Grilled lamb sirloins last night with a mustard, garlic & thyme sauce and enjoyed a Carmenere from Chile. You must be double Pfizer, waterfront is pretty elitist.
- Marwood

Actually, Pfizer/Moderna. Mother(frank)ers in NB have us at 65% double vax. You'd be amazed at the prices. Then again, my sister in Sooke is looking at 40 acres in NFLD for $50K.....waterfront.

I tried to explain how they never really had summer there but it didn't seem to bother her.

Here's the Blackhawks winning roster in 2010 and how they got there. How many were acquired trading 1st and 2nd round picks?

https://www.nbcsports.com...stanley-cup-champion-team

We were a doormat team trading away picks to be more competitive, and now we're trading away more picks in order to be competitive. There's a snowball effect.

I hope to hell we have a contending team for the next 2 years cuz if we don't we've blown our load.....again.
- golfingsince

3 of their biggest contributors were from a trade and UFA. In 2014 there were more added from trade and UFA. It is getting even more competitive to keep younger players now as well. They don't want to wait for a rebuild when they are 26 or 27 now.

Could we have been better with the players that would have been picked with the picks traded away? Maybe? The problem is that at some point you have to say we drafted our main core, now is the time to surround them with the talent they need to succeed. Edmonton and Buffalo have had multiple top first/second/third round picks in the last 10 years and still haven't broken through the first round. You have Eichel, Reinhart and others who've been high 1st round picks wanting out. It doesn't take much for player to get fed up with waiting for help before they want to go elsewhere.

You can argue that JB's never been able to find that talent but at least he's not saying, oh well, we suck so let's just continue to suck until we draft our way out of suckage and trade all our assets for more draft picks. That's a recipe for disaster too just like what we've got now.
- DariusKnight

My point was that we spent so many assets trying to escape our reality as a bottom 5 team, while still being one that we now are trading away assets to be competitive that we should have acquired organically.

I mean you have to be some kind of dumbass to not realize we had a bottom of the league roster and trading away a few draft picks wasn't going to change that. Now we have to trade even better picks to make up for it.

Let me ask you this after 7 years of rebuilding. Would you feel comfortable betting 10% of your salary that we're a playoff team? 5%?

I really don't know myself, they should make the playoffs but we're trading picks like we're a cup contender.

3 of their biggest contributors were from a trade and UFA. In 2014 there were more added from trade and UFA. It is getting even more competitive to keep younger players now as well. They don't want to wait for a rebuild when they are 26 or 27 now.
- Retinalz

But, they didn't trade 1sts and 2nds to become a playoff team which is exactly what we did. Even the, barely made it.

How do you feel if we don't make the show this year?

My point was that we spent so many assets trying to escape our reality as a bottom 5 team, while still being one that we now are trading away assets to be competitive that we should have acquired organically.

I mean you have to be some kind of dumbass to not realize we had a bottom of the league roster and trading away a few draft picks wasn't going to change that. Now we have to trade even better picks to make up for it.

Let me ask you this after 7 years of rebuilding. Would you feel comfortable betting 10% of your salary that we're a playoff team? 5%?

I really don't know myself, they should make the playoffs but we're trading picks like we're a cup contender.
- golfingsince

Would I bet any of my salary? No, but that's not because I don't believe the Canucks are a playoff team, it's because what you are on paper doesn't always reflect the final results. On paper, the Leafs should win the Cup with their roster, reality is that they just can't win in the playoffs. All of their top-end talent were high first round and second round picks, how has that helped them? Again, I don't think we're as bad as you believe we are, but we're also are not a contender. I look at this team and say we're a bubble team looking to make that push. We're in that mix of teams like Calgary, Edmonton, San Jose, Dallas, Nashville etc. who all have their flaws but have the ability to potentially catch lightning in a bottle and make a run.

Would I bet any of my salary? No, but that's not because I don't believe the Canucks are a playoff team, it's because what you are on paper doesn't always reflect the final results. On paper, the Leafs should win the Cup with their roster, reality is that they just can't win in the playoffs. All of their top-end talent were high first round and second round picks, how has that helped them? Again, I don't think we're as bad as you believe we are, but we're also are not a contender. I look at this team and say we're a bubble team looking to make that push. We're in that mix of teams like Calgary, Edmonton, San Jose, Dallas, Nashville etc. who all have their flaws but have the ability to potentially catch lightning in a bottle and make a run.
- DariusKnight

Tampa was the best team on paper and in reality the last two years. Period.

Tampa was the best team on paper and in reality the last two years. Period.
- neem55

And it took Tampa many many years to get there with that best team on paper until they got over the hump. See Colorado, period.

It really hinges on OEL IMO. If that player regains form and ages gracefully then he's hit a homerun. If it goes the other way.....well we've been set back drastically. Still, he advanced the window trading for JT and moving all those 2nd round picks early in his tenure.

