NHL 2020-21 season Fantasy & Chat thread

[mr. leisure]

Toronto always plays down to their potential.

Every year

they are due ?

[yisman]

toronto headed for cap hell

they basically went all in for this past season

[Otters27]

What happened to that Coyotes guy that bullied that kid

[mr. leisure]

What happened to that Coyotes guy that bullied that kid

I think he is going to play for the North Dakota college team .

[yisman]

I think he is going to play for the North Dakota college team .

no, I think I posted he got kicked off that team too.

[mr. leisure]

no, I think I posted he got kicked off that team too.

Good , he deserves it .

[mr. leisure]

Bishop, Seguin to need five months to recover for Stars after surgeries

Goalie had knee repaired, center had hip injury fixed

NHL.com @NHLdotcom

Ben Bishop and Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars are expected to need five months to recover after each had surgery, meaning they would miss at least two months of the NHL season if it starts Jan. 1, 2021, as targeted by the League.

Bishop, a goalie, had surgery Oct. 21 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, and the Stars said rehabilitation and recovery time is approximately five months. He was limited to three games during the Stars' run to the Stanley Cup Final because of the knee injury and was 1-2-0 with a 5.43 goals-against average and .844 save percentage after going 21-16-4 with a 2.50 GAA, a .920 save percentage and two shutouts in 44 games (43 starts) during the regular season. Backup goalie Anton Khudobin replaced Bishop and went 14-10-0 with a 2.69 GAA, a .917 save percentage and one shutout in 25 Stanley Cup Playoff games (24 starts) to help the Stars reach the Final for the first time since 2000; they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
Bishop turns 34 on Nov. 21.

Seguin had a right hip arthroscopy and labral repair in New York on Monday. The rehabilitation and recovery time is approximately five months from the date of the surgery, according to the Stars. The 28-year-old center scored 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 26 postseason games after he led the Stars in scoring during the regular season with 50 points (17 goals, 33 assists) in 69 games. Seguin missed one playoff game for Dallas but has not missed a regular-season game since the 2015-16 season.
Stars general manager Jim Nill said Oct. 29 that Seguin's surgery had been pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Oct. 8, Nill went through the Stars' injury list, which included goalies Bishop and Khudobin, who had surgery Oct. 7 to fix a nerve issue in his right arm, as well as forwards Jamie Benn (shoulder injury), Blake Comeau (separated shoulder) and Roope Hintz (fractured ankle). He said then that the Stars expected all of the injured players, except for Seguin, to be healthy in time for the start of the season; Seguin was expected to be out four months.

[yisman]

The New York Islanders and restricted free agent defenseman Ryan Pulock have agreed to terms on a two-year deal.
The Islanders and the 26-year-old Pulock reached the deal Wednesday, avoiding an arbitration hearing.

[mr. leisure]

Nyquist out 5-6 months for Blue Jackets following shoulder surgery

Forward expected to miss start of season while recovering from injury

NHL.com @NHLdotcom

Gustav Nyquist is expected to miss the start of the season for the Columbus Blue Jackets after having surgery to repair a labral tear in his left shoulder on Tuesday.

The expected recovery time is 5-6 months, meaning Nyquist would likely be out at least three months if the NHL season starts as planned on Jan. 1, 2021.
"This was a chronic issue that Gus has been dealing with for a number of seasons," Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. "He has been able to perform at a high level, but a cyst in the area developed over time that has inhibited his ability to continue to do so. As a result, surgery was the best course of action and we look forward to having him back at full strength this season."
Nyquist scored 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 70 games with the Blue Jackets last season after signing a four-year contract with them on July 1, 2019. He had two assists in 10 postseason games.
Selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the fourth round (No. 121) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Nyquist has scored 348 points (146 goals, 202 assists) in 570 regular-season games with the Red Wings, San Jose Sharks and Blue Jackets, and 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 65 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

[hotcross]

Thinking about the Futures odds posted on Nov.1 there might have been a couple typos and/or bad lines at that book. I copy and pasted the list, but Buffalo Sabres +6000 is generous. See that one today elsewhere at +2900 which sounds more accurate.

There are a couple other significant price differences. But still no Seattle team listed at the other book.

