We have the 9th overall right now.

[Ice-Tray]

Agreed.

I watched all of Gretzky's and Mario's careers, and they were great, above everyone in their day....but players now are so much better overall. The skating, the training, just miles ahead of what it was.

The game is completely different now than in the 70s and 80s. So much faster, and the guys on 3rd and 4th lines now could easily be 2nd line guys (even some first liners) in the olden days.

The amount of skill now is insane.

Not better, just better trained.

The thing you're forgetting is that if you took your players from past years and gave them current diet and training regimes, the gap that you perceive would likely vanish. Not exactly fair to compare generations without equalling the playing field.

Not to mention that if they did take a time warp to back in the day, they'd likely have to be prepared to take a serious beating that they're not even close to being used to today.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Not better, just better trained.

The thing you're forgetting is that if you took your players from past years and gave them current diet and training regimes, the gap that you perceive would likely vanish. Not exactly fair to compare generations without equalling the playing field.

Not to mention that if they did take a time warp to back in the day, they'd likely have to be prepared to take a serious beating that they're not even close to being used to today.

But, that's the thing...the old timers didn't have the same training or diet. That's why the overall quality of play wasn't as high as it is now. Only a handful of guys truly have enough natural skill to be great. The rest of the group has to work for it.

That's why there was such a massive dropoff in skill from the first to fourth line. There's still a dropoff in skill nowadays, but the gulf between 1st and 4th liner isn't Grand Canyon sized like it was in the past.

 

[ISensFanI]

But, that's the thing...the old timers didn't have the same training or diet. That's why the overall quality of play wasn't as high as it is now. Only a handful of guys truly have enough natural skill to be great. The rest of the group has to work for it.

That's why there was such a massive dropoff in skill from the first to fourth line. There's still a dropoff in skill nowadays, but the gulf between 1st and 4th liner isn't Grand Canyon sized like it was in the past.

Lots of the skilled guys now a days wouldn't be able to hang back then, they'd get bullied off the ice

 

[HavlatMach9]

I'm fine with a race to the proverbial 9th place this year.

 

[BigBush*]

Happy were climbing the standing because I want the local boy Konecny!

 

[DrakeAndJosh]

If we can make the playoffs I think we can do some damage. 8th place will seed us against Montreal, which is best case scenario. After that I feel we can match up with any team in the atlantic. Only Eastern team I'm terrified of is Pittsburgh.

 

[DJB]

All meaningless wins at this point. We are not making the playoffs, end of story. I will eat my hat if we do.

 

[BigBush*]

All meaningless wins at this point. We are not making the playoffs, end of story. I will eat my hat if we do.

There's a chance, it'll depend a lot on Boston as well who went 4-6-2 in February.
But its never good to have to rely on other teams doing bad to have a chance at playoffs.
The wins are far from meaningless even if they don't make the playoffs. If you like losing to get high draft picks you might really enjoy following the Oilers. It's a lot of fun on draft day

 

[Johnny Hanson]

All meaningless wins at this point. We are not making the playoffs, end of story. I will eat my hat if we do.

You are the worst kind of fan. Meaningless wins? Are you serious?

Look at the morale around the dressingroom right now and try to tell me these wins are meaningless. Go cheer for Edmonton if you want to be a loser.

 

[BigBush*]

You are the worst kind of fan. Meaningless wins? Are you serious?

Look at the morale around the dressingroom right now and try to tell me these wins are meaningless. Go cheer for Edmonton if you want to be a loser.

Haha well said.
We just swept the dreaded Cali trip, how the **** are those wins meaningless?

 

[Dino Tkachuk]

All meaningless wins at this point. We are not making the playoffs, end of story. I will eat my hat if we do.

I just don't get this line of thinking. The reality of that this team is in a good position right now considering their first 50 games. They need to do these 3 things...

1. They need to beat Boston in their 2 head-to-head games.
2. They need to win their 2 games in hand.
3. They need to equal Boston's record for the remaining 18 games.

They do this and they are in...surely not impossible. They will have to continue to play well, as they are now, and then see what happens.

