Askren is right near the top of my most disliked UFC fighters for me, so I was LMAO when I saw it.
- Aetherial

Yeah, he's a pretty gigantic piece of poop.

I loved Masvidal's post fight comments. At the press conference. "He's not done with me. If I see him at WholeFoods, I'm gonna slap him around some more, 'cause I don't like him."

Ceci getting 23-25min of ice time....
- Symba007

Slightly scared about that (I think it'll be more like 21; no PP time, PK2 minutes), but he'll be a much better team playing with a better partner in Rielly.

Stop gap; I doubt they resign him, not with Sandin or Lillybust in the wings.

Ceci getting 23-25min of ice time....
- Symba007

- GreatGigInTheSky

He's a gud prah.

This is why I think the Bruins should trade Krug. Even if I don't want to. They won't pay him and McAvoy & Grzelyck could take over the PP. It might not be as good, but it'd be still be towards the top of the league. Try and acquire a top 6 RW for him and wallah. Not that any of you care
- RickJames77

You 'mericans need to stop saying this.

It's so franking annoying.

You 'mericans need to stop saying this.

It's so franking annoying.
- Atomic Wedgie

Also offensive.

Also offensive.
- AdamFrench

I just bought the Nike Wallah IV shoes - and then burned them.

That will show Nike.

I just bought the Nike Wallah IV shoes - and then burned them.

That will show Nike.
- Atomic Wedgie

Sorry I can't hear you as my beard has grown into my ears after refusing to buy Gillette for their cringy soy filled ads.

I just want this to be overwith.

How come it seems like every year there is always one situation that is talked about constantly ad nauseum.

The worst part is, they will likely settle and it will be for one of the proposals that have already been made by one side or the other.
- Aetherial

At least marner is a top player. Jimmy Vesey was blogged about 2983472937 times that one summer, and he's a scrub

This is long, but it's an objective look at Cody Ceci, and it's not pretty.

We know that he is not an analytics darling by any stretch, but one thing we hear is that the Leafs feel that he has had bad partners and this has adversely affected his game. Better partners, perhaps better structure will improve his play.

So I took a look at Ceci's possession performance starting in 2015/2016. I started here because he had a year and a half in the league by then and it was his first (and only) plus season, which seems like a fair place to begin evaluating him and his partners. For the purposes of evaluation, I looked at 5v5 play, and eliminated anyone who had fewer than 100 minutes on the ice with Ceci in that season.

In 2015/2016, the Senators had a team 5v5 CF of 47.45%. Ceci had a CF% of 44.41%. He was paired with Wiercoch predominantly, but also saw some time with Phaneuf and Methot. Of the 18 players who played more than 100 minutes with Ceci (excluding Goalies, bceause that's like double-counting compared to the team), 16 of them were better when Ceci was not on the ice. Only Chiasson and Nick Paul were better when Ceci was on the ice. While not driving the play, goal prevention does seem to be something he is slightly better at, where 10 of the 18 had better goal prevention numbers with Ceci. That being said, two of his principal partners - Methot and Wiercoch - were significantly more effective at goal prevention away from Ceci. Dion Phaneuf, who was a disaster without Ceci, was drastically improved playing with him.

2016/2017 saw the Senators improve in the standings to 98 points, however they still had a team CF% of 48.57%. Ceci was again below the team average at 45.69%. He played about 70% of his 5v5 time paired with Phaneuf. Of the 15 players who played more than 100 minutes with Ceci, only 1 (Methot) had better posession numbers when Ceci was on the ice. In fact of those players who had more than 100 minutes with Ceci, they averaged a CF% of 49.4% without Ceci and 45.7% with him. This year did not demonstrate any case where perhaps Ceci was better at goal prevention with only 2 players have improved goal prevention numbers with Ceci.

The last couple of years have been a disaster for the Senators. In 2017 they had a CF% of 47.2% and in 2018, 44.9%. In those years, Ceci was 44.34% and 43.96%.

In 2017, of the 19 players Ceci played more than 100 minutes with, 16 were better off without Ceci. In fact both Stone and Brassard had a notable 10% improvement in possession away from Ceci. His goal prevention was slightly better, with 7 of the 19 having better prevention numbers than Ceci. Although his primary D partners for the year - Phaneuf, Chabot, and Borowiecki - all performed better away from Ceci in terms of goal prevention.

In 2018, the Senators, I believe, were bad enough to make Ceci look slightly better. Of the 18 players he played more than 100 minutes with, 7 of them were better with Ceci. This did exclude his primary defensive partner, Lajoie, but Chabot's 247 minutes with Ceci saw him perform better. His goal prevention numbers were the same, 7 players performing better, including Chabot.

