Quote:
Originally Posted by ComixZone
I'd argue more that it's about drafting at the top of the draft, and then drafting very well throughout the drafts, doing well in free agency, and doing excellent work in the trade market.
You need all four to win.
- Flames have done a good job of drafting outside of the first round.
- Flames have done a good job in the trade market
- Flames have done an average job in free agency. For our successes in Markstrom and Tanev, we still have north of $6M sunk into Lucic (thanks to Neal) and Brouwer's payout.
- Flames have not drafted in the top 3 (and more importantly, have no drafted in the top 3 in the right year)
This is not a formula that has proven itself as something that comes together to build a championship quality team (or even a consistent playoff team)
The reality is the elite few have won the majority of all Stanley Cups in the modern NHL. Not having at least one of those truly elite players (Hedman, Crosby, Toews, Kane, Ovechkin, Doughty) puts you at an incredible disadvantage and more or less means - with a good deal of certainty, that you aren't going to win a Stanley Cup.
It just is what it is.
I don't think it shows that at all. Look at the Championship teams, just because the most recent top 3 draft pickers haven't won yet, doesn't take away from the fact that other top-3 picks are the backbones of the Championship teams we see every season. I think what it shows is that you need the top-3 elite level talent to act as the foundation of your team, and then your GM has to do an elite job of building ontop of that foundation - and it's not always fast, but it's still the only way to win a Cup.
Elite GMs also put this into their plan. Look at what Yzerman is doing in Detroit. He's been steadily selling, and hoping to bottom out every year. You build your foundation through the top of the draft, and then accumulate as many depth picks as you can while you go along.
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Almost all the recent championship teams also had front loaded long term contracts on their team. This strategy is no longer an option. Pittsburgh and Washington recent cups had Crosby, AO and Backstrom on what would now be illegal contracts.
I don't completely disagree with you that going for a top 3 pick is a good option, I just think only if the situation presents itself. Gaudreau walks and I'm all for ripping it apart.
If not, if he resigns a long term extension I do believe that you can win by doing the other 3 thing you said is required to win well. I think if he have Johnny and Tkachuk signed long term this summer that if Treliving drafts well (the last few draft and move forward), makes good trades, and makes good UFA signings that this team could be very good very soon
What Gaudreau and Tkachuk get and what we do with the dead weight contracts will be key.
It doesn't hurt that Stockton might win the Calder cup lead by some very young promising players. This is part of drafting well and I feel we have drafted well in the last few draft and hopefully it continues
UFA - been the biggest concern to this point and more than likely won'tbe something we can look at this summer. But Monahan and Lucic are off the following so maybe that's our year?
I also think resigning your own players is key too. This might be Trelivings strength. It's a big part of why Tampa is so good. Hedman at $7.8 mil is an absolute steal. No state tax helps though.
We can all specualte what Johnny, Tkachuk, Mangiapane, Kylington's next deal are but until we see exactly what they are it's hard to say we should 100% rebuild. What if Treliving does well in this area?