Sports Talk

[Forrest Gump]

Hard to do with being right up against the cap. The Neal for Lucic deal was a coup though. Neal has been great for us. Yamamoto (first round pick) has been decent coming up from the AHL and they have Tyler Benson percolating in the minors. However, in the mean time, they do need to add another forward, but may have to move a defenceman to do it. Don’t want to give up Nurse though. He’s got a mean streak and can skate. Hard to find those guys.

Can't see them giving up a defenseman as lack of defensive depth has been the knock on them , but yes they also lack offensive depth when the dynamic duo aren't scoring. Should be an interesting race down the stretch with the canucks and the two alberta teams.

[Forrest Gump]

https://www.tsn.ca/countdown-to-tradece ... -1.1432712

Also any idiot bashing Holtby of his performance in net during the all star game should stop watching hockey So many dumb things being posted, Like when did we ever judge a goalies perfomance before in a allstar game?

Good showing though by the canucks , oilers and flames players as they were key to the Pacifics victory.

[Weather101]

Good showing though by the canucks , oilers and flames players as they were key to the Pacifics victory.

Yeah was fun to sit back relax have some beers and watch, Back to the season Monday.

[Forrest Gump]

Chiarelli has ruined everything it's sad, Oilers have been bad for a long time they got Mcdavid it finally looked like they were going to turn the corner and they fell apart again. We will see what they do this year but it will be hard when they have no cap space to work with.

Sorry but no sadness from my end , they got enough cups from those powerhouse oiler teams from the 80's.

[Forrest Gump]

NHL farm system rankings.
https://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-farm-system-rankings/

7) Vancouver Canucks
Previous Ranking: 4

Top Five Prospects: Nils Hoglander, Olli Juolevi, Tyler Madden, Vasily Podkolzin, Jett Woo
Key Graduates/Subtractions: Thatcher Demko, Quinn Hughes
Key Additions: N/A
Despite the graduation of Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks have one of the best prospect pools in the league. Padded by a solid draft, the Canucks could very well be on the verge of something great. And it is going to be fun to watch.
Forward Vasili Podkolzin is creative, has a great shot, and can make plays as well He has one year left in Russia, but the prospect has elite talent in his game. He’ll run you over and score while doing it. Canucks fans should be very excited to see him.
Sticking with the forwards, one player I was excited about in the 2019 NHL Draft was Nils Hoglander. He plays a similar game to Podkolzin, despite his smaller size. He’s fast, gets in the face of opponents, and can produce. The future Canucks offence will be getting under the rest of the NHL’s skin. Another prospect to watch is centreman Tyler Madden who is having a great season. As are Kole Lind, Carson Focht, and Arvid Costmar.

For defence, with Quinn Hughes graduating, Jett Woo is one of my favourites on this team. He can dance along the blue line and play physically when he needs to. Oh, and he can put up the points. The Canucks are very deep on the backend, with Olli Juolevi, Toni Utunen, and Jack Rathbone also looking like NHL defenders. Plus, Brogan Rafferty has been having a coming-out party this season in the AHL.

In net, the club is set up very nicely. Michael DiPietro is one of the best goaltending prospects in the league. Even with the graduation of Thatcher Demko, the Canucks are set up nicely on all fronts.

10) Edmonton Oilers
Previous Ranking: 12

Top Five Prospects: Tyler Benson, Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg, Raphael Lavoie, Kailer Yamamoto
Key Graduates/Subtractions: Ethan Bear
Key Additions: N/A
The Edmonton Oilers made some big additions to their prospect pool over the last season and their existing group took steps forward. It’s been a dark time for the Oilers for a long time, but there looks to be light at the end of the tunnel.
Two defenders lead the system in Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg. The back-to-back first-round picks (2018 and 2019, respectfully) both look like they could be the future top-pairing defenders for the Oilers. They are both going to have very good NHL careers and you should be excited to watch them blossom.
A pair of forwards also help the prospect pool ranking, with Tyler Benson and Raphael Lavoie both providing offensive flair. Benson is creative and great puck handling, where Lavoie brings high-end skill and a great shot.
There are many other players to mention, from forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Kirill Maksimov to defenders Dmitri Samoruko and Caleb Jones. In net, I have high hopes for newly drafted Ilya Konovalov, and Olivier Rodrigue also has a lot of potential. The Oilers are getting deeper and shouldn’t be far away from coming back to respectability.

