Drunkard

I don't want to stop tanking because I don't see anything wrong with it. To me, tanking is just rebuilding on a massive scale and most teams don't consider it an option out of the risk of alienating the fan base. Luckily, we do have a strong enough fan base and it will give us an opportunity to draft top 3 (hopefully top 2) picks in consecutive years so we can insert 2 truly blue chip prospects around the rest of our rebuilt roster. The worst teams are in most need of talented players so it makes logical sense to me for them to draft the highest.

What did you expect him to say? "This whole rebuilding will be a waste if we don't finish in 30th? If we have to settle for drafting 3rd or 4th the tank will continue until they land a generational stud in the draft? They can't say that not finishing last is unacceptable or some kind of disaster.

By drafting multiple sure fire hall of famers in the late rounds like Detroit. Any approach that includes drafting high in unacceptable to some people unless it is other teams doing it.

I'm guessing a turdburger.

I think the only benefit to that would be not having to break in two rookie scoring line centers at the same time next year. Eichel was the best player in NCAA hockey this year as an 18 year old. He can handle the pros although spending an extra year there would only develop him further. I think he goes pro immediately though.

I sort of agree. I figured Glenn was a goner for sure, especially after his touchy feely moment with Maggie. I thought for sure a main cast member was gonna eat it but I guess killing off Bob, Beth, Tyrese, and Noah from the group fairly recently was enough for them.

My response was tongue in cheek but it is kind of ridiculous to salute them for playing absolutely horrible. The fact that the team was likely intended to finish last doesn't change the fact that these are grown men and they are professionals. They don't need to be coddled. They stink as a team and they know it. The boo's or cheers for the opposite team shouldn't surprise them given their performance. As was previously stated by another poster, they have no trouble trotting out the "it's a business" line when it suits them, so they should see that after this bad of a season the fans would prefer to finish out the year with a top pick rather than winning a few meaningless games at the end of a long, horrible, season. I was in favor of a total rebuild and I understand that it basically meant going a couple of seasons without icing a truly competitive team while trying to acquire pieces for the future but they don't deserve a standing ovation for being bad. The results have pretty much been as expected and each of them are still getting paid handsomely for it.

They gain cap space that can be used towards a better player for the top 6 or towards a player better suited for the bottom 6 than Hodgson is. Even if they don't need it this year they may need it 2 or 3 seasons from now and if they decide to wait and buy him out next year or the year after, the buyout will be for 2/3 instead of 1/3 at that point.

Maybe we could all chip in to pay for a few hours of therapy for each player so their shrinks can tell them positive affirmations of their self worth. Then get their moms to come in and rub Vaseline on their heinies and tell them they are special and different from everybody elses. They are lucky that any fans are still willing to even show up at this point.

I wish your scenario was true because it would fix our issues at RW and balance our line up significantly. It's hard to imagine a player tanking and given his history it's really hard to imagine him tanking a season on purpose in particular. If it was somehow true though we'd be sitting pretty next season. LW - Kane, Moulson, Foligno, Deslaurier C - McEichel, Girgensens, Reinhart, Larsson, Grigorenko, McCormick RW - the good Hodgson, Ennis, Gionta, Kaleta or one of the centers who doesn't get a spot at the pivot

Based on your logic he shouldn't have to worry about his very survival in the league because he's only sucking so we can draft his replacement. Any guy willing to jump on a grenade like that would be celebrated around the league. Look at the unselfishness! The guy is in his prime, can play center, and scored .61 ppg last year on the worst team in league that also happened to have to worst offense by a mile. So he agreed to take one from the team the year after he lead our team in points so we can draft a forward who would possibly replace him in the top 6? Are you forgetting about why he made a stink in Vancouver and forced his way out or just ignoring it? This is grasping at straws in the worst way in order to make excuses for a piss poor year. Maybe he bounces back this year, maybe he doesn't. Maybe he gets bought out at 1/3 his contract or maybe Murray moves him for peanuts or maybe we roll the dice and keep him. He's having a horrible season for sure, but to say he's sucking on purpose so we can draft a forward to replace him is ridiculous. He probably will move to the wing permanently because he's poor defensively but there's no way he decided to suck on purpose this year or Murray coaxed him into it. Given the fact that he's right handed and our depth chart at RW is non-existent it's remotely fathomable that he'd still have some place on this roster but I don't buy that Murray convinced him to stink up the joint this season.

Wow. So Hodgson is sucking on purpose now just so we can get a shiny new center to replace him in the top 6 no less. Brilliant! What a guy. Especially after him and his dad made a stink in Vancouver because he wasn't getting top 6 minutes there which is what lead to him getting traded to us to begin with. He must have really had a change of heart.

We are in a different situation than Pittsburgh was in Crosby's rookie year because we have 2 young centers ready to break into the NHL in the same season. I have no problem starting a stud rookie center on the top line but should we start both at center in the top 6? Start one at right wing? Should one of them be relegated to the 3rd line to avoid breaking in 2 rookies into the top 6 simultaneously?

