Post-Game Talk: Capitals @ Islanders- 4/5/14 5:00 PM Caps Win 4-3 (SO)
- Thread starter The Deadly Pook Gas
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g00n
Retired Global Mod
- Nov 22, 2007
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No, wrong BR and Myst. I said they did probably tank toward the end of the season but it was part of a bigger plan that initially had more to do with the bed GMGM and Ted had made as well as the fear of the lockout.
You're just trying to give GMGM undue credit for landing Ovechkin.
If it was just a tank for Ovechkin and not really a new financial model, why did they ice a budget team and tolerate stinking for so many years after they drafted him? Why sell off the entire team JUST to finish near last when the team was already clearly dysfunctional and might have done that on its own, or with some Oates-like asshattery from Cassidy?
Oh yeah, because the tank was an AFTERTHOUGHT made possible by the horrible **** that had led up to the firesale.
Do people really think that was a tank from the start? Wow.
You're just trying to give GMGM undue credit for landing Ovechkin.
If it was just a tank for Ovechkin and not really a new financial model, why did they ice a budget team and tolerate stinking for so many years after they drafted him? Why sell off the entire team JUST to finish near last when the team was already clearly dysfunctional and might have done that on its own, or with some Oates-like asshattery from Cassidy?
Oh yeah, because the tank was an AFTERTHOUGHT made possible by the horrible **** that had led up to the firesale.
Do people really think that was a tank from the start? Wow.
BobRouse
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- Mar 18, 2009
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I'm pretty sure most all of us do outside of you my man...
No improvements in the offseason. Outspoken comments by Ted. Trying to trade Jagr desperately prior to the season starting.
Season starts with Boyd Gordon centering Jagr.
Trade the heart and soul of the team 6 games in.
They made no effort to even try and improve. They knew they were going to suck and were trying to get as many guys out of here as soon as they possibly could.
g00n
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Why would Ted, concerned about playoff attendance the year before to the point that he turned on the fans with his "the market has spoken" comment, intentionally sabotage his attendance with a sell-off and then years of low-budget teams? Isn't it more likely that he felt he'd opened up the wallet enough and there was no difference in spending big or small, as he said, and GMGM and Cassidy could sink or swim with what he as a relatively new owner still thought was a Cup Finals quality team? And that relatively new GM McPhee was still in love with his personnel decisions on top of that, and didn't retool the crumbling defense because he's always sucked at stocking stay at home defenders??? And legacy players like Kono got sick of the "experiment" and demanded out, while others just dogged it and played for stats? Then with the lockout looming Ted and GM came up with the financial excuse for selling off the team, and with the season already in shambles GM took then took the opportunity to tank for a bottom five?
Come on. It's like you think there's always one possible reason for something. GMGM and Ted admit they made mistakes back then, and some of you want to give them credit for sucking and getting lucky!
Come on. It's like you think there's always one possible reason for something. GMGM and Ted admit they made mistakes back then, and some of you want to give them credit for sucking and getting lucky!
g00n
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You don't tank a 92 point 6th seed and sell off all your assets just for a top 5 draft pick. You don't ensure a tank just by doing nothing in the offseason. That is unbelievably dumb and not even realistic.
I think many of you forgot how dysfunctional that 03-04 team was for the first 2 months of the season. They were 8-18-1-1 when Butch was finally shown the door in early December, and clearly playing like a collection of crappy defensemen backing a mish-mash of GMGM's prospects and lazy overpaid stars.
It was failure that turned into a tank and a lucky bounce of the ping pong ball, not a long-term tank that worked perfectly per some ridiculous, elaborate plan to turn a 6th seed into a last place team for one draft pick.
I think many of you forgot how dysfunctional that 03-04 team was for the first 2 months of the season. They were 8-18-1-1 when Butch was finally shown the door in early December, and clearly playing like a collection of crappy defensemen backing a mish-mash of GMGM's prospects and lazy overpaid stars.
It was failure that turned into a tank and a lucky bounce of the ping pong ball, not a long-term tank that worked perfectly per some ridiculous, elaborate plan to turn a 6th seed into a last place team for one draft pick.
Zoidberg Jesus
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In the Caps win over Pittsburgh, they played six guys who never made it to 100 games, three of whom never made it to 10. And 13 thousand people paid to be at that game. That hilarious, in a sad sort of way. I'm glad I was too young at the time to truly comprehend how bad that team was, particularly by the end of the year. Although IIRC, I had started rooting against them out of spite by that point because they traded Bondra, so I guess it wasn't too bad.
