2014-2015 NHL Thread

[Robbie]

Much better job by the Canucks to have the first home playoff win and only second win overall since game 5 of the 2011 Stanley Cup finals. Too bad Lack lost his shutout bid, but most importantly they've tied the series. The Canucks have done well this season on the road, so two wins in Calgary.

[TheLionKing]

Montreal takes a 2-0 series lead on a goal by Alex Galyenchuk in overtime. It was a relatively tame game given what happened in the first game.

[sj-roc]

Edmonton has won the draft lottery. Buffalo and Arizona each drop one notch in the draft order (on basis of regular season finish) to 2nd and 3rd respectively. Then everyone else as per order of finish starting with the Leafs at 4th.

4th first overall pick in 6 years for the Oilers.

[WestCoastJoe]

Edmonton has won the draft lottery. Buffalo and Arizona each drop one notch in the draft order (on basis of regular season finish) to 2nd and 3rd respectively. Then everyone else as per order of finish starting with the Leafs at 4th.

4th first overall pick in 6 years for the Oilers.

That is amazing for the Oilers. And drafting first has not helped them. But this kid could be a difference maker.

Too bad for the Leafs. Ha ha

[TheLionKing]

Can't believe the Oilers won the draft lottery again.

[sj-roc]

Can't believe the Oilers won the draft lottery again.

Gotta throw 'em some sort of bone, it's not like they ever win much else.

[WestCoastJoe]

Can't believe the Oilers won the draft lottery again.

Gotta throw 'em some sort of bone, it's not like they ever win much else.

Humble times for the self-proclaimed ''City of Champions."

But even more humble times for the Leafs organization, and for Leaf fans.

It's all good. LOL

[TheLionKing]

Can't believe the Oilers won the draft lottery again.

Gotta throw 'em some sort of bone, it's not like they ever win much else.

As long as Kevin Lowe is in charge, Edmonton will remain City of Chumps

[TheLionKing]

Winnipeg again surrenders a late 3rd period goal to Anaheim. Now trails the series 2-0 heading back to the Peg.

[Sir Purrcival]

Remind me again, how many times have the Canucks drafted #1. I'm sorry, but to see the Oilers take the #1 position again is just ridiculous. What does that make it now? 4 in 5 years? I put this right up there with Pittsburgh (former Lemieux and Jagr holders) getting the Sidney Crosby sweepstakes after also getting Malkin. There seems to be a trend of where certain teams just seem to continue to get incredible luck while other teams never seem to be in that theatre. Just once I would like to see the Canucks have the chance to draft that "Crosby" of the next era.

[sj-roc]

Remind me again, how many times have the Canucks drafted #1. I'm sorry, but to see the Oilers take the #1 position again is just ridiculous. What does that make it now? 4 in 5 years? I put this right up there with Pittsburgh (former Lemieux and Jagr holders) getting the Sidney Crosby sweepstakes after also getting Malkin. There seems to be a trend of where certain teams just seem to continue to get incredible luck while other teams never seem to be in that theatre. Just once I would like to see the Canucks have the chance to draft that "Crosby" of the next era.

The Canucks haven't, not recently anyway, been truly dreadful enough to have a decent chance to win the draft lottery.

Besides, both of the Sedin twins came Vancouver's way after much manoeuvring by Burke (who might well have to watch them eliminate his current team) in 1999 from what proved a fairly weak draft pool. That had to use up a lot of draft lottery mojo. Two of the top three draft picks. How often has that ever happened?

[WestCoastJoe]

Remind me again, how many times have the Canucks drafted #1. I'm sorry, but to see the Oilers take the #1 position again is just ridiculous. What does that make it now? 4 in 5 years? I put this right up there with Pittsburgh (former Lemieux and Jagr holders) getting the Sidney Crosby sweepstakes after also getting Malkin. There seems to be a trend of where certain teams just seem to continue to get incredible luck while other teams never seem to be in that theatre. Just once I would like to see the Canucks have the chance to draft that "Crosby" of the next era.

The Canucks haven't, not recently anyway, been truly dreadful enough to have a decent chance to win the draft lottery.

Besides, both of the Sedin twins came Vancouver's way after much manoeuvring by Burke (who might well have to watch them eliminate his current team) in 1999 from what proved a fairly weak draft pool. That had to use up a lot of draft lottery mojo. Two of the top three draft picks. How often has that ever happened?

No first overall picks for the Canucks. But we did acquire Ed Jovanoski in trade for Pavel Bure, with other assets involved. Although a fan of Bure, I did not mind the trade. Jovo gave us very good mileage for a few years.

Jovo Cop had been a first overall pick in his draft year. A fan could salve their draft angst by telling oneself that Jovanoski pretty much amounted to a first overall pick for us. We snookered the league in acquiring Bure in his draft year (one might suggest that he would have been worthy of a first overall pick). And, as noted, we did get the Sedins with the 2nd and 3rd overall picks. Dunno if we can complain about never having had a first overall. Also, those first overall picks for Edmonton have brought them nothing to this date.

How many killer first overall picks have there been? LaFleur. Lindros? (Forsberg had the great career). Lemieux. Crosby.

But McDavid will be a pretty nice acquisition.

[TheLionKing]

It used to be that the team finishing last in the league automatically gets the number 1 pick. The draft lottery was implemented to give the other teams not making the post season an opportunity to secure the number 1 pick.

[sj-roc]

...as noted, we did get the Sedins with the 2nd and 3rd overall picks. Dunno if we can complain about never having had a first overall. Also, those first overall picks for Edmonton have brought them nothing to this date.

That's basically where I was going. Have a look at the 1999 draft class and you can only conclude that Burke "won the lottery", at least proverbially if not literally.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1999e.html

Interesting to note two of the later-round, more successful selections taken that year are currently Canucks: Ryan Miller and Radim Vrbata.

And it's staggering to fathom at this remove how Henrik Zetterberg lasted until the 7th round when (who else?) the Red Wings took him with the 210th overall pick. Uncanny success with finding late-round diamonds in the rough, that franchise.

[Toppy Vann]

...as noted, we did get the Sedins with the 2nd and 3rd overall picks. Dunno if we can complain about never having had a first overall. Also, those first overall picks for Edmonton have brought them nothing to this date.

That's basically where I was going. Have a look at the 1999 draft class and you can only conclude that Burke "won the lottery", at least proverbially if not literally.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1999e.html

Interesting to note two of the later-round, more successful selections taken that year are currently Canucks: Ryan Miller and Radim Vrbata.

And it's staggering to fathom at this remove how Henrik Zetterberg lasted until the 7th round when (who else?) the Red Wings took him with the 210th overall pick. Uncanny success with finding late-round diamonds in the rough, that franchise.

In some cases success in the NHL has more to do with how these teams bring them on.

Some of these teams refuse to give younger players a shot and others - Edmonton - seem to do too much to toss them in the deep end and they get lost.

I think Detroit has been a franchise in recent years that sticks with players including Bertuzzi who I thought would never last there but yet he did.