I'm on the fence about that as well. Personally I think our top 6 will consist of Moulson, Girgensons, Ennis, Kane, McEichel, and possibly Reinhart or a new RW brought in through trade or free agency. How they mix it up is anybody's guess. Will they put one or both of our new stud centers in the top 6? Put one or both of them at RW initially? Tough to say other then I doubt they both play on the same line so I guess something like: Mouslon Girgensons Reinhart Kane McEichel Ennis Both lines would probably get similar ice time and the top line would be determined by who the coach of the other team chooses to put his top or shut down line against.

I think there's a good chance both are gone. Sure they can eat Hodgson's contract right now but I find it hard to pencil him in anywhere on a mock depth chart in a top 9 role next year, especially if Murray picks up an additional RW through trade or free agency next year but even without doing that I don't see were he fits. They can buy him out now at 1/3 but if they wait they'd have to buy him out at 2/3 after that. Seems foolish to roll the dice and risk that similar to the Kings GM who should have used his amnesty buy out on Richards. I think Nolan is gone for sure if a coach Murray covets becomes available and may be gone regardless but it's a coin flip. He may keep him another year to see if he can get the team performing better with more talent. It's a risk though as Nolan has shown to put certain players in his dog house for a perceived lack of effort. What if Reinhart or McEichel struggle to start the season? What if Kane ends up in his dog house and gets relegated to bottom 6 minutes? In the end I voted for Hodgson because he didn't give him that ridiculous extension and there's more risk on holding on to him. Nolan can be fired at any time if it doesn't work out without cap implications.

What I'd be willing to offer to move up from 2 to 1 likely wouldn't be enough for the team who wins the lottery to accept. I'd be willing to sweeten it with draft picks or lessor prospects but I'd only be willing to offer one major piece (I consider them Ristolainen, Zadorov, Kane, Bogosian, and Girgensens) along with #2 and Reinhart would be off the table. If they demanded Reinhart plus Eichel or two of the major pieces plus Eichel I decline and just keep Eichel. Going the other way, if I'm in the top spot I demand #2 and OEL from Phoenix or I keep McDavid. I'm not sure if I'm willing to move down if Edmonton has #2 as they don't seem to have a major piece I'd be willing to take in trade other than RNH because I don't think Yakupov or Eberle are good enough to justify it and we have enough LW that we don't need Hall and I'd rather not gamble on whether Draisaital hits his ceiling.

Not bad, but I think we should avoid Justin Williams and find another guy with a left handed shot, just for consistency purposes.

You forgot the raining frogs and locusts. It's in the bible, I think the front.

Time for Liger to post the clip from Beer Fest about how we're the bad guys and they're the good guys and I'll be damned if we're gonna let the good guys win.

I'm not convinced it's fixed but not getting to see the sausage being made (so to speak) makes me suspicious. A lot of it may be my own personal bias because I think Bettman is a weasel but as the creator of the MFT status moniker (I believe) you have to admit that things in this league don't seem to be handled fairly across the board. So, if they are willing to show favoritism at certain times, why wouldn't they do it at others?

Yeah, Bettman is on the up and up for sure. He'd never favor one team over another. He and his stellar credibility should never be questioned. Whether they'd put the fix in or not is unknown but that doesn't change the appearance of impropriety he has. I think he fixed it so the Penguins won the lottery when Crosby came out. Pittsburgh was crumbling and putting Crosby in Pittsburgh with Lemieux helped bring that franchise out of the dump and alleviate that problem for himself within the league. Because then some undeserving team like Buffalo might end up with McJesus or could've ended up with Crosby. Tell me you won't believe the fix is in if we end up in 29th and Toronto wins the lottery so the Leafs end up with McDavid and Eichel ends up in Phoenix helping the Coyotes dig themselves out of financial doom the way Pittsburgh was able to after getting Crosby.

Favortism and nepotisms by the people in power who are supposed to be impartial is crooked no matter how you slice it. Sure the whole thing could be legit but when you are perceived to be biased people will assume it runs rampant in all areas, not just within the disciplinary committee. The best way to eliminate the perception is to be as open and as transparent as possible but since they don't show the lottery balls being selected or the computer/number generator and only show the cards being flipped after the drawing has already taken place then it still won't pass the smell test in my eyes or with many others. That's why you'll probably see conspiracy theories no matter who wins the lottery because the people in charge have no credibility. I'd rather see the Massholes make the playoffs even though I hate them because I don't think Bettman and his cronies are above putting the fix in and letting Boston or another of the MFT's win it.

I guess we'll see for sure if it ends up in court. I'm not sure who would challenge it though. I bet the Democrats would prefer to face him so I doubt they'd challenge it in court. Maybe some moderate Republican (if any exist) that is losing to him in the primaries may challenge it. I'd like to see the Supreme Court make an official ruling on it though, just so there's no ambiguity on it in the future.

I'm really indifferent about Michonne (to round out the view points of course).

If he was born in Canada he's not eligible to run for President or to be put on the VP ticket. I wish a nut like Cruz would win the Republican Primary though because it would all but assure they'd lose the general election.