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Baggins

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Everything posted by Baggins

  1. Is somebody trying to force you to buy an Orca jersey? I don't see what the SCF has to do with it and there's plenty of options available. The Orca is the only jersey I've bought since they joined the league. To each their own.
  2. Maybe giving him the A would light a fire in him to put in more effort on and off the ice.
  3. So what you're saying is there's an A hole on the team that needs to be filled?
  4. I just don't see the accomplishment factor you do. I viewed Brashear as much better for the role of enforcer. A true heavyweight, great fighter, and better hockey player. As entertaining as Gino was, like trying to take on an entire bench, there really wasn't much special about him as a player. You can expound your love for him as much as you want but you won't convince me he's deserving of the RoH as I see others who would be more deserving from achievements and dedication to the team. Btw, I'd even put Tiger ahead of Gino based purely on the difference in actual hockey skill. As I said, putting Gino up there would open a can of worms. The line has to be somewhere.
  5. Putting Gino in would also open a can of worms wouldn't it? There's a better case for Rota (a hometown boy) in than Gino, who also had a cup run. He was also with the organization after retirement until 1990 and spent 94-96 as a commentator with Jim Robson for Canucks games.
  6. Jack was also with organization from 1984 to 2007 after his playing career. Definitely a no to number retirement for Gino. It's a no for me for ring of honor as well. As much as liked what he brought as an enforcer I don't see it as enough of a reason for ring of honor. I obviously feel bad for him given his health issues and get the sentimentality as a result. But I think RoH and number retirement should be reserved for accomplishments and dedication to the team rather than sentimentality. Honor him with a Gino night.
  7. I agree in that I neither hate nor love it. I felt the same about the original gradient. It's possible I may like it more or less when I actually see one though. Photos can often misrepresent actual color with lighting and flash. That said I think there was a missed opportunity here. Replace the blue with black, then replace the green with the blue, and last replace the white striping with green. You could then change the Orca in the logo to it's natural black. Then you are combing current colors with the black of the V and skate. Combining more retro elements into the retro gradient style. Also it would give us a dark jersey that so many seem to long for. I'd actually need to see it but picturing it in my mind I think I'd actually like it far more. Btw, I think there are a lot more than TO that missed the mark. I do like the Caps and Hawks retro remix though. As ambivalent as I am to ours I do think it's one of the better ones. Several simply don't look different enough or chose poor colors imo.
  8. It doesn't matter what line you are on, unless you are an absolute elite level producer, you will be expected to have a good defensive side to your game. Gaudette is in the bottom six, much the same as Virtanen, to learn that side from veterans who do have it. I doubt he'll ever be a 60+ point player, never mind elite producer. I like his effort level but his defensive play just isn't good enough yet to be a real asset. A 50 point player that is lousy defensively isn't a great asset. They often bounce around from bad team to bad team because they aren't a true asset to a contender. It's the very reason most coaches push the two way game on them while they're young. Malhotra is a good example. He was drafted 7th overall as an offensive center. After being traded and waived he was told by Hitchcock he could be an average top six player with an average career or he could become a defensive specialist with a long career while playing a key role. He put in a lot of effort and learned the defensive side. A 30 point Malhotra is far more valuable to a contender than a 50 pt defensive liability.
  9. Instant gratification is in the rear view mirror for Jake. He a five year pro now who should at the very least be showing up to camp in shape and ready to compete rather than missing set goals. Juolevi can be cut some slack as injuries have hampered his development. But after five NHL seasons Jake has no excuse for his continued inconsistency and missing offseason fitness goals. That's within his control and entirely on him.
  10. This is the big question mark as far as I'm concerned. Can Holtby bounce back? Will we see playoff Demko or regular season Demko? The rest I don't see a huge change and view it as an opportunity for some young guys to step up. Something that had to start happening soon anyway.
  11. Schmidt was a shutdown guy with Vegas, a better puck mover and higher producer. He's replacing Tanev. Juolevi, or whoever, will be replacing Fantenberg. I loved Stecher's heart but his size was exposed far too often along the boards and around the net. The bottom line is this: saying losing Tanev is going to give us a losing record is false as Schmidt is his replacement and an upgrade at that. What about if Schmidt gets injured? Well that's no different than what if Tanev gets injured. Meaning that's a false narrative as the affect would be the same with either out - a knock to our shutdown ability. We have several young D-men "on the verge" so this is a time of opportunity for them. It has to happen eventually and is no cause to hit the panic button before even seeing how they perform. Every team is facing the same compressed schedule. You seem to be in panic mode over nothing. I see it as an opportunity for some young guys, both forward and D, to get some NHL game experience. The team isn't truly ready to contend. This is the perfect time to test the youth waters and see what we have before letting more veterans go to free agency.
  12. What's our record with Schmidt?
  13. I'd say we're at least two years away from being a real contender. Time for Petey and Hughes to fill out a bit and be reaching towards their peak. Plus time for some our young D to gain NHL experience. It could be a little longer depending on young forwards making the team as well. Contenders don't tend to have a lot of first and second year player and that's what we'll be seeing over the next couple of seasons. Gaudette has a ways to go to be able to replace Sutter on the defensive side of being a 3C as well.
