NHL 2020-21 season Fantasy & Chat thread

[batt33]

Antti Raanta was the winning goalie for the Arizona Coyotes on Wed. night at the Los Angeles Kings, stopping 40 of 42 shots for the 3-2 final score (in regulation).

Raanta is now 6-0-1 vs. the LA Kings during his entire career

Although this game wasn't a shutout,
Raanta interestingly has shutout the Kings on 3 occasions, doing it once with each of the 3 teams he has played for (with Blackhawks, Rangers, Coyotes)

now you tell me! something to remember though for next time....

[yisman]

NHLPlayerSafety



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13h








Washington’s Alex Ovechkin has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for Spearing Boston’s Trent Frederic.

[mr. leisure]

Seabrook of Blackhawks ending playing career because of hip injury

Defenseman helped Chicago win Stanley Cup three times in 15 NHL seasons

NHL.com @NHLdotcom
Brent Seabrook is ending his playing career because of an injury to his right hip, the Chicago Blackhawks defenseman said Friday.

The 35-year-old, who was placed on long-term injured reserve, has not played in a game this season.
"I am so proud to have played my entire 15-year National Hockey League career in Chicago with the Blackhawks," Seabrook said. "It was an honor to play the game that I love, with teammates I love, in front of fans I love, in a city that my family and I have grown to love. After several surgeries, countless hours of rehab and training to get back on the ice at the level of my expectations, it will not be possible for me to continue playing hockey. This is what is best for me and my family."
Seabrook last played Dec. 15, 2019. He had shoulder surgery 12 days later, had a procedure on his left hip in January 2020 and one on his right hip on Feb. 6, 2020. At the time, he was expected to need 5-6 months to recover.
"Over a three-month period from December 2019 to February 2020, Brent underwent successful surgeries on both of his hips and his right shoulder," Blackhawks team physician Dr. Michael Terry said. "He has worked extremely hard to recover from those surgeries but has a long-term issue with his right hip that is preventing him from playing professional hockey. We have tried all available conservative treatments, and nothing has worked well enough for him to live life as an athlete."
Seabrook was selected by the Blackhawks with the No. 14 pick in the the 2003 NHL Draft and scored 464 points (103 goals, 361 assists) in 1,114 NHL games. He scored 59 points (20 goals, 39 assists) in 123 Stanley Cup Playoff games, helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Seabrook, who has three seasons remaining on an eight-year contract he signed Sept. 26, 2015, ranks third all time in regular-season games played with Chicago behind Duncan Keith (1,162) and Stan Mikita (1,396).
"Since stepping foot into the United Center as a 20-year-old rookie and over his entire 15-year career with the Blackhawks, Brent Seabrook gave everything he had to his teammates and the city of Chicago," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. "His determination to win, passion for the game and innate ability to lead culminated in bringing three Stanley Cups to Chicago. Because of the sacrifices he made for his team, Brent's hockey career has been cut short due to injury.
"Without Brent Seabrook, the Chicago Blackhawks would not have three Stanley Cups. He concludes his career as not only one of the best defensemen in franchise history, but one the greatest Chicago Blackhawks of all time."

[batt33]

Seabrook of Blackhawks ending playing career because of hip injury

Defenseman helped Chicago win Stanley Cup three times in 15 NHL seasons

NHL.com @NHLdotcom
Brent Seabrook is ending his playing career because of an injury to his right hip, the Chicago Blackhawks defenseman said Friday.

