Edmonton is No Good XII: "I Dunno.. it's Just Not Good."

[Rejean31]

Who wants to bet that Sam O'Reilly ends up being a better pro hockey player than Ike "I'm the best looking guy in the room" Howard? Think the Greasepigs end up regretting that trade.

[Eric Vail]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

Who wants to bet that Sam O'Reilly ends up being a better pro hockey player than Ike "I'm the best looking guy in the room" Howard? Think the Greasepigs end up regretting that trade.

An important factor is O'Reilly is being developed by Tampa. Howard is being developed by Edmonton.

[McG]

For maximum hilarity, not only did the greasers sign Frederic to the 8 year @$3.85 contract, they threw in a full no movement clause for years 1-4.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The problem is the current playoff format greatly benefits the top teams in bad divisions like the Pacific. If the playoffs started today, the Oilers would get the Ducks and the Stars would face the Wild basically eliminating the 3rd best team in the conference in the first round while the Oilers get another easy first round opponent. The format is simply terrible and it's played a role in the Oilers getting to the last two Stanley Cup finals.

Now that it's 20 years of this format, we got enough time to realize the benefits of the format.

At the time I believe the rational was to develop more rivalries between teams playing divisional opponents more throughout season, and into the playoffs. But it doesn't really feel like that has happened? The Kings and Oilers keep meeting in the first round, but that doesn't feel like a heated rivalry - from my perspective at least. It's been one sided sure, but so was Canucks v Blackhawks in the early 2010s.

Along with a 3 point system, I would be in favour of NHL going back to the 1-8 playoff format, with division leaders taking the top 2/3 spots. First round of hockey will still be great even if top teams aren't facing each other right away due to the balance of the league. Upsets are still going to happen. But the way it is now, the second round can feel a bit underwhelming do to a top team being eliminated in the previous round due to battling a peer on the same level.

[Jiri Hrdina]

If they are going to consider changes to the format I hope they consider expanding to include 2 more teams in some sort of play in round.
However, according to Friedman, Bettman hates anything that expands the number of teams in such a way. So it would probably have to wait for his retirement.

[undercoverbrother]

Play off format should be simple

1 - 8

hell I could even look at 1-16 if the schedule was changed to have all teams play each other an equal number of times.

[CalgaryFan1988]

At the time they said it was to "increase rivalries", but I believe a large part of it was to reduce cost to teams through less travel.

It sucks and it doesn't make any sense, and of course the Oilers benefit from it.

[The EBUG's EBUG]

Would love to see them get wild on both ends of the standings.

Playoff formatting 1-16 where you "draft" your opponent. 1 seed gets the first pick and you go in order till the matchups are set.

Draft lottery order based on points accumulated following mathematical elimination. Worse teams will still have the advantage of more games to accumulate points but incentivizes teams to play hard late in the season to secure a better draft slotting versus the opposite.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Play off format should be simple

1 - 8

hell I could even look at 1-16 if the schedule was changed to have all teams play each other an equal number of times.

I like to get crazier.
My preference would be no conferences, just 4 division.

28 games in division - 2 home/ 2 away
48 games out of division - 1 home / 1 away
4 extra games out of division - 2 home / 2 away, random opponents (if a division gests a 9th team, these turn into division games)

2 games season opener neutral sites -
Each division 8or9 games in 8 days in 1 arena, every team plays twice.
I see 6 cities in Canada 10,000 seat plus venues / 25 US 15,000 seat plus. Think you could probably drive the same as regular season average gate revenue for a 1 week festival
Send 1 division overseas each year.
Throw 3 simultaneous season opening festivals in North America for each division, in those 31 cities on a ~ 10 year rotation.
Each day for the first week you have a TV quadruple header with the 3 north American Games slightly overlapping and an Afternoon Europe Game, or Morning Asia Game.
*Could also do this New Years week, and incorporate the winter classic, outdoor games into this plan somehow*


Playoffs
Round 1 4th / 5th place - 3 game
Round 2 in division 1vs4or5 - 5 game, 2vs3 - 7 game
Round 3 in division - 7 game
Round 4 full re-cede - 7 game
round 5 SCF.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by McG

For maximum hilarity, not only did the greasers sign Frederic to the 8 year @$3.85 contract, they threw in a full no movement clause for years 1-4.

It is amazing that a contract with only a $3.85 million cap hit is such a terrible contract and completely baffling as to why any GM would sign the player to that contract. I'm not even trying to disparage Frederic but that contract is highly ill advised for the team to sign. Yet, here they are... and it was signed by a different GM that signed Nurse...

[mile]

https://twitter.com/user/status/2008591866254733638

[PaperBagger'14]

Edmonton has an advantage over every team in the league because NMCs imply the players actually want to stay

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by mile

https://twitter.com/user/status/2008591866254733638

$7.45M in cap hit healthy-scratched

You're McDavid, you're looking at that, and you're asking yourself (and your agent): why, exactly, did I leave $6M on the table again?

[McG]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

$7.45M in cap hit healthy-scratched

You're McDavid, you're looking at that, and you're asking yourself (and your agent): why, exactly, did I leave $6M on the table again?

“Dig in, right frigging now, into this delicious popcorn that I bought for you.”

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

$7.45M in cap hit healthy-scratched

You're McDavid, you're looking at that, and you're asking yourself (and your agent): why, exactly, did I leave $6M on the table again?

He has had years to ponder that while his supporting cash was blown on Nurse, Lucic, Neal, Bouchard, etc...

I don't know what's up with him. He should be able to see that any team he shows up on is instantly a Cup contender, and it's a failure of the organization that he doesn't already have multiple rings, despite their 2 runs. He's been dragging them kicking and screaming to success, not being bolstered by them.

IMO, he seems like a guy that doesn't grab much control of his own situation (off the ice). Probably easily lulled into a sense of loyalty for the team and trust in his agents etc... without thinking much for himself. If he had any self-determination he'd be Lebroning/Lindrosing his way to an ideal situation like any generational sports player can. Not sure why he cares about what people might say about him requesting a trade or leaving the team holding the bag. They've squeezed all they can out of him.

[OldDutch]

I thought McDavid pushed for Nurse to get paid. I think that is part of the problem, the years where Lowe and now McDavid “know a thing or two about winning.”

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by McG

“Dig in, right frigging now, into this delicious popcorn that I bought for you.”

"Guess who's just "volunteered" to bus tables at the Trove?"

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

$7.45M in cap hit healthy-scratched

You're McDavid, you're looking at that, and you're asking yourself (and your agent): why, exactly, did I leave $6M on the table again?

Surprised it took me this long to look up a Frederic buyout - 14 yeas lol

[Locke]

Originally Posted by looooob

Surprised it took me this long to look up a Frederic buyout - 14 yeas lol

They're still paying Jack Campbell until the end of the decade.

[Heavy Jack]

We’ll take mango back for future considerations and then flip him for another 2nd next year