- Jun 10, 2014
- 57,434
- 29,295
Progressed so far from when? It's been pretty consistently like that for past 20 years.
Import limits don't work the same as veteran limits. Imports tend to be star players that they use to help the team. Not too mention no limits on homegrown players, and often imports are just NA where other Europeans don't count as imports. So you can consider the whole of Europe in the domestic talent group. They are trying to win. AHL loses their best players consistently moving on to NHL (much more consistently and freqently than European teams lose talent) and NHL teams don't stack AHL teams to win which is how guys like Cormier are used for the veteran spots quite often. Teams use AHL to play young players to develop, not too win games is a big difference.
If AHL was an independant tier 2 league (perhaps like if it was a relegation/promotion league with NHL) I have absolutely no doubt AHL would easily be the #2 league. This is not the case. We see the same thing happen in Russia where the VHL is used as a development league so it is much weaker than other European leagues, even other tier 2 European leagues.
We've seen AHL teams go over to things like Spengler Cup and struggle. It's the only points we have to compare and they are not favourable to the AHL.
My perceptions go back a lot longer than 20 years. That's like only yesterday.
If we consider the whole of Europe as the domestic talent group we also have to look at all of the Euro leagues. A lot of Euro talent that isn't siphoned off by the NHL has gone to the KHL.
True, AHL teams don't emphasize winning to the same degree. I think most have still pushed it harder than the Moose do, at least up until very recently.
The reason AHL teams lose their top talent so much more quickly and often is because it is NHL talent. When those veteran Euro players come to the NHL in their mid to late 20's they don't fare so well. See Thomas Raffle for an example. Of those who succeed I think most come from the higher level KHL.
I'll give you the Spengler Cup point. But if those non KHL Euro leagues are so good, why aren't raiding them for more good players? It is generally just the highly drafted ones who succeed in the NHL and they tend to come to NA while still very young. Or later drafted ones who develop in Europe for a time and then come to NA to finish their development/make the NHL.