[Forrest Gump]

Milos Raonic, last canadian man standing(or woman) at the Australian open , into the quarters and playing very well , but can he beat Djokovic? Somehow I doubt it but this is probably the best he's looked in a long time. Unfortunately he seems to be the Sami Salo of tennis.

[Bonovox]

Can't see them giving up a defenseman as lack of defensive depth has been the knock on them , but yes they also lack offensive depth when the dynamic duo aren't scoring. Should be an interesting race down the stretch with the canucks and the two alberta teams.

The lack of defensive depth was true two seasons ago, but isn’t the case anymore. Klefblom is healthy again and play 26 minutes a night. Nurse has taken a huge step forward. Bear is having a great rookie season after spending a couple of years in the minors. Caleb Jones is knocking on the door. And you have Bouchard and Broberg developing in the minors. They’ll eventually have to move a quality dman to add up front. Either at the deadline or in the summer.

[Bonovox]

That's an understatement. Can't think of one good trade or acquisition by Chiarelli. If it wasn't for winning all those draft lotteries the oilers would be in deep doo doo, which never should have been allowed but that's another topic. It's almost a crime that they were able to get Gretzky 2.0

Chiarelli was horrible in many aspects, but the one good thing he did was build a solid amateur scouting department. They’ve found some gems in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. The defensive depth in the farm system reflects that.

[Weather101]

NHL farm system rankings.
https://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-farm-system-rankings/

7) Vancouver Canucks
Previous Ranking: 4

Top Five Prospects: Nils Hoglander, Olli Juolevi, Tyler Madden, Vasily Podkolzin, Jett Woo
Key Graduates/Subtractions: Thatcher Demko, Quinn Hughes
Key Additions: N/A
Despite the graduation of Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks have one of the best prospect pools in the league. Padded by a solid draft, the Canucks could very well be on the verge of something great. And it is going to be fun to watch.
Forward Vasili Podkolzin is creative, has a great shot, and can make plays as well He has one year left in Russia, but the prospect has elite talent in his game. He’ll run you over and score while doing it. Canucks fans should be very excited to see him.
Sticking with the forwards, one player I was excited about in the 2019 NHL Draft was Nils Hoglander. He plays a similar game to Podkolzin, despite his smaller size. He’s fast, gets in the face of opponents, and can produce. The future Canucks offence will be getting under the rest of the NHL’s skin. Another prospect to watch is centreman Tyler Madden who is having a great season. As are Kole Lind, Carson Focht, and Arvid Costmar.

For defence, with Quinn Hughes graduating, Jett Woo is one of my favourites on this team. He can dance along the blue line and play physically when he needs to. Oh, and he can put up the points. The Canucks are very deep on the backend, with Olli Juolevi, Toni Utunen, and Jack Rathbone also looking like NHL defenders. Plus, Brogan Rafferty has been having a coming-out party this season in the AHL.

In net, the club is set up very nicely. Michael DiPietro is one of the best goaltending prospects in the league. Even with the graduation of Thatcher Demko, the Canucks are set up nicely on all fronts.

