Atlantic's too good, they'll just beat each other up

I really can’t remember a year with such density of good teams.

In the first round a few teams have to lose, about one on each side, because somebody has to win each round, that I have a very hard time picking against, especially as first round exits. Like, one of the canucks, stars, Avs, jets, oilers has to lose. I’m not really feeling any of those teams are done in round one.

I like oilers vs hurricanes cup.

I think the East is worse... 2 of: Toronto, Carolina, New York Rangers, Tampa, Boston and Florida have to lose

There isn't an easy matchup in Round 1 on any side

Somebody is going to win the lottery and get the Penguins/Flyers/RedWings/Capitals/Islanders but then the hockey gods will do as they do and give everybody an upset, furthering the meat grinder.

100%...

Maximum chaos. The Stanley Cup goes to a team that finished the regular season with 89 points.

It's so interesting looking at the WC races. If you look at the East, only CBJ is mathematically eliminated while in the West 6 teams are mathematically eliminated

So which is the stronger division? 😋 If you punch yourself and it hurts are you strong or weak?

https://thebeaverton.com/2024/04/nhl-player-declared-legally-dead-before-trade-deadline-expects-to-be-ready-for-playoffs/

Amazing, it feels like we're not that far off

The Manitoba Moose picked up NCAA Free Agent Dylan Anhorn, which is absolutely fantastic for them. Was incredible at both ends of the ice in college, kinda shocked he didnt get an ELC. Must really want to be a Jet

Brad Elliott Schlossman in Grand Forks Herald. (Well connected NCAA hockey reporter, especially for North Dakota. SchlossmanGF on x).

“The Carolina Hurricanes are trying to sign Blake, a fourth round pick in 2021 draft. If Blake returns to UND, he could become free agent next summer. Carolina doesn’t want that to happen.”

Why is Carolina having such a tough time signing their NCAA prospects?

No AHL team likely plays a part. I think the fact the Canes are pretty stacked might too

That's definitely part of it. Where are they going to play? There's no development if you sign with Carolina. Such a bad situation. Owner is too cheap to fund an AHL team.

CANNOT BELIEVE I AM THE ONLY ONE TO POST THIS SO FAR - This board is going downhill!
LOL

Way to go Brad!!!

I don’t think there’s a team in the NHL that has a better future than the Dallas stars. Incredible drafting and asset management

WPG, Min, and CAR says hi

HM: NSH

As it turns out, Pittsburgh was able to fill the 20-21 min a night given to Jake Guentzel (mid), and now he’s getting the 17
minutes a game his skill set calls for, and he’s doing better, and so are the Penguins. He wasn’t a 21 minute a game winger and playing him as such was inefficient, unlocking the roster is magical.

Meanwhile, every team (3!) in the East wildcard race lost tonight, they’re holding the door for Sid.

Winnipeg doesn’t have a young 1C or any player in the system who profiles as one. Minnesota is a good drafting team but They have no direction. Nashville is a team that will be in the mushy middle or worse for the next 5-10 years.

Carolina is another good one, just not as good as Dallas.

Dallas has a core full of young superstars like Robertson, Hintz, and Heiskanen. Now they have Harley emerging as an elite top pair defenseman and Wyatt Johnston is a 20 YO 30 goal scorer with 1C upside. Stankoven comes in and immediately produces at a top 6 level. They just have a ton of young star power at the most important positions

After all the passing of the torch talk and the new NHL. Sid and Ovi might still make the playoffs. This year is so dumb in so many ways.

Not gonna pound WSH for selling Edmundson but Pitt may have ****ed themselves selling Guentzel especially with how things be going rn (they may actually make it)

And when u consider what they got back man this be a yikes and a half

Bunting has more 5v5 goals than Guentzel since the trade. More 5v5 points. More hits. More takeaways.

I don’t see those trends stopping ever. Guentzel did not deserve the icetime in Pittsburg and they’re seeing what happens when it’s properly distributed.

Pittsburg upgraded when they moved Guentzel because he is ——mid——(relative to elite wingers given all the minutes). Replacing his icetime was easy. The return was exceptional because Guentzel is not. People just assumed he was exceptional because the penguins played him 21 min a game with a goat. Jaden Schwartz would look really good playing 21 minutes every game with Crosby, get every pp1, double shifted for pp2, every good offensive minute. It wouldn’t mean Jaden Schwartz is Mitch Marner, he’d still be Jaden Schwartz - a guy who needs to have the energy to explode with the puck to get past some d and if you give him 21 min a game he can’t do that because that’s not how sprinting works.

It is extremely difficult to earn 21 min a game as a winger. You have to not only have absurd offensive skills, but the intelligence to conserve energy and awareness to play 2-ways. There are maybe 2-3 wingers worth that any given season (Marner now, historical puck possession gods like Datsyuk, prime patrick Kane, etc.) Guentzel is nowhere near the list of those skaters. He’s missing half the tools. He is on an entirely different tier of player, well below those who do “deserve” the highest workload. Playing him as if he were locked potential, creativity, probably was the source of some resentment, and disrupted the proper use of energy and matchups during the game.

The penguins built a trap, put themselves in it, thrashed about when their new gm freed them from the trap, and now have been the 4th best team in the east since.

That’s not true at all, Waddell tried to get the AHL to expand to 33 and the AHL said no. Now the Canes are left with buying an existing AHL team (The Canes have said they’re willing to pay much more than the previous AHL transaction) or finding a way to re-affiliate with the Wolves. Their options are limited and they aren’t in a position of power in any negotiations, it’s a tough place to get out of

I love how close the Eastern Conference playoff race is. Keeps me interested this late into the regular season. Also gives me motive to watch teams I wouldn't normally watch.

It's cool that its close. But they teams are all below 500. If it was this close and they were all playing well it'd be way better. This season is a solid argument against play in rounds.