Series Talk: Stanley Cup Playoffs 2024

[Chiarelli]

We should all be cheering for Dallas to advance (I don't want them to win the cup).
Might make our front office look at how we manage our drafting and make changes.

 

[The Abusement Park]

We should all be cheering for Dallas to advance (I don't want them to win the cup).
Might make our front office look at how we manage our drafting and make changes.

Losing to Dallas would cause changes but literally having one of the worst drafting records in the 2000’s to present wouldn’t?

 

[the_fan]

I was tagged so I opened the thread here. I then read a bunch of posts including these:





I don't even know what the final score was yet but this is all very funny. Personally Duchene winning would be the one solace in a Stars championship.

Duchene can f*** off. I really don’t want him to win anything.

My personal feelings

 

[jabubenice]

so stars killed us without their 1C

 

[NOTENOUGHRYJOTHINGS]

Losing to Dallas would cause changes but literally having one of the worst drafting records in the 2000’s to present wouldn’t?

If Dallas gets swept by Edmonton (which is still the most likely outcome) it should make the front office do even more soul searching.

The we lost to the best team let's not make changes mentality isn't good.

The Avs got beat by a team who wasn't even close to Edmonton.

 

[the_fan]

so stars killed us without their 1C

Without our leading goal scorer Nuke and without our captain

 

[Chiarelli]

Losing to Dallas would cause changes but literally having one of the worst drafting records in the 2000’s to present wouldn’t?

Not much change in that time. Philosophies remain the same and despite a couple firings it's the same group.

 

[Balthazar]

Without our leading goal scorer Nuke and without our captain

Captain wasn't on the payroll. We had the pieces that replaced him.

Also Nuke played 3 games and we lost 2 of those.

 

[the_fan]

Captain wasn't on the payroll. We had the pieces that replaced him.

Also Nuke played 3 games and we lost 2 of those.

We haven’t really replaced Landy though. We got some depth pieces with the LTIR money but non of them replaced what Landy does as a player and as a leader. Until he comes back or we actually replace him with a top 6 legit winger, we won’t win in the playoffs. And now we might have to replace two top 6 forwards if Landy can’t play and Val is gone

 

[GeoRox89]

Ya true. I domt have any regrets on the Walker trade... But man you have to wonder how different our series against Dallas goes if we had Tanev and they didn't.

Could be the trade we missed out on that cost us the cup tbh(Though probably not without Nuke either).

Tanev never would’ve survived the playoffs with our and his injury luck but Avs chances of winning that series go way up just by virtue of him not playing for Dallas so it’s still a shame regardless

 

[AvBuff]

You guys realize we won a Stanley Cup 2 years ago, right? Something Dallas and Edmonton haven't done in 20+ years - and won't do this year. You realize that 2023 Cup winner Vegas- led by the Jedi Masters of the salary cap and LTIR - got bounced in Round 1?

Your realize that the 1996 Stanley Cup Champion Avalanche - with Sakic, Roy, Forsberg, Foote, Tanguay, Ozo et al - didn't win another Cup until 2001, right? That was pre-salary cap -Lacroix could go out and get whomever he wanted. Those "loaded" Avs teams with unlimited payroll got pounded by Dallas, Edmonton and Detroit for 5 years before they won again. Nobody ever accused Pierre Lacroix of incompetence or lack of desire. His banner is hanging in the rafters at Ball for a reason.

People bitching about the Avs scouting and front office spend too much time on XBox. Trying to win a Stanley Cup is insanely hard. Winning it back to back - or even every other year - is damn near impossible with the salary cap. The Avs may not win another Cup for another 2-3 years. And that's not because they are "content" with one Cup or don't know what they're doing.

It just very, very hard to win a Cup and run it back - even with generational talents like Makar and Mac. Everything came together in 2022 - talent, luck, health - and the Avs cashed in. THAT team was a monster - maybe the best NHL team top to bottom in the last 20 years. Maybe we should appreciate that team a little more. And bitch a little less because the Avs front office can't recreate it.

