Das 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season Thread: If Connor McDavid were a real team player, he’d sign for the league minimum

[practice]

NHL scheduler jerks making me watch SNES v Wilds

[practice]

You know what, maybe Bill guerin is right that hockey is Minnesota state and so on, if so he should make them change the name or at least the uniform

[practice]

The poor suckers who have to chant let's go Wi-uhld

[practice]

On a shift with about 9 mins left Jimy Stu called for a pass in the neutral zone so that he could perform a Controlled Zone Entry and then he stickhandled toward the middle of the ice and decided to abandon that plan and instead make a pathetic little half flip that got turned over and sent the other way and then he, Stu, went back and collected the puck behind the SNES net and then made a between the legs drop pass to a dman in the near corner that got picked off by some wild nobody who kind of tripped all over it because he couldn't believe someone could turn the puck over like that

[practice]

Nice rebound Jarhead

[Fleetwood mactavish]

what a goal by mcD

great reads by OEL and rielly

[practice]

what a goal by mcD

great reads by OEL and rielly

and a tidy finish by Troy T Stecher

[sutterfamily]

Agree with user practice - it can be very frustrating watchingJimmy Stu. He seems kinda stuck, imprisoned perhaps by his own bad habits, in this no man's land where he's clearly extremely good but not really as good as they need him to be? He's only 23, tho, and seems willing to learn and wants to be good all around.

[Cacophony]

Smell ya later Adams

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Agree with user practice - it can be very frustrating watchingJimmy Stu. He seems kinda stuck, imprisoned perhaps by his own bad habits, in this no man's land where he's clearly extremely good but not really as good as they need him to be? He's only 23, tho, and seems willing to learn and wants to be good all around.

I don’t know if Raymond’s ceiling is as high as Stooter’s because he doesn’t play C, but it’s hard to recall a time where I’ve been frustrated with his play. The production has lagged when he’s clearly been nursing an injury but I think he always Plays the Right Way.

[sutterfamily]

I think that right now Raymond is ahead of Stutzle, no doubt.

Biggest frustration with Stutzle, honestly, is not that he's not playing the right way (some poor decisions happen for offensive-biased players) it's more that he can be super ON but not produce anything. It'll be like, "Timmy's FLYING tonight" but it doesn't result in any game breaking moments. He's, like, on the VERGE of being awesome? But has been at this point for a few years, no significant change. Defensive play is definitely better, I guess.

Maybe there's a winger out there that can help? Dunno.

Not that any of it matters with the goaltending Ottawa's getting. At this point really all that's left is to pray that Ullmark is sweating the big contract and pulls a Bobrovsky at some point, otherwise they're cooked.

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Smell ya later Adams

Quel surprise

[captain]

I'm bummed about the Skinner trade but it seemed like the team (management and the locker room) had lost confidence in him. Kulak has been a warrior for us but he's been terrible this year and I suspect the team didn't plan on re-signing him. I don't think this trade makes the team any better this year but I think the org felt more comfortable with a new keeper and some stability in goal for the next few years and they will likely find a competitive backup to roll with Jarry next year.

The thing that makes me a bit crazy about this whole thing is that they gave up Skinner, Kulak a 2nd and a 3rd for no real upgrade in goal and an downgrade on the D. Seems like Spencer Stastney could potentially be a diamond in the rough but I think you could realistically only hope he ends up being as good as Kulak was... also, if the team kept Stecher they don't need to burn the 3rd rounder getting Stastney? I'm guessing the team wasn't super high on Troy either and he simply wasn't in their plans.

I bet Skinner has the better career when all is said and done, and that stings

[captain]

Quinn Hughes trade is awesome. Probably as good a return as Vancouver could have expected, but it's still a masterclass in mismanagement by that org. I've seen people call this a win for the Canucks and I just don't think you win any trade where you're sending away Quinn Hughes. Also, a lot needs to go right for the players they acquired.

Buium seems like he has a lot of juice and I like his upside, but he's not a sure thing. Rossi is an undersized and still-developing two-way C, his boxcars and possession are pretty good but I'm still not sold on him being a bonafide 1/2 C. Undersized scoring centres are not exactly who you build your team around unless they have elite scoring touch. Ohgren is depth, nothing more.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Did Hellebuyck come back a few weeks earlier than expected?

[practice]

Love to login to see some captain trade captions. Merry christmas to all

[sutterfamily]

After my minor complaints both Ullmark and Jimmy had really good games against the JERTS.

[captain]

Did Hellebuyck come back a few weeks earlier than expected?

[practice]

It's a good night to fire the coach and all assistant coaches and the GM after a loss to the Bedardless Blackhawks. I believe

[nick]

Did Hellebuyck come back a few weeks earlier than expected?

Just in time to save the season!*

*squeak into the playoffs as a wildcard, get nuked by Colorado, but cash those game receipts