NHL: 2017-2018 Season

[JohnBM01]

Welcome to the 2017-2018 season thread of the National Hockey League (NHL)! The great game of hockey is ready to start yet another season after celebrating 100 years of the NHL last season. Pittsburgh is still the team to beat, having hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup for two successive seasons. Will Pittsburgh reach Dynasty status this season with a third-straight championship triumph? Or will one of 29... uh, I mean... 30 teams challenge Pittsburgh for the title? Yes, we got a new team ready to begin their NHL adventures- the Vegas Golden Knights. Could Nashville maybe return to the Stanley Cup Finals? Teams may also be opening new arenas. One of those teams is the Detroit Red Wings opening Little Caesars Arena apart from their glorious times at The Joe Louis Arena (or simply "The Joe").

So many questions, so few answers, and so many stories. Though, we will answer those questions in time. I am still personally a fan of the NHL though I am not in any way a pro or vastly educated about hockey. Something works to me for the NHL that I don't usually get to do with the NFL, NBA, or Major League Baseball. Either way, I am pleased to continually offer these hockey discussions. I encourage you NHL fans to also share your thoughts and opinions as well. For more on the NHL, visit: https://www.nhl.com


Welcome to the new season of NHL hockey! The regular season begins around October 4, 2017. Today marks the releasing of the NHL schedule for this upcoming season.

 

[JohnBM01]

HEADS UP!

If you have NBC Sports Network, the NHL Draft is being televised right now from Chicago. Welcome to the NHL for those who got drafted!

 

[AnthonyD1993]

I'm going to be realistic and say that the Red Wings will miss the playoffs this year. They probably will need a couple years to rebuild and hopefully can get rid of some of the abysmal contracts that Ken Holland assigned in that span. As for the draft, I'll just copy and paste my thoughts on their first pick this year in bold:

Not sure how to feel about the Red Wings drafting Michael Rasmussen. He could become a beast C in time but my god they need D badly....


Now, from what it sounds like, he was the best available player at the time they drafted. He also has size (you can't teach 6'6") and 215 is decent at that size for a Center. He also had 55 points in 50 games and easily a force to be reckoned with if he is given a couple years to develop. But the Achilles Heel of this team has been Defense (or more specifically the lack thereof) and having guys like Jonathan Ericsson play skating pylon doesn't help. But it at least shows that the team is looking towards long term success rather than trying the win-now garbage that will cause us to repeat the cycle in 5-10 years. But then again, this Ken Holland, and it could easily become a train wreck since he hasn't done all that well in the Salary Cap era.

 

[prousonhairy]

I think the Blues did pretty well, extremely happy getting Schenn from Philly for Lehtera. That's a big time upgrade for what amounts to about 400k extra a year. I don't really know what the Flyers were thinking.

I liked Ryan Reaves a lot, he's a pretty great fighter but can score occasionally, but if the Pens wanted to give a first round pick(well very end of the first round) for him, that's a no brainer as well.

 

[Valkyr1313]

I'm still trying to figure out the Ryan Reaves deal tbh. It makes me laugh that another team actually wanted him


Also, still no big Wild moves which is boring af

Finally, the jerseys for Vegas are sweet! I want to get an Erik Haula one at some point

 

[Northstar]

Sabers Gets:
Marco Scandella
Jason Pominville (@PinkKitty13, your wish has come true!)
Wild 4th round pick in '18

Wild get:
Tyler Ennis (who apparently grew up across the street from Jared Spurgeon)
Marcus Foligno
Sabres 3rd round pick in '18
Hopefully enough cap space to re-sign Granlund and Niederreiter

 

[Valkyr1313]

I like what the Wild have done so far in trades and free agency 👍

 

[JohnBM01]

There won't be any real NHL action until about September. So if you're looking for some cold hockey to beat the Summer heat, be sure to look up some old videos of NHL action. I even saw a little old school hockey on NHL Network with the 1979 Stanley Cup Playoffs. You can probably see some videos of Original Six hockey (CHI, DET, TOR, MON, BOS, and NYR). Just keep yourself psyched for when the real games begin.

Speaking of which, I think there are supposed to be some Preseason games to be played in China. We also will get to see the Vegas Golden Knights try to build some chemistry and make the most of their inaugural season. I still think there needs to be an NHL team in Seattle. That's even if some team relocates to Seattle. But anyhow, best of luck to the boys in Las Vegas.

 

[JohnBM01]

I wish Mike Fisher all the best in his retirement. He's hanging it up after 17 seasons in the NHL. He even led "Smashville" to their first ever Stanley Cup Finals series. Though they would be defeated in six games by Pittsburgh, the ex captain of the Nashville Predators still has a great career to look back on.

