10 lies that all NHL fans tell themselves

[shadowlord]

"Lie #11: The first overall pick this will turn everything around for our team."

Edmonton has disproven this myth year after year for their 4 first-overall picks. Sure, McDavid's got talent - so you might count it as 1-for-4, but the team hasn't quite turned everything around yet.

[Jason14h]

Actually, looking at the pool as a whole, I think we are largely an exception. We've always convinced ourselves we had that one great prospect that usually busted (Baertschi) or didn't meet expectations at first (Backlund) but became a really solid non-superstar piece (also Backlund), but I've often found that Flames fans have dumped on our own prospect pool overall far more than we've allowed ourselves to believe it is deep. Two decades of drafting failures makes it very hard to convince oneself that we've ever really had much depth.

Oh man. Go read threads about all our great players in Stockton and how if anyone of them are characterized as a 4th liner or 6th D, you would think we were talking about a superstar.

We can't even develop 4th liners and 6th D over the past 20 years!

[shermanator]

I happened to like this one:

Lie No. 8: Giving our owner lots of money to pay for a new arena would be a great idea
OK, maybe not too much credit.
(While we're at it: No, he's not moving the team if the city doesn't cave in to his demands. What thriving hockey market is currently looking for a team? The league just put a team is Las Vegas — they're probably not going to uproot yours just because you only bankrupted two school districts instead of three.)

[Yamer]

Huh, I never knew about the Blues 1983 Draft Saga. Crazy that a team missed an entire draft.

It was linked in the article, but here's the direct link: http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1983/83facts.html

[tvp2003]

First of all, your team isn’t going to pull off a big trade, because this is the NHL and nobody makes big trades anymore.

But if they were, they wouldn't land a superstar by bundling up a half-dozen marginal assets into one package. That's not how trades work. Your third-line winger, fourth-line centre, backup goalie, three C-prospects and two third-round picks aren't going to get the deal done.

Granted, that approach might have worked for Cliff Fletcher 25 years ago. But it doesn't work now. Nobody wants your spare parts. NHL trades aren't Coinstar machines.

Ouch.

Effin' Risebrough

[Calgary4LIfe]

I am going out on a limb and say that the writer has had a long conversation with Big Tuna.

Seriously though, it seems written for the TO fanbase (the examples, etc., not so much the content).

[GranteedEV]

I actually think Flames fans are justified in saying our prospect pool is stacked. I mean since 2007 we've gotten pretty damn good value once from at least every draft (#2 Shutdown C in Backlund @24, #1 Defenseman in Brodie @ 110, 2nd line Power Winger in Ferland at #133, #1 star winger in Gaudreau at #104 [Brossoit/Granlund/Wotherspoon/Baertschi are all turning out pretty decently too]).

We had a legitimately bad prospect pool before Sutter implemented a philosophy based around skill and intelligence but since then, who can argue with the actual results?

2012 is looking like another draft where we got much higher value than draft position in both Kulak and Jankowski. 2013 might be a bad draft but you can't argue with Monahan's success as a #6 overall. 2014 might also be a bad draft but Hickey and AOM could both be decent bottom pair guys which for their draft position would still be a win. 2015 and 2016 are looking like two of the best drafts in franchise history, but only time will tell.

We've also signed some free agent prospects who are looking like possibly notably impactful NHLers (Hathaway/Pribyl/Rittich), without being New York, Chicago, or Toronto. Doesn't mean we're swimming in future first liners, but the breadth and depth of our prospect pool is by far something Flames fans should feel proud about, even with Monahan, Tkachuk, and Bennett making the jump to the NHL right after their drafts.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I am not convinced that the nominal form is incorrect in these instances. I read it as an apositive.

username checks out.

[Stay Golden]

11 The yellow snow near the outdoor rink is ok to eat.

[N-E-B]

What about "x is the most underrated player in the league!!!!"?

Seems every team has these guys they think are a total secret no one else knows about, when in reality they're probably just good players and not some unknown elite talent that's evaded detection.

[Philly06Cup]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Lie No. 2: The referees are out to get us

I try to stay even keeled about the zebras, they have a tough job blah blah blah, but when a team goes from one of the least penalized to one of the most penalized following the Wideman hit on linesman Don Henderson, it starts to make one wonder.

