lately. I have huge respect to Laviolette, he is great coach and Rangers have more wideness in they group than Boston. Carolina defenders are very good. They goalies has strugled hard, but i have feeling they might make goalie trade and try to get Gibson from Anaheim or Kähkönen from SJ. Carolina offence group is also very wide, they can run 4 lines. Florida been hot lately and they have best two way forward now when Bergeron retired. They wingers group is even wider, but centers behind Barkov is bit thin. Boston have better goalies than NYR, CAR or FLA, but they overall widness in defence and forward group lose to other contendors. I think Montgomery get more out of players than they potential is and he made great defensive/two-way gamestyle what make them look stronger than they are. They have key players like Pastarnak, goalies, Marchand and McAvoy, but after those they dont have same widness as other contendor teams. They ride with hot key players and great two-way hockey, but in playoffs i see its too hard them to go through Rangers or Carolina to Stanley Cup finals. Also Boston probably would have to won either FLA or TOR or both to go in conference finals. Swayman been great and i value him over Ullmark, let see how he will play now, if Ullmark have to go out long. Its easier to goalie to keep good rythm when he dont need play every night. We havent seen yet time, when Swayman had to go through adversitys. He had difficult periods, but in those, he havent need to feel pressures to carry team, because Ullmark been able to do it and he been able to rest and find his rythm back.

 

 

 

@Lusciousdrunk Detroit signed Kane was 2-5-0 (both wins in extratime) in first seven games. Now they won last three, but look like signing of Kane made unbalance to your team. Lyon played great, but goalies is question mark. Also signing Holl was huge question mark move and now he is healthy scratch in many games and you have to keep promising Simon Edvinsson in AHL. I still think Yzerman dont have clear plan what direction he want to steer your team and signing Kane was one of strange signings more from him lately. Yes he has made a lot points, but could leave team in trade deadline. Perron also was part of most dirties and dangerous revernge what i seen in past years. Targeting players who didnt have any part of Larkin injury was wrong and getting only 6 game suspenion for that. I lost my last respect on Perron when he made appeal on that, he should take small penalty like man and admit his mistakes. I know its scary to see your Captain in ground, but instead players going to help they captain whole detroit team attack to Ottawa players and first players who went check if Larkin is okey was two Ottawa guy and first guy who asked trainers to come ice help Larkin was Ottawa guy.

 

 

There been a lot dirty hits and revenges this season. I think that NHL should give 20-40 games suspensions. Perron hit to heat/neck could have paralyzed Zub. But the dirtiest player is Nick Cousins. Hit to Gudbransson was dirty and hit to Välimäki was dirty and i undertand Zucker reaction, but not agree it. (he attack to player who made dirty hit, not unguilty person). I dont like at all that players have to take justice to they own hands. I didnt like how Gudbrasson had to take justice to his hands either. I do think fights is part of hockey, but i dont think revenge is part of game. If players would know NHL will give 25 game penalty to player who made dangerous and dirty hit what could end player career or know long injury time, players dont need go and take justice to they own hands. I fear that someone have to lose his life or some star player have to retire young because dirty hit or revenge before NHL wake up.

 

Sometimes i think that i might have to stop watching NHL, because they dont take care of they players or workers, but money talks, its not different in EU here either. As long as you make money, its not matter how you make it.

 

 

@Hulk Best thing what happened to Kraken was that Grubauer injured 😂 They was forced to give more gametime to Daccord. Personally i dont understand why they been so stubborn with Grubauer. Also have to give credit to your GM. You got your two current scoring leading forwards free. Bjorkstrand for 3rd and 4th round picks and Tolvanen from waiwers. Seattle is in hot streak now, i still doubt they can take playoff spot, but i think they are higher than i waited them to be. If Daccord can continue his hot streak, team can surprise me and take playoff spot, but they are in race with Arizona who have hot goalie too on Ingram and with Nashville who have Saros (who been bad this year). Edmonton should take first wild card or top3 in they own division. I still have more believe on Arizona than Seattle, because i see they coach bit better and they young players bit better, but let see. You cant count St. Louis out yet either, because they have wide group, but probably weakest goalie on Binnington, but if they give more time for Hoffer, who know what happen? Wild is dropping out, they had too many injuries and 15 milj tied up to buyout contracts.

[D..X]

1 name for you all  Martian Jones 

and this dudes ridiculous!

Edited January 11 by D..X

[von Rantala]

On 1/11/2024 at 6:57 PM, D..X said:

1 name for you all  Martian Jones 

and this dudes ridiculous!

