Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
So what has handicapped Canadian teams? In the cases of Edmonton, Winnipeg, and to a lesser extent Ottawa and Calgary, these are not desirable destinations for star players and top free agents. On the other hand, lots of players seem to want to play in Toronto and Vancouver. So desirability of the city doesn't explain all of it.
Is it impatience? Looking at the way teams have been constructed, that seems part of it. Canadian owners don't have the patience for rebuilds. Maybe because they don't think the fans will tolerate rebuilds. But why would loyal fanbases in markets that routinely sell out be more averse to rebuilds than American markets with much shallower and fragile support?
|
Impatience is definitely one of the big issues. I also think Canadian fans are too difficult on their star players who play roughly 1/3 of the game, yet it always falls on just their shoulders; that’s probably why Canadian teams are always found on No Trade lists.
History has shown that teams built through the draft is the best way to win it all. Winnipeg was probably the closest but their defense fell apart at the wrong time. Ottawa seems to build well through the draft as well but their owner Eugene Melnyk has interfered way too often.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk