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5 Questions

Oct. 28, 2019 at 11:47 p.m.
#1
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1. What are Doug Armstrong's options now that Tarasenko is probably out for the rest of the regular season? Is there a trade he can make to augment the Blues scoring? Are the Blues still a playoff team w/o one of their best players?

2. Are the Sabres, Coyotes, Oilers, and Canucks for real this season? Which of these 4 teams make the playoffs?

3. What should the Leafs do to sure up their struggling Defense? A trade? A lineup shuffle? A coaching change? All 3?

4. Even with Malkin set to return to the Pens lineup is Pittsburgh deep enough to make the playoffs again this season? If not, what can or should Rutherford do to make them a real contender in the Metro?

5. Which player is the biggest surprise and which player has been the biggest disappointment so far this season?
Oct. 29, 2019 at 12:17 a.m.
#2
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1. I really have no idea what Armstrong can pull off. But, he's gotta do something. The defending Cup champs can't lose an elite offensive player and properly defend their title. My guess is that they target a depth scorer at first and try to win by committee. If that doesn't work, then they'll make a big splash.

2. I really think the Coyotes are the best all around team from this group. They have the best defense and goaltending by far. As long as they stay healthy up front they'll be a playoff team. VAN and BUF are both highly improved and I expect both to contend all season. The Oilers are another story. I think they're a step behind the other 3 teams.

3. All 3. I think they should increase Nylander's TOI and PP exposure to raise his stock. They should explore a trade for a solid top 4 young LHD if there is such a player available. As far as Babcock goes, I'm pretty sure his job is safe for the rest of the season at least. If they miss the playoffs, which is a possibility, or get knocked out early he'll be gone.

4. I think Malkin needs a huge rebound season. If he's playing at an elite level and the rest of the team stays healthy I think the Pens can sneak into the playoffs. But, there are a lot of "if's." Murray has to stay healthy and play well. They need to get significant contributions from Galchenyuk and some of their younger bottom six forwards. Sid's line and the PP can't do it all again.

5. The biggest surprise has been Connor Hellebuyck. He's been amazing in goal for the Jets. They could be buried in the standings already if not for the spectacular goaltending of their #1. My biggest disappointment has to be Sergei Bobrovsky. His save % through 9 games is a ridiculously low .874. The only reason he has a winning record is the prolific scoring of the Panthers top six.
Oct. 29, 2019 at 12:29 p.m.
#3
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Quoting: Brian2016
1. What are Doug Armstrong's options now that Tarasenko is probably out for the rest of the regular season? Is there a trade he can make to augment the Blues scoring? Are the Blues still a playoff team w/o one of their best players?

2. Are the Sabres, Coyotes, Oilers, and Canucks for real this season? Which of these 4 teams make the playoffs?

3. What should the Leafs do to sure up their struggling Defense? A trade? A lineup shuffle? A coaching change? All 3?

4. Even with Malkin set to return to the Pens lineup is Pittsburgh deep enough to make the playoffs again this season? If not, what can or should Rutherford do to make them a real contender in the Metro?

5. Which player is the biggest surprise and which player has been the biggest disappointment so far this season?


1. No ones really on the market who is as good as Tarasenko (I guess Hall, but the Blues can’t fit him in for next year, and I don’t think they have the assets to pull off a rental like that

2. Sabres, Yotes and Oilers make it. Can’t see the Canucks defense holding up long enough for them to make it. As for the other teams, I think they can do well enough from here on out to make the playoffs.

3. Leafs should not have traded for Barrie. He’s an offensive d, they need a defensive d. I think DeMelo would be a great fit for them, big, good defensively and cheap. I also think Babcock should get blasted into the sun and they should hire Sheldon Keefe.

4. Pens will not make the playoffs. They don’t have the supporting cast behind the big 4. Murray sucks, the defense outside of Letang sucks and their forward depth sucks.

5. Biggest surprise is John Carlson or Sergei Bobrovksy. Only thing is Bob is a surprise for all the wrong reasons.
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Oct. 29, 2019 at 12:47 p.m.
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Quoting: Brian2016
1. What are Doug Armstrong's options now that Tarasenko is probably out for the rest of the regular season? Is there a trade he can make to augment the Blues scoring? Are the Blues still a playoff team w/o one of their best players?

