The more I read into the OEL situation the more I believe AZ won't get any decent offers from teams he'd be willing to waive. That $10M cash out for 3 years is prohibitive.

If Canucks can grab OEL for bargain rate like an OJ/Lind/90A Holtby plus JV & LE dumps. Would that make Landy and Larsen want to sign? That would be quite the Sedinery magic.

Landy Petey BB
Pearson Bo Hogs
Motte JTM Podz
Highmore Graovac ZacMac

OEL QH
Schmidt Larsen
Bonesy Myers
- NuckUp

they're acting like they were named GM's, do they not realize how Sakic started? Idiots
- Nucker101

I am the only idiot here, the rest of you are well-respected and intelligent hockey fans.

Ok time for a show of hands of those who claimed the North would be steamrolled.
- Nighthawk

there were a few guys in here who claimed that, wonder if they'll man up and eat some crow. We were told that the North winner would get bullied and beaten up by the big scary Murican teams

Burke started, Nonis continued, Gillis reaped. Sound good?

To cross reference I used another team where the first two were employed....nobody reaped.

It's great that you backtracked on your statements from earlier but it doesn't make them any more accurate than your typing.

Cool, a GM makes some good selections in the draft. If he can't surround them with proper talent to succeed then he probably needs to be replaced. JB has one year at this stage to get it right, maybe he'll get lucky and be given another year. If another GM comes in and builds a contender it certainly won't be because of JB. It will be because they're able to add the missing pieces. I would certainly hope that 8 years of drafting adds some talent to the equation, especially when finishing bottom 5 most of those years.
- golfingsince

At what point did you decide to pretend my answer would be the same when the GM's were on different teams.

What does a GM do if they have nothing to surround? Someone would clearly need to start if you are just adding missing pieces.

Call it a puzzle, someone starts the puzzle, someone else finds the missing pieces. What happens if you don't ever start the puzzle? (drafting is the first piece of the puzzle)

So obviously, the drafting of Burke and Nonis started the puzzle. Did the most work and Gillis came in and added the missing pieces.

Welcome back to 2021, Benning has started the puzzle, the puzzle doesn't even start if you don't do what he has done(draft). Someone else might come in and fill in the missing pieces and that's fine.

Oh man you aren't t-rex are you?
- manvanfan

1st concert I ever went to in Victoria, T-Rex, opening act was Holy Smoke, followed by Blue Oyster Cult, then T-Rex. I was 15, it was fantastic.
https://www.google.ca/url...Vaw3SewsdGXYmWnDrIGK06rNx

- Nucker101

Yeah, other than that it was solid. It would be better if it was just the draft pick…
- 1970vintage

But then how will they sign Larsson and landeskog?

I'm starting to think this might not happen! Thanks Debbie Downer!

there were a few guys in here who claimed that, wonder if they'll man up and eat some crow. We were told that the North winner would get bullied and beaten up by the big scary Murican teams
- Nucker101

I picked Leafs in the finals.

I’m not criticizing the pick Canucks made at all. I’m not trying to be all hind sightie. But Caulfield at 13, or guys like Conner, Barzal, Boeser is why I want Benning not to trade 1sts, ever, and why I wanted him to get more picks instead of doubling down.
- 1970vintage

We have JTM under contract for 2 more years vs a first round pick. I don't really care who NJ selected, we're supposed to have a drafting guru. There's a time to spend 1st round picks to improve the team......I don't believe it's when you're struggling to make the playoffs.

I picked Leafs in the finals.
- 1970vintage

Playoff Marner baby

One could argue that any regular season and playoff success that the Canucks have achieved under Benning was on the back of trades and signings that Gillis orchestrated; like goaltending as an example.

If I’m not mistaken, Ian Clark was originally brought in by Gillis but then later changed to Rollie…
- bloatedhefty

That's not a good look on Gillis then. Canucks have missed the playoffs 5 out of 7 years.

Gillis did a lot of good things, just not a lot of what he did created much sustainability in the organization.

Playoff Marner baby
- Nucker101

I had Fla going through, which would have meant NYI vs Vegas and Leafs vs Panthers. I figured if there was a team the Leafs could beat it was the Panthers.

there were a few guys in here who claimed that, wonder if they'll man up and eat some crow. We were told that the North winner would get bullied and beaten up by the big scary Murican teams
- Nucker101

That's certainly what I thought but in another thread I added "unless a goalie goes on a heater."

So, I'm surprised at Montreal but a hot goalie will do that.

We learned that last summer, didn't we?

So will they go with Lehner for game 6 now?

At what point did you decide to pretend my answer would be the same when the GM's were on different teams.

What does a GM do if they have nothing to surround? Someone would clearly need to start if you are just adding missing pieces.

Call it a puzzle, someone starts the puzzle, someone else finds the missing pieces. What happens if you don't ever start the puzzle? (drafting is the first piece of the puzzle)

So obviously, the drafting of Burke and Nonis started the puzzle. Did the most work and Gillis came in and added the missing pieces.

Welcome back to 2021, Benning has started the puzzle, the puzzle doesn't even start if you don't do what he has done(draft). Someone else might come in and fill in the missing pieces and that's fine.
- manvanfan

The new GM came in and added 2 top 4 D, a 3C and a top 6 winger or two among others. Imagine what our team now would look like with that?

Oh right, they'd also be a contender.


There's always someone that starts something somewhere. It's weird that you give YZerman little credit for Tampa .........

Sure, Benning is the greatest!!! That's why we'll need another GM to come in and finish what he started. Picking top 10 every year has nothing to do with actually sucking every year. Complete coincidence.

I’m not criticizing the pick Canucks made at all. I’m not trying to be all hind sightie. But Caulfield at 13, or guys like Conner, Barzal, Boeser is why I want Benning not to trade 1sts, ever, and why I wanted him to get more picks instead of doubling down.
- 1970vintage

Don’t look now but you just made a case a trade down can find good to great players.

So those who fall in luv with the pick number don’t care about the who. Also idc about what the odds of success of where a prospect is picked. What matters again is the who & there is why I like JB.

Demko
Hog
Rathbone

Not a bad trio after the 1st round.

He was never ranked in the top 10 was he? Thought he was supposed to go around 15 or so, because he was small and his game wouldn’t translate. That was the Zegras et al draft right? How many USNDP guys went in the first round!
- 1970vintage

Someone somewhere probably had him ranked in the top 10. The USDP was damn strong that year.

Caufield is a player with a special skill. Lacks other skills that are involved in the game that are needed on teams.

Not watching the game tonight, nor am I going to backread, unless I get really drunk, but, I was assured by almost all of you, that I was totally wrong about my picking of Montreal as a strong team this year.
I guess all I can say is, you guys don't really understand the importance of acquisitions of Edmondson, to solidify an already solid defense of Weber, Chariot and an extremely underrated defenseman in Petry.
Solid, world class goaltender from Price, also helps, as does a very underrated, Nick Suzuki..



Gloating is fun.😁

So will they go with Lehner for game 6 now?
- 1970vintage

Not blaming MAF but I was surprised he started

there were a few guys in here who claimed that, wonder if they'll man up and eat some crow. We were told that the North winner would get bullied and beaten up by the big scary Murican teams
- Nucker101

Nah no hope of that. Heads in the sand cuz the game is played on paper or it was the goalie was hot or or or ad nauseum...

Can't wait for the, " you are a Habs fan" comments,

That's certainly what I thought but in another thread I added "unless a goalie goes on a heater."

So, I'm surprised at Montreal but a hot goalie will do that.

We learned that last summer, didn't we?
- RealityChecker

There's not a team in the north who's fans weren't concerned with play outside the division.

However, MTL fans understood Price was the great equalizer. At least they understand their goalie is the reason for their success. It's not like Price steals games and they think they're winning because they have a superior roster.

Don’t look now but you just made a case a trade down can find good to great players.

So those who fall in luv with the pick number don’t care about the who. Also idc about what the odds of success of where a prospect is picked. What matters again is the who & there is why I like JB.

Demko
Hog
Rathbone

Not a bad trio after the 1st round.
- Nighthawk

I’m not opposed to trading down if there are guys you like just as much later on, but typically the best players go earlier than later. I trust that the scouting team knows who they want.

Trading down just happens so infrequently that I don’t expect it will happen.

And I know how triggered all you slurpers get whenever anyone mentions Drance, but he posted an article a while ago, or mentioned one that someone else wrote about all the trade downs in recent history. Almost all of them were worse off than if they had just kept their original pick.

Ok time for a show of hands of those who claimed the North would be steamrolled.
- Nighthawk

Right here
But to be fair I said the leafs would get steamrolled. Never in my wildest dreams did I see leafs not making the final four.

In this situation I’m happy to be wrong.

1st concert I ever went to in Victoria, T-Rex, opening act was Holy Smoke, followed by Blue Oyster Cult, then T-Rex. I was 15, it was fantastic.
https://www.google.ca/url...Vaw3SewsdGXYmWnDrIGK06rNx
- Makita

I don't know what to say.

I was also corrected by my daughter, it's not t-rex it's called "raptor" typing.