Eleven Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Well to be fair I said they should have 1 down year. Sell your Vanek for a couple of guys that are 20ish or maybe a guy and a pick and then their ya go. Minnesota doesn't have the depth or the centers to be anything more than they are now. If they had some great GT and defense coming than sure but they are pretty maxed out. When you say "sell your Vanek," do you mean a trade? Is there a team that's going to pick him up at $6.5M? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Minnesota's biggest issue is up the middle, but their second biggest issue is the fact that their five highest salary players are all over 30. As much as it might seem to be the opposite they're not a team on the rise. The bold part is pretty much the nature of the beast though, isn't it? In the league as a whole, the older guys tend to be the highest paid players. I'm not going to go team by team, but I'd imagine you'd see the same thing with a lot of teams, both good and bad. It's far more about the type of players are in that group is as opposed to their age. Anaheim's got 4 of their top 5 over the age of 30 and I don't think anyone will say the same thing about them. The only place where age is going to sting Minnesota is with Parise and Suter. The others' contracts will be up by the time people will be ready to call them old. They've got a good group of young talent, but unfortunately don't seem to have the right kind of players to complement them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGR4GM Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 When you say "sell your Vanek," do you mean a trade? Is there a team that's going to pick him up at $6.5M? Yes I mean a trade. Sell your winger or wingers for something better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 When you say "sell your Vanek," do you mean a trade? Is there a team that's going to pick him up at $6.5M? With one year remaining? I think someone can find a way to make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleven Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Yes I mean a trade. Sell your winger or wingers for something better. With one year remaining? I think someone can find a way to make it work. Paging Garth to the Around the NHL thread, then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Paging Garth to the Around the NHL thread, then... I take it back, Vanek has 2 years left. I didn't realize that stupid NHL numbers has 15-16 listed as the current season already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 The bold part is pretty much the nature of the beast though, isn't it? In the league as a whole, the older guys tend to be the highest paid players. I'm not going to go team by team, but I'd imagine you'd see the same thing with a lot of teams, both good and bad. It's far more about the type of players are in that group is as opposed to their age. Anaheim's got 4 of their top 5 over the age of 30 and I don't think anyone will say the same thing about them. The only place where age is going to sting Minnesota is with Parise and Suter. The others' contracts will be up by the time people will be ready to call them old. They've got a good group of young talent, but unfortunately don't seem to have the right kind of players to complement them. Of playoff teams: Anaheim: 2/5 under 30 (Perry turns 30 on the 16th, though) Calgary: 1/5 under 30 Chicago: 2/5 under 30 Detroit: 0/5 under 30 Minnesota: 0/5 under 30 Montreal: 3/5 under 30 Nashville: 2/5 under 30 NY Isles: 2/5 under 30 NY Rangers: 2/5 under 30 Ottawa: 3/5 under 30 Pittsburgh: 4/5 under 30 St. Louis: 2/5 under 30 Tampa Bay: 2/5 under 30 Vancouver: 1/5 under 30 Washington: 3/5 under 30 Winnipeg: 3/5 under 30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGR4GM Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Paging Garth to the Around the NHL thread, then... There always seems to be 1 dumb and or desperate NHL gm willing to take on a guy like the Vaneks of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwksndmonster Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 There always seems to be 1 dumb and or desperate NHL gm willing to take on a guy like the Vaneks of the world. Vanek doesn't have the plague, he's still a good player that would score ~25 goals from most 2nd lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCard Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Vanek doesn't have the plague, he's still a good player that would score ~25 goals from most 2nd lines. His value has plummeted since his departure from Buffalo. Not sure why his play has gone with it. He's still good, but it seems like other teams don't understand what kind of player he is and how to utilize him, and his confidence has gone with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I really don't understand all the hate for how Minnesota built their team. First of all, yes they can't seem to get beyond the second round...but my guess is the vast majority of playoff teams would suffer a similar fate if they kept running into Chicago. But as far as team construction goes, what else were they supposed to do? They spent a boatload of money on a legit #1 Dman and #1 LW, they managed to deal futures of questionable value for a legit #1 RW (sorry haters, but Pominville is a #1 RW even if you don't want him as the best player on that line), moved a 3rd liner for a young 2nd line winger (Clutterbuck for Niederreiter), and have a lot of really nice home grown talent (Brodin, Granlund, Coyle, to name a few). Could they use another center? Probably, but it's not like Koivu and Granlund are second class citizens. I think they're built a lot like the Rangers, who might make the Final two years in a row...the only real difference is the Rangers have Lundqvist and don't have to play Chicago. Put differently, what