radoran

Can't possibly be ownership. Fire the coach. Fire the GM.

And, to the overall point, that's the problem. "The plan" changed several times throughout the season, morphing from "rebuild culture and establish accountability" and "don't fall in love" to "make the playoffs, anything can happen" and "this journeyman waiver wire pickup is essential to our team culture." It was predictable to the extent that many predicted it that the style being played - while entertaining and winning in the regular season - was going to wear them out by the time they got to the playoffs, if they got there. Now, having put a lot of stock into "making the playoffs" because #goodthing they face planted and are extremely likely to miss out entirely #badthing. And I obviously have "concerns" about the protege of Bob Clarke's protege being "the guy" running the "rebuild" while his law partner tells his former radio media colleagues that the whole "rebuild" thing was a sham from the moment they said it. It may all still work out. No, really.

I've been entertained. I'm not saying this hasn't been "fun to watch." I've been to games. "Entertaining" and "fun to watch" don't necessarily equal "rebuilding a Cup winner". We're going on 50 years here...

Maybe you should be thanking Briere for bringing in a washed up 35 year old to tank the season with a -10 in 16 stretch games? Savvy mover, that one.

I haven't disagreed with the general theory, just noting the actual impact. You're right, it's probably more like 10% Briere also got a 5th back for brokering cap space. Added Johnson as a salve to his locker room after he shipped out Walker for a first, replaced part of the cost for cap space. All in all, I find it kinda hard to come down on him for it - in that context. The context where picking in the middle of the first doesn't help a "rebuild" puts it in a different light, but they were already there. Maybe Johnson's -10 helped them improve their position.

Yeah, you got 30 or so guys there. Over the past 20 years (Pavelski, 2003) there have been ~600 4th round picks. Your 5% chance here sounds a lot like "pick in the fourth round and anything can happen!" Just think what could happen if they make the playoffs!

Win and you're in. Anything is possible.

They never had to tank. They had more money than most. They've never adapted to the league they insisted upon creating. They keep giving out four year deals to players like Seeler and Deslauriers - at double previous rates - and committing themselves to Laughton and Sanheim - to remain a middling bubble playoff team. Only this year, again, they're going in the right direction. No, really. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

I did a whole post on it...

He's the Scott Laughton of Lehigh Valley.

They didn't even have a 4th in six of those years... Connor "Echo and the" Bunnaman!

You were saying they didn't make a move to spend assets to make the playoffs. There. That's what I was responding to. The fact that you apparently now support the thing you said no one was in favor of - checks notes - six hours ago is your own issue.

It's not "coasting" as much as it is letting the feel of the season play out. A lot of recent Cup winner have guys who took the year (or months) off on "LTIR" and came back for the playoffs (ask JR lol). See: Vegas, Colorado... If your goal for the season is to "restore culture and accountability" and see what the youth on your roster can do that's a different goal than "make the playoffs." I'm not saying "don't play hard" but playing balls to the wall night in and night out drains a player and a team. It's one reason why nobody "wants" the President's Trophy. You've certainly seen the "extra gear" of the playoffs. Guys ramp up their play, dive further, push harder. Well if you have "lunch pail" guys giving that "extra" not for 16-28 games but for 82 they aren't going to have the "next gear" that other teams are ramping up to. You're already on boost. You also are dealing with a league where the top to bottom talent is miles beyond what it was "back in the day", where the equipment means everyone is faster and the training means they're stronger. It's a different level of game than it was even 20 years ago, much less to the Bullies years. Now, take the example of a guy who hasn't played hockey for over a year coming back from a debilitating back injury and start him off at 20 minutes a night against the top lines of the NHL. He's out of gas 60+ games in to your "playoff run"? Color me surprised. Regardless of whether "my way" (which is far from "mine") works, we know unequivocally that the way they've been doing it DOESN'T. Make the playoffs. Anything can happen.

I was fine with it as far as it went. Just saying they actually DID trade an asset for a player "to make the playoffs" that's all. Sure, and they had warm bodies that could do that. They made the move "to make the playoffs" - regardless of how the pylon actually turned out, that was the rationale. Such as it was...

I think it's the definition of "rebuild" that's at issue here - like whether an effective rebuild can be done drafting in the middle-to-late parts of the draft consistently. They actually did just that, and there were people who supported/still support the idea. See: the pylon wearing the #77 sweater acquired from a 4th rounder that could have been the next Gustav Nyqvist, Andrew Copp, Hardy Haman Aktell, or Ethan Del Mastro*. Others are disappointed they didn't get a goalie to backup Ersson and/or add some additional scoring. * no, really!!

Yep. Just look at ol' 21 skating around with the big A on his sweater. Geniuses.

The difference between "good" and "decent" teams is not insignificant and the gap between "good" (DAL/COL) and "bad" (CBJ/SJS) is vast. There's a 20 point difference from the top of the standings to the bubble. There's another 20 points (in the East) to the bottom of the standings - it's wider in the West. Teams with 14, 15, 16 more wins in the W column are significantly better. Again, not to say "bottom" teams "can't" beat "better" teams, it's whether they can do it 4 times each against "better" teams in the playoffs that matters. Chicago, Anaheim, and San Jose seem to be working on a method. So's Columbus, as if that counts for anything. But, hey, the Flyers have a 6.2% chance to make the playoffs. And they just beat the Rangers. Anything can happen.

Actively uninterested in PAYING to have a local team - and who can blame them?

Actual footage of the Pens, Isles, Wings, Caps, and Flyers on the bubble.

Yeah, wouldn't want to have professional athletes playing in substandard conditions. It would be a complete embarrassment to the league from which they might never recover.

Salt Lake Licks is sitting right there...

In related news, water still wet. Developing.