Around the League - 2023/24

[Pokecheque]

I've always been of the opinion that if you're going to nickel and dime a sports franchise you really shouldn't be owning one.

Part of it is the market (I'm guessing it has to be the smallest one in the entire league), part of it is just sheer incompetence. In order to woo Babcock (whom I'm guessing is still getting paid by them) they acquired two very expensive and very bad players in Provorov and Gudbranson, only to shitcan Babs before he even had an official practice. That's a shit-ton of money down the drain.

But they're not the only team to nickel-and-dime coaches. And y'know what? That's not necessarily a bad thing. I'd argue the Avs have been notoriously cheap when it comes to bench bosses. Reportedly it came down to Bob Boughner and Jared Bednar, and they went with Bednar because Boughner was asking for too much money. And IIRC Bednar didn't start making serious coin until after he won the Stanley Cup.

 

[LOFIN]

Part of it is the market (I'm guessing it has to be the smallest one in the entire league), part of it is just sheer incompetence. In order to woo Babcock (whom I'm guessing is still getting paid by them) they acquired two very expensive and very bad players in Provorov and Gudbranson, only to shitcan Babs before he even had an official practice. That's a shit-ton of money down the drain.

I thought Gudbranson was acquired to get Gaudreau there, they were very close in Calgary

But they're not the only team to nickel-and-dime coaches. And y'know what? That's not necessarily a bad thing. I'd argue the Avs have been notoriously cheap when it comes to bench bosses. Reportedly it came down to Bob Boughner and Jared Bednar, and they went with Bednar because Boughner was asking for too much money. And IIRC Bednar didn't start making serious coin until after he won the Stanley Cup.

I was heavily critical of Ottawa when they hired Travis Greene. Apparently they did talk to Berube but were not interested in paying him enough (he probably knew Toronto was also going to be there). Coaching, front office, scouting and whatnot. These are all positions not affected by the hard salary cap. There is ZERO excuse not to try and get the edge there.

But like I said, I don't really criticize Columbus here. McLellan is not that good, and he doesn't have the status to warrant costing more than Evason or Woodcroft.

 

[Balthazar]

McLellan is not that good, and he doesn't have the status to warrant costing more than Evason or Woodcroft.

What? Yes he does.

McLellan is a well established NHL coach, he's been headcoach in the NHL for 15 years for 3 different teams. The other 2 are literal budget options who may or may not coach in the NHL again.

IIRC Bednar didn't start making serious coin until after he won the Stanley Cup.

He was making peanuts at first and he's probably still underpaid for a cup winner.

 

[Pokecheque]

I thought Gudbranson was acquired to get Gaudreau there, they were very close in Calgary

Shit, my bad. Not Gudbranson, I meant Severson--whom I think is actually pretty good but still, if indeed it was part of the plan to woo Babcock, then it was still a wildly stupid idea.

I was heavily critical of Ottawa when they hired Travis Greene. Apparently they did talk to Berube but were not interested in paying him enough (he probably knew Toronto was also going to be there). Coaching, front office, scouting and whatnot. These are all positions not affected by the hard salary cap. There is ZERO excuse not to try and get the edge there.

But like I said, I don't really criticize Columbus here. McLellan is not that good, and he doesn't have the status to warrant costing more than Evason or Woodcroft.

Thing is, more often than not if you tell your NHL GM to go out and spend big on coaches, then they just bring in the same effing guys who have been recycled eight or nine times. Sometimes it works (Maurice in Florida of course) and sometimes it doesn't. But being cheap kinda/sorta forced the Avs to look outside the box and bring in a guy with zero NHL coaching experience, and it worked out.

I find it laughable that teams were falling all over one another to sign Berube. He's the modern-day Randy Carlyle. They'll figure out soon enough that, like Carlyle, that Cup win was a total fluke and he just isn't that great a coach. At least McLellan (and I am no fan of his) seems to be one of those "quick fix" guys with a track record of success.

 

[VikingAv]

I thought Gudbranson was acquired to get Gaudreau there, they were very close in Calgary

Iirc, they signed Gudbrandson and some time later thst day Gaudreau basically fell in their lap, believe it was Columbus who were contacted by the Gaudreau-camp first. This eventually led to them needing to shed cap, so they ended up basically giving Bjorkstrand away.

 

[Balthazar]

Iirc, they signed Gudbrandson and some time later thst day Gaudreau basically fell in their lap, believe it was Columbus who were contacted by the Gaudreau-camp first. This eventually led to them needing to shed cap, so they ended up basically giving Bjorkstrand away.

Gaudreau wanted to be close to his family and in a location where he'd not be bothered by the fans/media in case he'd play like shit like he did in the last 2 years.

 

[VikingAv]

Gaudreau wanted to be close to his family and in a location where he'd not be bothered by the fans/media in case he'd play like shit like he did in the last 2 years.

Yeah, I know, turned out that was the reason he/they contacted CBJ. At the start of that FA, everybody expected it to be a team closer to home.

 

[sethro109]

I have a hard time believing that the Oilers are that high on the list. Maybe most voters don't have interactions with Oiler fans.