10) Edmonton Oilers
Previous Ranking: 12

Top Five Prospects: Tyler Benson, Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg, Raphael Lavoie, Kailer Yamamoto
Key Graduates/Subtractions: Ethan Bear
Key Additions: N/A
The Edmonton Oilers made some big additions to their prospect pool over the last season and their existing group took steps forward. It’s been a dark time for the Oilers for a long time, but there looks to be light at the end of the tunnel.
Two defenders lead the system in Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg. The back-to-back first-round picks (2018 and 2019, respectfully) both look like they could be the future top-pairing defenders for the Oilers. They are both going to have very good NHL careers and you should be excited to watch them blossom.
A pair of forwards also help the prospect pool ranking, with Tyler Benson and Raphael Lavoie both providing offensive flair. Benson is creative and great puck handling, where Lavoie brings high-end skill and a great shot.
There are many other players to mention, from forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Kirill Maksimov to defenders Dmitri Samoruko and Caleb Jones. In net, I have high hopes for newly drafted Ilya Konovalov, and Olivier Rodrigue also has a lot of potential. The Oilers are getting deeper and shouldn’t be far away from coming back to respectability.

A lot of people will be surprised to see the kings number 1 because they won the cup in 2012 and 2014 and they only been bad for the past couple years only. But that shows you can draft good even when your still a elite team or a playoff team. Pretty crazy to think within 2 years they will be good again and doughty would only be 31 and kopitar toffoli Martinez will still be producing at a good level, insane.

1) Los Angeles Kings
Previous Ranking: 2

Top Five Prospects: Tobias Björnfot, Samuel Fagemo, Arthur Kaliyev, Rasmus Kupari, Alex Turcotte

Key Graduates/Subtractions: Blake Lizotte, Nikolai Prokhorkin, Matt Roy

Key Additions: N/A

If the Avalanche have the best defensive farm system, the Los Angeles Kings might just have the best forward group. And their defence core is looking pretty good too. They are coming off of a very bad season, but the Kings’ future is looking pretty good.

Alex Turcotte leads the pack, as a top-NHL prospect. He’s a very well-rounded, two-way centre with elite potential. He’s an excellent skater and can pile up the points. He may just be the perfect replacement for Anze Kopitar.

Related: Kings Prospects at the 2020 World Juniors

Behind Turcotte, the skill continues. Rasmus Kupari is a very skilled playmaker and like Turcotte, is an elite skater. He has great hockey sense and can be very creative with the puck. Turcotte and Kupari could be one of the best one-two punches in the NHL in a few years.

Arthur Kaliyev was one of the biggest surprises of the 2019 NHL Draft, in that he slid all the way down to the 33rd selection. He’s an elite offensive weapon, that many teams worried about due to his play away from the puck and work ethic. If he can get on the right track, he as the potential to be a star.

Alex Turcotte of the U.S. National Development Program
Alex Turcotte, Los Angeles Kings prospect (Rena Laverty/USHL)
The Kings have numerous other high-end forwards, from Carl Grundstrom (acquired from the Maple Leafs in the Jake Muzzin trade) to Akil Thomas, to Gabe Vilardi, to Aiden Dudas. This is a very exciting crop of forwards.

Defensively, the Kings still have some high-end talent. Tobias Bjornfot leads the pack, arguably right alongside Kale Clague. Bjornfot was the Kings’ second first-round selection in 2019. He’s a potential top-four defender with elite skating and great hockey sense.

Clague is a puck-moving defender with excellent skating as well. As you can see, the Kings are working towards a very fast team. Clague will fit in perfectly with that. Other defenders to watch are Mikey Anderson, Jordan Spence, Kim Nousiainen and Daniel Brickley.

In net, it looks like the California team has their Jonathan Quick replacement in Cal Peterson. He is a calm and collected netminder that could even challenge Quick this season. He’s not a prospect anymore though. Behind him, Lukas Parik and Jacob Ingham are both goaltenders to watch.

[Weather101]

The lack of defensive depth was true two seasons ago, but isn’t the case anymore. Klefblom is healthy again and play 26 minutes a night. Nurse has taken a huge step forward. Bear is having a great rookie season after spending a couple of years in the minors. Caleb Jones is knocking on the door. And you have Bouchard and Broberg developing in the minors. They’ll eventually have to move a quality dman to add up front. Either at the deadline or in the summer.