I really enjoy this board. And I realize that being snarky, contrarian a-holes when it comes to our favorite team is part of the appeal. But man, is it tiring sometimes.

 

[Chiarelli]

You guys realize we won a Stanley Cup 2 years ago, right? Something Dallas and Edmonton haven't done in 20+ years - and won't do this year. You realize that 2023 Cup winner Vegas- led by the Jedi Masters of the salary cap and LTIR - got bounced in Round 1?

Your realize that the 1996 Stanley Cup Champion Avalanche - with Sakic, Roy, Forsberg, Foote, Tanguay, Ozo et al - didn't win another Cup until 2001, right? That was pre-salary cap -Lacroix could go out and get whomever he wanted. Those "loaded" Avs teams with unlimited payroll got pounded by Dallas, Edmonton and Detroit for 5 years before they won again. Nobody ever accused Pierre Lacroix of incompetence or lack of desire. His banner is hanging in the rafters at Ball for a reason.

People bitching about the Avs scouting and front office spend too much time on XBox. Trying to win a Stanley Cup is insanely hard. Winning it back to back - or even every other year - is damn near impossible with the salary cap. The Avs may not win another Cup for another 2-3 years. And that's not because they are "content" with one Cup or don't know what they're doing.

It just very, very hard to win a Cup and run it back - even with generational talents like Makar and Mac. Everything came together in 2022 - talent, luck, health - and the Avs cashed in. THAT team was a monster - maybe the best NHL team top to bottom in the last 20 years. Maybe we should appreciate that team a little more. And bitch a little less because the Avs front office can't recreate it.

I really enjoy this board. And I realize that being snarky, contrarian a-holes when it comes to our favorite team is part of the appeal. But man, is it tiring sometimes.

 

[henchman21]

People bitching about the Avs scouting and front office spend too much time on XBox. Trying to win a Stanley Cup is insanely hard. Winning it back to back - or even every other year - is damn near impossible with the salary cap. The Avs may not win another Cup for another 2-3 years. And that's not because they are "content" with one Cup or don't know what they're doing.

I overall agree with the sentiment of your post. Be happy we won the Cup because winning is hard and frequently teams go through entire windows without winning.

On this point though, we've seen teams win multiple Cups in a short time in the cap era. Tampa won back to back and was in the Final in 22. Pittsburgh won back to back in 16 and 17 (after winning in 09). Hawks won 3 in 6 years. LA won 2 in 3 years. It is clearly not impossible to win multiple Cups in a short span.

 

[AvsMakar08]

I want either Florida or Rangers to win it. Don't wont Dallas to win it because of Duchene on their team and I want McDavid to wait for a few more years until they win it.

 

[The Abusement Park]

You guys realize we won a Stanley Cup 2 years ago, right? Something Dallas and Edmonton haven't done in 20+ years - and won't do this year. You realize that 2023 Cup winner Vegas- led by the Jedi Masters of the salary cap and LTIR - got bounced in Round 1?

Your realize that the 1996 Stanley Cup Champion Avalanche - with Sakic, Roy, Forsberg, Foote, Tanguay, Ozo et al - didn't win another Cup until 2001, right? That was pre-salary cap -Lacroix could go out and get whomever he wanted. Those "loaded" Avs teams with unlimited payroll got pounded by Dallas, Edmonton and Detroit for 5 years before they won again. Nobody ever accused Pierre Lacroix of incompetence or lack of desire. His banner is hanging in the rafters at Ball for a reason.

People bitching about the Avs scouting and front office spend too much time on XBox. Trying to win a Stanley Cup is insanely hard. Winning it back to back - or even every other year - is damn near impossible with the salary cap. The Avs may not win another Cup for another 2-3 years. And that's not because they are "content" with one Cup or don't know what they're doing.

It just very, very hard to win a Cup and run it back - even with generational talents like Makar and Mac. Everything came together in 2022 - talent, luck, health - and the Avs cashed in. THAT team was a monster - maybe the best NHL team top to bottom in the last 20 years. Maybe we should appreciate that team a little more. And bitch a little less because the Avs front office can't recreate it.

