The Ditch part deux

But, Shanahan was , you could say, brought in to turn things around and the emphasis was on winning and cleaning up a mess.

 

He was responsible for briniging in babbs and lou, they dumped the highest earners on the team to bottom feed for a few years.
He could've left everything as is and just floated outside a playoff spot for many years as they try to strike magic with free agents.
I think placing yourself to acquire higher picks for a few years is a strategy but not 100% a sure thing as there's much more involved, see oilers.
It's good that they were able to use the high picks to elevate themselves out of mediocrity.

 

You've asked about the Flyers in the past Will. This has nothing to do with streak. You said last week "i double dog dare you to say something positive about them?" to me you're looking for something? like bww does -- an argument or a point to argue about. strong opinions is fine Will, but when it comes to the Flyers, you have never agreed with me. I'm a realist and when I say they stink, I mean it. I don't sugar coat it. You look for the positive on the team. i admire you for that. i am not so nice. I watch them every night and I don't see the light that you're seeing nor the value or not helping yourself with a top draft pick.

I'm sure Kilkenny Dan is loving the Sabres getting Rasmus Dahlin. No commentary about them losing ala tanking to be near the bottom of the standings. Toronto with Matthews, etc. So because I want it for some non-generational talent, I'm wrong all of a sudden and a bad fan? I don't think so. And for the Sabres and this is no offense to Dan, this is their second high draft pick after getting Jack Eichel just a few years earlier. No complaints there outta Buffalo.

The draft is meant to help the teams that need it the most. Now all of a sudden losing or tanking is taboo and bad and a slap in the face to the fans? Hogwash! How else can a team get better if not for the draft - top pick or not ? I don't see an answer there from you. You also haven't justified making the playoffs and losing in the first round over getting a top draft pick? So losing in the first rd is better than losing to get a top draft pick? I don't agree. The Flyers haven't made it to the second rd in over 6 or 7 seasons. Not good odds there.

The Flyers have been a very solid franchise with a winning record for a very long time. They just reached 2000 wins and the first non-original 6 team to do it. Even the best teams in sports have some bad years and need help via the draft. To me the Flyers are one of those teams. If they were better and DIDN'T lose for 4 months, I would say "keep winning," but they haven't. winning 9/10 is not enough for me to jump on the happy bandwagon to a team mired in sub-par players and mediocrity. maybe their 2019 draft pick can help them, maybe not? hell i want 3-5 guys traded at the deadline if possible. I've said for years they need so much change and turnover. a top draft pick is a part of that change I want, not losing in the first round of the playoffs AGAIN!

 

The Matthews extension has got to be a relief for everyone involved. It's almost all signing bonus, which permitted the Leafs to front-load it heavily. Auston gets something over $15MM once he signs it and that'll buy a lot of tacos in Phoenix.
I haven't dug in, but does 5 years buyout any of his UFA years? Also, he gets paid his annual signing bonus each year with or without a lockout.

It makes Matty's question all the more pertinent. How they gonna pay for the rest of their roster after this?

 

that's my question too. that's a lot of top salaries when other teams aren't paying 4 guys what they are paying 6.

i asked skinny that on the toronto maple leafs thread. take their top salaries and 3 other ones off the books and they have $2.71 mil per remaining player to pay. that's not a lot of money.

 

"I'm sure Kilkenny Dan is loving the Sabres getting Rasmus Dahlin. No commentary about them losing ala tanking to be near the bottom of the standings. Toronto with Matthews, etc. So because I want it for some non-generational talent, I'm wrong all of a sudden and a bad fan? I don't think so. And for the Sabres and this is no offense to Dan, this is their second high draft pick after getting Jack Eichel just a few years earlier. No complaints there outta Buffalo."​

Yes, the NHL, like all sports have a system that makes it easier for poor teams to improve talent by getting draft picks in inverse order of their standings. However, the lottery itself is an explicit message from the NHL that they disavow tanking and actively seek to reduce it. I could not stand it when Buffalo fans would cheer for L's; I'm with Will here when I say it's against my DNA. There's a difference between losing because a team is bad and losing because the team's management is actively trying for that outcome.
I'll remind you that the Sabres picked #8 & # 7 in the two years following Eichel's pick which was number 2. In the 2014-15 season Buffalo had far-and-away the worst record and because of the lottery they selected 2nd not 1st, (that, BTW, was the McJesus pick). Also, the hockey team from Philadelphia jumped up to #2 due to the lottery.

