Why the Eli hate? Guy is video game good in big games
- Bieksa#3

Not these days, he's on the decline.

That's what he's saying. Does the team that missed by one point have a better chance at winning the cup that year than a team that tanked? We've seen teams go from bottom of the standings to tops in the division in a single season. I like the lottery idea for all playoff teams, the last place team could end up picking first or fourteenth, or anywhere in between.
- 1970vintage

So if the Sabres have to draft 14th last year and 12 say this this year and maybe 14th the following ...how do they get better ? What free agents go there ?

I agree tanking is terrible but I don't think it happens as much as everyone thinks ...the media over blows it

3 weeks ago the oilers were a potential playoff team ..now they are tanking

The flames were obviously tanking with their roster ...now they have 3 wins

The nhl wants parity and if they do a even odds lotto that potentially puts the league farther from it

Now if there was a format where they did a full lotto for every pick for non playoff teams then that could possibly work but that seems unlikely

So if the Sabres have to draft 14th last year and 12 say this this year and maybe 14th the following ...how do they get better ? What free agents go there ?

I agree tanking is terrible but I don't think it happens as much as everyone thinks ...the media over blows it

3 weeks ago the oilers were a potential playoff team ..now they are tanking

The flames were obviously tanking with their roster ...now they have 3 wins

The nhl wants parity and if they do a even odds lotto that potentially puts the league farther from it

Now if there was a format where they did a full lotto for every pick for non playoff teams then that could possibly work but that seems unlikely
- Redmile247

Who forced the sabres to trade everybody? They along with every other team put themselves there

Not these days, he's on the decline.
- Nucker101

I'd still take Eli in a one game winner take all over foles right now

I would go 1 step further and say the entire 1-14 spot should be based on lottery. It will eliminate tanking completely.
- Linden_4_Capt

I'm not so sure about that. A team in the playoff running without a realistic shot at the cup may decide to tank and just miss the playoffs if the draft is looking particularly strong. Imagine a team like Dallas picking up McDavid this year

Who forced the sabres to trade everybody? They along with every other team put themselves there
- Bieksa#3

The salary cap did

Forces teams to build through the draft ...you can't just overpay for free agents to get better ... Teams have to play kids more and more than in the past

Before the cap you be we saw teams rushing kids as much

The Sabres did sign a lot of decent guys too ...

Maybe the Sabres are pushing the boundaries but it's not like tanking is an epidemic in the nhl

I'd still take Eli in a one game winner take all over foles right now
- Redmile247

Not me

The salary cap did

Forces teams to build through the draft ...you can't just overpay for free agents to get better ... Teams have to play kids more and more than in the past

Before the cap you be we saw teams rushing kids as much

The Sabres did sign a lot of decent guys too ...

Maybe the Sabres are pushing the boundaries but it's not like tanking is an epidemic in the nhl
- Redmile247

I agree, the NBA is much worse. Having even odds for all picks is not a good idea for many reasons.

The salary cap did

Forces teams to build through the draft ...you can't just overpay for free agents to get better ... Teams have to play kids more and more than in the past

Before the cap you be we saw teams rushing kids as much

The Sabres did sign a lot of decent guys too ...

Maybe the Sabres are pushing the boundaries but it's not like tanking is an epidemic in the nhl
- Redmile247

I agree. You don't win by signing 10 half decent FAs for outlandish prices. And how in the hell is Buffalo going to attract free agents when they (frank)ing suck
Edit: take a look at Pitt, Chi, Col - all beneficiaries of high draft picks when they were poop teams

I'm not so sure about that. A team in the playoff running without a realistic shot at the cup may decide to tank and just miss the playoffs if the draft is looking particularly strong. Imagine a team like Dallas picking up McDavid this year
- bezz44

While I agree with this I think you are underestimating a nhl players desire to play playoff hockey

While I agree with this I think you are underestimating a nhl players desire to play playoff hockey
- Redmile247

Tanking is not a player function it is organizational. Ie. our solid 4th line player is sent to the AHL for a "conditioning stint" or "we're going to rest our top player because he is banged up" or trading off a vet or two at the TDL. If I am a player I not only want to play in the playoffs but I want to make sure that I have a job next season so I totally agree

Not me
- Nucker101

Talk to me in January
Your opinion might be different at that time

Talk to me in January
Your opinion might be different at that time
- Redmile247

Eagles have been down right amazing when u consider how depleted injuries have made the . Hell at one point all 5 starting o linemen were out.