2. Are the Sabres, Coyotes, Oilers, and Canucks for real this season? Which of these 4 teams make the playoffs?

3. What should the Leafs do to sure up their struggling Defense? A trade? A lineup shuffle? A coaching change? All 3?

4. Even with Malkin set to return to the Pens lineup is Pittsburgh deep enough to make the playoffs again this season? If not, what can or should Rutherford do to make them a real contender in the Metro?

5. Which player is the biggest surprise and which player has been the biggest disappointment so far this season?


1. I think they call up kyrou or kostin and try that route first. Senko will come back before the playoffs so as long as they can play solid defense and get good goaltending from binnington they should be able to manage until then. They could go out and trade for hall and really go all in with ltir and cap circumvention having hall and tarasenko when he comes off ltir.

2. Yotes, Oilers. I dont think buffalo sustains their play, their dcorp isnt that solid and their goalie is still a huge question mark. They started hot last year and finished bottom 10 i dont think itll be as bad a fall off but they wont make the playoffs. Canucks have a good team i just have them missing out.

3. Leafs should have traded kadri for a right shot stay at home defenseman they didnt need a right shot offensive defenseman. They had that in zaitsev and traded it away for a worse player in ceci. dubas royal effed this team. i dont know if they have the pieces without gutting their farm or trading a major asset to get solid top 4 young rhd. I dont think leafs fix their d problems this year.

4.Pens might sneak into the playoffs but they are for sure outside looking in right now. They have a solid top 2 without injuries and letang can still log major minutes but they wont stay healthy. it hasnt happened for years now. I dont think itll happen again.

5. Darcy Keumper and Nazem Kadri. NOBODY had either player playing this good for their respective teams. Biggest disappointment has to be Barrie/Bobrovsky/Stars entire roster.
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Oct. 29, 2019 at 1:02 p.m.
#5
torontos finest
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Quoting: Brian2016
1. What are Doug Armstrong's options now that Tarasenko is probably out for the rest of the regular season? Is there a trade he can make to augment the Blues scoring? Are the Blues still a playoff team w/o one of their best players?

2. Are the Sabres, Coyotes, Oilers, and Canucks for real this season? Which of these 4 teams make the playoffs?

3. What should the Leafs do to sure up their struggling Defense? A trade? A lineup shuffle? A coaching change? All 3?

4. Even with Malkin set to return to the Pens lineup is Pittsburgh deep enough to make the playoffs again this season? If not, what can or should Rutherford do to make them a real contender in the Metro?

5. Which player is the biggest surprise and which player has been the biggest disappointment so far this season?


1. The Blues have some good depth on right wing, so it would make sense to give the opportunity to the guys they already have instead of hastily trying to move assets. They're still a playoff team, but the rest of the team will need to help put up the 60 points that Tarasenko guaranteed for them.

2. I think Buffalo, Arizona and Vancouver are serious. Oilers will probably drop off and we won't have to hear from their obnoxious fans anymore.

3. One of the forwards is probably getting moved for a defenseman. It won't be Matthews, Marner or Nylander though.

4. Penguins are fine.

5. Good - James Neal, I don't think anyone really expected him to get 10 goals in the first month of the season. Bad - going to say Bobrovsky like everyone else; not a great look in year one of your massive contract.
Oct. 29, 2019 at 1:51 p.m.
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Edited Oct. 29, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
1. I think they can get into the playoffs without Tarasenko. But the Blues could take a flyer on Puljujarvi, perhaps.
2. I'm not sure any of them are real. If I had to pick one I'd say Edmonton only because of the McDavid factor.
3. Lineup shuffle. Bring up Sandin to create competition for a roster spot. He may not be ready, but he can push the vets.
4. I think the Pens could make the playoffs, but I don't think they'll really contend this year. It may behoove them to look at trading Malkin. He could pull in enough assets to really speed up any kind of rebuild they may be headed for while they still have time with Crosby aging.
5. Neal is the biggest surprise, by far. Bobrovsky is the biggest disappointment, by far (though I don't expect that to last).
Oct. 30, 2019 at 12:22 a.m.
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Quoting: Brian2016
1. What are Doug Armstrong's options now that Tarasenko is probably out for the rest of the regular season? Is there a trade he can make to augment the Blues scoring? Are the Blues still a playoff team w/o one of their best players?

2. Are the Sabres, Coyotes, Oilers, and Canucks for real this season? Which of these 4 teams make the playoffs?

3. What should the Leafs do to sure up their struggling Defense? A trade? A lineup shuffle? A coaching change? All 3?

4. Even with Malkin set to return to the Pens lineup is Pittsburgh deep enough to make the playoffs again this season? If not, what can or should Rutherford do to make them a real contender in the Metro?

