GDT: Around the League 2023-2024 "Off Season??!! What off season??!!"

[CantHaveTkachev]

This may be the best thing that happened to the flames. Realistically they won’t compete in the next three years against the Oilers, Knights and probably the Kings. So this forced rebuild holds promise for them that as our window closes they may be on the upswing - which of course I’m sure they will screw up, but that’s for another day.

Tough to rebuild with the Huberdeau, Weegar and Kadri contracts on the books forever

 

[K1984]

Just reflecting on the last year, and it really couldn’t have been much sweeter as far as the Calgary Flames go. After the years of listening to their dumbass fans crow about how shitty Edmonton is, how McDavid will ask for a trade, etc, etc it ends up being pretty much every player on their team that’s actually worth a damn that’s asking out. All within a calendar year. They can now officially piss off with their incredibly undeserved air of superiority that they’ve been walking around with for years.

Suck it. Hope it gets capped off with us picking off one of the players they’re trading as a final piece on a cup team.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

"Jacob Markstrom has said f*** this shit."

(not yet but I'm sure it's coming)

Shoulda picked the Oilers...

 

[Sra1974]

Tough to rebuild with the Huberdeau, Weegar and Kadri contracts on the books forever

Yeah fair point, but if Conroy can move one of those contracts it would help him out. He will still be in a rebuild even with those three on The roster, they just probably won’t hit rock, rock, bottom.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Since you used the word... It's interesting that the Flames decided to put their hat in the ring for biggest implosion in the news today.

Too soon?

Am I evil for laughing at this? Thats some serious dark humour, Ricky Gervais would be proud.

 

[harpoon]

Am I evil for laughing at this? Thats some serious dark humour, Ricky Gervais would be proud.

Yes you are. Evil that is.
I reluctantly acknowledge that Gervais would probably make that ‘joke’ too. With the caveat that the only reason he’d feel safe doing so is that they were rich. And even then I’d like to think the fact that a nineteen year old kid lost his life just trying to please his father would give him pause.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Yes you are. Evil that is.
I reluctantly acknowledge that Gervais would probably make that ‘joke’ too. With the caveat that the only reason he’d feel safe doing so is that they were rich. And even then I’d like to think the fact that a nineteen year old kid lost his life just trying to please his father would give him pause.

Feel terrible for the kids family and all those who lost loved ones, no question. But I believe that one can have humanity and also not walk around outraged all day long.

Ricky Gervais pulls no punches ( and apparently neither does @Frank the Tank )

That said, at the end of the day they all willingly climbed into an untested, unregulated submersible that had known safety and communications issues, that you needed to be bolted in from the outside, that was controlled by a jerry rigged X Box controller, that used off the shelf components never tested or rated for 380 times the pressure at sea level, that was designed with a carbon fibre and titanium pressure hull by a guy who thought he was smarter than the experienced submersible designers who said it could fatigue over time and implode, and they all, including the 19 year old legal adult who was >allegedly< pressured by his father, willingly signed a death waiver.

When you sign a death waiver it is for real and they exist for a reason.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

 

[joestevens29]

Just reflecting on the last year, and it really couldn’t have been much sweeter as far as the Calgary Flames go. After the years of listening to their dumbass fans crow about how shitty Edmonton is, how McDavid will ask for a trade, etc, etc it ends up being pretty much every player on their team that’s actually worth a damn that’s asking out. All within a calendar year. They can now officially piss off with their incredibly undeserved air of superiority that they’ve been walking around with for years.

Suck it. Hope it gets capped off with us picking off one of the players they’re trading as a final piece on a cup team.

It's not only the elite stars that are walking either. Usually you can find a way to keep support players, but all of them want out too.

 

[harpoon]

Feel terrible for the kids family and all those who lost loved ones, no question. But I believe that one can have humanity and also not walk around outraged all day long.

There’s a lot of space between ‘outraged’ and making ‘jokes’ about a tragedy on the day it happens. No need to go into mourning for people you don’t even know obviously, but I’m not going to have a laugh at their expense either.

 

[K1984]

It's not only the elite stars that are walking either. Usually you can find a way to keep support players, but all of them want out too.

I had to laugh at the shock they expressed when it was reported that Backlund wanted out too.

