[3-Way Trade] Penguins acquire Erik Karlsson, Rem Pitlick, Dillon Hamaliuk, 2026 3rd-round pick; Sharks acquire Mikael Granlund, Jan Rutta, Mike Hoffman, 2024 1st-round pick; Canadiens acquire Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith, Nathan Legare, 2025 2nd-round pick

[Dr. Crossbar]

3 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

If Benning hasn’t affected you as a fan then I would ask who did your lobotomy? 

[NewbieCanuckFan]

26 minutes ago, Dr. Crossbar said:

Yep ... agree. Eight years was enough.

 

Every thread descends into a bottomless pit of Benning. 

The lingering odor of OEL will be around until the 2030-31 season.

[DeNiro]

1 minute ago, Dr. Crossbar said:

[DeNiro]

3 minutes ago, Dr. Crossbar said:

It’s funny cause he does actually give off that Neurosurgeon vibe. 

[Gawdzukes]

24 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Who cares when the average American fan just wants to be entertained?

 

The product is successful because it’s managed that way. Certain markets are kept strong for a reason. That equals bigger advertising dollars and television deals.

 

Honestly I’m envious if you still believe the NHL isn’t a corrupt league. Hold onto that for as long as you can. I’ve seen too much and lived through too much to believe in the farce.

 
I still watch because I love my team and want to be entertained but I know the ice will always be tilted in this league.

 

The product regardless of blatant cheating would be wildly successful as is. Its one of the top 4 sports in N.A. despite being #4. I just don't think it's really possible or at all necessary for the league to be fixed. It sounds like you are possibly just coming up with excuses as to why the Canucks don't win. Whatever though. Your point is made.

 

As long as your content watching a sports drama it's all good. I'd find something else if it was me though.

[Roberts]

 

[Gawdzukes]

15 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

If Benning hasn’t affected you as a fan then I would ask who did your lobotomy? 

Why, the famous Dr. Crossbar of course. Some of his finest work. 

[DeNiro]

1 minute ago, Gawdzukes said:

The product regardless of blatant cheating would be wildly successful as is. Its one of the top 4 sports in N.A. despite being #4. I just don't think it's really possible or at all necessary for the league to be fixed. It sounds like you are possibly just coming up with excuses as to why the Canucks don't win. Whatever though. Your point is made.

 

As long as your content watching a sports drama it's all good. I'd find something else if it was me though.

Canucks and every other Canadian team since Bettman took over…

 

Tell me how the league would do if Canadian teams started winning like the Blackhawks did. You don’t think that would hurt their bottom line? Of course it would.

 

The league is successful when certain markets, whos fans would drop their team in a heartbeat, are kept strong.
 

It’s a simple formula. Canadian teams do well financially regardless of their success. The league does better when southern markets are kept in contention however.

[EdgarM]

3 hours ago, Bob.Loblaw said:

As long as Crosby lives and breathes, you need to try and win a cup.  He's got them 3 already - Pens fans understand there's a decade of misery over the horizon.  

 

The optics of this trade are important.  It sends a message to the players and to the league that Pittsburgh intends to win now.  It's a splash that can obviously go wrong in a lot of ways but keep in mind Karlsson was also a massive point-producer in his playoff games.  If the team doesn't look great they can always add more pieces before the deadline.

 

If nothing, Dubas just undid all of Ron Hextall's mistakes in one big trade.  That alone deserves some recognition.

Can you say, LE? 

we shall soon see how this all pans out. 

[Toews]

38 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Canucks and every other Canadian team since Bettman took over…

 

Tell me how the league would do if Canadian teams started winning like the Blackhawks did. You don’t think that would hurt their bottom line? Of course it would.

 

The league is successful when certain markets, whos fans would drop their team in a heartbeat, are kept strong.
 

It’s a simple formula. Canadian teams do well financially regardless of their success. The league does better when southern markets are kept in contention however.

This is exactly what the owners of Canadian teams rely upon, fans blaming Bettman, the league office, the officiating etc. The Blackhawks dumpster dived for multiple seasons and built a powerhouse, there was no league wide conspiracy to give them any top players. They drafted most of the talent on that roster by being horrible for a long time. Meanwhile Canadian teams have to be dragged kicking and screaming into a rebuild. They draft a couple of top players and that's all it takes to convince fans that they are close to winning a Cup and to fill up arenas. Hockey is an afterthought in the US, it takes a lot more effort to bring butts in seats than in Canada. Its why Bettman gets the big bucks so that he takes all the slings and arrows from the fans and absolve the owners for their money grubbing ways.

