Sunday Night Pint 7 is here so grab your girls and grab your beers!
Today we’ve got a rambunctious group of rowdies! Zach Laing, Corey Mitchell, and Kris Hansen from Oil on Whyte have all come forward to give us their takes on what we think is the most important news the NHL has to offer.
We’re going to be talking about Taylor Hall goals, Patrick Kane and what happens when he tries to score but is denied, Connor McDavid’s new Roommate, and kick ass drinks!
Let’s get to it!
Will Taylor Hall Score More or Less than 35 Goals in 2015/16?
KH: I think he’s just a hair under 35 goals this season. I do not think it’s a question of ability, but rather a question of health. If Hall is healthy, for sure he can be a big point producer; he was a point per game player the last two seasons where he played almost a full season. Last season injuries derailed him. Still, I think he gets the most points of the Oilers this year. It’s also interesting to note that he had more assists than goals in his career year, although you would have to imagine that would change playing with McDavid. I’m playing it “safe” and saying he gets 33 goals and he gets great chemistry with McDavid. It’s just the durability that is the biggest question. From the really small sample size we saw at the BioSteel camp, there’s definitely some reason to be excited for a Hall-McDavid combo.
CM: My over/under on Taylor Hall goals? I’m setting it at 35, and I take the over. Obviously, like every season, Hall’s health will be a factor. But let’s keep in mind he’s two years removed from his 80 point year, where he almost broke 30 goals for the first time. Playing with McDavid, I think he hits that mark, and then some. Hall’s coming off the most disappointing year he’s seen in his professional career.
At the other end of the spectrum, he also has the experience of playing with arguably the best player in the world, and winning gold a the World Championships. Winning is something Hall hasn’t done since his second Memorial Cup with Windsor. All that should provide the motivation for Hall to have a career year. I think there might be some growing pains, as he adjusts to McDavid adjusting to the NHL, if that makes sense, but by the second half of the year, Hall is going to explode.
BLH: I reckon Hallsy will only put up more than 35 goals if he can stay healthy for the first time in a long time. But no doubt about it, being one of the best LWs in the game, having one of the best wrist shots in the league and playing alongside McDavid, that should definitely be enough to get him to at least 40 goals if not more. Stay healthy Taylor!
Do You Think Patrick Kane Will Be Traded? If So, Where To?
KH: I don’t think Kane gets dealt. There’s still a lot going on with his situation where it’s really hard to comment on, due to the lack of information. As such, it’s unfair to condemn or protect him at this point of time. Value wise, you bet there’d be a ton, but he does start that monstrous contract. He’s one of the best Right Wingers in the game and probably the best American player in the NHL. However: what team would actually trade for a guy before he’s deemed innocent or guilty? That’s such a huge gamble. I cannot see any team trading for him today due to the fact that his future is in the air. Too many what ifs.
ZL: The Kane situation is very tough. I find it hard to believe that the Blackhawks are willing and ready to move on from him, however this is his 3rd strike as a member of the team. The 2009 cab incident as well as incident in 2012 where he was partying University of Wisconsin-Madison’s annual Mifflin Street Block Party and some lewd pictures came out of him posing with some ladies who has a few too many. In my own personal opinion, I think the outcome of the new rape allegations will help determine whether or not he will be traded.
CM: A lot can be said about Patrick Kane at the moment. However, I don’t think “traded” is going to be included in that category. And that’s not for lack of wanting to on the part of Chicago. I definitely think Stan Bowman would love to move a player that has multiple examples of off ice issues, as well as a contract that, I feel, was hastily signed, and really put Chicago in a serious cap crunch, that has already seen three big pieces of the Blackhawks most recent championship team moved, with more dominoes to fall.
The issue is, as I said, the contract. Sure, there are a handful of teams with more than enough cap space to take on a Patrick Kane, but does he really want to play in Florida? A better question is, would a team like Florida be willing to move the pieces necessary to acquire Kane? You’ve got to think the asking starts with Aaron Ekblad.
No, I don’t think Kane gets moved. I think he sticks with Chicago, and they’re forced to move another key player to clear cap space for one of the two contracts Stan Bowman signed, that I think are really going to hurt the NHL, and more than likely, lead to another lockout. But that’s a topic for another pint.
BLH: Recently I wrote about this here. Basically I could see him getting traded but you have to take into consideration his contract and the locale. I can’t see a major market team giving up major assets to pick him up. More like a Southern market team. Maybe the Florida Panthers or Arizona Coyotes. They have mad assets to be able to pull of a deal for a superstar like Kane and nobody watches their hockey games.
What’s Your Take on Connor McDavid Rooming With Taylor Hall This Season?
