Nhl 2014-2015
 

Now that the season is over, we can make a new thread.

Here is the draft order for Canadian teams (1st round).

Edmonton: 3rd overall
Calgary: 4th overall
Vancouver: 6th overall
Toronto: 8th overall
Winnipeg: 9th overall
Montreal: 26th overall

Ottawa (10th overall) traded their first round pick to Anaheim for Bobby Ryan.

What is a '3rd' pick?

It'll be interesting to see who Edmonton and Calgary pick. I have a feeling Ekblad will go first, but any of the top 4 picks would be solid choices.

Edmonton is a classic example that a slew of high first round draft picks do not a championship team make. As such, does it really matter that they have 3rd pick overall this year??

Maybe they should've traded this pick for a character player or two…….

I agree about the potential of draft picks. I've said many times that draft picks are mostly a crap shoot, but at the same time over the years, the picks in the top 5 are much more likely to turn out into good players. In that regard the third pick is somewhat important.

I think the jury is still out on the Oilers. While the team rebuild has been a bust so far, they still have some good pieces. New management and coaching could potentially turn things around quickly.

The problem with Edmonton is, they didn't understand what their real problem was. They had plenty of good forwards (Hall, Nugent-Hopkins, Eberle, Gagner) and could have picked defenseman Ryan Murray (2nd overall in 2012) in the draft, but instead they chose Yakupov, and now they have an obvious lack in defense. Luckily, they picked Nurse last year...

Any of the top 4 picks should yield a good player, on paper. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out as these players develop and we see who really won or lost in the draft. Especially between the Flames and Oilers.

I see Ekblad and Reinhart going 1-2 which would likely leave Sam Bennett and Leon Draisatl for the Oilers and Flames. Both have some serious attractive talents and some potential drawbacks. On paper Draisatl looks more to be what the Oilers need but Bennet looks pretty good too.

Dale Weise signs for 2 years at 1M per season.

Great deal.:tup:

Next should be Subban (RFA) and Markov (UFA)... Bergevin don't fuck this up.

I actually have a feeling that Florida will take Reinhart and Buffalo will go Bennet. Leaving the Oil to take Ekblad. Ok its more like a hopeful wish.

Oilers pick up Nikita Nikatin from Columbus... overpaid but a solid pickup.

Canucks update:
New President: Trevor Linden
New GM: Jim Benning (Bruins org)
New Coach: Willy Desjardins (Dallas Stars org/Calder Cup winner 2014)

Rumours we're talking with Ryan Miller and Dave Bolland
Rumours we're talking with Florida to move up to the number one overall pick
Rumours we will trade Ryan Kessler to either Chicago or Anaheim for solid returns

Flames update:

The team's struggle to sell tickets continues. They have a new package for season ticket holders in most of the nosebleed seats (excluding the 1st 3 rows): with every single game, you get a free hot dog/hamburger, popcorn, drink, and ice cream treat. Probably a $20+ concession value.

When the fuck did we turn into Phoenix??

I guess this is more designed to keep the sellout streak going, but it's almost embarrassing. I guess the new metal detectors have done wonders to attract fans.

If the alternative is the Saddledome continuing to sellout regardless of the team's performance then I don't see what the problem is. If you don't give management an incentive to win, you turn into the Leafs.

?

Not sure if you're implying that I think fan avoidance is a problem?

You said it's embarrassing that you need incentives like that to sellout. I think if the team's not winning the fans are smart to stay away.

Oh in that sense. No, I meant that it's embarrassing that we'd be in this overall situation in the first place.

Calgary is a hockey-mad city with a fuckton of disposable income to waste, and it shows just how pitiful things have gotten when we're competing with Phoenix to attract fans. And FYI, it's not just the team's record that's causing attendance problems, but that's a whole other rant thread.

Kesler to Anaheim for Bonino, Sbisa plus 24th overall pick and teams will swap third-rounders. Who are these guys? it looks like we got robbed.

Kesler traded to Anaheim for 2 roster players (Bonino and Spiza) and the 24th overall pick in today's draft. Not too exciting.

maybe we can trade our 2 first rounders to move up in the draft. i hear garrison might be moved as well.

Now the Canucks have traded the 3rd round pick they got from Anaheim to the Rangers for Derek Dorsett.

What the hell are they trying to accomplish here?