Post-Game Talk: Caps @ The Powerhouse - 12:30 EST

[True Blue]

There's a lot of real estate between an all-star player and a generational player.

I would argue Zibanejad himself has crossed into that territory is he can replicate this season.

We can debate Zbad, but yes there is a lot of real estate between all star and generational. My only point was that the poster said "all-star". That is already here. Maybe not as many as one would like right now, but they are here and will be more. If you are hanging your hat waiting on the proverbial "generational" talent, you maybe waiting for quite a while.

 

[Good Intentions]

For anyone wondering, we need 7 more overtime/SO losses to tie the NHL record (18).

6 more after tomorrow evening’s 4-1 OTL in Dallas.

 

[ElLeetch]

Kreider is all-star caliber. So too is ZBad. Again, if you are looking for the so-called generational level talent, they do not come around all that often. Hence the term "generational".

There is one or two levels of players between Kreider and a generational talent. I never said generational.

Toews, MacKinnon, Marner, Landeskog, Hall, and Backstrom and are not generational players, but they are perennial all-star talent and all better than any player on our roster, and are the caliber of player you can more easily get if you are drafting in the top 5.

 

[Larrybiv]

We can debate Zbad, but yes there is a lot of real estate between all star and generational. My only point was that the poster said "all-star". That is already here. Maybe not as many as one would like right now, but they are here and will be more. If you are hanging your hat waiting on the proverbial "generational" talent, you maybe waiting for quite a while.

There certainly is. For me (and my opinion only) a generational talent is literally BEFORE ever stepping out on the NHL ice.
The player that "becomes or gets close to" that generational talent that hadn't had that immediate success.........I have TONS of respect and admiration for. A players that makes himself INTO that player that every team wishes they had.

 

[Larrybiv]

There is one or two levels of players between Kreider and a genenerational talent. I never said generational.

Toews, MacKinnon, Marner, Landeskog, Hall, and Backstrom and are not generational players, but they are perennial all-star talent and all better than any player on our roster, and are the caliber of player you can more easily get if you are drafting in the top 5.

No disrespect to those great players.......but I believe there is even a 1/2 - 1 tier above that. The Gretzky's, Lemieux's, Ovechkin's, McDavid's and Bobby Orr's of the world. Then again, what do I know.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Still, barking up the wrong tree. Not really valid, it's already more than a prospect would be playing in college. Plus, games are not the be-all, end-all. Hughes needs to bulk up some to enhance his durability, more practice time on and off the ice is worthwhile in helping that. Not a reason to discredit him or what he can bring to a team, although I'm not sold he's going to be a tear-it-up first overall, but a really solid 2C.

Every single rookie feels the season is "long" and hits that snag. It's because 82 games in the NHL is a hell of a lot more of a grind than 80 or so in juniors.

Wasnt discrediting him as a player just speaking on how long the adjustment to the NHL takes compared to a CHL player is all. College players seem to take even longer.

 

[True Blue]

There is one or two levels of players between Kreider and a generational talent. I never said generational.

Toews, MacKinnon, Marner, Landeskog, Hall, and Backstrom and are not generational players, but they are perennial all-star talent and all better than any player on our roster, and are the caliber of player you can more easily get if you are drafting in the top 5.

So again, what are you looking for? There are all-star level players here and potential all-star level players here. You draft players and sign players and only hope that they become top liners like Kreider and Zbad. What else can an organization do?

 

[True Blue]

There certainly is. For me (and my opinion only) a generational talent is literally BEFORE ever stepping out on the NHL ice.
The player that "becomes or gets close to" that generational talent that hadn't had that immediate success.........I have TONS of respect and admiration for. A players that makes himself INTO that player that every team wishes they had.

Sure, you either have the given talent level or not. That said when generational talent does not have the drive or the will, they fall from that tier.

 

[ElLeetch]

No disrespect to those great players.......but I believe there is even a 1/2 - 1 tier above that. The Gretzky's, Lemieux's, Ovechkin's, McDavid's and Bobby Orr's of the world. Then again, what do I know.

I would agree. To lay it out, i see it like this:

Generational: (Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid)
Elite: (Kane, Laine, Kucherov, Matthews)
Perennial All-Star: (Hall, Kopitar, Benn, Marchand)
1st-liners (Kreider, Zib, etc)

Yes, its great we have produced and developed some good 1st line players. But that doesnt cut it. Look at the last 15 years of cup winners. Each winner had *at least* two players in tiers higher than our top players. Each of those teams 90% of the time had *two* home-grown players picked in the top-5.

Sure, the tiers i laid out could be called hair-splitting, but that fine of a line absolutely needs to be drawn, and the results of the NHL since the lockout shows how important it is.


We've been really good a developing 1st liners, but guys like Kreider, Zucc, McD, and company, can't get it done on their own, as we have seen. There is a clear cap on how far talent can develop when you are always picking in the middle of the rounds and grabbing loop-hole UFAs. Guys like Kucherov are the 'lightning in a bottle' types you can't bank on.

 

[Larrybiv]

Yeah I think people are interpreting the rule to fit their agenda. It seems clear to me the idea is that it's a penalty to throw your stick in the direction of the player with the puck in an attempt to make a save or disrupt their control of the puck. For the purposes of the rule, the puck and stick are part of the player.

Exactly. He throws his stick "away" from Ovie and interfering with the play......obviously NO call to be made, irrelevant.
No gray area. No way for the ref to KNOW whether it was intentional or it just "accidentally" slipped out of his grasp.

What KILLS ME, is that the knucklehead refs didn't even KNOW this was the rule. They needed "confirmation". Even the announcer and many fans knew.
Its just unbelievable to me how they feel so insecure about making a decision. I blame instant replay for that. They are scrutinized to the point of second guessing themselves. Like they have "lost confidence" in everything they do.
Jeez.

 

[RangerLifer]

Exactly. He throws his stick "away" from Ovie and interfering with the play......obviously NO call to be made, irrelevant.
No gray area. No way for the ref to KNOW whether it was intentional or it just "accidentally" slipped out of his grasp.

What KILLS ME, is that the knucklehead refs didn't even KNOW this was the rule. They needed "confirmation". Even the announcer and many fans knew.
Its just unbelievable to me how they feel so insecure about making a decision. I blame instant replay for that. They are scrutinized to the point of second guessing themselves. Like they have "lost confidence" in everything they do.
Jeez.

I forgot about that rule, to be honest. There seem to be so many "new" rules more every year so I guess it's hard to remember them all.