AwesomeInTheory
A Christmas miracle
- Aug 21, 2015
- 4,284
- 4,526
It's why Lemieux is always my top dude.
He had similar health issues plus cancer.
Mario is always the GOAT for me, not to take anything away from Gretzky.
Around the League Thread | Stacey’s Mom
- Thread starter Mr. Canucklehead
- Start date
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It's why Lemieux is always my top dude.
He had similar health issues plus cancer.
Mario is always the GOAT for me, not to take anything away from Gretzky.
nucks88
Registered User
Nice, Winnipeg takes a lead over LA
MarkusNaslund19
Registered User
- Dec 28, 2005
- 5,481
- 7,865
I have had many debates with posters who wanted us to tank and get rid of everyone.
When you tank, you lose every remnant of continuity and culture and often you can't get it back.
Watching the Buffalo Sabres extended highlights against Colorado last night (and having seen a couple of full games) there is something broken about that team. They have all sorts of young talent, though much of it makes itself redundant with each other, but they might be the most permissive team in the league.
These highlights are microcosmic of how they have looked basically the entire year. Entirely permissive, no buy-in on D, looking like a bunch of mercenaries out there for a beer league skate.
I have always liked the Sabres other than their tank-era, but this is year 12 or 13 of utter irrelevance.
When you tank, you lose every remnant of continuity and culture and often you can't get it back.
Watching the Buffalo Sabres extended highlights against Colorado last night (and having seen a couple of full games) there is something broken about that team. They have all sorts of young talent, though much of it makes itself redundant with each other, but they might be the most permissive team in the league.
These highlights are microcosmic of how they have looked basically the entire year. Entirely permissive, no buy-in on D, looking like a bunch of mercenaries out there for a beer league skate.
I have always liked the Sabres other than their tank-era, but this is year 12 or 13 of utter irrelevance.
Canucker
Go Hawks!
On the flip side, you only have to look at the other team in that recap to see a successful tank....it took Colorado a long time to get back to relevance, but they tanked and built a strong team that eventually won a cup. Buffalo might still end up being successful, they certainly have the pieces to make it happen...I would argue that a tank only has a chance of being successful if the person leading it has a clue.
StickShift
In a pickle 🥒
There was a tweet the other day that showed a year-by-year regression in Parayko’s offense.
That being said, I think Parayko would be an extremely interesting project for an NHL team to bet on. That entire Blues roster suffered from ongoing lethargy after that cup win and I wonder how much that had to do with Berube. It will be interesting to see whether the quality of his play changes under new coaching. He could be a relative buy-low candidate to rebound if STL decides to get out of that 7y x $6.5m contract.
Parayko at his full potential would be great stylistic fit for Vancouver—but I’m not sure the Canucks would be wise to take on that contract. It doesn’t align with their age/cap structure.
St. Louis would need to eat like 1.5-2M of that contract to make a trade work but not sure ownership would sign off that kind of retention.
SelltheTeamFrancesco
Registered User
- Aug 11, 2015
- 3,810
- 3,869
I really thought they should have tried to make the team better by going after impact players with all their assets this offseason. Instead they went bargain bin shopping adding around the fringes. They are also drafting very redundant players with very similar skill sets.
I am toxic
. . . even in small doses
It's clear some people don't understand what tanking is , and what rebuilding is.
If you draft BPA going to have redundancy. Then it’s on the gm to actually draft “assets” that have value. Which is why most GMs will take C and D over wingers.
Then use those assets in trade .
krutovsdonut
eeyore
- Sep 25, 2016
- 16,934
- 9,626
sabres are the poster children for do not do a full teardown rebuild. you just have to look at eichel as a sabre and as a knight to see how much culture and environment can impact player development and performance. eichel is not what he was but also a better player than he was.
It is always going to be difficult and costly to convince quality veterans to play for a bad team that is hoping to turn the corner. You are going to have to pay big money to convince anyone to join a bad Sabres team over the years. Losing isn't fun and wears on you.
Not every young prospect is built to be a leader. Zegras clearly isn't that. He's a high skilled player. He needs leadership in the room to hold him accountable in his own zone.
You do need some luck alongside good drafting and development. Before Sakic took over they did have some young pieces in place (pre-tank era one of which was traded and turned into Byram). Then you have the #1 overall pick and pick MacKinnon who was a top 3 player at the time the Avs won a Cup. Rantanen was a home run pick but getting Makar at #4 is pretty lucky. Only in the historic drafts do you get the quality of players that were drafted at #3, #4, and #5.
Canucker
Go Hawks!