I really enjoy this board. And I realize that being snarky, contrarian a-holes when it comes to our favorite team is part of the appeal. But man, is it tiring sometimes.

Overall I agree with where you’re coming from. But the scouting objectively has been awful for some time. Now they 100% deserve credit for hitting their big picks and not wasting those as plenty of franchises have. But the drafting record outside the 1st round is abhorrent. Since 09 they’ve drafted Barrie, ROR, Pickard, Butcher, Greer, and Aman as NHL’ers. 6 NHL’ers…. There’s just no way that’s sustainable for this org and maybe they’ve made the right changes recently. But the criticism there is 1000% warranted.

 

[the_fan]

You guys realize we won a Stanley Cup 2 years ago, right? Something Dallas and Edmonton haven't done in 20+ years - and won't do this year. You realize that 2023 Cup winner Vegas- led by the Jedi Masters of the salary cap and LTIR - got bounced in Round 1?

Your realize that the 1996 Stanley Cup Champion Avalanche - with Sakic, Roy, Forsberg, Foote, Tanguay, Ozo et al - didn't win another Cup until 2001, right? That was pre-salary cap -Lacroix could go out and get whomever he wanted. Those "loaded" Avs teams with unlimited payroll got pounded by Dallas, Edmonton and Detroit for 5 years before they won again. Nobody ever accused Pierre Lacroix of incompetence or lack of desire. His banner is hanging in the rafters at Ball for a reason.

People bitching about the Avs scouting and front office spend too much time on XBox. Trying to win a Stanley Cup is insanely hard. Winning it back to back - or even every other year - is damn near impossible with the salary cap. The Avs may not win another Cup for another 2-3 years. And that's not because they are "content" with one Cup or don't know what they're doing.

It just very, very hard to win a Cup and run it back - even with generational talents like Makar and Mac. Everything came together in 2022 - talent, luck, health - and the Avs cashed in. THAT team was a monster - maybe the best NHL team top to bottom in the last 20 years. Maybe we should appreciate that team a little more. And bitch a little less because the Avs front office can't recreate it.

I really enjoy this board. And I realize that being snarky, contrarian a-holes when it comes to our favorite team is part of the appeal. But man, is it tiring sometimes.

How dare you being rational here

 

[henchman21]

Overall I agree with where you’re coming from. But the scouting objectively has been awful for some time. Now they 100% deserve credit for hitting their big picks and not wasting those as plenty of franchises have. But the drafting record outside the 1st round is abhorrent. Since 09 they’ve drafted Barrie, ROR, Pickard, Butcher, Greer, and Aman as NHL’ers. 6 NHL’ers…. There’s just no way that’s sustainable for this org and maybe they’ve made the right changes recently. But the criticism there is 1000% warranted.

It will be interesting to watch the prospects from the 18+ drafts develop. There are some signs that the drafting has gotten better, but they could simply just be blips too. It is too early to say. The Avs just won't reap many rewards of that development since many of those players have moved on. It is an absolute fact though that the drafting has to be even better than what they have done to have any sustainability to it.

 

[The Abusement Park]

It will be interesting to watch the prospects from the 18+ drafts develop. There are some signs that the drafting has gotten better, but they could simply just be blips too. It is too early to say. The Avs just won't reap many rewards of that development since many of those players have moved on. It is an absolute fact though that the drafting has to be even better than what they have done to have any sustainability to it.

Yup. I think there’s some promise for sure. For his flaws Annunen still looks to be a potential NHL’er, even if it’s likely a backup. Behrens looks to have a good shot at being a regular NHL dman. Timmins probably would be an NHL’er if his body could hold up. Foudy’s kind of on the fringe, but I wouldn’t be surprised either way if he can stick at the NHL level or not.

 

[LOFIN]

I overall agree with the sentiment of your post. Be happy we won the Cup because winning is hard and frequently teams go through entire windows without winning.

On this point though, we've seen teams win multiple Cups in a short time in the cap era. Tampa won back to back and was in the Final in 22. Pittsburgh won back to back in 16 and 17 (after winning in 09). Hawks won 3 in 6 years. LA won 2 in 3 years. It is clearly not impossible to win multiple Cups in a short span.

