bagelbitesisbae

Inspired by @Devise to make this topic! At the start of last season, we all thought Vegas was going to be a bottom 5 team in the league. It looked like they didn't have anybody besides James Neal (who now plays for Calgary) and Marc-Andre Fluery. Marc-Andre Fluery was playing subpar a couple of seasons ago and none of us knew if he'd be able to step up his game. Surprise, Marc-Andre Fluery was out of his mind good throughout the whole season. Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson both emerged into these two beast-like hockey players for the Vegas Golden Knights. Their current "number one" defenseman is Nate Schmidt (they got Nate Schimdt from the Washington Capitals in the expansion draft) who was just the Washington Capitals' 7th defenseman. The Vegas Golden Knights didn't just get 80 points last season, they got 109 points. They didn't just earn an immaculate amount of points, they also made it to the Stanley Cup finals. Vegas is a pure example of what dedication and unison can do for you. We need to think for a moment though, would they have made it to the Stanley Cup finals without Marc-Andre Fluery? They probably wouldn't have. Another question is, how long can Fluery be super for the Vegas Golden Knights? Can the Vegas Golden Knights even make the playoffs next year?? They recently acquired Paul Stastny (C) which should help them down the middle. If they can work together in unison again, then they have another good shot at making the playoffs. You don't need these shiny players to be a top team in the league. In conclusion, the Vegas Golden Knights were not a fluke.

Good observation, man. I think that people are forgetting about their cap issues, defense issues, and inconsistent goaltending. It shows you how bright and shiny John Tavares is.

Yeah, I totally agree with you, man.

(I do take NHL-related topic requests for likes!) <<< Likes really support me and give me a push to make more content for you guys. >>> We all know about the speculation that the Maple Leafs have. Everybody thinks that they will be the eventual Stanley Cup champions next year, but is that really the case for them? Today we are going to do an analysis on the Toronto Maple Leafs to conclude whether they actually have a chance at the coveted, Stanley Cup. We we all know that the Maple Leafs are top heavy, but they recently acquired John Tavares and signed him to a 7 by 11 contract. That contract was big and hindered Toronto’s salary cap in quite a dramatic way. They need to get some salary cap room so they can sign Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Auston Matthews. Kyle Dubas (Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager) said that he has some plan to sign all three of them, but does he really? Their cap space is currently at 13.3mil. 13.3mil may sound like a decent amount, but again, remember that they have to sign Marner, Nylander, Matthews, and several other players who’re less important. Mitch Marner is an incredible forward who needs a new contract after this upcoming season. He will probably cost 7mil+ Matthews will probably cost at least 8mil+, and Nylander will be 5mil+. Will they have to trade William Nylander away and possibly other players? Now, let’s talk about their defensive situation. They have Morgan Reilly and Jake Gardiner who is on the last year of his contract he signed back in 2014. Jake Gardiner will probably be 5mil+. Gardiner managed to get a career high 52 points last year which is an immaculate total for him. Morgan Reilly is a good defenseman, but nothing special. Their defensive core drops off pretty dang hard. Will TOR’s forwards compensate for Frederik Andersen’s inconsistency? Frederik Andersen had a 2.81 goals against average last year with a .918 save percentage. Frederik Andersen is obviously a starter goalie, not an elite goalie. If he can be consistent, it will go a long way for this Toronto Maple Leafs club. I dont see Toronto winning the Stanley Cup this upcoming season because they don’t have a good enough defensive core to hold off a team like Tampa Bay or Winnipeg. They also have inconsistent goaltending that plays a huge factor in my ruling. Will Toronto have to trade away William Nylander so they can somehow sign Jake Gardiner? Will they go deep into the playoffs with the potential of winning the Cup? Will John Tavares elevate them in a positive way? I’m not a fortune teller so we’ll have to wait and see! (Please like my content! If you like my content, I’ll make you an NHL-related topic of your choice.) Thanks for the support, everyone!

