GDT: 2024 Playoff Bandwagon Thread

[JoVel]

I must root for the Panthers I think. Had the Oilers gotten the 2nd overall pick on 2015, does anyone think they'd be contenders? Obviously not. They'd still be awful. I don't want to see that kind of incompetence get rewarded.

I never liked Perry even though he played here, losing 4 finals in 5 years is pretty funny. And I've always liked Okposo, so seeing him win a Cup would be nice.

 

[Stammertime91]

Opening minutes are how I expect this series to go. Couple chances for Edmonton, save. Couple chances for Florida. Goal. What's not a goal is a 12mph shot hitting Skinner in a spot it shouldn't and 2-3 seconds of ensuing chaos in front.

 

[DFC]

Florida's tenacity is amazing. Rare to see a team built so little by the draft do this well.

 

[dbieon12]

Florida's tenacity is amazing. Rare to see a team built so little by the draft do this well.

A lot of guys who had to 'earn it' at their second, third, or fourth team I guess

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Florida is going to dog walk Oilers.

This series might be more uneven then when we destroyed the Habs.

 

[Stammertime91]

Florida's tenacity is amazing. Rare to see a team built so little by the draft do this well.

Yeah. Though it's interesting people ridicule the Oilers for tanking and sucking so long, but the Panthers did much the same and expedited success through FA and trades. Obviously both are how you build a team, I just find it interesting the go to/default position is against development/drafting.

 

[Felonious Python]

Yeah. Though it's interesting people ridicule the Oilers for tanking and sucking so long, but the Panthers did much the same and expedited success through FA and trades. Obviously both are how you build a team, I just find it interesting the go to/default position is against development/drafting.

I feel like in the discourse, drafting is overhyped as being the 'only' way to build a team.

There's been some high profile failures when teams tried to buy cups, so it became seen as a rule.

 

[DFC]

Yeah. Though it's interesting people ridicule the Oilers for tanking and sucking so long, but the Panthers did much the same and expedited success through FA and trades. Obviously both are how you build a team, I just find it interesting the go to/default position is against development/drafting.

Many of the Oilers tanks weren't even intentional. Which is maybe worse. But still.

I feel like in the discourse, drafting is overhyped as being the 'only' way to build a team.

There's been some high profile failures when teams tried to buy cups, so it became seen as a rule.

Florida is a middle ground. Didnt buy the team so much as they bought cheap on a lot of guys who planned out huge. Honestly it's probably a testament to how good Maurice is.

 

[Rschmitz]

I feel like in the discourse, drafting is overhyped as being the 'only' way to build a team.

There's been some high profile failures when teams tried to buy cups, so it became seen as a rule.

You can't buy cups with the cap, even pre-cap it was incredibly difficult for teams to accumulate enough high priced talent because free-agency was essentially just over the hill players. You could hold onto your stars once you developed them, like Detroit/Colorado/Dallas/Philly did, but they had to be drafted first. It's why we got screwed once the cap forced us to jettison key players off our team when our predecesors didn't have to.

The only team I can think pre-04 to try and buy a cup were the Rags, because they basically ran a monopoly on being a place where players wanted to play and could deal for those players.

I do agree with your point though, drafting has lost a lot of it's value now, you can fill any hole your team has if you have enough cap space. Don't expect sutatinability however, Florida is basically riding a perfect storm and will shed a massive chunk of this talent this offseason.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Bobrovsky was spectacular. Edmonton generated a good amount of high quality chances but Florida did a great job suffocating them and keeping them to the outside.

I just don’t see Edmonton being able to grind through everything Florida can throw at you. Physical forwards, strong defense, brick wall in net. They need to be perfect.

 

[Renopucker]

Yup, Oil gotta be A+ every game, and even then its 50/50. I will say it could've been 2-1 easy after the first, if not for Bobs. Oil outplayed the Cats in all three zones for the bulk of the game. Monday night should tell the tale for this series.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Credit to Zito who basically came in and said "We have the worst amateur scouting and minor pro/prospect player development in the league, f*** them picks, we're going for it". Aggressive with trades, smart UFA pickups, and revamped pro scouting.

Florida's tenacity is amazing. Rare to see a team built so little by the draft do this well.

Crazy how post 1996 or 1997, they were the exact opposite. A bunch draft picks who weren't properly developed and veterans who didn't give a f***. Marek said on 32 Thoughts awhile back that Florida had to put more internal pressure on their players because there's been no pressure in the market, thus so many looked at playing there as a retirement home where they could be lax and cash their checks with no scrutiny.

 

[DFC]

Credit to Zito who basically came in and said "We have the worst amateur scouting and minor pro/prospect player development in the league, f*** them picks, we're going for it". Aggressive with trades, smart UFA pickups, and revamped pro scouting.


Crazy how post 1996 or 1997, they were the exact opposite. A bunch draft picks who weren't properly developed and veterans who didn't give a f***. Marek said on 32 Thoughts awhile back that Florida had to put more internal pressure on their players because there's been no pressure in the market, thus so many looked at playing there as a retirement home where they could be lax and cash their checks with no scrutiny.

Bennet, Reinhart, and trading their best player after his best season for Tkachuk. Management has done an amazing job, and some of it the decisions were counter intuitive.

 

[Rschmitz]

Bennet, Reinhart, and trading their best player after his best season for Tkachuk. Management has done an amazing job, and some of it the decisions were counter intuitive.

