Speculation: 2024-2025 General Discussion III: 4 nations, 4th line scoring

[Rschmitz]

It’s bad voodoo to dump on the Rays after being rescued by Vinik.

Those cup teams we were only able to splurge because of Yzerman frugality, man simply refused to deal top prospects and picks. JBB took daddy’s credit card and went shopping for championships

 

[AlwaysSunnyInTampa]

Those teams weren't realistic. A lot of things had to align to get us that roster, and it's unlikely to ever happen again. We can't ever replace that much talent. No team can.

I'm not saying you have to have that exact roster and talent. But you're basically connecting the dots as to why I've been howling for 2 years that we need to stop the 40 minutes of rope a dope and switch to a completely different scheme. We suck at this. Unless JBB pulls a rabbit out of his, I don't see this team getting far. Because you're right. We aren't replicating the back to back teams.

Look at the support it took to get the likes of Stamkos, Vasy, Hedman and Kucherov to a title in the system we played. Day 1 hall of famers. 4 trips to the promised land and it took anomaly rosters to win the whole thing. But that's what I am weighing our needs against because those are the teams that got it done. Becuase brother I am completely out of ideas beyond trying to replicate dumb luck and miracle rosters if we're gonna be this damn stubborn about 40 minutes of rope a dope being our identity. Believe me. I am acutely aware of how crazy it sounds.

But the whole thing is circular thinking because it sounds like the Lightning will NOT be changing their minds and it leaves me back to how we need to replace, 2 checking lines and a Stamkos.


Having a greater abundance of prospects since 2020 beyond Colton would have solved almost all these problems

 

[Sky04]

Bringing up Stamkos is moot.... He was already replaced with a better player.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Speaking of Stamkos he’s on a 7 game streak without a point.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[bov]

He can be added to the TB waivers fan club with Sprong, Puljujarvi and other players who I'm forgetting that are toast in the NHL but somehow people want us to claim.

I actually don't hate the idea here but it seems like Barrie hasn't shown any signs of life in the past year or two.

 

[Felonious Python]

He can be added to the TB waivers fan club with Sprong, Puljujarvi and other players who I'm forgetting that are toast in the NHL but somehow people want us to claim.

I actually don't hate the idea here but it seems like Barrie hasn't shown any signs of life in the past year or two.

Barrie at this point is kind of whatever, but as a free depth RHD, it's not too bad.

His dad was part owner of the Lightning back in the day. I don't know if that matters.

 

[bov]

Th

Barrie at this point is kind of whatever, but as a free depth RHD, it's not too bad.

His dad was part owner of the Lightning back in the day. I don't know if that matters.

That guy forever tainted the name, although I think he was the lesser of two evils at the time iirc.

 

[Felonious Python]

Th

That guy forever tainted the name, although I think he was the lesser of two evils at the time iirc.

Barrie was the one with the grudge against Dan Boyle.

Things generally calmed down when Oren Koules became the clear leader, although negotiations with Jeff Vinik may have already started behind the scenes, and they knew they were on the way out.

 

[Rschmitz]

Yeah, Barrie apparently was the bad apple, Koules seemed like a generally good dude. Having said all that, no one is complaining about what happened afterwards.

 

[bov]

I had it backwards this whole time, didn't realize Koules was the one who nixed the Stamkos trade to NYR. Thought it was the other way around. What a disaster.

 

[nhljohnson]

My FIL was a business associate and close friend to one of the other minority owners in the OK Hockey group.

There was no love lost for Barrie, who was trying to run the show despite not ponying up like the others. There were multiple cash calls and Barrie couldn’t or wouldn’t (IIRC his wealth was tied to the prospects of a real estate project in B.C.) muster his share of the funds.

They were all in over their heads, but Koules (who might have been going through a divorce at the time — some of the details escape me after so long) was trying to do right by the franchise and certainly put a lot of his own dough on the table.

Vinik, of course, was a godsend.

 

[Zwui21]

There's no way we go for something crazy like this, right? Would be no chance to re-sign him in the offseason, correct?