Jets winger Patrik Laine battled inconsistency throughout most of last season with a significant portion of his 30 goals last season coming in November where he scored 18 times. Beyond that month, he struggled considerably at times and admitted to NHL.com’s Tim Campbell that the stress of not having a contract beyond the end of the year was getting to him. With a lot of top players now bypassing the bridge deals altogether, there’s a lot more pressure knowing that the big money contract can be on the horizon. However, his inconsistencies ultimately resulted in him having to take a short-term pact but he certainly seems more comfortable now as his ten points in five games give him a tie for the early league lead in scoring.
More from the West:
- While Seattle has their GM in place already in Ron Francis, don’t expect them to be naming a head coach for a while. In an appearance on TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that the window for the expansion franchise to name a head coach probably won’t open up until January 2021. That would still be three months earlier than when Vegas made Gerard Gallant their first bench boss.
- Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat wasted little time signing a three-year extension earlier this month but it appears that Dylan Strome will be waiting a while for his. Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that there have been no discussions regarding an extension between the team and Strome’s representatives. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise given that his track record of success is much smaller; it’s understandable that Chicago will want to see if his strong performance with them after joining them from Arizona carries over to this season before making a commitment towards getting a new deal done.
The Hawks still have the same problems as last year. Can’t kill a penalty, Can’t win a faceoff, Seabrook and Keith are slow and constantly turn the puck over in their own end. Smith and Carpenter are basically worthles. Get rid of them, bring up Wedin, Boqvist, and Beaudin and let Keith and Seabrook sit in the pressbox. Maybe wasting away there will get them to waive their No Movement Deals. Going to be a long season folks.
I agree. I know it is a small sample size, but from what I have seen in preseason and the first two games, my prediction for this season is they miss the playoffs again and Bowman goes.
Typical haters laying around in your lazy boy , flicking the remote control , in your crusty boxers , complaining all the time, sipping on Jack Daniels, and hot Bud Light left open over night, go watch some golf.
Great Hockey analysis. When you leave twitter you’re really just like a goldfish that the cat swatted out of the tank aren’t you?
I have been watching hockey in person and in my lazy boy for a long time. I know hockey and the Hawks defense sucks. I am not a hater, just call it like it is! Anytime you score 5 goals at home and lose. Something is wrong!
Thanks for the compliment evil Bozo , don’t do twitter it’s only for clowns don’t like them either, don’t like goldfish or cats. prefer rattlesnakes and alligator gar , they have a little bite to them.
Need to clean your boxers