# 2012 NHL draft and off season thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 16, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355 "2012-06-16T17:38:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/81 "2012-07-27T03:19:16Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > [Alexander Semin signs with Carolina for $7 million.](http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/carolina-hurricanes-alexander-semin-one-year-contract-072612) Staal, Semin: Staal! The Coitus interruptus line. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/82 "2012-07-27T04:21:56Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > Staal, Semin: Staal! The Coitus interruptus line. šŸ˜ƒ LOL. He better step it up for $7million. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/83 "2012-07-27T12:36:09Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Youā€™re taking a year off from hockey just to make right wing political statements? This surprises you? I called this way back when he made the original announcement. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/84 "2012-07-27T20:16:22Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Tim Thomas is interjecting himself into the Chik Fil A controversy over same sex marriage. > > [Story](http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/bruins-tim-thomas-stands-chick-fil-amidst-anti-215337426--nhl.html) > > Really, Tim? > > Youā€™re taking a year off from hockey just to make right wing political statements? > > Iā€™m wondering if heā€™s seriously thinking of getting into politics? Considering that the NHL includes a lot\* of gay-friendly athletes, I donā€™t think olā€™ Timmy is going to endear himself with the rest of the league. Hell, his own teammate, Zdeno Chara, made a video for the [You Can Play](http://youcanplayproject.org/videos/entry/you-can-play-team-captains-zdeno-chara-jason-pominville) project. Iā€™m guessing Tim wonā€™t be following in his footsteps. \*At least compared to other pro-sports. Probably all the Canadian and European influence. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/85 "2012-07-27T21:26:06Z")
Serious question: does it necessarily follow that the ā€œYou Can Playā€ endorsers are pro gay marriage? I donā€™t know. You can play is about letting openly gay players not get bullied around in sports, something I assume everyone to the left of Fred Phelps supportedā€¦ Tim Thomas is being a choad. Iā€™m tired of every entertainer giving me their dime store opinion on politicsā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/86 "2012-07-28T03:10:35Z")
> [@soulmurk](#): > > The general perception on the deal is that Columbus got some spare parts for Nash but [Dubinsky and Anisimov are underrated two-way forwards and Erixson is a highly ranked defensive prospect](http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2012/07/24/the-perception-of-dubinsky-anisimov-and-erixon-has-apparently-taken-a-nosedive/). > > The side of this story no one is mentioning is the damage NY did to itself in this trade, which, as a Devils fan I find delicious. As that article mentions, between losing Prust to FA and then trading Dubinsky and Anisimov, they lost 3 of their top 4 defensively responsible forwards who took on the tough assignments. Theyā€™ve still got some cap space, but the FA market is pretty tapped out so it would require some more trades to acquire guys who can handle starting in the defensive zone so the likes of Brad Richards and Gaborik and now Nash can enjoy all those offensive zone starts they need to be successful. What damage? Anisimov was not a top-four defensive forward on the Rangers. He was behind Boyle, Prust, Callahan, Dubinsky and Fedotenko, and Stepan and Hagelin were eating into his PK minutes and late-game defensive minutes by the end of the year. You also seem to have forgotten that the Rangers signed Pyatt and Halpern to pick up the slack. Also, itā€™s a lot easier and cheaper to pick up a defensive forward for the stretch run than to pick up a first-line player. Dubinsky, given his cap hit, would have to go regardless if the Rangers were to add anyone significant. Erixon, while a good prospect, doesnā€™t seem to have a spot for him on the Columbus blueline right now, and wouldnā€™t on the Rangers either, unless he could be switched to RD. The Rangers didnā€™t give up any of the young forwards that Columbus reportedly wanted (Stepan, Kreider, Hagelin, Miller) and didnā€™t give up Del Zotto, much less McDonagh. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/87 "2012-07-29T17:34:06Z")