Always thought bear was good glad it's working out for him, like the way kassian plays so it's good you are resigning him. Goaltending is something that is shakey for you guys.

[Weather101]

Chiarelli was horrible in many aspects, but the one good thing he did was build a solid amateur scouting department. They’ve found some gems in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. The defensive depth in the farm system reflects that.

Very true but other then that he was complete trash

[Forrest Gump]

Chiarelli was horrible in many aspects, but the one good thing he did was build a solid amateur scouting department. They’ve found some gems in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. The defensive depth in the farm system reflects that.

That's the first I've heard about that , maybe they've been drafting better the last couple of years , and that bears out in those recent draft rankings that I posted.

[Forrest Gump]

A lot of people will be surprised to see the kings number 1 because they won the cup in 2012 and 2014 and they only been bad for the past couple years only. But that shows you can draft good even when your still a elite team or a playoff team. Pretty crazy to think within 2 years they will be good again and doughty would only be 31 and kopitar toffoli Martinez will still be producing at a good level, insane.

1) Los Angeles Kings
Previous Ranking: 2

Top Five Prospects: Tobias Björnfot, Samuel Fagemo, Arthur Kaliyev, Rasmus Kupari, Alex Turcotte

Key Graduates/Subtractions: Blake Lizotte, Nikolai Prokhorkin, Matt Roy

Key Additions: N/A

If the Avalanche have the best defensive farm system, the Los Angeles Kings might just have the best forward group. And their defence core is looking pretty good too. They are coming off of a very bad season, but the Kings’ future is looking pretty good.

Alex Turcotte leads the pack, as a top-NHL prospect. He’s a very well-rounded, two-way centre with elite potential. He’s an excellent skater and can pile up the points. He may just be the perfect replacement for Anze Kopitar.

Related: Kings Prospects at the 2020 World Juniors

Behind Turcotte, the skill continues. Rasmus Kupari is a very skilled playmaker and like Turcotte, is an elite skater. He has great hockey sense and can be very creative with the puck. Turcotte and Kupari could be one of the best one-two punches in the NHL in a few years.

Arthur Kaliyev was one of the biggest surprises of the 2019 NHL Draft, in that he slid all the way down to the 33rd selection. He’s an elite offensive weapon, that many teams worried about due to his play away from the puck and work ethic. If he can get on the right track, he as the potential to be a star.

Alex Turcotte of the U.S. National Development Program
Alex Turcotte, Los Angeles Kings prospect (Rena Laverty/USHL)
The Kings have numerous other high-end forwards, from Carl Grundstrom (acquired from the Maple Leafs in the Jake Muzzin trade) to Akil Thomas, to Gabe Vilardi, to Aiden Dudas. This is a very exciting crop of forwards.

Defensively, the Kings still have some high-end talent. Tobias Bjornfot leads the pack, arguably right alongside Kale Clague. Bjornfot was the Kings’ second first-round selection in 2019. He’s a potential top-four defender with elite skating and great hockey sense.

Clague is a puck-moving defender with excellent skating as well. As you can see, the Kings are working towards a very fast team. Clague will fit in perfectly with that. Other defenders to watch are Mikey Anderson, Jordan Spence, Kim Nousiainen and Daniel Brickley.

In net, it looks like the California team has their Jonathan Quick replacement in Cal Peterson. He is a calm and collected netminder that could even challenge Quick this season. He’s not a prospect anymore though. Behind him, Lukas Parik and Jacob Ingham are both goaltenders to watch.

Hmmm..all about dem kings?

[Weather101]

Kobe Bryant and his daugther died in a helicopter crash.. how sad.. Been a lakers fan since day 1 tough to see.

[Weather101]

Hmmm..all about dem kings?