The Saadfather Part II - The 2017-2018 NHL Season Thread

[RC Vikings]

Amazing that it's taken a kid from Arizona to make the Maple Leafs relevant again. I thought McDavid would be the next great one but maybe it will be Matthews.

[Flystripper]

It's still McDavid but for great ones to be truly great they need a contemporary rival and Matthews is definitely trending to that.

[Flystripper]

ESAD, Blackhawks.

you guys have a good team.

[Flystripper]

I'm still mad about that Hjammer trade. You guys get one of the most consistently underrated defensiveman in the league and we have some guy who keeps being a healthy scratch.

a million times this. I miss Hammer like I mess Leddy. Maybe we can get him back for another run like we did Saad

[MartyFunkhouser]

a million times this. I miss Hammer like I mess Leddy. Maybe we can get him back for another run like we did Saad

I miss Hossa right now. The team just doesn't seem the same without the Demi God.

[Flystripper]

yeah. It's weird watching this team this year so far. This gutting is so much deeper than the gutting we felt after the first cup. I just hope the salary cap goes up a bit.

[MartyFunkhouser]

yeah. It's weird watching this team this year so far. This gutting is so much deeper than the gutting we felt after the first cup. I just hope the salary cap goes up a bit.

I love StanBo, but the overpaying of Seabrook is going to haunt us for a long time. Hjammer is gone because of that contract. The immediate regression after the new deal was concerning. I also don't get why he got the no movement clause. Seabrook is just bad this year. Keith is a bargain, but he is starting to show his age. I think we both had huge concerns about the blue line, but I don't think either of us expected it to be this bad.

If the cap goes up a bit, invest the entirety of it into defense.

I also hope that Hossa isn't retired. The team could use his 2 way play next year.

[Flystripper]

Nice win tonight. Offense is definitely not our problem,even after losing Panarin. The much bigger loss was hammer.
Stanbo has lost his way a little bit. Our championships were built from the blue line forward. I think this season will remind him of that.


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[MartyFunkhouser]

Nice win tonight. Offense is definitely not our problem,even after losing Panarin. The much bigger loss was hammer.
Stanbo has lost his way a little bit. Our championships were built from the blue line forward. I think this season will remind him of that.


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When the team was great, it was built on mobile, puck moving blueliners. We had players that could make the stretch pass and keep the play in the Blackhawks zone and out of the other teams zone. When we had that, our puck possession numbers were fantastic and we were dominant. The only concern I have with the forwards right now is not having a true 2-way presence like Hossa in the lineup anymore.

The team needs its entire focus on restocking the blueline. We need to be 6 deep with the right type of defensive players. It is going to be hard to fix, but that is the key and StanBo needs to regain form and fix this issue. We still can win cups with this core, but we have got to fix the defense.

[Donuthole]

ESAD Blackhawks!

[MartyFunkhouser]

The NHL sucks this year.

I think this is the year the Lightning finally break through. That Red Wing bastard running that team has done a great job putting that team together.

The playoffs will suck without the Blackhawks, but we finally will have some cap flexibility this summer.

[falafel]

The NHL sucks this year.

I think this is the year the Lightning finally break through. That Red Wing bastard running that team has done a great job putting that team together.

The playoffs will suck without the Blackhawks, but we finally will have some cap flexibility this summer.

No love for Vegas? Pretty fun story, IMO.

[Flystripper]

The NHL sucks this year.

I think this is the year the Lightning finally break through. That Red Wing bastard running that team has done a great job putting that team together.

The playoffs will suck without the Blackhawks, but we finally will have some cap flexibility this summer.

I am still watching. Our defense is just sad. Bowman lost his way a bit by gutting the defensive pairings. I think he can course correct next year, but it will be interesting. He needs to get back to the principles that built this team. Our offense is still good enough, but we just can't possess the puck in our own end anymore.

[Flystripper]

No love for Vegas? Pretty fun story, IMO.

Vegas is a fun story. What a great way to launch a franchise. Your fans will be spoiled but that's OK.

[MartyFunkhouser]

No love for Vegas? Pretty fun story, IMO.

Fun story indeed. I have nothing against Vegas. I actually think the NHL structured the expansion draft in a way that guaranteed good players were available that team. I wouldn't have expected them to be this good, but I didn't think they would be bad.

I'll probably pull for Vegas in the playoffs, as I have nothing against them.