The 35-year-old, who was placed on long-term injured reserve, has not played in a game this season.
"I am so proud to have played my entire 15-year National Hockey League career in Chicago with the Blackhawks," Seabrook said. "It was an honor to play the game that I love, with teammates I love, in front of fans I love, in a city that my family and I have grown to love. After several surgeries, countless hours of rehab and training to get back on the ice at the level of my expectations, it will not be possible for me to continue playing hockey. This is what is best for me and my family."
Seabrook last played Dec. 15, 2019. He had shoulder surgery 12 days later, had a procedure on his left hip in January 2020 and one on his right hip on Feb. 6, 2020. At the time, he was expected to need 5-6 months to recover.
"Over a three-month period from December 2019 to February 2020, Brent underwent successful surgeries on both of his hips and his right shoulder," Blackhawks team physician Dr. Michael Terry said. "He has worked extremely hard to recover from those surgeries but has a long-term issue with his right hip that is preventing him from playing professional hockey. We have tried all available conservative treatments, and nothing has worked well enough for him to live life as an athlete."
Seabrook was selected by the Blackhawks with the No. 14 pick in the the 2003 NHL Draft and scored 464 points (103 goals, 361 assists) in 1,114 NHL games. He scored 59 points (20 goals, 39 assists) in 123 Stanley Cup Playoff games, helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Seabrook, who has three seasons remaining on an eight-year contract he signed Sept. 26, 2015, ranks third all time in regular-season games played with Chicago behind Duncan Keith (1,162) and Stan Mikita (1,396).
"Since stepping foot into the United Center as a 20-year-old rookie and over his entire 15-year career with the Blackhawks, Brent Seabrook gave everything he had to his teammates and the city of Chicago," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. "His determination to win, passion for the game and innate ability to lead culminated in bringing three Stanley Cups to Chicago. Because of the sacrifices he made for his team, Brent's hockey career has been cut short due to injury.
"Without Brent Seabrook, the Chicago Blackhawks would not have three Stanley Cups. He concludes his career as not only one of the best defensemen in franchise history, but one the greatest Chicago Blackhawks of all time."

Quietly had a good career...good decision for him..

[yisman]

Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo was taken to the hospital Friday night after a hard hit into the boards by Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson.

• 
  
  
• 

The hit occurred with less than two minutes left in the first period as Carlo and Washington's Jakub Vrana went for the puck behind the Bruins net. Carlo immediately grabbed his head after the check from Wilson and stayed down. He appeared dazed as he was helped off the ice to the dressing room.

[hotcross]

^^^ and the refs didn't even call a penalty on Wilson on the play!

Could have / Should have been called for Boarding or Charging

[mr. leisure]

^^^ and the refs didn't even call a penalty on Wilson on the play!

Could have / Should have been called for Boarding or Charging

I was watching that live last nite , that was a nasty hit to the head .

[yisman]

Tom Wilson a dirty player. Always going head hunting.

[Stallion]

He should be suspended for way more than 7 games.

[mr. leisure]

He should be suspended for way more than 7 games.

His 5th suspension since 2017 .

[yisman]

should be thrown out of the league

he's had plenty of slaps on the wrist

[jrgum3]

Ottawa starting to win some games. They're not the pushovers they were at the beginning of the season.

[Otters27]

Ottawa starting to win some games. They're not the pushovers they were at the beginning of the season.

Good team to ride you think

[mr. leisure]

Calgary has some issues , we will see if Sutter can turn it around when he gets there . .

[hotcross]

I don't think the Flames current roster is going to have much success, no matter who is the coach. We might see a short-term bump in their win-rate. Sutter did not relate well to younger players in the past, and the Flames current roster has plenty of those.

Ottawa coach DJ Smith on the other hand, had sucess with young players in the AHL. Senators will improve in coming years, but for now their defense is often just ugly.

[batt33]

Ottawa starting to win some games. They're not the pushovers they were at the beginning of the season.

playing surprisingly well....young ones dont know any better!

[yisman]

Ottawa definitely looking better than last season

[mr. leisure]

Nice underdog night yesterday with 4 out of 6 dogs hitting .

[hotcross]

Rickard Rakell, the Swede centerman for the Anaheim Ducks, has got white hot in the last 6 games since Feb.27

5 goals and 7 assists, while the team has only won 2 of those games (2-2-2 record)

This comes after Rakell had relatively low production for the past 2+ seasons, since his 2017-18 campaign in which he recorded 35 goals and 35 assists, if you include the one goal he scored in their opening round playoff series being swept by the Sharks

Rakell could be a trade candidate for a team needing depth at the Center position. Not an elite player, but interesting due to his recent scoring surge

[yisman]

Trade rumors have enveloped the Buffalo Sabres for almost the entirety of this NHL season, but one new name has been added to the list of potential moves ahead of the April 12 deadline.
According to TSN’s Pierre Lebrun, established center Eric Staal might find himself on a new team that is headed for a deep run in the postseason.
“Obviously the pending UFAs in Buffalo are the most likely to move,” Lebrun added on TSN’s Insider Trading segment, “they're the easiest to move at this time of year. Eric Staal would be among those players.”
Staal was acquired by the Sabres from the Minnesota Wild prior to the beginning of this season. Before the move, the 36-year-old forward reportedly told the Wild that he would prefer to stay put, but was moved to Buffalo in exchange for Marcus Johansson.

