RRT – Stanley Cup Finals and Beyond

RRT – Stanley Cup Finals and Beyond

It’s time for another Random Robot Thoughts. Just like that the season that seems like it started years ago comes to an end. Generally, when this point in the season comes we will say things like now things get interesting. For the first time in a while though this is actually true. For Sharks fans, we have the endless questions about will Thornton and Marleau returns. We as Sharks fans share the intrigue with the rest of the league on who will we lose in the expansion draft and who will be exposed. That is not even considering the usual post-season attractions of the entry draft and free agency. So while it’s fun to reflect on what has come before, there is still plenty of intrigue remaining to close out the 2017 season.

Penguins Repeat

This was a fun series with plenty to talk about, from the only one city can have good fans stupidity, to the Crosby vs. Subban shenanigans but what is on everyone’s mind is the early whistle. First, let’s accept that it was a brutal call and I’m sure it will be something that will haunt the referee Kevin Pollock for days to come. The Predators, to their credit, responded well to the call. The game would ultimately be decided by a flukey goal in the dying minutes of the third period. I understand the frustration amongst fans.  I certainly would not want to be a Predators fan today.  the thing that bothers me about this rage is that human error is going to always be a part of the game.

The thing that bothers me about this rage is that human error is going to always be a part of the game. You can change the rules, add more replay and still, human error will exist. Ultimately, the Predators were facing elimination in Game Six. Pekka Rinne let them down in games one and two. They got blown out of the building in game five. So while the call definitely made an impact on the game the Predators put themselves in this position. Getting blown out in game five had just as much impact on the series as the blown call. That might not come as any comfort to predator fans but that is the game. It’s definitely easy to be upset and justified but I think perspective, in this case, is important.

Odds Makers Have Penguins Repeating Next Year

The future odds for the NHL have been released and have the Penguins favored to win a third championship in a row. I always find these odds kind of foolish, with the expansion draft, free agency I honestly have no idea who will be good next year. The Penguins are a good team though and winning back to back championships in the salary cap era is a huge accomplishment. A three-peat will be no easy feat.

Last year the Penguins were able to keep their team mostly intact from the previous year, the only real loss was Ben Lovejoy. This summer they will see Marc-Andre Fleury move on to Vegas (most likely) as well as have to make some major decisions, especially on the blueline. The Penguins now find themselves in a similar position that the Blackhawks found themselves in a couple of times. Can they avoid some of the same mistakes along the way? Time will tell. On a side note, it was incredibly classy of Marc-Andre Fleury to hand the cup off to Matt Murray.

Now Things Get Interesting

Today teams moved in the first step in the expansion draft process with the deadline to ask players to waive their no-movement clauses. The most notable players asked were Marc-Andre Fleury, Keith Yandle, and Kevin Bieksa. In Fleury, the Golden Knights will get probably a better starting goalie than any expansion team in the modern era of the game. Although there is a part of me that wants Vegas to throw us a curve ball for the theater. Bieksa was linked to the Sharks before ultimately going to Anaheim and I think it’s safe to say the Sharks dodged a massive bullet.  The Ducks are going to be forced to make a move so even if Bieksa refuses to waive now he will likely get moved this summer to a preferable destination.

Doug hang up that phone…. and put the other one down too!

For the Sharks, the big question remains as to what will the Sharks do and who will they lose.  Could they lure a Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau in the free agent signing period?  Chris Tierney is still without a contract will Vegas be making a call or will the Sharks protect him.  So many questions that we will soon have the answers to.  For some expansion draft interactive fun check this out. Most importantly though keep your eyes here for more written and audio/video content as we will continue to break things down at every step, as we have only scratched the surface of the story lines this summer.