Tank Nation: Matthews Edition

[sickbeast]

I have never seen such a bottom feeding team like Edmonton in all my days.  Never.  Every year they win the lottery.  It's actually making me question whether or not tanking is actually the best strategy.  They have clearly done something horribly wrong.  I don't know if it's coaching, bad decisions by the GM, or what.  I just know that something is not right in Edmonton.  I guess for starters one would think that by now they would have solved their goaltending problem.

I will say that it's frustrating as a fan watching them tank every year like that.  It's not fair to the other teams.  I want the Leafs to get the #1 pick!  We were so close to getting Connor McDavid!  Edmonton was the reason!  Ugh!

 

[louisstamos]

I have never seen such a bottom feeding team like Edmonton in all my days.  Never.  Every year they win the lottery.  It's actually making me question whether or not tanking is actually the best strategy.  They have clearly done something horribly wrong.  I don't know if it's coaching, bad decisions by the GM, or what.  I just know that something is not right in Edmonton.  I guess for starters one would think that by now they would have solved their goaltending problem.

I will say that it's frustrating as a fan watching them tank every year like that.  It's not fair to the other teams.  I want the Leafs to get the #1 pick!  We were so close to getting Connor McDavid!  Edmonton was the reason!  Ugh!

I would say bad decisions by the GM (and scouts) is fair.  If you take a take a team like Chicago - yes, they drafted Kane 1st overall, and Toews 3rd overall, and that's the core of their team.  But if you look at their cup winning rosters, they drafted Bolland in the 2nd round, Bickell in the 2nd round, Keith in the 2nd round, Seabrook 14th overall, Hjalmarsson 4th round, Byfuglien in the 8th round, Saad in the 2nd round, Shaw in the 5th round, Krueger in the 5th round, etc, etc and made some shrewd trades to get guys like Sharp and Ladd in their primes.

If you look at Edmonton, how many impact NHL players have they drafted outside of the top 10 in the 1st round?  Going through their draft history, there's Eberle and Klefbaum, and maybe you can say Tobias Rieder in 2011, Riley Nash in 2007, or Jeff Petry in 2006 (and none of those last 3 guys are even with the Oilers anymore).  That's it in the last 10 years.

 

[Bender]

Tied in last with 43 points heading into the all star break. Of the 5 teams at the bottom, EDM, CLB, TOR, BUF and CAL I think the Leafs could easily finish last especially post trade deadline.

It's unfortunate last place does not guarantee at top 2 pick anymore, could finish last and pick 4th.

We still are ahead of a bunch of teams on a points percentage basis but I don't think any team will be looking to gut quite as much as us, so hopefully that changes things. I expect us to be active like last year heading into the deadline.

 

[Bender]

I have never seen such a bottom feeding team like Edmonton in all my days.  Never.  Every year they win the lottery.  It's actually making me question whether or not tanking is actually the best strategy.  They have clearly done something horribly wrong.  I don't know if it's coaching, bad decisions by the GM, or what.  I just know that something is not right in Edmonton.  I guess for starters one would think that by now they would have solved their goaltending problem.

I will say that it's frustrating as a fan watching them tank every year like that.  It's not fair to the other teams.  I want the Leafs to get the #1 pick!  We were so close to getting Connor McDavid!  Edmonton was the reason!  Ugh!

I would say bad decisions by the GM (and scouts) is fair.  If you take a take a team like Chicago - yes, they drafted Kane 1st overall, and Toews 3rd overall, and that's the core of their team.  But if you look at their cup winning rosters, they drafted Bolland in the 2nd round, Bickell in the 2nd round, Keith in the 2nd round, Seabrook 14th overall, Hjalmarsson 4th round, Byfuglien in the 8th round, Saad in the 2nd round, Shaw in the 5th round, Krueger in the 5th round, etc, etc and made some shrewd trades to get guys like Sharp and Ladd in their primes.

If you look at Edmonton, how many impact NHL players have they drafted outside of the top 10 in the 1st round?  Going through their draft history, there's Eberle and Klefbaum, and maybe you can say Tobias Rieder in 2011, Riley Nash in 2007, or Jeff Petry in 2006 (and none of those last 3 guys are even with the Oilers anymore).  That's it in the last 10 years.

Yeah, but you would think though that with that many high first rounders you'd see SOMETHING of a turn around. Something. But they kept loading up on high end forwards and never drafted any high end D. I think they could've easily passed on Yak and went for any of the top end D in that year's draft. They also haven't drafted a decent goaltender in years.

