TrueBlueGED

So you think O'Reilly undergoing a fundamental personal transformation over just a couple months that changes how he affects his teammates is more likely than he just is the same guy with better teammates? I guess it's possible, but I don't see how that would be the default. After all, people on this very forum were crowing about how poorly the Blues started as some kind of evidence the O'Reilly cloud was a real phenomenon. Whoops.

I doubt it. For example, Jack Johnson has been on some really good teams, yet his individual numbers were still really bad

I love how "playing against top players" is simultaneously being used as an excuse for Risto's bad numbers and a reason he's a top-pair Dman we simply have to keep. If Risto really was a #2, playing against top competition wouldn't cause his numbers to be trash--he'd be able to handle those minutes. And his ice time was down 2 minutes per game this season. And? Numbers still trash. Look, I defended Risto for a long time with some of these same arguments. But at some point it's just time to accept he is who he is: he'll get you some points, especially on the PP, but he's allergic to the puck at even strength and blows more defensive assignments than Eichel.

Ryan O'Reilly's cloud of negativity is so strong that it now causes teams playing the Blues to not show up. Nobody is safe.

You're a beautiful person, SDS.

Yup. Don't forget in the Cup that year, Roloson got hurt. So the good fortune didn't end with the conference final. Yes, that's luck.

This makes a lot of sense to me. With the big names off the board, there's no reason to rush this. Be thorough, talk to a lot of candidates from varying backgrounds, and find the best fit that way.

Think of it as an opportunity to revolutionize Thanksgiving meals. Don't force the meal between games--embrace the chaos and weave it in.

FWIW, my sister has some loose connections with the family of Eichel's significant other (insert joke about 3rd cousin's uncle's cab driver here), and has always heard that Eichel legitimately loves kids and working with then.

It's hard to irrationally predict records without a schedule!

It also doesn't hurt that Bobrovsky went from below average in the regular season to a stud against Tampa. Which is at least a little ironic, as his career history is mostly the opposite of that.

I think Tampa doing it in an era with a hard cap at least partially offsets the shootout effect in terms of impressiveness.

Nope. Just like weather isn't climate, +/- isn't what I'm talking about with goals. Edit: what I'm trying to say is the problem with +/- was never the concept of what it was trying to do, but with the measure itself.

Why is it any different than a forward? The objective is to generate more goals than you allow. As long as a player is a positive contribution to that objective, who cares?

Somebody should tell Doughty the Norris is for the best defenseman, not the best defensive player.

Reported for offensive content.

I just read Tampa is the first team in NHL history to win the Presidents Trophy and get swept in the first round. Saying again, if Stamkos had a different nationality he'd be getting butchered by the talking heads.

????

I'm beyond stunned that Tampa got swept. Hockey is flukey enough where a loss was always possible. But a sweep? Holy smokes. Congrats to Columbus. I still hate Torts, but it's cool to see them rewarded for going all-in. Now let's hope Tampa overreacts and overpays for Risto.

They're not possibly gong to can him, are they? I'd love it though.

Girgensons, Bogosian, and a 5th. More seriously, you should have posted this in my #7 trade thread ?

Might have to try...somebody...new! The horror!!! (half serious half troll)

Yea, that's obviously not happening. But I do think there's an outside chance they overreact and do something kinda dumb. I don't think Yzerman would, but he's gone, and we have no idea what Brisebois is capable of.

Watch it, you're inching closer to Skinner and Bogo territory for me.

Don't you dare rain on my parade.