Paul McCann: The craziest three weeks of the offseason

"So.....my wife and I are sitting in a bar on Broadway in Nashville just prior to game 3 of the 2017 2nd round series between the Predators and the Blues. At the next table was some very nice Predators fans and I hear one of them say "I can't believe we've been in the league 18 years and we haven't won a Cup!"

I politely said "Excuse me. Been waiting 18 years huh?
he said "yeah! that's a long ****ing time!
My reply was "Call me when it's been 50 years!
He says "50 years?! Who's waited 50 years?"
I said " The Blues have been in the league 50 years and have never won a Cup!
He said: "No way!!!!
I said "I don't want to hear about waiting 18 measley years for a Cup!"

MORAL of the story: Goog things come to people who wait! Good things come to a fanbase as loyal as the Blues fanbase is! The Blues franchise deserves this moment! Over a million people at the Stanley Cup Championship parade!!

LET'S BO BLUES!!!!

Predators fans have a lot to look forward to and they have a great team and a great GM that has the Preds going in the right direction! Be patient and when it finally happens, you will NEVER forget the feeling!! The feeling that millions of Blues fans are feeling right now!

David shouldn't have to ponder on what went wrong very long... The issues aren't subtle in the least... It's not like we haven't been complaining about them on here since January or anything.

"So.....my wife and I are sitting in a bar on Broadway in Nashville just prior to game 3 of the 2017 2nd round series between the Predators and the Blues. At the next table was some very nice Predators fans and I hear one of them say "I can't believe we've been in the league 18 years and we haven't won a Cup!"

I politely said "Excuse me. Been waiting 18 years huh?
he said "yeah! that's a long ****ing time!
My reply was "Call me when it's been 50 years!
He says "50 years?! Who's waited 50 years?"
I said " The Blues have been in the league 50 years and have never won a Cup!
He said: "No way!!!!
I said "I don't want to hear about waiting 18 measley years for a Cup!"

MORAL of the story: Goog things come to people who wait! Good things come to a fanbase as loyal as the Blues fanbase is! The Blues franchise deserves this moment! Over a million people at the Stanley Cup Championship parade!!

LET'S BO BLUES!!!!

Predators fans have a lot to look forward to and they have a great team and a great GM that has the Preds going in the right direction! Be patient and when it finally happens, you will NEVER forget the feeling!! The feeling that millions of Blues fans are feeling right now!
- mattbode

Well said. Nashville is still a relatively young pro sports city, only about two decades, so eighteen years may feel like a long time to some. I couldn't bring myself to root for the Blues out of principle, (Bruins either for that matter) but I am legitimately happy for the loyalist fans who waited so long to see their team hoist the cup. St. Louis has one of the classier fanbases around the league, 'cept for the handful of trolls that every team seems to have. I am looking forward to next year though, so I continue wishing doom upon your team again.

If Poile only does "under the radar" moves, we'll finish third or fourth in the Central next year. Gotta move PK.

Well said. Nashville is still a relatively young pro sports city, only about two decades, so eighteen years may feel like a long time to some. I couldn't bring myself to root for the Blues out of principle, (Bruins either for that matter) but I am legitimately happy for the loyalist fans who waited so long to see their team hoist the cup. St. Louis has one of the classier fanbases around the league, 'cept for the handful of trolls that every team seems to have. I am looking forward to next year though, so I continue wishing doom upon your team again.

- Squatchy

It must be a generational thing, because I don't understand rooting for a division rival. You just don't. Imagine a Red Sox fan rooting for the Yankees in the World Series, or vice versa.

If you're in the central, I want you to lose. Period. If that hurts their feelings, good.

Paul McCann: The craziest three weeks of the offseason
- pmccann

It is great to see no buyouts....to date. I would not buy out Turris. While he had a horrible year, you have to try and trade him or hope and pray last year was just a really bad year and keep him for another year. On Josi...he is the best d-man on the team in my opinion. What kind of $ are we looking at ? (I don't feel that any d-man should be paid more than 8.5) but thats just me. Somebody has got to go in the d core due to $.
Let's also remember that Josi was not the captain when the Preds were a finalist for Lord Stanley. And something was seriously off this last playoff run, so is he the guy to lead for the cup ? You have two decent d-men in Irwin and Webber at great contracts. Both need to be utilized more. You can't trade them both with those great cap contracts. I like them all but P.K; Ellis or Josi... one has to move on.

I found it very hard to root for the Blues as well but the Bruins are a team full of D... bags and just could not pull for them at all thank god we spanked them in the 2013 Stanley cup

This is my first time reading this blog in months. I approve of removing the real estate ads and announcements of fund raisers and other events from the start and middle of the blog.

If Poile only does "under the radar" moves, we'll finish third or fourth in the Central next year. Gotta move PK.
- FoxMulder

Oh no another we gotta move PK........

Going to be waiting to see where you guys find cap space, given you have to re-sign Roman Josi, you're going to have money for next to nothing after that.

Going to be waiting to see where you guys find cap space, given you have to re-sign Roman Josi, you're going to have money for next to nothing after that.
- AlexanderM&M

Not quite sure what you're getting at here... Josi's still under contract for another year. If he's resigned over the summer, the new contract won't go into effect until the 20-21 season, when the Preds cap situation isn't nearly as dire. The current cap crunch is really only a one year issue, unless Poile does a bunch of crazy stuff this off season. Let's just say Josi, hypothetically, wants 10 mil a year. Garlund and Smith's contracts both come off the books after next year, and that's around 10 mil right there alone plus the 4 Mil Josi is already making. (I think some people tend to forget, the money UFA/RFA agents were already making goes back into the money pool after those contracts expire) Poile would really just be looking for an extra 6 mil to extend Josi. He'll get that alone with Garlund's contract off the books. Even if Poile manages to land Duchene or another piece this year, resigning Josi isn't going to be too much of an issue, though it will stretch the purse strings considerably. One or two of those big contracts will have to go eventually to ensure the long term health of the team.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the cap continues to rise. As do salaries. So the Preds may not have tons of cap room - but they have enough to make a key move or two.

Now, all of the sudden with Karlsson at $11MM, PK Subban at $9MM seems almost reasonable. Poile doesn't have to trade Subban, but he could if the right team wanted him. There are tons of ways to shed a little salary to prep for a long-term Josi deal.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the cap continues to rise. As do salaries. So the Preds may not have tons of cap room - but they have enough to make a key move or two.

Now, all of the sudden with Karlsson at $11MM, PK Subban at $9MM seems almost reasonable. Poile doesn't have to trade Subban, but he could if the right team wanted him. There are tons of ways to shed a little salary to prep for a long-term Josi deal.
- holycow_75

I think Josi is awesome.....but....Let’s not be foolish. Kings are paying Doughty 11 ish and Hawks are paying Seabrook and Keith until they are 40. Both teams have huge cap problems with aging players. Yes they have both won Cup(s) and yes I admit I am jealous. But you have to be real when throwing big bucks out when Players are getting older with more wear and tear. Yes I know Josi is only 29 but... Preds.. use this situation with a good D core to your financial advantage, particularly when you have other needs.