I don't think you can compare the pre-cap Gretzky era to the current cap era where players are getting max contracts right out of their ELCs. That wasn't even the case a few years ago. The window literally opens and closes much faster now.Diehard1 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2019 1:33 pmI think he's asking for rebuilding teams that traded a first rounder, not teams like St. Louis that haven't picked before the 20s in the last 7-8 years.ESQ wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2019 1:29 pmInteresting way of looking at it. Edmonton, Arizona, Ottawa, Buffalo have not traded 1sts. Yet they are the worst franchises for rebuild models.mr perfect wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2019 12:57 pm
Can you or anyone else here give me some examples where a perennial rebuilding/non playoff team traded their first rounder for a veteran player not named Gretzky and benefitted long term? The ghost of Sam Pollock and myself can wait.
St Louis, funnily enough, traded 3 of their 8 first rounders prior to winning the cup.
The Jets hoarded all of their picks until 2018, trading away their first and finally, for the first time in franchise history (over 15 years), winning a playoff round.
I don't know if that's the point you are trying to make, but it's a fascinating trend nonetheless.
The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Ottawa for Duchene, and that might be the worst trade of the past 10 years. I'm sure there must be others.
Even if we had a new GM right now, the Aqua timeline doesn't change... it's playoffs in 19-20 or 20-21. No excuses.
Let's say Tampa gets our 2021 1st rounder. Best case scenario is he comes in 2-3 years, with no guarantees of making an impact in the top-6.
Given the owner mandate and helping the core (Petey, Brock, Bo, Hughes) reach contending status sooner rather than later, a proven top-6, big, youngish, veteran winger on a great contract is a reasonable gamble. He brings the requisite skills they need right now. You can move towards contention in the next 2-3 years or wait for a 1st rounder and other picks to hopefully develop?
Buffalo and Edmonton have been stewing in their messes for years, wasting their core because they don't bring in the right veteran supplements at the right time.
At some point, you gotta shit or get off the pot.
(this isn't directed at you Diehard, just adding to the discussion)
EDIT: Just got to add... 4 years without playoffs after more than a decade of success is not a perennial rebuilding/non playoff team. Buffalo and Edmonton are more in this category. Even the great Detroit franchise (with a fuller cupboard) has now missed 3 years in a row with an avg. of 70 points a season.
With this owner, you can even debate when the rebuilding actually started.