2 Questions

[djboos22]

1. Ok, judgement free zone...are you hoping the Canes beat the Rangers (duh) or are you secretly secretly wanting to get a shot at the #1 pick?

2. Eric Staal: Are these playoffs a do or die for his chance at the hall? Let’s say the Wild make a run and Staal is the reason why, would that help?

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[MinJaBen]

1. Beat dat ass every day and twice on Sunday. Then hope the Leafs pick is 11 or 12.

2. Really don’t care about Eric’s Hall status. But if I did, I’d point to RBA’s resume and say he’d have to win the Con Smythe to move the needle at this point.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

1. I hope we win. But in a 5-game series with no fans coming directly out of a training camp, it’s not really about which team is “better” but instead more prepared. The notion of this team in particular with its young core adding Alexis Lafreniere is certainly a consolation. If it were a 100% chance I might be hoping to lose.

2. Eric has a Cup already, unless he were to win a Conn Smythe I don’t know that it moves the needle a ton for his chances. I think the best thing he can do for his Hall chances at this point is simply to play until 40 and get the point total up as high as possible. He has a Cup, one postseason 2nd-team All Star, and that’s it. No individual awards, he will need to compile. 1200 pts makes the conversation interesting.

 

[djboos22]

I agree with both of you on each point.

1. Win. It’s an opportunity now and we can’t pass it up no matter who is in line to get drafted. “You play to win the game.” - H. Edwards

2. I have always said that Staal, at this point, would not be a hall of famer. But a Conn Smythe would be the only thing that could help him at this point.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

1. I am in the Win group. Montreal or a big city will win Lafreniere. Bettman will want a ton of TV money with less or no fans to start with.

2. Idc about Staal’s HOF chances.

 

[tarheelhockey]

1. Absolutely hoping we win. We’re in this thing to win games, not play the lottery.

2. As noted above, Staal’s HOF chances have more to do with racking up career totals. An eye-opening playoff year would help him, but going out in the prelims won’t hurt him

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

1) Win and go deep and let's be contenders for the next half decade pls. Although if we do lose, a 1/8 chance at a pretty decent prospect will help the loss be less painful.

2) I think Staal has an outside chance at the Hall. Another deep playoff run would really help. He's got no real personal awards, but since entering the league he's fourth in goals and sixth in points. I think if he gets to 500 goals that would help, too. At the end of the day I don't think he quite makes it.

 

[bleedgreen]

1) eff the pick. I’m potentially way more annoyed if Skjei was a short term acquisition to get through having no d, we’ll see leading up to the expansion draft if trading that pick was a waste in some way. His play isn’t for sure worth a first, even if having a guy his age signed long term may be. Beat the Rangers, this guy may not be a number one pick that changes a team. Though I’m sure he’ll be very good.

2) I don’t think not winning another cup keeps Eric out, but being a force on another team that wins it definitely helps getting him in.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I easily root for the Canes to win. We're set up well even without getting #1. 12.5% chance isn't worth rooting for a loss, though I would not even with higher odds. If we lose and get him, great, but I ain't rooting or counting on it. Sidenote, if you think the lottery is rigged, you're not the brightest star in the sky.

I think Eric will have a good resume, even without individual awards, if he plays a few more years. Another thing I think he has going for him is his draft class. Everyone knows that's one of the best draft classes ever, and I think that will be in the minds of the voters over the years. Eric is easily one of the top players in one of the best drafts, so I think that will help him. The family name probably helps a bit too. Maybe it'll take a while, but I bet he gets in someday.

 

[Justshootmore]

Win! It would might be different if the Canes would be GUARANTEED to pick 1st if they loose, but as it is now, I wouldn’t trade a chance to win the cup for a very low chance to pick 1st.

 

[HisIceness]

1. Just f***ing win please. Look if this team wants to be a contender, they are going to have to learn not to let teams like the Rangers have their number. They can start by beating them in this playoff play-in or whatever it's called.

2. If Kevin Lowe is a HHOF member, then Eric should have no problem. Maybe, I guess.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

1. It's nice to have a potential consolation for a loss, but it would be much nicer to have a win.

2. Eric Staal is not a Hall of Famer.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

1. Win and get 11OA from Leafs

2. Staal needs to get his compiler points up to get into the hall. Bolstering his playoff resume will help but he already has some good deep runs under his belt. He’ll probably get in one day but he’s gonna have to keep doing what he’s doing for a few more years