I don't know about that. Building around a stud winger never really paid off for the Flames. Center depth wins cups. If the Oilers fail themselves into Ekblad then the Flames will land into another solid center to which is fine with me as if say the Flames get Reinhart and Monahan in successive drafts they will have accomplished more in two years than the Oilers have in four years of picking 1st overall.
Honest question: has a team ever won anything building around wingers? (relatable to today's game)
Honest question: has a team ever won anything building around wingers? (relatable to today's game)
Not sure. Has a team ever won a cup without a legitimate franchise center? No offense to Conroy but I don't think he even at his best would be a 1st line center on most teams let alone a cup winner.
Honest question: has a team ever won anything building around wingers? (relatable to today's game)
We're currently watching the Caps waste the career of one of the best wingers in the game because they made him the focal point. Even Niklas Backstrom isn't enough there.
Since Ive been watching, I can't really think of a Stanley Cup winner without a legit #1 Center, apart from perhaps the Devils...but they had maybe the best goalie in history to make up for that.
It is pretty obvious...if you want to win a Cup you need at least one great Center. The last few years has shown you may need two!
Not sure. Has a team ever won a cup without a legitimate franchise center? No offense to Conroy but I don't think he even at his best would be a 1st line center on most teams let alone a cup winner.
I would say LA doesn't have a "franchise center" .. Boston either. They have 1A/1B's but none truly elite ... which is why I think the Reinhart/Monahan combo would be just fine for us.
Kopitar isn't elite, but is very solid, Richards is defensively elite but not offensively ... Stoll is defensively good. Bergeron/Krecji are both very solid but not elite.
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Originally Posted by MisterJoji
Johnny eats garbage and isn’t 100% committed.
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I believe there is zero chance Eakins gets fired this season. If you look at it from MacT's point of view that's his guy and his best bet is to keep him on as if the team continues to be the worst team in the league he gets the defenseman he wants and if Eakins makes progress in the 2nd half of the season then he doesn't have to face the uncomfortable and embarrassing situation of axing they guy you just brought in as GM's usually get two coaching hires before they face the axe and he would be down to his 2nd coach a season into his GM tenure.
I would say LA doesn't have a "franchise center" .. Boston either. They have 1A/1B's but none truly elite ... which is why I think the Reinhart/Monahan combo would be just fine for us.
Kopitar isn't elite, but is very solid, Richards is defensively elite but not offensively ... Stoll is defensively good. Bergeron/Krecji are both very solid but not elite.
They didn't build around any elite winners either. In fact, the elite players on those teams may actually be defensemen, not forwards
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I would say LA doesn't have a "franchise center" .. Boston either. They have 1A/1B's but none truly elite ... which is why I think the Reinhart/Monahan combo would be just fine for us.
Kopitar isn't elite, but is very solid, Richards is defensively elite but not offensively ... Stoll is defensively good. Bergeron/Krecji are both very solid but not elite.
Kopitar is pretty close to elite if he isn't and Richards is the perfect 2nd line center who could be a 1st line center on a lot of teams. Doesn't really get much better than that 1-2 punch unless you are the Penguins. Bergeron/Krecji are both amongst the best 2-way centres in the league so they can match up well against top teams. Bottom line is you need your best forwards to be centers.
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I believe there is zero chance Eakins gets fired this season. If you look at it from MacT's point of view that's his guy and his best bet is to keep him on as if the team continues to be the worst team in the league he gets the defenseman he wants and if Eakins makes progress in the 2nd half of the season then he doesn't have to face the uncomfortable and embarrassing situation of axing they guy you just brought in as GM's usually get two coaching hires before they face the axe and he would be down to his 2nd coach a season into his GM tenure.
Not only that, but they must see that 5 coaches and 5 systems in 5 years have contributed to the mess. They're pot committed now and have to ride the Eakins Swarm Train
Not only that, but they must see that 5 coaches and 5 systems in 5 years have contributed to the mess. They're pot committed now and have to ride the Eakins Swarm Train
Just kind of blows that they will be the center of attention again in another draft. That organization doesn't deserve to have a weekend revolve around them.
Just kind of blows that they will be the center of attention again in another draft. That organization doesn't deserve to have a weekend revolve around them.
You know it just has to make Bettman furious too. This unabashedly brutal franchise just taking high pick after high pick after high pick. So much so that they change the rules ... and then they're right back at the bottom again.
You know it just has to make Bettman furious too. This unabashedly brutal franchise just taking high pick after high pick after high pick. So much so that they change the rules ... and then they're right back at the bottom again.
What is it... 20% chance for the bottom team now? Makes the strategy of tanking less useful anyways
So he can't teach his players how to do a basic backcheck. He can't motivate his players to actually skate hard without the puck and hit someone.
And now he's going to implement a "Advanced Swarm Defense". I guess he needs to desparately cling to his fantasies because if he gets fired hes going to be another cautionary tail like Greg Gilbert and never get a NHL paycheck again.
I was reading the thread where the Oiler fans were talking about McDavid, its sad how far that fanbase has fallen.
If you this clip and replace Eddie Murphy with Kevin Lowe, Pluto Nash with the Oilers and the rest of the office workers as Oiler fans, this is pretty much the situation up there
Honestly the NHL should really find a way to fix this years draft so that there's no way that Edmonton gets a top 3 pick. There needs to be a miracle drop in position by the Oilers that goes against all the laws of physics, thermal dynamics and cross species animal attraction.
Bettman needs to quietly phone up Katz and tell him that he and his team are ripping their fans off and an embarrassment, and that they should seriously consider trading that first round pick for help now. Or else the board of governors will do what they did that lead to the founding of the NHL and the death of the NHA.
