The Great Canadian 2011-2012 NHL season discussion thread - Page 156

Surrealplaces · #**3101** Posted: **Mar 29, 2012, 10:48 PM**

^The Flames will definitely have to start putting more of a focus on youth. It's obvious Sutter's direction in the last few years didn't work out. Interesting years ahead.

Ayreonaut · #**3102** Posted: **Mar 29, 2012, 10:52 PM**

I really liked what I saw from the young guys all season. Horak, Bouma, Brodi, and Baertschi could all become reasonable players.
Hopefully Backlund comes into his own next season as well (wow, throw in Byron, Bouwmeester, and Butler, and we have a tonne of B-names!).

feepa · #**3103** Posted: **Mar 29, 2012, 11:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

Ottawa had three first overall picks, and none really panned out to be great players. Alfredsson their longtime best player was a 10th round pick.

Spezza never worked out? He was drafted second overall in 2001.

Ottawa hasn't drafted first overall since 1996... so I'm not sure what you mean by "three first overall picks"

Getting a lottery draft pick (top 5) gives the highest chance to get a bonafide NHL player... after that, it really is a crapshoot.

logan5 · #**3104** Posted: **Mar 29, 2012, 11:26 PM**

Should be an interesting last week in the regular season, especially in the Pacific Division...

The Canucks could take the Presidents Trophy again with a relatively easy last five games, versus St. Louis' more difficult end of the schedule and the Rangers playing tougher teams as well. But what really counts is what happens in the play-offs. With Cory Schneider establishing himself as a top tier goalie, and the rest of the team with last years experience under their belt, the Canucks have a pretty good chance of making it to the finals again.

Go Canucks Go!!!

Ayreonaut · #**3105** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 2:29 AM**

Mcquaid should have gotten 5 and a game for idiocy.

MrOilers · #**3106** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 2:53 AM**

LOL @ Leafs fans chanting "Let's go Blue Jays" during tonight's game.

Nicko999 · #**3107** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 4:50 AM**

The Leafs are really trying to outank us... really sad!

Anyway, I'm glad the Gauthier/Gainey era is finally over. They made some very good trades but most of the time we were the ones getting robbed.

The 2 worst trades under their era:

1. Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, Mike Busto for Chris Higgins, Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko, Doug Janik

2. Mike Ribeiro for Janne Niinimaa

The 2 best trades:

1. Craig Rivet, 5th round pick in 2008 (Julien Demers) for Josh Gorges, 1st round pick in 2007 (Max Pacioretty)

2. Jozef Balej, 2nd round pick in 2004 (Dane Byers) for Alex Kovalev

The_Architect · #**3108** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 5:07 AM**

Don't forget Grabovski for Pateryn

freeweed · #**3109** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 6:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by feepa

24-11-9 isn't 13 games above .500. Loser points are still loses 24-20 is 4 games above .500.

Actually, by the current mathematical definition of how the NHL calculates points, 24-11-9 IS 13 games above .500. Whether you agree with them or not, loser points count in the standings.

Sadly they're still not enough to have the Flames in the post season this year, because once again they've collapsed down the stretch. They've been basically awful for a few weeks now, barely playing .500 when it counts. Not surprising to anyone that actually follows hockey though. It's been widely reported for nearly 2 years now that this team can literally do nothing due to excessively long overpaid contracts. Short of trading their 2 key assets (and completely tanking in the process), they have been stuck with Sutter's mess and will be for a little while longer. Again, not news in the slightest. The contracts coming off this summer will give them some flexibility but we're still looking at another mediocre season or 2. Short of deliberately tanking and trying for a 1st pick, there's not much they can do until the garbage is flushed through the system.

I will say it's been a blast watching half a dozen rookies step up and play a lot of games this season. The Flames have more rookie scoring than half the league thanks to injuries - and this is a team that is "old" by most standards. Injuries that at last count added up to an average of 4 men down PER GAME throughout the entire season. Absolutely crazy and I'm personally amazed they're even at .500 considering.

Nicko999 · #**3110** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 7:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Architect

Don't forget Grabovski for Pateryn

We signed Pateryn yesterday...

Quote:

The Montreal Canadiens announced on Wednesday the signing of defenceman Greg Pateryn to a two-year contract that begins for the 2012-13 season.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=391598

And Ribeiro>Grabovski. That was another bad trade by those 2 but it's not as horrible as the Ribeiro one.

Jamaican-Phoenix · #**3111** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 2:28 PM**

I almost feel bad for the Leafs. Hearing "Let's go Blue Jays!" and booing is not going to help their performance.

MrOilers · #**3112** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 3:04 PM**

I hope the Habs' new GM gives Gomez a contract extension.

Surrealplaces · #**3113** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 9:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by feepa

Spezza never worked out? He was drafted second overall in 2001.

Ottawa hasn't drafted first overall since 1996... so I'm not sure what you mean by "three first overall picks"

Getting a lottery draft pick (top 5) gives the highest chance to get a bonafide NHL player... after that, it really is a crapshoot.

My point was that not all players that are first overall (or in the top 5) pan out to be superstars. Ottawa didn't draft Spezza. They did draft Alexandre Daigle, Chris Phillips and Bryan Berard first overall though.

You are right, statistically you will have a better chance at getting a bonafide star in the top five picks. I'm just saying that it's still a crapshoot as many top picks, even first overall picks don't pan out, and that good mgmt is still the most important factor in building a team.

Any fool can sit back and simply take the number one prospect, but good mgmt is still needed to build cup winner or cup contender.
That same good mgmt can also build a cup winner or contender from a team in the middle of the pack (Vancouver and Boston for example)

BTW, I'm not saying Feaster is a great manger. It's too early to say.... he did build a Stanly cup team in Tampa so he does have that going for him. I'm not trying to say Tambellini is a bad manager either, again, it's to early to tell. For Edmonton the test will be once they are in the middle of the pack, to see what mgmt does.

The_Architect · #**3114** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 10:00 PM**

Ottawa did draft Spezza with the Islanders' pick.

It was that pick and Chara who were traded for Yashin.

feepa · #**3115** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 10:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

My point was that not all players that are first overall (or in the top 5) pan out to be superstars. Ottawa didn't draft Spezza. They did draft Alexandre Daigle, Chris Phillips and Bryan Berard first overall though.

Ottawa did in fact draft Spezza... From wiki (and many other sources) Spezza was selected second overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators

feepa · #**3116** Posted: **Mar 30, 2012, 10:37 PM**

Eberle was selected in the first round, 22nd overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

He's already a top 20 player in the NHL...

Sure, there has been a few mistakes, or injuries which have prevented the first overall from coming into the NHL, but its almost a guarantee.

ZeDgE · #**3117** Posted: **Mar 31, 2012, 4:31 AM**

Home from the game... sigh. The Avs were blocking shots left right and centre it was insane. Poor start by the Flames again. Few really obnoxiouis Avs fans near us were getting on everyone nerves.. I seriously wanted to punch them in the face...

Flames had a hard time scoring as they were blinded by the shiny ice..

logan5 · #**3118** Posted: **Mar 31, 2012, 5:35 AM**

Who wrote that crap? Anyways Vancouver plays 4 weak teams to end the season= Presidents Trophy!

The_Architect · #**3119** Posted: **Mar 31, 2012, 6:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logan5

Hot goalie as usual. The Canucks are Canadas team. I'll bet against any one of you.

I sure as hell hope not.

The only team that's "Canada's Team" won gold in 2010.

Nicko999 · #**3120** Posted: **Mar 31, 2012, 6:57 AM**

Toronto... you won't outank us.