Not too much NHL news, so I'll just share one other tidbit in this post. Mikael Granlund signed a deal of somewhere around $12M USD for three years to play for the Minnesota Wild. The Wild won a lot of games this past season but unfortunately didn't get out of the first round of the 2016-2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.


It won't be too long until at least the NHL Preseason games get underway.

 

[JohnBM01]

Shane Doan played 21 seasons with the Arizona Coyotes. Now, he's hanging it up. I wish Shane Doan all the best in his retirement.

With September coming up, it probably won't be too long until we start mentioning even NHL Preseason action. So get ready, hockey fans!

 

[JohnBM01]

Hello, hockey fans! If you're wondering when the first game will be played for the 2017 NHL season, there is a Preseason game to be played on September 16 in Beijing, China as the Vancouver Canucks will play at the Los Angeles Kings. This is part of the NHL China Games. So next Saturday will be the first helping of NHL teams warming up the ice. And who knows? Maybe one of these two teams could be playing for the Stanley Cup as the Western Conference representative this upcoming season. The St. Louis Blues will take on the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins in Hockeyville... or should I say, Cranberry, Pennsylvania, USA on September 24. There is a Hockeyville Canada winner? Well, that's what I read as when the Ottawa Senators will take on the New Jersey Devils on September 25 in O'Leary, PEI. Some time in October will be the start of the regular NHL season.

So get ready- hockey time is not too far away.

 

[JohnBM01]

After Hurricane Irma's devastation, I tried to look up some news on how Tampa Bay and Florida are doing in recovery. I don't think I read anything stating significant damage or anything. All I have seen, though, is that the Lightning and the Panthers have worked together along with the NHL and the NHLPA to raise funds to help people and families in need after Hurricane Irma's aftermath.

Don't forget the first of the Preseason games is this weekend in China. It will be time to drop the puck on the 2017-2018 NHL Preseason. You ready?

 

[JohnBM01]

The 2017-2018 NHL Preseason began last night as the Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings played in Beijing, China over the weekend. It was Vancouver who won 4-3.

Today has two games. Most notably, today is the debut of the NHL's newest team- the Vegas Golden Knights. The Philadelphia Flyers will play at the New York Islanders. The aforementioned Vegas Golden Knights will be at the Vancouver Canucks.


Again- this is all preseason. Yet still, enjoy some hockey!

 

[Sanji Himura]

I was just checking to see if this thread existed.

Anyways, in Big D:

Vernon Fiddler retired from the NHL after 15 seasons. He played the bulk of his career in Dallas (5 seasons), Nashville, Arizona and New Jersey. He and his family will remain in Dallas.

That was the news, here is my opinion in this young season. With the acquisition of Ben Bishop, I have serious doubts that Kari will remain the number one netminder here in Dallas for very much longer, and to be honest, that is a very good conversation to have. With Bishop (39GP, 18-15-0, .910 SV%, and 2.54 GAA) to compete with Kari (59GP, 22-25-0, .902 SV%, and 2.85 GGA) for the number one job on paper, it seems like a mismatch with the exception that Kari played more games than Bishop last season, but has a worse record.

While I don't think that Kari will be traded midseason, I do believe that "having two number ones" will bite them in the *** this year if both the numbers hold up and Kari is traded mid season for a real number two netminder.

 

[JockeP22]

The biggest thing for me in the NHL right now is whether or not Jaromir Jagr will get a contract somewhere. It's been up in the air all summer with rumors that he might go to Calgary or a couple other teams. Or that he will just retire if nothing opens up.

It's very late by now to sign a contract after training camp's been and gone and the preseason already under way. But you never know. He wasn't that bad last season in my opinion, sure he's a lot slower and he had a dry spell for a while. But when the season was over he had 46 points with a +2, that is pretty good in all honesty, especially for his age.
Similar to Mark Messier's final season.

46 points was enough for Jagr to end up fourth among the Panthers, 8 points behind the leader. And he didn't miss a single game.

I suspect he might play for a year back home in the Czech league if the NHL GM's don't offer him anything.

I hope he bags one final contract though somewhere in the show. It would be fun to get to see him on a farewell tour. His stats are insane and I've been following his career since the 90s as a kid. He has earned a good retirement but here's hoping for one more year.

 

[JohnBM01]

A bunch of musings coming up...

* It's going to be tough for Dallas considering how stacked the Central Division is. At best, Dallas may be competing for one of the Wild Card spots in the Western Conference if they are to be a playoff contender.

* As for Jaromir Jagr, I do hope someone cuts a deal for him. It's a cool story for a guy like him to still play top level even at an advanced age. I think he will get deal going. I hope so, anyways.

* One recent Preseason score I saw was that the Minnesota Wild won 3-2 at the Winnipeg Jets. The Wild can very well be Stanley Cup champions, but I just wonder when and how they can finally emerge. Maybe the Wild can be where the Nashville Predators were last season.


