L-GDT - WTF B2B? Edition: Canucks vs Preds - 19:00 PST on SN

[Carl Yagro]

They played OK hockey and hung around the wildcard, never challenging to move up the standings in the Pacific. Why?

BECAUSE Quinn Hughes was still in the lineup.

Fuck sakes. We need 2 top-6 centers. But we can live without one but not the other. Do you people listen to yourselves?

We NEED a better and healthier defensive corps, with actual NHL caliber Dmen. You know, like we had last season? Those capable of defending heavy minutes consistently without faltering. Those capable of moving the puck up to forwards consistently and joining the play. Those playing the minutes and roles they are suppose to. Yeah those types.

Someone's game faltered right after signing his contract. His weak mental fortitude isn't the result of another player, someone who he has played with for years. It's because his pysche can't handle the cheques his ego is trying to cash. He thought he was with the league's upper echelon after one season but can't handle the pressures of what the new status demands... impactful play at an even higher level.

You wanted to be The Man, wanted to be paid like The Man. Now the GM is finally saying, then start acting like The Man.

[donlever]

Someone's game faltered right after signing his contract. His weak mental fortitude isn't the result of another player, someone who he has played with for years. It's because his pysche can't handle the cheques his ego is trying to cash. He thought he was with the league's upper echelon after one season but can't handle the pressures of what the new status demands... impactful play at an even higher level.

You wanted to be The Man, wanted to be paid like The Man. Now the GM is finally saying, then start acting like The Man.

Yeah...this is, in basic terms, what I believe to be the case as well.

[5thhorseman]

Someone's game faltered right after signing his contract.

Didn't it falter after the All-star break, well before the signing?

Maybe he couldn't handle the pressure even in anticipation of the $$$ he knew he'd force management to pay. Which would be even worse.

[Carl Yagro]

Didn't it falter after the All-star break, well before the signing?

Maybe he couldn't handle the pressure even in anticipation of the $$$ he knew he'd force management to pay. Which would be even worse.

It did dip below the gold standard of PPG for the month of February, slightly. Just after the ASG.

New contract signed beginning of March. The points continued to drop, but for me it was the sheer drop off in overall play that continued until the end of the playoffs. Something was visibly different and very concerning.

Who knows if it was his ongoing "injuries" that apparently started in January or one Other Guy being too tough on him. Somehow, everybody else including teammates, coaches and management just stood around hands-off and let this one guy do this? Nobody in the organization knew about these nagging injuries until the summer? I don't buy it at all.

Yeah, maybe you're right about your hypothesis. We'll never know.

All I know is this team needs $$$ to shore up depth in the backend now. It needs to prepare for OEL dead cap. It's not unrealistic to expect the highest paid to take it to new levels to mask obvious roster deficiencies in the meantime. Management is now saying this, not just some of the 18 people on this GDHTMB.

[Cousin Strawberry]

Maybe he hates JTM and won't go to war for someone who calls him a baby in front of everyone. Who knows why but, when he's on he's like a Barkov/Datsyuk/Gretzky type of dirty filthy dangler

The kind of dirty filthy dangler than can lead a team to the promised land/win a championship

I like JT but given the shiticane his actions have created coupled with how absolutely rubbish his game has become this year....somethings got to give.

Alvin demanding Pettersson man up in the media while staying dark on JT is the kind of pattern we look for when trying to suss out a red herring.

JT is the one on his way east

[Carl Yagro]

Did an alien tell you this? When did you see this dirty dangler and say to yourself... he's going to take us to the promised land? When did you ever? During last year's playoffs? Can you filthy dangle from your knees? Can you dangle when the other teams start trying to murder you as they fight to make the postseason?

Only guy whose game has not gone backwards but actually has been taken to a new level... the Captain. Everyone else has disappointed. Allvin was not wrong in his interview. However, he didn't mention that management needs to take a huge amount of the blame and some also fall on the coaches.

[Cousin Strawberry]

The Alien is 5 years younger and JTs game will taper off due to he's turning 32 soon.

If one has to go it'll be the older/declining asset 99/100

The public criticism of one not the other is also an indicator

[Topper]

His play faltered long before signing his deal. The NY road trip padded his stats.

The prior off season I had a thread that he was over rated and that unless he could learn to drive the play his longevity as a PP specialist and half board decoy was limited as teams figured out they only need a physical third/fourth line to counter him.

Nearly all young phenoms go through it. I recall Gretz, Sid, Sedin, Conner all facing hard physical checking early in their careers and it was effective against them. They found a way to counter it.

I get back to wondering what his fitness level was coming into camp. CoHog was #1, Miller was #2, where was Scooter?

Where are the Sedins on this? It is reminiscent of the Clark Gillis failed attempts with Bertuzzi.

[Cousin Strawberry]

A lack of commitment to fitness theory makes alot more sense than any of the other possibilities. It also would explain why it seems he's lost his burst and strength

[donlever]

....when he's on he's like a Barkov/Datsyuk/Gretzky type of dirty filthy dangler

The kind of dirty filthy dangler than can lead a team to the promised land/win a championship

Cuz.

Love ya bro.

But c'mon man.

You keep doing this.

Comparing him to Gretzky, a H of F'er and the best two way centre in the current game is really tough to take seriously.

He is not any of those guys and never will be.

[donlever]

A lack of commitment to fitness theory.....

Considering the circumstances in their entirety if this is the case it is not only fucking lame but does not speak towards much hope....

I hope this is not the case.

A lack of commitment?

(...in any regard...)

For a guy who "demanded" 11.6?!

Fuck that.

[Carl Yagro]

How he can skip leg days with the Sedins in the org is beyond me.

I’m actually questioning what those two actually do.

Cuz seems to be tag-team trolling with Dude…

[donlever]

How he can skip leg days with the Sedins in the org is beyond me.

I’m actually questioning what those two actually do.

Topper started a thread on exactly that during your most recent hiatus.

[Cousin Strawberry]

There's some 'tongue in cheek' to my comments but he has had an impressive start to his career with prolonged periods of absolute elite level play INCLUDING an early playoff run where he was playing some seriously dynamic hockey.

All this while ensuring maybe 1/3 of his career playing well below his gold standard.

He is an elite talent. This isn't even debatable unless you are only using the past 10 months to judge the entire body of his work

[Cousin Strawberry]

And before y'all attack his bubble play....every other player also was experiencing the same apparent benefit of playing in empty rinks.

He was a key to whooping the living shit outta the defending champs and a big tough wild squad that targeted him and Hughes for destruction. Not to mention pushing the power house Gnights to the brink