What is the single worst decision your team ever made?

[Alex Jones]

LaCroix was showing signs of desperation around that point, he lost a lot of trades near that time and the drafting was just as bad. The best player I think we got from 4-6 different draft classes was Johnny Boychuk, who didn't play for us. Others included Budaj, Svatos, Gilbert, and Brad Richardson, not going to replace anybody with picks like that.

Considering the Avs draft position and the fact that everyone had bad drafts in the late 90's/early 2000's the Avs weren't really in a worse position than other teams.

Pierre always made some bad moves, but he was absolutely on fire destroying the Avs future in the early 2000's.

We had....

Drury + Yelle for Derek Morris

Reinprecht for Keith Ballard

Keith Ballard + Derek Morris for Chris Gratton

Skoula for Kurt Sauer

Tanguay for Jordan Leopold

Radim Vrbata for like 15 games of Bates Battaglia

Johnny Boychuck for Matt Hendricks, who we should have brought back he was decent. Still not even close in talent.

Tom Gilbert for Tommy Salo.

Holy shit I never realized before how much the fall of the Avs in the mid to late 2000's was self inflicted as compared to a consequence of the Avs terrible decision making.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Oilers:

Hire Peter Chiarelli
Trade Wayne Gretzky
Trade Mark Messier
Hire Peter Chiarelli
Bridge Darnell Nurse the second time
Draft Jani Rit
Hire Peter Chiarelli

 

[yada]

I know the rangers have been around for decades and have plenty of bad decisions to choose from. One ive seen mentioned is not signing gordie howe, since that was so long before I was born im choosing something recent.

My pick is alain vignaults coaching in the 14 conference finals and cup finals. The rangers were a team who won with skating, team contributions, and puck possession. The team wasnt as good at playing a defensive system and trying to trap and shot block compared to torterella. For some stupid reason when the rangers were up they tried keeping shifts short and just dumping the puck into the offensive zone and it started against Montreal. I was worried it was going to cost them in the ECF but Montreal was a bad team and no scoring, it got even worse in the cup finals as the rangers led in 4 of the 5 games. The rangers led were in the lead in period 2 and they started that crap but the kings were too good and too experienced from 2012 not to mention much more talented then Montreal was.

If the rangers play the whole game like they played in period 1 they would have won. The kings werent as fast but the rangers made it easy.

 

[syz]

Hire Peter Chiarelli
Trade Wayne Gretzky
Trade Mark Messier
Hire Peter Chiarelli
Bridge Darnell Nurse the second time
Draft Jani Rit
Hire Peter Chiarelli

Hiring Bob Nichsolson precedes a lot of these.

 

[Hockeyfan2390]

For the Red Wings, not doing more to have Ken Holland step aside in 2010 and let Yzerman take over.

This video covers it pretty well:

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

Fine, but my point is:

Kariya/Tverdovsky
vs
Niedermayer/Jovanovski

Even without hindsight, Clarke f***ed up as he was/is a size queen and Kariya was being raved about for his play at Maine.

The rest of PK's career just confirmed Clarke's f*** up.

Clarke should get a new Kariya

 

[Ned Bouhalassa]

Not signing Pasta last summer!

 

[Ianturnedbull]

"Muskoka 5" era Leafs should have re-tooled or tanked. Instead JFJ re-signed the 4-5 giving them no trade contracts.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

I know the rangers have been around for decades and have plenty of bad decisions to choose from. One ive seen mentioned is not signing gordie howe, since that was so long before I was born im choosing something recent.

My pick is alain vignaults coaching in the 14 conference finals and cup finals. The rangers were a team who won with skating, team contributions, and puck possession. The team wasnt as good at playing a defensive system and trying to trap and shot block compared to torterella. For some stupid reason when the rangers were up they tried keeping shifts short and just dumping the puck into the offensive zone and it started against Montreal. I was worried it was going to cost them in the ECF but Montreal was a bad team and no scoring, it got even worse in the cup finals as the rangers led in 4 of the 5 games. The rangers led were in the lead in period 2 and they started that crap but the kings were too good and too experienced from 2012 not to mention much more talented then Montreal was.

