NHL

[Eco]

It's so great to have hockey back, I just hope it remains Covid free (unlike Baseball ATM). 

Currently the Yotes are up 2-0 on the Preds. Perfect....

[Eco]

Ha 3-0 now.. Brilliant. 

[Eco]

Great game between the Caps and Lightning, which the TB won in a shoot out. Still sad to see Kovi on the ice....

Did you watch @Storts

[Eco]

Tuesday, August 4
Panthers vs Islanders
NYI lead series 1-0

Coyotes vs Predators
ARI lead series 1-0

Blue Jackets vs Maple Leafs
CBJ lead series 1-0

Flames vs Jets
Series tied 1-1

Hurricanes vs Rangers
CAR lead series 2-0

Wild vs Canucks
MIN lead series 1-0

[Eco]

Wednesday, August 5
Islanders vs Panthers
NYI lead series 2-0

Predators vs Coyotes
Series tied 1-1

Lightning vs Bruins

Avalanche vs Stars

Penguins vs Canadiens
Series tied 1-1

Oilers vs Blackhawks
Series tied 1-1

[Eco]

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
Islanders 1-2 Panthers
Predators 1-4 Coyotes
Lightning 3-2 Bruins
Avalanche 4-0 Stars
Penguins 3-4 Canadiens
Oilers 3-4 Blackhawks

TODAY'S GAMES
Canucks vs Wild (Series tied 1-1)
Capitals vs Flyers
Golden Knights vs Blues
Maple Leafs vs Blue Jackets (Series tied 1-1)
Flames vs Jets (CGY lead series 2-1)

[Eco]

@Spike - Have you watched any? Blackhawks are actually looking good against a more talented Oilers team. Just one win away from moving on. 

 

[Spike]

2 hours ago, Eco said:

@Spike - Have you watched any? Blackhawks are actually looking good against a more talented Oilers team. Just one win away from moving on. 

 

Yes, I've been watching. It's a stretch to say the Oilers are more talented than the Hawks, they have McDavid and Draisaitl and that is pretty much it. They have no depth and their defence is soft. If I could take any Oiler (excluding McDavid and Draisaitl) and add them to the Hawks, there is only one player I'd pick: Kailer Yammamoto

Edited August 6, 2020 by Spike

[Eco]

Just now, Spike said:

Yes, I've been watching. It's a stretch to say the Oilers are more talented than the Hawks, they have McDavid and Draisaitl and that is pretty much it. They have no depth and their defence is soft.

I certainly haven't been impressed with the Oilers, but they were the higher seed, and Blackhawks are majority aging team with so much of a cap hit that it's hard to get much talent around the big two. 

Toews has played well, which is nice after he has had a rough couple of years. 

Still - it'll be nice to win again and eliminate the Oilers in their own city 

[Spike]

Just now, Eco said:

I certainly haven't been impressed with the Oilers, but they were the higher seed, and Blackhawks are majority aging team with so much of a cap hit that it's hard to get much talent around the big two. 

Toews has played well, which is nice after he has had a rough couple of years. 

Still - it'll be nice to win again and eliminate the Oilers in their own city 

Actually, you'd be wrong about that Hawks' age. They are the youngest team in the playoffs apparently.

[Eco]

Just now, Spike said:

Actually, you'd be wrong about that Hawks' age. They are the youngest team in the playoffs apparently.

Seriously? 

Christ I feel like with Toews, Kane, Saad, Crawford, and Keith, you'd have a median age of about 35 with how long they've been in the league. 

[Spike]

Just now, Eco said:

Seriously? 

Christ I feel like with Toews, Kane, Saad, Crawford, and Keith, you'd have a median age of about 35 with how long they've been in the league. 

Saad is only 27 (the others are well into their 30s) and looking at most of the other players they are all under 27 as well, with a couple of teenagers.

[Eco]

Just now, Spike said:

Saad is only 27 (the others are well into their 30s) and looking at most of the other players they are all under 27 as well, with a couple of teenagers.

Yeah I'm looking at well. 

Wasn't aware Saad was under 30.

I'm rather enjoy DeBrincat and Kubliak. It'll do Blackhawks good with Crawford, Seabs, and Keith hang up their states and free up more Cap space. 

[Spike]

19 minutes ago, Eco said:

Yeah I'm looking at well. 

Wasn't aware Saad was under 30.

I'm rather enjoy DeBrincat and Kubliak. It'll do Blackhawks good with Crawford, Seabs, and Keith hang up their states and free up more Cap space. 

It doesn't work like that, the contracts aren't removed from the organisation when a player retires, they still take a cap hit. If all three were to retire the Hawks would be in a very bad spot, because they'd have to wait until the first day of every season for cap relief and that is only if they are allowed to place the contracts on Long Term Injured Reserve, which may only be the case with Seabrook. Either that, or they'd have to trade the contracts with other assets to a team willing to bury the contracts in their LTIR and take the insurance payout for it. And worse case scenario they'd have to buy out the contracts and take a 50% on the cap and double length. Keith is still the Hawks' best defender as well.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Spike

[Eco]

2 minutes ago, Spike said:

It doesn't work like that, the contracts aren't removed from the organisation when a player retires, they still take a cap hit. If all three were to retire the Hawks would be in a very bad spot, because they'd have to wait until the first day of every season for cap relief and that is only if they are allowed to place the contracts on Long Term Injured Reserve, which may only be the case with Seabrook. Either that, or they'd have to trade the contracts with other assets to a team willing to bury the contracts in their LTIR and take the insurance payout for it. And worse case scenario they'd have to buy out the contracts and take a 50% on the cap and double length. Keith is still the Hawks' best defender as well.