5. Which player is the biggest surprise and which player has been the biggest disappointment so far this season?


1 & 3) Blues trade Pietrangelo to the Leafs for Kapanen.
2) Oilers are punching above their weight class and are in the process of a free-fall. Their goaltending is highly suspicious. Missing the playoffs for certain. I don't see Arizona sustaining this either. Buffalo and Vancouver make it.
4) Every year a good team will fall out of the playoff picture. This year it is the Penguin's turn.
5) James Neal for sure. New Jersey for the bad.
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Oct. 30, 2019 at 6:16 a.m.
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Quoting: AndrewLadd
1. No ones really on the market who is as good as Tarasenko (I guess Hall, but the Blues can’t fit him in for next year, and I don’t think they have the assets to pull off a rental like that

2. Sabres, Yotes and Oilers make it. Can’t see the Canucks defense holding up long enough for them to make it. As for the other teams, I think they can do well enough from here on out to make the playoffs.

3. Leafs should not have traded for Barrie. He’s an offensive d, they need a defensive d. I think DeMelo would be a great fit for them, big, good defensively and cheap. I also think Babcock should get blasted into the sun and they should hire Sheldon Keefe.

4. Pens will not make the playoffs. They don’t have the supporting cast behind the big 4. Murray sucks, the defense outside of Letang sucks and their forward depth sucks.

5. Biggest surprise is John Carlson or Sergei Bobrovksy. Only thing is Bob is a surprise for all the wrong reasons.


Canucks can really score goals. They're currently t-4th in goals per game and a lot of their offense is coming from secondary sources. But, I agree that their D needs to improve. I give the Yotes the edge b/c of their D and goaltending.

It's gonna be really tough for the Pens this season. Nobody realized just how good the Isles are (almost nobody). Carolina is on the rise from last regular season, and the Caps are still elite. Basically the Pens will need to finish 4th in the Metro and beat out 4 teams in the Atlantic. I just think FLA is gonna make it and BUF looks really strong.
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Oct. 30, 2019 at 11:55 a.m.
#9
torontos finest
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Quoting: PrisonBull
1 & 3) Blues trade Pietrangelo to the Leafs for Kapanen.


Pietrangelo is a key asset for the Blues and Kapanen isn't a sure thing to solve their goal-scoring issues. They have the depth on the right side.
Nov. 2, 2019 at 12:05 a.m.
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Edited Nov. 2, 2019 at 12:14 a.m.
1. What are Doug Armstrong's options now that Tarasenko is probably out for the rest of the regular season? Is there a trade he can make to augment the Blues scoring? Are the Blues still a playoff team w/o one of their best players?

Robert Thomas Sami Blais 2 options that have proved they can step up, both of the last 2 games without Tara they scored goals to help the Blues. If it was ROR who got injured j would say not a playoff team but other than ROR and Piet the other players can't 'easily' be replaced but they will get the job done and get a wildcard / 2-3 playoff spot, won't get #1 like some people may have thought.

2. Are the Sabres, Coyotes, Oilers, and Canucks for real this season? Which of these 4 teams make the playoffs?

Sabres will stay because of how shaky the big teams in the Atlantic have looked, I think they also have good star power to pull them to playoffs but they probably get nocked off early or depending on what they aquire could be a scary team kinda like CAR last year, or colombus. Canucks look good, I'm from east so I dont know much about other 3.

3. What should the Leafs do to sure up their struggling Defense? A trade? A lineup shuffle? A coaching change? All 3?

Trade, they need another top 4 defensmen that can play big minutes, you need someone who has done it if you want them to keep up. I don't think it's fair to throw a defensemen into 23+ minutes if they are not "used" to it.

4. Even with Malkin set to return to the Pens lineup is Pittsburgh deep enough to make the playoffs again this season? If not, what can or should Rutherford do to make them a real contender in the Metro?

I think a team that can score 7 goals in one game 3x already can make the playoffs. Depth is questionable but I think there will be a trade that gives them defensive depth which they need.

5. Which player is the biggest surprise and which player has been the biggest disappointment so far this season?
Ristolainen has been the biggest surprise for me, he has turned up and is playing almost completely better in all aspects, James Neal is a shout-out. Biggest disappointment for me is probably Jamie Benn.
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Nov. 2, 2019 at 9:01 a.m.
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Quoting: BuFfaLOFaN
1. What are Doug Armstrong's options now that Tarasenko is probably out for the rest of the regular season? Is there a trade he can make to augment the Blues scoring? Are the Blues still a playoff team w/o one of their best players?