 

[aragorn]

9th in a deep draft is still a good position to be in isn't it, it's better than 19th right? It's not the draft position it's the player you pick & hope he develops into a superstar. Karlsson was picked 15th & he has a Norris trophy, you never know. You just have to be lucky as we were with both Hoffman & Stone who are both developing nicely, I'm hoping that Lindberg & Paul develop as well as those two.

 

[Super Cake]

I don't get the concept of meaningless wins. They may be meaningless to you, but they are absolutely not meaningless to the players.

 

[MiscBrah]

I don't get the concept of meaningless wins. They may be meaningless to you, but they are absolutely not meaningless to the players.

Ya I don't understand the line of reasoning. It's like some people want our players to continue to suck so that we can get even more players. Rather than have our players progress and play well.

We've seen all of our core elevate their games in the recent weeks (Methot, Karlsson, MM, Stone, Hoffman, Ryan, Zib) just seeing that is amazing. Their doing what teams like Toronto and Edmonton wish their guys could do.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Not better, just better trained.

The thing you're forgetting is that if you took your players from past years and gave them current diet and training regimes, the gap that you perceive would likely vanish. Not exactly fair to compare generations without equalling the playing field.

Not to mention that if they did take a time warp to back in the day, they'd likely have to be prepared to take a serious beating that they're not even close to being used to today.

I agree. Take the players from the past. Train them like they're trained today and it's probably all the same

Although I think if you were to let's say teleport Crosby. The way e is right now. Same equipment. Or Ovechkin to the 60-70's. They absolutely dominate. And there point totals are probably something incredibly. People could walk over the blue line and score with a slapshot back then. I bet Ovechkin would have over 1000 goals. Thats if they are teleported back the exact way they are now.

But it's not that the players are better. It's that they are better molded to play the sport. They're fitter. Stronger. Faster. And the sticks allow them to fire the puck at an insane pace.
I don't believe people that say. No Gretzky smarts would still allow him to dominate players today. Even if he was exactly how he was in his prime just teleported to this day and age. Sooner or later, pure fitness and power take over. I doubt 80's Gretzky could deal with prime Crosby. Too much power.

* Gretzky is still he best player of all time in my eyes. Not saying Crosby is the greatest.

 

[aragorn]

Ya I don't understand the line of reasoning. It's like some people want our players to continue to suck so that we can get even more players. Rather than have our players progress and play well.

We've seen all of our core elevate their games in the recent weeks (Methot, Karlsson, MM, Stone, Hoffman, Ryan, Zib) just seeing that is amazing. Their doing what teams like Toronto and Edmonton wish their guys could do.

We've seen Sens teams in the past do this before rally near the end of the season to almost get into the playoffs. That said, it beats losing every game that's for sure. Much more fun winning & watching your favourite players do well. Should be interesting to watch when the injured players start to return what will happen with the roster too, given the team is playing well & winning now.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

We've seen Sens teams in the past do this before rally near the end of the season to almost get into the playoffs. That said, it beats losing every game that's for sure. Much more fun winning & watching your favourite players do well. Should be interesting to watch when the injured players start to return what will happen with the roster too, given the team is playing well & winning now.

To be fair, when has it happened on the backs of our rookies and youngsters? In 2009 and 2011, it was guys like Spezza and Shannon who turned it up in the second half of the season.

I want a higher draft pick too (and a higher chance of winning the lottery), but this isn't the worst way to go out.

 

[SilverSeven]

It's weird because progress should tell you that players are getting better, not worse. There are always anomalies and freaks, but the next generations 'freaks and anomalies' should be better than those of the last.

Can't say that I watched Gretzky or even Lemieux in his prime (though I've seen plenty of footage of both) but I feel like a lot of the time nostalgia is a huge factor in determining them as 'dwarfing' someone like Crosby.

Mario literally played on the same team as Crosby and was still a PPG guy.....despite being hobbled and ancient. We arent comparing Richard and Crosby here....

 

[SilverSeven]

All meaningless wins at this point. We are not making the playoffs, end of story. I will eat my hat if we do.

I felt this way 2 weeks ago...hell even a week ago....

But 7 back with 2 games in hand and 2 games left against the Bruins?

Its not like these wins have been flukes either...the team is playing exceptionally well. The odds are stacked against us, but it's not like we were in the bottom 5 anyway. Who cares if we pick 7th or 10th?

