[News] Tavares done for the season

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by codynw

So the Islanders got robbed in that Vanek trade. It's actually really funny how bad that trade was.

Vanek is going to walk, and they gave up either a top 3 pick in 2014, or what is likely to be a very high pick in 2015. Just terrible. Unless they get something unreal for him at the deadline (they won't) this will be by far one of the worst trades to happen recently.

A real organization would never have made that trade without signing the player to a long term extension.... so brutal. how long before Tavares has had enough of that atmosphere?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

Um, all countries would be playing by the same rules. Call it U-21 or whatever, so no need for "who will think of the children!".

Except that there is absolutely no logical reason to expect European NOCs to agree to this.

As for the stupidity of the model, it is a concession that pro leagues may not want to send their very expensive players to a tournament with little or no financial consideration. If they don't go, who else would you suggest? A tournament of retired players? Scrap it all together?

The world's best U23s are playing in the NHL. The NHL won't release those players. Even the best U21s will be in the NHL.

If there is no NHL participation, there is no scenario that sees Canada and the US participating in an even playing field. At the absolute best, it would be Canadians playing in Europe and some AHLers against the top Euros in the KHL, Sweden, Finland, etc.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Plett25

If NHL player participation in the Olympics is replaced with NHL player participation in a World Cup or Canada Cup, doesn't Tavares injure his knee in the summer tournament and miss a season anyway?

If Tavares' injury keeps NHL players out of the Olympics, why wouldn't it keep NHL players out of all international tournaments?

Because NHL teams take all the risk for zero benefit with the Olympics. They get no money. They get no rights to even the highlights of the games, and they are asked to interrupt their season for three weeks.

NHL teams take a lot of risk with considerable financial benefits with a World Cup, can schedule it when they like and have full control over broadcast rights.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

What would be EVEN better is to build a contender without a single #1 pick.

or without a single top 5 pick. We've never had one.....proud of that.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Meh. I personally haven't even found the games exciting outside of the US/Russia shootout. I've personally found other events like short track speedskating and some of the skiing events more exciting than watching inferior teams play ropeadope with skilled teams for 60 minutes.

You gotta think outside of the NHL and Canada. Even short track has their superstars. Koreans laud short-track almost as much as we do hockey. You may enjoy watching short track once every 4 years regardless of who's in it. But I would assume Koreans wouldn't enjoy watching it unless their very best was in it trying to get the Olympic gold. In fact the whole Viktor Ahn drama is apparently a super hot topic there.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Except that there is absolutely no logical reason to expect European NOCs to agree to this.

The world's best U23s are playing in the NHL. The NHL won't release those players. Even the best U21s will be in the NHL.

If there is no NHL participation, there is no scenario that sees Canada and the US participating in an even playing field. At the absolute best, it would be Canadians playing in Europe and some AHLers against the top Euros in the KHL, Sweden, Finland, etc.

As an aside:

Are the CHL teams obligated to send their players to the World Juniors? I know the NHL teams are not. What about pro-european leagues or american colleges?

If for example the Olympic tournament turned into the World Juniors or U-23 who's obligated to send who?

[$ven27]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

What would be EVEN better is to build a contender without a single #1 pick.

Who cares where someone is taken in the draft?

[flamesfan1297]

I think that the players will care a lot less about a world cup,then they do the Olympics. Gold at a work cup would not had the same effect as Olympic gold. The world cup would be just like the world championships, nobody would watch

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

If there is no NHL participation, there is no scenario that sees Canada and the US participating in an even playing field. At the absolute best, it would be Canadians playing in Europe and some AHLers against the top Euros in the KHL, Sweden, Finland, etc.

Remember that once all the best Russians started playing in North America, they weren't as deadly anymore.

Canada was in the gold medal game in both 1992 and 1994. I remember some people, after Nagano, questioning whether sending NHLers was even a good idea since Canada had done better without them.

[Matt Reeeeead]

Vanek officially dumbest trade ever.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by flamesfan1297

I think that the players will care a lot less about a world cup,then they do the Olympics. Gold at a work cup would not had the same effect as Olympic gold. The world cup would be just like the world championships, nobody would watch

In my mind it goes Olympics > Canada Cup > World Cup >>> World Championship.

The Olympics are the pinnacle and the Canada Cup had a Cold War backdrop. The World Cup was cool, but it's not close to the same.

[lazypucker]

Originally Posted by nik-

In my mind it goes Olympics > Canada Cup > World Cup >>> World Championship.

Where does Stanley Cup fit into this chain?

[nik-]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

Where does Stanley Cup fit into this chain?

At the top. But it's not an international competition so I didn't include it.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Honestly guys, forget Ekblad. He's for sure going on a different team. I say we start heading towards the Haydn Fleury direction.

[Mister Yamoto]

Thank God that Reto Berra made it out OK.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

Injuries can and do happen to anyone anyday, it's just bad timing to have Taveres injured during the Olympics. The chance of him getting injured during a regular season NHL game, or even slip and fall on the pavement are equal. I personally don't think the NHL should take this as a argument point for not participating in future Olympics.

Most NHLers have clauses in their contract that they're not allowed to do stuff like snowboard and play basketball in the off-season for just this reason. Their employers have invested millions in them.

Originally Posted by flamesfan1297

I think that the players will care a lot less about a world cup,then they do the Olympics. Gold at a work cup would not had the same effect as Olympic gold. The world cup would be just like the world championships, nobody would watch

How old are you? Because I can remember the Canada Cup and World Cup, and there was just as much hype among hockey fans and players. It was the only best-on-best tournament in the world, and every player knew it. Fans and commentators speculated for months about who would be on the rosters. Players were absolutely jacked. The quality of play was fantastic. In fact, it was better hockey than the Olympics because there were no weak-sister teams. Just the top six countries in the world. Also, a best-of-three finals beats the crap out of a single-game.

If the World Cup is restored as the best-on-best tournament in hockey, it will have every bit as much credibility and prestige in the eyes of the players as the Olympics do now. And more than an Olympics without NHL players would have. And that doesn't just go for North American players.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Except that there is absolutely no logical reason to expect European NOCs to agree to this.

The world's best U23s are playing in the NHL. The NHL won't release those players. Even the best U21s will be in the NHL.

If there is no NHL participation, there is no scenario that sees Canada and the US participating in an even playing field. At the absolute best, it would be Canadians playing in Europe and some AHLers against the top Euros in the KHL, Sweden, Finland, etc.

If anyone is to take Olympic hockey seriously, then the playing field would need to be relatively even. In your scenario, the NA teams would be clearly second rate and the Olympic tournamnent would not have the same prestige and clearly would not have the same ratings. I think the NA olympic committees and broadcasters will have more pull than you give them credit for.

Of course, this was the way prior to the inclusion of the NHL. Totally uneven playing field and Canada was left hoping that a bunch of college kids could come up with an upset. I may have been in the minority, but I cared much more about the Canada Cups back then, because it was so obvious that the Olympics was a farce with the amateur hypocrisy.

[Mister Yamoto]

Going back to a World Cup format would be worth it just to get rid of these bush league referees.

[BloodFetish]

Originally Posted by $ven27

Who cares where someone is taken in the draft?

Pretty much every poster in the Mark Jankowski thread...

[saXon]

That sucks for Tavares. Wish him a speedy recovery.

And there goes my hockey pool...