HF Habs: Out of Town Thread: 2024 Playoff Edition

[Lafleurs Guy]

The NHL would've developped a subpar service if they did it themselves. CapFriendly came up with a bunch of tools that the NHL would've never thought of (the buyout calculator for example).

I agree with the sentiment, though. The NHL can barely do anything right.

Well this sucks.

 

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1800890750621958388

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

the extra day off between game 2 and 3 is ridiculous

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

Edmonton's in trouble. Hopefully they can turn it around in Game 3.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

People cheering for McD to leave Edmonton better be careful what they wish for. If he did leave, good chance he’d go to Toronto.

 

[ReHabs]

People cheering for McD to leave Edmonton better be careful what they wish for. If he did leave, good chance he’d go to Toronto.

Good for Toronto, lucky them. Edmonton doesn't deserve McDavid after squandering him, so I have no sympathy. Hope Draisatl and McDavid both leave as UFAs, actually.

 

[red devil]

the extra day off between game 2 and 3 is ridiculous

NBA Finals game is tonight on ABC. Even if they weren't on the same network they wouldn't be on the same night against each other as the Stanley Cup would get destroyed in the ratings.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Good for Toronto, lucky them. Edmonton doesn't deserve McDavid after squandering him, so I have no sympathy. Hope Draisatl and McDavid both leave as UFAs, actually.

Yeah, but Toronto deserves him right?

 

[ReHabs]

Yeah, but Toronto deserves him right?

Anyone deserves a free agent they sign.

Drafting a player and squandering his career while he’s under your exclusive ownership is the problem here. Gainey/Bergevin and Price for instance.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Anyone deserves a free agent they sign.

Drafting a player and squandering his career while he’s under your exclusive ownership is the problem here. Gainey/Bergevin and Price for instance.

You’re ignoring variables though. Edmonton’s a small market club and an undesirable one at that. They have disadvantages across the board. Yes, they’re responsible for some horrible moves but think about the position they’re in. They let say… Nurse walk, it looks like they aren’t committed to winning. Any other market they just tell him to pound sand. No, they shouldn’t have signed him but I can at least somewhat understand why they did.

 

[ReHabs]

You’re ignoring variables though. Edmonton’s a small market club and an undesirable one at that. They have disadvantages across the board. Yes, they’re responsible for some horrible moves but think about the position they’re in. They let say… Nurse walk, it looks like they aren’t committed to winning. Any other market they just tell him to pound sand. No, they shouldn’t have signed him but I can at least somewhat understand why they did.

Okay. Well they did a lot more bad than overpay Nurse. They had their chance with a generational player and squandered it just as the Habs squandered Price’s prime with Desharnais as a 1C.

When you have a top talent you owe it to everyone to put them in conditions to win. EDM’s awful team is getting carried hard by McDavid and Draisatl and I hope to see them both move to a team that will try to win instead of whatever clusterf*** moves EDM has made.

If Toronto break the bank so sign McDavid, that’s good for them and I hope they do right by him.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Okay. Well they did a lot more bad than overpay Nurse. They had their chance with a generational player and squandered it just as the Habs squandered Price’s prime with Desharnais as a 1C.

When you have a top talent you owe it to everyone to put them in conditions to win. EDM’s awful team is getting carried hard by McDavid and Draisatl and I hope to see them both move to a team that will try to win instead of whatever clusterf*** moves EDM has made.

If Toronto break the bank so sign McDavid, that’s good for them and I hope they do right by him.

They’re in the finals. If it wasn’t such a small market there’s no doubt he’d re-sign.

 

[sampollock]

EDM does deserve Conner, why would they not? They got #1 pick
There defense and goalies are the issue. Campbell was a bad sign, and they are paying for it now.
plus I real think this team is banged up bad.
EDM is a Canadian team, love that Conner and Dri are there other then figland. I would love them in MTL for sure, but it was not to be.

 

[ReHabs]

They’re in the finals. If it wasn’t such a small market there’s no doubt he’d re-sign.

The Habs got into the finals too -- nobody sane would say Bergevin did right by Price. It only goes to show how much load McDavid has carried for the franchise. I have zero sympathy. You get nearly 10 years of exclusive rights to the best player in hockey and you give him Skinner as a goalie? You only acquire an additional top4 dman (Ekholm) in 2023?

Why should any neutral fan have any interest in seeing the best player in hockey continue to waste away in Edmonton?

I don't understand what your point is

 

[JoelWarlord]

I can't see McDavid leaving Edmonton in his prime now that they’ve at least reached a final. He might do the late 30s cup chasing thing if he never wins with the Oilers, but I can’t see it in the short to medium term. It’s so rare for players of that level to leave their original teams because of how important being a one-franchise player is to their legacies. There’s just too much legacy factor wrapped up in staying in Edmonton to try and win a cup for Gretzky’s team as the player who’s becoming the consensus best player since Gretzky/Lemieux.

I also doubt he sees the rest of the Oilers roster the same way we do — hockey players are delusional about their own teammates.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

The Habs got into the finals too -- nobody sane would say Bergevin did right by Price. It only goes to show how much load McDavid has carried for the franchise. I have zero sympathy. You get nearly 10 years of exclusive rights to the best player in hockey and you give him Skinner as a goalie? You only acquire an additional top4 dman (Ekholm) in 2023?

Why should any neutral fan have any interest in seeing the best player in hockey continue to waste away in Edmonton?

I don't understand what your point is

My point is that there’s still time to win in Edmonton. Lots of time.

But… it’s Edmonton. If it was a big market team he wouldn’t think of leaving.

 

[ReHabs]

My point is that there’s still time to win in Edmonton. Lots of time.

But… it’s Edmonton. If it was a big market team he wouldn’t think of leaving.

The time remaining depends largely on whether Drai bolts at the earliest opportunity. With a ton of cap space coming on, maybe Holland can help turn it around but if I'm McDavid and I'm entering a FA year, my eyes are on joining the best franchise in hockey... and whatever franchise it might be in his eyes it won't be Edmonton.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

The time remaining depends largely on whether Drai bolts at the earliest opportunity. With a ton of cap space coming on, maybe Holland can help turn it around but if I'm McDavid and I'm entering a FA year, my eyes are on joining the best franchise in hockey... and whatever franchise it might be in his eyes it won't be Edmonton.

What I’ve said about McDavid applies to Drai as well.

There’s no reason for them to bolt. They are very close to a cup.

 

[ReHabs]

There’s no reason for them to bolt. They are very close to a cup.

Other than EDM being run poorly and Edmonton being a bottom-tier city, sure.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Other than EDM being run poorly and Edmonton being a bottom-tier city, sure.

Despite being run poorly, they’re still very close.

Edmonton being a small market is why they’d leave.

 

[salbutera]

I’ve seen lots of warts in Draisaitl’s game - Edm would be wise to deal him for a boatload of good ELC / NHL ready assets to build up team depth

 

[le_sean]

I thought it was stupid when the Oilers acquired Henrique instead of a defenceman. The problem isn’t offensive depth. Why do you need that much depth when you play McDavid and Draisaitl 25+ mins a game. Even if you have the best 3rd line in the league, you’re still playing those two heavy minutes. They have the linemates too.

The issue is once Ekholm-Bouchard are off the ice, the game tilts in favour of the other team. They should have addressed the 2nd pairing because Ceci stinks and doesn’t help Nurse who also stinks.

 

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1800949001711387047

 

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1800976270593064978

 

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1800984018734940271