2019/20 NHL Season

They never quite had Simek / Couture / Hertl and a willingness to start Dell. I think they make the playoffs if those 4 things remained consistent for more than 2 weeks at any given time.

Probably hard 1st round exit. But a playoff berth.

You got that right, gut the roster and get it over with

Including Marleau and Thornton. 

Thornton has to be done. PM is a huge bargain so I’d keep him at his current salary, he’s probably not worth much on the market anyway. 

Timo has sucked this year article:

www.fearthefin.com/2020/2/4/21122206/timo-meier-lost-season-san-jose-sharks

While the San Jose winger doesn’t have the fanfare of a Marner or Rantanen or Tkachuk or Laine — Meier, according to several scouts who I’ve spoken with, resides in at least the lower echelon of this elite group. In addition, Meier also made a strong analytical case for himself last season.

It’s against these expectations that we have to assess his 16-goal campaign: Has Meier been a difference-making first-line winger on a consistent basis this year?

The consensus is a resounding no.

“He’s lost his bite,” one scout complained. “He’s lost what makes him very good.”

The nadir of Meier’s season, perhaps, was December 27 against Los Angeles, when he was benched in the third period and overtime.

“You can’t dress 12 forwards and have eight or nine show up. We had a couple guys not sticking with the structure. Not playing within the team system,” Bob Boughner admitted after the 3-2 loss. “We can’t keep going on like this. Beating a dead horse. You have to send some messages.”

This wasn’t the first time this year, of course, that Meier had been called out in public.

This could quite possibly be very true... Especially with Anderson injury at this critical point in the season.

Ovi with the hat trick tonight. Amazing

Years ago, it was the wild west when it came to individual testing of draft-eligible players. Eventually, the NHL decided it would try to get things under control.



At one GM meeting, the league revealed new protocols for when and how prospects could be tested. Following the conversation, according to one former manager, then-New Jersey boss Lou Lamoriello raised his hand.





“How much is the fine?” he asked. (At the time, the Devils were believed to be at the top of the list when it came to scouting budgets.)



It was at that moment everyone realized the punishment better have teeth.



The story repeated itself when Tim Murray was GM of the Buffalo Sabres. Again, the managers were warned of the testing guidelines. Murray, backed by an owner who was willing to spend, basically said, “We’ll pay the fine.”



He was told the amount: $250,000 per violation.



“That was the end of that,” laughed one GM who was in the room then. “Tim knew that wasn’t going to work.”



These stories popped into mind last week with reports of the NHL’s investigation into the Arizona Coyotes. The best way to start is with the rules. Until the morning after the Combine: no to physical testing; yes to psychological testing/interviews. Post-Combine: no to physical testing for prospects who attended; yes to physical testing for anyone not invited; yes to medicals, psychological testing and interviews for all.


As I write this, it is difficult to pin down how long this investigation is going to take as the league is not commenting. The NHL sent a note to all clubs, trying to determine how widespread a problem this could be — asking if they had anything similar to confess. The teams pointed back at Arizona. According to multiple sources, the Coyotes have not denied that, in their interviews, the subject matter of certain questions were physical or medical in nature. (A strength and conditioning consultant, Tommy Powers, attended some of these meetings, and, in certain cases, players were asked to be in workout gear.) Their argument is that any violation is a matter of interpretation.



Opponents have reacted angrily to this claim.



CHL organizations were asked to inform the league if they had any complaints about the Coyotes — that deadline was last Friday. One of the initial flashpoints came from a CHL club upset about a player being worked out after a road trip that included lengthy travel, although, when I looked into it, I was told that accusation may have been revoked. Another alleged incident involved a USHL team. (I did hear from others who denied any issues.)



In this post-Houston Astros garbage-can-banging world, it’s going to come down to who’s willing to say what, what’s in writing and what the NHL already knows before it even begins formal interviews. And, there’s also the question of whether, if the Coyotes are found guilty, commissioner Gary Bettman expands the penalties to draft picks and/or employee sanctions. I tried to see if there’s any chance GM John Chayka could be in trouble, and no one was willing to say one way or the other.



So, we wait to see where this goes.

Fuck Toronto. Just because.

Heh, they're missing Kadri, aren't they?

Probably have but even with Kadri they’ve lacked some jam since Matt Martin left. Clifford has never really been the same since his rookie year when he came out fighting like he was on fire and got his bell rung several times. But he’s been through the playoffs, grinds, plays a clean game, and can hold his spot on the fourth line. At half price it’s a worthy add. Having said all that, this deal is more about Campbell than Clifford.