[jrgum3]

Good team to ride you think

I think you can take a shot in certain spots but I probably would just stay away from their games unless I thought they had a real good chance of pulling off the win. (i.e the opponent coming off a long road trip or playing a back to back with their backup goalie. )

[Stallion]

Favourites went 7-1 yesterday, and Buffalo stinks.

[batt33]

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since taking personal leave from the NHL team on Feb. 22.
anarin stepped away from the club indefinitely after Andrei Nazarov, his former coach with the KHL's Chekhov Vityaz, alleged he was involved in a physical altercation with a woman in Latvia a decade ago.

[mr. leisure]

NHL, ESPN reach agreement for games, streaming, Stanley Cup Final

Seven-year deal with Disney includes All-Star Game

by Tom Gulitti @TomGulittiNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer
The NHL, The Walt Disney Co. and ESPN on Tuesday announced an agreement on a seven-year, U.S. television, streaming and media rights deal beginning next season and running through the 2027-28 season.

The agreement, which returns NHL games to Disney and ESPN for the first time since 2004, includes exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final on ABC in four of its seven years with the ability to simulcast on ESPN+ and additional ESPN networks.
"Our new partnership harnesses the power of The Walt Disney Co. and its multitude of platforms," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "It puts us on the cutting edge of content distribution: a great linear package with all Stanley Cup Final games in the package on ABC and a consistent regular-season schedule as well as a forward-looking strategy focusing on the impact of streaming. This is a win-win-win: a win for ESPN and The Walt Disney Co., a win for the NHL, and, most important, a win for fans. We could not be more thrilled."
Each season, ABC and ESPN will show 25 regular-season games on national telecasts; opening-night games; the NHL All-Star Game and NHL All-Star Skills; half of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including one of the conference final series; plus other special events. An additional 75 national telecasts of regular-season games each season will be produced by ESPN and stream exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu.
More than 1,000 regular-season games in the NHL's out-of-market streaming package (formerly NHL.TV) will also be available exclusively as part of an ESPN+ subscription.
"Streaming really is at the heart of this deal, and this is a reflection of its role as a critical part of our future," said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN and sports content for The Walt Disney Co. "ESPN+ will now be a must-have for hockey fans. And as we're already seeing on social, this deal is going to make a lot of people happy, including a lot of ESPN employees who are incredibly passionate about the NHL and are very excited to dig in. ... We're excited to be back and to be back in such a big way."
The agreement includes highlight rights to be featured on ESPN, the ESPN app and social media; and international media rights, including in Latin America, the Caribbean and parts of Europe.
"We really look forward to giving fans unprecedented access to an incredible lineup of NHL games and programming," said Bob Chapek, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Co. "I know how passionate and loyal hockey fans can be growing up as a Chicago Blackhawks fan, and this agreement is going to allow them to watch their favorite teams like never before on our world-class platforms, including ESPN, ESPN+, ABC and Hulu. So we're really excited about this new partnership and the value that it represents not only to Disney but the League and sports fans around the world."
The NHL plans to focus over the next few weeks on negotiating with other potential broadcast partners about a deal for additional U.S. television media rights, which include national telecasts of regular-season games, the other half of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Stanley Cup Final in three of the next seven seasons. Commissioner Bettman said NBC Sports, whose exclusive 10-year contract with the NHL expires after this season, is among the networks interested in the remaining U.S. media rights.
"They've been good partners, and as we move forward we're going to continue our dialogue with them and see if we can get it all together and continue what has been a very productive relationship for both of us," the Commissioner said.
Pitaro said he'd been interested in acquiring the rights to NHL games since he joined ESPN three years ago. Commissioner Bettman said he and Pitaro informally discussed the possibility shortly after that, and, with the agreement with NBC Sports nearing its end, negotiations heated up over the past two months.
"I think the capabilities that ESPN continuously demonstrates in terms of how they cover and promote sports will help continue to grow our game," Commissioner Bettman said. "That was an attractive element of doing the package. I have complete confidence in Jimmy and how he's going to have his team treat NHL hockey, and I think their reach, particularly for young people, will continue our growth."
Behind the mutual interest in an NHL-ESPN reunion was the belief each could help the other.
"The idea is to make the League, the games more accessible to core existing fans and at the same time to leverage our platforms, including studio, to grow the game, to expand it, make it more attractive, use our platforms to showcase NHL stars," Pitaro said. "We're pretty good at this, and we have many employees and many executives over here who are very excited to get going, who have been waiting for this moment, who have been waiting for the opportunity to reengage and partner again with the League. So I'm very optimistic in terms of our ability to help the sport grow, help the League grow, and provide greater access to fans across our platforms, both linear and digital."

