NHL 2017 -Official Discussion Thread

[Smitty-48]

I don't know, dude, Leaf fans are cynical, no doubt, but ever since we won the lottery, I haven't been feeling cynical, that changed my whole life, with Auston Matthews in the fold, I'm like all positivity all the time, riding the wave, baby, oh yeah. Patty Marleau, jump on board.

You are Mr. Peanut Butter, and I'm the Bojack Horseman of this thread. You're the Zelda, I'm the Zoe, and this thread at the moment is kind of like an imaginary 90's sitcom fictionalized in a modern day animated TV show, the way it's played out over the last few pages. Best just to roll with it.

I've been rolling with your punches the whole time, but if you just keep repeating the same concern trolling over and over, I'm gonna get bored, alls I'm saying, try to mix it up a bit, I'm a huge Patty Marleau fan, I'm a huge fan of trying Patty Marleau on Matthews' wing for a couple years, I'm a huge fan of the Patty Marleau clan joining Leafs nation, is it a gamble? Yeah, but that's what I like about it, Lou's got big brassies and he stepped up and did something agressive, without blowing the Shanaplan up in the process, me likey.

[StCapps]

Hey I've broken the Zoe schtick and played the Zelda at times, you haven't broken Zelda mode on Marleau once, other than to say there are risks with any UFA signing. I should be the one closer to boredom, I am mixing it up, you on the other hand, full on Mr. Peanut Butter mode, never breaking the happy go lucky routine.

[Smitty-48]

But I loves, loves, loves Marleau, how can I trash something which I love? That would be disengenous.

[StCapps]

But I loves, loves, loves Marleau, how can I trash something which I love? That would be disengenous.

I trash things I love all the time. What's your issue? Nothing is perfect, why the desire to never criticize anything that you like?

[Smitty-48]

But I loves, loves, loves Marleau, how can I trash something which I love? That would be disengenous.

I trash things I love all the time? What's your issue? No one is perfect.

No one need be perfect for me to loves them, Wayne Gretzky ain't perfect, Bobby Orr ain't perfect, Gordie Howe aint... well, maybe Gordie Howe, but other than Gordie...

What do you want me to say? I think Marleau has gas left in the tank, I think he has huge upside, I've said it was a gamble, but I'm good with that, you want me to just nitpick Marleau's game for the sake of nitpicking? Why?

[StCapps]

What do you want me to say? I think Marleau has gas left in the tank, I think he has huge upside, I've said it was a gamble, but I'm good with that, you want me to just nitpick Marleau's game for the sake of nitpicking? Why?

To mix it up. I want to hear your analysis of his biggest downsides in Smittian detail you are so famous for, not just a laundry list of what his possible upside could be, where you put all the effort into elaborating on that. I want to hear the other side of the coin from you, do you think your analysis of his downsides not worth hearing or something? I don't get it.

I've talked about Marleau's upside and best attributes, you haven't discussed his flaws in anywhere near that depth. I've talked both pros and cons, you only seem to want to talk about the pros. Like I said, I should be closer to boredom on this topic than you, at least I'm mixing it up over here. I like Marleau too bro, it's the hockey gods who hate the man in the playoffs, I wish they'd cut him some slack, but that's not up to me.

[Smitty-48]

Well I simply reject your notions of "chokes" and "voodoo", Marleau is not bad ju-ju and never has been, that's nonsense, I don't buy into your "choke" narratives, so I'm not going to lie and say that I do.

Now, I'm looking at a ton of video from Marleau last year, and I'm having trouble finding significant things to criticize, relative to the league, the guy is amazing, he's basically slowed down a half step in 20 years, he's like fuckin Teemu Selanne up in here...

... so what could be the big downside, he shows up to camp out of shape and isn't ready to go? There's absolutely no evidence that Marleau is that sort of player, could it happen? I suppose so, but not honestly expecting it.

[StCapps]

Well I simply reject your notions of "chokes" and "voodoo", Marleau is not bad ju-ju and never has been, that's nonsense, I don't buy into your "choke" narratives, so I'm not going to lie and say that I do.

Now, I'm looking at a ton of video from Marleau last year, and I'm having trouble finding significant things to criticize, relative to the league, the guy is amazing, he's basically slowed down a half step in 20 years, he's like fuckin Teemu Selanne up in here...

... so what could be the big downside, he shows up to camp out of shape and isn't ready to go? There's absolutely no evidence that Marleau is that sort of player, could it happen? I suppose so, but not honestly expecting it.

Nothing to criticize, means perfection. Try harder, split hairs if you have to, this is not a detailed analysis of weaknesses. Stop pretending he has none, analyze or just keep being a Zelda, and never break character, whatevs.

I mixed it up, you just don't want to follow suit for the sake of the conversation I suppose. Zero balance, all positivity.

[Smitty-48]

There's nothing particularly significant to criticize, relative to the league, I'm not comparing him to perfection, I'm comparing him to 700 hockey players in the NHL, and relative to them, he appears to be super elite, big, fast, smart, off the rush, down low, in front of the net, he appears to be explosive when he needs to be, heavy when he needs to be, and he knows exactly where to go to score goals in the NHL, is he dining out a bit on Joe Thornton? Sure, but it's not like the Leafs are not a dynamic team which can dish the puck with the best in the League, Matty and Willy can't feed him passes on the tape like that? Sure they can.

I think this may actually just be a case, of San Jose taking him for granted, just not appreciating what they have, until it is gone.

[StCapps]

There's nothing particularly significant to criticize, relative to the league, I'm not comparing him to perfection, I'm comparing him to 700 hockey players in the NHL, and relative to them, he appears to be super elite, big, fast, smart, off the rush, down low, in front of the net, he appears to be explosive when he needs to be, heavy when he needs to be, and he knows exactly where to go to score goals in the NHL, is he dining out a bit on Joe Thorton? Sure, but it's not like the Leafs are not a dynamic team which can dish the puck with the best in the League, Matty and Willy can't feed him passes on the tape like that? Sure they can.

Another list of pros. It's like you are incapable of discussing cons.

Basically: There are no cons, except he's a old UFA, but the same can be said of any old UFA. He's well rounded, so that means there is nothing about his game worth criticizing.


Thanks for the detailed breakdown bro.