PerreaultForever

Vancouver is sometimes referred to as "boring Toronto" that is true. It's so damn nice people are often content to just hang out and around. You can "dish" on it all you want. I won't be offended. I came west for the mild winters and the ocean. I don't wear ties any more. Not even for the ballet or opera.

Interesting point and actually why we definitely need a guy who will "chuck 'em". If we get better/good we will be taken more seriously and Dahlin will be targeted and his dirty stuff (which I agree he does, especially that reverse hit which pisses people off) will cause more reaction and you dont' want him dropping the gloves so once again you need the defender to cancel some of that out. Krebs could be that guy who fits between a Hathaway and a DesLauriers type to make that line work IF he focuses on his role and his defensive play. I'm not sure he's the right guy for that but he could grow into it if he embraces and accepts it. Captains don't get away with dirty stuff. Just ask Marchand.

One only needs to look at how effective Philadelphia's 4th line was with Hathaway and DesLauriers to see how this works. You want both these guys (similar types) on your roster. DesLauriers did not dress every night and that's how it should be but they did set the tone many nights and were sometimes the best line. Hathaway type can fight and play but you don't ask him to take on the heavyweights like Reeves. It's a cancelling effect. If you make the playoffs your DesLauriers probably never sees the ice, but over the 80 plus games you need that cancelling effect since there is a Maroon and a Jeannot and a Reeves etc in your division. A fourth line that is a Hathaway type, a journeyman defensively responsible center or a young guy of the same type, and a heavyweight is a good 4th line.

So you basically have no time for the entire current roster (except maybe Krebs and Greenway).

Because Maple Syrup and real poutine are both delicious. Smoked meat and bagels are also big in Montreal. I'm a west coaster though. Very little French out here. Lots of hippies and flip flops 🙂

Swifty passed you by? In some ways I think that proves my point 🙂 I lived in Hamilton in my youth as I've said so I get the close to Toronto thing but it's still close to and not it. That's a reality. Again, that's why it's affordable. It's close to, but it's not it. Hamilton's a great city too. A lot like Buffalo. But it's also affordable and a little lacking. many places are.

You do realize that saying chicken wings is your culture is pretty much feeding into a stand up routine that would make fun of the place right? I mean they made Nanaimo Bars in Nanaimo but nobody runs around that town saying that's their culture. Buffalo's fine and it's actually nice to see how strongly some people are defending it, and I'm all for supporting your home town and all that. No issues. It goes too far though if you actually try to claim it's some great place. It's just a place. Not a terrible place, but a place. Winter sucks and there's something wrong with their hockey team, but not a terrible place (unless you like hockey). Not a cultural Mecca though, that's for sure.

You can forget about adding Maroon. Pretty sure he's staying in Boston.

I've been saying we need this for the same reasons for years. I guess Lindy is also a dinosaur 🙂

As an aside, there's no Rooney Rule obviously since that would be kind of impossible but if you interview someone from Europe does that count as diversity for hockey?

Well Montreal is French culture and it stands apart. It's basically more European. No comparison. Buffalo is what it is, I get that. I grew up in Hamilton and it's the same. Disdain for Toronto as a result and no pretentiousness, but that doesn't mean it has culture. If you are lauding tailgating and chicken wings as "culture" I really don't know what to say to you except, enjoy.

Oh I don't think so. I think this would definitely result in more players choosing teams closer to where they grew up, the teams they supported as kids, and locations like Buffalo would get the leftovers who think they could land a spot. Leafs, Bruins, maybe Montreal for French guys, big American cities and so forth would all benefit. I hate the idea. Used to be more than 7 rounds. Used to be 20 years olds. Things never go back, but I wish it would.

I think it's safe to say we aren't the only team that thinks it's time to make a big step forward (or at least try to).

Waddell gets to pick his own guy and likely has somebody already in mind. Probably also means a change in direction and/or style of play. Some guys get to work right away.

I think in many ways it probably is comparable to Edmonton. About the same size and winter sucks (they have more cold, you have more snow and I would guess wind chill and that lake induced dampness that makes it feel colder than it is). There are bad areas and run down parts but also nice areas and some high end burbs. Both cities a little lacking in culture and entertainment compared to some places. In no way am I shitting on Buffalo, just saying "affordability" is a double edged sword. Understandable as a settle for this could be worse kind of choice if you can't afford the better one, but in no way does it make it desirable.

I have had changing views over the years as to what's wrong and who has to go etc. but when I look at how almost all of the players we remove do well/better in their new locations I think it means that our biggest problems have been bad coaching and a crappy team culture that goes partly with that. Players who come here generally do worse than they did before and players who leave do better. This screams bad team culture. The style and ever changing plans with too much individual play and poor team defense scream bad coaching. Not getting the most out of what players offer as well (eg. Montour). So if they pick a good captain and Ruff is still a good coach, MAYBE it changes? idk, one can hope.

Seen this so many times over the years. Loser team has that one good game but everything goes into it and they blow out the eventual winner who usually bounces back because the score run up like that just wakes them up for the next game. Next game should be low score and full shutdown and likely Florida ends it unless Edmonton gets lucky in some way.

No, not true. Edmonton has a mixture of high salaries and low. They have a massive street drug and homeless problem too. Edmonton neighbourhoods vary tremendously. Vancouver has high salaries too. Some very high. The cost of living, rent and real estate is outrageous too though which is why it ranks low in that list. BUT, Vancouver also ranks near the top of lists on best cities in the world. If you can afford Vancouver or inherit your way in, there is no nicer place on earth. The good areas anyway. Every city has it's slum or ghetto and Vancouver is no different. The lower east side is a garbage dump.

Have they made us better? No. If they had, we'd BE better. You could assemble a better team with the people we have traded away I think. Traded or not re-signed that is. Some trades might not have been made if not for others (eg. Mitts for Byram) Off the top of my head, Ullmark backed up by UPL. Montour on D makes Byram unnecessary. McNabb. McCabe ERod and Foligno on your third line Carrier and DesLauriers on your fourth line. Eichel, ROR, as 1 and 2 C. Reinhart. Kane. Right there we look a lot more like Florida don't we? I don't know where you are drawing the line, but if it's just the big 3 Adams moves only Tuch has impacted the roster so far. He was a good addition, but nothing else has impacted yet. They might, but not yet.

Affordable correlates with less desirable though. That's why prices are lower. I'm seeing Edmonton on that list, and it is definitely "affordable" compared to other Canadian cities but there are reasons for that. Edmonton is a sh#thole. And it hits around -40 at times in the winter. I don't know much about Buffalo in the last 30 years but there has to be reasons why it's "affordable".

I knew somebody would point out the stylistic differences. The similarity is they are small and fast and I think that will hinder him or keep him from being NHL elite.

Is it time for payback on Draisaitl now? I expect shenanigans.

Well to be fair..............we have to wait until we hit free agency and also see if they make any trades over the summer before deciding on this. Ruff is an improvement and he knows how to win but we don't know if this team will respond to his messages. Adams has to give him the pieces he needs to be successful. We shall see what happens and I will decide if I agree with you in October.

This is basically the same line up we ended the season with and you're saying Ruff will just roll out the same lines as Granato? I certainly hope that this is not what happens. This line up will not win.

Well of course the league is mostly first rounders. The odds of making the league go way down as each round continues but finding guys outside the first round and finding role players who work hard and earn there way into the league is how you take the next step.