It was a terrible trade at the time and worse now.

Still, the Caps made it because they wanted a player that could play for them immediately and in the playoffs. They had no such guarantee from Forsberg as he was still in Sweden and had not committed to coming over to NA when his season (and possible playoffs, which they missed) were over.
- jmatchett383

But the facts do back me up: Washington dominated that series and would have won it by playing no differently most of the time.

If you have the best team in hockey and you lose, that's just how she rolls sometimes. It really seems like you guys are slagging on what is a very reasonable take on my part.

if they regroup with the same core, they're likely to also be one of the NHL's best teams next year, so there's really nothing to complain about. They might win it one of these days.

Either that or they should have built their team like the Senators - cause we all know only the best teams make it!!
- James_Tanner

The Caps do have a very good team....on paper. They just, for some reason, can't get over the hump. Not sure if it's coaching, goaltending or missing just that one key player. Also running into a hot goalie doesn't help. I could buy the old "puck luck" for a game, maybe 2, but not an entire series. It also doesn't help when your own goalie goes average on you. Not sure what they could've done differently, since they were controlling the play throughout most of the series, but something needed (needs) to be done.
And it's not always the best team that wins it. It's the team that puts all the pieces together. Scoring, defense, goaltending, coaching, special teams and the intangibles

But the facts do back me up: Washington dominated that series and would have won it by playing no differently most of the time.

If you have the best team in hockey and you lose, that's just how she rolls sometimes. It really seems like you guys are slagging on what is a very reasonable take on my part.

if they regroup with the same core, they're likely to also be one of the NHL's best teams next year, so there's really nothing to complain about. They might win it one of these days.

Either that or they should have built their team like the Senators - cause we all know only the best teams make it!!
- James_Tanner

Ummm...They have been regrouping with more or less the same core for a decade now.

Statistical Fact: Pens won 4 games Caps won 3
Fact: Pens won the series
Fact: Pens are still playing.
Fact: Caps are not.

those 4 facts are really all that matters.


where are the facts they were unlucky?
- rinaldo

Look, I apologize. I don't know how I can make it more clear or do a better job explaining that you are just looking at the end result when any kind of valuable analysis comes from understanding how those results where achieved.

You clearly think you are right, and cannot be reasoned with. We'll just have leave it at that. I am sure you'll have a pithy response about how unreasonable I am but I need to recognize here that either I'm being trolled or you honestly believe what you're saying and are a lost cause.

Either way,nothing I write is going to make you stop or change your mind, so have at 'er.

Ummm...They have been regrouping with more or less the same core for a decade now.
- uf1910

And they should keep at it because the odds are it will eventually break in their favor.

Look, I apologize. I don't know how I can make it more clear or do a better job explaining that you are just looking at the end result when any kind of valuable analysis comes from understanding how those results where achieved.

You clearly think you are right, and cannot be reasoned with. We'll just have leave it at that. I am sure you'll have a pithy response about how unreasonable I am but I honestly need to recognize here that either I'm being trolled or you honestly believe what you're saying and are a lost cause.

Either way,nothing I write is going to make you stop or change your mind, so have at 'er.
- James_Tanner

unlike others I can readily admit when I am wrong.

Yes I believe the best team did not win. No trolling at all. Stop with the unlucky stuff. Unlucky is maybe one year they lose in the 1st round. there is a pattern here is their not? that's not unlucky.

Maybe at the next board of governors meeting they can add a trophy to give to the best team that clearly showed by all the stats they were the "best" team.

The Erat Trade is the worst trade ever. Every Pred fan knew it, Trotz's loved him b/c he was a veteran.
Erat as you may know had awesome move he saved for the playoffs, he would enter the offensive zone, and as soon as he crossed the blue line that's when the magic happened, Erat if he still had the puck would make a semi-circle move and then...... dead stop (that was it) then for some inexplicable reason, Erat would find his back bone. After the turn over from his well rehearsed semi circle dead spot maneuver in the O-zone, in the D-zone when Pekka or C. Mason stopped the puck, Erat would find a player in front of his own net, with their back turned, Erat would muster up a good ole shove.....


Sorry I was having flash backs of the good ole days when as Preds fans called him the "moronic Douche bag" was one of our highest paid players.....

Trotz fire him while you can....

Ovechkin's play isn't really declining. He's still pretty awesome. Worth every penny.
- James_Tanner

Just wait Trotz is just waiting to turn Ovechkin into a defensive machine.. Forget the Goals... Trotz wants defense.

WORST TRADE OF THE CAP ERA AND MAYBE OF ALL TIME IN ANY SPORTS LEAGUE! Good lord that was as bad a decision as was ever made. Did you know the Preds had no other offers for Erat and they didn't want him and would have moved him for next to nothing but they pushed their luck and asked for Forsburg not expecting to get him but it never hurts to ask.

