2025-2026 NHL Offseason

Meltdown99

mrussel1 said:

Meltdown99 said:

4 of the top 5 picks are Michigan Wolverines…

Logan Mailloux, eh?  That's a touch controversial.  

Drafting him was a joke.  I don't like the pick.  And quite honestly Montreal missed an opportunity to add Yanni Gourde.  Montreal has the assets that they could have shipped to Tampa to get him and Tampa gets assets for a good player...I think Tampa was willing to deal...same as Coleman and Savard...I'd ship assets to get both signed.

Bergevin does a good job trading and signing free agents, but sucks at the draft...Mailloux is R D Man and some say the best available.  Montreal needs R D Man...this is why he was drafted...I don't agree with it...but someone was going to draft him this weekend.

F Me In The Brain

Glad it wasn't my team

Fuck that guy.

Meltdown99

I am curious about one thing?  The kid was convicted and served/paid his debt to society.  Should the kid not be allowed to continue his journey to a possible pro career?

Remember, in Canada, we have a PM who wore blackface so many times he could not remember all the incidents?  He is a proven misogynist, been accused as a groper, and an indigenous affairs minister (MP) sent out a racist text to an indigenous MP. the Ontario Premier used to be a drug dealer, a former mayor of Toronto was crack head, the NDP leader in Manitoba has been accused of domestic violence, the liberal premier of Nova Scotia is a  2 time DUI convicted.  

In the US a judge gave a rapist who raped an unconscious female behind a dumpster a 6-month jail sentence.

And how many people have been rooting cheering and mocking indigenous people by being fans of sports teams with racist names?

These are leaders in our community and country who have been getting free passes their entire life.  The kid fucked up.  It's up to him to learn and redeem himself.  Montreal fucked up by drafting him.  Now it's up to Montreal and the London Knights to make sure to guide him.

Drafting someone does not mean they will stay with the pro club.  Montreal can cut ties with him at any time.  They essentially used a 2nd round pick on him...

F Me In The Brain

If you are fine with your team picking a guy you know is like this, that is fine.
I don't say he should never have a career but I don't want him on my team.
I don't like Aaron Rodgers and think he is a total fucking asshole, but I'm guessing his gf knew he was sending the pic out when he did the same thing.

Also, read an article interviewing the lady he did this to and she didn't find his apology to be sincere and his agent comes off as an asshole as well 
https://theathletic.com/2716093/2021/07/20/woman-victimized-by-nhl-prospect-in-sweden-all-i-wanted-was-a-heartfelt-apology?source=user-shared-article

It is funny you draw a parallel to the Stanford swimmer case....I think it is similar.  Privileged assholes doing whatever they want.

It is one thing when you have a guy on your team and discover he has no moral character whatsoever and is an evil douche.  It is another draft or sign one knowingly.

Meltdown99

Did I say I was fine with the pick?  

The kid was 17.  It’s up to him to redeem himself.  

All I’m saying is in our societies there is 1000s of examples of privileged people carrying on with life like normal who have committed immoral acts…

your president supports the pedophilia Catholic Church…

when leaders in society show this shitty side, then don’t expect dumb 17 year olds from fucking up.

remember the brain in not fully developed until 25…or so I’ve read.

And if you think this is the first player show up in the NHL without a checkered past…lol

Their is likely players on your kings that did shitty things while in junior hockey…lol you just don’t know about.

Meltdown99

Cale Makar Signs Six-Year Contract (nhl.com)

A future Norris winner...

F Me In The Brain

I will say nothing about the fact that so many people are assholes....just that I don't think I would be pleased of my team knowingly drafted a giant one.  
Hope he is a solid human being moving forward and get put this mistake behind him.  (On someone else's team....I've had enough people turn out to be dipshits on teams I root for, to the point where they had to cut some of them)

Meltdown99

Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews charged with disorderly conduct after incident with female security guard - CBSSports.com

I did not like the pick.  

But unlike the Toronto centric sports stations with their Toronto sports personalities who insist on seeing this 18-year old (17 when he committed this terrible crime} never be allowed to have a career in hockey.

Anyways, the odds that he ever plays for Montreal are a long shot at best, and if he does develop it'll be 3 to 4 years.

There are players on every team in every sport that has committed an act of misogyny...

Time to move on.

Time to get ready for free agency on the 28th.

Teams with cap space have some decent free agents to pursue.  I suspect there will be trades this week as well.

MayDay10

Imagine if there were smartphones and internet in the 70s and 80s with these dudes? Ha

Jumb0

One thing about the Mailloux kid I don't really understand. If he was trying to be apologetic/remorseful etc. why didn't he pull out of the draft?

Not just a "hey don't draft me". If you really meant that why did you keep your name in?