Realistically how much would a super awesome Linden Vey meant to the franchise? Bear cheese? I'd say at the minimum now you'd expect a top 4 D or top 6 forward out of those two picks ( one player) with a drafting guru in place. That's 1 less 1st traded to fill a gap.

Instead, we have another gap created down the line. Maybe he can work his way out of it IF this roster pans out. However, the pipeline is running dry again and we've been drafting top 5-10 for nearly a decade.
- golfingsince

Getting a top 6 & top 4 with 2-2nds are home runs.

Having better forwards will help the D.
- Bettmanhatesus

Always a point that is easily overlooked.

What if demko turns into price in his prime? Then everyone eats crow here lol. QH had a bad year, petey got injured. I think posters here overreacting with negativity from the past, is that an understatement? Lol.

But, they didn't trade 1sts and 2nds to become a playoff team which is exactly what we did. Even the, barely made it.

How do you feel if we don't make the show this year?
- golfingsince

Technically you're right. They used the picks to draft and the traded the players they drafted with those picks. Basically the same thing. They also started doing it before 2010.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1419471461685805058

Golden

Would I bet any of my salary? No, but that's not because I don't believe the Canucks are a playoff team, it's because what you are on paper doesn't always reflect the final results. On paper, the Leafs should win the ActuaCup with their roster, reality is that they just can't win in the playoffs. All of their top-end talent were high first round and second round picks, how has that helped them? Again, I don't think we're as bad as you believe we are, but we're also are not a contender. I look at this team and say we're a bubble team looking to make that push. We're in that mix of teams like Calgary, Edmonton, San Jose, Dallas, Nashville etc. who all have their flaws but have the ability to potentially catch lightning in a bottle and make a run.
- DariusKnight

I said above that i think we're a playoff team. My problem is that we're blowing our load when I don't feel we're a contender. We are going to have gaps to fill over the next several seasons and we're trading away the picks that can become the players that fill those gaps.

To me it's a nearly identical analysis every year with this team. Have we improved? Yes. Have we done it at the expense of our future? yes. Have we done enough to take the next step? Probably not.

Always a point that is easily overlooked.
- Nighthawk

Having better D helps the D be better.

Having better D helps the D be better.
- Reubenkincade

This is true

Having better D helps the D be better.
- Reubenkincade

Always a point that is easily overlooked.

Always a point that is easily overlooked.
- golfingsince

Excellent point.

Would I bet any of my salary? No, but that's not because I don't believe the Canucks are a playoff team, it's because what you are on paper doesn't always reflect the final results. On paper, the Leafs should win the Cup with their roster, reality is that they just can't win in the playoffs. All of their top-end talent were high first round and second round picks, how has that helped them? Again, I don't think we're as bad as you believe we are, but we're also are not a contender. I look at this team and say we're a bubble team looking to make that push. We're in that mix of teams like Calgary, Edmonton, San Jose, Dallas, Nashville etc. who all have their flaws but have the ability to potentially catch lightning in a bottle and make a run.
- DariusKnight

So we're mortgaging our future to potentially catch lightning in a bottle. That's like mortgaging your house to buy lottery tickets. Exciting, not too bright.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1419471461685805058

Golden
- VANTEL

Watching- she was shocked to have won!

I said above that i think we're a playoff team. My problem is that we're blowing our load when I don't feel we're a contender. We are going to have gaps to fill over the next several seasons and we're trading away the picks that can become the players that fill those gaps.

To me it's a nearly identical analysis every year with this team. Have we improved? Yes. Have we done it at the expense of our future? yes. Have we done enough to take the next step? Probably not.
- golfingsince

Even if you did an American team will hand it to you in the SCF.

Truth.

So we're mortgaging our future to potentially catch lightning in a bottle. That's like mortgaging your house to buy lottery tickets. Exciting, not too bright.
- golfingsince

Yeah but it's Aquilini's house so fucking do it.

For you road trip types, Drance mentioned two Canuck v Kraken games that come before a Seahawks game. One November, the other New Year’s Day maybe?

Yeah but it's Aquilini's house so fucking do it.
- A_SteamingLombardi

Apparently he’s willing to do anything to win before the old man kicks the bucket.

Watching- she was shocked to have won!
- 1970vintage

Me I won??

Golden.

I said above that i think we're a playoff team. My problem is that we're blowing our load when I don't feel we're a contender. We are going to have gaps to fill over the next several seasons and we're trading away the picks that can become the players that fill those gaps.

To me it's a nearly identical analysis every year with this team. Have we improved? Yes. Have we done it at the expense of our future? yes. Have we done enough to take the next step? Probably not.
- golfingsince

No way in hell, we are still that same soft pushover team that relies on a goalie to carry them when the coaching systems crumble into nothing.