 

[cabber24]

I have never seen such a bottom feeding team like Edmonton in all my days.  Never.  Every year they win the lottery.  It's actually making me question whether or not tanking is actually the best strategy.  They have clearly done something horribly wrong.  I don't know if it's coaching, bad decisions by the GM, or what.  I just know that something is not right in Edmonton.  I guess for starters one would think that by now they would have solved their goaltending problem.

I will say that it's frustrating as a fan watching them tank every year like that.  It's not fair to the other teams.  I want the Leafs to get the #1 pick!  We were so close to getting Connor McDavid!  Edmonton was the reason!  Ugh!

I would say bad decisions by the GM (and scouts) is fair.  If you take a take a team like Chicago - yes, they drafted Kane 1st overall, and Toews 3rd overall, and that's the core of their team.  But if you look at their cup winning rosters, they drafted Bolland in the 2nd round, Bickell in the 2nd round, Keith in the 2nd round, Seabrook 14th overall, Hjalmarsson 4th round, Byfuglien in the 8th round, Saad in the 2nd round, Shaw in the 5th round, Krueger in the 5th round, etc, etc and made some shrewd trades to get guys like Sharp and Ladd in their primes.

If you look at Edmonton, how many impact NHL players have they drafted outside of the top 10 in the 1st round?  Going through their draft history, there's Eberle and Klefbaum, and maybe you can say Tobias Rieder in 2011, Riley Nash in 2007, or Jeff Petry in 2006 (and none of those last 3 guys are even with the Oilers anymore).  That's it in the last 10 years.

Yeah, but you would think though that with that many high first rounders you'd see SOMETHING of a turn around. Something. But they kept loading up on high end forwards and never drafted any high end D. I think they could've easily passed on Yak and went for any of the top end D in that year's draft. They also haven't drafted a decent goaltender in years.

The return of McDavid post all star break should hopefully get them out of the basement.

 

[Redleaf]

I have never seen such a bottom feeding team like Edmonton in all my days.  Never.  Every year they win the lottery.  It's actually making me question whether or not tanking is actually the best strategy.  They have clearly done something horribly wrong.  I don't know if it's coaching, bad decisions by the GM, or what.  I just know that something is not right in Edmonton.  I guess for starters one would think that by now they would have solved their goaltending problem.

I will say that it's frustrating as a fan watching them tank every year like that.  It's not fair to the other teams.  I want the Leafs to get the #1 pick!  We were so close to getting Connor McDavid!  Edmonton was the reason!  Ugh!

I would say bad decisions by the GM (and scouts) is fair.  If you take a take a team like Chicago - yes, they drafted Kane 1st overall, and Toews 3rd overall, and that's the core of their team.  But if you look at their cup winning rosters, they drafted Bolland in the 2nd round, Bickell in the 2nd round, Keith in the 2nd round, Seabrook 14th overall, Hjalmarsson 4th round, Byfuglien in the 8th round, Saad in the 2nd round, Shaw in the 5th round, Krueger in the 5th round, etc, etc and made some shrewd trades to get guys like Sharp and Ladd in their primes.

If you look at Edmonton, how many impact NHL players have they drafted outside of the top 10 in the 1st round?  Going through their draft history, there's Eberle and Klefbaum, and maybe you can say Tobias Rieder in 2011, Riley Nash in 2007, or Jeff Petry in 2006 (and none of those last 3 guys are even with the Oilers anymore).  That's it in the last 10 years.

Yeah, but you would think though that with that many high first rounders you'd see SOMETHING of a turn around. Something. But they kept loading up on high end forwards and never drafted any high end D. I think they could've easily passed on Yak and went for any of the top end D in that year's draft. They also haven't drafted a decent goaltender in years.

The return of McDavid post all star break should hopefully get them out of the basement.

It should, but I'm sort of with nutman in saying, I don't have a lot of faith in the Leafs winning any lotteries. It just doesn't seem to be their forte.

Having said that, breaking that bad luck streak and adding Matthews would go a long way to changing the fortunes of this team and would put a real nice feather in their collective hats. That would be a lot of feathered hats. 

 

[cabber24]

I have never seen such a bottom feeding team like Edmonton in all my days.  Never.  Every year they win the lottery.  It's actually making me question whether or not tanking is actually the best strategy.  They have clearly done something horribly wrong.  I don't know if it's coaching, bad decisions by the GM, or what.  I just know that something is not right in Edmonton.  I guess for starters one would think that by now they would have solved their goaltending problem.

I will say that it's frustrating as a fan watching them tank every year like that.  It's not fair to the other teams.  I want the Leafs to get the #1 pick!  We were so close to getting Connor McDavid!  Edmonton was the reason!  Ugh!

