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When Taylor Hall signed for the Sabres last offseason it raised eyebrows. Sabres fans believed a new revolution was here. This surely was the team’s statement of intent to bring King Jack his first cup. However, to most fans outside of Buffalo, this deal seemed bizarre. Hall’s prior trade to Arizona was an expensive rental, but this deal seemed too good to be true. Sadly, it appears that Sabres fans will be once again left in despair as it appears a messy divorce is looming. Embed from Getty Images Since arriving, Hall has gotten 11 points, but the Sabres have been a mess. Dead lastRead More →

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In: Metropolitan Division, NHL
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Just a bunch jerks… after the team that became the target of Don Cherry made their run to the Eastern Conference finals will they be able to rock the league again this season? Notable Players In: Erik Haula, Ryan Dzingel, Anton Forsberg, James Reimer, Patrick Marleau (aka a 1st round pick) Embed from Getty Images Notable Players Out: Calvin de Haan, Patrick Marleau First Key Game: 10/5/2019 vs. the Washington Capitals Odds to win the division 5:1 (t-3rd overall) (via Betway) Is this a bet worth taking? No, I’d stay away. While the 5:1 odds may seem tempting to be in a division with theRead More →

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The new talent hasn’t disappointed so far in 2018-19. The Calder Trophy is normally a good indicator of a young player’s future. So far, there have been several standout candidates. These players are the new lifeblood for their respective franchises and could well spell great things for their future. Drafting these young guns is never straightforward, but these gambles are paying off. Here are three potential Calder Trophy candidates, along with a few honourable mentions: Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks) Embed from Getty Images Until a nasty hit by Mike Matheson caused him to be sidelined with a concussion, this 19-year-old Swede was flying. In his firstRead More →

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In: Metropolitan Division, NHL
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People are getting all kerfuffled over the Carolina Hurricanes’ unique twist on post-game fan appreciation tributes. ESPN, which doesn’t even cover hockey so’s you’d notice, deemed this story important enough to commission a piece by Greg Wyshynski titled, “Inside the Hurricanes’ wild new postgame celebration,” as if it was a carefully orchestrated campaign of a President’s Cup-winner, rather than a quirky bit of fun at the end of a nothing game. I have to assume ESPN’s hockey editor — if there ever were such a person — had their tongue firmly in cheek when slapping this title on because pretending there was any “inside” toRead More →

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In: Metropolitan Division, NHL
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The tilt of the Earth’s axis slowly moving away from the sun can only mean one thing; fall will soon be here and 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. Let the Metropolitan division preview begin! Our other previews are: Central Division 2018/19 Preview PacificRead More →

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The guys are back to talk about all that happened at the 2018 NHL draft weekend. But first, Carl say Jurassic World. Would actually cloning dinosaurs be that terrible of an idea? We might find out. Carl’s real team and “former” bandwagon team made a deal as Brooks Orpik and Philipp Grubauer head to the Colorado Avalanche. Does this make Carl happy? Will this help the Washington Capitals sign John Carlson? (5 minutes after recording ended, we found out the answer) The New York Islanders brought in Barry Trotz and had a great draft. Is that enough to get John Tavares to stay? Ilya KovlachukRead More →

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In: Atlantic Division, NHL
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There is only one predictable occurrence for the Buffalo Sabres as the NHL Draft approaches: selecting Rasmus Dahlin. Immediately, the course of the franchise will be altered due to the defenseman’s dynamic skill set. Acquiring Dahlin is similar to having a fourth, phenomenal forward on the ice. He can dance with the puck in a way many forwards cannot. Embed from Getty Images As important as the decision is with the first pick in the Draft, it will also be GM Jason Botterill‘s easiest. Dahlin will have an impact but as all know from the past season, the Sabres have holes galore. The worst goal-scoringRead More →

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In: Metropolitan Division, NHL
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Okay, so Hurricane fans everywhere rejoiced whenever Bill Peters, aka the Kinetico Waterman, packed up his belongings and left Raleigh, which was step 1 in getting the Hurricanes back to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Here are the next steps in taking this team back to the promise land, under new head coach and longtime franchise leader Rod Brind’Amour. 1- Trade Justin Faulk The combination of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen had a stellar season putting the puck in the back of the net. While we all love Jordan Staal and the leadership he brings to the Hurricanes team, he’s getting older,Read More →

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In: Pacific Division
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Last night the Calgary Flames put goalie Eddie Lack on waivers. So far, the 29-year-old Swede has struggled in 2017-18. Posting a 1-2 record with a massive 5.29 GAA in less than 4 games in Calgary you have to wonder what exactly happened to this once highly touted stopper? The Swede has gone from being a diamond in the rough to an outcast within 5 years. Embed from Getty Images Back in 2013, Lack burst onto the scene at the Vancouver Canucks. Impressing early on, he gave great competition to Roberto Luongo for the starting job. While his more experienced teammate struggled, the rookie lookedRead More →

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Since Eric Staal left the team in February 2016, the Caroline Hurricanes have been without a captain. Now Jordan Staal has been named as the team captain…and so has Justin Faulk. Embed from Getty Images Jeff Skinner is the team’s sole full-time alternate. So seemingly difficult was the decision to name a captain that the ‘Canes went with two, which also looks to be against the rules: “6.1 Captain – One Captain shall be appointed by each team, and he alone shall have the privilege of discussing with the Referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of aRead More →