opportunities to get better has Minnesota missed? They didn't get Stastny, but sometimes free agents just choose to go elsewhere...it's not like Stastny avoided them because they're a bad team. The only thing I can look at is not trading for Kesler, but who knows if there was a deal to be made between the teams there or if Kesler would waive his NTC to go there (there is a certain appeal to living in Cali over Minnesota....). What else were they supposed to do? It's one of those things where "go and get a #1 center" isn't really an answer...it's a meaningless statement if the opportunity was never there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGR4GM Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 No one said Minnesota missed opportunities, they just have reached their max potential IMPO with the team they have built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwksndmonster Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I think Blue is right to harp on the fact that they've been running into Chicago every year. What is any team going to do against that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Kinda scary. Back in early 2013, Darcy said Minnesota was the model for how you rebuild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 (edited) Wait... what are people complaining about? All the Wild do is rack up 100 point seasons, make the playoffs every year and get out of the first round. If the Sabres ever had this kind of record of success, well someone would build a something something of Terry Pegula... Edited May 11, 2015 by PASabreFan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGR4GM Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Wait... what are people complaining about? All the Wild do is rack up 100 point seasons, make the playoffs every year and get out of the first round. If the Sabres ever had this kind of record of success, well someone would build a something something of Terry Pegula... After what we just endured there can only be one outcome. There is not a half victory to be had. We have earned the right to expect better after the suffering. The playoffs are not the goal. The conference finals are not the goal. The cup finals are not the goal. These are unacceptable outcomes. Starting June 27th 2015, the Sabres reason for existence will be to win the Stanley Cup. This is our time. Anything short of that is a failure. Failure is no longer and option. 2nd best is the first loser and I don't want to see that again. I want to see something new, something never before done, something that will actually be remembered. The only acceptable outcome is to be the greatest hockey team in the world and forever have the words Buffalo Sabres etched in history on the Stanley Cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwksndmonster Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I just wanna watch good hockey. I'll start expecting cups once our kids aren't kids anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I just wanna watch good hockey. I'll start expecting cups once our kids aren't kids anymore. Please, God, I hope you're not talking about the babies you and Jack will adopt one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Please, God, I hope you're not talking about the babies you and Jack will adopt one day. Who said anything about adopting? Go watch Junior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Saw this quote in a random article: "The Chicago Blackhawks hit a rough patch towards the end of the 2015 NHL season and several reports leaked that there was some serious friction in the locker room. Not long after, there was a rumored fight between Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp and defenseman Duncan Keith." If true, Sharp won't be in Chicago next season. Yada Yada banging his wife... Blah blah blah. Don't believe the hype. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kruppstahl Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 No one said Minnesota missed opportunities, they just have reached their max potential IMPO with the team they have built. Minnesota is a "nice" team that has some nice stuff going on. The problem is they are about as good as they are going to get (as you point out) and that is not nearly good enough. They're the type of team that can and will win a lot of meaningless snoozer regular season games on a Tuesday night in December. So what. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brawndo Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Ryan Callahan out indefinitely after undergoing an emergency appendectomy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Ryan Callahan out indefinitely after undergoing an emergency appendectomy Meh. Travis Yost @travisyost 11m11 minutes ago Ryan Callahan's been out-shot and out-chanced at EV. He has 14 shots the entire playoffs. Zero goals. Other than that, big loss. And if you consider term, his contract is much larger than Vanek's. Yet Vanek gets dumped on and Callahan gets a free pass. Must be the grit :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brawndo Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Meh. Travis Yost @travisyost 11m11 minutes ago Ryan Callahan's been out-shot and out-chanced at EV. He has 14 shots the entire playoffs. Zero goals. Other than that, big loss. And if you consider term, his contract is much larger than Vanek's. Yet Vanek gets dumped on and Callahan gets a free pass. Must be the grit :rolleyes: It's more his compete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Dwight Drane Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 http://senators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=767640 Sens owner on deathbed and looking for liver donor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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