Getting Makar at #4 is pretty lucky, but losing the 1st overall pick in the lottery and ending up going to 4th extremely unlucky...just happened to work out for them in the end. Luck is so huge...we dropped from the 2nd worst spot to end up drafting 5th which netted us EP, bad luck becomes good luck...we could have ended up with Nolan Patrick.
sandwichbird2023
Registered User
- Aug 4, 2004
- 3,893
- 1,956
If the Sabres doesn't do a teardown rebuild, they might not have drafted high enough to pick Eichel at all though. Had they finished 1 spot higher (thus drafting 1 spot lower), they would've ended up with Strome. A few spots lower on the draft board and they might end up with Zacha.
Not tearing it down doesn't mean they come out ahead.
What is going on in Minnesota (The Athletic subscription required)?
Wednesday’s departure of assistant GM Chris O’Hearn only adds to the feeling of chaos and panic, and not just because of the unanswered questions about the justification for his dismissal, which team sources tell The Athletic came on the heels of multiple investigations into Wild executives by an outside firm commissioned by the organization.
What we know about what led to this is this: In recent weeks, there have been two investigations into the Wild front office. Members of the team’s hockey support staff, hockey operations department and business staff began being interviewed regarding the second one by two attorneys Dec. 1 after the team returned from a road game in Nashville.
O’Hearn was not the subject of that latter investigation, and it’s unknown the specific nature of any allegations against him. It appears that the first investigation just happened to conclude at the same time the second one was being conducted.
What’s interesting is that O’Hearn was the front-office representative on the Wild’s latest four-game road trip, which ended Sunday in Seattle. He didn’t give the appearance that anything was amiss, being around the team in his normal jovial fashion and answering questions from reporters about the team likely needing to go into LTIR. Agents who have spoken to him in recent weeks said it was business as usual.
Unusually, especially since this was the first long road trip for new coach John Hynes, Guerin was not on that road trip, nor was he at the team’s charity gala Tuesday in St. Paul. Guerin’s wife, Kara, appeared for her husband at a fan meet and greet, apologizing to those in attendance and saying Guerin was on an important call. The team asked players Jake Middleton and Brandon Duhaime to fill in for Guerin.
Also details O'Hearn's role as the #2 behind Guerin. The chief contract negotiator and capologist. Doesn't get into why there were two investigations into front office executives nor who commissioned them. Remember, Bill Guerin was previously investigated while with the Penguins.
Wednesday’s departure of assistant GM Chris O’Hearn only adds to the feeling of chaos and panic, and not just because of the unanswered questions about the justification for his dismissal, which team sources tell The Athletic came on the heels of multiple investigations into Wild executives by an outside firm commissioned by the organization.
What we know about what led to this is this: In recent weeks, there have been two investigations into the Wild front office. Members of the team’s hockey support staff, hockey operations department and business staff began being interviewed regarding the second one by two attorneys Dec. 1 after the team returned from a road game in Nashville.
O’Hearn was not the subject of that latter investigation, and it’s unknown the specific nature of any allegations against him. It appears that the first investigation just happened to conclude at the same time the second one was being conducted.
What’s interesting is that O’Hearn was the front-office representative on the Wild’s latest four-game road trip, which ended Sunday in Seattle. He didn’t give the appearance that anything was amiss, being around the team in his normal jovial fashion and answering questions from reporters about the team likely needing to go into LTIR. Agents who have spoken to him in recent weeks said it was business as usual.
Unusually, especially since this was the first long road trip for new coach John Hynes, Guerin was not on that road trip, nor was he at the team’s charity gala Tuesday in St. Paul. Guerin’s wife, Kara, appeared for her husband at a fan meet and greet, apologizing to those in attendance and saying Guerin was on an important call. The team asked players Jake Middleton and Brandon Duhaime to fill in for Guerin.
Also details O'Hearn's role as the #2 behind Guerin. The chief contract negotiator and capologist. Doesn't get into why there were two investigations into front office executives nor who commissioned them. Remember, Bill Guerin was previously investigated while with the Penguins.
sandwichbird2023
Registered User
- Aug 4, 2004
- 3,893
- 1,956
The Sabres did try to surround their young players with some vets too. They went out and signed Okposo, traded for ROR, traded for Skinner, etc. They even acquired Kane, even though he isn't a quality vet, he is a quality NHL player.
Its not like they just fill every roster spot with rookies or replacement level players.
One of the biggest issue is likely hiring the wrong coaches. As we can see from the Canucks, a good coach (Tocchet) and a bad one (Green) makes a huge difference to the on ice product and players performance/development.
Oh man, whose mom did they bang?
We've had historical bad luck when it came to the draft lottery. That doesn't mean it would have changed anything but still...
The Canucks either had Petey or Makar #1 that draft year.
Canucker
Go Hawks!
Perhaps, although I would bet that if the Canucks had ended up picking #2 overall that Jimbo would have pushed for Patrick instead of Glass and he may have gotten his way in that instance. Thankfully we'll never know.
To be fair, if Patrick didn't have a migraine disorder he might have become a 70-PPG right-shot power C or at least a Bo Horvat type.
Canucker
Go Hawks!
Sure, entirely possible...however, if "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas.
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