(This was requested by the amazing, @Beaviss) There always a lot of trades in the NHL, but there are also a lot of trades in the VHL! I'm going to analyze 2 pretty recent trades to see who came out on top! TRADE No. 1 (The New York Americans traded Casey Jones to the Quebec City Meute for Bryce Zhields and Roctrion King.) Quebec City picked up a player who has showed that he is elite throughout his entire career. Quebec City gave away two younger players to go all out so they have better chance of winning the Cup. The New York Americans are second to last in the standings and are currently rebuilding. In the trade, the New York Americans received two young players in Roctrion King and Bryce Zhields. Who won trade No. 1? I personally think that the NYA came out on top. Casey Jones is in his last year which really hinders the Quebec City Meute. The NYA got two really good young players that will both make a big impact. The trade is only worth it for the Quebec City Meute if they win the Cup. Expectations are super high for the Quebec City Meute now. This trade was somewhat related to the VHLM Halifax trade where GM Shawn traded a ton of picks for two people who are going to the VHL next season. TRADE No. 2 (The Helsinki Titans traded Jack Shephard to the Seattle Bears for a S63 2nd round pick and 3rd round pick. The Titans also received an additional 3rd round pick for the S64 draft) The Helsinki Titans traded away Jack Shephard who is currently in his last year in the VHL. Seattle got a few picks in the trade. The Seattle Bears aren't even up there to be Cup contenders. Helsinki is currently re-building so the picks really help them. Who won trade No. 2? I personally think that Helsinki won the trade. Seattle is nowhere near to be considered a Cup conteder in the VHL. They shouldn't have traded away those picks as those picks could have been beneficial to them.

(Join now http://vhlforum.com/!) The Victory Hockey League (VHL) is an ice hockey simulation forum that anybody can enjoy. You don't even need to be an ice hockey fan! It's super easy to start and begin playing. All you have to do is create an account, and then choose what position you want your player playing. You can choose between goaltender, defenseman, left wing, right wing, and centerman. After you're done creating your player, you start off with 30 TPE to use. You're probably wondering, what is "TPE?" TPE is a virtual currency you use to upgrade your player's attributes. You get several attributes you can put your TPE into. Before you use your 30 TPE, make sure you know what type of player you want to build . Your build could be anywhere from a power forward to an offensive defenseman, the possibilities are truly endless. TPE is earned by doing point tasks which could be anywhere from a graphic to writing a VHL-related article. After the beginning, you will be put through the task of entering the VHLM (Victory Hockey League Minors) draft. Your potential destination can be anywhere, you'll just have to wait and see. Once you get drafted by a VHLM team, you will be able to communicate with your team's GM. Your GM will help you get situated, and will make sure you become a hardworking, successful player throughout your VHLM career. (NOTE: Player simulations are simulated through a simulation engine) Once you get drafted by a VHLM team, you get to play there for one year and then get drafted by a VHL team. Also don't worry, you can play in the VHLM for 2 years to develop your player even more. Once you reach the VHL, you get to do a lot of the things you'd do in the National Hockey League (in real life professional ice hockey league). You can get traded, become a free agent, discuss a contract with your GM, and become a freaking legend. You need to come on this journey immediately because you're definitely missing out on an enjoyable experience!

