Ken Holland on 97.1FM right now

[AD1066]

I don't expect to win now. I want the playoff streak to continue and build on the fly. I want to be better than other teams who had to tank. I want to win the cup in the next 10 to 12 years and it not feel hollow. I want it to be by doing it differently than everyone else. I want Ken Holland to continue setting the standards in the NHL. Shanaplan seems like a cop out; the .99 cent microwave dinner type instant gratification. I want DRWs to be the 30 day aged $50 t-bone cooked to perfection.

At the end of the day this is a commodified children's game we watch for entertainment purposes. I wouldn't get too hung up on assigning concepts of virtue and doing things the Right Way[sup]TM[/sup] to a mechanism like the draft, which is part of the metastructure of the game itself.

Personally I'm concerned with how players conduct themselves on the ice and in the community, but view concepts like rebuilding as just strategies within the confines of the game itself that offer a certain probability of long-term success. I don't think Chicago or Pittsburgh cared too much how they got their talent while they were raising their respective banners.

And as an aside, were Cups before the salary cap really that fulfilling if a select few teams could simply outspend the competition? Should that also cheapen success?

 

[Bench]

Love the commentary on the meta of game. There absolutely is a game that happens outside of the rink. Particularly in a salary cap with early contracts that lock up top talent to 27-28.

 

[PuckDynasty]

At the end of the day this is a commodified children's game we watch for entertainment purposes. I wouldn't get too hung up on assigning concepts of virtue and doing things the Right Way[sup]TM[/sup] to a mechanism like the draft, which is part of the metastructure of the game itself.

Personally I'm concerned with how players conduct themselves on the ice and in the community, but view concepts like rebuilding as just strategies within the confines of the game itself that offer a certain probability of long-term success. I don't think Chicago or Pittsburgh cared too much how they got their talent while they were raising their respective banners.

And as an aside, were Cups before the salary cap really that fulfilling if a select few teams could simply outspend the competition? Should that also cheapen success?

Personally, I couldn't give a flying puck if the Wings win the Cup again whether they did it this way or that way or if we have a nice group of young men or a bunch of thugs. You play to win the game.

 

[HockeyinHD]

except it if they hit on defenseman, it should take sooner than 5 years to see him improve the roster.

Depends. There's 'hit on a defenseman' and there's 'draft a top 5 NHL defenseman', just like there's 'improve the roster' by 1% and 'improve the roster by enough to make accelerating the UFA status worth it.'

It took Weber and Keith 4ish years post draft to make the NHL and start being exceptional, for instance, and those guys are okay.

Besides, if an actual tank is the point you don't want to improve the roster right away, anyhow.