Best Run Franchises #1

[bauer]

haven't had a cup appearance in 50 years and haven't won a playoff series in 14 years and people are voting the Leafs as best run franchise? lol yeah okay. never change Leaf fans.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I'm not sure how much better a franchise can be run than Pittsburgh. 3 Stanley Cups, 4 finals appearances, and haven't missed the playoffs since 2005-06 (which I believe is the longest streak now).

I don't think they should be discounted just because they drafted Crosby and Malkin. Edmonton drafted McDavid, but we've seen how that doesn't automatically translate into Cups and finals appearances and automatic playoff berths.

Maybe I'm wrong but haven't some people said if it was not for the Penguins being able draft Crosby they would have moved to Kansas City? If so what does that say about their franchise prior to the 2005 draft?

 

[Isaac Nootin]

haven't had a cup appearance in 50 years and haven't won a playoff series in 14 years and people are voting the Leafs as best run franchise? lol yeah okay. never change Leaf fans.

What does that have to do with the current franchise? Or are we judging franchises going back to 1967?

As of today, the amount of money the Leafs pour into their organization off the ice (no cap) has changed the way they are viewed league wide.

From the top on down, everything is first class. Just look at the way the Marlies travel and are treated.

 

[LeafsNation75]

What does that have to do with the current franchise? Or are we judging franchises going back to 1967?

As of today, the amount of money the Leafs pour into their organization off the ice (no cap) has changed the way they are viewed league wide.

From the top on down, everything is first class. Just look at the way the Marlies travel and are treated.

I know this part has nothing to do with the topic but look at how much revenue the league must make from just the Leafs alone.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Maybe I'm wrong but haven't some people said if it was not for the Penguins being able draft Crosby they would have moved to Kansas City? If so what does that say about their franchise prior to the 2005 draft?

So we're judging franchises today from prior 2005, not what they've done within the last decade? Are the Leafs dead last then since they haven't won a Cup since 1967, ignoring the fact it's a different organization since Shanahan and Co. took over?

If we're taking the franchise's entire history into account and not what they've done for the past decade or so, then I guess the proper answer is Montreal since their Cups and success trump any other team's.

 

[pown]

Tampa
Nashville
Pits
LA

 

[LeafsNation75]

So we're judging franchises today from prior 2005, not what they've done within the last decade? Are the Leafs dead last then since they haven't won a Cup since 1967, ignoring the fact it's a different organization since Shanahan and Co. took over?

If we're taking the franchise's entire history into account and not what they've done for the past decade or so, then I guess the proper answer is Montreal since their Cups and success trump any other team's.

I'm just stating that prior to Crosby being drafted the Penguins were not in the best shape and Mario Lemieux did try to sell them.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'm just stating that prior to Crosby being drafted the Penguins were not in the best shape and Mario Lemieux did try to sell them.

And that has to do with the people running the Pens for the past decade, how?

It seems no more relevant than me judging the Leafs' current organization based on what John Ferguson Jr. did back in the day.

 

[Baxterman]

, ignoring the fact it's a different organization since Shanahan and Co. took over?

Even if all you do is take it from the day Shanahan took over it isn't close to the top spot. A last place finish and two first rounds exits is not the resume of the best run team in the league.

I know many Leafs fans have them penciled in for the next 15 Cups and signing Tavares was a greater acomplishment than any team/GM has ever had in any sport but even that amazing feat doesn't get them in the top 5 or even 10.

 

[um]

It’s amazing how irrelevant Cups seem to be around here.

Pittsburgh should be #1 easily.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

I know Leaf haters think the Leafs have had a terribly run franchise for the past 25 years. They're right. Surprisley the Leafs have had about the same number of playoff appearance and playoff rounds wins since as the Habs since 1993 or the Flames when they won the Cup, and the Oilers since 2006. Until last year, the Jets almost nowhere with playoff appearance

I know Tampa is considered a model franchise but in 7 years as GM, Yzerman missed the playoffs three times and won five playoff rounds. Better than many teams but gee not that outstanding/

 

[LeafsNation75]

Even if all you do is take it from the day Shanahan took over it isn't close to the top spot. A last place finish and two first rounds exits is not the resume of the best run team in the league.

I know many Leafs fans have them penciled in for the next 15 Cups and signing Tavares was a greater acomplishment than any team/GM has ever had in any sport but even that amazing feat doesn't get them in the top 5 or even 10.

The thing is Shanahan had to clean up the mess that was done by Brian Burke and Dave Nonis. He was also able to hire Mike Babcock as the Leafs coach when the Leafs haters out there said there was no chance Babcock is going to Toronto. He saw the potential to originally hire Kyle Dubas in July 2014 when he was 28 years old and you have to assume part of the reason Dubas was named GM this past May is because he knew other teams wanted to hire him away from Toronto.

 

[bauer]

What does that have to do with the current franchise? Or are we judging franchises going back to 1967?

As of today, the amount of money the Leafs pour into their organization off the ice (no cap) has changed the way they are viewed league wide.

From the top on down, everything is first class. Just look at the way the Marlies travel and are treated.

so what's the criteria here? is it last 5 years? 10 years? Leafs haven't accomplished anything. they make money because of the sheer amount of hockey fans in southern Ontario. the product has nothing to do with it. it never has.

we don't know what goes on in boardrooms. if we're talking about results from the on-ice product. Leafs are nowhere near the top. how can you put them ahead of teams like Chicago, LA and Pittsburgh who have won multiple cups in the last decade?

