What the...so Marner makes every team an instant favourite unless its Toronto cause...you hate the Leafs. Great point.

How are things in say...Arizona or Ottawa better? 😂

Yeah.. I'll take the 5-10 teams that don't make any money, Alex. Those are the most desperate.

...and I think sarcasm is lost on you.
- bullethead7

Guess you didnt read the rest of his posts, no clue.

There are teams that a desperate in so many ways.

Toronto - Arguably one of the most star lined rosters that hasn't shown in the playoffs. The level of desperation is high. 2019/2020 is a year they need to hit before salary cap issues start begin to toll on roster moves.

Montreal - I don't know how many more seasons Carey Price has left where he can bail that team out. Seem's like a massive waste of a potential HOF goaltender for a team that has had little presence in the Playoffs. Not sure how Bergevin STILL has a job.

Ottawa - This franchise has done nothing for a very long time. They don't appear to be desperate, but they need to show some urgency. They've now traded away 2 marquee players with little to show. You can't rebuild forever (it's been painful to watch in Edmonton).

Vancouver - I would spot them similarly to Ottawa, although they are much further ahead, they have a great pool of prospects in the post Sundin era. This team needs to push for the playoffs.

Edmonton - Every season is now desperate when you have Connor McDavid and Draisaitl. The team needs to capitalize on having two elite forwards. Ownership has shown urgency. The new management has echoed that with coaching staff and moving out an "unmovable" contract. Edmonton now also has surprising good defensive picks. If each player buys in and has an average year, they can be a playoff contender. Anything above that puts them in the mix to go deeper.

Florida/Carolina/Arizona - Needs to sell some seats at home games. The fact that Bettman hasn't put these teams on notice is a shock.

Calgary - A bit of an anomaly, they haven't bottomed out to the level of the Oiler's in the past. With a proposed new arena on the way, they need to sell some season tickets. I don't think they are in so much trouble, but I do think they need to have some more consistently to become a playoff threat.
- Eersel

Good post. "Most desperate " has a wide range of options.

The whole 'the league is rigged against us that's why we can't win' look isn't a good one


Winners don't have victimhood mentality



- Komisaurus Rex

Triggered response to trolling

I think EK meant desparate from the perspective of "window to win" argument and not which fan base is most desparate to win.

IMO the following teams (in no order) are most desparate in terms of window

- WASHINGTON (best goal scorer in history and 1 cup to show)

- BOSTON (future HOF center on the wrong side of 30 and HOF defenseman in his twilight - just 1 cup in 3 finals appearances)

- PIT (see Boston, but they have 3 cups in 4 finals appearances)

- TAMPA (Stamkos and Hedman should have 4-6yrs of elite left. Along with Vas, Point and Kuch they are much better than the 3 above)

- TOR (high AAV w/ 5yr contracts for the young stars and comparably low salary cap does limit their window)

- EDM (they have 2-4yrs at best to fix this or McDavid forces his way out). Wouldn't it be insane to see an AM for CM trade 3-4yrs from now if the Leafs dont think AM is happy and likely to re-sign?

- NJD: ask Dubas how much fun it is in the cap world negotiating with highly drafted highly skilled fwd's is. Then look at the three 1st overall picks in NJ (Hall, Hughes, Hersh). This is not a big market team and internal caps could shorten their window but they should be good for 3-5yrs at min if they keep Hall

Oilers have no expectations, Leafs have a lot of expectations.
- Pacificgem

Oilers do have to win though. They have McDavid. Their clock is ticking.

Montreal, as evidenced by the Carolina RFA sheet and what they were willing to give up.

Leafs.

They should have traded for a TOP D man last season while the kids were all on the books.

Why is the league as a whole better? What about Montreal or Boston or Florida or Colorado? Isn't the league as a whole better when they are better too?

I would submit that the league as a whole is better if there is greater parity in the league meaning that all the teams are better.not just one or two. Baseball sucks cuz 4-7 teams keep buying up the best players and the bottom feeders never get going...
- kaptaan

The NHL has never had greater parity than right now.

Baseball does have small market teams win. Basketball is more the issue. The Raptors are the only "Non Favourite" in years to win it all.

The Leafs being "Good" means more $ for small market teams to spend on players in the NHL.

Leafs.

They should have traded for a TOP D man last season while the kids were all on the books.
- Shredder1976

People always say this but never say who

Tough to say. Leafs have a young, dynamic roster so it doesn’t really make sense to pick them. They’re, objectively speaking, an awesome team. They’ve simply bumped up against another awesome team in the playoffs. Bruins came an inch from winning the cup last year. Let’s not forget that

Teams like Philly and Buffalo have been really pathetic despite building teams with playoff expectations. Edmonton too. They’ve all been hopeless and sad, and don’t appear to be getting better. So any of those three would be a decent choice

Big picture it’s the Leafs. How many years since they won the cup? In the short term it’s the Oilers. So many high draft picks and nothing to show for it.
- Dr Blob

I would agree with these two. Leafs 50+ years...desperate. Oilers, McJesus...no playoffs...desperate.

