QOTD: Which teams are tanking?

[Super-Rye]

Edmonton, Buffalo, and Arizona are tanking.

Edmonton because they've forgotten how to do anything else. Tanking is no longer a plan for the oilers, it's just simply a way of life now.

Arizona because they're going to shed money players left right and center. If that's not tanking I don't know what else is.

Buffalo is tanking because...well I don't know how they're this bad. I mean, they should be a bad team but they've gone full Oiler recently, and you should never go full Oiler.

[FireGilbert]

I voted many and believe this year could be even tankier than the lockout season.

-Buffalo started tanking last year by blowing up the team and no amount of FAs this season was going to prevent them from being a bottom team.
-Carolina has been tanking since the off season due to their refusal to make any moves to improve the team either by signing FAs or making trades.
-Arizona has obviously started tanking due to their inability to add salary and eagerness to trade Dubnyk.
-Edmonton did attempt to compete this year but the team was so poorly built it was abandoned in favour of the tank.

I also think Toronto, Philly, Ottawa, Jersey and maybe Columbus could join the tankers depending on what they do at the trade deadline.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by #-3

Went with Tor.

I think the other 3 teams just aren't that good, they have all looked better in past years with higher quality goaltending that they are not getting this year, but I wouldn't call that a planned tank.

Toronto should be better than they are, they just aren't trying.

Seriously? They aren't trying? What motivation does a player have to not try? Their career and lives are at stake. Not to mention just personal pride and morals. That sounds absurd.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

I voted many and believe this year could be even tankier than the lockout season.

-Buffalo started tanking last year by blowing up the team and no amount of FAs this season was going to prevent them from being a bottom team.
-Carolina has been tanking since the off season due to their refusal to make any moves to improve the team either by signing FAs or making trades.
-Arizona has obviously started tanking due to their inability to add salary and eagerness to trade Dubnyk.
-Edmonton did attempt to compete this year but the team was so poorly built it was abandoned in favour of the tank.

I also think Toronto, Philly, Ottawa, Jersey and maybe Columbus could join the tankers depending on what they do at the trade deadline.

How can you join the tankers at the deadline? If your out of the playoff race and sell off some assets? The same thing teams do every season in that position including the Flames. What if we do it this year?

[FireGilbert]

Originally Posted by Hackey

How can you join the tankers at the deadline? If your out of the playoff race and sell off some assets? The same thing teams do every season in that position including the Flames. What if we do it this year?

If a team admits it is out of the playoff chase by selling off numerous assets at the deadline they are tanking. It may be in the team's best long term interest to do this but they are still giving up on the season and going after the consolation prize of a high draft pick.

Regarding the Flames they are currently in a playoff spot so there is very little chance of selling off assets and starting to tank. They did tank the last two seasons however. In 12/13 the tank started after the Iginla and Bouwmeester trades. In 13/14 it began at the start of the year with Ramo, MacDonald, and Berra in net although Burke refused to double down on the tank at the deadline.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Scoutski

I don't think any management group has come to the players and asked them to do anything other than play their best. However I think some teams, and specifically Buffalo have set their team up with a "long-term mentality" and have knowingly sacrificed an ability to compete this year.

I would say it's kind of good timing for them because I expect their strategy wouldn't be that different even if it was any other draft year.

I agree....but that doesnt mean "tanking" IMO, its merely called rebuilding or resetting.

every team has had to do so at some point in their history, as its just part of a natural cycle.

"tanking" to me has a connotation of intentionally losing.....and i dont think a single guy in the NHL would willingly do that whether they be on the ice or in an office.

Some teams are going to be bad...every single year. Those teams arent wanting to be in that spot, they just simply arent good enough to compete over the course of a long season and because of that end up drafting higher than others.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I agree....but that doesnt mean "tanking" IMO, its merely called rebuilding or resetting.

every team has had to do so at some point in their history, as its just part of a natural cycle.

"tanking" to me has a connotation of intentionally losing.....and i dont think a single guy in the NHL would willingly do that whether they be on the ice or in an office.

Some teams are going to be bad...every single year. Those teams arent wanting to be in that spot, they just simply arent good enough to compete over the course of a long season and because of that end up drafting higher than others.

Obviously you missed the 83-84 Penguins. Organizations will tank to draft first or have a shot at the best player.

[CliffFletcher]

The subject of tanking really brings out the idiocy of this forum. According to CPers, a team is tanking if they:

* Trade veterans for picks.

* Sell at the trade deadline.

* Don't dramatically improve their roster in the off-season.

* Don't spend to the cap.

* Spend to the cap and still lose.

* Have bad coaching.

* Lose a lot.

So about 10 teams are tanking in any given season. Of course, if the Flames do any of the above it's not tanking, and absurd to claim it is. Even if they trade away their top players for picks, finish near the bottom of the league, and don't spend anywhere near the cap even though they ownership willing to spend, they're not tanking. Because our franchise is a model of shining virtue and righteousness, and the rest of the league is full of sneaky cheaters.

[Jason14h]

If you want to see what tanking looks like watch the NBA where teams shut down players with fantom injuries. Or the 2nd half of the TB/Saints game where TB shut down their best WR and stopped trying to score to let the Saints come back.