I still can't wait to see these teams hit the ice proper for when the regular season starts. I guess what I'm most curious about this season is how the Vegas Golden Knights will mature and adapt in their first NHL season. Everybody will still be trying to chase down the Pittsburgh Penguins and take Lord Stanley's Cup away from them. Or... could the Penguins be the next best NHL dynasty by three-peating? It is going to be a long road ahead.

 

[JohnBM01]

Sad news to report when I looked at my Twitter news feed earlier this morning. Dave Strader, Dallas Stars broadcaster, has died at the age of 62 from cancer. He fought off cancer well last season or so. But now, cancer won over Dave Strader. So my condolences go out in loving memory of Dave Strader and all whom have known and loved him.


On a much lighter note, I believe the regular season NHL fun begins this Wednesday. And next Wednesday... we drop the puck on the first Wednesday Night Rivalry of the season when Pittsburgh meets the Washington. So get ready for the new season to start soon!

 

[Sanji Himura]

May he rest in peace. I'll put his photo as my avatar during the season this year and every hockey season after that.

 

[Sanji Himura]

Sorry for the double post, but Jagr has finally found a home. He will be in Calgary for one year in a new contract worth $1 million with an additional million in performance bonuses.

 

[JohnBM01]

Are you ready? The NHL's 2017-2018 season begins TONIGHT! We got four games to start a new quest for the Stanley Cup. Your Hump Day need not be boring. Here are tonight's games:

* Toronto at Winnipeg
* St. Louis at Pittsburgh
* Calgary at Edmonton
* Philadelphia at San José

Sounds good to you? Well get ready to enjoy a new season of NHL hockey!


Good luck to all of your favorite teams.

 

[JohnBM01]

About last night...

Well, here are the scores from last night's games:

* Toronto Maple Leafs at Winnipeg Jets (7-2; Toronto Maple Leafs)
* St. Louis Blues at Pittsburgh Penguins (5-4, OT; St. Louis Blues)
* Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers (3-0; Edmonton Oilers)
* Philadelphia Flyers at San José Sharks (5-3; Philadelphia Flyers)

That was LAST night, though. Tonight...

* Nashville at Boston (can be seen on Yahoo! Sports)
* Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres
* Colorado Avalanche at New York Rangers
* Minnesota Wild at Detroit Red Wings (showing on NBCSN)
* Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators
* Pittsburgh Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks
* Philadelphia Flyers at Los Angeles Kings
* Arizona Coyotes at Anaheim Ducks

So we got an eight-game Thursday night of NHL hockey tonight. I'll try to check out the MIN at DET game tonight.


Oh, by the way... I salute the NHL on NBC and "Doc" Emrick on a great tribute to the late Dave Strader. It was a very touching remembrance of an amazing broadcaster. If you saw the tribute during the first intermission of last night's STL at PIT game, it was a wonderful tribute to a fine individual.

 

[JohnBM01]

That Little Caesars Arena is one mighty fine place, Detroit! Wild at Red Wings coming up in mere moments as of this post. Is there a doctor in the house? Not just any doctor- Mike "Doc" Emrick on the call! This should be pretty fun in this kind of GTPlanet inner-forum rivalry.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

Easily could have been 4-4 or even 5-4 Wild if not for two goaltender interference calls against them. To be fair, I didn't see it on the first waved off goal, but it was far more noticeable on the second one. I thought the goal would stand though since there was contact prior to the interference. Wild didn't convert on a 5 on 3 and the Wings took advantage of that since Mantha and Larkin scored the first two official goals at the Pizza dome. The Wild tied it up in the 3rd (the worst period for the Wings in the past 2 seasons), and the Wings answered the call by scoring two of their own (from Z and Frk) to win the game 4-2. An interesting thing to note is that Mike Green was creditied with assisting on all four Red Wings goals.

Side note, I'm trying to lobby my parents into getting the family together so we can go to Little Caesars Arena and go to a hockey game again. It has been several years since we went to a hockey game with the entire family together.

 

[JohnBM01]

I hope you and your family do go get to enjoy the action at the new arena, AnthonyD1993.

Meanwhile... tonight is the regular season debut of the Vegas Golden Knights. They will be playing at Sanji Himura's Dallas Stars tonight. I'm sure Vegas will be playing with heavy hearts after the shooting madness this past weekend in Las Vegas. I do want to see the new arena on TV for when the Vegas Golden Knights play their first home game. Good luck to the Golden Knights in their maiden season. Likewise, I'm sure it will be a tough time for the Dallas Stars with the recent passing of NHL broadcaster Dave Strader. It will still be an interesting game.


Enjoy this first weekend of NHL regular season action!

 

[Sanji Himura]

I hope you and your family do go get to enjoy the action at the new arena, AnthonyD1993.