Also us being #1 is weird. I thought it would be the Kraken. They're new and not really hated yet.

 

[dahrougem2]

Lol Vegas.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I have a hard time believing that the Oilers are that high on the list. Maybe most voters don't have interactions with Oiler fans.

Also us being #1 is weird. I thought it would be the Kraken. They're new and not really hated yet.

Two things leaped out to me.
1. 5/6 Original Six teams were all in the negative category.
2. Montreal with its super intense spotlight was the one with a positive outcome.

 

[Hennessy]

I have a hard time believing that the Oilers are that high on the list. Maybe most voters don't have interactions with Oiler fans.

Also us being #1 is weird. I thought it would be the Kraken. They're new and not really hated yet.

It's the McDavid effect. There's a lot of star-f***ers out there. That could also help explain the Avs being #1.

 

[Balthazar]

Lol Vegas.

It's like they don't have fans. Hockey guy on Youtube posted a video a couple of days ago about teams that were generating clicks. Vegas and Carolina are the only "good" teams that don't generate clicks.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

It's like they don't have fans. Hockey guy on Youtube posted a video a couple of days ago about teams that were generating clicks. Vegas and Carolina are the only "good" team that don't generate clicks.

Surprised Boston is medium

 

[McMetal]

I have a hard time believing that the Oilers are that high on the list. Maybe most voters don't have interactions with Oiler fans.

Also us being #1 is weird. I thought it would be the Kraken. They're new and not really hated yet.

America's team, baby! Betcha Sea Eagles voted 100 times.

Also, I am almost as pleased about who is in the bottom spot as I am about who is on top.

 

[Pokecheque]

I have a hard time believing that the Oilers are that high on the list. Maybe most voters don't have interactions with Oiler fans.

Also us being #1 is weird. I thought it would be the Kraken. They're new and not really hated yet.

Seattle is nothing special…yet. They went out of their way to make themselves into a team that grinds out wins with a big, slow AF blueline corps. They’re now trying hard to get away from that a bit but there’s still not that dynamic superstar to vault them into widespread popularity.

Oilers and Avalanche have those types of players.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

The cost of NHL glory: How Shea Weber and Carey Price cope with the toll of their careers

Shea Weber's Hall of Fame induction provided a window into what he has been going through since being forced into retirement.

www.nytimes.com

 

[ABasin]

The cost of NHL glory: How Shea Weber and Carey Price cope with the toll of their careers

Shea Weber's Hall of Fame induction provided a window into what he has been going through since being forced into retirement.

www.nytimes.com

Thank you for sharing that.

Tough to read some of that though.

 

[ABasin]

America's team, baby!

By a landslide, too. Pretty large difference between Colorado and #2.

 

[LOFIN]

What? Yes he does.

McLellan is a well established NHL coach, he's been headcoach in the NHL for 15 years for 3 different teams. The other 2 are literal budget options who may or may not coach in the NHL again.

I guess this is just my personal opinion, but he hasn't been that good since he left San Jose. I'd rather have Woodcroft or Evason based on their recent merits.

 

[Pokecheque]

I guess this is just my personal opinion, but he hasn't been that good since he left San Jose. I'd rather have Woodcroft or Evason based on their recent merits.

Agreed. McLellan obviously has a longer track record but I’d argue he has about as much failure on that record as success.

It’s funny though, you could argue that all three of these guys simply got done in by extremely shitty goaltending, then again that’s what usually gets most NHL coaches fired.

 

[LOFIN]

Not really sure this is the best hire considering his reputation with the young players in Columbus was... less than optimal. But good for him being able to land a job considering the poor timing off his firing.

 

[Pokecheque]

Not really sure this is the best hire considering his reputation with the young players in Columbus was... less than optimal. But good for him being able to land a job considering the poor timing off his firing.

He was a successful AHL coach, which made me and a lot of others think he might make a decent NHL bench boss but ooooooohhhh boy was he not.

Maybe he’s like Dallas Eakins, a good AHL coach who simply can’t put it together at the next level. He might get another shot, or he might be the next Joe Sacco.

 

[UnkleKraker]

Seattle is nothing special…yet. They went out of their way to make themselves into a team that grinds out wins with a big, slow AF blueline corps. They’re now trying hard to get away from that a bit but there’s still not that dynamic superstar to vault them into widespread popularity.

Oilers and Avalanche have those types of players.

I think it is widely held that Seattle management sucks. Francis was a big mistake IMO.

 

[henchman21]

I think Ron Francis is really good at building a base of a franchise, but is really poor at being able to get a team over the hump to being a consistent playoff team that can win rounds. I think Seattle has a really good base of younger players, but they'll need tweaks to take the next step consistently.

 

[Pokecheque]

I think Ron Francis is really good at building a base of a franchise, but is really poor at being able to get a team over the hump to being a consistent playoff team that can win rounds. I think Seattle has a really good base of younger players, but they'll need tweaks to take the next step consistently.

He may also be the worst evaluator of goalies in the entire league.