It must be cool to be able to make calls to a bunch of insiders. Imagine just being able to call someone on the inside in Pittsburgh and try to verify how the contract proposal is going for Gardiner. But most of this stuff has to stay a secret or else the tipster gets in trouble so Ek probably knows all kinds of stuff that he isn't allowed to make public yet.

Leafs.

They should have traded for a TOP D man last season while the kids were all on the books.
- Shredder1976

True...also, Offense and another forward was NOT their problem. Should have passed on Tavarez and added one or even TWO good D-men for the 11 million.

Arizona with all that pressure from Tanner.

The whole 'the league is rigged against us that's why we can't win' look isn't a good one


Winners don't have victimhood mentality



- Komisaurus Rex

In fairnes, I have to read crazy posts from non Leaf fans that the NHl tries to help the Leafs win even when they are 31st in PP opportunities the past 2 years and have had the toughest suspensions in the playoffs as well.

True...also, Offense and another forward was NOT their problem. Should have passed on Tavarez and added one or even TWO good D-men for the 11 million.
- hawk35

LOL like who? They are drafting and develping good young D on the Marlies.

So what your saying is marner makes every team a cup favorite then what about Mcdavid with your logic shouldn't he be making Edmonton sure Stanley cup winners then every year
1 player doesn't make a team
just my opinion
- shadowspawn

McDavid isn't the game changer that Marner is. That's why there wasn't any offer sheet talk about him.

Seriously, remember the summer McDavid's ELC ended? Not a single story about offer sheets.

LOL like who? They are drafting and develping good young D on the Marlies.
- RogerRoeper

Trouba would have been a great fit for them. For one...

So Marner in the leafs makes them first round losers, but in another team makes them instant favourites? Please explain how that makes any sense at all.

Was in reply to a prev post but the quotes wouldn’t work.

Trouba would have been a great fit for them. For one...
- hawk35

Trouba was not going to a Canadian city so that's not a logical argument

So Marner in the leafs makes them first round losers, but in another team makes them instant favourites? Please explain how that makes any sense at all.

Was in reply to a prev post but the quotes wouldn’t work.
- Dr. Leaf

I've said this before, Marner could sign an offersheet with the Islanders and join them and they easily miss the playoffs. NHL is not NBA. Leafs added Tavares and had less points because of factors TAvares had nothing to don with (Like the backup goalie being much worse).

It's no fun to hate them when they're bad. The rivalries are much better when they're good.
- jmatchett383

Meh...
Its more the National media in this country's obsession with the Leafs. God forbid they ever won the damn thing again...

I think EK meant desparate from the perspective of "window to win" argument and not which fan base is most desparate to win.

IMO the following teams (in no order) are most desparate in terms of window

- WASHINGTON (best goal scorer in history and 1 cup to show)

- BOSTON (future HOF center on the wrong side of 30 and HOF defenseman in his twilight - just 1 cup in 3 finals appearances)

- PIT (see Boston, but they have 3 cups in 4 finals appearances)

- TAMPA (Stamkos and Hedman should have 4-6yrs of elite left. Along with Vas, Point and Kuch they are much better than the 3 above)

- TOR (high AAV w/ 5yr contracts for the young stars and comparably low salary cap does limit their window)

- EDM (they have 2-4yrs at best to fix this or McDavid forces his way out). Wouldn't it be insane to see an AM for CM trade 3-4yrs from now if the Leafs dont think AM is happy and likely to re-sign?

- NJD: ask Dubas how much fun it is in the cap world negotiating with highly drafted highly skilled fwd's is. Then look at the three 1st overall picks in NJ (Hall, Hughes, Hersh). This is not a big market team and internal caps could shorten their window but they should be good for 3-5yrs at min if they keep Hall
- Turnitaround

Yay a rational post..add Nashville and SJ (maybe even MIN..teams with closing windows) and take out Toronto (I would bet that Dubas is not worried about his cap situation, an could care less the last time the leafs won a cup)

That being said I wouldnt put it past EK to pick TO...it is about the hits after all and the morons led by K-Rex and co. have nothing better to talk about.

Probably the Leafs or Lightning.

Lightning's window is closing rapidly due to an aging core. They've been very successful during the regular season, but keep falling short when it matters.

The Leafs have the longest cup drought and now are finally good. Everyone has high expectations for them, but the cap is restricting their ability to acquire the necessary, final pieces. Things will get worst for them every year as players need to be resigned, yet the Leafs will not be able to resign them all.