Location: VINNY LECAVLIER IS EPIC, PA Joined: 09.28.2011
Feb 5 @ 8:08 PM ET
They need a star like nash. He is the vinny or alfie or doan or sakic of new franchises for the city. He goes nowhere. Carter for sure bc he is not a franchise guy. - therealagent
They need a complete rebuild, trading Nash only helps
For the most part I believe in building a team carefully and creating a team that can be in the hunt for many years. However, when a team is almost always a playoff contender being competitive after a while loses its luster. Sometimes a team must go for it and win now.
Location: TAVARES IS AN ASS!!!!, ON Joined: 02.06.2008
Feb 5 @ 8:35 PM ET
For the most part I believe in building a team carefully and creating a team that can be in the hunt for many years. However, when a team is almost always a playoff contender being competitive after a while loses its luster. Sometimes a team must go for it and win now. - tsricci
Nobody cares what you think... keep your opinions to yourself...
I think it is fairly evident that taking the big risk is worth it; teams we expect to keel over and die always find ways to surprise us, and teams we expect to do well always find ways to disappoint (ie: Flyers in 06-07); then they end up in the final 3 seasons later? Compare NJ this season and last...bad seasons don't necessarily mean bad teams.
The idea of a rebuild is moot (there are very short ones - and perpetual ones like in Edmonton), and there seem to be teams that get caught up in the false dichotomy of it, when in reality it is much more broad than that.
As it seems that most teams are rather conservative and frugal at this point (for various reasons, like the upcoming CBA renewal), I think if there is a gm out there willing to bring in a bona fide star it will pay off short term and long term. I doubt anything exciting is going to happen, most teams follow the same blue-print build anyways.
My opinion on building a team, would be to bottom out for a couple of years and draft a couple of top 5 prospects, then build around them. You keep your cap relatively low, with short term contracts for your veteran players. As you move up the standings, in year 3 or 4, you start dealing off your short term veterans at the trade deadline, for prospects or draft picks. You start looking at unsigned College free agents and also go for midlevel Unrestricted Free Agents. Once you reach a level of making it into the playoffs, you start trying to fill holes on your roster, with front line free agents. By year 3, your core first round picks will be demanding more money, after their entry level contacts. By keeping shorter term, on your midlevel players, you can move the money off of your books, when need be. Cap is the answer, as you can take back salary, from teams that are up against the cap, and take some decent talent, in return.
Would I go for a quick hit and make a run at the Cup, when there is a chance? Only if I have a core of young players in the system, that are untouchable. As long as you don't trade more than one or two, in a gamble to win a Cup, for one veteran. It has to be a calculated risk.