23-24 Non-Blues thread.

[theohall]

So much for Boston having to adjust to life without Bergeron and Krejci. In spite of the Bruins lack of center prospects in their system, they are 4-0 under Montgomery to start this season - again.

WTH is going on in Edmonton? At least the Blues have an excuse of implementing a new system. The Oilers supposedly added some depth to their forward group, but have already resorted to putting McJesus and Draisaitl together again - although it appears McJesus got hurt last night.

Detroit and Philly are off to very surprising starts in a positive way. Buffalo, not so much, largely due to them starting a rookie goalie almost every night. DeBrincat is going to break the 50 goal mark this season. He's got a legitimate shot at 60 given he's playing with Raymond and Larkin while also being on the 1st PP unit which is currently producing at a more ludicrous pace than Edmonton did at the start of last season... over 50%.

Seattle has the same issue the Blues had last season. Their shooting percentage was way too high for a season and it had to come back down at some point. It's come down hard like happened with the Blues last year. The Kraken have gone from shooting 11.6% to 6.1%. That should go up some, but that's a tough start.

While the Blues don't have Vegas speed, the systems are similar. Deny the slot and counter attack. It got Vegas a Cup. Vegas defense is also considerably better so they can afford to take some offensive chances the Blues currently shouldn't. 6-0 with the Flyers and Blackhawks this week, followed by LA, Montreal and Winnipeg. They could be 11-0 to start, but will likely be 10-1. The Kings game will be their first serious challenge.

Toronto still has the same problem they've add from the get-go since drafting Matthews. Their defensive depth and play is just bad. Giving up 3+ goals per game usually doesn't lead to a .500 record, but their offense overcomes the defensive flaws. What happens when it doesn't? They lose. Which is what will happen in the playoffs again. Maybe not in the 1st round, but it will likely happen in the 2nd again. They just don't get how important it is to have a solid defensive structure in the playoffs and need to figure that out in the regular season, or it won't be there when it's needed.

[glen a richter]

Looks like the Sharks are the answer to any teams offensive woes. That’s the second 10 spot they’ve given up already.

[flyingnote38]

are the sharks this bad? they're on an 8 pt pace

[theohall]

Yes, the Sharks are that bad. Other questions... Are the Oilers as bad as their record? Are these Canucks for real? Who finishes higher in the Pacific - Edmonton or Arizona? Can anyone in the West match Vegas?

[theohall]

So heard an interesting hot take yesterday on NHL Radio:

Will Brind'amour still be coaching the Hurricanes next season? The reasoning for the question:
1) He's in the final year of his contract
2) Almost all coaches with his level of success have already been extended
3) Tom Dunden, the Hurricanes owner, apparently hates spending money, even though he owns an NHL team.
4) It doesn't appear like any negotiations have happened at all, and if they did, they were very quiet and didn't go anywhere.

So... were Brind'amour not to re-sign as HC for the Hurricanes, he would be a highly sought after coach this off-season. If the Blues don't figure their crap out and play more consistently under Berbue's tutelage, maybe it's time for a new voice. Brind'amour would be an outstanding new voice.

[glen a richter]

Isles fired Lambert and immediately hired Patrick Roy. Gotta say I a) didn’t see this coming and b) would have been very ok with the Blues hiring Roy. Great move by the fish sticks.

[theohall]

Tortorella being suspended two games after getting thrown out of the Flyers-Lightning game has a twist. His 2004 Stanley Cup team was honored before the game being it's the 20th anniversary for them. Classic Torts!

[theohall]

We complain about the Blues depths lack of speed... watch the Washington Capitals. That entire team, from first line to last, is insanely slow.

[glen a richter]

Apparently the Coyotes might possibly be moving at some point to Utah. I guess re-location is better than expansion but really… Utah? Just because you want a team doesn’t mean you should have a team. Quebec first, Kansas City second. Let’s try avoiding ridiculous locations like Salt Lake City, eh?

[theohall]

Apparently whomever the Salt Lake City guy is super rich and will build a privately financed arena. Quebec can't beat that... too many people want a piece of the pie. Not so sure on Kansas City. City owned arena again in KC, which means the team pays a lease. Salt Lake City wouldn't have a lease since the owner would own the building and the team.