AROUND THE LEAGUE - 25-26

[Meds]

Minny GM is a complete moron.

Why do you say this?

He's actually quite a competent GM.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPO_Anwi ... k1NmNyemc1

My use of was in response to the (re)appearance of the author, not his statement.

[UWSaint]

Demand affects ticket prices. Ticket prices (and sales) affect the cap. The cap affects salary increases.

Hockey econ aside, this is a pretty Wild deal.

There may be an interesting conversation here as to what the attendance structure will be like moving forward and where ticket demand ends up in the future (as well as what the cost of "in home" viewing will be including what it looks like as tech & AI continue to evolve).

For me, I can go to any game I like yet have not for years.

There is a roi discussion with respect to the merits of getting to and from the barn, as well as associated, ancillary costs therein, versus the at home experience available with respect to viewing sporting events (which, as suggested above, is ever evolving and improving...hell soon I will be able to get a BJ on my couch from a robot that looks like a 25 y/o Loni Anderson while watching Elias Petterson stumble around (j/k) on tv)...

There are literally multiple avenues this conversation could meander down.

I was going to engage in a meaningful reply until I looked up Loni at 25.....

Give me a minute.....

[donlever]

Minny GM is a complete moron.

Why do you say this?

He's actually quite a competent GM.

I to think Guerin has done a decent job in Minny as well. Not a dingbat. He seems to be the guy looked up to leading American hockey. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, Kaprizov is one of the best forwards in the game at the moment, a game changer.

Yeah I agree Dude.

He tiptoed his way through the Parise/Suter cap hell very skillfully.

....and I wonder how much of that is because they haven't made noise in the playoffs, and how much of that is the Russian thing.

And, as you infer, how much is a "who is this guy anyway" thing for not but the most interested or in tune fans.

Plus we aren't seeing Russians internationally anymore which doesn't help the recognition factor.

All Kapril has to do to earn his keep is put butts in the seats.

[donlever]

Minny GM is a complete moron.

Why do you say this?

He's actually quite a competent GM.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPO_Anwi ... k1NmNyemc1

My use of was in response to the (re)appearance of the author, not his statement.

I may not have gotten smarter while away but I did not get any dumber either.

I know.

Just adding to the conversation.

[donlever]

I was going to engage in a meaningful reply until I looked up Loni at 25.....

Give me a minute.....

[Meds]

Demand affects ticket prices. Ticket prices (and sales) affect the cap. The cap affects salary increases.

Hockey econ aside, this is a pretty Wild deal.

For me, I can go to any game I like yet have not for years.

There is a roi discussion with respect to the merits of getting to and from the barn, as well as associated, ancillary costs therein, versus the at home experience available with respect to viewing sporting events (which, as suggested above, is ever evolving and improving...hell soon I will be able to get a BJ on my couch from a robot that looks like a 25 y/o Loni Anderson while watching Elias Petterson stumble around (j/k) on tv)...

There are literally multiple avenues this conversation could meander down.

To clarify…

Were you (J/k)’ing about the robot, the bj, or watching EP stumble around?

[UWSaint]

All Kapril has to do to earn his keep is put butts in the seats.

On that score, Kaprizov is NOT undervalued or unknown to the Minnesota faithful, and its fanbase is hockey saavy. He is all my hockey friends in Minny talk about.

[donlever]

The most likely of the 3.

[donlever]

All Kapril has to do to earn his keep is put butts in the seats.

On that score, Kaprizov is NOT undervalued or unknown to the Minnesota faithful, and its fanbase is hockey saavy. He is all my hockey friends in Minny talk about.

100%...thus I would imagine only the most antiquated, rub 2 pennies together, old schoolers give 2 sweet fucks about the # 17 in his contract.

[Meds]

The most likely of the 3.

Hmmm….

The robot…..well it’s almost 2026, we have self driving cars and rampant virtual interactive sex on the internet.

The blowjob…..I think it’s highly UNlikely that Donny would shack up with some gash that would NOT provide that service.

EP stumbling…..jury is out, but we all know our mutual opinion regarding the player.

*Mëds ponders*….

Ergo the most likely of the 3 is a blowjob in the couch. However Lever would never flippantly (j/k) about such a thing.

So…..


Well, fuck.

[Meds]

He is a great player; I think we generally overlook him because (1) Minnesota and (2) for whatever reason good Russian players seem to be uniformly underrated. Not by a lot, but by a little. I think there's a perception that Kaprizov isn't the guy that puts his team on his shoulders and leads them to a cup, and I wonder how much of that is because they haven't made noise in the playoffs, and how much of that is the Russian thing.

Not sure which component reinforces the other when it comes to the overlooking good Russian players…

Is it that they get overlooked because they often do not lead teams in the playoffs the way their North American counterparts do? Or is it that they don’t lead the same way because they are overlooked.

There does tend to be more of a “get mine first” from Russian stars versus NA and EU players…..or perhaps that is just a misperception.

[donlever]

Akin to the Swede as a leader discussion.

Another potential solid topic for the board.

There have been high end Russian leaders/team pushers in the league obviously...

Larionov
Ovechkin
Fedorov

...to name but a few.

[Meds]

Almost as well…..but only in contract years.

The biggest knock on the majority of them has been inconsistency.

The trio you list, as well as Kucherov, Bure, and Datsyuk, are the only ones that immediately come to mind as those who were consistent.

[donlever]

Don't forget Tryamkin.



Yeah.

Zubov.

There's a good foundation for conversation here.

[Meds]

Don't forget Tryamkin.



Yeah.

Zubov.

There's a good foundation for conversation here.

I remember Zubov (and Gonchar iirc) being good defensemen, but I didn’t watch them enough to comment on them as leaders/pushers who put the team on their back in the playoffs.

Tryamkin though…..he was a stretch (see wot)