(Please like my content! It really supports me...erm...builds up my self-esteem!) - (This topic was requested by the amazing @McWolf! If you want me to make your NHL-related article request, just like my topic or any of my other content.) Do you need help choosing players on Draft Kings or any other fantasy game that has to do with the NHL? Or, do you just want to know who may become a rising star? You've come to the right place, keep reading! NOLAN PATRICK (C) Nolan Patrick was selected 2nd overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. One of the reasons he didn't get selected 1st overall is because he had a lot of injuries that a lot of people were concerned of. He played 73 games last season with the Philadelphia Flyers and managed to get 30 points. 30 points is quite impressive for a rookie. Nolan Patrick may move up so he can be first line center, but he's still in a position where the Flyers don't want to put that much added pressure on him. If the Flyers feel that Patrick needs to stay on the second line, that won't reduce his production. His production will actually rise because the Flyers recently acquired James Van Riemsdyk who is a left wing that will most likely play on the second line since they wouldn't move Claude Giroux to the second line. I expect Patrick to be able to get 45 points just by using the fact that he is developing well and he'll probably get to play with a solid winger in JVR. THOMAS HERTL (LW) Thomas Hertl was selected 17th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks. He played second line left wing does the San Jose Sharks. In the 2016-2017 season with the San Jose Sharks, he only managed to get 22 points because he had an injury that held him from playing the whole season. He only got to play 49 games. In the 2017-2018 season, he managed to play almost all of the games and got 46 points. Hertl has been getting consistently better throughout his ice hockey career and he's still very young at 24. I see him becoming a 50+ point player if injuries don't hinder his playing time. He probably won't be very expensive in fantasy leagues, so definitely try to pick him up! ALEX DEBRINCAT (RW) Alex Debrincat was selected 39th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Firstly, don't be afraid to pick him because of his size, he's an absolute puck moving beast. Last season Debrincat got a taste of the first line with Chicago Blackhawks captain, Jonathan Toews. I don't know for sure if Patrick Kane will move back up to the first line, but let's just assume he doesn't. Debrincat was just a rookie last year so he's developed quite a lot over the off-season. I can see Debrincat getting near his point total last year, if not higher, maybe. He won't be too expensive! He's definitely a steal for next season. (Please like my topics, I work really hard on them. + points are super appreciated. Thank you all for all of the support!!)

Then like my topic and I’ll make it for you. :)) (+ points are basically my “income.”)

True, lol.

I personally don’t think any of the trades this offeseason have been “blockbuster.” Obviously, my opinion on the word is different from other people’s opinions.

(Like my topic if you want to see more!) There have been a lot of trades, but none of them were big, blockbuster trades like we usually see every offseason. I’m not going to say the trades weren’t big because each trade has some form of significance and reasoning behind it. TRADE No.1 - (Jeff Skinner to the Buffalo Sabres for forward prospect Cliff Pu, 2019 2nd round draft pick, and 3rd and 6th round draft picks in the 2020 draft.) We all are probably thinking, Buffalo came out like freaking gang busters in this trade when in reality it was a decent trade. Jeff Skinner is on the last year of the contract he signed in 2013. Skinner probably wouldn’t have re-signed with Carolina and would probably go to free agency. Also, usually when a player is on the last year of their contract, they are worth a lot less. Since Skinner haven’t signed a new contract with Buffalo, he’s basically a rental to them. Luckily Buffalo didn’t give up too much for Skinner in case he decides to not re-sign a contract with them. Let’s talk about what Carolina got. Carolina got a decent forward prospect in Cliff Pu. Cliff Pu had a lot of injuries which really set him back a bit. He’s nothing special, but he’s a decent top 6 puck mover. Let’s not forget that Carolina is still in a rebuilding phase, firstly. They got a 2019 second round pick which will help them grab somebody decent (or possibly elite. The 2019 draft is supposed to be very deep so a second round pick is nice. They also got a 3rd and 6th round pick for the 2020 draft. The 3rd and 6th round shouldn’t get them somebody elite, but they might find somebody with decent upside. From recent talks, there was no indication that another team was in interested in trading for Jeff Skinner so the trade wasn’t too bad. TRADE No. 2 - (Dougie Hamilton, Michael Ferland, and defensive prospect Adam Fox for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin) I guess you could argue that this was a blockbuster trade, but it wasn’t huge. Let’s talk about what the Carolina Hurricanes got. Carolina got Dougie Hamilton, Michael Ferland, and Adam Fox. Michael Ferland and Adam Fox were basically extras so let’s set them aside. The main piece was Dougie Hamilton. We have to question, why did Carolina trade away a quality, young defenseman for 25 year old Dougie Hamilton? Is Carolina really in a rebuild or did they just not believe in Noah Hanifin’s development. Hamilton has proved himself over a longer period of time versus Hanifin who experienced his first season in the NHL last season. I can’t go in the general managers’ heads to see what they were thinking, but I think Carolina wanted a solidified defenseman and Calgary wanted a younger defenseman to develop more. (Like my topic!)

