2019-2020 NHL Regular Season Thread

[Jason]

[5minmajor]

That’s kinda vague.

[B Kat]

In these days of information overload, I find it kind of refreshing. Less *is* more.

[Math]

No news is good news (taken from my school English class to illustrate the word "news" as a singular one)

[Knives Out]

[Troy McClure]

Hopefully being under the constant care of trainers and doctors means he caught it early.

[Math]

Taylor Hall a healthy scratch tonight for "prevention". A trade is in the air...

[Math]

While he was in Columbus, Tortorella said that Duclair was a "weak player, not an NHLer, a stupid who doesn't understand the game".

As a response, Duclair netted a hattie vs. Columbus including the OT winner. Some kind of sweet revenge I guess.

[ToddM]

https://twitter.com/nhlonnbcsports/status/1205607860857659397

[Math]

So now the question is not if Hall will be traded, but where.

The Coyotes seem to be ahead in the discussion, but I'm going for the Habs: They are trying for years decades to find a legit 1st-line elite scorer (preferably center, but yon can't have all obviously), they have the cap space, they already have decent prospects (giving up some picks won't hurt and their scouts are terrible anyway, so why bother), Domi sucks and could be added in the package so New Jersey could officially become the dumpster of the League.

[B Kat]

Just not Colorado please, thanks.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

The Dallas Stars is ok with me. I'd be willing to give up some guy in the minors.

[slaps]

https://theathletic.com/1455458/2019/12/16/shap-shots-montgomery-the-bowness-tree-of-trust-and-harleys-team-canada-snub/

As of Sunday evening, Taylor Hall hasn’t been traded. Such a deal was never going to be realistic for the Stars.

According to a couple of sources, it’s believed New Jersey wanted a package that included at least Denis Gurianov, Jake Oettinger and a first-round pick from Dallas.

I have no problem with this, aside from Oettinger. But surely the Stars have another prospect and draft pick combination that would suffice.

[Troy McClure]

That's a big haul for a rental, especially one having a *poo poo* season and who missed most of the prior season with a knee injury. *f-bomb* that.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

I'm really liking Gurianov's game right now, and I'd hate to trade such a nice package for a rental. Rentals go for a nice pick these days.

[slaps]

That's assuming he wouldn't be a rental. But some team is going to pay that even if he isn't.

However, this early on, it may make sense. And I still think the Stars should sell high on Gurianov.

[Troy McClure]

I'm fine adding Hall only as a rental, but it would be stupid to give the Devils what they want, which is to get a return like he's still a 23 year old with many years of protected RFA rights. It' makes no sense to pay the UFA money and trade away tons of assets to get the guy.

I have no interest in Hall long term unless the Stars find a way to move either Benn or Seguin. Having $30 million of this team's cap tied up in three guys who will spend the rest of their contracts being guys talked about as hoping to get back to what they used to be would be a damn frustrating next decade. Benn's contract won't run out until 2025 when he is 35, when Seguin would be 33 (with two more seasons on his deal), and Hall would be 33 (with three more seasons on his deal).

[The Frugal Gourmet]

Agreed

[ScubaSteve]

Gurianov has like 7 career goals. Sell high. And we can’t draft anyway, so who cares about the 1st. I say do it.

Plus, nearly every worthwhile rental we’ve ever acquired has re-signed here. Zuc is the only exception I can think of. But you’d have to unload Benn or Pavelski’s contract to keep Hall probably.

[ToddM]

Plus, if we dump Oettinger, then we have no real plan at goalie after Bishop retires. So that's another $5-6 mil we'd be on the hook for for some UFA goalie.

[ToddM]

Gurianov has like 7 career goals. Sell high. And we can’t draft anyway, so who cares about the 1st. I say do it.

Plus, nearly every worthwhile rental we’ve ever acquired has re-signed here. Zuc is the only exception I can think of. But you’d have to unload Benn or Pavelski’s contract to keep Hall probably.

Hall has 6 goals in 30 games this season, while Gurianov has 6 goals in 29.

Gurianov >>> Hall

[The Frugal Gourmet]

Gurianov has like 7 career goals. Sell high. And we can’t draft anyway, so who cares about the 1st. I say do it.

Plus, nearly every worthwhile rental we’ve ever acquired has re-signed here. Zuc is the only exception I can think of. But you’d have to unload Benn or Pavelski’s contract to keep Hall probably.

Gurianov has the same number of goals as Hall right now.

The last time Hall was good, Benn had almost 40 goals.

[Troy McClure]

I will post as scuba for a moment: By comparing their numbers, I can't tell whether you guys are trying to tell me Gurianov is good or Hall is terrible.

[wonko80]

Hall does have way more assists. He might mesh well with Gurianov. We should then trade for Gurianov and try to give them Benn in return.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

Hall does have way more assists. He might mesh well with Gurianov. We should then trade for Gurianov and try to give them Benn in return.

Yeah well he does play on a top line though.

[Math]

I may be living in some unicorn world, but I don't give up on Gurianov. He's one of the only guys in this team to skate faster than a drunk snail. Put with the right guys, he could really bring the spark that lacks to the offense.

I wouldn't do any move prior to the trade deadline.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

I may be living in some unicorn world, but I don't give up on Gurianov. He's one of the only guys in this team to skate faster than a drunk snail. Put with the right guys, he could really bring the spark that lacks to the offense.

For me, it's sort of like this. Gurianov may well be a "bust" down the road. How the hell should I know? He's fast now and actually plays defense and actually is a threat to score, though, so I like him.

But there's no point in acquiring another over-the-hill salary for us to pay in his place. We can't build a team that way. If our young players don't work out, then our team won't work out.

The only way this works at all is if some young players work out.

[wonko80]

Hall does have way more assists. He might mesh well with Gurianov. We should then trade for Gurianov and try to give them Benn in return.

Yeah well he does play on a top line though.

I think he plays on the top line because he is better.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

Hall does have way more assists. He might mesh well with Gurianov. We should then trade for Gurianov and try to give them Benn in return.

Yeah well he does play on a top line though.

I think he plays on the top line because he is better.

His numbers are clearly inflated because he gets to play on the first power play unit with....uh.... all those great New Jersey players.

[Troy McClure]

I may be living in some unicorn world, but I don't give up on Gurianov. He's one of the only guys in this team to skate faster than a drunk snail. Put with the right guys, he could really bring the spark that lacks to the offense.

I wouldn't do any move prior to the trade deadline.

I'm not in favor of trading Gurianov for much of anything right now. Mostly it's because I don't think he has all that much trade value. GMs aren't exactly eager to acquire guys who burned up most of their ELC floundering in the AHL. Gurianov is more useful on the team now as a cheap winger who get the occasional goal that would be the modest draft pick he'd land in return. It's also not like there are better players in the organization who should be playing in his place.

It'll be interesting to see what kind of deal he gets this summer.