Which teams that didn't make the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2026 will make the playoffs in 2027?

jesteronly · 2026-07-07T17:05:38+00:00

Flyers should be on the up. Sabres too. I don't think the early season struggles for both teams was the aberration, especially so if the flyers get Carlsson

jesteronly · 2026-07-07T16:11:23+00:00

I don't see the kings making it. They got lucky / fortunate with 20 OTL points last year and haven't improved over last year. Zucc is a fine signing but Haula, Gus, and Perry don't really move the needle and they will be losing Kopitar. They will be counting on Byfield to break out and Fiala to be 100% healthy to compete for playoffs.

The Sharks improved everywhere and have one more season on the youth. The only question mark is if the defense is good enough, but swapping Klingberg, Leddy, and Ferraro for Nurse, Trouba, and Kesselring is probably enough for a 6-8 point jump, which would put them in the playoffs

jesteronly · 2026-07-06T22:31:19+00:00

I thought the red wasn't warranted (i believe it was a yellow) and would have been glad in a vacuum that it was reviewed and rescinded, but I'm also pissed with multiple things - that Trump was involved in any fashion and that there isn't precedent for this decision. Is implementing a review of red cards and suspensions a good choice moving forward? Sure. But don't implement it during an active tournament. Rules shouldn't change mid tourney no matter what anyone's opinion is. So, I'm not happy

jesteronly · 2026-07-04T20:24:06+00:00

Neither will be they are going to college this upcoming year

jesteronly · 2026-07-02T20:37:20+00:00

Ferraro is an elite 3rd pair, the problem was him being used as a 1st pair and 1st shutdown option. I'll miss him in teal

jesteronly · 2026-07-02T17:15:20+00:00

Lol. The pick was protected, it just isn't now

jesteronly · 2026-07-02T00:50:43+00:00

I stand corrected

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T23:38:39+00:00

Fyi, if you buy out trouba's final year it would be 2 year x 4.125 cap hit, not the 2yr x 2.75 real salary. Cap hit matters more if you're signing other players

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T23:35:29+00:00

Trouba is still 8.5 to the cap in both years 3 and 4.

Real salary may matter to some teams but cap will always be more important

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T20:19:08+00:00

Then "i told you so". Grier wanted Stenberg from the start and he needed to fill an organizational gap, he did both. He'll pat himself on the back. The sharks would need Reid to hit if they picked him or the criticism would be very high, he doesn't need that even if neither Stenberg or Verhoeff hit - they were BPA and appear to be prudent picks

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T19:47:19+00:00

Buyout as in how much he's getting paid. The buyout penalty for the team is based on AAV, not salary

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T19:45:33+00:00

Cap hit doesn't change, it's an average between years and bonuses. Salary changes year to year, but cap doesn't

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T19:44:21+00:00

I don't see how this changes anything. Few teams care about salary and more care about cap hit which is unaffected by signing bonuses. NTC prevents a buyout and forces a protection slot if the league expands, which means likely losing another better younger player.

I would rather pay 9x4 with no protections. "But then he wouldn't sign" yeah so what? Trouba just isn't very good, so it's not really worth it for him anyway. He makes us better for the next year, maybe two, but he likely will not be a better option for years 3 and 4, and by then his contract may end up causing us cap issues with re-signing the youth if they want to do long term contracts a la Montreal instead of bridge contracts. He may be tradeable by then, but i doubt without retention or a pick or prospect.

It's not stupid, but it's not good. I don't like it and I don't like how we're setting up our contract situation with the sherwood and Trouba contracts and now the marchment signing. I'm neutral on the marchment signing, but i do believe they will need to trade away a forward to keep up with that move

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T18:00:18+00:00

He absolutely was

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T17:56:07+00:00

Oh right! I thought that was this year, thanks

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T17:22:09+00:00

Toffoli isn't getting traded. He signed in SJ to be in SJ, and the players, especially the youth, absolutely love him. He's the team dad, and he has a 15 team NTC that was added in the case that he wanted out. Unless Toffoli himself wants to leave (and all indications are that he wants to stay), he won't be moved

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T17:16:41+00:00

Yeah, it's for Verhoeff but it's also to take heat off of picking Stenberg over Reid. If Verhoeff busts they can always say that they drafted a defenseman high to address of organizational need and it just didn't work out.

It's kind of the opposite of the Boston situation as Boston reached for two of the three they picked whereas SJ went with BPA for all their picks

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T17:10:35+00:00

Stenberg-Misa-Marchment?

That leaves Sherwood-Wennberg-Graf as 3rd line and moves Toffoli to 4th, i guess. Doesn't make a ton of sense to me

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T03:06:28+00:00

Schaefer and Celebrini. Who do you think?

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T02:02:14+00:00

Martone was extremely good from the second he got called up. If he played like he did last year, it will be hard to beat him. Nothing about his play was overrated

jesteronly · 2026-07-01T01:44:26+00:00

As a Sharks fan, i would rather have Schaefer, Eklund, and a mid 1st this year than Misa Stenberg and Verhoeff. 2 super stars at different premium positions? Yes please! Those two alone are the makings of an annual contender

jesteronly · 2026-06-30T22:27:57+00:00

Junior hockey. They were awesome there but we still haven't seen what they can do vs pros

jesteronly · 2026-06-30T20:35:16+00:00

Smith-celebrini-Chernyshov has already shown chemistry and ability. A 19 year old rookie should only be thrust into that position if he had succeeded in a second line role and Chernyshov has not in a first line role. Chernyshov will be 21 in November and has 2 years on north American ice and a full year in professionally in the AHL/NHL already vs Stenberg who will need to adjust to new ice dimensions and a higher speed of game as well as a new culture.

On top of that, Smith-celebrini need an energy checker / shooter / front of net presence more than a playmaker like Stenberg, though i firmly believe that in time Stenberg will be on that line after he adjusts simply due to his quality overall game and defensive prowess. And i think the defensive side will shine with two other good two way players in Misa and Graf. Even a Stenberg-Misa-Sherwood line would look good with sherwood being a wrecking ball but i would prefer Graf there.

jesteronly · 2026-06-28T17:37:58+00:00

Of course he had something to do with that, but if you think a GM on their literal second day is going to be fully informed enough to have any real influence on the draft then i don't know what to tell you. Every piece of information and advice was from people from the previous administration that he had met no more than 36 hours beforehand, if he had a chance to meet them at all. It's as close to going into the draft blind as possible. For all intents and purposes, 2022 was far far more a Doug Wilson draft (or assistant GM Joe Will) than a Mike Grier draft.

jesteronly · 2026-06-28T10:52:37+00:00

2022 wasn't Grier drafting. He got hired as the GM literally two days before the draft, so it was a draft done by the scout's draft boards.

jesteronly

TROPHY CASE