I'll just add my two cents, FWIW. I think what Will is saying is that anyone that becomes a broken record runs the risk of becoming tedious. You are entitled to what ever opinion you wish, but bear in mind that others are entitled to challenge your opinion with their opinion, too. You seem, to me, the one that's taking things out of context and trying to make it more than simple hockey talk. But for me - and as a Sabres fan, God knows I've been tried - if I could not find anything positive to say about the Sabres, then I'd find a new past time. Sports is about fun & recreation, and I think most people find it a lot more fun to say nice things about their team. And, IMO, the hockey team from Philadelphia has an awful lot of positives and are really just underachieving rather than being bad.

Further, I endorse the several comments, but stated most succinctly be skinny, that players always try to win; it's the management that accepts "tanking"

 

I'm not trying to crimp your style. I just think it would help to look at things from the other's perspective.

Lately we lost a lot of previously active posters. Some are gone, others linger and comment rarely. I think if we just got back to talking sports it would make it more inviting for everyone. It's just my opinion.

 

#4 Im not intentionally trying to rattle your cage, i just have strong oppinions about things too.


Cat the Flyer Fan in a cage............LOL.......I could not refuse this photo......lol

Dan.......Canucks in Washington tonight.......we saw them play in Vancouver.....THANK YOU.


Lately we lost a lot of previously active posters. Some are gone, others linger and comment rarely. I think if we just got back to talking sports it would make it more inviting for everyone. It's just my opinion.


I like EVERYBODY over here........lot better than the OLD CBS days.......those were Ugly Posters.

Hope all is well Dan and I'm thinking Edler is gone for the season ??? Nucks in the WC spot.

 

Patty Cleary joining the silver stick club for the Broonz last night.

 

? no idea what you're referring too Dan. We are talking sports ? Until their winning streak I saw no value in the Flyers making the Playoffs? How is this not talking about sports? there's no political talk on here or anything that doesn't resemble hockey.

is this not hockey talk ? i'm talking about the Flyers and the draft ?

 

Cat, the frustration that I and others have is that you insist that because the theme is sports, that it is sports talk. That's missing the point.

 

I think its time for a picture of a sexy man, I mean girl wearing a skimpy sports jersey.

 

here we go. so what is "sports talk" Dan? wtf do we have to have rules now of what we can and cannot post ? you're in charge of what we post? it's a public forum hockey thread. im talking about a fucking hockey team and the draft. how the hell is that not sports talk? just because it doesn't appease to you doesn't make it a non-hockey or sports talk issue.

you tell me im blowing this out of context? you're the one doing it with this bullshit. we went from Will and I disagreeing on tanking to what is sports talk and guess who brought that up - you did. what Will and I discussed yesterday is hockey talk. if you don't like it too bad. and don't go around blaming me for chasing away the other guys bc i talk about non-hockey talk. those guys left for several reasons. none are bc people posted "non-sports talk." to think that is absurd. i am talking about hockey. and i could go back and dig up a ton of posts that are non-hockey related and no one said anything about it until you are doing it now.

you speak of others having an issue with it? where are they? i don't see that either. this is a you issue Dan, not everyone else.

 

I think he was referring to the personal nature of some of the posts.

 

And no, I am not singling you out, Cat.

It's just a general observation for why things can go off the rails from time to time.

I tend not to notice it as much because I'm rarely involved in it.

 

? Will spoke to me and I spoke back to him. I didn't use profanity or called him names. I responded to his stance on tanking. it was a civil post. It wasn't mean or derogatory. What the hell did I say that was so personal or in Dan's world so non-sports related? So now this is an issue? I can go find a ton of older posts that are way worse that what i posted yesterday. what is everyone getting soft now?

And Tim, Will said anyone in favor of tanking is a LOSER. He was referring to me. You don't see me bitching about that?

 

but Tim nothing is off the rails until Dan posted his nonsense about it. Will and I were fine with our differences on tanking and the Flyers. Dan goes off mentioning non-sports themed issues and people leaving. he is causing it go off the rails by bringing up bullshit that didn't exist between Will and I yesterday or how or what people post. To say people left for posting non-sports issues is a joke and a lie. they left for several reasons and that wasn't one of them. this is a public board and it's used for exactly the purpose it was invented. a bunch of people yapping about sports, athletes, sports related issues, particular sporting events and their teams. 90% of all threads are harmless ramblings from fan's heads. so now the 90% are at fault? nothing bad happened yesterday but Dan is trying to make seem bad and inappropriate. And if Will had a problem with it other than his 1 post, i don't see him on here today bitching about it?

 

I mean girl wearing a skimpy sports jersey.


How is that pgh.........lol

 

For some reason hot girls always look hottest when they are wearing the best jersey in all of sports.....