2025-2026 NHL Offseason

mpedone

HughFreakingDillon said:

Vitalogensia said:

I can't believe the Islanders fired Trotz!  Not sure who else is looking for a coach, but I have to assume he's the first coaching hire of the offseason. 

Winnipeg

I would be surprised if Toronto goes after him if they lose in the 1st round again.

pjhawks

This woman announcing the Kings Oilers game might be the worst announcer I’ve ever heard.  She sounds like they ran a contest for a random fan to get to announce a game.  With two networks doing these games I know they need 8 announcers but there has to be better than this.  Awful

Edit: It was Leah Hextall. Saw on Twitter this morning that a lot of people share my opinion

F Me In The Brain

Satan could announce....a game 5 OT victory is great!  *I was asleep throughout, didn't watch a minute.     

eeriepadave

F Me In The Brain said:

eeriepadave said:

F Me In The Brain said:

pjhawks said:

So excited for the playoffs.   I think this is the year the Leafs win the Cup.  A brutal path for them with Tampa and most likely Florida though.   So I am going a bit off the board and going with Leafs over the Wild.  

I think the Leafs lose in first round, again.  

I hope not I like Austin Matthews and Jack Cmapbell (Both USA guys). I think they can make it to the conference finals. Haven't really been following the NHL too much this year since the Flyers sucked ass.

I like Soupy, as well, but still think they lose round 1

I was hoping they would finally get past the first round, but oh well.  Good games overall yesterday.

F Me In The Brain

Kings fell a game short, but without arguably their most important player for the series (drew) and one of their key offensive contributors (arvy) they did a great job.  Future is bright.

Toronto gonna Toronto.  

BLACK35

F Me In The Brain said:

Kings fell a game short, but without arguably their most important player for the series (drew) and one of their key offensive contributors (arvy) they did a great job.  Future is bright.

Toronto gonna Toronto.  

Aint that the truth about Toronto. I don't know why it hurts every yr. when they lose, but damm they are killing me. Just once I would like to see them get into 2nd round

F Me In The Brain

BLACK35 said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Kings fell a game short, but without arguably their most important player for the series (drew) and one of their key offensive contributors (arvy) they did a great job.  Future is bright.

Toronto gonna Toronto.  

Aint that the truth about Toronto. I don't know why it hurts every yr. when they lose, but damm they are killing me. Just once I would like to see them get into 2nd round

It must be so brutal for Leafs fans.  I hope they get there next year.

dankind

Looks like I’ve got some playoff games to watch. 

pjhawks

dankind said:

Looks like I’ve got some playoff games to watch. 

Guess you didn't mind that power play in overtime.  Someone in the league office must be getting fired since they let the Rangers win

Toronto has an argument about the refs from game 6.   The penalty to get the 5 on 3 to tie the game was a terrible call. Hedman lifted the dudes stick into his face. Not a high stick.    Vasilevsky just doesn't let the Lightning lose in close out games.   

some great series in the 1st round.  Hope the next rounds are as good.

mpedone

pjhawks said:

dankind said:

Looks like I’ve got some playoff games to watch. 

Guess you didn't mind that power play in overtime.  Someone in the league office must be getting fired since they let the Rangers win

Toronto has an argument about the refs from game 6.   The penalty to get the 5 on 3 to tie the game was a terrible call. Hedman lifted the dudes stick into his face. Not a high stick.    Vasilevsky just doesn't let the Lightning lose in close out games.   

some great series in the 1st round.  Hope the next rounds are as good.

This is going to sound crazy, but I think there were two high sticks on Hedman, as I recall seeing a replay where Kerfoot's stick definitely comes up on its own and gets Hedman in the face, but the only gif I can find online is earlier in the play, and Hedman definitely lifts Kerfoot's stick (which, IMHO is still borderline - control your own stick; yes, Hedman lifts it, but it still travels a good distance on its own). Regardless, the Kampf high stick on Foote just before that, which led to the 5-on-3 was pretty bad. Kampf got Foote in the shoulder. Had Foote's head not snapped back, no call on that.

I'm not actually sure what the Leafs need at this point. I don't think they played soft in this series. Maybe they let up a bit after each win, but these two teams have traded wins literally all season. I think it might really just be the bad luck to have to play the Lightning this year. The only thing can think of is a coaching change? I don't know much about Keefe, though. Maybe they could use a Selke-calibre center; I hear there's a guy in Boston about to become a free agent. Maybe he could lead them into the 2nd round on the 10-year anniversary of "It was 4-1!"

I would love to see the NHL go back to more of a straight 1-8 seeding. This year, that would have had the Leafs playing the Bruins, which I think is an eminently more winnable series for the Leafs (on paper, anyway).