KH: RE McDavid rooming with Hall: it’s absolutely stupid and ridiculous that people are upset with this. This is something that people have no control and should have little interest in. Instead of applauding Hall as a leader taking a young kid under his wing, you know, stepping up, people are more concerned about Halls “partying” and “attitude problems”
Where the hell do people get this from? Do they ACTUALLY know Hall? No, they hear it from their friends brothers buddy who was at a bar in 2011 and use that as a FACT. I’ve read a lot of dumb comments, making stupid assumptions based on nothing.
It’s a new level of dumb that people actually care about this.
ZL: For some reason unknown to me, everyone looks at McDavid living with Hall in a negative context; but just like everything in Edmonton the last 10 years, the fans of the team are overreacting. On Twitter, people talk of how Taylor Hall isn’t the most pleasant person when he is met by fans in public. That’s okay though, because not all public figures are the most pleasant.
CM: Once again, this fan base turns a non issue into a hot topic. I think McDavid living with Hall is a great idea. These are two guys who are going to be hearing their names together everyday for the foreseeable future. Why not have them develop off ice chemistry as well as on ice? We didn’t seem to mind when Hall and Eberle lived together, so why does it matter now? Short answer is, it doesn’t.
BLH: Meh. Who cares? There’ll be those who want to see him bunking up with Andrew Ference or Matt Hendricks and those that would love to see him with Hall or Nuge. I have no issues with the team placing them together. It’s going to be their show for the foreseeable future anyhow. Why not cultivate the relationship?
What’s Your Favorite Goalie Mask?
KH: I remember my first NHL season I really followed was back in 95-96 (and I say 
loosely because I was only a first grader!) so the 90s really influenced my choice. First up is John Vanbiesbrouck’s Panther mask. It’s simple and had a nice look to it. A full Panther mask? With the cage being in the Panther’s mouth? That’s so cool! It also helped with Beezer was on the cover of NHL 97 for my old Sega Genesis. I think it’s an underrated mask.
Also up there is Kelly Hrudey’s LA Kings mask. I love it. I was a big fan of the Hollywood sign on the front flanked by rolls of film. I always loved the black and silver look of the Los Angeles Kings and that mask summed up the 90s era Kings pretty well for me.
will mention it. Eddie the Eagle’s mask is a classic. Patrick Roy with the Canadiens was a nice clean look. Brodeur’s is a staple. ZL: I’m a fan of the old Terry Sawchuk no-mask.
CM: Favorite goalie mask? That’s a really tough one, given how goalie masks have really 
become an art form in recent years. I really liked Rolosson’s mask when he joined the Oilers. And there’s something to be said about the classic Ed Belfour and Curtis Joseph designs. But for my pick, I’m going way off base. My favorite goalie mask? Denis Lemieux. What started out as a plain, boring white mask on a mediocre goalie, soon gave way to the black mask, with the skull and crossbones, blood 
dripping from the fangs. It really reflected the change in attitude the Chiefs got once the Hansons came on board, and helped Denis find his game. That’s why he “ownzzza, ownzzza” the best mask in my opinion.
BLH: Mine is Brian Hayward’s San Jose Sharks Mask. It was a gamechanger and a trail blazer in terms of mask designs.
Speaking of McDavid, If He Was a Drink, What Drink Would He Be?
KH: I’m lame at this. Since he’s boring in the media (where there is absolutely nothing wrong with) I think when you look at it, it would be like a rum and coke. But once you start drinking that rum and coke, you realize that it’s actual Coca Cola and has the triple amount.
ZL: McDavid would be a smooth, silky 30 year old scotch.
CM: These fourth questions are sometimes my favorite ones to answer, because they’re so unexpected when we come up with these weekly topics. McDavid as a drink….. I don’t think its as simple as a straight shot, or even a highball. You’d have to have the smoothness of a fine scotch, mixed with how fast Jagerbombs go down to represent his speed. Throw in the skill required to make a great martini, as well as a tequila shot, since he’s going to be turning defenders inside out, much like tequila does to my stomach, and you have the makings of a pretty disgusting drink.
BLH: McDavid would be a Tequila shot. You know as soon as you drink it trouble is coming. The same with Connor McDavid. As soon as you see he’s got the puck and blazing toward the defence, you know that they’ve got problems they haven’t even thought about yet.
Thanks for reading! I hope you’re enjoying our Season Primers series and let us know in the comments below if you agree with our assessments.
Winters are completely unforgiving in Edmonton and the next one is fast approaching, so why not head on over to the Beer League Heroes Merch Shop and pick up a nice sweater, hoodie or long sleeve shirt with a 16-Bit Oilers Away version of Connor McDavid, Taylor Hall, Darnell Nurse or Cam Talbot on it?
You’ll not only be warm but you’ll look DAMN SEXY!
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Take Care!
BLH
