Author Archives: tapetotape88

About tapetotape88

NHL Contributor for @TheScorecrow | NHL Contributor for @OTHeroics1 | MLB & NFL Contributor for @TheFantasyJones. Passionate hockey enthusiast providing legitimate updates, analysis, rumors, and opinions from around the hockey world.

2020 UFA Player Profile: Alex Galchenyuk

Dom Lunardo | March 30th, 2020

Belarusian-American, now that’s quite the unusual combination for an NHL player now, isn’t it? Minnesota Wild centerman, Alex Galchenyuk was American-born (Milwaukee, Wisconsin to be exact), but of Belarusian descent when he was drafted third overall by the Montreal Canadiens during the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Up to this point in his career, few would attest to the fact that Galchenyuk’s high-level skill set, speed, and ability to make plays are all part of his arsenal. The single largest issue facing the talented forward, however, remains his inconsistent play, which undoubtedly seems to follow Galchenyuk everywhere he goes at the NHL level.

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2020 UFA Player Profile: Tyler Toffoli

Dom Lunardo | March 29th, 2020

Participant in the CHL Top Prospects Game, NHL All-Star, and a Stanley Cup Winner with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. These are just some of the career accolades for current Vancouver Canucks forward Tyler Toffoli. Excitement was in abundance when Jim Benning, General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, pulled off the trade that brought Toffoli to the west coach back on February 17. Benning and his management team knew they were getting not only a great player on the ice but an even better person off it. For a Canucks team that was right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race when the NHL hit the “pause” button due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canucks fans quickly recognized that Toffoli was going to be a very important piece of the puzzle. Continue reading →

2020 UFA Player Profile: Ilya Kovalchuk

Dom Lunardo | March 28th, 2020

Every once in a while, the hockey world is blessed with a player who possesses an incredible skill set, flare for the dramatic, and sheer, raw talent. That player, and the focus of this article, is none other than the native from Tver, Russia, Ilya Kovalchuk. Continue reading →

2020 UFA Profile: Braden Holtby

Dom Lunardo | March 27th, 2020

Typically, when a goaltender posts multiple 30+ win seasons with a sub-2.50 goals-against-average (GAA), one would think they’d receive a little more recognition on a league-wide basis. However, when your teammate for the better part of 9 years is “The Great 8”, Alexander Ovechkin, one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of the sport, this would seldom be true. Such is the case for Capitals goaltender, Braden Holtby, who often prefers his life quiet and “under the radar”. Two years removed from a Stanley Cup triumph with the Caps, Holtby will be in need of a new contract at the end of the 2019-20 campaign. What could the soft-spoken, laser-focused goaltender garner entering an unusual territory, as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st? Continue reading →

2020 UFA Player Profile: Wayne Simmonds

Dom Lunardo | March 26th, 2020

Next up on the UFA Player Profile list takes us to the Queen City, Buffalo, New York. Let’s dive in and further examine the potential “ask” from newly acquired Sabres forward Wayne Simmonds, a pending unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Continue reading →

2020 UFA Player Profile: Mike Hoffman

Dom Lunardo | March 24th, 2020

It’s been just under 2 weeks since the National Hockey League suspended play indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The players miss playing, the coaches miss coaching, and the fans, without question, miss cheering on their favorite team. However, with a halt in the action, it’s an appropriate time to look at some significant pieces league-wide who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) at season’s end.

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2020 UFA Profile: Torey Krug

Dom Lunardo | March 24th, 2020

Like all professional sports leagues across North America, the NHL, for all intents and purposes, is swimming in unknown and unprecedented waters while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. This global pandemic has forced the National Hockey League to hit the pause button due to reasons on both the safety and well-being of its players, team officials, and fans alike.

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