Savvy trade but their D is where the magic happened via free agency.

 

[Sky04]

Florida's 1st pairing is from a waiver pick-up and a trade for a 3rd round pick.

They've also had to let go of some pretty big talents too, Trocheck who was the NYR's best forward this year in the playoffs and Vatrano who was Anaheim's best forward this season.

 

[Stammertime91]

Florida's 1st pairing is from a waiver pick-up and a trade for a 3rd round pick.

They've also had to let go of some pretty big talents too, Trocheck who was the NYR's best forward this year in the playoffs and Vatrano who was Anaheim's best forward this season.

Not bringing back Gudas seemed to have brought down their level of dickheadedness. Semi joking on that, but you don't see too many reckless pinches by their defense for the sake of stapling someone to the board.

I hate how so many of their FAs and trade clicked. Lol.

 

[OffBy1]

If Edmonton keeps getting that many quality chances, they should win this series.

 

[Sky04]

Not bringing back Gudas seemed to have brought down their level of dickheadedness. Semi joking on that, but you don't see too many reckless pinches by their defense for the sake of stapling someone to the board.

I hate how so many of their FAs and trade clicked. Lol.

I mean they would've brought back Gudas if they could've, again another example of the casualities of success, he was a monster in last year's playoff run.. which is why he got the contract he did.

But like you said, the most impressive part about them is probably how they replaced all the talent they let go, back re-couping cheaper versions of it through trades and FA. Gudas outpriced himself and they got 2 15min defenseman back with OEL and Kulukov signings for ~3M combined. Replaced Trochek with Reinhart, Huberdeau with Tkachuk, Vatrano with Verhaeghe.

 

[Renopucker]

Not bringing back Gudas seemed to have brought down their level of dickheadedness. Semi joking on that, but you don't see too many reckless pinches by their defense for the sake of stapling someone to the board.

I hate how so many of their FAs and trade clicked. Lol.

Forsling certainly solidified their top 4. Paired with Ekblad, they are the perfect yin and yang pair.

 

[Sky04]

Forsling certainly solidified their top 4. Paired with Ekblad, they are the perfect yin and yang pair.

Eh, Forsling absolutely carries them, Ekblad is kinda mid and nowhere near the "yang" to a defensive rock like Forsling. His Swedish compatriot Karlsson probably fits that bill the best.

The 6 best Swedish defenseman in the league could actually pair up perfectly with complimentary skillsets.

Hedman-Ekholm
Forsling-Karlsson
Dahlin-Andersson

 

[Renopucker]

Eh, Forsling absolutely carries them, Ekblad is kinda mid and nowhere near the "yang" to a defensive rock like Forsling. His Swedish compatriot Karlsson probably fits that bill the best.

The 6 best Swedish defenseman in the league could actually pair up perfectly with complimentary skillsets.

Hedman-Ekholm
Forsling-Karlsson
Dahlin-Andersson

Uhh. No way Forsling hits or plays physical like Ekblad. That's what I meant.

 

[Stammertime91]

At least Vasy has a Conn Smythe, two cups and doesn't dive/embellish the slightest contact like Shesterkin and Bob do. It's embarrassing how much both of them do that shit.

 

[Felonious Python]

You can't buy cups with the cap, even pre-cap it was incredibly difficult for teams to accumulate enough high priced talent because free-agency was essentially just over the hill players. You could hold onto your stars once you developed them, like Detroit/Colorado/Dallas/Philly did, but they had to be drafted first. It's why we got screwed once the cap forced us to jettison key players off our team when our predecesors didn't have to.

The only team I can think pre-04 to try and buy a cup were the Rags, because they basically ran a monopoly on being a place where players wanted to play and could deal for those players.

I do agree with your point though, drafting has lost a lot of it's value now, you can fill any hole your team has if you have enough cap space. Don't expect sutatinability however, Florida is basically riding a perfect storm and will shed a massive chunk of this talent this offseason.

Pre-04 lockout Philadelphia was one of the big money teams.

Lindros was traded for (from Quebec), John LeClair was with Montreal, Mark Recchi was from Pittsburgh, Brind'Amour was from St. Louis, etc.

They did draft Ron Hextall, but he was also a 6th round pick.

edit: the Flyers had a rather circular way to build their late 90s roster. Rick Tocchet (another Flyers 6th round pick) was traded for Mark Recchi. Recchi was later traded to Montreal for John LeClair. A few years after that, the Flyers traded Dainus Zubrus, and a 2nd round pick (Matt Carkner) to get Recchi back. So they had both.

Ron Hextall was traded in the deal for Eric Lindros. Two years later, the Flyers traded to reacquire him from the Islanders.

Mikael Renberg...traded to TB, traded back to Philly, traded to Phoenix for Rick Tocchet.

 

[Rschmitz]

Pre-04 lockout Philadelphia was one of the big money teams.

Lindros was traded for (from Quebec), John LeClair was with Montreal, Mark Recchi was from Pittsburgh, Brind'Amour was from St. Louis, etc.

They did draft Ron Hextall, but he was also a 6th round pick.

What's crazy is that with the exception of Lindros, it was the other teams calling Philly. Montreal wanted Recchi, Pittsburgh wanted to get tougher with Tocchet(who helped them win a cup), and St.Louis just lost Scott Stevens and acquired a young defenseman in the same mold and gave up on RBA to do it.

 

[The Gongshow]

Welp, I guess little brother vets their first cup. What a shame.