Positives of Trying to Make the Playoffs

[VforVasili]

I think there are some benefits of trying to make the playoffs that make up for the slightly worse draft pick. I don't logically think they will make it, but I still want them to try. Here's why:

- It sends a message to potential Free Agents on and off this team that we are still trying to win and will not accept being a pack of losers. I can't see quality Free Agents continuing to sign with a team that is tanking intentionally.

- Playoff Style hockey (what we have to play from here on out) is a good experience for our players who lack NHL playoff experience. Not just rookies like Lack and Jensen but also players who have played for teams like Florida who have not experienced much intense competition.

- It gives a chance for older players to raise their value in case we need to trade them. If Booth continues to score at even a moderate pace we can trade him for real assets rather than buying him out. Same goes for other veterans we may need to trade for younger models. This could easily offset the reduced draft position.

One narrowly missed run for the playoffs does not a Calgary make. The key is to get back up into competitive mode and tanking is not the only way to achieve that.

[Henrik Kesler]

If you have professionals who don't care about winning, they aren't very good professionals. End of discussion. The fact that the Canucks continue to claw away at making the playoffs despite the long odds means that this team has a good set of professionals.

[Mr.53]

The only way we will become the calgary flames is if we give up and tank year in year out. Tanking sends a message to everyone in the locker room that losing is acceptable because we will get a better draft pick. If the Canucks make the playoffs, free agents, and current players alike will know they mean business. Plus it sends a good message. No tanking. Keep going with this push.

[Primal Optimist]

I am anti-tanking. I despise teams that do it on purpose..someone has to be last, but I can't fathom any of the guys on the ice wanting to make that happen, not at their level. You don't get there by losing, and you don't get to stay there by losing either.

Now that being said: Minnesota has a really tough schedule, and even though they are even 3 points HIGHER than the last wild card spot at the moment, I think the Canucks have a better shot at catching them than they would at catching Phoenix.

Minny plays St. Louis, Phoenix, L.A. and Chicago as the next four opponents all on the road. That is the top team in the league, followed by a hot Phoenix fighting for positioning and a final wild card spot, then the team above them in the standings and finally Chicago, fighting for playoff placement and home ice advantages at the top of the west.

As if that wasn't enough, Minny then faces Crosby and the Pittsburgh kids at home before facing Boston and St Louis, the two top teams in the league in half of its last four games. There are no easy games, but Winnipeg and Nashville are the only matchups Minny has left that are not incredibly hard.

Go Canucks Go, every point will matter in the end.

[TheMohammadman]

Agreed.

No Tanking

[Mikael Samuelsson]

It's a great way to win the cup as well.

[Riviera82]

The only way we will become the calgary flames is if we give up and tank year in year out. Tanking sends a message to everyone in the locker room that losing is acceptable because we will get a better draft pick. If the Canucks make the playoffs, free agents, and current players alike will know they mean business. Plus it sends a good message. No tanking. Keep going with this push.

I dont believe the Flames ever tanked on purpose, they just suck.

When they were still somewhat competitive they always went for a late season push for the playoffs and fell just short. They didn't get good picks, or they simply didn't pick well depending on how you want to look at it, and they continue to struggle while no longer even coming close.

There are arguments to support both tanking and pushing for the playoffs.

[puckdontlie]

No team has ever purposefully tanked and built a cup winner. The sens did it back in their early years and they drafted one of the biggest 1st overall busts in alex daigle. If we miss out on a top draft pick we have our Florida panthers farm team which we can cherry pick players off of when they're ready to be impact players like Matthias.

[ForsbergTheGreat]

I dont believe the Flames ever tanked on purpose, they just suck.

When they were still somewhat competitive they always went for a late season push for the playoffs and fell just short. They didn't get good picks, or they simply didn't pick well depending on how you want to look at it, and they continue to struggle while no longer even coming close.

There are arguments to support both tanking and pushing for the playoffs.

Simply didn't pick well.

2012 is a great example

Flames had 14^th overall, and what did they do?

They decided to trade it away to the Buffalo Sabres for the 21^st overall and a second round pick. They chose Jankowski with that pick. Take a look who they passed up on.

14^th Girgensons

15^th Ceci

16^th Wilson

17^th Hertl

18^th Teravainen

19^th Vasileski

20^th Laughton

21^st Jankowski

22^nd Maatta

[THERETOOL]

folks .. I love that we have won a few games but come on ?? This team is playing loose ... its easier to win when you have nothing to lose .. they are actually having fun .. no pressure .. they are spoilers at this point ..

I wouldn't put too much into it .. this won't change how other players or [ free agents ] look at us .. they know whats going on ..

[Salmon Arm Canuck]

I think there are some benefits of trying to make the playoffs that make up for the slightly worse draft pick. I don't logically think they will make it, but I still want them to try. Here's why:

- It sends a message to potential Free Agents on and off this team that we are still trying to win and will not accept being a pack of losers. I can't see quality Free Agents continuing to sign with a team that is tanking intentionally.

- Playoff Style hockey (what we have to play from here on out) is a good experience for our players who lack NHL playoff experience. Not just rookies like Lack and Jensen but also players who have played for teams like Florida who have not experienced much intense competition.

- It gives a chance for older players to raise their value in case we need to trade them. If Booth continues to score at even a moderate pace we can trade him for real assets rather than buying him out. Same goes for other veterans we may need to trade for younger models. This could easily offset the reduced draft position.

One narrowly missed run for the playoffs does not a Calgary make. The key is to get back up into competitive mode and tanking is not the only way to achieve that.