 

[wabagee]

Jets have a great rich ownership, management and scouting staff. I also love that farm team shares the arena and top notch training facilities. Plus it keeps all the prospects with in reach of the veterans on the team.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

If the Blackhawks don't finish top 5 I will seriously question the collective hockey knowledge of this site.
I make the following arguments:
=>What were the Blackhawks supposed to do after winning their 3rd Cup? Let Kane and Toews walk?
=>The Hawks were in Win Now mode for a decade. They had to pay the piper at some point.
=> Their player evaluators are top notch. Since Bowman took over, they have been incredible at doing a ton with low draft position. They have whiffed on only one 1st rounder since 2010, even if most of them are playing elsewhere due to cap issues. They've done more out of the draft with less than any other team in the league. I honestly don't think there is a team in the NHL that has drafted better than the Blackhawks relative to draft position over the last decade. That doesn't even include the two year rental of Panarin.
All in all, even if they have to rebuild, they're in excellent hands.

 

[LeafsNation75]

so what's the criteria here? is it last 5 years? 10 years? Leafs haven't accomplished anything. they make money because of the sheer amount of hockey fans in southern Ontario. the product has nothing to do with it. it never has.

we don't know what goes on in boardrooms. if we're talking about results from the on-ice product. Leafs are nowhere near the top. how can you put them ahead of teams like Chicago, LA and Pittsburgh who have won multiple cups in the last decade?

A lot of Tampa Bay fans talk about how great of an owner Jeff Vinik is and they have not won a Stanley Cup since 2004, unless you want to include losing in the 2015 Final.

 

[bauer]

A lot of Tampa Bay fans talk about how great of an owner Jeff Vinik is and they have not won a Stanley Cup since 2004, unless you want to include losing in the 2015 Final.

i wouldn't have TB first either.

 

[bauer]

If the Blackhawks don't finish top 5 I will seriously question the collective hockey knowledge of this site.
I make the following arguments:
=>What were the Blackhawks supposed to do after winning their 3rd Cup? Let Kane and Toews walk?
=>The Hawks were in Win Now mode for a decade. They had to pay the piper at some point.
=> Their player evaluators are top notch. Since Bowman took over, they have been incredible at doing a ton with low draft position. They have whiffed on only one 1st rounder since 2010, even if most of them are playing elsewhere due to cap issues. They've done more out of the draft with less than any other team in the league. I honestly don't think there is a team in the NHL that has drafted better than the Blackhawks relative to draft position over the last decade. That doesn't even include the two year rental of Panarin.
All in all, even if they have to rebuild, they're in excellent hands.

i agree. they literally did everything an organization should do right. even after the 2010 win they lost a lot of important players like Buff, Ladd and Campbell, and yet they still continued to win. i mean seriously, 3 cups in 8 years and they're completely forgotten now? there's a mentality on this site that puts more emphasis on potential over actual results. and it's really annoying.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I always thought the goal was to win championships I guess not for some reason Tampa who has not won a championship with their core is winning this poll over Pittsburgh who has 3 cups and 4 finals since 2008 or Chicago who has 3 cups since 2010

But somehow it's Tampa

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

i agree. they literally did everything an organization should do right. even after the 2010 win they lost a lot of important players like Buff, Ladd and Campbell, and yet they still continued to win. i mean seriously, 3 cups in 8 years and they're completely forgotten now? there's a mentality on this site that puts more emphasis on potential over actual results. and it's really annoying.

A lot of people give Stan Bowman a lot of grief about the Toews and Seabrook contracts, and rightfully so, but those are allowable mistakes right now because they are so awesome at scouting amateur talent. I'll gladly hope that he can learn from his past cap mismanagement with the next core group. I doubt anyone of teams could have come up with as many NHL players as they have drafting no higher than 18th, and having most picks in the mid-20s or later. Whether on their team or not, the following NHLers were Hawks scouting finds from 2010-16.
1st Rounders:
K. Hayes
Danault
Teravainen
Hartman
Schmaltz
They had no 1st in 15 or 16, and 17-18 are too early to tell, but look really good so far(Jokiharju, Boqvist, Beaudin)
2nd rounders and later:
Saad
Johns
Shaw
Hinostroza
Joakim Nordstrom
Hayden
D. Sikura
DeBrincat

Name some team that has done more with picking in the bottom ten every year in terms of quantity of NHL players

 

[Advanced stats]

Nashville
Tampa
Toronto

 

[TMLeafs17]

Toronto because ever since they hired Brendan Shanahan as team President things have gone up and before anyone mentions it the only luck under him was winning the lottery to get Auston Matthews, which he had no control over.

Only a fool would think Lou didn’t have control over that lottery

 

[Foppberg]

1) Tampa
2) Preds
3) Jets
4) Pens
5) Hawks
6) Sharks
7) Leafs
8) Bruins
9) Kings
10)Knights

 

[Binister]

This poll screams Yzerman and Tampa.

 

[Goathead]

When I was young I was lucky that my mom had box seats to the sabres games through work so we were there a lot. My dads a Habs fan my brother is a sens fan and we lived close to Toronto so we went to games in all of those places. My parents went to one Tampa game in the playoffs and told me their experience there trumped everything else. Every time we go to a game now all I hear about is how much better the Tampa game/ experience was.

Add that with a fantastic GM (ex gm now) and a great team. I don’t see how Tampa isn’t at the top.

Nashville is definitely a close second though.