Around the NHL: 2024-2025 Season

[Archie Lee]

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

maybe, but that sort of balancing act is easy to put into words and really hard to do in practice. I mean even Tampa tossed Stamkos aside when the business model said his time was over. That was cold. Team seems fine. 

I would suggest that this is where veteran player leadership comes in. Players know it's a business and if they also know there's a high standard, they usually embrace it if they want to win. There can be a gulf between upper management and locker room. 

I think it has a lot to do with the culture in the room and the personality of the GM and / or head coach. Vegas seems to get away with it. Tampa did a similar thing to Ryan McDonagh. They ended up trading him to his team of choice, Nashville, but the only reason he waived his NTC for Nashville was under threat of being placed on waivers and the knowledge that he would be claimed by a team that he didn’t want to go to. So other teams do rather cut-throat things and the locker room doesn’t revolt. 

The Ranger saga may be a bit different. The Goodrow situation seems to have been orchestrated specifically to get him to San Jose. I don’t think there was a long list of teams that wanted him so it wasn’t like Drury could say, pick your trade destination or we will waive you and you’ll end up with the Sharks. San Jose WAS the trade destination I think. And Drury and Laviolette might just be poorer communicators than the GMs and coaches in Vegas and Tampa. Or the player leadership group in NY is less committed to winning (not uncommitted to winning, but culturally less committed) than the comparable groups in Tampa and Vegas. 

[SwampD]

10 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

But that's not exactly a good way to do it; players aren't robots or purely assets. They have intricate personalities, backgrounds, demographics, etc. 

You have to balance both the personal and professional side of the sport. Adams is far too personal, Drury is on the opposite side of the spectrum. Players aren't numbers or merely stats on a sheet. You can't handle them as you would merchandise or property. Emotions do matter and they do make an impact on other players inherently. You can't baby them but also can't be an ***** to every player on your team; players talk to each other and to their agents. Fear doesn't create order; it can force order to a point but will eventually create resistance that will tear everything apart. What Drury did to Goodrow and then Trouba may give a message of high standards but it can also simultaneously make players feel their management is untrustworthy and isn't going to treat them like humans or in their best interest. The message of standards will get inevitably lost in the possible paranoia and/or vitriol players will feel about things. 

It only wouldn’t work if the team continued to lose after getting rid of the dead weight. If they start winning, every player left would not give a crap about getting rid of someone they view as being responsible for losing.

[thewookie1]

14 minutes ago, SwampD said:

It only wouldn’t work if the team continued to lose after getting rid of the dead weight. If they start winning, every player left would not give a crap about getting rid of someone they view as being responsible for losing.

But that isn't how the vast majority are wired; especially if there are friendships and the like. Winning can cover up discontent and/or cure minor issues. But its merely a band-aid if success isn't immediately apparent or the chasm is too wide to bridge.  

[SwampD]

4 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

But that isn't how the vast majority are wired; especially if there are friendships and the like. Winning can cover up discontent and/or cure minor issues. But its merely a band-aid if success isn't immediately apparent or the chasm is too wide to bridge.  

I disagree. Winning cures everything in pro sports. And if a guy is hurt that his buddy was jettisoned, then he has to go too.

Edited Friday at 02:50 PM by SwampD

[kas23]

I just don’t see how players can revolt against a GM for roster construction. Don’t they have a shred of insight in that they may be the roster problem? And that they may be the one that is moved to construct a better roster. A true roster leader wouldn’t automatically assume it’s the other guy that’s the problem. 

[thewookie1]

I think Lehner has gone nuts 😞 

 

 

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

I think Lehner has gone nuts 😞 

 

 

Dude thinks he's a viking?

[thewookie1]

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Dude thinks he's a viking?

He went on a tirade about a number of topics right after he posted this.

[PerreaultForever]

8 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

He went on a tirade about a number of topics right after he posted this.

Not surprised. He does look like one of those characters out of the tv show Vikings though. He thinks he's Ragner Lothbrook. 

[inkman]

On 12/18/2024 at 8:59 PM, LGR4GM said:

And ppl want Drury as gm. Lol

I see no problem with that move.  Kakko is garbage. 

[Carmel Corn]

Preds beat the Kings....Buffalo is now officially in LAST PLACE.  Chicago has more wins, so they're 31st.

Yet another season over by Christmas....GMKA has been a marvel of consistency!!! 🤮

[inkman]

 

[SabreFinn]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

I see no problem with that move.  Kakko is garbage. 

Drurys next victim might be Ryan Lindgren. He has lost his mind.

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, Carmel Corn said:

Preds beat the Kings....Buffalo is now officially in LAST PLACE.  Chicago has more wins, so they're 31st.

Yet another season over by Christmas....GMKA has been a marvel of consistency!!! 🤮

So, All Buffalo has to do is lose to Boston tonight and the Islanders next week (they seem to always play bad vs the Isles, don't they) to set up the big game vs Chicago next week.

Next week Friday. Buffalo vs Chicago. For none of the marbles. Not for the whole kit and kaboodle. The game for only the kitchen sink and nothing else. For none of the Enchilada. Who canwe crown the legends of last place?

If things fall into place....it might be one of the more interesting games of the season.

Edited 18 hours ago by mjd1001

[Dreams Burn Down]

1 hour ago, Carmel Corn said:

Preds beat the Kings....Buffalo is now officially in LAST PLACE.  Chicago has more wins, so they're 31st.

Yet another season over by Christmas....GMKA has been a marvel of consistency!!! 🤮

[DarthEbriate]

2 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

So, All Buffalo has to do is lose to Boston tonight and the Islanders next week (they seem to always play bad vs the Isles, don't they) to set up the big game vs Chicago next week.

Next week Friday. Buffalo vs Chicago. For none of the marbles. Not for the whole kit and kaboodle. The game for only the kitchen sink and nothing else. For none of the Enchilada. Who canwe crown the legends of last place?

If things fall into place....it might be one of the more interesting games of the season.

The competition is San Jose, which is still in tear-down mode and has had the savvy to trade Wedgewood for Georgiev already. The Sabres can easily finish 31st or 32nd.