I'll give you the Hawks and the Pens, no question. With Tampa, there has to be a bit of caveat because of the format in both of their championship years.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I had Heiskanen above Makar on my Norris ballot. I’m prepared to take some heat for that one.

 

[henchman21]

I'll give you the Hawks and the Pens, no question. With Tampa, there has to be a bit of caveat because of the format in both of their championship years.

They still won 2 Cups and made it to the Finals in the third year... there should be zero discounting that run. That's an insane level of success in the NHL. Sure some oddities exist, but that run is one of the most successful runs of the last 30 years. The last team to make the finals 3 straight years was Edmonton 83-85.

I also stated the Kings too. 18 Cups have been awarded since the Cap was implemented to only 12 teams. If we look at a 3 year spans, a team has won 2 Cups within 3 years 4 times in an 18 year stretch. If you expand to 4 years, you get to 5 times. From 1990-2004, only two teams accomplished the 2 in 3 year trick (both won back to back, Pens and Wings). If you expand to 4, the Devils did it.

 

[Alex Jones]

I overall agree with the sentiment of your post. Be happy we won the Cup because winning is hard and frequently teams go through entire windows without winning.

On this point though, we've seen teams win multiple Cups in a short time in the cap era. Tampa won back to back and was in the Final in 22. Pittsburgh won back to back in 16 and 17 (after winning in 09). Hawks won 3 in 6 years. LA won 2 in 3 years. It is clearly not impossible to win multiple Cups in a short span.

It sucks to probably not win another cup with this core because it was there for the taking. That said, I think a lot of the criticism of the Avs FO is overblown. Winning Cups is hard. As far as I know Avs and the Lighting are the only two orgs that have won Cups with multiple cores this century.

 

[henchman21]

It sucks to probably not win another cup with this core because it was there for the taking. That said, I think a lot of the criticism of the Avs FO is overblown. Winning Cups is hard. As far as I know Avs and the Lighting are the only two orgs that have won Cups with multiple cores this century.

IMO the criticism should be more on the side of not pushing early enough. The team was ready for a bigger push than 2022. Right now they are just trying to hold on and keep as many shots as possible, which is what all teams at the end do. I hated last season because they just threw in the towel early. This year, they gave a great effort and it just didn't work. I'm personally okay with that (though the reasons for not working need evaluated).

 

[GeoRox89]

It sucks to probably not win another cup with this core because it was there for the taking. That said, I think a lot of the criticism of the Avs FO is overblown. Winning Cups is hard. As far as I know Avs and the Lighting are the only two orgs that have won Cups with multiple cores this century.

Pretty sure you’re correct with that one. Obviously everyone would love for the Avs to win more but really since the move to Denver you have:

Dead Things - 4
Pens/Hawks/Devils/Bolts/Avs - 3
Kings - 2
Stars/Canes/Ducks/Bruins/Caps/Blues/Vegas - 1

Literally one team has won more, 4 others have matched and 8 (possibly 9 if someone other than the Stars win this year) other teams that have won at all in a 32 team league. Still dreaming this core will catch lightning in a bottle once more but we’ve seen a level of success most fanbases could only dream of in the last 28 years

 

[missionAvs]

Pretty sure you’re correct with that one. Obviously everyone would love for the Avs to win more but really since the move to Denver you have:

Dead Things - 4
Pens/Hawks/Devils/Bolts/Avs - 3
Kings - 2
Stars/Canes/Ducks/Bruins/Caps/Blues/Vegas - 1

Literally one team has won more, 4 others have matched and 8 (possibly 9 if someone other than the Stars win this year) other teams that have won at all in a 32 team league. Still dreaming this core will catch lightning in a bottle once more but we’ve seen a level of success most fanbases could only dream of in the last 28 years

Yeah but Toronto has won a few series since that so they have a lot of respect earned while we only have the 3 asterisk cups.

1996 asterisk because we were gifted the team from Quebec

2001 asterisk because the league rigged it for Bourque

2022 asterisk because we had the refs in our pockets.