The Preds had no first round pick in the 2012 draft (I think because of the Fisher trade). Instead, they gave up Martin Erat to the Caps and got the best player from that draft class. They also picked up Pontus Aberg & Colton Sissons in the 2012 draft.

Sissons and Aberg aren't going to be all-stars anytime soon, or maybe ever. But they are certainly playing solid roles and contributing to a great Stanley Cup run for the Preds.

About the only thing that didn't go right for the Preds from the 2012 draft was the Jimmy Vesey pick. He supposedly wanted to play in a better hockey market with a legitimate shot for a Stanley Cup, so he chose the Rangers & pretty much screwed over the Preds after telling Poile all along he would sign with Nashville after college. Wonder if he regrets that now?

The Erat Trade is the worst trade ever. Every Pred fan knew it, Trotz's loved him b/c he was a veteran.
Erat as you may know had awesome move he saved for the playoffs, he would enter the offensive zone, and as soon as he crossed the blue line that's when the magic happened, Erat if he still had the puck would make a semi-circle move and then...... dead stop (that was it) then for some inexplicable reason, Erat would find his back bone. After the turn over from his well rehearsed semi circle dead spot maneuver in the O-zone, in the D-zone when Pekka or C. Mason stopped the puck, Erat would find a player in front of his own net, with their back turned, Erat would muster up a good ole shove.....


Sorry I was having flash backs of the good ole days when as Preds fans called him the "moronic Douche bag" was one of our highest paid players.....

Trotz fire him while you can....
- pred_26

Thank you Martin Erat for that blind pass deep in the o-zone, late in the third period of game 5, round 1 in 2010.

12 down, 4 to go. Enjoy the ride.

Couple of things here:
...."91 goals later and it's pretty clear that Forsberg was the #1 overall pick in the 2012 draft. " No! No! No! Jay Feaster (Flames GM at the time) said that in 10 years Mark Jankowski would be the best player taken in the 2012 draft - it is not 10 years yet - so you can't crown Forsberg the best yet!
....Seriously though, as good as Forsberg is, it is not a slam dunk that he is the best from that draft - especially if you also consider that typically defencemen are more valuable than forwards (when both have developed into elite NHL players). Points could be made that the following players from the 2012 draft are the best from that draft - or the most valued players now: Lindholm (D) ANA; Trouba (D) Jets; Gostisbehere (D) Flyers; Murray (G) Pens; Parayko (D) Blues
....Interesting fact about the 2012 draft. Nashville had zero picks in the first round, yet they now (debatedly) have the best player from the first round or even that complete draft; Also their 2 unsung heroes in these playoffs so far were their first 2 picks in that draft (1) Pontus Aberg 37th overall and their first pick in 2012 (2) Colton Sissons 50th overall and their 2nd pick in 2012.
- hags11

Girgensons and Grigorenko are better than all those mother(frank)ers.

And as much as I hate to admit it, Rielly is a very good player as well, certainly better than Ryan Murray and Griffin Reinhart put together.

Thank you Martin Erat for that blind pass deep in the o-zone, late in the third period of game 5, round 1 in 2010.

12 down, 4 to go. Enjoy the ride.
- blackhawk24

yeah erat did that to... argh what a tool.

Thank you sir! I will be one of the few on June 3 that will be in attendedance and I won't leave early no matter how much they piss me off

I totally agree! I mean, who really needs to have their name engraved on the most treasured trophy in all of professional sports when you can see a team's nylon banner in the rafters exclaiming the highest regular season point total? It just doesn't matter!

At this point, what difference does it make?!
- blackhawk24

They did beat my Scouts for the Coca-Cola Bottlers Cup and never gave us a rematch either... so they have that going for them.

WORST TRADE OF THE CAP ERA AND MAYBE OF ALL TIME IN ANY SPORTS LEAGUE! Good lord that was as bad a decision as was ever made. Did you know the Preds had no other offers for Erat and they didn't want him and would have moved him for next to nothing but they pushed their luck and asked for Forsburg not expecting to get him but it never hurts to ask.
- Dcoms

You are wrong. Hall for Larsson is the worst trade ever.

-J. Tanner

WORST TRADE OF THE CAP ERA AND MAYBE OF ALL TIME IN ANY SPORTS LEAGUE! Good lord that was as bad a decision as was ever made. Did you know the Preds had no other offers for Erat and they didn't want him and would have moved him for next to nothing but they pushed their luck and asked for Forsburg not expecting to get him but it never hurts to ask.
- Dcoms

Leafs trading 30 (Rickard Rakell) and 39 (John Gibson) for 22 (Tyler Biggs) in the 2012, was probably a bigger difference maker. Not to say I had any idea how it would turn out at the time.