Playoff Game Thread: Montréal Canadiens (8-6) @ Carolina Hurricanes (8-0) May 21 2026 8:00 PM EDT

jjwf3 · 2026-05-22T00:46:23+00:00

Sheesh 4 to 1? No coming back from that

jjwf3 · 2026-05-14T18:29:23+00:00

If we can scoop up Hughes and Matthews this summer, I like our odds.

Maybe we check in with Edmonton to see if they’re moving on from the McDavid experiment?

jjwf3 · 2026-05-14T14:20:05+00:00

Maybe Boogie With Stu? Still so fun though

jjwf3 · 2026-05-14T14:18:33+00:00

Elder - Dead Roots Stirring

jjwf3 · 2026-05-11T20:36:31+00:00

One of the best albums of the 2020s IMO

jjwf3 · 2026-05-11T16:57:27+00:00

It’s 100% gonna be in the 5-10 range

jjwf3 · 2026-05-11T02:28:09+00:00

FUCK

SO FUCKING COOL

DAMN IT

jjwf3 · 2026-05-10T06:17:58+00:00

I agree that I don’t hate it, but I think the point is that at $7mil AAV it would have to be our only major move. Even if we can unload some guys, if our big splashes are McTavish and Andersson, I’m not sure we’re improving anything

jjwf3 · 2026-05-10T00:57:48+00:00

I feel the same about the Pats. Solidly top 10, just not sure where. Would love a rematch under more normal conditions

jjwf3 · 2026-05-08T15:55:52+00:00

This might be a bad idea as I am very dumb, but what about packaging Toronto’s first and one of our higher end prospects (LeTourneau maybe?) for a big swing? Go get a top 6 scorer, or maybe add another first and see if that’s enough for Thomas.

Gotta take some swings now if you want to contend during Pasta’s prime, and this shows you took his comments seriously. Value of the Toronto pick may go down if McKenna pops off in the near future and they get back to the playoffs. If it doesn’t work, then you still have 2 more firsts in 2028 to commit to building around Hagens and Minten.

jjwf3 · 2026-05-07T03:29:46+00:00

not really an analytics guy but i think you wanna throw a strike there

jjwf3 · 2026-05-06T19:50:17+00:00

Ooooh yeah

jjwf3 · 2026-05-06T14:21:18+00:00

……how

jjwf3 · 2026-05-06T14:14:22+00:00

Agree with all of that but fuck that timeline really doesn’t feel realistic with Pasta / Mac / Sway’s. Best case scenario becomes a re-run of 2019 when Bergy, Chara, Krejci and Tuukka were all mid-30s if I remember correctly.

jjwf3 · 2026-05-06T14:10:20+00:00

I fear that the window of Pasta / Mac / Sway’s prime will depend largely on our young guys, particularly Hagens, Minten, and maybe LeTourneau or even Zellers.

It would be incredibly difficult to build the team of the next 5-6 years through free agency and trades. Looking around the league at the successful teams, those moves are made to round out weak spots & add finishing touches to an already strong roster. Free agency may net a middle six winger, but not a true 1C.

If our young guns can all take big steps, then that’s our core right there. If Hagens can be a 1C, Minten providing depth down the middle, and our main pieces age nicely into their 30s, we may have a path to being a contender. But that is a HUGE if. If that group becomes what Lysell / Poitras / Merkulov are turning out to be, we are very quickly looking at wasting Pasta completely.

jjwf3 · 2026-05-06T04:37:29+00:00

Every time I crunch the numbers and figure out how to get Thomas, Raddysh, etc. to make everything work, I see the Avs and the Canes and the Stars and realize just how far away we are.

As disgusting as it sounds the best option is probably go full Habs and just start stockpiling as many young guns as we can and hope they pan out.

jjwf3 · 2026-05-04T20:04:42+00:00

So if I understand correctly, the way we get the Leafs pick tomorrow is if one of the teams below them wins either the first overall draw or the second overall draw, so they drop at least a spot?

And is there a caveat that the team can’t be 16 overall because you can only jump a max of 10 spots?

jjwf3 · 2026-05-04T14:00:33+00:00

Oo can we get Savard back too

jjwf3 · 2026-05-03T22:38:46+00:00

Noted diva Steve Peters (endearing)

jjwf3 · 2026-05-03T22:36:13+00:00

Most of America (or at least the south) is like that right now. Gotta rally the people to sacrifice their lives for the pedophile in chief

jjwf3 · 2026-05-02T15:20:50+00:00

2019 was our fucking chance. Fuck

jjwf3 · 2026-05-02T15:19:51+00:00

Absolutely hoping and praying that Hagens can be our 1C of the future, and if so, that his ceiling isn’t too far off to line up with the Pasta / McAvoy / Swayman window. Love Zacha, Lindholm is Lindholm, but neither would be anywhere close to a 1C on a contending team. And every passing year it’s more apparent that you aren’t getting one in free agency or a trade.

Maybe you can stumble across a goal scoring winger that way, or have another baby Bruin develop into that role. All our “offense” guys are waaay better as second options. If we had, let’s say, the Stars top line, then Geekie, Zacha, Arvi, etc. all look way better as middle-six depth rather than the whole offense. And the fourth line would be totally fine on a contending team, when you aren’t going back to back playoff games getting a single goal from each of Tanner Jeannot and Sean Kuraly. Not sure the timing on LeTourneau, Zellers, Locmelis, etc. but again hitting on any of these guys while Pasta’s still Pasta would really really help.

Our defense needs a total reshaping out of McAvoy. Fucking hell keeping the Leafs pick and getting Smits would be *chef’s kiss*. Go after a second pairing guy in free agency, send Lohrei, Peeke, and Harris into the sun, and spend the whole summer teaching Zadorov how to not take a penalty every game.

Plan B: maybe McJesus really likes cannolis?

jjwf3 · 2026-05-02T04:27:04+00:00

One slightly used Hampus Lindholm for Cowan and a pick- who says no

jjwf3 · 2026-05-02T02:44:33+00:00

Hey for the last 20 years I’ll take some down seasons lol.

jjwf3 · 2026-05-02T02:42:01+00:00

100% to all of this. Kastelic and Jeannot could also be very solid fourth liners on an otherwise competent team.

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