Would McDavid or Eichel really have lived up to expectaions here?

[ClassLessCoyote]

All of us are going to feel the sting of not getting a Top 2 pick in the 2015 Draft for quite sometime, especially when we see them doing well somewhere else. We're going to find ourselves singing the praises from time to time of what it would have meant to have either one of those 2 like we did during the 2014-2015 Season when things aren't going like we all want it to be in the future.

I know some of you are thinking: "What a dumb thread." "Everything would have changed for the better of the Coyotes on a dime." "It's all profits and cup chances from here on out". But would it be? Here's a few things to know.

The Penguins fortunes didn't change overnight when they got Crosby and even had the threat of relocation to Hamilton.

Atlanta had it's share of such players in Kovolchuk, Hossa, and Heatley. All 3 players had more success outside of Atlanta. The team as we all know relocated sadly to Winnipeg, but before then, in the franchises only playoff appearance, they couldn't sellout any of the playoff games even against an Original 6 Team, if I'm correct.

Just goes to show that you still need great ownership and great management in order to get the best out of everyone involved. Otherwise it could be a disaster and may not get a 2nd chance later with such a player.

Looking back at the Cavs with LeBron James, the team was doing great all around except never won an NBA Title while James was finding himself not happy with what's going on there overtime. James wanted a ring more than anything else it seemed. His superiors did what they felt was right to make him happy and win a title. Then LeBron broke the hearts of Cleveland and all Cavs Fans by heading to Miami where he got 2 rings out of 4 NBA Finals chances. He's back in Cleveland and the Cavs could get a ring this season as the team is currently in the NBA ECF's. Hopefully the Cavs Fans won't be heartbroken again as they're fortunate to get such a player back where other fans aren't so fortunate to get a player of such a caliber back.

Would McDavid or Eichel have lived up to expectations here? Would they have done well under Maloney and Tippett? Or would their presence would have led to a cleaning of the house at some point? Could the owners have been able to pay one of them a $100 Million + payday as both are able to get if either one lived up to expectations?

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[The Feckless Puck]

If McDavid or Eichel had played and behaved up to their hype level, then they'd have been huge for this market. But not before.

As I've said many, many times before, this market worships those who win. Stars for stars' sake are worthless here. So all of the tremendous buildup that is going on for these guys north of the border is meaningless for everyone in Arizona outside of us hardcore puckheads.

We won't ever know what they could have done as Coyotes - hell, we won't even know what team they would have slotted into until the end of this summer. But at this point we don't even know what they'll do as NHL players, although we have a good idea of how they'll shake out.

 

[Grimes]

Interesting post.

One thing that was on my mind when we still had a chance of drafting one of the two was how would we pay for all of our players in 5 years. OEL would be getting a raise right around a McEichel contract. What if Domi, Perlini and Duclair all meet their expectations? Do they start making 5 mil plus? Then how do we afford a stable blueline?

The Hawks and Bruins situations are not pretty. Now think about a team that doesn't spend to the ceiling and the mess begins to looks unmanageable. Throw in a one bad contract and you begin to lose good players.

Still would have loved drafting a McEichel though, and it would probably have helped stabilize the franchise in the short run. But depth goes much further than 2-3 stars eating up your payroll.

 

[ck26]

Grimes; if the day comes where we have too much big-money talent on the team, we'll be all set. The Ducks got 2 1sts + Silfverberg for Ryan, and Silfverberg might be better than the two guys who were actually 1sts. We got, essentially, 2 firsts and 2 seconds for Yandle. If the drafting and developing ever gets good enough to where we are flipping deals like that regularly, our money and talent problems will be largely a thing of the past.

AP; there was a lot wrong with the Thrashers. Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk couldn't save them, but that's because their teams were bad. Not under-funded. Bad. Poorly managed. That team that made the playoffs and still didn't sell out? That was the only year they ever made the playoffs. Their roster: Hossa, Kovalchuk, old rental Tkachuk, 34 year old Slava Kozlov, 40 year old Scott Mellanby, Jim Sim, 35 year old Bobby Holik, Greg De Vries, 35 year old Steve Rucchin, Niclas Havelid, Jim Slater, Steve McCarthy, Eric Belanger, Alexei Zhitnik, Brad Larsen ... any of these names even ringing any bells? Garnet Exelby was their stud young defender, and was out of the NHL 3 years later. Their entire team sucked, and the thing we constantly accuse Tipp and Maloney of -- squeezing juice out of useless old rocks and dumpster diving for treasure -- means we won't be.

No idea if McDavid or Eichel would have become allstars here. They won't. All we can do is hope Dylan Strome or Mitch Marner will and go from there. Just please don't use the Atlanta example of how two all-stars can't change things ... they can. Just not in Atlanta. The Thrashers were terrible.

Edit: RIP Thrashers

 

[RABBIT]

Yes.

 

[rt]

They were our last hope. Now all there is left to do is brace for whats to come.

 

[CC96]

They were our last hope. Now all there is left to do is brace for whats to come.

I think Matthews could turn this thing around, but the chances are almost nil.

 

[Muppet]

I think Matthews could turn this thing around, but the chances are almost nil.

He is destined for Edmonton, we all know it.

 

[Matzel]

Atlanta had it's share of such players in Kovolchuk, Hossa, and Heatley. All 3 players had more success outside of Atlanta. The team as we all know relocated sadly to Winnipeg, but before then, in the franchises only playoff appearance, they couldn't sellout any of the playoff games even against an Original 6 Team, if I'm correct.

Just goes to show that you still need great ownership and great management in order to get the best out of everyone involved.Just goes to show that you still need hockey fans in order to fill the barn, no matter what.

Fixed it for you.

 

[awfulwaffle]

So, you make a thread asking if they would have lived up to expectations. But you didn't mention the expectations they would have expected to live up to. Hockey is a different sport than the NBA, you can't have a superstar playing 90% of the minutes in a game.

First, what are the expectations, then we might be able to provide you an answer.

 

[RemoAZ]

There are plenty of hockey fans here. The Coyotes just need to give them a reason to get behind this team and stay there. When we had a couple stars in JR and KT, they never added anything behind them. Since then they've done nothing but either draft poorly or run the decent picks we've had out of town. They have a few decent prospects and some good picks coming along with a legitimate star in OEL. If Maloney and Tippett don't show progress this season, they need to run them out of town before the current group of prospects do.

 

[Bondurant]

He is destined for Edmonton, we all know it.

The day must come when a player drafted 1st by Edmonton whips out a KHL contract and signs it immediately after his name is called.

 

[Flyotes]

Better with than without. Depends on the expectations. Saving the franchise is a rough expectation to live up to, but they would experience it with less insanity surrounding it due to being a smaller market. Could build the brand a little easier, hopefully.

I don't get the Thrashers comparison.

 

[RemoAZ]

Grrrr... Still pisses me off that we aren't getting one of those guys.

 

[AZviaNJ]

There is a performance expectation and a financial expectation. I think McDavid would have delivered on both (especially financially). Hard to say with Eichel....but would have liked his chances too.