AROUND THE LEAGUE - 26-27

[donlever]

Yes.

[Meds]

I’m very surprised they got him for 6 years at this price. Granted, he’s only had the one big season, but that contract is a bargain as early as next season if he follows it up with another 40+ goals and hits a 1.0 PPG mark.

Annual salary cap increases aside, perspective changes when you consider that he’s only making $1.9M more than Pettersson…..Ducks fans should be thrilled with this.

[Megaterio Llamas]

6x13.5 for Cutter.

The little ball of hate got lucky.

Yeah, that's surprisingly digestible.

Yeah agreed...

...and then there is this....just who is leading and who is being led...

Screenshot_20260915-213704_Instagram.jpg

Hughes is doin' the time warp.

It's kind of shocking, what he's getting away with.

[Megaterio Llamas]

6x13.5 for Cutter.

The little ball of hate got lucky.

Yeah, that's surprisingly digestible.

Depressingly so. I was sadistically hoping for $16.5 But, this walks him right to free agency, no?

It should do, yeah. Yeah, it's depressing isn't it.

[Cornuck]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdNvLVJjc4K

[Megaterio Llamas]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdNvLVJjc4K

He's 18 Corn. Imagine what he's going to look like in a few years.

[Lancer]

It's getting positively toxic between Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings. They stripped him of his captaincy and are even erasing him from promotional materials and in-facility artwork - they digitally erased him from an image of all Red Wing Captains on the bench.

Meanwhile, it doesn't look like Detroit is in a mood to honour Larkin's trade request. Maybe this all is a move to soften Larkin off his no-trade clause?

I wonder if Horcoff and Cheveldayoff can organize a 1-for-1 swap with Helleybuck and Larkin? Helleybuck gets the hell out of Snow Mexico and Larkin would likely be amenable to anywhere outside of Detroit - although going to a Canadian team may be a bridge too far for him.

[donlever]

Fantilli.

6x13.75.

[Hockey Widow]

Pettersson contract looks better everyday

[Megaterio Llamas]

leaves acquire Kirill Marchenko from Columbus and sign him to a 12.5 x 6 contract. Details of the trade are not finalized but Knies is part of it.

https://puckpedia.com/signing/10830

Here's the deal:

[Meds]

I look forward to watching that trade blowup in Toronto's face.

[Cousin Strawberry]

I look forward to watching that trade blowup in Toronto's face.

Why didn't they like Knies?? He seemed to be a much better player than marchenko

[donlever]

The opposite is true imo.

[UWSaint]

The opposite is true imo.

I agree that Marchenko is a better player, and I think there's a case to be made that while the difference may not be vast, the difference in terms of "fit" might be far greater than taking the two individuals in isolation. Matthew Knies would probably have been a kick ass third wheel with the Sedins, but his play didn't complement Matthews one bit (when they played together); there was almost phase cancellation effect when the two were on the ice together.

But is Marchenko a player that moves the Leaves off of that sort of mushy middle that they seemed (on paper) to be? Its a last piece kind of a move -- but whether they only need one more piece is almost entirely dependent on whether McKenna is an immediate impact player. And still, there's a reason why the Leaves (pretty good) scouting team id'ed Emil Andrae as filling a needed gap on D, and by pulling him in and moving him out, that gap remains. And soon that infirmary will be filled with one or more of those ancient blueliners....

[donlever]

Yeah the Leaves continue to be a mish mash of plug and play acquisitions in an effort to find some sort of magic formula which has (thus far and much to our immense joy) eluded them.

Marchenko, I imagine, they regard as their "Marner replacement" as he has play driving skills and capabilities.

"Some" experts see a 40 goal 90 point potential in his game and wonder if being "set free" will open up that bottle for him.

Regardless Matthew's Nylander Marchenko and McKenna is nothing to be ashamed of in your top 6.

Pretty, pretty good....