Meltdown99

He’s 18 and can not remove himself.  He asked not to be drafted, but that does not mean anything…

This kid stands a better chance of making the changes necessary in his life being part of an NHL team than a junior team…

I grew up in a junior hockey town…these kids are not choir boys.  I went high school with many junior hockey players…

And anyone who doesn’t think they got players on their team that didn’t use poor judgement at one time or another when dealing with females are just being naive…these young men use their position as junior hockey players to coerce sex from females who likely initially said no or were hesitant…

The good news is that this kid is in counselling and is willing to cooperate with Montreal and follow the program they put him in.

F Me In The Brain

You keep saying that many of the players are assholes as kids and likely assholes on teams we root for now...that misses the point.  The point in why people are upset is because this is a known asshole.

I don't disagree that Hockey (and sports in general) culture is filled with toxic behavior and with folks looking the other way because a kid can skate, pass, shoot, dunk, hit, whatever....certainly agree with this.

Meltdown99

Well what would you like done.  Maybe we can lock him for 20 years, isn’t that the American way…he went to court was sentenced and paid his fine.

so what the fuck would you like done?

Thankfully most of the world believes in 2nd chances and even 3rd.

mrussel1

Everyone deserves redemption after repenting.  It's core to Christianity and to our legal system.  I agree that I hate, hate,  hate where this country has gone culturally on this topic.  I don't think he should have pulled out of the draft.  Why and for how long? Forever? Quit hockey? Or is he a Franciscan monk who should metaphorically whip himself?

Meltdown99

Look at the messages these kids see on a daily basis as well.  just last week the IOC threatened or did fine a beach volleyball team for having too many clothes on...jeesh.  we live in a society where women are so easily objectified...are these IOC officials choking the chicken in their private boxes?  My guess they are.

In no way am I going to pile onto this kid.

Is this kid better off not being drafted and playing for the Knights which are owned by the Hunters?  Or is he better off a Monreal Canadien prospect who can oversee the program they want him on?  He was getting drafted last weekend at some point, Montreal took the gamble.

And as I said he is likely 3 to 4 years away from possibly playing in the NHL...and he may never play in the NHL..

I think you gotta understand, Canada is much different in how we think.  A town I lived in had a triple homicide committed by an 18-year-old in 93', he killed two elderly people and their grandson ... was sentenced to life with parole eligibility set at 25 years...after 18 years he was granted day parole and now is on full parole.  The reason being he was 18 and science says the brain is not fully developed till 25...in Canada, our systems recognizes that...in America, your system does not recognize that.

And I'm not defending his actions.  I am defending his right to go on and get the help he needs, he's 17, the best thing for society is to help this kid so this doesn't happen in the future.

Meltdown99

Rumour is Montreal is targeting david savard...i'd love that signing.  The Kings might target Phil Danault?  Phil was asking for to much.  A good 2 way player...

Meltdown99

Montreal is also in on the Eichel talks.  I hope they avoid him.  

F Me In The Brain

Comical. 

I didn't say he should be locked up and I didn't say he doesn't deserve to have a chance at a career...just that I would not have wanted my team to draft him.

I also do not want Eichel - too much $$.  Would love to have him on the team but that is a huge amount to pay.  Wanted Bean but he is gone. 

Interested to see what Blake does with the cap space.

Meltdown99

Montreal is not trading for Eichel if they want Caufield or Sukuzi.  If his health was not in question then maybe he'd be worth the trade.  He's a great talent and he's a center...that's a premium position.  Win the middle and you win a lot of games...

I want Montreal to target Savard, Hamilton, or Martinez for defense.  I'd target Blake Coleman as well...but I figure he may not want to play in Canada...but if the $$$$ and term are right, you just never know.

I like bringing winners in.  Savard and Coleman know what it takes to win the cup.

MayDay10

They are asking for a lot for Eichel and there are several teams who are talking, so I would think itll be a pound of flesh in return.


If I were a team though, I would not want Eichel.  $10 million in salary, although he is a great talent at times.   He is demonstratively a shitbag on the ice (like throwing his head/body back in frustration at his teammates, dogging it to the bench resulting in breakaways/chances, etc).  Word is he is a brat on and off the ice.  

The way it works with Eichel is he goes somewhere with established vet leadership who grabs him by the shirt, sits his ass down and tells him how to be a pro.  Not too many teams with that in place who have room to add $10 million in salary.  

Also worth mentioning that he is injury prone at this point.  He has had a few non-contact injuries from practice/training camp over the years including a high ankle sprain a few years ago and broken ribs that came from a 'shooting drill' before this season.  Last year he had some sort of Ab injury that never healed despite him and the Sabres having like 10 months off.  Now you have this neck thing which is concerning.