Meanwhile... tonight is the regular season debut of the Vegas Golden Knights. They will be playing at Sanji Himura's Dallas Stars tonight. I'm sure Vegas will be playing with heavy hearts after the shooting madness this past weekend in Las Vegas. I do want to see the new arena on TV for when the Vegas Golden Knights play their first home game. Good luck to the Golden Knights in their maiden season. Likewise, I'm sure it will be a tough time for the Dallas Stars with the recent passing of NHL broadcaster Dave Strader. It will still be an interesting game.


Enjoy this first weekend of NHL regular season action!

And already Antoine Roussel amassed 6 PIM in the first period. A tripping call, a Goaltender Interference, and an Illegal substitution.

 

[JohnBM01]

It was 2-1 last night in Dallas as the Vegas Golden Knights won their first game in team history. Tonight will be their second game as the back end of this back-to-back when they are at the Arizona Coyotes. I found this article explaining more about their game on Yahoo! Sports: https://sports.yahoo.com/5-first-impressions-vegas-golden-knights-044815275.html . By the way... the Dallas Stars are at the St. Louis Blues tonight. I guess I will use "VGK" as my code when discussing Vegas games.

I noted tonight is the Nashville Predators at the Pittsburgh Penguins- a rematch of last season's Stanley Cup Finals. Both teams looking for their first win of the season.


So, uh... yeah. Plenty of hockey tonight. In fact, a total of 15 games including the game that was completed earlier today- New Jersey winning at home 4-1 over the Colorado Avalanche. Go enjoy some hockey today/tonight.

 

[JohnBM01]

Heads up! If you got NBCSN, we got an Original Six match on now! It's the Chicago Blackhawks at the Montreal Canadiens. So check that out if you're looking for a game tonight. And Montreal just scored to make it 1-0 with 18:34 left in the 1st Period as of this post.

 

[JohnBM01]

We're a week into the 2017-2018 NHL season. How you liking this season so far?

Wednesday. Night. Rivalry. IT'S BACK! The NHL is back in business and so is Wednesday Night Rivalry. Because your Wednesday night doesn't have to be boring, here are some games to get you pumped. Tonight's schedule:

* NJ Devils at TOR Maple Leafs
* PIT Penguins at WAS Capitals (NBCSN Wednesday Night Rivalry)
* BOS Bruins at COL Avalanche
* NYI Islanders at ANA Ducks
* CGY Flames at LA Kings


Last night, the Vegas Golden Knights had a great opening ceremony paying tribute to the first responders of that Las Vegas Mass Shooting. It was a touching ceremony. The Golden Knights would play the Arizona Coyotes afterwards in their first-ever regular season home game. They scored four goals with about 7:30 left in the First Period. They would go on to win 5-2 at home over the Golden Knights. This was an inspired performance by VGK to have a solid start to the season. There were no sponsors on the walls. Instead, all you saw was "Vegas Strong." There was even the hashtag "#VegasStrong" to be used. This game was shown after the CHI at MON game last night.


Anyhow... go enjoy some hockey tonight, GTPlanet! 👍


[OMISSION] Tilman Fertita was officially announced as the owner of the NBA's Houston Rockets. The native Houstonian bought the Rockets for a whopping $2.2B USD. So what's the NHL connection? When asked if Houston would consider an NHL team, he noted that he would consider a Houston NHL team "if the money was right." Houston previously had an AHL team called the Houston Aeros, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild. Later, the Aeros would later become the Iowa Wild after a long time here in Houston. Personally, I would be okay if Houston had an NHL team and brought back the Houston Aeros name.

Maybe one of the reasons I like commenting here is that I don't have a team to cheer for and that I can kind of casually talk about any team here. Surely I'd watch if (the Houston team) played games. We would surely have the Houston/Dallas rivalry playing against the Dallas Stars.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

Wings lost last night but shockingly didn't look like they quit in the 3rd period. They still have to work on getting more shots on goal because getting out shot every game is a sure-fire way to lose.

That showing by Vegas was absolutely impressive. That was a fitting way to have a home opener given the tragedy the city fast just a few days ago.

 

[JohnBM01]

There are a couple of interesting games tonight. First, we got the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Montreal Canadiens. Canada's two Original Six playing against each other. There is also the game between Columbus at Minnesota. What is so special about the Blue Jackets at the Wild? Well remember New Year's Eve last year? Both had double-digit win streaks going. Unfortunately for our PinkKitty13 and Northstar, the Wild lost that game in St. Paul. So these two teams meet again. COL is currently 3rd in the Metropolitan Division, and MIN is 6th in the Central Division. Detroit currently leads the Atlantic Division.

14 games on tonight! Tough not to find a game you want to see if you're an NHL fan!