Challenge:

Someone on CP should make a video package of the refs continually making biased calls against us. Send said video to Flames head office / NHL head office. Make an actual case to get said refs disciplined.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Actually, looking at the pool as a whole, I think we are largely an exception. We've always convinced ourselves we had that one great prospect that usually busted (Baertschi) or didn't meet expectations at first (Backlund) but became a really solid non-superstar piece (also Backlund), but I've often found that Flames fans have dumped on our own prospect pool overall far more than we've allowed ourselves to believe it is deep. Two decades of drafting failures makes it very hard to convince oneself that we've ever really had much depth.

It has only been recently with this past rebuild that that has changed. The Flames now actually have prospects due to being terrible for a number of years. Prior to 2007, the Flames only true high quality draft picks from the Fleury pick forward were Stillman and Phaneuf. Almost 20 years of drafts and only two decent non star calibre players

[CroFlames]

Hah number 10 is the opposite of Flames fans. We hated Rob Kerr with a red hot fury, and most people didn't care for Lubo.

We all love Ball & Hrudey now, but they are in fact awesome.

[DJones]

So I thought our prospects sucked for about 10 years before 2014. Now I think it's awesome.

Not sure if I'm right or not now haha

[MolsonInBothHands]

We have an elite 3rd line!

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Hah number 10 is the opposite of Flames fans. We hated Rob Kerr with a red hot fury, and most people didn't care for Lubo.

We all love Ball & Hrudey now, but they are in fact awesome.

As a non Flames fan, non Calgary resident I always thought Ed Whalen was a joke. But here he is loved.

Just some stupid wrestling announcer to me.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

He didn't mention Iggy in #9... It's confirmed! He's coming back guys!!

[Timbo]

Originally Posted by SeeBass

As a non Flames fan, non Calgary resident I always thought Ed Whalen was a joke. But here he is loved.

Just some stupid wrestling announcer to me.

Blasphemy! Thou shall not besmirch our glorious golden orator.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I actually think Flames fans are justified in saying our prospect pool is stacked. I mean since 2007 we've gotten pretty damn good value once from at least every draft (#2 Shutdown C in Backlund @24, #1 Defenseman in Brodie @ 110, 2nd line Power Winger in Ferland at #133, #1 star winger in Gaudreau at #104 [Brossoit/Granlund/Wotherspoon/Baertschi are all turning out pretty decently too]).

We had a legitimately bad prospect pool before Sutter implemented a philosophy based around skill and intelligence but since then, who can argue with the actual results?

2012 is looking like another draft where we got much higher value than draft position in both Kulak and Jankowski. 2013 might be a bad draft but you can't argue with Monahan's success as a #6 overall. 2014 might also be a bad draft but Hickey and AOM could both be decent bottom pair guys which for their draft position would still be a win. 2015 and 2016 are looking like two of the best drafts in franchise history, but only time will tell.

We've also signed some free agent prospects who are looking like possibly notably impactful NHLers (Hathaway/Pribyl/Rittich), without being New York, Chicago, or Toronto. Doesn't mean we're swimming in future first liners, but the breadth and depth of our prospect pool is by far something Flames fans should feel proud about, even with Monahan, Tkachuk, and Bennett making the jump to the NHL right after their drafts.

This is pretty much the definition of over-rating a prospect pool. Every draft looks pretty sweet until it comes time for the players to turn pro. Unless you are counting Hamilton as a draft pick - I see no way you can rate 2015 as a potential best draft in franchise history. They only picked 5 guys, two of them are already non-prospects and you've got no sure fire blue chip guys. Sure they look fine in the AHL but so do a lot of players.

[MarkGio]

I've watched a few Flames games on different broadcasts this year and I have to say that Ive been pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't think USA broadcasts, such as the Fox crew, knew anything about the Flames or the subtleties of hockey, and I've been wrong. Plus it's nice hearing about the other teams and who's been good and bad for them.

I know the Flames. I know who's been good and who hasn't, but it's the 30 other teams who I don't know as well, so it's better to learn about them that to be told the same things that I already knew. Hence I prefer the oppositions broadcasts over the Flames one.

Plus I hate seeing the same SN commercials over and over. Where I watch my broadcasts I'm not subjected to commercials