> [@bmoak](#): > > Anisimov was not a top-four defensive forward on the Rangers. Fair enough, he got 52.7% Offensive Zone Starts, but his Corsi Rel was 4th best on the team amongst forwards who played at least 20 games. He also had the 5th best On-Ice Save% amongst the same group. It might be overstating things to say he was a defensive forward as he seems to have been used (rightly soā€“he was 4th on the team in Points/60) as an offensive forward, but he hasnā€™t exactly been a slouch defensively. Heā€™s exhibited strong two-way play. > [@](#): > > He was behind Boyle, Prust, Callahan, Dubinsky and Fedotenko He was [7th on the team in TOI/60](http://www.behindthenet.ca/nhl_statistics.php?ds=30&s=8&f1=2011_s&f2=5v5&f4=C+LW+RW&f5=NYR&f7=20-&c=0+1+3+5+4+6+7+8+13+14+29+30+32+33+34+45+46+63+67#) and [6th in TOI/G](http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20122NYRFAFALL&sort=avgTOIPerGame&viewName=timeOnIce), ahead of Boyle, Prust and Fedotenko in both measurements, so Iā€™m not sure where youā€™re getting your info. > [@](#): > > Stepan and Hagelin were eating into his PK minutes and late-game defensive minutes by the end of the year. You have a case for Hagelinā€¦ Stepan not so much. He was 2nd behind only Gaborik in sheltered minutes (62.9% Offensive Zone Starts) and finished 5th worst on the team in Corsi Relative. Though on the flip side, during the playoffs Stepan got strong SH/TOI while Hagelin got less SH/TOI than even Brad Richards. Not sure how much of that was related to Dubinsky being hurt though. > [@](#): > > You also seem to have forgotten that the Rangers signed Pyatt and Halpern to pick up the slack. I didnā€™t forgetā€¦ I didnā€™t know. Shrewd moves that do help fill in the gaps, but letā€™s be honest here, theyā€™re not Dubinsky and Anisimov. Even ignoring their advanced ages, 30 and 36, theyā€™re fourth liners on a team with a lot full of fourth liners who will be pushed up onto the third line in a checking role. Ask yourself, who would you rather have out there against another teamā€™s top line, Dubinksy or Jeff Halpern? Itā€™s a downgrade no matter how you slice it. > [@](#): > > Also, itā€™s a lot easier and cheaper to pick up a defensive forward for the stretch run than to pick up a first-line player. Agreed, but picking up someone for the stretch run implies the team is in a position to make a run and losing two-way and defensive depth for a couple of pylons in skates and banking that your all-world goal tender is going to repeat his career year while also hoping that the kids are ready to take the next step is a risky proposition. Sather is clearly in win-now mode and heā€™s taking a big gamble with this trade. Heā€™s given himself a two year window to win with this team, because after 2013-14 the team will be Nash, Richards and Staal. Every single other player on the roster is a free agent by that point, most of them UFAs. > [@](#): > > Dubinsky, given his cap hit, would have to go regardless if the Rangers were to add anyone significant. This is true, and heā€™s been mentioned in pretty much every trade involving the Rangers pretty much since he signed that contract. > [@](#): > > Erixon, while a good prospect, doesnā€™t seem to have a spot for him on the Columbus blueline right now My guess is heā€™ll be getting top 4 minutes by the end of the season, but theyā€™re hamstrung by their own stupidity (the Wisniewski and Johnson contracts are going to haunt them). Heā€™s not just ā€œa good prospect,ā€ heā€™s a very good prospect. His reputation takes a hit because of the shenanigans he pulled with not wanting to play for Calgaryā€¦ but who can really blame him? Karma got him in the endā€¦ > [@](#): > > The Rangers didnā€™t give up any of the young forwards that Columbus reportedly wanted (Stepan, Kreider, Hagelin, Miller) and didnā€™t give up Del Zotto, much less McDonagh. No one thought they would. Everyone knew Howson wasnā€™t going to get the names he was reportedly asking for, but thatā€™s how negotiations work. You start out asking for the stars and the moon and ā€œsettleā€ for something lesser. If he started out asking for Dubinsky and Anisimov heā€™d have ended up with Rupp. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/88 "2012-07-30T04:17:55Z")
So, the sale of the Coyotes [hits another snag](http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Phoenix/2012/07/29/20040851.html). Who knew? ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/89 "2012-07-30T04:24:02Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > So, the sale of the Coyotes [hits another snag](http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Phoenix/2012/07/29/20040851.html). Who knew? Just fucking move it, alreadyā€¦ And so I donā€™t sound like every other frat boy in Canada, I donā€™t even care where you move it. Seattle, Kansas, Las Vegasā€¦hell, build an ice rink in Mexico City. 20 million people, surely thereā€™s more people interested in the noveltyā€“and in the sun belt, ice hockey is a noveltyā€“of the NHL than in Glendale. I get the feeling like this has become personal for Bettman at this point after losing Atlanta. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/90 "2012-08-01T02:54:33Z")
