NHL Thread

[philpritchard]

So... 9-1-1 since not saluting the crowd, eh?

#NeverForget

Heh

[southp]

Canadiens snag Devante Smith-Pelly from Ducks for Jiri Sekac
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 58532.html

I suppose this fills the Canadiens need for size, but there was some top-6 potential in Sekac. All I need to know, does this make you Leafs and Bruins fans more/less afraid of the Habs?

[Chris_H_2]

Red Wings up 2-0 at Anaheim with 12 minutes to go.

I start watching on TV.

Anaheim immediately scores 3 unanswered goals in 5 minutes.

I stop watching.

Red Wings immediately score to tie it and force overtime.

I start watching again.

Red Wings lose in a SO.

I don't think I should watch another Red Wings game this year on TV. I am the epitome of bad luck.

[Peeps]

Red Wings up 2-0 at Anaheim with 12 minutes to go.

I start watching on TV.

Anaheim immediately scores 3 unanswered goals in 5 minutes.

I stop watching.

Red Wings immediately score to tie it and force overtime.

I start watching again.

Red Wings lose in a SO.

I don't think I should watch another Red Wings game this year on TV. I am the epitome of bad luck.

is there an actual word for that feeling. if you watch a game the outcome will be different or if you dont watch the game it will be different or if you run upstairs to pee during a time out the outcome will be different?

[philpritchard]

Canadiens snag Devante Smith-Pelly from Ducks for Jiri Sekac
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 58532.html

I suppose this fills the Canadiens need for size, but there was some top-6 potential in Sekac. All I need to know, does this make you Leafs and Bruins fans more/less afraid of the Habs?

Let me answer your question with another question: What reason could I, as a Leafs fan, possible have to be concerned about anything any other team does over the next 5 or so years?

[southp]

Canadiens snag Devante Smith-Pelly from Ducks for Jiri Sekac
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 58532.html

I suppose this fills the Canadiens need for size, but there was some top-6 potential in Sekac. All I need to know, does this make you Leafs and Bruins fans more/less afraid of the Habs?

Let me answer your question with another question: What reason could I, as a Leafs fan, possible have to be concerned about anything any other team does over the next 5 or so years?

I hear ya, but your 5 year projection is probably a little too pessimistic. If done correctly, a rebuilding doesn't have to be so long-term. The Habs finished dead last in the East in 2012, only really adding Galchenyuk through the draft, and have been back near the top of the Conference for the last 3 years.

[Simple Torture]

Canadiens snag Devante Smith-Pelly from Ducks for Jiri Sekac
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 58532.html

I suppose this fills the Canadiens need for size, but there was some top-6 potential in Sekac. All I need to know, does this make you Leafs and Bruins fans more/less afraid of the Habs?

Let me answer your question with another question: What reason could I, as a Leafs fan, possible have to be concerned about anything any other team does over the next 5 or so years?

My response is almost an echo of this: I've been more or less resigned to a 5-game, 2nd-round loss to the Habs for 2 weeks or so now, so I dunno how it could make me more or less afraid in the short term. The Krejci injury (even though he hasn't had a stellar year) has made me more worried about making the postseason this year, as it's just another in a long line of injuries. But I guess my answer is "more"?

[philpritchard]

Canadiens snag Devante Smith-Pelly from Ducks for Jiri Sekac
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 58532.html

I suppose this fills the Canadiens need for size, but there was some top-6 potential in Sekac. All I need to know, does this make you Leafs and Bruins fans more/less afraid of the Habs?

Let me answer your question with another question: What reason could I, as a Leafs fan, possible have to be concerned about anything any other team does over the next 5 or so years?

I hear ya, but your 5 year projection is probably a little too pessimistic. If done correctly, a rebuilding doesn't have to be so long-term. The Habs finished dead last in the East in 2012, only really adding Galchenyuk through the draft, and have been back near the top of the Conference for the last 3 years.

I don't think the Habs were a complete disaster when that happened, though. It was more of a down year in the midst of what's been a run of pretty nice seasons for them.

