Jim Slater named to the US Olympic squad!!!

 

I'm pretty sure the Moose would beat that team with ease...   

It'll be weird to watch that's for sure...

23 minutes ago, Brandon said:

It'll be weird to watch that's for sure...

This.......I just don't know what to think. My initial thought is "this is a bag of ****, and I don't care even a little  bit" but.....it's the Olys......what else ya gonna watch? There's absolutely nothing in the curling end of things that I can cheer for, the hockey seems shitty.....I'm down to pretending I care about speed skating and bobsled as I do every 4 years...

57 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I'm pretty sure the Moose would beat that team with ease...   

Not so sure about that.  The level of play in the KHL is easily higher than the AHL and most of these guys are KHL players and in some cases KHL star players.

Then again the Moose are the best team in the AHL.  Would be interesting.

29 minutes ago, Atomic said:

Not so sure about that.  The level of play in the KHL is easily higher than the AHL and most of these guys are KHL players and in some cases KHL star players.

Then again the Moose are the best team in the AHL.  Would be interesting.

I've never watched a KHL game, but is it really that much better? Linus Omark, Nigel Dawes, & Linden Vey are all in their top 5 scorers. 

The only cool thing about this is these are players that would never have a chance to play for the Country in the Olympics.  Its a pretty big dream come true for them, I imagine.

48 minutes ago, sweep the leg said:

I've never watched a KHL game, but is it really that much better? Linus Omark, Nigel Dawes, & Linden Vey are all in their top 5 scorers. 

This......

43 minutes ago, sweep the leg said:

I've never watched a KHL game, but is it really that much better? Linus Omark, Nigel Dawes, & Linden Vey are all in their top 5 scorers. 

All guys who have dominated at the AHL level.

It's difficult to compare league-to-league, of course, because they never actually play against each other.  But it is pretty well-accepted that the KHL is a higher level than the AHL.  The KHL tends to make big money offers to top AHL guys who are no longer on NHL deals.

I'm sure the two leagues are close in talent level but I'm fairly confident saying KHL is a cut above.

1 hour ago, sweep the leg said:

I've never watched a KHL game, but is it really that much better? Linus Omark, Nigel Dawes, & Linden Vey are all in their top 5 scorers. 

You left out Petan.

Too soon?

3 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

You left out Petan.

Too soon?

Too stupid

8 hours ago, iHeart said:

wait aren't most of those people on the Hockey Roster AHL players? because Isn't Howden a Moose (or used to be one?)

 

 

Gilbert Brule - now there's a high draft pick bust.  Derek Roy used to be good.  Not sure if he is anymore.

18 hours ago, Atomic said:

All guys who have dominated at the AHL level.

It's difficult to compare league-to-league, of course, because they never actually play against each other.  But it is pretty well-accepted that the KHL is a higher level than the AHL.  The KHL tends to make big money offers to top AHL guys who are no longer on NHL deals.

I'm sure the two leagues are close in talent level but I'm fairly confident saying KHL is a cut above.

I would say the high-end talent is better. Middle and bottom talent is just as bad as the AHL .

They pay big dollars for their "elite" talent. It's also an unsustainable league.

 

Make no mistake though, this Olympics is going to be pretty poor in terms of skill. I'm sure there will be drama but we're not going to see best-on-best or even near best-on-best.

44 minutes ago, JCon said:

I would say the high-end talent is better. Middle and bottom talent is just as bad as the AHL .

They pay big dollars for their "elite" talent. It's also an unsustainable league.

 

Make no mistake though, this Olympics is going to be pretty poor in terms of skill. I'm sure there will be drama but we're not going to see best-on-best or even near best-on-best.

Meh, it will still be fun hockey to watch.. like a whole bunch of spengler cup! lol.

18 minutes ago, SPuDS said:

Meh, it will still be fun hockey to watch.. like a whole bunch of spengler cup! lol.

A Whole Bunch Of Spengler Cup!

If I can find a few more white guys with dreads, I'm starting a ska band and naming it this.

It is accepted that the KHL is better than the AHL.  Should it be?  Why is it?

The two reasons I can think of for this mystique:

1) The handful of Kovalchuks who get homesick/Kostitsyns who need to run their mafia business, and sign a huge contract so the KHL can pretend it's on the same level as the NHL.

2) Unicorns.  The idea that Russian players come out of the womb with naturally higher skill level, so there must be dozens of Radulovs over there who would just kill it in the NHL once we discover them.

There are probably a few players playing in the KHL who would belong in the NHL sooner than the AHL.  Beyond that, it might just be comparable to the old IHL for all we know.  Guys on the back end of their careers, marginal players and the like.

16 minutes ago, mbrg said:

It is accepted that the KHL is better than the AHL.  Should it be?  Why is it?