"But he's been here for 15 years! Future Captain!"

Only in Calgary can they not comprehend that someone that has spent their entire career floundering in mediocrity would want to go somewhere else to maybe see what it feels like to play for a franchise that might actually win and play in a building that feels like it's really the NHL.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

There’s a lot of space between ‘outraged’ and making ‘jokes’ about a tragedy on the day it happens. No need to go into mourning for people you don’t even know obviously, but I’m not going to have a laugh at their expense either.

Too soon? Possibly. Not a joke at their direct expense however, as it’s dark situational humour.

Anyway I asked if I were evil - tongue in cheek - and got a reply. Ask and yee shall receive. No harm or foul.

 

[joestevens29]

I had to laugh at the shock they expressed when it was reported that Backlund wanted out too.

"But he's been here for 15 years! Future Captain!"

Only in Calgary can they not comprehend that someone that has spent their entire career floundering in mediocrity would want to go somewhere else to maybe see what it feels like to play for a franchise that might actually win and play in a building that feels like it's really the NHL.

Especially someone that is 34 years old. They aren't winning the Cup even if he stayed until he was 40

 

[McShogun99]

I think we’re past them. We had the heated rivalry for 5-6 years and then we ended it. That hurdle is crossed.

LA, Vegas and Colorado are more than enough of a foil for this group.

I'd consider LA our biggest rival for now. The bad thing about the BOA is that since 1993 when one team is good then other is bad. It's rare when both are good at the same time now.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

 

[walktheboulavard]

Shoulda picked the Oilers...

Oilers to Markstrom right now:

 

[joestevens29]

I don't get how this is so bad.

Always seems like it has to be union against ownership. Instead of lets work together and grow together.

 

[K1984]

I don't get how this is so bad.

Always seems like it has to be union against ownership. Instead of lets work together and grow together.

I'm not exactly sure who is on the Player committee anymore, but at least in the past it was stocked with big salary players that had a lot to lose and took a hard line. Toews was the poster boy of this.

If the PA was actually focused on the interests of their players at large there would be a greater focus on how to better secure the careers of the "middle class" players in the NHL that are getting squeezed out due to the big money being allocated to a few players exclusively while everyone else has to run on low value/small term deals and hope for the best. Unfortunately the big money players have more to lose, are the loudest voices in the room, and don't give the slightest shit about the 2nd/3rd line tweener that has his career cut short because he wants to make more than league minimum.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

I'm not exactly sure who is on the Player committee anymore, but at least in the past it was stocked with big salary players that had a lot to lose and took a hard line. Toews was the poster boy of this.

If the PA was actually focused on the interests of their players at large there would be a greater focus on how to better secure the careers of the "middle class" players in the NHL that are getting squeezed out due to the big money being allocated to a few players exclusively while everyone else has to run on low value/small term deals and hope for the best. Unfortunately the big money players have more to lose, are the loudest voices in the room, and don't give the slightest shit about the 2nd/3rd line tweener that has his career cut short because he wants to make more than league minimum.

I have the opposite view. I think the "middle class" is the one who benefits the most. Every team's cap trouble comes down to overpaying for mediocre players. Giving 5-7 million bucks to players who can't be consistent over a full season. Those guys should be paid much less and give more to the elite players that actually do something on the ice.

Fun fact, Sidney Crosby is making 3 million in real dollars this year.

 

[Coffey]

Calgary = No Good

 

[brentashton]

What a time to say "f***, we need to blow it up gentlemen and try to be competitive for when the new barn is open."

And Connor Bedard was right there to tank for. Ah Calgary, a season late and $10 short as usual. Couldn't occur to a more deserving franchise with all the shit their fanbase slings about.

Bedard told them ahead of time he wouldn’t play for them or dwell in that broom closet they call a dressing room, so they continued on.

 

[brentashton]

Anyone want to bet me that guy just moved there from Winnipeg?

 

[PULSATING]

I don't get how this is so bad.

Always seems like it has to be union against ownership. Instead of lets work together and grow together.

Employee owner relationships are inherently adversarial.

How does one “work together” with those looking to extract and exploit them as much as possible.

Capitalism baybee!

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Oh how the turn tables.