[hotcross]

Actually just checked a third book and they have Sabres at +6600 which surprised me. I guess the books are just throwing these odds up to take a temperature check? Not too serious.

[Stallion]

They will probably cancel it for a bad line.

[mr. leisure]

Actually just checked a third book and they have Sabres at +6600 which surprised me. I guess the books are just throwing these odds up to take a temperature check? Not too serious.

SBR book has sabres at + 6600 too .

[hotcross]

Seattle Kraken not listed because they are planned for the start of the 2021-22 season.

I think it was just me confused / coronavirus of the brain, thinking 2021.

This was always the timeline, yes??? Or did the pandemic push back the team a full year?

Looked it up half-heartedly just to find this:

On February 13, 2018, the Oak View Group officially filed an application with the NHL for an expansion team and paid a US$10 million application fee. At the time, the earliest a Seattle NHL expansion team could have begun playing was the 2020–2021 season pending the completion of arena renovations.

[yisman]

The Rangers and forward Brendan Lemieux have reached an agreement on a two-year, $3.1 million deal that keeps the restricted free agent in New York as they continue to rebuild.

[playersonly69]

The Rangers and forward Brendan Lemieux have reached an agreement on a two-year, $3.1 million deal that keeps the restricted free agent in New York as they continue to rebuild.

yisman sure is one cheap mother rooster_eater! dude posts in this thread everyday JUST TO GET HIS 1 POINT!!!

[hotcross]

this thread is not here for personal conflict or attacks

keep it that way

[mr. leisure]

Strome agrees to two-year, $9 million contract with Rangers

Forward avoids arbitration hearing, scored 59 points in 70 games last season

NHL.com @NHLdotcom
Ryan Strome agreed to a two-year, $9 million contract with the New York Rangers on Thursday. It has an average annual value of $4.5 million.

The 27-year-old forward was a restricted free agent who had a salary arbitration hearing scheduled Thursday. The Rangers announced the contract Friday.
"Very happy to back for 2 more years! No place I'd rather play than in front of our great fans at MSG," Strome said in a tweet.
Strome scored 18 goals in 70 games for the Rangers last season and had NHL career highs in assists (41) and points (59). He had two assists in three games when New York was swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers.
Selected by the New York Islanders in the first round (No. 5) of the 2011 NHL Draft, Strome has scored 254 points (95 goals, 159 assists) in 491 games with the Rangers, Edmonton Oilers and Islanders, and 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Rangers had three other players who filed for arbitration. Defenseman Tony DeAngelo (Oct. 15) and goalie Alexandar Georgiev (Oct. 15) each agreed to a contract prior to his scheduled hearing. Forward Brendan Lemieux agreed to a two-year, $3.1 million contract ($1.55 million AAV) before his scheduled hearing Friday.

[yisman]

Defenseman MacKenzie Weegar signed a three-year contract with the Florida Panthers on Friday reportedly worth $3.25 million per year.
Weegar's agent said last month the 26-year-old's camp was "disappointed" in its contract negotiations with the Panthers, prompting speculation he could sign elsewhere.

[yisman]

The Predators could have roommates at Bridgestone Arena, should the NBA and NHL seasons begin anytime soon.
The Toronto Raptors recently visited Nashville and are considering calling the city home next season because of Canadian travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, a source familiar with the situation told The Tennessean on Sunday. The source requested anonymity because there has been no public announcement.

[batt33]

The Predators could have roommates at Bridgestone Arena, should the NBA and NHL seasons begin anytime soon.
The Toronto Raptors recently visited Nashville and are considering calling the city home next season because of Canadian travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, a source familiar with the situation told The Tennessean on Sunday. The source requested anonymity because there has been no public announcement.

I wonder why Nashville?

[mr. leisure]

I wonder why Nashville?

Was wondering the same thing .

[mr. leisure]

Hintz signs three-year, $9.45 million contract to stay with Stars

Forward was restricted free agent, helped Dallas reach Stanley Cup Final

Roope Hintz signed a three-year, $9.45 million contract to stay with the Dallas Stars on Monday. It has an average annual value of $3.15 million.