Geez - the NHL contracts have always escaped me. 

So we are on the hook for Keith's contract until he is 40? Seabs until he is 39?

We signed some pretty extensive contracts then. 

[Spike]

Just now, Eco said:

Geez - the NHL contracts have always escaped me. 

So we are on the hook for Keith's contract until he is 40? Seabs until he is 39?

We signed some pretty extensive contracts then. 

Yeah because the office was desperate to keep the core together, which is what they did. They had to tie them to long contracts so they'd could carry a smaller cap hit, which led to three cup so I'm not complaining too much. Keith's is relatively small, I think he makes under six million per season, and given his fitness levels and general health, I think he could play well into his 40s; so I have no issue with that; I just hope the Hawks get another stud d-man because Keith shouldn't be relied on as the top guy anymore. Seabrook unfortunately makes closer to seven million on the cap hit, which was a steal at the time, he was one of the best d-men in the league. Injuries really took their toll on Seebs, which sucks because he is one of my favourite Hawks. I doubt he will ever play again, and the Hawks will bury his contract on LTIR for the insurance money.

[Eco]

1 minute ago, Spike said:

Yeah because the office was desperate to keep the core together, which is what they did. They had to tie them to long contracts so they'd could carry a smaller cap hit, which led to three cup so I'm not complaining too much. Keith's is relatively small, I think he makes under six million per season, and given his fitness levels and general health, I think he could play well into his 40s; so I have no issue with that; I just hope the Hawks get another stud d-man because Keith shouldn't be relied on as the top guy anymore. Seabrook unfortunately makes closer to seven million on the cap hit, which was a steal at the time, he was one of the best d-men in the league. Injuries really took their toll on Seebs, which sucks because he is one of my favourite Hawks. I doubt he will ever play again, and the Hawks will bury his contract on LTIR for the insurance money.

Keith's cap hit is 5.5m, Seebs is 6.8m

I understand the reasoning behind it, and don't think anything should be different. The way they structured Kane and Toews deals to take more of a cap hit later on made since with the contracts we had at the time. It's hard to imagine Seebs coming back after all the surgeries and injuries he's suffered from recently. 

As for Favorite Hawks, it's got to Hoss for me. Absolutely loved him when we was in Atlanta and then again with the Hawks. 

[Spike]

3 minutes ago, Eco said:

Keith's cap hit is 5.5m, Seebs is 6.8m

I understand the reasoning behind it, and don't think anything should be different. The way they structured Kane and Toews deals to take more of a cap hit later on made since with the contracts we had at the time. It's hard to imagine Seebs coming back after all the surgeries and injuries he's suffered from recently. 

As for Favorite Hawks, it's got to Hoss for me. Absolutely loved him when we was in Atlanta and then again with the Hawks. 

I don't think they do, because that was banned from the NHL before they signed the new contracts. It was because too many teams were taking advantage of that and the reverse, a cap hit being top heavy and tapering off. Read about Vancouver and Robbie Luongo's contract, they are still paying for it.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Spike

[Eco]

1 minute ago, Spike said:

I don't think they do, because that was banned from the NHL before they signed the new contracts. It was because too many teams were taking advantage of that and the reverse, a cap hit being top heavy and tapering off. Read about Vancouver and Robbie Luongo's contract, they are still paying for it.

I was under the impression that Kane and JT signed 10.5/m contracts, but the cap hit was something like 7 or so for the first few years. 

I might be off, again, contracts in the NHL aren't my specialty. 

[Spike]

1 minute ago, Eco said:

I was under the impression that Kane and JT signed 10.5/m contracts, but the cap hit was something like 7 or so for the first few years. 

I might be off, again, contracts in the NHL aren't my specialty. 

Nah, they were technically different contracts. Well yeah,. the NHL has a very complex and rugged system that promotes austerity and parity

Edited August 6, 2020 by Spike

[Eco]

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
Canucks 3 - 0 Wild
Capitals 1 - 3 Flyers
Golden Knights 6 - 4 Blues
Maple Leafs 3 - 4 Blue Jackets
Flames 4 - 0 Jets

TODAY'S SCHEDULE
Islanders vs Panthers (NYI leads 2-1)
Predators vs Coyotes (ARI leads 2-1)
Penguins vs Canadiens (MTL leads 2-1)
Oilers vs Blackhawks (CHI leads 2-1)
Maple Leafs vs Blue Jackets (CBJ leads 2-1)
Canucks vs Wild (WAN leads 2-1)

[binder]

Up here on the Iceberg in Kanada, everyone is lovin the all day Ice Hockey show, even if the Iceberg is around 30C during the day.  I have to say of all the Covid,fanless sports I have watched on TV, I find NHL hockey is the best, I dont really notice the absence of fans like in Soccer matches.

  GO HABS GO!

[Eco]

Hawks currently tied 2-2 in the 2nd period...

 

[Eco]

Hawks win and advance!

[Spike]

@Viva la FCB @Eco don't forget your brackets