[yisman]

not since 2004!

[mr. leisure]

Pietrangelo out for 'foreseeable future' for Golden Knights

Defenseman being reevaluated after sustaining upper-body injury blocking shot

by Danny Webster / NHL.com Independent Correspondent

Alex Pietrangelo is out for "the foreseeable future" for the Vegas Golden Knights because of an upper-body injury, coach Peter DeBoer said Wednesday.

The defenseman returned to Las Vegas for further evaluation after he was injured blocking a shot in the third period of a 4-0 win against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Pietrangelo, who appeared to favor his left hand, missed a 2-0 loss and a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Monday and Wendesday.
"Obviously not a great sign that he returned home for evaluation," DeBoer said. "I'm not concerned it's long, long-term, but he's out for the foreseeable future."
The Golden Knights have two games remaining on a six-game road trip, at the St. Louis Blues on Friday and Saturday.
Pietrangelo signed a seven-year, $61.6 million contract ($8.8 million average annual value) with Vegas on Oct. 12. He scored 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 18 games this season and led the Golden Knights in average ice time per game (25:27) playing on the top defense pair. Pietrangelo missed three games in February after he was placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
Pietrangelo and defenseman Brayden McNabb were paired together to begin the season. McNabb played Wednesday after being out since Jan. 26 because of a lower-body injury.
"When a guy's out, especially a guy like [Pietrangelo] or [McNabb], it's a big hole in our lineup," defenseman Nicolas Hague said. "Those are two key players. I think, at the end of the day, it's a group effort. Everyone steps up and tries to fill that void, and I think overall we've done a good job."
The Golden Knights (16-6-1) are first in the eight-team Honda West Division. The top four teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"It's the reality of the NHL in a normal year, particularly in a condensed schedule like this year," DeBoer said. "You look around and everyone's got pieces moving in and out."

[jrgum3]

NHL, ESPN reach agreement for games, streaming, Stanley Cup Final

Seven-year deal with Disney includes All-Star Game

by Tom Gulitti @TomGulittiNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer
The NHL, The Walt Disney Co. and ESPN on Tuesday announced an agreement on a seven-year, U.S. television, streaming and media rights deal beginning next season and running through the 2027-28 season.

The agreement, which returns NHL games to Disney and ESPN for the first time since 2004, includes exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Final on ABC in four of its seven years with the ability to simulcast on ESPN+ and additional ESPN networks.
"Our new partnership harnesses the power of The Walt Disney Co. and its multitude of platforms," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "It puts us on the cutting edge of content distribution: a great linear package with all Stanley Cup Final games in the package on ABC and a consistent regular-season schedule as well as a forward-looking strategy focusing on the impact of streaming. This is a win-win-win: a win for ESPN and The Walt Disney Co., a win for the NHL, and, most important, a win for fans. We could not be more thrilled."
Each season, ABC and ESPN will show 25 regular-season games on national telecasts; opening-night games; the NHL All-Star Game and NHL All-Star Skills; half of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including one of the conference final series; plus other special events. An additional 75 national telecasts of regular-season games each season will be produced by ESPN and stream exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu.
More than 1,000 regular-season games in the NHL's out-of-market streaming package (formerly NHL.TV) will also be available exclusively as part of an ESPN+ subscription.
"Streaming really is at the heart of this deal, and this is a reflection of its role as a critical part of our future," said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN and sports content for The Walt Disney Co. "ESPN+ will now be a must-have for hockey fans. And as we're already seeing on social, this deal is going to make a lot of people happy, including a lot of ESPN employees who are incredibly passionate about the NHL and are very excited to dig in. ... We're excited to be back and to be back in such a big way."
The agreement includes highlight rights to be featured on ESPN, the ESPN app and social media; and international media rights, including in Latin America, the Caribbean and parts of Europe.
"We really look forward to giving fans unprecedented access to an incredible lineup of NHL games and programming," said Bob Chapek, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Co. "I know how passionate and loyal hockey fans can be growing up as a Chicago Blackhawks fan, and this agreement is going to allow them to watch their favorite teams like never before on our world-class platforms, including ESPN, ESPN+, ABC and Hulu. So we're really excited about this new partnership and the value that it represents not only to Disney but the League and sports fans around the world."
The NHL plans to focus over the next few weeks on negotiating with other potential broadcast partners about a deal for additional U.S. television media rights, which include national telecasts of regular-season games, the other half of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Stanley Cup Final in three of the next seven seasons. Commissioner Bettman said NBC Sports, whose exclusive 10-year contract with the NHL expires after this season, is among the networks interested in the remaining U.S. media rights.
"They've been good partners, and as we move forward we're going to continue our dialogue with them and see if we can get it all together and continue what has been a very productive relationship for both of us," the Commissioner said.
Pitaro said he'd been interested in acquiring the rights to NHL games since he joined ESPN three years ago. Commissioner Bettman said he and Pitaro informally discussed the possibility shortly after that, and, with the agreement with NBC Sports nearing its end, negotiations heated up over the past two months.
"I think the capabilities that ESPN continuously demonstrates in terms of how they cover and promote sports will help continue to grow our game," Commissioner Bettman said. "That was an attractive element of doing the package. I have complete confidence in Jimmy and how he's going to have his team treat NHL hockey, and I think their reach, particularly for young people, will continue our growth."
Behind the mutual interest in an NHL-ESPN reunion was the belief each could help the other.
"The idea is to make the League, the games more accessible to core existing fans and at the same time to leverage our platforms, including studio, to grow the game, to expand it, make it more attractive, use our platforms to showcase NHL stars," Pitaro said. "We're pretty good at this, and we have many employees and many executives over here who are very excited to get going, who have been waiting for this moment, who have been waiting for the opportunity to reengage and partner again with the League. So I'm very optimistic in terms of our ability to help the sport grow, help the League grow, and provide greater access to fans across our platforms, both linear and digital."

