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The Blackhawks organization was stuck between a rock and a hard place selecting third overall in the 2019 Entry Draft. With a defensive logjam already in their pool, consisting of Ian Mitchell, Adam Boqvist, Nicolas Beaudin, Chad Krys, and, at the time, Henri Jokiharju, Bowen Byram already seemed like the selection for them not to make. This narrowed it down to players like Alex Turcotte, Kirby Dach, and Alex Newhook.  Alex Turcotte, C Turcotte, going into the draft, seemed to be the best possible option behind the obvious picks of Kaapo Kakko and Jack Hughes, and he looked to fit the role that the BlackhawksRead More →

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Valentine’s Day has passed, so what better way to mend a broken heart than by seeing one of your favourite players shipped out of town…With the NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching, one of the bigger names likely to be moved is pending UFA, Philadelphia Flyer’s veteran winger Wayne Simmonds. Embed from Getty Images Depending on your roster he’d likely slot in on the second or third line and would provide teams a reliable presence, a proven playoff contributor (21pts in 42 gms) with a physical edge to his game belying his size. So, who among the possible playoff bound would most likely be in needRead More →

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With the NHL All Star weekend upon us, it’s fitting to look back and think of the All Star games that we watched growing up. With so many great players being in the games of yesteryear, we here at The 4th Line Podcast endeavoured to find the best All Star that a particular team had. The criteria: Which player had the best collection of years with that team? Sure, Wayne Gretzky was the best player to ever play on the St. Louis Blues, but with only 18 games with the team, he’s not their All Time All Star. So, without further ado…… Calgary Flames JaromeRead More →

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At Christmas we look for peace on Earth, and goodwill to all men (even Maple Leafs fans). But the Dallas Stars’ CEO Jim Lites didn’t get that message and instead of spreading seasonal joy, decided to let rip on some the Stars’ top talent. So much so that the NHLPA have released a statement: NHLPA statement on Dallas Stars CEO Jim Lites’ comments about Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn: pic.twitter.com/S4CzyKRUmh — Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) December 30, 2018 The comments, about the Stars’ Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, compared the two to horse excrement. The pair were singled out while the rest of the team avoidedRead More →

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After a white-hot start, the Colorado Avalanche are beginning to look human again. Having started the season 6-1-2, the Avs have started to slip, going 1-2-0 in their last three contests. However disheartening that record may seem, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it looks. Embed from Getty Images Tampa Bay Lightning The last three games started with a loss to Tampa Bay at home. Losing at home is never good, especially with how tight the Avs have played in Pepsi Center over the last twelve months – but there is good news here. Holding last year’s league leader in goals scored to one isRead More →

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We are now two weeks into the 2018-19 season and the Colorado Avalanche are sitting on a record of 6-1-2. They are currently in second place in all of the NHL with 14 points, just behind the Nashville Predators due to the ROW tiebreaker. It’s incredibly exciting to see a team who has spent six of the first nine games on the road put together these performances, led by it’s first line and special teams units. OFFENSE If last season proved anything, it’s that Colorado knows how to win at home. However, it also left the team wondering what they’ll need to do to turnRead More →

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The Colorado Avalanche started their 2018-2019 campaign at home against the Minnesota Wild this year. The team has a whole lot to be excited about between having found a WC spot last season with tons of potential left to build around and still having a chance at the first-overall pick in the Jack Hughes lottery. In order to look ahead to the upcoming season, it’s important that we go backwards first. The Colorado Avalanche were the Cinderella Story behind the Cinderella Story last year. In a season which saw the team go from the worst record in hockey to beating out the Blues for theRead More →

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Episode Number 200 is here! Looking back on the first 200 episodes, Carl and Joel recap their favorite moments and have a quiz! Want to win prizes? Answer all 5 questions right and it could be you! They are joined by a special guest: Gritty from the Philadelphia Flyers has a beef with what the guys had to say about his team! It’s time to learn a little about the NHL’s newest mascot. The 4th Line Hockey Podcast #200 – The NHL Western Conference Preview It’s time to preview the Western conference. Do the Predators have what it takes to repeat? Can the Golden KnightsRead More →

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As the arrow of time advances from summer to fall, we can all rejoice at the impending return of the NHL. Here at 4th Line Towers we can’t wait to watch some proper hockey again. This year we’re approaching our previews in a different way; the word count for each team’s preview has been dictated by the number of points that team scored last season. To further mix things up, we’ve divvied up the teams between our writers and some special guests. Let the Central division preview begin! Nashville Predators – Mike Laybourne 2017/18: 117 points For a good preview on the Preds, go read last season’sRead More →

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Sunday night ended any speculation about Center, Ryan O’Reilly, being traded to the St. Louis Blues. He is no longer a Buffalo Sabre. GM Jason Botterill was essentially given what he asked for. Two roster players (Patrik Berglund, Vladmir Sobotka), a prospect (Tage Thompson), and two higher draft picks (1st-2019 with conditions, 2nd-2021). Scoring and forward depth plagued Buffalo but Berglund and Sobotka will improve the bottom-six eventually. Thompson likely starts in the minors and could elevate someone from Rochester (C.J. Smith, Sean Malone) if they are ready. A first round pick never hurts although it is Top 10 protected. The Blues, adding two centersRead More →