MayDay10

I honestly would love a 1-16 seeding format.   Make any SCF match-up possible.

The Leafs are the late 80s and early 90s Sabres.  Really good teams.  At times top 3-5 in the league... but had the misfortune of being boxed in a brutal division with teams that were hardened and better built for the playoffs.  Got stuck playing Montreal or Boston in round 1 every year while the Norris Division would have like 4 playoff teams at or under .500

mrussel1

mpedone said:

pjhawks said:

dankind said:

Looks like I’ve got some playoff games to watch. 

Guess you didn't mind that power play in overtime.  Someone in the league office must be getting fired since they let the Rangers win

Toronto has an argument about the refs from game 6.   The penalty to get the 5 on 3 to tie the game was a terrible call. Hedman lifted the dudes stick into his face. Not a high stick.    Vasilevsky just doesn't let the Lightning lose in close out games.   

some great series in the 1st round.  Hope the next rounds are as good.

This is going to sound crazy, but I think there were two high sticks on Hedman, as I recall seeing a replay where Kerfoot's stick definitely comes up on its own and gets Hedman in the face, but the only gif I can find online is earlier in the play, and Hedman definitely lifts Kerfoot's stick (which, IMHO is still borderline - control your own stick; yes, Hedman lifts it, but it still travels a good distance on its own). Regardless, the Kampf high stick on Foote just before that, which led to the 5-on-3 was pretty bad. Kampf got Foote in the shoulder. Had Foote's head not snapped back, no call on that.

I'm not actually sure what the Leafs need at this point. I don't think they played soft in this series. Maybe they let up a bit after each win, but these two teams have traded wins literally all season. I think it might really just be the bad luck to have to play the Lightning this year. The only thing can think of is a coaching change? I don't know much about Keefe, though. Maybe they could use a Selke-calibre center; I hear there's a guy in Boston about to become a free agent. Maybe he could lead them into the 2nd round on the 10-year anniversary of "It was 4-1!"

I would love to see the NHL go back to more of a straight 1-8 seeding. This year, that would have had the Leafs playing the Bruins, which I think is an eminently more winnable series for the Leafs (on paper, anyway).

Leafs got a bad draw.. No the Lightning were not great during the regular season, but they are still the Champs and drawing them in the first round was not fortunate.  The Panthers had some demons and I think the Leafs would have been better off against them. Plus they are fundamentally the same team, I think.  

Could it also be that the Leafs essentially only roll three lines?  I don't recall seeing a fourth line out there barely at all.  At some point over seven games, that has to make a difference.  I also think that Cooper outcoached Keefe on the lines.  Coop did a great job splitting Point and Cirrelli on lines when they didn't have last change.  And in Tampa, they were able to keep those two glued to Matthews and Marner.  

eeriepadave

the Calgary/Dallas and NYR/Pitt games were pretty insane. Both games go to OT and both home teams won.

nautical_disaster

As someone who grew up watching playoff overtime in the 80s and the 90s, I find it strange to see a powerplay in OT - let alone a game 7 overtime. Back then you literally had to murder someone to get a penalty in OT lol. Oilers - Flames should be epic!

F Me In The Brain

nautical_disaster said:

As someone who grew up watching playoff overtime in the 80s and the 90s, I find it strange to see a powerplay in OT - let alone a game 7 overtime. Back then you literally had to murder someone to get a penalty in OT lol. Oilers - Flames should be epic!

Ha.  I have this memory as well.  Wonder if it was truly like that, but that is how I recall.

I think Flames fuck the Oilers up.

nautical_disaster

I have no idea what will happen in that series. They both got out of the first round after years of disappointing results. They will both want to take advantage of this opportunity. I prefer the flames goaltending in this one, so you might be right!

Lukin19

As someone who can’t stand the Leafs and revels in their demise I gotta say they at least showed up for game 7.  

Game 7’s come down to who is willing to do whatever it takes to win.  Tampa did and the Leafs didn’t.  Tampa blocked 26 shots , Leafs only 13.  Hedman had  6 by himself! Mathews 1, Mariner 1, Tavares 1.  Riley and Willy nada.
Tampa laid it all on the line and the Leafs not so
much. Championship pedigree 

mrussel1

Lightning doing Lightning things to the Panthers right now.  

nautical_disaster

They certainly have that 80-84 islanders vibe going on right now haha. Everyone is banged up and no one can defeat them.

mrussel1

nautical_disaster said:

They certainly have that 80-84 islanders vibe going on right now haha. Everyone is banged up and no one can defeat them.

When your hall of fame captain, leading scorer in franchise history, is taking pucks to the shins.. everyone notices and does the same.  It took them a bit of time to round into playoff form, but they look like they are there.  Specifically Vasy.