Exactly. But Armstrong defenders have to make up some stuff to pat themselves on the back.
Around the NHL 2023-2024
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Stupendous Yappi
Idiot Control Now!
They WERE generational players. They've burned their future and created a deep hole chasing a non-existent prolonged Cup window. You can honor their legacy and still start the rebuild/retool sooner. They had a nice good long run of high level hockey, but that team situation currently is nearly as bad as what San Jose did to themselves.
This shit poisons the discussion. There's room to have an adult conversation, but you don't seem to want to be part of it.
It’s almost as if great players decline with age too, and having bunch of past their peak guys who you can’t move can hamstring a club. Who knew?
Snubbed4Vezina
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You won't be saying "nearly as bad" in a couple seasons. They're sinking quickly and delaying the process is only going to prolong their time in the basement. This time they won't have the same draft lottery luck to save them.
Stupendous Yappi
Idiot Control Now!
I'm pretty curious about Dubas there. I was surprised when he apparently doubled down on the "competitive roster" direction for this season. There is a LOT of heavy lifting between the end of this season and building a contender again. It makes the Blues' situation look enviable.
Thallis
No half measures
I don't have a problem with what Pittsburgh and Washington are doing. When you have all time greats who have been with the franchise for their whole careers, you can afford to try and see what they can do as a last hurrah, let them retire, and then worry about the rebuild after the benefit of having a lot of older players around them is that you can get a lot of them off the books on a pretty similar time frame when Crosby and Malkin are ready to throw in the towel.
Louie the Blue
Because it's a trap
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I don't think the EK trade made much sense, but the majority of moves they made from Rutheford's time as GM to end of 2022 I don't have much problem with what Rutherford/Burke/Hextall were trying to do. Similar to the Blackhawks trying to keep their window of contention open with Kane/Toews up until the past 3-4ish seasons. And now the Capitals with Ovi.
I think the blueprint for the Blues to re-tool/contend is what LA did after firing Lombardi. Blues don't have higher end older players that LA has (Kopitar/Doughty), but they have more draft capital than LA did since Armstrong didn't do a win-at-all-costs approach the past few seasons.
Snubbed4Vezina
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I can certainly understand it from a marketing perspective but going into the offseason the cupboard was so bare that anything the Penguins did beyond that point to 'win now' seemed like it had very little chance of working. When I heard the Karlsson news drop I was flabbergasted because it felt like they were taking their #1 roster construction issue, which is having two much money tied up in a few players and compounding that issue.
How long do you stay the course until you decide enough is enough? I suppose the answer with Karlsson in the fold is now 2027-28. That's a really long time to try and squeeze a championship out of an aging core group.
Celtic Note
Living the dream
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I mean the Hawks seem to be lined up to have similar luck as before so many be the Pens will as well. Insert angry face emoji
Brian39
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Army should absolutely get credit for the Buch trade and contract. The trade was great and the contract was good. We'll see what he does with Buch in the next 18 months, but what we've currently gotten out of Buch was very good.
The Thomas extension is already looking amazing. We are in year 1 of the deal and Thomas is already outperforming his AAV. Right now, he is the 41st highest paid forward in the league. He is tied for 21st in points, 40th in goals, 3rd in even strength points, and 8th in even strength points. He is 54% at the dot, is +11 on a team with a -11 goal differential, and is putting up good possession numbers in defensive usage. Getting him at $8.125M x 8 years on a deal that purchased 6 UFA seasons is unbelievable. I think this contract gets slept on a bit since it is identical to the Kyrou contract, but locking up Thomas at this number was incredible.
I think that the drafting over the last 3 years deserves about as much credit as you can give a scouting department at this stage of prospect careers. Bolduc filled the net in junior post-draft and is off to a pretty decent pro start in the AHL. He's about right on schedule for what you want in a #17 pick. Snuggy's stock has soared since the draft and Dvorsky is lighting up the OHL. Stenberg and Lindstein are both contributing in pro leagues in their D+1 seasons.
I think there are some smaller credit-worthy moves as well. Vrana didn't remotely work out, but Hayes has been a genuinely good pickup and Kap has been a decent pickup. Neither is franchise altering, but both are looking like (modestly) positive assets that we got for essentially nothing. Neighbours wasn't drafted inside 3 years, but I think his development has gone pretty well. I'm a fan of the Parayko extension and while I do get that this one is divisive, I think pretty much everyone would agree that he's still very much a positive-value asset. Getting a 3rd for Husso's UFA rights was tidy work.
There have been plenty of things to criticize and I think there are a lot of 'good in a vacuum but not in the larger picture' kind of moves. But there has definitely been more good than simply the asset return at the deadline last year.
Snubbed4Vezina
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Husso just left the Red Wings game after doing the splits. Looked pretty bad. His tough season continues.
You just can’t handle the truth. Any team with players like Crosby and Malkin would try to prolong the window as long as possible and win one more Cup while they have them. And yes, Armstrong would have done the same thing if he had those players on the Blues.
But hey, good for you for acting delusional just because you’re making a last-ditch effort to stroke Armstrong some more. You made a bad point trying to compare the Penguins to us, go cry about it.
Stupendous Yappi
Idiot Control Now!
Celtic Note
Living the dream
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Don’t worry my pitchfork is sitting right next to me.
It's ridiculous that we're seeing players getting seriously boarded on an almost nightly basis in the past few weeks while there has been zero supplemental discipline, and a good chunk of them aren't even being called majors when they should be.
Snubbed4Vezina
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He doesn't have the personality of someone I'd want to commit $68M to. Everywhere he goes it's always the same, talented but only plays when he wants to.
Poor Ryan Lindgren is getting boarded every single game it seems. He's starting to remind me of that soccer sketch where the goalie keeps taking shots to the face.
STL fan in MN
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Drubilly
Muh dark moooooode
Snubbed4Vezina
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Senators come out strong in Jacques Martin's first game taking a commanding 3-0 lead over the Coyotes.
They proceed to give up one in the second period and three more unanswered in the third, taking the loss 4-3. Travis Hamonic with a sweet kick into his own net to seal the deal.
Ugly times in Ottawa.
They proceed to give up one in the second period and three more unanswered in the third, taking the loss 4-3. Travis Hamonic with a sweet kick into his own net to seal the deal.
Ugly times in Ottawa.
For the sake of Sens fans, I hope they hire Berube or Woodcroft. Don’t really understand the Martin thing.
i think he got the job bc he was on the road trip. they didn't want dj to have to go through another home game, as it had become obvious he wasn't the guy. martin coached blues nearly 40 years ago. he was meant to be wise old uncle, not new dad. i would expect they have new coach by new year, although that is just a wag.
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Imagine where they would be with Krug in the lineup!
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