If the rangers play the whole game like they played in period 1 they would have won. The kings werent as fast but the rangers made it easy.

LA was better than the Rangers. Im a Ranger fan, they didnt have the horses to compete with anyone out west. Rangers were definitely better than the Habs but the collapse prevent d in Game 6 I understood, if they go back to Montreal for Game 7 on a Saturday, chances are, they dont win. The only area where they were better was maybe in goal that was it.

You put this lineup

Marián Gáborík - Anže Kopitar - Dustin Brown
Tanner Pearson - Jeff Carter - Tyler Toffoli
Dwight King - Jarret Stoll - Justin Williams
Kyle Clifford - Mike Richards - Trevor Lewis

Jake Muzzin - Drew Doughty
Willie Mitchell - Vyacheslav Voynov
Alec Martínez - Matt Greene

Jonathan Quick
(Martin Jones)

vs

Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash
Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Marty- St.Louis
Benoit Pouliot-Derrick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello
Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Derek Dorsett

Ryan McDonagh- Dan Girardi
Marc Stall-Kevin Klein
Anton Stralman- John Moore

Henrik Lundqvist
(Cam Talbot)

Kings had experience on their side too. On top of that while that lineup looks impressive Brad Richards by the end of the finals couldn't keep up and was on line 4, and the pp that was it, sorry if Dominic Moore is your 2nd line center that's a problem. This all harkens back to 3 bad drafts though. If they had guys like Getzlaf,Giroux and Tarasenko they could probably play the game you alluded too above.

 

[patnyrnyg]

A lesser known blunder for the Rangers: not re-signing Anton Stralman after the 2014 season.

 

[Hoochi Papa]

Marc Bergevin

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

A lesser known blunder for the Rangers: not re-signing Anton Stralman after the 2014 season.

I actually heard his wife was a huge problem for the organization hence why he wasnt bought back.

 

[patnyrnyg]

I actually heard his wife was a huge problem for the organization hence why he wasnt bought back.

Interesting, never heard that before. I guess anything is possible.

Another was the Joe Sakic offer sheet.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

Interesting, never heard that before. I guess anything is possible.

Another was the Joe Sakic offer sheet.

Mistake trying it or mistake of it falling through?

 

[patnyrnyg]

Mistake trying it or mistake of it falling through?

Underestimating Colorado's ability to match. Belief at the time was the owners were cash-strapped because of Waterworld. Then during the waiting period, an arena deal (not sure if it was a new arena or the naming rights) was announced and they had the money to match. Not having a back-up plan. Messier had already signed with Vancouver.

 

[patnyrnyg]

We can really pack a lunch when it comes to awful decisions the Rangers made, be it trades, drafting, FA signings, coaches, GMs, you name it. But as far as awful trade in recent memory.......

Mike Ridley and Kelly Miller for Bob Carpenter.

Mattias Norstrom, Ray Ferraro, Ian Laperriere, Nathan Lafayette, and a 4th for Jari Kurri, Marty McSorley, and Shane Churla

Sergei Zubov and Petr Nedved for Luc Robitaille and Ulf Samuelsson

Mike Gartner for Glenn Anderson

Dan Cloutier, Niklas Sundstrom, 2000 1st, 2000 3rd for Pavel Brendl

Luc Robitaille for Kevin Stevens

Dave Gagner and Jay Caufield for Jari Gronstrand and Paul Boutilier

Todd Marchant for Craig MacTavish

Pavel Buchnevich for Sammy Blais and a 2nd

Can't complain about Gartner for Anderson or Marchant for MacTavish as they did win the Cup.

The Nedved-Zubov for Robitaille/Ulf for me is not as bad as many make it out to be. Nedved was terrible in 95. Zubov got abused by the Devils and Flyers that season and was awful when they got swept by the Flyers. The team in 96 was flying and then the ferraro trade you mentioned killed that season. Just looked at Zubov's #'s, he only had 1 season where he came close to matching what he did in 94 and that was 71 points in 2006. Only broke 60 twice after the trade. Yes, he was steady for a very long time and I would have loved to have had him over some of the garbage the Rangers had from 98-2006, but this trade isnt as big a blunder to me.