Alfieā€™s coming back for another season! šŸ™‚ ā€¦Cup Run? šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/91 "2012-08-11T22:19:02Z")
So, a potential lockout if an agreement isnā€™t reached by something like Sept. 15? I donā€™t know if I could stomach another lockout. This could, and I emphasize could, turn me off the NHL for a long time. I donā€™t know the sticky points, apparently revenue sharing between teams is one of them, but do fans really have an appetite for another lockout/strike? Fuck them all, as far as Iā€™m concerned. This sport has been gaining in popularity and they wonā€™t be doing themselves any favours with another labour disagreement. Lock the fuckers out and bring in the junior teams; the calibre of hockey isnā€™t that much worse as witnessed in the annual juniorsā€™ tournaments. Sorry you canā€™t survive on $3 million a year. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/92 "2012-08-12T17:46:17Z")
IS there a real chance of a lockout, or is it just a scare? PLEASE be the latter. This time around itā€™s not the players, though ā€“ itā€™s Bettman vs. the owners. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/93 "2012-08-12T19:46:03Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > IS there a real chance of a lockout, or is it just a scare? PLEASE be the latter. This time around itā€™s not the players, though ā€“ itā€™s Bettman vs. the owners. Everything that Iā€™m hearing says, ā€œSee you in January ā€“ if youā€™re lucky.ā€ If thereā€™s another lockout, the NHL may well lose me as a viewer. Shutting down the league to squeeze a few extra million dollars out of the players? Fuck that noise. Iā€™ll find something to do with my time that wonā€™t jerk me around. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/94 "2012-08-12T21:41:27Z")
One angle Iā€™m seeing talked about is that itā€™s not only owners v players, but also owners v owners. The owners of the more financially successful teams want to reduce revenue sharing, want to remove the hard cap, etc why the owners of the financially inept teams want a lower/no cap floor, more revenue sharing and so on. So until they get on the same page, itā€™s going to be hard to negotiate with the players, who I assume are largely OK with the major elements of the current CBA. The owners fought tooth and nail for this CBA, and now are whining that it doesnā€™t work for them. The league is keeping a team on life support in the desert, which creates a bit of a conflict of interest on that front, and while theyā€™ve made more money than ever before, they are saying they canā€™t afford to pay the contracts theyā€™ve gone out and signed. Itā€™s nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/95 "2012-08-12T23:36:39Z")
Unfortunately, they donā€™t even show any other hockey on TV around here, and I canā€™t afford to go to any other games. Damn you, you greedy fucking bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355/96 "2012-08-13T10:48:17Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > The owners fought tooth and nail for this CBA, and now are whining that it doesnā€™t work for them. The league is keeping a team on life support in the desert, which creates a bit of a conflict of interest on that front, and while theyā€™ve made more money than ever before, they are saying they canā€™t afford to pay the contracts theyā€™ve gone out and signed. Itā€™s nuts. Indeed. Given the contracts offered up to Parise, Suter, and Weber this year and similar ones before, I find it hard to have any sympathy for the owners. ā€œWe need to force players to lower their salary demands and settle for maximum five year dealsā€ because the owners canā€™t be trusted to not offer insane amounts of cash and insanely long length on their own. Iā€™d respect them more if they would just come out and say that theyā€™re all insane and need to be protected from themselves because they view winning the free agent race in the same way they view winning the Stanley Cup. When this lockout comes, and boy am I ever betting itā€™s going to be a ā€œwhenā€ and not an ā€œif,ā€ Iā€™m blaming the owners. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nhl-draft-and-off-season-thread/625355.md?page=4)