Quote:
Originally Posted by nik-
But how does that get them a full building and 2-3 home playoffs games every season. That's all they care about. This org doesn't actually give a #### about building a winner. They'll never make the hard decision.
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This is nonsense. Of course they care about winning. You may not agree with their tactics, but of course they do.
This comes down to the "perennial contender/favourite" vs. "perennial playoff team and see what happens" argument.
Over the last six years, from 2017-2022, there were 5 different Stanley Cup champions.
From the nine years from 2009-2017, there were 4, with the Penguins being in both ranges.
Over the 14 years from 2009-2022, there were 12 different losing teams, and
only Boston (twice losers) and Tampa (twice losers) also won.
So, if I can do math, which is debatable, of the past 28 Stanley Cup combatants, there have been 18 different teams in the finals.
Yes, there are/were absolutely perennial contenders/favourites, like Pittsburgh, Chicago, for three years LA, and now TBay, but there are a lot of teams that are close, and then have one year where everything goes perfectly. This is what we were hoping for this year: Division leader, best line in hockey, career years for many, hence the "go for it" mentality at and around the deadline. It did not work, but I have no issue with what they tried.
Of course everyone would prefer to have the history or futures like Pitt., Chicago, recently TBay, and potentially now Colorado, but that takes a lot of luck. It took MacKinnon 9 years to win.
Flames were in the playoffs 5 of the last 8 years, including the bizarre North division shortened season, two division titles, and have only two playoff round wins to show for it. To me, that is a perennial playoff team, but not a perennial contender/favourite. Keeping Johnny and Chucky could have turned us into that, but alas, it was not to be. I am still on board with what they tried to do.
Just picking other teams at
complete random:
The Preds have been in the playoffs 7/8, and won 5 series over that time frame, three of them in the Cup run. They haven't been out of the 1st round since 2017-18.
The Leafs have been in the playoffs 5 of the last 8 seasons, with no winning rounds at all, and one division title.
Caps have been in 8/8, with 7 playoff rounds won, including one Cup, and 5 division titles. I put them in the "perennial contender/favourite" category.
Carolina has been in the playoffs 4/8 years, with 4 series victories, and 2 division titles.
NYR has been in the playoffs 4/8 seasons, with 5 series wins, and one division title. (Yes, adding a 9th year adds to their total a lot).
Colorado has been in 5/8 seasons, with 6 series wins, two division titles, and one Cup.
Point being, it's hard, and takes fortune, as well as skill. I liked the direction the team took, and losing Johnny really hurt this move to what I saw as becoming a perennial contender, into the favourite category.