The rest on your list? Agreed

 

[Alex Jones]

Underestimating Colorado's ability to match. Belief at the time was the owners were cash-strapped because of Waterworld. Then during the waiting period, an arena deal (not sure if it was a new arena or the naming rights) was announced and they had the money to match. Not having a back-up plan. Messier had already signed with Vancouver.

Wait like the waterpark?

I don't ever remember this part. Was this part of the weird time frame after COMSAT and before Kronke?

 

[patnyrnyg]

Trading Tikkanen for Nedved as compensation for St Louis signing Keenan instead of taking Brett Hull for nothing.

From Losing the Edge

Wait like the waterpark?

I don't ever remember this part. Was this part of the weird time frame after COMSAT and before Kronke?

The Kevin Costner movie that flopped big time. Company that owned the Avs from what I remember lost a ton of money on the movie. There was an article years later where Neil Smith said he knew it would not work but ownership was convinced it would as they thought the company was strapped. Deal was structured as a $15MM signing bonus and $2MM per year for 3 years. Avs had to match exactly and Rangers ownership didnt think they could.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Devils not forfeiting the 29th pick in the 2012 draft, and selecting Stephan Mattheau. Would have been in a position to draft Pastrnak in the 2014 draft.

 

[patnyrnyg]

Kelly Miller and Mike Ridley for Bobby Carpenter.

IMHO, one of the worst trades the Rangers have ever made

And then flipping Carpenter for Marcel Dionne just a few months later.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

Underestimating Colorado's ability to match. Belief at the time was the owners were cash-strapped because of Waterworld. Then during the waiting period, an arena deal (not sure if it was a new arena or the naming rights) was announced and they had the money to match. Not having a back-up plan. Messier had already signed with Vancouver.

I think the 2 plans differed that was the problem. Neil Smith wanted to rebuild on the fly. Ownership wanted to go after stars.

 

[patnyrnyg]

See not so much. Sather pre 05-06 was told what players to sign and that a rebuild was out of the question. When he got his way the team got much better, while im not saying he was a genius he was able to get them out of the dark ages and make them respectable again, those drafts speak for themselves though, although that was more Gordie Clark.

As far as 94 is concerned that stemmed from not winning in 92, I think alot of people including myself thought that 92 team should have got the job done and if they didnt blow game 4 vs Pittsburgh they probably do. If they win in 92 they win in 94 but without Keenan and those trades. Alas the not winning in 92 nad bad 93 forced Smiths hand.

The Zubov trade adressed needs, the Norstrom trade had Messier written all over it

Agreed. Have had more than a few conversations about game 4 against the Pens in 92. They win that game, they win the Cup and what happens in 94? I hated the Norstrom trade. They had 2 lines that were producing. They were 1st in the Atlantic from the start of the season into March. Picked up Laperiere in December and Momesso in February. Then moved Ferraro, Laperiere, and Norstrom. Screwed up the 2nd line of Robitaille-Ferraro-Kovalev and it fell apart.

 

[Albatros]

"Muskoka 5" era Leafs should have re-tooled or tanked. Instead JFJ re-signed the 4-5 giving them no trade contracts.

They did draft 5th overall and took defenseman Luke Schenn ahead of Erik Karlsson and Roman Josi. I wonder how they would have used their other picks.

 

[Hasbro]

Underestimating Colorado's ability to match. Belief at the time was the owners were cash-strapped because of Waterworld. Then during the waiting period, an arena deal (not sure if it was a new arena or the naming rights) was announced and they had the money to match. Not having a back-up plan. Messier had already signed with Vancouver.

They were trying to get an arena deal done with the city. The movie piece was Air Force One coming out and it being a success put enough cash on hand to match.

 

[pld459666]

And then flipping Carpenter for Marcel Dionne just a few months later.

While Ridley and Miller played integral roles in Washington for the next decade.

KMN