Comparing Ceci to Zaitsev, on a good team in 2018, Zaitsev was clearly dragging down the team around him. Of the 18 players with whom he played more than 100 minutes, 15 posted poorer possession and goal prevention numbers. Only the Tavares line performed better with Zaitsev on the ice.

In 2017, Zaitsev had the injury that we had hoped he would recover from. Due to the injury, he had fewer minutes, but of the 13 players he played more than 100 minutes with, only Dominic Moore, and Gardiner posted better CF%. It should be noted the variance for Gardiner was 0.05%, however Zaitsev's play away from Gardiner was 7.13% worse.
- Monkeypunk

This is good DD. Looks like he's worse than Zaitsev

This is good DD. Looks like he's worse than Zaitsev

- BestRapperAlive

I think by about every measure that I know of (there are many other metrics available, but I honestly don't know where to find them), he looks worse. But the truth is, I don't think he's THAT much worse. Zaitsev in the past couple of years has not been effective either. So . . . garbage out, garbage in.

I think by about every measure that I know of (there are many other metrics available, but I honestly don't know where to find them), he looks worse. But the truth is, I don't think he's THAT much worse. Zaitsev in the past couple of years has not been effective either. So . . . garbage out, garbage in.
- Monkeypunk

At least this garbage is a 1 year stopgap instead of 5 years

I think by about every measure that I know of (there are many other metrics available, but I honestly don't know where to find them), he looks worse. But the truth is, I don't think he's THAT much worse. Zaitsev in the past couple of years has not been effective either. So . . . garbage out, garbage in.
- Monkeypunk

I think Z has benefited from good partners....

check his stats without Gards or Muzzin. It is (frank)ing horrible...much worse than Ceci.

Leads me to believe he will have a tough year in OTT.

I think Z has benefited from good partners....

check his stats without Gards or Muzzin. It is (frank)ing horrible...much worse than Ceci.

Leads me to believe he will have a tough 5 years in OTT.
- Santo_44

Fixed

Sorry I can't hear you as my beard has grown into my ears after refusing to buy Gillette for their cringy soy filled ads.
- AdamFrench

liar.

like you could grow a beard after watching all that soy.

Is it puck drop yet?

FML.. .

I think Z has benefited from good partners....

check his stats without Gards or Muzzin. It is (frank)ing horrible...much worse than Ceci.

Leads me to believe he will have a tough year in OTT.
- Santo_44

good, good

Is it puck drop yet?

FML.. .
- LeafGuy89

yes

Is it puck drop yet?

FML.. .
- LeafGuy89

Maybe

Yeah, he's a pretty gigantic piece of poop.

I loved Masvidal's post fight comments. At the press conference. "He's not done with me. If I see him at WholeFoods, I'm gonna slap him around some more, 'cause I don't like him."
- GreatGigInTheSky

I liked when he said it was 100% necessary to give him a couple punches in the face when he was clearly starched by the knee.

Did you see Masvidal planking on the mat after the fight

I liked when he said it was 100% necessary to give him a couple punches in the face when he was clearly starched by the knee.

Did you see Masvidal planking on the mat after the fight
- Aetherial

this is why you don't talk poop before fights unless it's an agreed upon fake beef to generate interest

I think Z has benefited from good partners....

check his stats without Gards or Muzzin. It is (frank)ing horrible...much worse than Ceci.

Leads me to believe he will have a tough year in OTT.
- Santo_44

I don't really disagree. Principally, Z has played with Gardiner and Muzzin. Ceci has had Phaneuf, Lajoie, and Wiercioch. Now, the fact that Ceci is pretty much worse than everyone he plays with and so is Zaitsev is just a matter of degree.

So maybe Ceci is less awful than Zaitsev? It's probably still sort of like being the tallest midget in a slam dunk competition.

Fixed
- Steven_Seagull

https://www.theonion.com/...-crowded-beach-1819574572

I think Z has benefited from good partners....

check his stats without Gards or Muzzin. It is (frank)ing horrible...much worse than Ceci.

Leads me to believe he will have a tough year in OTT.
- Santo_44

Dubas sent a very strong message:

Demand a trade? Sure, I'll trade you - TO FRANKING OTTAWA YOU FRANKING WHINING FRANK!!!

Dubas sent a very strong message:

Demand a trade? Sure, I'll trade you - TO FRANKING OTTAWA YOU FRANKING WHINING FRANK!!!
- Atomic Wedgie

He's clearly a psycho!