Dubois is a quality pick because he’ll cost a lot less than he is actually worth. He will be playing first line minutes with Artemi Panarin as well.

They have nobody else to put on the first line besides Timothy Jimothy Oshie. He hasn't earned it, lol.

He's a good fantasy value pick because he plays first line minutes, lol.

If he keeps getting first line minutes, sure. He's a goon in my opinion though.

(Please LIKE my comment down below! I want to make more content for you guys, but you need to show me support.) - Requested by @McWolf (If you leave a like on my topic, you can request an NHL-related article and I'll make it.) Do you play fantasy games like Draft Kings? Are players too expensive and you don't know who to pick? Or, do you just want to see who could be a rising star? You have come to the right place! PAVEL BUCHNEVICH - Pavel Buchnevich was a breakout star last year with the New York Rangers. He managed to compile a total of 43 points. The New York rangers slowly deteriorated throughout the season and finished with a record of 34-39-9 (77 total points). The new additions the New York Rangers got is going to elevate them. If NYR is provided elevation, Buchnevich will surely thrive. Alain Vigneault put Buchnevich on the fourth line (Vigneault lost his damn mind) and he still produced. He's obviously not a top 10 forward (right now at least) so don't make him your number one priority in fantasy leagues, but watch out for him. SAMUEL GIRARD - Samuel Girard got traded to the Colorado Avalanche in a three-way deal. Last season, Girard managed to compile a total of 20 points in 68 games. Samuel Girard got to play some powerplay minutes which helped him gain more points. He's not going to be expensive in fantasy leagues so he's definitely a quality pickup. Girard proved to the Avalanche that he is elite and responsible. Don't let his size prevent you from picking him, he can play incredible defense as well. If the Avalanche give him top 4 minutes, expect him to get at least 30 points. JESPER BRATT - Jesper Bratt got to play second line minutes last year which helped him compile an impressive point total of 35 points (and let's remember that he's only 20 years old). The New Jersey Devils aren't amazing, but it shouldn't stop Bratt from producing. He could possibly take over Kyle Palmieri's spot on the first line. If he does, that could be very enticing in your fantasy leagues. PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS - In Dubois' first season in the NHL, he managed to compile a point total of 48 points. He will probably get to keep his spot as the first line center of the Columbus Blue Jackets which is very enticing. Dubois will get to play with Artemi Panarin if he stays on the first line. Panarin is very talented and will elevate Dubois' game this upcoming season. (Want to see more fantasy sleepers? Like my topic!)

Hey, guys! Feel free to ask me questions. It's always appreciated.

Yeah, no, I agree with you, man. The NHL is a business at the end of the day though.

I don't think Tavares is a snake, more like he didn't want the Islanders to get stuff for him. He played it really, really smart. Barzal is GREAT player though!

