2021 NHL regular season thread

Some of us have mental trauma from Kyle Turris and Matt Duchene. And that doesn’t get into the fact that Poile has put off a needed rebuild yet another year when the best case scenario is getting blowtorched off the ice in round 1 by Tampa, Carolina or Florida. He’s never going to win a cup, but he’s going to wreck the ship chasing that white whale.

 

Gudbranson is terrible, but he’s on an expiring contract. He’s nothing more than a warm body, the old adage being that you need at least 8D for a deep run.

The “prospect” is a fringe AHLer. He’s going back to help Poile manage the 50 contracts.

I do think Gudbranson level players have been available on waivers.

 

Honestly, the Wings have been so terrible the last three years and I have been outside of Fox Bally Sports North land, so it has been easy to ignore them. Even without any analysis, it seems like they traded one NHL player for two NHL players and two significant draft picks (though they won't be high ones since the Caps are good). That on its face seems good, regardless of what one thinks of Mantha's effort level.

 

I was a little surprised by the trade, but it makes some sense. For all off the talent Vrana possesses, he's bad defensively and has disappeared in the last two playoff series. I mean, he was a complete zero in both series. I don't know much about Mantha because I don't watch the Red Wings, but if he thinks he's going to be a lazy glob and play for Laviolette, he's mistaken.

 

Getzlaf told GM Bob Murray he would agree to a deal if it would significantly help the Ducks improve. Then came speculation that if he left, he might re-sign next season as a free agent or retire. Apparently won't happen. The official trade deadline has passed, but the real one hasn't.

 

He’ll have one game where he skates like the wind and creates all kind of chances, then three where he doesn’t move his feet and tries to use his reach to play defense
But he’s talented as hell

 

Which is the real one?

 

The one where trades are announced 2-3 hours after the deadline. You know this. Why clutter up the thread?

 

McClellan said the Caps have had interest in Mantha for awhile. I think Vrana can be very good, still. But he's been maddening to watch night in and night out because he rarely plays up to his talent level.

 

Yzerman said Vrana replaces Mantha in the top six
Panik was needed to make the salaries match
He’ll be there if the Kraken want him
Wings have two 1s, three 2s, two 3s, two 4s and two 5s