If Edmonton was to shut down Hall, RNH and Eberle with injuries for the rest of the season, that would be tanking.

Buffalo certainly isn't tanking. They have a coach who is probably getting these guys to perform as well as they can. They tried signing a few FA's to help the kids in the offseason, They just have no talent.

Look at the FA's the Flames brought in. For the most part terrible. There isn't a lot to pick from when you are expected to be a bad team to try and improve your team.

Every year someone is going to finish last no matter what.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Obviously you missed the 83-84 Penguins. Organizations will tank to draft first or have a shot at the best player.

So you are actually accusing professional players of losing intentionally? Guys on that squad included Randy Carlyle, Mike Bullard, Marty McSorely, and Kevin McLelland among others.

how did the organization approach these guys and sell them on being bad when it would do absolutely nothing but hurt their careers and their very earning power in the game?

Nevermind that Pittsburgh was just as bad the previous season...or was it a 2 year plan to lose so that Lemieux would become a Penguin?

It simply doesnt happen because it would be a conspiracy of epic proportions and those just are impossible to pull off without someone yapping about it.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by transplant99

So you are actually accusing professional players of losing intentionally? Guys on that squad included Randy Carlyle, Mike Bullard, Marty McSorely, and Kevin McLelland among others.

how did the organization approach these guys and sell them on being bad when it would do absolutely nothing but hurt their careers and their very earning power in the game?

Nevermind that Pittsburgh was just as bad the previous season...or was it a 2 year plan to lose so that Lemieux would become a Penguin?

It simply doesnt happen because it would be a conspiracy of epic proportions and those just are impossible to pull off without someone yapping about it.

It does happen, the TSN documentary Playing To Lose proved the team intentionally tanked the season. The coach has admitted it and so did the GM. You are wrong.

[dissentowner]

T99, you seem to think the players have a say, they don't. If the coach is playing the 4th line all the time against the other teams best and the GM is trading away all the good players it does not matter what the players think.

[ComixZone]

Buffalo and Arizona are definitely tanking on purpose.

Toronto will make the decision to tank in the next week or so.

Edmonton is just Edmonton. They legitimately thought they'd be good this year, instead, they just Edmontoned the heck out of the season.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by transplant99

So you are actually accusing professional players of losing intentionally? Guys on that squad included Randy Carlyle, Mike Bullard, Marty McSorely, and Kevin McLelland among others.

how did the organization approach these guys and sell them on being bad when it would do absolutely nothing but hurt their careers and their very earning power in the game?

Nevermind that Pittsburgh was just as bad the previous season...or was it a 2 year plan to lose so that Lemieux would become a Penguin?

It simply doesnt happen because it would be a conspiracy of epic proportions and those just are impossible to pull off without someone yapping about it.

They admitted it! Theres a documentary on it and everything.

It totally and completely happens and it will continue to happen so long as there remains an incentive for it to happen.

This year is the worst because there are supposedly 2 generational centres available and the rules governing the draft lottery are changing after this year in order to reduce the incentive to suck.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Locke

They admitted it! Theres a documentary on it and everything.

It totally and completely happens and it will continue to happen so long as there remains an incentive for it to happen.

This year is the worst because there are supposedly 2 generational centres available and the rules governing the draft lottery are changing after this year in order to reduce the incentive to suck.

Yep, Lou Angotti admitted he iced his 4th line frequently against other teams first lines and used guys who were poor on the PK.

Carlyle was traded for nothing to Winnipeg right before the deadline to ensure they didn't pick up any extra points.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Buffalo and Arizona are definitely tanking on purpose.

Toronto will make the decision to tank in the next week or so.

Okay, so after Toronto makes the decision to tank, what, exactly, will they do?

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Okay, so after Toronto makes the decision to tank, what, exactly, will they do?

I don't think Toronto is really trying to tank, I think they just are a bad roster who refuse to do the things it takes to win. What will they do? Continue to suck.

[Jason14h]

I don't think Toronto is really trying to tank, I think they just are a bad roster who refuse to do the things it takes to win. What will they do? Continue to suck.

But those powerhouse rosters of Carolina, Phoenix and Buffalo are purposely trying to loose?

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

But those powerhouse rosters of Carolina, Phoenix and Buffalo are purposely trying to loose?

Obviously. Toronto has a much better roster than any of those three teams, not sure where you are going here.

[OutOfTheCube]

We aren't tanking, our rebuild just happened to bottom out at the right time. Tanking implies the management have actively done things to become worse for no reason other than to lose. What has Buffalo done to this end? They signed a number of veteran free agents with fairly strong pedigrees. They have not traded away any veteran players for picks or prospects (this will likely change as we close in on the trade deadline, but that is something that happens every year with bad teams). They are playing a veteran coach known for getting as much as he can out of low-talent rosters. At one point they'd won 10 out of 12 games, and are battling and close in many they have lost.

They're just a bad team, and they're getting this whole 'tanking' rep because it's the Connor McDavid year. Now if they draft McDavid, start to improve, then are suddenly terrible again in 2017 or 2018 or whatever for the next big prospect, that's when some red flags might go up.