Post-Game Talk: Playoff spot engaged

[Soundwave]

Kevin Lowe had oodles of cap space to work with when nobody else had any in 2006. That’s why he was able to build that team and it had all fallen apart by the next season once everyone else was back on even footing. He was a terrible GM and likely would have been fired if Katz hadn’t bought the team from EIG. Tambellini being brought in was to take the heat off Lowe for a disastrous run as GM.

No one forced the Oilers to spend big on Campbell, overpay Nurse by 3 million, give Arvidsson 4 million, give Connor Brown a $3+ million bonus. Maybe they would have cap space if they weren't so stupid in managing it.

 

[Stoneman89]

Have you seen the age of our supporting cast players?

Also after age 33 Mcdavid and Leon won't be the players they are today. It's a young mans league

Sid and Ovie say hi.

 

[Stoneman89]

Who is Matt Parks anyway? Other than an avid fan of sports and hockey.

 

[MoontoScott]

Sid and Ovie say hi.

But they are the exception, not the rule. For every guy like Perry, there are 3 or 4 guys who say "I've had enough" around age 34. Mind you, Keith Richards is 82 and still playing most nights.

Can't say I blame the boys. Even Junior hockey is very physical, so by the age of 16 you are already taking a lot of hits. By age 34 you have had 18 years of a face full of glass on most nights. I can see how a lot of guys slow down--I believe that its mental as well as physical. Players today are better educated too. They are aware of the post career years and the long term effects of a very physical game.

 

[Stoneman89]

But they are the exception, not the rule. For every guy like Perry, there are 3 or 4 guys who say "I've had enough" around age 34. Mind you, Keith Richards is 82 and still playing most nights.

Can't say I blame the boys. Even Junior hockey is very physical, so by the age of 16 you are already taking a lot of hits. By age 34 you have had 18 years of a face full of glass on most nights. I can see how a lot of guys slow down--I believe that its mental as well as physical. Players today are better educated too. They are aware of the post career years and the long term effects of a very physical game.

I know they are an exception, but it can still happen, especially if you are still driven at that age and have the passion for the game, like a lot of high end guys have. Patrick Kane is another one. We shouldn't writing off our superstars due to aging necessarily. They may not produce the crazy 100 + point seasons, but will bring other traits and skills that may actually help team success more.

 

[Soundwave]

But they are the exception, not the rule. For every guy like Perry, there are 3 or 4 guys who say "I've had enough" around age 34. Mind you, Keith Richards is 82 and still playing most nights.

Can't say I blame the boys. Even Junior hockey is very physical, so by the age of 16 you are already taking a lot of hits. By age 34 you have had 18 years of a face full of glass on most nights. I can see how a lot of guys slow down--I believe that its mental as well as physical. Players today are better educated too. They are aware of the post career years and the long term effects of a very physical game.

Eh most elite athletes are playing at a high level longer and longer these days.

LeBron James is over 40 years old and still putting up numbers comparable to when he was age 26/27.

Steph Curry is 37 and still having 50, 60 point games (this is I guess sorta like an NHL player scoring 6 or 7 points in a game).

Tennis used to be the benchmark of older athletes washing out, it used to be by age 28 or so you were done, cooked.

Today Djokovic is still going strong at age 37.

Obviously in the NFL you had Tom Brady who was still an elite level quarterback at age 40.

It's not really surprising to see Ovechkin and Crosby still produce at high levels.

The diet, training, etc. for top end athletes has radically changed even from the 2000s when training basically meant "spend an hour in the gym 4-5x a week + take a bunch of creatine" (which was a massive step up from the 90s, which in turn was a massive step up from the hilarious 1980s), it's much more advanced than that today.

 

[MoontoScott]

Eh most elite athletes are playing at a high level longer and longer these days.

LeBron James is over 40 years old and still putting up numbers comparable to when he was age 26/27.

Steph Curry is 37 and still having 50, 60 point games (this is I guess sorta like an NHL player scoring 6 or 7 points in a game).

Tennis used to be the benchmark of older athletes washing out, it used to be by age 28 or so you were done, cooked.

Today Djokovic is still going strong at age 37.

Obviously in the NFL you had Tom Brady who was still an elite level quarterback at age 40.

It's not really surprising to see Ovechkin and Crosby still produce at high levels.

The diet, training, etc. for top end athletes has radically changed even from the 2000s when training basically meant "spend an hour in the gym 4-5x a week + take a bunch of creatine" (which was a massive step up from the 90s, which in turn was a massive step up from the hilarious 1980s), it's much more advanced

But you are talking about the exceptional cases?

The average NFL career is 3 years and a number of players have announced early retirements in recent years due to a growing awareness of concussion/long term effects. In the 70's and 80's the longer term effects of contact sports were rarely (if ever) talked about. There is much more awareness today.

 

[Soundwave]

But you are talking about the exceptional cases?

The average NFL career is 3 years and a number of players have announced early retirements in recent years due to a growing awareness of concussion/long term effects. In the 70's and 80's the longer term effects of contact sports were rarely (if ever) talked about. There is much more awareness today.

I'm talking about elite athletes ... they tend to play longer at a higher level today. You see it in basketball, tennis, football (NFL), soccer, and not just hockey

The top end athletes are just better at taking care of their bodies and training and nutrition and a number of other factors are just far better than they were even in the 2000s.

Ovechkin scoring at a 50+ goal rate at age 39 being once example, but Kucherov too ... he's turning 32 and still producing at a better or equal level as age 26.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Sid and Ovie say hi.

Siod and Ovi still aren't the same guys. Deny all you want, but Sid as he got older wasn't able to drag the team to the finals like younger him, current Mcdavid and Leon have done.


Hate to break it to ya'll but father time is undefeated. We have an aging roster and Leon is already 30 next season.

 

[rboomercat90]

No one forced the Oilers to spend big on Campbell, overpay Nurse by 3 million, give Arvidsson 4 million, give Connor Brown a $3+ million bonus. Maybe they would have cap space if they weren't so stupid in managing it.

What does any of this have to do with the job Kevin Lowe did as GM almost 20 years ago?

I know the management group we have here is horrendous. I responded to your post praising the work Kevin Lowe did. He was horrendous too. His work laid the foundation for the decade of darkness. The last time you could argue we had good management in this organization was the late 80’s when Sather was able to make enough out of that Gretzky trade to win a Stanley Cup in 1990. It’s been awful here since then no matter who was in charge.