(Likes on my NHL-related content is highly appreciated as it takes a lot of time and effort to produce quality NHL content. If you don't like my NHL-related content, please message me constructive criticism as I'll try to make changes to whatever you do not like.) Requested by the amazing, @Banackock The 2018-2019 NHL season is starting in 31 days! Predicting players' point totals is really hard as different players step up every season. We are going to predict 10 different players' point totals. I am only doing McDavid, Stamkos, Kucherov, MacKinnon, Crosby, Giroux, Marchand, Ovechkin, Tavares, and Matthews. (Feel free to message me if you want me to predict a player of your choice.) Connor McDavid - (105 points) Connor McDavid was the Ted Lindsay Trophy winner and Art Ross Trophy winner last season. The Ted Lindsay signifies that you were the most outstanding playing in the league judged by the members of the NHL Player Association. The Art Ross Trophy signifies that you were the top points getter in the league. Everybody in the hockey community believes that Connor McDavid is the god of ice hockey. He's definitely making a strong case to be called the god of ice hockey. Some people may think 105 points is modest, but in the new age of hockey, points are hard to come by....even for superstars like Connor McDavid. I think that if the whole Edmonton lineup can step up, McDavid can definitely surpass 105 points. Steven Stamkos - (85 points) Steven Stamkos is a great, elite scorer. He won the Rocket Richard trophy in 2010 and 2012. Two seasons ago, he missed quite a lot of games due to injuries. Last season, he managed to get 86 points. Kucherov also stepped up his game heavily to the point where Stamkos could feed off of it. He had a lot more assists than goals last season (which is really odd considering he used to focus more on goals). If he doesn't get consistently injured, he can be a consistent point getter. That's why I see him getting 85 points. Nikita Kucherov - (90 points) Kucherov elevated his game to new heights last season. He got an even steven, 100 points. I don't see Kuch getting more than 90 points as he hasn't been amazingly consistent. He'll still be one of the top players in the NHL next season. Stamkos elevating his game really helped Kucherov reach his potential. Nathan MacKinnon - (98 points not being biased at all) Nathan MacKinnon literally blew it up in the NHL last season and so did the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon really took his role seriously as an altenate captain and got 97 points. Nathan hasn't been ranked as high as he should be because of him not being consistent. One of the problems that led to MacKinnon not being consistent the past few season was that fact that the team was doing bad, and the locker room chemistry sucked (thanks Dutchy). Now that Mikko Rantanen has reached new heights (literally, he grew like 6 inches over the Summer, lol), it really helps out MacKinnon reach his full potential. I can see MacKinnon be consistent throughout the rest of his career because he finally as the teammates he has been looking for. One of the things that also helped me predict his points is him being a Hart candidate and a Ted Lindsay candidate. Cheers to a great season. Sidney Crosby - (82 points) Crosby isn't getting any younger, folks. When he was younger and in his prime, he was disgusting. I don't see his point totals jumping to new heights, but I actually see them going down. He only produced 89 points last year, and played a full 82 games. Crosby has won tons of awards, but there are younger players who will take over. Claude Giroux - (79 points) Giroux hasn't been consistent at all, whatsoever. I can't give him a high points prediction just because he had 102 points last season. If he can be consistent throughout the rest of his career, maybe, just maybe, he can get another 100 points in one season. I know age doesn't affect you too much until you an age of around 35, but he's 30 and not getting any younger. His teammates need to step it up next season if he wants to be another top point getter. Brad Marchand - (70 points) From a personal standpoint, Brad Marchand is a little bit overrated. He's gotten 85 points the past two seasons, but hasn't been entirely consistent. I'd be surprised if he hits 85 points again. He's obviously an elite ice hockey player, but him "playing" around has cost him several suspensions. He needs to man up and become the player he is supposed to be. Alexander Ovechkin - (75 points) Oh, Alexander Ovechkin, the Stanley Cup champion. Alex killed it and stepped up to the plate so the Washington Capital could win their first ever Stanley Cup. Ovechkin hasn't been consistent points-wise, but he has been consistent with goals. He has won multiple Rocket Richard trophies to place him as one of the best goal scorers to ever play in the NHL. I think he'll still be a top player in the NHL, but won't get as many points as he got last season. John Tavares - (90 points) - I think John Tavares is going to reach his prime this year as he is going to be surrounded by better linemates. JT got 84 points last year despite his team doing very, very bad. The defense is questionable on Toronto, but I don't think it will affect JT too much as he can make his own plays if he needs to. Auston Matthews - (65 points) In his first season in the NHL, he managed to get 40 goals and 69 points. He has been a consistent around 60 points getter, but he definitely hasn't reached full prime yet. I don't think playing second line minutes will affect him too much, but it definitely doesn't help him earn a ton of points. (Please like my NHL-related content because it helps me know that you like it. Post suggestions down below and I'll try to write up something for you.)