I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I think it is very good for the league to finally get some mainstream exposure and ESPN for all their shortcomings remains the main source of sports programming for most people. Then again, most of the people working for ESPN don't know anything about hockey with the possible exception of Barry Melrose. Time will tell if this move helps the league reach its goal of growing the game.

[Otters27]

Oilers was a lock last nigh. Missed it

[yisman]

Winner: Out of market fans. As part of the deal, the NHL’s out of market streaming package is moving onto ESPN+, with NHL.tv going the way of the dodo. ESPN+ is (currently, at least) cheaper for a full year than NHL.tv is for the season, meaning fans who want to watch out of market games will end up saving money while also getting access to a bunch of other content they may or may not be interested in.


Loser: Some in market fans. Sorry, folks: if you want to watch every one of your local team’s games this season, you’ll not only need a cable or satellite subscription to access your team’s RSN and ESPN, but you’ll also need a subscription to ESPN+ or Hulu. 75 games will be streaming exclusive in this TV deal, and while you previously got everything you needed with the cable sub, you now will need to jump into the streaming waters to see every game. I personally don’t think this is the worst thing in the world, but throwing up another paywall on games always rubs people the wrong way.

[batt33]

I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I think it is very good for the league to finally get some mainstream exposure and ESPN for all their shortcomings remains the main source of sports programming for most people. Then again, most of the people working for ESPN don't know anything about hockey with the possible exception of Barry Melrose. Time will tell if this move helps the league reach its goal of growing the game.

It will be interesting to see how much ESPN really promotes the NHL...hardly gets a mention as it is...

[mr. leisure]

The Sabres are in freefall , 9 straight losses after last nights 5- 2 loss against the penguins .

[yisman]

An NHL rink looked more like the UFC octagon Thursday night ... 'cause a Red Wings player was straight-up KNOCKED OUT by one punch in an on-ice fight.
The violent scrap all went down during the Lightning's game against the Red Wings in Detroit ... when things between Tampa Bay's Barclay Goodrow and Detroit's Adam Erne got chippy and escalated quickly.
Late in the 2nd period ... Goodrow checked Erne into the boards -- and Erne didn't take kindly to the shove, throwing his stick at Goodrow's legs.

[Otters27]

Fuk.

Avalanche and Oilers won again. Was going to bet these teams but can't get off of college Hoops

[mr. leisure]

Fade the Ducks

[jrgum3]

Fade the Ducks

They suck I thought I wasn't going to cash my over 5.5 goals bet in that game because the Ducks can't score but luckily the Sharks took care of that by scoring 4 in the third period to send the total over.