How about the Oilers drag themselves out of last ****ing place before you fill the board with the 'playoff hockey' talk, and your theory that certain guys won't cut it?
The funny thing is that he threw it in the garbage. He could have just taken it. But no it had to go in the garbage. And he wanted the Ducks to know it.
I don't understand this notion or idea, that first you build a playoff team then you build a Stanley cup caliber team. It just doesn't make sense.
What you get is basically the late 90's early 2000's Toronto Maple Leafs where they had to get veterans like Roberts, Neiwendyk and many many others. Because first Mccauley was a good #2 no maybe lets get another guy, so much hesitation and no identity.
This is almost the sole reason why you get teams like the Minnesota Wild or Colorado Avalanche year after year because your instilling the idea the playoffs are the most important thing. If you crossover its how you get the Raptors who talk about winning a round, getting 50 wins, when the Cavs are talking about making it to the finals, winning it all.
Look at how fast Chicago and Pittsburgh turned it around after having horrendous seasons. This magical lets win 5 more games each year is simply put low expectations. It's akin to your boss saying this year I want you to be 5% more efficient rather than your boss giving you a swift kick in the ass and saying I know you can be one of the most productive best workers this company has - i.e. Eberle it's nice you get 25 goals every year, but we need you to do these things as well, that maybe will sacrifice your offense.
You really should listen to Mike Babcock he said when he went to Anaheim and then to Detroit he said emphatically "I want my guys talking about championships, why else do you play the game". "I want to talk about dreams, I encourage it"
If I am the coach I should be pumping my team up from day one and saying a) I don't care where we finished last year, this team has the talent we need to prove it to ourselves. I guess I'm anti-Eakins, who would take down former days of glory, but I don't want my team revering other players and other teams I certainly don't want my team thinking lets win 35 games cause we won 30 the year before. I want tough love and say I want to prove people wrong, and create us against the world. Lets win 40 games, 50 games.
Oh what now it's going to set them up for failure because to high expectations. No lets have low or no expectations at all
This team you can tell with the addition of Maroon has no issues that are do to talent yea yea they need to add a couple more top d-man. The biggest weakness.is there a very fragile group and always have been. Everyone talks about it, at least Chia addressed it with Kassian & Maroon.
