PerreaultForever

Interesting comment I saw on twitter. Only 1 of the top 10 salaries in the NHL is still playing hockey in these playoffs, and that is Carey Price. Proof that the superstar model doesn't work in a cap league?

Guess this thread can get locked 🙂

Well I wouldn't trade Eichel for Matthews cause Matthews has already proven he's playoff incapable. Eichel might be too, but we don't know yet do we. Really, I don't want any of those Toronto "stars" cause every year they keep proving that their model is the wrong way to build a hockey team. Why? I see no reason for this to go together. If we're cleaning house we should scrub hard and clean it all.

I don't really want a "roster player" unless it's a very good one like a Tkachuk or a Schiefele so I go with the guideline of the old offer signing rules so 4 1sts. In this case we don't want to wait all those years so I'd say 2 top prospects like Turcotte and Byfield for example and 2 additional non conditional 1st rounders. One of those picks for Bedard's year cause, well, you never knowm Eichel might ruin the team he goes to and it's worth the gamble.

Yup. Earlier in a free agent related thread I was saying we should try to land Cizikas if he'd come, which I doubt. Was a really good close game. So many hits, and speaking of 4th lines we could have (snicker) did you notice how this Curtis Lazar guy throws the puck in and plays hit the D man first a lot? Guy likes to throw his body around. We could use a guy like that too :) and just SO glad the Laughs did it again.

The Flyers need to try to be more like the dastardly Flyers. That team is a mess and might be a good trade partner for any number of possible deals.

probably roller hockey in the summer 🙂

Oh I know where this is directed................ I can counter this easily. First, isn't it amazing that despite all those bad draft picks and trade mistakes they are consistently still that good? How does that happen? Where does it come from? I wonder....... So I'm going to make it short and sweet. Cam F'n Neely. Named Vice President in 2007 and President in 2010 and Bruins have been really good and had a great culture when exactly? So the solution here was simple. Rick F'n Dudley should have been given that role here and molded this team in his image the way Cam molded that one in his. Yes, it's that freakin' simple. This is where I drop the mic I think.............

He's been tried there before. There has however always been this idea to play him with Eichel. Give Eichel the best RW possible or something like that.

Exactly. No argument there. and like Hall, that includes Eichel and Reinhart and probably several others.

In my opinion that is a simplistic and incorrect view. It's about a lot more than simply winning, and not realizing that is why we aren't winning regardless of who we draft, who we sign, or what we do. Winning would definitely be nice, but to truly get back to where we were in the golden days it's going to take a huge culture shift.

Not about how he's playing, but about how much he likes it there and why. The team culture. It's a culture that brings out the best in players and makes them want to give their all for their team. Pat LaFontaine understood it, there's your initial mistake. They keep going from there. idk about "kick his ass" but you watch how that team interacts with each other on and off the ice. We were like that once upon a time...............

I know this won't be popular, but I'm enjoying it. To me it magnifies the problems with this franchise. Maybe if the Pegulas are watching it too they will finally get it.

I really don't think signing Eakin is any big thing one way or the other. Bottom line player, a couple years, easily benched. Small mistake. The real problem this team has (for years to come) is Jeff Skinner. There is simply no way to build a winner when you're paying, what, 1.3 million per goal or thereabouts. and it's not like he suddenly got great after RK was fired either.

I could see Arizona really wanting to make a deal. They might envision a new marketing scheme based on an American superstar (they still probably resent Toronto winning that lottery for Matthews). Not sure they'd give up all their young players though. Eichel wouldn't want a full rebuild either. More likely they'd offer future draft picks so not sure we'd want that. Fan base certainly wouldn't.

Well to be fair, he did leave out Skinner .

But you see, Hall's comment is indicative of the real problem. What I've been trying to say for years (and I'm not alone, although in the minority I think) . We have to fix the culture, what it means to be a Sabre. The team has to have an identity and feeling that would make a statement like that impossible. The only way to do this will be to tear out the core, get a coach who believes in that identity and rebuild on those lines. You should know it best Punch. Back in the 70s we had that identity. This was a hugely successful expansion team. We were exciting, team oriented. Players wanted to be here. They hung out together, stepped up for each other. It meant something to be a Sabre. We've let all of that fall away. There are a variety of reasons, and the Pegulas get their share of that blame, but if you don't fix the culture this horror will never end. And some will say just start winning and it'll be fixed, but chicken and egg, we won't start winning until we fix it.

Bruins don't make a habit of overpaying people, they usually get them to take a discount to stay. Hall's most recent words: "I knew [Boston] was a great city, but I've been surprised at how much better it's been than I even thought it was," Hall said. "So hopefully it all works out." And how does Jack Eichel feel about coming back next year when he reads that?

That's it. Like most high draft Sabre defensemen, rushed along and not developed properly. Bad habits stay. His strengths are obvious, and his weaknesses still need a lot of work.

Sabrespace, and the usual disgruntled and bitter summer of snideness, sarcasm and other assorted egomaniacal quips. How wonderful.

LOL. That might be the most over stated ridiculous comparison I've ever seen on this board so I had to quote it. Funny though. Did make me smile. Eakin sucked, that's not a point of contention. Not sure what anyone else would have done though. Seemed like a reasonable 4th line (some felt 3rd) pick up at the time. One has to assume Larsson was NOT going to re sign and his value is kind of over stated. Didn't do much for the Coyotes. They wanted to improve face offs and PK. Those were a bit better were they not? I think the Girgensens injury was the thing that really cocked up the bottom end plan. but ya, Adams hasn't actually done anything good yet. Absolutely nothing imo.

I think only a 35% drop is pretty flattering too. If it wasn't a pandemic you'd probably see even lower numbers. I know I only watched some nights cause I had nowhere else to go anyway. next season it has to be better to get me interested.

They may be, but as was mentioned, they'd want to dump salary and that's not something we want to be doing. We already have a Skinner anchor on our cap, we don't need more lost space.

So you're finally conceding that Reinhart is not a star then? Good. About time.

I have a question. You say the "general feeling" is they need an Eichel/top center to be a true contender but 1. aren't they already a contender? They are looking pretty good at the moment. and 2. Isn't their model entirely based on the opposite idea of a star center? Rather a solid team approach with multiple mid level stars rather than a few superstars? I'm not sure a desire for a top 1C is their goal. I'm thinking that's just a fan thing. I mean every team wants a great player if you can just pop him in there but gutting your roster/prospect pool to get one guy is a whole other thing. Relying on a few star players certainly hasn't worked here. There's a lesson in that.