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Post by blny on Jul 10, 2018 10:12:43 GMT -5
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Post by jkr on Jul 10, 2018 17:24:17 GMT -5
When I see teams extending their stars early I ķeep going back to the Isles. How did they make such a mess of the Tavares situation? Why wasn't he signed a year ago?
Was it his reluctance or did ownership & management just screw his up?
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Post by blny on Jul 10, 2018 17:59:20 GMT -5
When I see teams extending their stars early I ķeep going back to the Isles. How did they make such a mess of the Tavares situation? Why wasn't he signed a year ago? Was it his reluctance or did ownership & management just screw his up? Good questions. I think they're all guilty. I think systemic issues made JT uneasy. I think he strung them along. I also think people were whispering in his ear last summer - though that would be illegal of course.  |
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Post by PTH on Jul 10, 2018 18:31:03 GMT -5
When I see teams extending their stars early I ķeep going back to the Isles. How did they make such a mess of the Tavares situation? Why wasn't he signed a year ago? Was it his reluctance or did ownership & management just screw his up? As I understand it, they've always wanted to sign him and he's always been reluctant, he wanted to see stability at the ownership/arena level, and just as it appears to be finally coming together, he leaves - understandably since it could all fall apart quickly. |
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Post by folatre on Jul 10, 2018 19:07:12 GMT -5
The gems of the 2019 free agent class are already disappearing, first Doughty and now Kucherov.
I imagine that Seguin will be next.
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Post by PTH on Jul 10, 2018 22:57:15 GMT -5
The gems of the 2019 free agent class are already disappearing, first Doughty and now Kucherov. I imagine that Seguin will be next. Which is why you can never count on free agency as a building block. Come to think of it, which teams have acquired serious building blocks as UFAs ? The only example that comes to mind is Boston with Chara. Otherwise, some fine players like Hossa have moved as UFAs, but no one else comes to mind spontaneously... |
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Post by folatre on Jul 11, 2018 9:25:23 GMT -5
I remember Niedermayer signing with the Ducks and they won the Cup in 2007, but I think they had already most of their main pieces in place.
More recently, Minnesota signed Parise and Suter the same summer and of course those guys have been core pieces for them. However, the Wild have never proven to be much of a threat to go deep in the playoffs and some may argue that Parise and Suter's contracts have created a roster inflexibility that makes retooling very complicated.
Basically, Montreal has never been able to attract genuine difference makers via free agency not even when the Habs were riding high in the standings. And right now the perception around the league among players, agents, and hockey observers is that not only are the Habs not a competitive team but also the Montreal Canadiens organisation is dysfunctional.
Therefore, as you imply, PTH, the only sensible plan is to emphasize drafting and development. This requires a strategic vision that until this summer Bergevin has never paid more than lip service to.
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Post by seventeen on Jul 12, 2018 0:48:58 GMT -5
I thought Paul Stastny was a good example. He goes to a team where he fits seamlessly, which has an excellent chance of winning the Cup and which wanted him. What does he do? He jumps to the Knights, who I think will find themselves on the way down the competitive ladder. Is it because Winnipeg isn't an attractive place for players? Possibly. That's why I'd love for Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton to divide the Cup between them for the next 10 years. It would be a great way to shove the proverbial up the other teams you know whats. Want to win a Cup? Move to these great cities. Enjoy the weather in Dallas and Florida, you losers. I'd add the other 3 Canadian cities but they're more popular places to live. Minnesota can even have a Cup. For just one year.
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