[Drakrami]

1 hour ago, King Heffy said:

Which moves did Dubas make that you think were actually smart?  Most of what I saw wwas him systematically sabotaging the team with his incompetence.

If talking about just last season. He drops Sandin to Capitals, picks up a 1st round pick. Uses a 1st round pick to get McCabe from Chicago, which is an upgrade to Sandin for their cup run. And also went for O'Reilly as TDL rental, which isn't necessary a bad choice. All the while still managing to keep a 1st round pick to the 2023 draft which was super deep. 

 

Not like he has cups to show for it. But you can tell there's intelligence behind his moves. 

[King Heffy]

Just now, Drakrami said:

If talking about just last season. He drops Sandin to Capitals, picks up a 1st round pick. Uses a 1st round pick to get McCabe from Chicago, which is an upgrade to Sandin for their cup run. And also went for O'Reilly as TDL rental, which isn't necessary a bad choice. All the while still managing to keep a 1st round pick to the 2023 draft which was super deep. 

 

Not like he has cups to show for it. But you can tell there's intelligence behind his moves. 

He also signed each of the core 4 and Rielly to their ridiculous contracts, traded Kadi for Barrie, let McCann go in the draft to protect Holl, brought in numerous sieves to play in goal.  Add in the numerous misses in the draft, and it's pretty clear that Dubas is a complete idiot and isn't intelligent enough to operate a deep fryer, let alone run a hockey team.  I understand why people want him to succeed since he has zero qualifications and gives some hope they could be hired, but it's pretty damn obvious that he's far too stupid to be in any position where he has any input over hockey decisions.  He's in the running for the second worst GM in the history of the sport after Milbury.

[Gawdzukes]

3 hours ago, DeNiro said:

Canucks and every other Canadian team since Bettman took over…

 

Tell me how the league would do if Canadian teams started winning like the Blackhawks did. You don’t think that would hurt their bottom line? Of course it would.

 

The league is successful when certain markets, whos fans would drop their team in a heartbeat, are kept strong.
 

It’s a simple formula. Canadian teams do well financially regardless of their success. The league does better when southern markets are kept in contention however.

 

No I really don't think it would hurt the league much at all if a Canadian team won the Cup, or if they did a bit better overall. It would be good for revenue from Canada as well. I personally think there would be a huge following. We love  hockey in Canada and fans would be into it huge if we can finally bring it home. It's a fallacy to think that Canadian fans are not put off by losing and just put up all of their free time and money for it regardless. Just like any other fanbase. Only one team wins, their fans will spend money as will all the other teams that do well. It's not like all of America rejoices and hand's over 25% of their wealth every time an American team or Chicago wins. Most of them don't care. as we saw by the viewership numbers.

 

The exact same number of games are played regardless of who wins. That's where they make their money. Sure they might have a few more viewers here and there, as well as some merchandise sales but that's not really provable, or even worth that much on top of their normal numbers. For every top 6 team that doesn't win it also generates money from those fanbases that it normally wouldn't either. Competition is good for fan interest and the overall product. That's an awful lot of people to be involved in a complete fix with no reports at all to the contrary. Why did the Oilers make the semi-final 2 years ago, and the Habs the final a year before then? Why haven't the Rangers won a Cup in 29 years while the Hawks, and Kings, have won 5?

 

I think a lot of the owners and people high up in hockey have the highest regards for the sport and wouldn't condone the type of stuff you're suggesting. Look at our own Canucks. I would argue that the run in 2011 both rejuvenated and created a good portion of fans.

 

Does the league put some teams in primetime, promote certain teams, even hope they win, and not put much effort into making it a more level playing field financially in Canada. Sure that's definitely possible, the level you're suggesting of forcing teams to make bad trades and give up their best players and take back crap, and pay for it. No, not a chance.

 

The biggest reason Canadian teams don't win the cup is their lack of patience and proper building. As @Toews said every time we get one or two decent players the Canadian teams give up and start going for it without rebuilding properly. That is on the owners and GM's they choose, not the league. Just recently Ottawa and now Montreal are the first teams I've seen attempt to build a winner the right way here in Canada since I started following in 1979.

Edited August 7, 2023 by Gawdzukes

[Drakrami]

1 hour ago, DeNiro said:

Canucks and every other Canadian team since Bettman took over…

 

Tell me how the league would do if Canadian teams started winning like the Blackhawks did. You don’t think that would hurt their bottom line? Of course it would.

 

The league is successful when certain markets, whos fans would drop their team in a heartbeat, are kept strong.
 

It’s a simple formula. Canadian teams do well financially regardless of their success. The league does better when southern markets are kept in contention however.

lol there's no league-wide conspiracy against Canadian teams... We were put into every position to win the 2010 cup, we just dropped the ball. 