The 23-year-old forward was a restricted free agent. He scored 33 points (19 goals, 14 assists) in 60 games last season and 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 25 postseason games to help the Stars advance to the Stanley Cup Final, a six-game loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Selected by Dallas in the second round (No. 49) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Hintz has scored 55 points (28 goals, 27 assists) in 118 regular-season games and 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 38 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

[yisman]

Due to the proximity to other Atlantic Division teams, as well as a multitude of travel, lodging and facility options, playing in the New York/New Jersey metro area makes the most sense. However, if that doesn't work out, Nashville would be a realistic option. It has an NBA-quality arena, and is centrally located such that flights to a majority of other NBA cities would only be a few hours.

[batt33]

Due to the proximity to other Atlantic Division teams, as well as a multitude of travel, lodging and facility options, playing in the New York/New Jersey metro area makes the most sense. However, if that doesn't work out, Nashville would be a realistic option. It has an NBA-quality arena, and is centrally located such that flights to a majority of other NBA cities would only be a few hours.

I guess I can see that....

[yisman]

The commissioners of the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball addressed the impact of COVID-19 on their sports as well as TV ratings, rules changes and plans for next season during a virtual panel hosted by the Paley Center.
With rates of coronavirus infection now surging nationwide, the feat of each league managing to complete their respective seasons and crown champions in 2020 has given way to the next challenge: starting back up again. With billions of dollars on the line and a patchwork of local, state and international health and safety protocols in place, there are no easy solutions. The NBA and MLB expect a significant number of fans to attend games, while the NHL is exploring a “hub” system to minimize travel. For a host of reasons, no league is looking at a “bubble” setup to start the season.

[mr. leisure]

Realignment, potential for another hub model on table for NHL, commissioner Gary Bettman says

The NHL is considering a temporary realignment of its teams for the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, according to commissioner Gary Bettman.
Bettman said Tuesday that restrictions on travel across the Canadian border, as well as "limitations in terms of quarantining when you go from certain states to other states" within the United States, could mean the NHL creates a more regionalized alignment for its upcoming season.
"As it relates to the travel issue, which is obviously the great unknown, we may have to temporarily realign to deal with geography, because having some of our teams travel from Florida to California may not make sense. It may be that we're better off -- particularly if we're playing a reduced schedule, which we're contemplating -- keeping it geographically centric and more divisional-based; and realigning, again on a temporary basis, to deal with the travel issues," Bettman said during a 2020 Paley International Council Summit panel with fellow commissioners Adam Silver of the NBA and Rob Manfred of MLB.

The NHL board of governors has a meeting scheduled for Thursday which will provide a progress report and possible recommendations for a season format, based on talks between the league and the NHL Players' Association. The target date for starting next season remains Jan. 1.
Bettman said the league is considering a few scheduling options for the 2020-21 season. Something that's off the table: playing the entire season in the kind of bubbles the NHL had in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, to complete last season. But Bettman said teams opening in their own arenas is a possibility, along with a modified bubble.
"We are exploring the possibility of playing in our own buildings without fans [or] fans where you can, which is going to be an arena-by-arena issue. But we're also exploring the possibility of a hub. You'll come in. You'll play for 10 to 12 days. You'll play a bunch of games without traveling. You'll go back, go home for a week, be with your family. We'll have our testing protocols and all the other things you need," he said.
Bettman also indicated that the NHL is exploring "a hybrid, where some teams are in a bubble, some teams play at home and you move in and out."
The NBA's board of governors unanimously approved a deal with the players' union that sets the stage for a season that will open on Dec. 22 and with a reduced schedule of 72 games. Silver said that the commissioners are in communication on COVID-19-related issues, especially the NBA and the NHL, since the two leagues' teams share arenas and, in some cases, team owners.
Silver said he senses that the NBA will have fans in many of its buildings this season.
"We're probably going to start one way, where we're maybe a little bit more conservative than many of the jurisdictions allow," he said. "What we've said to our teams is that we'll continue to work with public health authorities. Arena issues are different than outdoor stadium issues. There will be certain standards for air filtration and air circulation. There may be a different standard for a suite than there will be for fans spaced in seats."
Silver said there will be standardized protocols that are consistent from arena to arena, such as proximity between players and fans: "In certain cases, for seats near the floor, we're going to be putting in testing programs, where fans will certify that they've been tested -- some within 48 hours, some within day of game." While Silver supported a continued expansion of the NBA postseason through its play-in tournament, Bettman said that he's not in favor of expanded playoffs or "playing with the fundamentals of the game." The NHL had 24 teams in its postseason last summer.