 

Martin Jones been your savior lately, but how long he can continue his hot streak is question mark? Woll is promising too, but goalies are big question mark, but once Woll healthy you pay them 1,5M (Jones+Woll), your goalie problems is not worst, because some teams pay a lot more and getting a lot less back than Toronto atm. Lets remember many teams strugling with goalies this year, so Toronto is not rush to make goalie trade. Samsonov might be back in net at weekend. In future its risky move to put hope on Woll and Jones, but you maybe have to do it when salary cap situation is difficult. Woll is still minor question mark for me, is he like Nedelkovic and Husso or can be next Rask? I still would like to see more him and more games row and how he deal advertisity. I would be more hype if you would have Levi in net, because his record from past his better than Woll.

 

Yes his been hot, but also MacKinnon playing greatly atm. Have you watched any Vancouver this season? Q.Hughes is absolutely crazy good this season and Hronek been perfect d-pair for him. I dont know if i ever seen so great d-pair in NHL. I truly hope they re-sign Hronek and Vancouver can do miraclges this year. I knew Hronek potential and he might make point per game this season. I did wait 50 points season. I also put Vancouver third place in division and second round, but i knew they might be stronger. Watching Maker to play is also candy to eyes, these two will come to dominate NHL for many years. Heiskanen should be same class, but he had to pull that daamm Suter as (kivireki)stone truck every night. I cant understand why they cant keep Lindell or Harley more as his D-pair. I see Harley very high potential, he should be top 5 defenders of league in couple years. Atm i value Maker over MacKinnon and Q.Hughes is in my papers best player of NHL so far. Its crazy what he sometimes do with puck and he is d-man. He is able to do those all because he can trust Hronek will back him up and sametime other teams cant just see Hronek just defensive defender so they have to respect him too, what give Hughes more open ice.

 

My Top players of the season so far.

 

1. Q. Hughes (VAN) Best player so far. Lead D-man points and NHL +/- leader

2. N. Kucherov (TBL) Scoring leader of NHL and have 26 points more than second best TBL player

3. C. Makar (COL) NHL record on fastest 250 points from D-man. Conn Smythe winner and best defender of word, but badling with injuries this year dropp him to third. Still pace for 100 points.

4. C. Hellebuyck (WPG) Best goalie so far and biggest reason why WPG leading NHL standings

5. N. MacKinnon (COL) second in NHL points and first in assists. Best center so far

6. C. MacDavid (EDM) after slow start, has take team to his backpack. Also been stronger in d-zone too.

7. A. Barkov (FLA) Currently NHL best two-way forward. Personally i always value Barkov type two-way forward higher than scoring/goals leaders. Some guys behind him in  this list has done more points, but Barkov overall value to team is super high.

8. S. Reinart (FLA) Three goal behind Matthews in goals, but have 5 points more and have NHL leading 9 game winning goal, when Matthews have only 2 game winning goal. Also +18 when Matthews at +10.

9. W. Nylander (TOR) Lead team scoring even that playing 1 minute less per game than Marner and Matthews. Only 5 game without point, when Matthews have 13 games without point. Nylander been NHL the most consistent player

10. D. Pastarnak (BOS) 6th in scoring and 7th in goals, but his value to team is higher than many other who is higher than him in scoring. When other players get more support from teammate, he have 20 point lead in team and 17/25 goal came EVS.

 

I know most ppls wouldnt left goal leader out of TOP10, but i tryed to explain why i put these all in list. I try to watch player overall game and value to team. Matthews is NHL best scorer, but he also dose get help from players like Tavares, Nylander, Marner and Reilly. I see Matthews is too one dimensional player. In end of day, its what you value on hockey player and i value more overall impact to team and its because my biggest idols been Koivu brothers, Niittymäki, Kunin, Granlund, Aho, St. Louis etc.. All my idols been guys who valued two-way game high and its been they strong point and i never had idol who is pure scorer. Rantanen is my favorite player too and becoming idol, but even in his game goal scoring isnt only what make him great player. My news't idol is Sebastian Aho (CAR) i followed him since rookie season and when he did left money to table when signing new contract made huge impact to me. He is "team first" guy and great leader. Aho not over celebrating goals if those are not meaninfull goals. He is very modest guy.  Sometimes i see players celebrating some 4-0 goal like its they first goal of life or using cocky celebrations. So dont take my list too seriously, but would be glad to hear everyone TOP10 player of season so far?