The two reasons I can think of for this mystique:

1) The handful of Kovalchuks who get homesick/Kostitsyns who need to run their mafia business, and sign a huge contract so the KHL can pretend it's on the same level as the NHL.

2) Unicorns.  The idea that Russian players come out of the womb with naturally higher skill level, so there must be dozens of Radulovs over there who would just kill it in the NHL once we discover them.

There are probably a few players playing in the KHL who would belong in the NHL sooner than the AHL.  Beyond that, it might just be comparable to the old IHL for all we know.  Guys on the back end of their careers, marginal players and the like.

Some have gone over there, and made it back into the NHL, like Radulov, and David Booth, which is still mystifying how he is back in the NHL.

I watched that show "Hockey wives" and they followed Booth and another guy who went over to Russia to play.  It did look pretty bush league over there.  But hey, they're Russians, they are new to this whole capitalist thing.

Well I don't know, I just work here.

Swedish Roster:

Goalies 

Jhonas Enroth, Viktor Fasth, Magnus Hellberg

Defencemen

Staffan Kronwall, Mikael Wikstrand, Patrik Hersley, Johan Fransson, Simon Bertilsson, Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Gustafsson and Jonas Ahnelöv. 

Forwards

Joakim Lindström, Fredrik Pettersson, Pär Lindholm, Dennis Everberg, Joel Lundqvist, Alexander Bergström, Viktor Stålberg, **** Axelsson, Oscar Möller, Carl Klingberg, Anton Lander, Linus Omark.

33 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Swedish Roster:

Goalies 

Jhonas Enroth, Viktor Fasth, Magnus Hellberg

Defencemen

Staffan Kronwall, Mikael Wikstrand, Patrik Hersley, Johan Fransson, Simon Bertilsson, Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Gustafsson and Jonas Ahnelöv. 

Forwards

Joakim Lindström, Fredrik Pettersson, Pär Lindholm, Dennis Everberg, Joel Lundqvist, Alexander Bergström, Viktor Stålberg, **** Axelsson, Oscar Möller, Carl Klingberg, Anton Lander, Linus Omark.

I'd like to see Lias Andersson on the team just in case they win the silver so that I can watch him huck another medal over the glass.

On ‎2018‎-‎01‎-‎12 at 10:34 AM, SPuDS said:

Meh, it will still be fun hockey to watch.. like a whole bunch of spengler cup! lol.

Big deal. I can watch lower tier hockey anytime, including the annual Spengler Cup.

22 minutes ago, JCon said:

Big deal. I can watch lower tier hockey anytime, including the annual Spengler Cup.

Sure but if you care about the Olympics in general then the hockey is still a fine event to follow.

It's not like bobsled or ski-jumping is any worse because I don't know the names of the people competing.

2 hours ago, JCon said:

Big deal. I can watch lower tier hockey anytime, including the annual Spengler Cup.

hockey is hockey.   Its national team versus national team.   *shrug*  won't be great hockey but will be solid,entertaining enough hockey being played by guys who actually appreciate the logo on the jersey (I'd think anyway as these guys are all probably pretty stoked to play for the Olympics)

The selfish-only-caring-about-the-Jets part of me is actually glad NHLers aren't going.  How many Jets would be headed overseas come February?  Winnipeg has no luck in sports; I'd almost to be too worried about potential injuries to enjoy the hockey.  

18 minutes ago, Jimmy Pop said:

The selfish-only-caring-about-the-Jets part of me is actually glad NHLers aren't going.  How many Jets would be headed overseas come February?  Winnipeg has no luck in sports; I'd almost to be too worried about potential injuries to enjoy the hockey.  

Sounds like a fun game.

Probably Scheifele for Canada, Wheeler and Hellebuyck for USA, Ehlers for Denmark and Laine for Finland.  Possibly Kulikov for Russia.

Outside shots for Byfuglien, Trouba, Enstrom and Armia.

Anyone else?

1 hour ago, Jimmy Pop said:

The selfish-only-caring-about-the-Jets part of me is actually glad NHLers aren't going. 

Yep.

17 hours ago, Atomic said:

Sounds like a fun game.

Probably Scheifele for Canada, Wheeler and Hellebuyck for USA, Ehlers for Denmark and Laine for Finland.  Possibly Kulikov for Russia.

Outside shots for Byfuglien, Trouba, Enstrom and Armia.

Anyone else?

'tis.

I think one of Trouba or Buff would be likely.  I saw at least one publication (Athletic? Maybe SI?) that had Armia on FIN's 4th line. 

Ah thinking more about it, wouldn't affect us as much as maybe in 4 years time?   Add Connor, maybe Roslovic to team USA.  Perhaps Morrissey to Team Canada.  Vesalainen?  No one but Wheeler coming out of a lineup.