[yisman]

One of those missing pieces at the end of the season was goaltender Tuukka Rask, who made the decision to leave the playoff bubble due to personal reasons and a family matter.
Rumors of what Rask's future would look like with the team swirled, but coach Bruce Cassidy says the team is "full steam ahead" with No. 40 in net.

[mr. leisure]

One of those missing pieces at the end of the season was goaltender Tuukka Rask, who made the decision to leave the playoff bubble due to personal reasons and a family matter.
Rumors of what Rask's future would look like with the team swirled, but coach Bruce Cassidy says the team is "full steam ahead" with No. 40 in net.

Great news for Boston .

[yisman]

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong did an interview with Sportsnet's "Hockey Central at Noon" on Wednesday and walked through the process that led to Krug joining St. Louis.
"We were disappointed (to lose Pietrangelo), but you know, in our business, you get up the next day and you look and say, ‘what’s the next-best scenario?’" Armstrong said. "We had talked about it before. It was a long three hours, quite honestly, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. watching and hoping that Krug, who was the No. 1 player for us, that we didn’t see something come across that he and Boston had agreed to terms."


Armstrong tried to sell Krug on the Blues being a competitive team over the duration of his contract.

"When 11 o’clock central rolled around that day, he was our first call -- an introductory call. I had a call with him and then I arranged a call with him and (Blues coach) Craig (Berube). At that point, you’re not talking finances, you’re talking more fit on the team, what we’re trying to accomplish. He’s a player who I think looked at our group, he’s coming in, our age group is very similar to him. He sees a path to winning over the term of his contract. So I sort of walked through the veteran players, the middle-aged players, the younger players and how we were going to bring him into a sustainable group over seven years, and then we got down to the finances."



Pietrangelo is a better all-around player than Krug, but the 29-year-old defenseman will bring quite an offensive punch to St. Louis' lineup. Krug has averaged 51.2 points over the last five seasons and should play a prominent role on the Blues' top power play unit.

[mr. leisure]

Krug is a nice addition for the Blues .

[yisman]

Some guys still FAs:

Mike Hoffman, Sami Vatanen, Pierre Dubois, Mikhail Sergachev, Matthew Barzal

[mr. leisure]

Some guys still FAs:

Mike Hoffman, Sami Vatanen, Pierre Dubois, Mikhail Sergachev, Matthew Barzal

Quality group of players .

[hotcross]

NHL schedule could combine hub format, home arenas in 2020-21
League seeking flexibility planning season amid coronavirus pandemic


Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the NHL could start this season using one schedule model and transition to another.


Daly said a schedule model with multiple hub cities would allow for a safer and more controlled environment. Hub cities would allow for limited interactions with the outside world when teams are in market.


"You'd obviously want to put those hub cities in places that are experiencing positive experiences on the COVID side," Daly said. "You'd set up some dedicated space and restaurants for the players without the secure perimeters that we had in the bubble cities. That would be the benefit of hub cities. You would be in a situation where teams would travel in, play a bunch of games over a two-week time period and then be able to go home and spend time with their families and their own local practices facilities for a week, and cycle through a season that way."


Daly said the NHL and NHLPA remain in constant dialogue about how many games each team will play and what the divisional alignments will look like, and acknowledged some time constraints.


"Look, we know there is some urgency here, there is some urgency for making decisions, and while we want to drop the puck on Jan. 1 we also recognize that we're not going to rush into a bad decision just to make it," Daly said. "Whether that Jan. 1 can be a little later, we certainly have flexibility to move it later. We are in regular communication with the clubs. I think the players and the clubs have a fairly good understanding of what a Jan. 1 opening would require.


"Realistically, if we're going to start in the first part of January, mandatory training camps are going to have to start in the middle part of December. In some of our markets there continue to be quarantine requirements associated with players coming into town, so you factor those in and you back it up from there. I would ultimately concur with the conclusion that time is getting short."

[yisman]

Some guys still FAs:

Mike Hoffman, Sami Vatanen, Pierre Dubois, Mikhail Sergachev, Matthew Barzal

Other top FAs:

Anthony Duclair and Mikael Granlund