I would say bad decisions by the GM (and scouts) is fair.  If you take a take a team like Chicago - yes, they drafted Kane 1st overall, and Toews 3rd overall, and that's the core of their team.  But if you look at their cup winning rosters, they drafted Bolland in the 2nd round, Bickell in the 2nd round, Keith in the 2nd round, Seabrook 14th overall, Hjalmarsson 4th round, Byfuglien in the 8th round, Saad in the 2nd round, Shaw in the 5th round, Krueger in the 5th round, etc, etc and made some shrewd trades to get guys like Sharp and Ladd in their primes.

If you look at Edmonton, how many impact NHL players have they drafted outside of the top 10 in the 1st round?  Going through their draft history, there's Eberle and Klefbaum, and maybe you can say Tobias Rieder in 2011, Riley Nash in 2007, or Jeff Petry in 2006 (and none of those last 3 guys are even with the Oilers anymore).  That's it in the last 10 years.

Yeah, but you would think though that with that many high first rounders you'd see SOMETHING of a turn around. Something. But they kept loading up on high end forwards and never drafted any high end D. I think they could've easily passed on Yak and went for any of the top end D in that year's draft. They also haven't drafted a decent goaltender in years.

The return of McDavid post all star break should hopefully get them out of the basement.

It should, but I'm sort of with nutman in saying, I don't have a lot of faith in the Leafs winning any lotteries. It just doesn't seem to be their forte.

Having said that, breaking that bad luck streak and adding Matthews would go a long way to changing the fortunes of this team and would put a real nice feather in their collective hats. That would be a lot of feathered hats. 

2016 Lottery Generator based on current standings. Not only is it hard to win the lottery, it's difficult not to move down.  If you don't win the lottery, you prey those who do win are below you in the standings.

http://nhllotterysimulator.com/

 

[Joe S.]

How is winning a lottery anyone's forte?

 

[rdowdall]

How is winning a lottery anyone's forte?

If the consensus first overall pick has a last name of Forte?

 

[herman]

I just ran the simulator and pulled the worst result ever:
1. Edm 2. Mtl 3. Ott

I would literally weep (and gnash my teeth) if that came to fruition.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I just ran the simulator and pulled the worst result ever:
1. Edm 2. Mtl 3. Ott

I would literally weep (and gnash my teeth) if that came to fruition.

I would burn these forums to the ground.

 

[herman]

I just ran the simulator and pulled the worst result ever:
1. Edm 2. Mtl 3. Ott

I would literally weep (and gnash my teeth) if that came to fruition.

I would burn these forums to the ground.

I was going to say that is quite a drastic escalation, but now that I think about it, that seems about right.

 

[Highlander]

I think burning Edmonton to the ground would be 

 

[LuncheonMeat]

I just ran the simulator and pulled the worst result ever:
1. Edm 2. Mtl 3. Ott

I would literally weep (and gnash my teeth) if that came to fruition.

I would burn these forums to the ground.

I was going to say that is quite a drastic escalation, but now that I think about it, that seems about right.

I'm sure that's just for starters. I'd like to think someone would take the smoking ruins of these forums and use them to burn the lottery machine to the ground.

 

[Jolly good show chaps]

I got Leafs at #1, Sabres #2, Flames #3 on first and only try.

Booyaka.

 

[Redleaf]

How is winning a lottery anyone's forte?

IDK, but Edmonton may have a gift for it.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

They also haven't drafted a decent goaltender in years.

One of last years Vezina nominee's would disagree with that.

 

[bustaheims]

They also haven't drafted a decent goaltender in years.

One of last years Vezina nominee's would disagree with that.

To be fair, he was drafted more than a decade ago.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

They also haven't drafted a decent goaltender in years.

One of last years Vezina nominee's would disagree with that.

To be fair, he was drafted more than a decade ago.

To be fair, my post was more of a "haha stupid Oilers" one than one defending them.

 

[sickbeast]

The big problem with the Leafs and the tank right now is the fact that in order to tank properly and do well in the end, they need good scouts.  I know that they have Shanahan now, a new GM, and a new coach, but what about the scouts?  Hasn't that Hunter guy been there for awhile?

Watching Larkin win the fastest skater last night got me thinking about this.  Larkin was drafted 15th overall in the 2014 draft.  I looked at his stats and he deserves to be an all star.  I don't think there is any doubt that he is better than Nylander at this point right now.  I realize that 9 other teams made the same mistake as the Leafs, but the fact remains that Detroit's scouts are bar none the best in the league and they are one of the main reasons why their team has done so well for such a long period of time.  If the Leafs have all this money then they need to attract the league's best scouts IMO.  Otherwise we will keep on tanking and we won't have anything to show for it.