I would compare them more to where the Blackhawks were before they turned it around: one token playoff appearance as part of a decade of awful seasons. The Hawks spent years being bad enough to miss the playoffs without bottoming out far enough to get those really high picks, and the picks they did make, for the most part, didn't work out. That's where the Leafs are now. They've got a few players they should be able to build around in the future (Rielly, Nylander, maybe Kadri and Bernier, and some nice under the radar prospects) but those players need time to develop before they can become the core.

I expect them to spend two years completely bottoming out, tearing things down and stockpiling draft picks and prospects, then another couple of years slowly adding NHL talent to the new, young core before they really start to take off.

[@SkitchP]

you other original 6 cities with your "missing the playoffs rebuilding" are totes adorbs.

[philpritchard]

you other original 6 cities with your "missing the playoffs rebuilding" are totes adorbs.

See, everyone assumes the Wings are just really well run, but I'm pretty sure the last 25 years of success is just the end result of a 20 year rebuilding process in the '70s and '80s. If you suck for that long, you kind of need this to balance things out.

Or at least that's what I tell myself to make myself believe I have 50 or so seasons of awesomeness to look forward to.

[southp]

Canadiens snag Devante Smith-Pelly from Ducks for Jiri Sekac
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 58532.html

I suppose this fills the Canadiens need for size, but there was some top-6 potential in Sekac. All I need to know, does this make you Leafs and Bruins fans more/less afraid of the Habs?

Let me answer your question with another question: What reason could I, as a Leafs fan, possible have to be concerned about anything any other team does over the next 5 or so years?

I hear ya, but your 5 year projection is probably a little too pessimistic. If done correctly, a rebuilding doesn't have to be so long-term. The Habs finished dead last in the East in 2012, only really adding Galchenyuk through the draft, and have been back near the top of the Conference for the last 3 years.

I don't think the Habs were a complete disaster when that happened, though. It was more of a down year in the midst of what's been a run of pretty nice seasons for them.

I would compare them more to where the Blackhawks were before they turned it around: one token playoff appearance as part of a decade of awful seasons. The Hawks spent years being bad enough to miss the playoffs without bottoming out far enough to get those really high picks, and the picks they did make, for the most part, didn't work out. That's where the Leafs are now. They've got a few players they should be able to build around in the future (Rielly, Nylander, maybe Kadri and Bernier, and some nice under the radar prospects) but those players need time to develop before they can become the core.

I expect them to spend two years completely bottoming out, tearing things down and stockpiling draft picks and prospects, then another couple of years slowly adding NHL talent to the new, young core before they really start to take off.

The problem will arise if the pressures of the Toronto hockey market are too great to let the team fully bottom out. In which case you can quickly end up in a situation where the Leafs still try to pickup some FA pieces to try and make the team a bit better in the interim but this only pushes the kids development down and makes the draft picks worse.

[philpritchard]

I would agree with that... but I don't think the current management group is too concerned about that. After everything the team has gone through over the decades, I think fans can deal with a couple years of horrible hockey if the team has a clear vision in mind for the future.

I may be giving Leafs fans too much credit there, though.

And, call me crazy, but this is probably the most confidence I've ever had in Leafs management.

[Thejambi]

you other original 6 cities with your "missing the playoffs rebuilding" are totes adorbs.

See, everyone assumes the Wings are just really well run, but I'm pretty sure the last 25 years of success is just the end result of a 20 year rebuilding process in the '70s and '80s. If you suck for that long, you kind of need this to balance things out.

Or at least that's what I tell myself to make myself believe I have 50 or so seasons of awesomeness to look forward to.

Except for the fact that the franchise turned around after Illitch bought them in 82. Only missed 2 playoffs since then.

[philpritchard]

you other original 6 cities with your "missing the playoffs rebuilding" are totes adorbs.

See, everyone assumes the Wings are just really well run, but I'm pretty sure the last 25 years of success is just the end result of a 20 year rebuilding process in the '70s and '80s. If you suck for that long, you kind of need this to balance things out.