 

[WORLDSTARHIPHOP]

Having signs that our group of current young players play well > getting one young player that might potentially play well in the future.

 

[stempniaksen]

I felt this way 2 weeks ago...hell even a week ago....

But 7 back with 2 games in hand and 2 games left against the Bruins?

Its not like these wins have been flukes either...the team is playing exceptionally well. The odds are stacked against us, but it's not like we were in the bottom 5 anyway. Who cares if we pick 7th or 10th?

I think this is the biggest factor. If the team was sneaking out wins against bottom feeders no one would be excited right now. But we just swept Cali, and three very good teams (alright, two and a half).

Also, we aren't gonna finish with a bottom-three pick regardless, so why the compaining? I'm confident the Senators will find just as good a player between 10-15 as they would between 5-10. Dorion and co. have earned the fans trust.

Let's just enjoy the wins without having to find a negative in everything (and this is coming from an eternal pessimist, haha)

 

[SilverSeven]

Your boy just got traded ^

 

[Sens Rule]

Mario literally played on the same team as Crosby and was still a PPG guy.....despite being hobbled and ancient. We arent comparing Richard and Crosby here....

I watched hockey for a long time. i am 40. For sure 99 and 66 are above everyone now. Everyone then. You can not appreciate a 1986 Gretzky or 1991 Mario unless you saw them. I live in awe of Karlsson. I buy tickets to Pittsburgh, Washington, Chicago to watch Crosby, Malkin and Ovechkin and Kane and Toews. I am going to see Jagr as a Panther late in the month. I love talent and appreciate it. Now and past. Gretzky and Mario own hockey. They would make a mockery of any league in 1950,1990,2015 or 2050. They ate freakshows beyond conprehension. The league has not progressed in my lifetime to not make Hawerchuk, Sakic, Yzerman, Bourque, Coffey, Messier that far different then Malkin, Karlsson, Crosby and Ovechkin. Gretzky and Mario are on another tier. But not the next tier... Like 3 tiers above the Bourques and lidstroms and Crosby's and Jagr's and Ovechkin's. Just in some ridiculous space. Gretzky at his best had ESP. He was a wizard. Mario was fast and big and could do anything and do it with a guy on his back for fun. If you don't get the difference between 99 and 66 and everyone else...you never really saw them play. Bourque is like the best D I ever saw. Mario or Gretzky embarassed him like he was Gryba or Boro. They destroyed everyone and everything.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

I felt this way 2 weeks ago...hell even a week ago....

But 7 back with 2 games in hand and 2 games left against the Bruins?

Its not like these wins have been flukes either...the team is playing exceptionally well. The odds are stacked against us, but it's not like we were in the bottom 5 anyway. Who cares if we pick 7th or 10th?

We should care if we pick higher because it means another good, but not elite, talent. This team has missed so so many opportuntiies to nab elite forwards in the draft and instead went on small runs that took them out of that position.

The issue is the team has not made any ground at all. They were 9-10 points out a few weeks ago, were 9 points out before last night's win and are now 7 points out, which they were Friday. It's just spinning one's wheels at the moment; though I do wish the best for the team, finishing just outside the playoffs and getting a worse pick would be awful.

 

[Dr.Sens(e)]

We should care if we pick higher because it means another good, but not elite, talent. This team has missed so so many opportuntiies to nab elite forwards in the draft and instead went on small runs that took them out of that position.

The issue is the team has not made any ground at all. They were 9-10 points out a few weeks ago, were 9 points out before last night's win and are now 7 points out, which they were Friday. It's just spinning one's wheels at the moment; though I do wish the best for the team, finishing just outside the playoffs and getting a worse pick would be awful.

The only thing we're really hurting ourselves with is a chance at McDavid, but that has just dropped from 6% to 3%. There is a good chance the guy our scouts liked at #6 will still be there at #10. The team lists will look dramatically different after the top two guys.

Plus, the bulk of our future team is on the squad playing right now. The vast majority of our prospects are actually with the team. That is why it is so vital they have these moments and start to believe. It's the formation of the culture of winning and confidence, and is the exact opposite of what has happened with the Oilers.

Winning is important in developing young talent. Really important.