 

What you said isn't false, but doesn't equal to the league is against Canadians teams. If Canadian teams start dominating the league for the next 10 years, then yes, there's a problem since Americans would lose interest in the sport. 

 

If NHL was a cheat league, that gives special treatment to special teams, you would find evidence of special treatment to teams like LA Kings, NY Rangers, LV Golden Knights and even Dallas Stars. These cities have a market in a class of their own. So far I'm seeing none of that. You would also see preferably treatment to Seattle Kraken which just entered the league, I also don't see any of that. 

 

In fact, if there's some conspiracy against Candians teams. Oilers wouldn't have drafted McDavid (only the best talent our generation) and Leafs wouldn't have drafted Matthews. 

Edited August 7, 2023 by Drakrami

[DeNiro]

12 minutes ago, Drakrami said:

lol there's no league-wide conspiracy against Canadian teams... We were put into every position to win the 2010 cup, we just dropped the ball. 

 

What you said isn't false, but doesn't equal to the league is against Canadians teams. If Canadian teams start dominating the league for the next 10 years, then yes, there's a problem since Americans would lose interest in the sport. 

 

If NHL was a cheat league, that gives special treatment to special teams, you would find evidence of special treatment to teams like LA Kings, NY Rangers, LV Golden Knights and even Dallas Stars. These cities have a market in a class of their own. So far I'm seeing none of that. You would also see preferably treatment to Seattle Kraken which just entered the league, I also don't see any of that. 

 

In fact, if there's some conspiracy against Candians teams. Oilers wouldn't have drafted McDavid (only the best talent our generation) and Leafs wouldn't have drafted Matthews. 

Stopped reading at “2010 cup”. 
 

But seriously you haven’t seen special treatment of teams like LA and Vegas. Can I ask how closely you watch the NHL? Cause I’ve seen nothing but special treatment for these teams…

[Canuck Surfer]

9 hours ago, DeNiro said:

Yea but Karlsson has value.

 

Granlund and Petry have none.

 

Not sure why San Jose would ever take that Granlund contract.

 

Let’s face it teams that have poster boys like Crosby on it get favours done for them all the time. It’s still the old boys club.

They got rid of $40M Total ($10M x 4) in cost!

 

Took on $13.25M this year, $8.25M next year in return; a cash savings of around $19M total in real dollars when they are not contending. 

 

  *  Plus got a 1st round pick and some old horse assets.

  * Maybe they can get a further return, reduce salary more by trading Hoffman & Rutta at deadline. Cpl of mid or late picks, some extra cash off books???

  * And if Granlund is a barn horse, maybe they can just shoot him to get off the books.  Its California; dropping his kids at school just by natural everyday circumstance...

[Wanless]

1 hour ago, DeNiro said:

Canucks and every other Canadian team since Bettman took over…

 

Tell me how the league would do if Canadian teams started winning like the Blackhawks did. You don’t think that would hurt their bottom line? Of course it would.

 

The league is successful when certain markets, whos fans would drop their team in a heartbeat, are kept strong.
 

It’s a simple formula. Canadian teams do well financially regardless of their success. The league does better when southern markets are kept in contention however.

This years cup finals was a disaster for the league 

 

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/06/stanley-cup-ratings-least-watched-game-five-29-years-golden-knights-panthers/

 

looking at viewership numbers indicates that traditional markets in the finals is better

[Citizen Erased]

2 hours ago, DeNiro said:

It’s funny cause he does actually give off that Neurosurgeon vibe. 

I thought it was Mr. Clean wearing a suit and glasses.

[coryberg]

3 hours ago, timberz21 said:

MTL received a 2nd to get rid of him and is acquiring him back for a 2nd as well lol.  I know there is other pieces involved but still.  

I was talking about granlund but yeah hextalls moves reaked of desperation and rightfully so. It was obviously win now or go.... now it's please win now because we are gonna pay you for 7 years.

[Crabcakes]

1 hour ago, Canuck Surfer said:

They got rid of $40M Total ($10M x 4) in cost!

 

Took on $13.25M this year, $8.25M next year in return; a cash savings of around $19M total in real dollars when they are not contending. 

 

  *  Plus got a 1st round pick and some old horse assets.

  * Maybe they can get a further return, reduce salary more by trading Hoffman & Rutta at deadline. Cpl of mid or late picks, some extra cash off books???

  * And if Granlund is a barn horse, maybe they can just shoot him to get off the books.  Its California; dropping his kids at school just by natural everyday circumstance...

You mean we coulda had Ekman-Larson bumped off and saved all of that grief?