Halifax Halifax Vegas Oslo

+10 Nathan MacKinnon

Nathan MacKinnon did some daily drills with GM Shawn Glade. He hung out with Cole and Hex for a little bit, watching them do goalie drills. A lot of fans came out during practice so that was cool for Nathan. He walked into the locker room after practice to clean himself up. He took off all of his equipment and put a change of clothes on. This girl was staring at him from afar so Nathan walked up to her to ask what she needed. She said that she was a huge fan and would love an autograph. I thought she was kind of cute...I gave her my autograph. I asked her if she wanted to hangout and do something. She jumped up and down saying yes, yes, yes. I took her in my Maserati (she was impressed) and we went to a coffee shop. I asked her what she did for a living and other stuff. She said that she was a nurse. I was like, oh, cool! I got up to go get us coffees. I put a raw sugar into my cup and took the two coffees back. Like any gentleman, he asked her if she wanted any milk or sugar in her coffee. She said that wanted a raw sugar as well. I got up again and opened a pack of raw sugar. I poured it into her cup and took it back to her. She said thank you. We finished our conversation. Before I left, I asked her if she maybe wanted to be my girlfriend. She thought for a moment...she then said.....yes! I hugged her and got her number, then I left.

Nathan MacKinnon recently bought himself a Maserati because he got his first paycheck. He is currently living in a one bedroom, 2 bath apartment near the Halifax 21st practice facility. MacKinnon thought, I have all of this money, what should I do with it? Nate was like, “I need a new place.” He thought to himself whether he should get a new apartment or house. This decision was hard as really didn’t know which one to pick. As any young man would do, he called his parents to ask for advice. He called them and they picked up right away because they loved and cared about Nate so much. They told him that he needs to stay as minimalistic as possible because he’s living alone and doesn’t have much. He got off the phone and started calling real estate agents. After a few calls, he scheduled an appointment with a real estate agent so he could tell them what he was most interested in. The next morning, Nathan woke up and did the things you do in the morning. He looked at the reminders on his phone and was like, oh crap, the appointment is today. Nathan grabbed his shoes and went right out of the door. He got into his new Maserati and drove off. The appointment was in a high rise and MacKinnon needed to hurry. He got out of his, but realized when he made it to the door that there was a keypad. He had no code so he called the real estate agent quickly. The real estate agent apologized for not giving him the code earlier. He put the code into the keypad and opened the door. Nathan decided to take the elevator up even though stairs would’ve given him exercise. The elevator door opened and he then looked down at his phone to find what number the real estate agent’s office was. The number was 5600. He went straight to that room because he was already a tad bit late. He knocked on the door lightly as he didn’t want to be rude. The person opened the door and welcomed me. The real estate agent’s name was Melissa Perkins. The first question she asked me was, do you want a condo, apartment, or house? Nathan said he wanted a house. She was like, okay, tell me what your must-haves are. Nathan told her that there needs to definitely be a pool, modernized kitchen, 3 bed, 2 bath, and the house has to be 3 stories. She then said okay and asked me what my price range was. I told her that my price range was 500k-1mil. She was like, that’s quite a large price range. I told her what I did and she was super impressed. The last question she asked me was, when do you want to go see the showings? I told her whenever she is available. She told me that she could do it at 10:00A.M., tomorrow. I took the elevator down and went back to my apartment. The next day arrived and Nathan was ecstatic to go look at houses. He did the normal morning activities, put on his shoes, and went straight out the door to the first house. Melissa was there waiting for me. I said hello and we went inside. The outside of the first house was a craftsman’s style, and it did have a basement. The kitchen was an amazing white, modern kitchen. There were 4 bedroom, 2 bath. There actually was a basement. I was surprised that there was a basement because it didn’t look like it from the front. We toured the entire house and I actually really liked it. When we were walking out, she commented on my car. She said that my car was awesome. I got kind of embarrassed, but I said thank you. She then took me to the next house. The exterior was super modern and boxy. It had 5 bed, 3 bath. I looked around, but it didn’t have a basement. The rest of the house was unbelievable. I only looked at two houses because I didn’t have a ton of time. I had practice later today. We drove back to her office and sat down. She asked me, do you want the 600k craftsman’s style or do you want the 1.1mil modern house? I told her that I came to a decision.....I want to buy the modern house.