Thanks for sharing. Thanks for posting something that makes sense. I understand how some fans can be frustrated at this season and can jump on certain moves that the coach/GM makes. Although I am not this person, I tend to view this from what a season ticket holder would say or feel. I believe if I was shelling out serious coin to watch any NHL team live, I would want to see as competitive of a team on the ice from the first pre-season game to the last post-season match-up and to be just as competitive off the ice in free agency, drafting, etc.

[Salmon Arm Canuck]

folks .. I love that we have won a few games but come on ?? This team is playing loose ... its easier to win when you have nothing to lose .. they are actually having fun .. no pressure .. they are spoilers at this point ..

I wouldn't put too much into it .. this won't change how other players or [ free agents ] look at us .. they know whats going on ..

I would agree with you on this point at least. Player agents and the money that a club is willing to offer for services have a far greater influence than this aspect. That being said, it should make for an interesting free agent season for a team with cap room and a budget which will allow them to spend to that cap despite the results they have shown in the last three years.

[Rush17]

Simply didn't pick well.

2012 is a great example

Flames had 14^th overall, and what did they do?

They decided to trade it away to the Buffalo Sabres for the 21^st overall and a second round pick. They chose Jankowski with that pick. Take a look who they passed up on.

14^th Girgensons

15^th Ceci

16^th Wilson

17^th Hertl

18^th Teravainen

19^th Vasileski

20^th Laughton

21^st Jankowski

22^nd Maatta

Who is Vasileski lol.

[Where's Wellwood]

Simply didn't pick well.

2012 is a great example

Flames had 14^th overall, and what did they do?

They decided to trade it away to the Buffalo Sabres for the 21^st overall and a second round pick. They chose Jankowski with that pick. Take a look who they passed up on.

14^th Girgensons <-----

15^th Ceci <-------

16^th Wilson

17^th Hertl <-----

18^th Teravainen <----

19^th Vasileski

20^th Laughton

21^st Jankowski

22^nd Maatta <---

Wow that's bad.

[Primal Optimist]

The second round pick however was Patrick Sieloff, who had a bad break earlier this year with a staph infection that took the better part of 6 months to recover from and is just now working out on dryland getting ready to resume his skating.

Jankowski is not a household name because he opted for college rather than the AHL and Sieloff by my books will be a huge NHL Dman for years. THe only one I would pick ahead of getting these two out of the list provided would be Teravainen, the Finn. But we won't know if it was a bad move until a decade from now, really.

[Dogbyte]

I don't think UFA's give a flying f whether or not we finish the season strong. They may be rough and tumble hockey players but they are not idiots. They know how good our team has been and the struggles we've had. I don't think it makes an ounce of difference.

The experience is good for young guys though. These threads are hilarious though. People don't get that players don't read this fourm. The players are not tanking ... some fans are hoping for a good draft pick though. Two completely different things.

[I.Am.Ironman]

Positives of making the plyoffs? we get to watch suspenseful and exciting hockey for 5 games

[VforVasili]

I realize that many Free Agents will not care that he team is still trying to win. "Quality" Free Agents (as I noted in my op) will, and that includes us continuing to resign our own players to reasonable contracts.

Becoming Calgary would be bad. Becoming the Leafs would be worse (overpaying for absolutely everybody). At least if Calgary drafts well they should have some hope in he distant future.

This is not about what he fans or players think. It is about what path the organization pursues.

[We Are All Cynics]

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No team has ever purposefully tanked and built a cup winner. The sens did it back in their early years and they drafted one of the biggest 1st overall busts in alex daigle. If we miss out on a top draft pick we have our Florida panthers farm team which we can cherry pick players off of when they're ready to be impact players like Matthias.

&nbsp;

Not sure I agree with you on that. Although I agree that no team would purposely tank, teams have tanked and built Cup winners. Chicago and Pittsburgh are cases in points. Both teams sucked for so long and were at the bottom of the standings for years, jokes in the NHL, and amassed the players they have today because of it and gone on to win Cups. Edmonton has been doing it the same way so it wouldn't surprise me if it eventually pays off.

[Dogbyte]

I realize that many Free Agents will not care that he team is still trying to win. "Quality" Free Agents (as I noted in my op) will, and that includes us continuing to resign our own players to reasonable contracts.

Becoming Calgary would be bad. Becoming the Leafs would be worse (overpaying for absolutely everybody). At least if Calgary drafts well they should have some hope in he distant future.

This is not about what he fans or players think. It is about what path the organization pursues.

I don't think quality UFA's will care either. You would have to be out to lunch to think this is a true reflection of the team right now. Basing a contract signing on the last 10 games of this year would be moronic ... for any player. It doesn't tell you anything about the organiztion. It tells you that a collection of beat up players that aren't playing their natural postions are still playing hard. Really not at all related to what will happen next year. As a player that might be 40th on the list of reasons to sign on.

If hockey players actually tanked that might make a difference but any hockey player assume everyone tries hard so why care these guys did? If a team blatanty craps the bed that's one thing but a team that doesn't quit and ends up middle of the pack just means they aren't absolute asshats.

Just to further clarify, if a younger team like Columbus last year really puts it together and shows definite progression that's a reason to sign. A young team on the rise. We're an old teaming sliding into mediocrity and trying to salvage face. Not much of a reason to excited in of itself. Not a reason to take us off the list but also not a reason to sign a 5 or 6 year deal either. You have to look at other factors for that. Maybe if we go 9-0 some will notice but not if we just finish respectively. They aren't looking that closely at us right now.