Or at least that's what I tell myself to make myself believe I have 50 or so seasons of awesomeness to look forward to.

Except for the fact that the franchise turned around after Illitch bought them in 82. Only missed 2 playoffs since then.

Well I meant it as a joke, but...

They made the playoffs in the '83-'84 and '84-85 seasons under a format where 8 out of 10 teams in the conference made the playoffs. In those two seasons they were a combined 58-83-19. They still sucked then.

In the 25 seasons from '66-'67 to '90-'91, they finished above .500 four times. In those 25 years they won the division twice (once, somehow, with a 34-34-12 record) and finished 2nd twice (both times with a sub-.500 record). Consider that they made the playoff 8 times during that span, while the Leafs, who were an absolute joke of a franchise for the majority of the time period, made the playoffs 16 times.

I'm not trying to denigrate the Wings or anything because they're hands-down the best run franchise in hockey, but, aside from maybe two seasons, they were really, really bad until '91-'92.

[Thejambi]

you other original 6 cities with your "missing the playoffs rebuilding" are totes adorbs.

See, everyone assumes the Wings are just really well run, but I'm pretty sure the last 25 years of success is just the end result of a 20 year rebuilding process in the '70s and '80s. If you suck for that long, you kind of need this to balance things out.

Or at least that's what I tell myself to make myself believe I have 50 or so seasons of awesomeness to look forward to.

Except for the fact that the franchise turned around after Illitch bought them in 82. Only missed 2 playoffs since then.

Well I meant it as a joke, but...

They made the playoffs in the '83-'84 and '84-85 seasons under a format where 8 out of 10 teams in the conference made the playoffs. In those two seasons they were a combined 58-83-19. They still sucked then.

In the 25 seasons from '66-'67 to '90-'91, they finished above .500 four times. In those 25 years they won the division twice (once, somehow, with a 34-34-12 record) and finished 2nd twice (both times with a sub-.500 record). Consider that they made the playoff 8 times during that span, while the Leafs, who were an absolute joke of a franchise for the majority of the time period, made the playoffs 16 times.

I'm not trying to denigrate the Wings or anything because they're hands-down the best run franchise in hockey, but, aside from maybe two seasons, they were really, really bad until '91-'92.

Oh I know there was jest. The wings turnaround was a direct result of Mike Illitch and the crew he started to bring in. Once Jacques Demers took over in the mid 80's they really were much more competent and successful then you are giving them credit for. But yes, 90 is when they started to become a force.

(Not saying Demers was great but it was in those years they started to actually compete for the division)

[shinkdew]

Toronto trades David Clarkson to Columbus for Nathan Horton.

This trade is pretty brilliant. They are basically paying $22.5m to get rid of Clarkson.

[philpritchard]

Toronto trades David Clarkson to Columbus for Nathan Horton.

This trade is pretty brilliant. They are basically paying $22.5m to get rid of Clarkson.

Amazing. They just purchased more than $5 million in cap space. This has been a great deadline as far as building for the future.

[southp]

Toronto trades David Clarkson to Columbus for Nathan Horton.

This trade is pretty brilliant. They are basically paying $22.5m to get rid of Clarkson.

That wasn't too bad actually. Clarkson seemed to be the least trade-able Leaf.
Maybe the GM doesn't get canned afterall?

[philpritchard]

Toronto trades David Clarkson to Columbus for Nathan Horton.

This trade is pretty brilliant. They are basically paying $22.5m to get rid of Clarkson.

That wasn't too bad actually. Clarkson seemed to be the least trade-able Leaf.
Maybe the GM doesn't get canned afterall?

I still don't think Nonis is in charge, and if he is in charge I think he probably has to report to Shanahan and his posse before pulling the trigger.

Either way, they're three trades into the rebuild and I've loved every one of them. This is a strange feeling.

[philpritchard]

I guess I should post this here instead of hijacking the baseball tournament thread... who would be interested in a franchise tournament on WhatIfSports.com? Take a look at the site or the baseball tournament thread to see how it works. If there's enough interest for 6+ teams, then we'll work out the details from there!