Yes we have a lot of playoffs still left but what If Vegas pulls it off and hoist the cup will it be a good thing or a bad thing for the sport (or sports in general) if an expansion team in its first season wins the Championship?
I don't think it'll be a bad thing for the sport. If you're a Panthers fan and you weren't absolutely fucking fuming when they gave away Marchy and Smith, you're probably not gonna be very happy if they win (although, they deserve the success). But for the sport in general? I don't see the problem. In fact, if they win, it might give the NHL incentive to revise the expansion draft rules just slightly, to try and prevent a team full of quality players from jumping together all at once. But realistically, if other teams can't evaluate talent, it doesn't really matter (hey, Florida). Expansion teams have always done this, in most sports. I don't think this should come as a shock to anyone, before you even look at Vegas' roster. Sure, they're doing it at the highest level right away, but most / a lot of expansion franchises have success early across all sports (to my knowledge). That said, as a Panthers fan, I'm rooting for both Vegas and Tampa to lose, to try and avoid as much embarrassment as possible. That would be rough.
I think that it'll take a few years to assess the true success of the VGK's NHL debut. Contrary to dline's comments, most expansion teams have struggled for upwards to a decade or more before enjoying any success. In fact, the Panthers made the unprecedented * leap to the SCF in only 3 years. But they had foresaken organizational development and could not sustain long term winning. They went into a protracted skein of suck that made the struggles of teams like TB, Nashville, & MN look mild. (Was it worth it to reach that second-to-last team standing rather than focusing on drafting & developing for a stronger future?). * The St. Louis Blues are an exception since they were in the 1968 class that doubled the size of the league. The NHL put all six new teams in a separate division, thus assuring an expansion team would have postseason success. I know it was reasonable for Foley to expect lenient edraft terms in return for his $1/2billion enrichment of the cabal of 30. The one-year performance is impressive, but we do not yet know if they'll find a way to replicate success. They drafted a lot of players on expiring contracts (probably with an eye to flipping them for future talent at the deadline). Can they sign them now? Can they manage the cap? Can they build a pipeline? IMO, there's nothing to suggest they cannot do at least reasonably well on all these elements of team building. But, they've really only proved one thing: that buying a successful product is made much easier when given $500MM seed money. The much harder task is in front of them. Their instant success may actually prove to be a disadvantage in the long run. Meanwhile it's reported that Seattle is going to pay $650MM. I don't think they're going to accept more restrictive edraft rules.
I stated this on the other thread that I thinks it's terrible. they are teams that have never been to the Conference Finals to Stanley Cup Finals and Vegas is in the Conf. Finals now and 4 wins away from being in the Cup Finals They got more breaks than other expansion teams and a better pool of unprotected players than other expansion teams in past years did. What ever happened to paying their dues and being at the bottom to get better as years progressed? I guess not. they wanna be great right out of the gate. I think it's great for them and their fans, but bad for many teams trying to find success in the league they've been in for years and decades with no help coming besides the regular NHL draft in June.
I'm torn between the jets and the knights, we'll see what happens tonight. I'm not a fan of the two teams in the east.
Funny story... I was 4 yrs old and I had this set of Hannah Barbera no-spill cups and one was Josie and the Pussycats. I pointed at the crotch of one of the characters on the cup and said, "Pussy!" My mom wigged out and promptly escorted me to the bathroom to get a good taste of hand soap. How did I know what a pussy was at that age? I have no fucking idea. Gonna have to blame parenting on that one. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Fucking Baptists! I'll tell you Frank - you can mark my words- the Catholics wouldn't be force-feeding you lye and lard. Meanwhile, congratulations on your precocious youth!
What happens to the Catholics in that circumstance? Snorting rosary beads? A few Hail Mary's? Definitely some ruler-knuckle music, I would imagine.
Aye fer feck sake, Frank. Yer makin yerself out to be be a right Catholic with yer clear discernment of proper dogma. Even as a God foresaken gobshite, you've saved yourself a few days in purgatory. Sweet Mother of Jesus!
I think every team "wants" to be great right away, few deliver. Their roster was not that impressive on paper..they were a 500-1 shot to win the Stanley Cup before the season started. They over delivered as a team in their first year and should be commended for that. Coach Gallant and the players deserve all the credit. I'll be pulling for them from here on out.
