THW Daily - Kreider’s Contract Looks Like a Bargain & Tortorella’s Bias in Decision Making
Also, concerning tendencies from Huberdeau, latest analysis from Toronto, & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have why Kreider’s contract looks like a bargain for the Rangers, Flyers head coach John Tortorella’s bias in decision-making, buy or sell in Toronto, and much more.
It would be great if you’d share THW Daily with your friends and family so that they can subscribe and enjoy every day.
Also, don’t forget to check out all of our FREE team Substacks, and sign up for your favorite…or all of them if you want.
Here’s the good stuff…
Yesterday’s NHL Scores…
Flames’ Huberdeau Showing Concerning Tendencies Early On
October 18, 2023 by Rupert McDonald
2023-24 will be a bounce back season for many on the Calgary Flames. That is what many fans heard all summer long, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t echoed those sentiments. I also, like many among the Flames fan and media base, believed they would be a very good team in 2022-23, which ended up being a complete disaster.
The first important thing to acknowledge is that the Flames are just three games into the 2023-24 campaign, and while they haven’t looked great, their 1-1-1 record gives no reason to panic. With 79 games remaining, there is more than enough time for those who haven’t looked great early into the season to get things on track. That said, one player who you can’t help but worry about given his struggles a season ago is Jonathan Huberdeau.
Rangers’ Kreider Making Contract Look Like a Bargain
October 18, 2023 by Tom Castro
Although the New York Rangers have played only three games, Chris Kreider looks ready to continue his “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” impression into the 2023-24 season. The 2008 movie about a man who ages in reverse doesn’t seem like such a ridiculous parallel at this point to Kreider, the Rangers’ 32-year-old left wing whose quick start seems to indicate that his late-career rise will continue.
In the process, Kreider has made his contract, a popular pick to age poorly when he signed it in February 2020, one which the value is instead increasing as time passes. Kreider’s hot start evoked memories of 2022-23, when he scored twice in the Rangers’ second game of the season after recording an assist in the opener, and 2021-22, when he scored in each of the first three games.
Red Wings: 3 Intriguing Stats & How They Impact Team Offense
October 18, 2023 by Tony Wolak
Through three games, the Detroit Red Wings are 2-1-0 and look like a much more competent team than what we saw last year. Scoring is up and team defense is steady – Derek Lalonde’s squad already looks like a well-oiled machine. Even though the sample size is very, very small, there are a few stats that have jumped off the page so far this season. Sure, they will likely regress – but to what degree? Let’s dig into the data and touch on the impact of these three trends.
Maple Leafs Buy or Sell: Nylander, McCabe, Liljegren, Domi
October 18, 2023 by Jim Parsons
In our continued series, “Buy or Sell”, this week is all about contracts and subpar defense, which has been a struggle for the Toronto Maple Leafs through three games.
News has come out that the Leafs and William Nylander are more likely than not to get a deal done, but there are still questions as to what the delay is. In other chatter, the big focus is on forwards who aren’t pulling their weight, defensive pairings that aren’t working, and whether the team can outscore their problems.
Flyers’ John Tortorella Showing Bias in Decision Making
October 18, 2023 by Justin Giampietro
Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella has already created some drama this season with some of his coaching decisions. To put it bluntly, he is not being truthful about how he will run the team.
Bruins 3 Up, 3 Down: Pastrnak, Forbort, Shattenkirk & More
October 18, 2023 by Scott Roche
Through the first two games of the 2023-24 season, things have gone as well as they could have for the Boston Bruins. They won both games at home and now they begin a four-game, six-day road trip out West. In the latest edition of Bruins 3 Up, 3 Down, we will look back at the last week of the season for the Black and Gold
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Winnipeg Jets - Jets Should Trade for Canucks’ Conor Garland
New Jersey Devils - The Three Biggest Issues Facing the Devils After the First Week
NHL News & Rumors - Canucks, Rangers, Flames, Canadiens
From TSN - Norris scores in first game back for Senators
From Sportsnet - 32 Thoughts: Why it's important to showcase NHL player personalities
From ESPN - No. 2 pick Leo Carlsson expected to debut for Ducks vs. Stars
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Daily, and we hope to expand our daily offerings as we develop and experiment with this new platform. Cheers!