Since 2006, the 8th seed has made it beyond the 1st round 5 times.
the 7th seed has done it 9 times.
6th seed has done it 11 times.
See a pattern?
Again, 8th seeds are almost always teams that are the best of a group of mediocre to horrible teams. Nashville was an exception, they got off to a horrible start and had a ton of injuries early IIRC and had to play catch up basically the entire year. LA was destined to miss the playoffs until their coaching change in 2012. Occasionally, you'll see a team go on some weird ass cinderella run like Montreal in 2009 and Edmonton in 2006 (IIRC, both teams missed the playoffs the following season.)
So yes, you can be a good team as an 8th seed, but more often than not you're just there for 5-6 games before gearing up for the summer.
I don't really see what JG can do to get his team to that level this summer.
Also, your list of players you expect to progress positively from last year is a wee bit optimistic.
Let's give Shattenkirk 6yrs, $39M.
The Wade Redden contract just because I want to watch the world burn.
See, I told you he'd have a strokeJust messing with ya, bud.
I'm still gonna keep pumping Nash to Florida. Why did Tallon move out Reilly Smith, and what is he planning with all of that cap space?
all good
im happy it sounds like they are moving forward with brendan smith. i want him to return and 4 year 4.5 works for me.
if he resigns i tell shattenkirk we are all set unless he does a 3-4 yr deal. no more than 4 though.
Since 2006, the 8th seed has made it beyond the 1st round 5 times.
the 7th seed has done it 9 times.
6th seed has done it 11 times.
See a pattern?
Again, 8th seeds are almost always teams that are the best of a group of mediocre to horrible teams. Nashville was an exception, they got off to a horrible start and had a ton of injuries early IIRC and had to play catch up basically the entire year. LA was destined to miss the playoffs until their coaching change in 2012. Occasionally, you'll see a team go on some weird ass cinderella run like Montreal in 2009 and Edmonton in 2006 (IIRC, both teams missed the playoffs the following season.)
So yes, you can be a good team as an 8th seed, but more often than not you're just there for 5-6 games before gearing up for the summer.
I don't really see what JG can do to get his team to that level this summer.
Also, your list of players you expect to progress positively from last year is a wee bit optimistic.
I think there's a middle ground between these two schools of thought that can still have this team primed to be better in 2-3 years than they were these past few seasons. There's a lot of underlying fsctors though: we need Buch to develop into a top-line winger, along with Hayes (seriously wake up bub), Mika, Miller, and Skjei, and Vesey taking the next steps. I think we need one move shake-up move to add a young talent (like Galchenyuk who you've mentioned although I'm iffy on him) and Gorton will have created his new young nucleus moving forward. Those guys above will be hitting their prime and then we can add in guys like Andersson, Chytil, Shesty, Graves/Day/Zboro. It looks promising going forward.
IMO Gorton's main focus is 2-3 years down the road. Shattenkirk or Smith will still be effective then, so I'm not too worried about their contracts if that's the way he wants to go. There's a much bigger picture being painted here, and I'm excited to see what it looks like when all is said and done.
Good stuff Mac and another good read. Damn Ranger Nation has been entertaining tonight...woo hoo...lol
Seriously, you make some very good points especially the parts of some of our young guns taking the next step. That is crucial to the "retool" or "rebuild"...whatever we want to call it as it's purely semantics. We are retooling a bit differently than other teams have because we've simply been too good the past decade or more to get any high picks. And yes we made some ill fated trades to "go for it" like the Staal deal and yet we made some good one's like the St.Louis deal which ended up being a good one.
I don't envy Gorton not at all. But he certainly seems like the man for the job. I'm nothing but impressed with his acuman and eval skills. Seriously, I think we are very luck to have him. Sather did some good thing while here at the end of his tenor. His best one was hiring Gorton.
Let's see how this plays out...good stuff Mac
JT is going FA. Bank on it.
I hate that I have to listen to Montreal radio for hockey (I've given up on ny sports radio). They called Zibby a third line center . They said we currently have no 1 or 2 center lol
I'd give him 7 with the compliance buyouts after the 2021 lockout. Get the AAV down.
Why are people so fanatical about "maximizing value"?
Sometimes there's more value in just having a near 60 point winger for two years as opposed to the mystery box. Most times, in fact.
So 25% of 8 seeds, 45% of 7s, and 55% of 6s?
Pretty good odds all things considered tbh.
Right, now throw 2 of the guys who should progress into holding even, and make 2 of them have down years and regress, and for fun, Holden can repeat his 11g 23a season from the regression category for some randomness.
It's still a roster that in isolation should be a fair amt better, and that's without a Shattenkirk.
I think Montreal would take a D man for Gally.
lol
some of you just cant let go.
dylan mcilrath is a border line fringe nhl 7th dman.
i was right the day he was drafted after a junior career where he made exactly zero allstar games on talent and was never once chosen to any national team ever and the one allstar game he did play in picked a fight. lol. you cant make this stuff up.
and i was right when he couldn't stand out in hartford. i was right when he couldn't keep a job here- even when most of the defense was injured. i was right when florida laughed him outa town and i was right when detroit acquired him and immediately sent him to grand rapids- and the wings were bad last year. like real bad.
and now that he's back in the A, where he will continue to percolate until he eventually ends up exactly where i predicted he would end up back in 2010.
as a 7th man who punches faces and does his best work without having to move his skates.
im sorry, that ship hasn't sailed. it sunk.