Montreal/Timmins

[Bluedot]

I am reading blogs on another board and felt compelled to comment on the above. The two blogs I am referring to are based on the success or lack there of of Mr.Timmins who is the head of scouting in Montreal and the practice of allowing potential free agents to leave for nothing. The example was Sourray but there are many more. Let me be the first to say that Trevor Timmins does a nice job, but he is overrated. However, it wouldn't matter if he were the best in the business, if at the other end you leave the door open. For example, in the Sourray case you got a draft choice or two, say what, and parlaying them up to move ahead in the draft. Even a stick could draft better at say twelve than at eighteen. You just can't lose that advantage just because you can replace him with free agency.

[BB Gabor]

When the Leafs traded the farm for Phil Kessel, they tried to rationaize it by saying only X# % (a low percentage) of all first round draft picks ever make the NHL. What they were really saying is they have devalued the draft - in favor of free agency. The smart move must always be to try to get something/anything for the asset. Montreal's done it. Toronto's done it - and I don't care if this is the latest trend in NHL GM'ing - It's stupid.

You're right, BD - You just can't lose that advantage just because you can replace him with free agency

[Bluedot]

I would use the anology of running your prize herd into the barn and leaving the west gate open. The herd will get weaker no matter how good of job you have done selecting your herd. In the case of the Leafs, i have no problem using top picks to secure a player if that player becomes the missing link. You got to love the Moxy of Burke. We will soon see if he has misfired or not.

[Flash In The Pan]

I came here to post something on the Vancouver Canucks. One of those seemingly useless tidbits of information that somehow count as depth, therefore it might matter somehow. The Vancouver Canucks have signed free agent winger Matt Pettinger. Matt Pettinger was one of those free agents who has been sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring. Every year there are a collection of them and they quickly fade away into trivia questions unless signed and brought back into our NHL lives. Matt Pettinger as a free agent who was not in demand in the off-season becomes a tool for the General managers. The General Managers know who they are, how many are there and they have their agents numbers. Where as this is all well and good the point I'm trying to make is free agency becomes a tool that replaces good drafting, good forward planning, good roster management and proper spending under the salary cap. Free agency under the current system not only replaces players, it replaces brains, and the former requirement for NHL General Managers to have brains.

[Bluedot]

I would argue that GM's have to be sharper now than they ever have been. I would also argue that not too many are up to speed yet, but they are getting there. The cap makes it imperative that more young people come into the league. It follows that a significant number of older veterans will not find employment each year. This is just a reality in the new NHL.

[Lady Byng]

Being old school, my tendency as is the tendency of just about everyone else is to build through the draft and that's all she wrote. At times over the years this has become an obsession, and you can see by the way the fans put so much priority in the NHL entry draft that this obsession is something we swear by. Given a good team, the value of the draft does not diminish rather it turns up the heat to make that astute draft pick in the later half of the first round. At no time would myself or anyone in this place advocate the trading of a first round draft pick. It does happen in real life, and when it happens you may see people trying desperately to justify the trading of the first round draft pick however if it were up to us that trade would never have happened.

Case in point, the Leafs trading two first round draft picks away in the Phil Kessel deal. It was best said by another person regarding the Phil Kessel deal that, and I quote, 'I like Phil Kessel as a player however I cannot justify such compensation for a player not named Crosby or Ovechkin. Unless Phil Kessel is considered to be of that class. Is Phil Kessel in the same class of the young elite such as Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk? Somehow, I doubt anyone really believes that Phil Kessel is among the same class of the young elite as Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk. Brian Burke is telling us he is. Brian Burke is telling us Phil Kessel is among the same class of the young elite as Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk. Anyone who believes that will like the trade. Anyone who does not believe that will not like the trade.'

The key to that above comment was, 'Anyone who believes that will like the trade. Anyone who does not believe that will not like the trade.'


Another attempt at justifying the deal went as follows, 'The Leafs made the Phil Kessel deal based on the average projection for a first round draft pick. The NHL league average is just about 60% of all first round draft choices ever making the NHL and actually playing as much as a hundred games. It is a gamble worth taking. Phil Kessel is a tier-two elite player. The draft picks are not as only 60% of all first round draft choices ever make the NHL and actually play in a hundred NHL games.'

Given the choice, we would not have made the deal because under no circumstances can we justify the trading of a first round draft pick. Being old school - We build through the draft and that's all she wrote. To rely on free agency as the default choice of team building is just plain dumb. It's stupid, it's lazy and it's just not the NHL we know, or knew. It's not the NHL we know, or knew, and it's not the NHL we want to know. As it applies to the Montreal Canadiens, the Montreal Canadiens are just one of thirty. What one does justifies the rest if any of them have any degree of success under such team building. Like lemmings they will follow off the cliff of winning/now leaving the clean-up for the next generation. Is that any way to run a hockey team? Of course not. We know better. So do they. The difference is that their six figure salary depends on winning/now - Ours, does not, and that's all she wrote.

[Bluedot]

I was not trying to justify the Kessel deal, one way or other. I simply pointed out that I would trade first round draft choices for the right player. Personnally, I think the cost for Kessel was a little steep, but that's just me. Burke will be in deep dodo if they end up to be lottery picks. I hate to say this, but I think the leafs are on the way UP!

[Area51]

Asset Management > Dig this > The Calgary Flames drafted Joe Nieuwendyk 27th overall back in 1985. Ten years later in 1995 the Calgary Flames traded Joe Nieuwendyk to Dallas for some hot young prospect by the name of Jarome Iginla. That draft pick from 1985 is still scoring goals, still producing and still a bargain at 27th overall > 24 years later.

Someday the Calgary Flames might have to do something with Jarome Iginla. I expect the asset to be perpetuated. I expect every asset to be perpetuated and with the right drafting and team management this is possible. We all know this is seldom the case > but it's still possible > and because it's possible we expect it.

[DDT]

Is the door being left open because the team has this attitude like they're better than the rest and only an idiot would leave to sign elsewhere? Montreal may or may not have an attitude problem, one that comes from a lifetime of success and winning. Montreal are the top of the NHL food chain whether the rest of us like it or not - Montreal are an exceptional franchise to be associated with. My question is this - Is the door being left open due to a pre-existing attitude of arrogance?

[Bluedot]

Actually, I don't think it is arrogance. I think it is Bob's scruples getting in the way of good judgement. i think Sam Pollack would not have given it a second thought. Bob is just too principled. But Bob was a player too.