  14. Jake's morning workout: 1 - sit up 2 - hit snooze button 3 - lie down 4 - repeat steps 1 to 3 as needed
  15. If a player refuses to report to the AHL he is typically suspended without pay first although it would be a breach of contract that justifies termination. A suspended player remains the property of the team, meaning he can't sign with another NHL club. As far as I know a player suspended under this circumstance doesn't count towards the cap. Basically if he's going to refuse to report he may as well just retire from the NHL and return to Sweden to play, or ask to have the contract terminated if he hopes to sign with another team.
  16. On The Bench Canada's most unreliable sports broadcast team staring Bangladesh pro Olly Postanin and Virgin Island pro Jacob Ardown. Edit for context: Youtube Channel: 135k subscribers Instagram: 469k followers
  17. Some of us simply don't believe you need to intentionally tank to rebuild. We needed to replace virtually the entire team with only one player under 27 worth keeping and the rest on the decline. That's not a simple retool as retooling is just replacing a few parts rather than the whole in an attempt to improve. This is what mid level teams tend to do to imp[rove, Tampa wasn't retooling, as a contender there will always be pieces you can no longer afford, and In those situations they are trying to maintain. You don't load up the team with prospects, whether draftees or AHL'ers (with little to no NHL experience) to retool. Those are obvious rebuilding moves.
  18. I don't buy the retool theory and never did. I believe he was rebuilding from the start but without intentionally tanking the team. Retooling is just swapping out NHL players. Moving out NHL players while bringing in NHL players in the belief they are an improvement. JB traded for too many AHL prospects and young players with limited NHL experience, Something Gillis didn't leave behind. Plus he rushed Virtanen and McCann in, Yes he wanted to compete for a playoff spot, but inserting a number of young developing players is a rebuilding move. Had those younger acquisitions worked out JB wouldn't have had to depend as much on the more expensive UFA market down the road. And many of the UFA signings were guys that could help in the development of young guys as role models in how to prepare and how to play. I believe Sutter was acquired both in the belief he was an upgrade on Bonino and a solid role model for young guys. To me everything Benning has done reflects giving the team a chance to make the playoffs, as slim as it may be, while rebuilding at the same time.
  19. Did my post actually make claims as to who is better? Did you read my post?
  20. You asked "Why are you and others crediting GM’s for their scouts hard work, and basing if they are a good GM or not based mostly on drafting?" You don't seem to think GM's are involved in the draft process. I disagree. In Benning's case I think he's very involved. But I also questioned the difference between the four years Nonis was involved compared to the six years Gillis was GM. The scouting department saw little change in that time yet the drafting between the two GM's had very different results. Nonis scoring several hits and Gillis a boatload of futility. Drafting and developing well can play a big role in keeping costs down. When you hire a GM to go into a rebuild how he does drafting will play a significant role in him keeping his job.
  21. The unfortunate part, as slim a chance as it is, it means no possibility at all of an all Canadian final. On the flipside it increases the odds of a Canadian team making the final.
  22. GM's do the hiring and have final say at the draft table don't they? Good GM's aren't just doing the hiring they're involved. I find it hilarious that bad picks are Benning's fault while good picks are are the scouts. Here's a tidbit for you. The scouting department was virtually the same from Nonis to Gills. So what changed? When Benning came in there was a shakeup in the scouting department in the summer. He also had a meeting with them telling what he wanted them to look for and how they should be assessing prospects. Suddenly the drafting improved. Kind of a head scratcher isn't it? Benning often does some scouting himself while travelling with team on road trips. Of course GM's listen to their scouts reports. Just as the head of the scouting department doesn't scout all the various leagues as much as the individual scouts and listens to their reports. That doesn't mean they're not involved or have any influence. You have scouts assigned to each junior league plus Euro and college scouts. Each pitching the players they've scouted. How do you think their draft list gets put together at seasons end? You don't think the GM is involved in that process? Just the fact Benning spent years heading a scouting department tells me he would be very involved.
  23. I'd say that's actually pretty good considering he took over an aging team on the decline with one player under 27 worth keeping and a prospect pool of two (Horvat and Markstrom). He got that aging team back into the playoffs one more time despite adding prospects to the roster, restocked the prospect pool (several actually worth being excited over) and back into the playoffs actually winning the play in and 1st round (against the previous years champs) with only two roster regulars he inherited and Gillis' only good draft pick (Horvat). Compare that to Gillis inheriting H & D Sedin, Kesler, Luongo. Schneider, Edler, Bieksa, Salo, Burrows, Raymond, and Hansen. I didn't like Nonis much as a GM but he did draft those four players outside the first round that played 400+ NHL games in his four drafts. Mike Brown (407), Mason Raymond (546), Jannik Hansen (626), and Alex Edler (873 and still counting). The only player Gillis drafted that has exceeded 400 NHL games is his top 10 pick Bo Horvat (446 and counting). Drafting was the Gillis downfall, and the teams as a result. You really need those hits, particularly outside the first round to help keep costs down and keep infusing youth into the lineup rather than turning to free agents.
  24. He does have 5 million reasons to stay. I would like to think he'd be more like Naslund and say I'm not playing to the level I expect of myself so I'm retiring. Then return to Sweden to play a few more years. I said earlier this season I hoped he'd have that pride in performance to retire in the offseason. But when it comes to a large sum of money (and $5m is nothing to sneeze at) that's a rare breed of player. Part of me would like to see him sent to the minors while the other side says I'd rather him sitting in the press box than a prospect that could be playing big minutes in the AHL improving his game. I'm still holding out hope he can be moved to Ottawa who has cap space to burn and could actually help their PK without being a financial burden. Even if it meant retaining $1m per. Alas, that's likely a pipedream.
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