I agree. You don't win by signing 10 half decent FAs for outlandish prices. And how in the hell is Buffalo going to attract free agents when they (frank)ing suck
Edit: take a look at Pitt, Chi, Col - all beneficiaries of high draft picks when they were poop teams
- bezz44

The sad part is the salary cap real function isn't parity ...it's to keep teams in terrible markets from relocating ...imagine if there was no salary cap today ...the Canucks and leafs would always make the playoffs ...the oil and flames could afford to overpay talant ....Florida would be gone

The sad part is the salary cap real function isn't parity ...it's to keep teams in terrible markets from relocating ...imagine if there was no salary cap today ...the Canucks and leafs would always make the playoffs ...the oil and flames could afford to overpay talant ....Florida would be gone
- Redmile247

Exactly. The same bottom feeders as always

The sad part is the salary cap real function isn't parity ...it's to keep teams in terrible markets from relocating ...imagine if there was no salary cap today ...the Canucks and leafs would always make the playoffs ...the oil and flames could afford to overpay talant ....Florida would be gone
- Redmile247

Basically. All the cap floor teams would be (frank)ed. The markets with the highest demand for hockey would thrive

Eagles have been down right amazing when u consider how depleted injuries have made the . Hell at one point all 5 starting o linemen were out.
- Bieksa#3

Every team has injuries
And trust me I know of their o line injuries ...I picked shady McCoy

They are being saved by their defense ...with defense like that you need to protect the ball better than foles is ...I'm not the only one saying this ...hear it constantly from analysts and tv personalities with espn, cbs , nfl network , etc

The sad part is the salary cap real function isn't parity ...it's to keep teams in terrible markets from relocating ...imagine if there was no salary cap today ...the Canucks and leafs would always make the playoffs ...the oil and flames could afford to overpay talant ....Florida would be gone
- Redmile247

That actually makes me wonder what Florida is going to do if/when any of their top tier youth pan our and start producing. Can they even afford to pay them market value? How can you build a team in a place that can't even break even? I sincerely doubt they make enough money to even cover player salaries as they are

That actually makes me wonder what Florida is going to do if/when any of their top tier youth pan our and start producing. Can they even afford to pay them market value? How can you build a team in a place that can't even break even? I sincerely doubt they make enough money to even cover player salaries as they are
- bezz44

They will be ok at first I think ...it's not like every single guy is going to command top dollars ...Plus the cap will be rising and rising

Basically. All the cap floor teams would be (frank)ed. The markets with the highest demand for hockey would thrive
- bezz44

Instead of the media asking what Canadian teams might make the playoffs it might shift to what Canadian teams won't

They will be ok at first I think ...it's not like every single guy is going to command top dollars ...Plus the cap will be rising and rising
- Redmile247

The cap may be rising but their budget isn't. Neither is their fan base. I legitimately question whether or not they can afford to pay someone 8mil for 8 years. I honestly do not see an outcome where the Panthers aren't forced to move

The cap may be rising but their budget isn't. Neither is their fan base. I legitimately question whether or not they can afford to pay someone 8mil for 8 years. I honestly do not see an outcome where the Panthers aren't forced to move
- bezz44

They should sell cap space to the big market clubs and make it even more twisted.

They should sell cap space to the big market clubs and make it even more twisted.
- hillbillydeluxe

Dear god...

The cap may be rising but their budget isn't. Neither is their fan base. I legitimately question whether or not they can afford to pay someone 8mil for 8 years. I honestly do not see an outcome where the Panthers aren't forced to move
- bezz44

Seattle cryingluuuuuuuus

They will be ok at first I think ...it's not like every single guy is going to command top dollars ...Plus the cap will be rising and rising
- Redmile247

So is the floor, and no owner is going to want to spend more money on salaries if they aren't even breaking even. The problem with these Sun belt franchises are all the same. They've been put in places that never developed a hockey culture, have arenas that are either miles away from the actual city they represent (see Arizona, Florida), and/or rely on transient populations that come from hockey markets to sell tickets.

You can overcome a lot of those problems if you build a hockey culture in the areas where the teams play, but that's hard even at the best of times nowadays due to the economy. To play minor hockey as a kid requires a major investment, of money and of time. Both Florida and Arizona are in the middle of recovering from the crash of '08 and the foreclosure of thousands of homes.

I wouldn't say they're failed markets, but definitely decisions to take them off of life support should be made sooner than later.