The Official 2023-24 Season Talk Thread

[bhurst99]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

I don't think the Canucks are going to win the Presidents' Trophy (I would prefer they didn't TBH), and I'm not expecting much in the playoffs, but what Tocchet & co. have accomplished to date is bonkers: 2015-16: 28th overall, 29th GF, 24th GA 2016-17: 29th overall, 29th GF, 24th GA 2017-18: 26th overall, 27th GF, 26th GA 2018-19: 23rd overall, 25th GF, 20th GA 2019-20: 19th overall, 8th GF, 19th GA (made postseason) 2020-21: 24th overall, 24th GF, 26th GA 2021-22: 18th overall, 18th GF, 9th GA 2022-23: 22nd overall, 13th GF, 24th GA 2023-24 (as of March 23): 1st overall, 4th GF, 4th GA # of teams in the last 50 years that finished 1st overall the season after missing the playoffs: 1 (the 93/94 Rangers, who won Presidents' Trophies in '92 and '94 and missed the playoffs the season in-between)

Nobody but me cares but it is a fantastic race for the President's Trophy this year with seven teams within three points -- NY Rangers (100 points), Dallas (99), Boston (99), Vancouver (98), Florida (97), Colorado (97) and Carolina (97).

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by bhurst99

Nobody but me cares but it is a fantastic race for the President's Trophy this year with seven teams within three points -- NY Rangers (100 points), Dallas (99), Boston (99), Vancouver (98), Florida (97), Colorado (97) and Carolina (97).

It is a good race - bummer that the only thing you get from winning it is extra pressure in the playoffs.

[slickdtc]

Brother we’re out here just trying to make the dance!

[Majingir]

Just saw this is the first time in the Bettman era where we have 3 straight seasons of the league averaging 3+ goals per game.

For context, from 1996-2020 we had 3 TOTAL seasons of the average being 3+ goals.

Hopefully this trend does continue because the NHL is more exciting with explosive offense, although GMs and coaches prefer 2-1 games over 5-4 ones. Though when you have Matthews chasing 70 goals (even if he doesn't get it, he has a shot at 66 which would be the most since 95/96) and McDavid chasing 100 assists (Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr are only guys to ever get 100 assists), how is that not fun?

Although, the numbers have been a bit skewed with empty net goal, which is more common in today's hockey than the past.

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

Just saw this is the first time in the Bettman era where we have 3 straight seasons of the league averaging 3+ goals per game. For context, from 1996-2020 we had 3 TOTAL seasons of the average being 3+ goals.

Yes, and those other 3 seasons were 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2005/06 (which was juiced by a billion PP).

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

Hopefully this trend does continue because the NHL is more exciting with explosive offense, although GMs and coaches prefer 2-1 games over 5-4 ones. Though when you have Matthews chasing 70 goals (even if he doesn't get it, he has a shot at 66 which would be the most since 95/96) and McDavid chasing 100 assists (Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr are only guys to ever get 100 assists), how is that not fun? Although, the numbers have been a bit skewed with empty net goal, which is more common in today's hockey than the past.

My lukewarm take: on a game in, game out basis, the current era (starting around 2017/18) is the 2nd most entertaining in the 44 years I've been following the NHL.

Here's how I'd rank them:

1. The Golden Years (1986-1994)

2. The McDavid/Matthews Era* (2017-present)

3a. The "New NHL" (2005-2017)

3b. The Great Gretzky (1979-86)

5. The Dead Puck Era (1995-2004)

*A better name will present itself in time

[Majingir]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

Yes, and those other 3 seasons were 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2005/06 (which was juiced by a billion PP). My lukewarm take: on a game in, game out basis, the current era (starting around 2017/18) is the 2nd most entertaining in the 44 years I've been following the NHL. Here's how I'd rank them: 1. The Golden Years (1986-1994) 2. The McDavid/Matthews Era* (2017-present) 3a. The "New NHL" (2005-2017) 3b. The Great Gretzky (1979-86) 5. The Dead Puck Era (1995-2004) *A better name will present itself in time

I was also looking at the top 10 point getters. This would also be the first time we've had back to back seasons where everyone in the top 10 has at least 100 points since most of the 80s until the 90/91 season.

This is absolutely what you want in the league. Can you believe 14/15 didn't even have a single guy over 90 points!?

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

I was also looking at the top 10 point getters. This would also be the first time we've had back to back seasons where everyone in the top 10 has at least 100 points since most of the 80s until the 90/91 season. This is absolutely what you want in the league. Can you believe 14/15 didn't even have a single guy over 90 points!?

Yeah, I probably should've divided up the "New NHL" into two eras (2005-2010 and 2010-2017).

05/06: 7 players w/ 100 pts, 5 players w/ 50 goals
06/07: 7 100 pts, 2 50 goals
07/08: 2 100 pts, 3 50 goals
08/09: 3 100 pts, 1 50 goals
09/10: 4 100 pts, 3 50 goals

10/11: 1 100 pts, 1 50 goals
11/12, 1 100 pts, 2 50 goals
12/13: 1 100 pts, 1 50 goals (pro-rated)
13/14: 1 100 pts, 1 50 goals
14/15: 0 100 pts, 1 50 goals
15/16: 1 100 pts, 1 50 goals
16/17: 1 100 pts, 0 50 goals

There's probably no one single reason for this, but I can't help but think the high-flying Caps getting Halak'd in 2010 convinced a lot of "hockey men" that you can't win by scoring goals.

Meanwhile, since then:

17/18: 3 100 pts, 0 50 goals
18/19: 6 100 pts, 2 50 goals
19/20: 7 100 pts, 4 50 goals (pro-rated)
20/21: 4 100 pts, 1 50 goals (pro-rated)
21/22: 8 100 pts, 4 50 goals
22/23: 11 100 pts, 5 50 goals
23/24: 10 100 pts, 5 50 goals (projected)

[DrJones]

As of EOD Jan 24:

1. MacKinnon 82 pts
2. Kucherov 80 pts
...
10. McDavid 60 pts

As I post this (Oilers game completed, Avs game in 1st intermission, Bolts game just starting):

T1. MacKinnon 125 pts
T1. McDavid 125 pts
3. Kucherov 124 pts

He's straight-up Thanos at this point.