A few things I hate about this time of year
by Chickendirt on Jun 21, 2010 5:21 PM EDT
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PrintOk, so now we're back to it. The regular season and playoffs are over. Stanley cup is awarded and we are in the stretch barreling down to the draft with the UFA shopping spree not long after. Every single hockey writer (those supposed "experts"" are contemplating who goes where and how great every player is in the top fifteen or so in the draft.
It's almost as if "No player in the top fifteen ever busts and every UFA signing leads to instant Stanley Cup success!!!!"
This year everyone expects the Islanders to be big players Free Agency. Right now the big rumor is the possibility of Versteeg in an Islanders sweater and maybe a rerun of Sopel. Why am I not enthused?
Sopel; Has resurrected his career as more of a defensive defensemen. Resume now includes a Stanley Cup but looking at the overall package does he really address a NEED on this teams blue line? NOPE!!!
Just reviewing some of my takes on last seasons game the one consistent factor still stands. The Isles biggest need on their blue line is a mobile defensemen, with size, that has end to end ability. One that can also execute a stretch pass or two. In this regard Brent Sopel hardly fills this need. Doesn't even come close.
I'd rather attempt to see what happens with Andy Sutton and how Tony Ludman works out in Buffalo before I look to dance with Sopel again. Resurrected career or not. Lydman and Sopel are both the same age but Lydman can do Sopels job plus put up 20 pts.
Versteeg; As much as Botta is playing Eklund today I really do not see the need to acquire a twenty goal scorer off a cup winning team so I can give up assetts. Especially when this team has wracked up so many draft picks over the years that this role should be easily filled.
Quite speciffically, I really don't want to wast my time in this area when filling the need for a puck moving D with size and end to end ability, moves Okposo off the point on the PP. Given this team need for size I really don't see Versteeg's 182 Lb 5' 10" body having much of an impact on this team. He's still another smallish forward to go along with all the other smallish forwards here. And as I mentioned before, or at least alluded to, with all these factors combined, I don't see this guy coming here repeating a 20 goal performance.
The Draft; Oh the hype!!!!!! The more I read about it the more it sounds as if every guy in the top six is a sure fire hall of famer deserving to go first overall. Lots of schmutz for a top ten loaded with guys many scouts proclaim are a year or two away from stepping foot on NHL ice.
So I'm holding out for better evidence.
Overall, I would really like to see one writer break with the pack and do some real analysis. Instead of boring me to death with the same ole' crap. How about giving us the skinny on how all these headline grabbing UFA signings RARELY lead to success. How about looking at the draft and giving us the probability of each of these guys actually playing more than four or five seasons at a high level. Nevermind the All Star Selections (given that each team is required to send at least one player) or even the Hall of Fame.
Then give us the actual cost of what it would really mean to sacrafice picks to move up or acquire picks to drop back.
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It’s almost as if “No player in the top fifteen ever busts and every UFA signing leads to instant Stanley Cup success!!!!”
and thats exactly why I love this time of year, full of optimism, and positive thinking. There are no losers in the off-season.
There are no losers in the off-season
Well… maybe the Leafs.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jun 22, 2010 8:23 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Who is manning your station...
at the suicide hotline?
This is the best time of year, except maybe for Leafs fans (as TMC noted). Everybody is 0-0, winners from last year feel they can’t be worse and everybody else knows they’re gonna get better.
It really just ramps up the enthusiasm for next year. If Wang drops a ducket or two on some marquee players and we do well in the draft, September is going to be great around here…
… until in game three when we go into the third period up 3-1 and lose 3-4 in a SO.
… a few of those before Thanksgiving and don’t answer the phone when Gordon calls.
But what does all this mean to Jeff Tambellini?
You can also really step your foot in it at this time of year
You can make a bad draft choice.
You can sign guys to large contracts that don’t produce to their previous seasons out put. Happens more often than not. The day the Rags signed Drury and Gomez it was heralded throughout the league. Those signings were one of the worst signings in the last 6 years. It was obvious on the day it was made.
Lots of other teams fall into the same trap.
UFA signings rarely ever have the impact everyone expects them to have on the day they are made.
Given that perspective...
…and I agree that is definitely the more common and less shiny side of the coin… you’d have to give Snow and company very high marks in the area of UFA signings.
Wang has taken full responsibility for the DP disaster.
I think most of us thought that Witter was a bargain when he extended.
Other than those two deals, any signing of cost has worked out since Garth was granted autonomy.
Streit, the 5 “depth” guys that turned into Matt Moulson, Roloson, Biron… Hillen out of college.
Under the light you have cast, Snow reflect pure WHITE!
But after each season there is a final exam… he’ll start preparing for the 2011 exam on 7/1. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Snow remains White and he improves on the 7 dwarves.
But what does all this mean to Jeff Tambellini?
True enough
You can sign some real stinkers (leafs fans will likely point to Jason Blake) and end up paying alot of money for a guy who doesn’t produce at the level predicted. Oddly enough it’s a team game and Versteeg benefitted from paying on a very deep team where folks were focused on everyone else and he managed to get his points, on the Island he’d be one of the guys drawing the top checking line and getting pummelled like all our other small/medium sized forwards.
But
You can also get some nice surprises like Strait being even better than expected, Matt Moulson thriving when given top six icetime, or Samulson in Vancouver having a career year once he got increased ice and responsability (of course I’m legally blind, over the hill and hidiously out of shape and I think I could score 20 goals on the Sedins wing).
Alot of the success, or lack there of, really depends on the role the player ends up fulfilling and the supporting cast around them. Back in the day the Oilers used to do real well trading guys who played on Gretzkies line and put up great numbers for prospects or picks. Wow we just got a 30 goal scorer!! What do you mean he can’t skate?
As for the draft, I have heard for the last few years that this years draft and next years draft were supposed to be kinda thin. Given the wild vacilations in rankings I’m guessing it’s a bit of a crap shoot. I’ve also noticed most of the media are comparing the draft prospects against one another (best hands in the draft or fastest skater in the draft etc) rather than comparing them to prevoius players (this guys got the heart of Yashin and the hockey smarts of Lindros) which makes me wonder if it isn’t more of a crapshoot htis year than most.
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