ColoradoSportsFan
Registered User
I've had this arguement recently on another board and I thought I'd bring it here...It all stems from the "Denver was handed a cup on a silver platter...Quebec got SCREWED royally, Fans in Denver are nothing but bandwagoners" talk.
If the Nordiques had stayed in Quebec insted of being moved to Denver...would they have become the powerhouse cup winners they were in the late 90's/early 00's?
I say No. For a few reasons.
First and most importantly, no way does Montreal trade Patrick Roy and Mike Keane to the cross province rivals. In fact Roy probably ends up in Philly, Detroit or even LA.
Second, on most likely reduced budget from having to stay the Claude Lemieux, and Sandis Ozolinsh trades don't happen. Long term the Rob Blake, Theo Fleury, and Ray Bourque deals never go down because the team isn't the powerhouse dominant team. And quite possibly they don't have the money to match the Rags offer sheet to Sakic.
Sure they had tons of young talent (Sakic, Foppa, Foote, Ricci, Drury...who was a Nords DP, Hejduk, Yelle, etc..) But I just don't think without Roy, Keane, Lemieux and Ozolinsh this team would have made it past round 1...even in the East.
If the Nordiques had stayed in Quebec insted of being moved to Denver...would they have become the powerhouse cup winners they were in the late 90's/early 00's?
I say No. For a few reasons.
First and most importantly, no way does Montreal trade Patrick Roy and Mike Keane to the cross province rivals. In fact Roy probably ends up in Philly, Detroit or even LA.
Second, on most likely reduced budget from having to stay the Claude Lemieux, and Sandis Ozolinsh trades don't happen. Long term the Rob Blake, Theo Fleury, and Ray Bourque deals never go down because the team isn't the powerhouse dominant team. And quite possibly they don't have the money to match the Rags offer sheet to Sakic.
Sure they had tons of young talent (Sakic, Foppa, Foote, Ricci, Drury...who was a Nords DP, Hejduk, Yelle, etc..) But I just don't think without Roy, Keane, Lemieux and Ozolinsh this team would have made it past round 1...even in the East.