Robert Thomas Sami Blais 2 options that have proved they can step up, both of the last 2 games without Tara they scored goals to help the Blues. If it was ROR who got injured j would say not a playoff team but other than ROR and Piet the other players can't 'easily' be replaced but they will get the job done and get a wildcard / 2-3 playoff spot, won't get #1 like some people may have thought.

2. Are the Sabres, Coyotes, Oilers, and Canucks for real this season? Which of these 4 teams make the playoffs?

Sabres will stay because of how shaky the big teams in the Atlantic have looked, I think they also have good star power to pull them to playoffs but they probably get nocked off early or depending on what they aquire could be a scary team kinda like CAR last year, or colombus. Canucks look good, I'm from east so I dont know much about other 3.

3. What should the Leafs do to sure up their struggling Defense? A trade? A lineup shuffle? A coaching change? All 3?

Trade, they need another top 4 defensmen that can play big minutes, you need someone who has done it if you want them to keep up. I don't think it's fair to throw a defensemen into 23+ minutes if they are not "used" to it.

4. Even with Malkin set to return to the Pens lineup is Pittsburgh deep enough to make the playoffs again this season? If not, what can or should Rutherford do to make them a real contender in the Metro?

I think a team that can score 7 goals in one game 3x already can make the playoffs. Depth is questionable but I think there will be a trade that gives them defensive depth which they need.

5. Which player is the biggest surprise and which player has been the biggest disappointment so far this season?
Ristolainen has been the biggest surprise for me, he has turned up and is playing almost completely better in all aspects, James Neal is a shout-out. Biggest disappointment for me is probably Jamie Benn.


I have to say, I'm surprised at how much PIT has scored this season. It's a credit to their system. From AHL on up, they play the same style and that helps the younger guys adjust when they transition to the NHL. Sullivan, as usual, has done an excellent job.
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Nov. 2, 2019 at 10:47 a.m.
#12
Cup Champs finally
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1 The team will get the Blues into the playoffs, so Tarasenko just needs to be back postseason. Possibly by February there will a scoring asset or two available for a cheap rental, anywhere up to Tarasenko's $7.5M cap. Then Tarasenko rejoins the team in the cap-free playoffs, ala the 'Patrick Kane addition'...

2 Five teams are probably coming out of Atlantic, so I see no reason Buffalo can't stay one of them. The wild wild west seems up for grabs right now. I hope all three of those teams get in, cause I don't think any of them are built for the playoffs.

3 Meh, there's probably 5K podcasts if you wanna hear how to fix the Leafs problems.

4 If they stay relatively healthy & solidify their game by mid December, I think Pitt easily finishes top three in Metro

5 Out the gate, Carlson is obviously on fire & seems to keep shining over & over at the right times, huge reason Caps are leading the league right now. Bad goes to SJ Sharks entire fiasco... gotta love it!
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Nov. 2, 2019 at 11:59 a.m.
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I think PIT is gonna have a tough time finishing top 3 in the Metro. Who are they gonna beat out? Definitely not the Caps. The Islanders are on fire. The Canes also looking really good. I think they have a better chance finishing ahead of MTL and FLA for a WC spot. But, who I really don't know.
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Nov. 4, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
#14
Once a Kings Fan Too
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1. I think he stays the course, promoting some players from within, before making a move at the trade deadline IF necessary. I don’t think it will be.

2. Buffalo has too much competition. I don’t see them climbing over Florida, Montreal and Toronto or scoring a wild-card with those three plus the Islanders and Pittsburgh in the other division all ahead of them. Arizona has an outside chance at a slot, but Edmonton has no secondary scoring and Vancouver has a weak defense and all three have suspect goaltending.

3. I don’t see that Kyle Dubas has much latitude due to the roster he’s structured. Unless he trades Kasperi Kapanen, I don’t think he has the chips to effectuate a significant improvement.

4. I think that Pittsburgh is still a contender for a wild-card spot. I don’t see them winning a place by right over Washington, Carolina and the Islanders.

5. My choice for surprise is James Neal, although my own Ryan Getzlaf is a close second – everyone has been saying he’s in his declining years, yet he already has half the goals he scored last year. My choice for disappointment is split between Erik Karlsson and Jonathan Toews, but I don’t expect the latter to be somnolent for much longer. Locally, both Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick are already cause for concern.
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