BobRouse
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Thats exactly what happened. You can believe what you want but I think all the rest of us saw it for what it was...a premeditated tank job. I think you'll be lucky to find 1 supporter for your position quite frankly...
They knew they were going to fail going into that season and were obsessed with trading their best player before it even began.
It happens all the time in sports. It was a calculated move and a delicate balance between keeping STHs and demonstrating suck.
That season was hell but trading Bondra was the correct move at the time since he was going to be a UFA anyhow.
They had to keep a couple guys so there wouldn't be a complete fan meltdown and I think they went with Kolzig and Witt. I recall that both were available for the right price but since they felt they couldn't get that they held onto both. The price would have been very high for Kolzig based on how loved he was from fans.
g00n
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I don't care how many people you think will agree with me, the preseason tank theory makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, especially if the supposed justification was shopping one player (Jagr) who was a bad fit from day 1 and had clearly quit on the team.
And attendance did plummet for the next few years, regardless of keeping Kolzig and Witt.
If your unlikely scenario is indeed fact then that's not really a feather in GMGM's cap, either. It doesn't make what happened any better or more justifiable or sane.
Hivemind
We're Touched
You realize it takes more than one season to rebuild a team, right? They saw a team with an aging core that had won a total of five playoff games over the previous five seasons, hadn't won a series since the 98 cup final run, and had missed the playoffs twice since then. It was obvious the team wasn't moving in the right direction, and there were two straight drafts with potential generational talents in them. It made perfect sense to go for a full-on, gut everything rebuild at that time.
I agree trading Bondra was the right move, but they could have certainly kept him even if he was going to be a UFA. He absolutely wanted to spend his entire career as a Washington Capital.
Witt was traded at the next deadline, iirc.
BobRouse
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Yeah definite tank from the start. They knew the direction they wanted and tried to maximize the return of assets. They knew the team would suck either way and they figured the quicker they get rid of guys the more smoothly the tank would go.
They absolutely knew who was available in the next 2 drafts. Everyone did and we weren't the only tankers that year.
RE: Bondra - The idea was to trade him and then resign him as a UFA and they almost did. Bondra's agent pulled one on the Caps in order to get a better deal from the Thrashers. I'm sure Bondra regrets that one.
They actually wanted Witt to resign and the players did the whole "one more year chant" at a team dinner for him. GMGM tried but Witt said he didn't want to be part of a rebuild so they traded him reluctantly.
They absolutely knew who was available in the next 2 drafts. Everyone did and we weren't the only tankers that year.
RE: Bondra - The idea was to trade him and then resign him as a UFA and they almost did. Bondra's agent pulled one on the Caps in order to get a better deal from the Thrashers. I'm sure Bondra regrets that one.
They actually wanted Witt to resign and the players did the whole "one more year chant" at a team dinner for him. GMGM tried but Witt said he didn't want to be part of a rebuild so they traded him reluctantly.
Zoidberg Jesus
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I know, but I was 10 and he was my childhood hero, traded for some prospect I'd never heard of. The trades that preceded it were painful, but the Bondra trade just seemed utterly pointless and cruel.
BobRouse
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Absolutely understandable.
That one seemed to get the most anger from fans and I believe the altercation between Ted and that one fan occurred right after it.
But the TANK demanded that he be sacrificed!!
Zoidberg Jesus
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What was the popular opinion about Laich at the time? Is it just dumb luck that he panned out or was he highly touted? All I remember hearing about him at the time was that he'd played one NHL game that year and was a 6th round pick, so I figured he was a nobody.
g00n
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No real buzz, iirc. I think 20 goal potential was his upside. "He'd better be good" was the consensus among Caps fans, especially Bondra fans like myself.
Hivemind
We're Touched
His stock had risen considerably since his draft, as is obvious by the fact that he had earned a crack in the NHL. I think he was top 5 in Ottawa's prospect rankings. Viewed as close to being NHL ready, but probably a bottom six player. Similar to Latta in some ways, though Laich had a WJHC appearance on his resume.
Some people also pointed to playing on a team with Brian Sutherby as a plus for chemistry reasons.
g00n
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His stock had risen considerably since his draft, as is obvious by the fact that he had earned a crack in the NHL. I think he was top 5 in Ottawa's prospect rankings. Viewed as close to being NHL ready, but probably a bottom six player. Similar to Latta in some ways, though Laich had a WJHC appearance on his resume.
Some people also pointed to playing on a team with Brian Sutherby as a plus for chemistry reasons.
I was thinking Brown more than Latta but I haven't seen enough of either.
