Connor McDavid Winner

[Danielson99]

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[Danielson99]

In today's game if you don't have both which includes #1 goaltender, that team will be playing golf every Spring.

This has nothing to do with winning a cup or making the playoffs, not sure why you'd bring it up. This is about McDavid making Edmonton a better offensive team, which will in turn help them become a better defensive team and make their goalie better.

[Danielson99]

Phaneuf is way over rated, main reason Calgary traded him away.

Phaneuf is not over-rated at all. We all know and see the defensive mistakes he makes, the media knows it and so do other teams. Nobody thinks 'highly' of Dion.

He is simply over-paid. If Phaneuf was paid what he is worth, nobody would be calling him overrated, they'd be saying he's worth every penny.

[Danielson99]

How close is Edmonton to the spending cap? They have a lot of new talent - which is awesome, but they have already resigned a few players.

I can't wait to see the new team this year, but I do agree that the Oilers need some defense and a goalie. It would help things out.

They are millions of dollars under the cap, not sure exactly but this year they were about 7 mill under.

[GordonH]

http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/teams/EDM?year=2015

I do so miss Capgeek

[GordonH]

Phaneuf is way over rated, main reason Calgary traded him away.

Phaneuf is not over-rated at all. We all know and see the defensive mistakes he makes, the media knows it and so do other teams. Nobody thinks 'highly' of Dion.

He is simply over-paid. If Phaneuf was paid what he is worth, nobody would be calling him overrated, they'd be saying he's worth every penny.

He's not missed in Calgary, with his current contract in Toronto he is now Brendan Shanahan problem (along with that other overpaid player/Prima Donna).

[Steve-O]

There was an article written earlier this season that Edmonton was the least desirable city to play for based on a poll of players. I don't recall all the factors but it hilights the fact (in my mind) that the NHL needs to limit the amount of no move clauses handed out. Not only does it handcuff teams looking to move players out but restricts a teams ability to bring players in through trade. Edmonton is sitting on a goldmine and could potentially solve some of their problems by trading this pick or either a Hall or N-Hopkins but how many of the guys they might want have the ability to cancel a deal? Once I rule the world, one of the first things I will do is change the players agreement to restrict these types of contracts. Sadly, I don't think I even rule my own household at the moment so it will be a series of baby steps to see my dreams become reality.

[Danielson99]

There was an article written earlier this season that Edmonton was the least desirable city to play for based on a poll of players. I don't recall all the factors but it hilights the fact (in my mind) that the NHL needs to limit the amount of no move clauses handed out. Not only does it handcuff teams looking to move players out but restricts a teams ability to bring players in through trade. Edmonton is sitting on a goldmine and could potentially solve some of their problems by trading this pick or either a Hall or N-Hopkins but how many of the guys they might want have the ability to cancel a deal? Once I rule the world, one of the first things I will do is change the players agreement to restrict these types of contracts. Sadly, I don't think I even rule my own household at the moment so it will be a series of baby steps to see my dreams become reality.

It's a job, they should be able to decide for themselves where they want to work. Everybody deserves that right. I don't blame any of these athletes one bit for negotiating NTC's. If you have a young family growing up, why would you want to uproot them and move somewhere else if you don't have to? If Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Florida, Arizona or whoever can't field a team because nobody wants to play there, move the team somewhere where they do want to play.

[the truth]

are you for real ???????? do you even watch hockey when you get paid millions at the age of 18 you go were you have to go.if I was paid millions to work,i would even move to winterpeg

[Danielson99]

are you for real ???????? do you even watch hockey when you get paid millions at the age of 18 you go were you have to go.if I was paid millions to worlk,i would even move to winterpeg

Obviously you didn't read what I said, or possibly reading retention is an issue. I don't know any 18 year old NHL players who are married and raising a family.

Perhaps if you watched a bit more hockey you'd realize that when hockey players are forced to go somewhere they don't want to be, they play like they don't want to be there. It just doesn't work.

[Thinktank]

Edmonton has cold winters. But it's still better than Buffalo.
I didn't see how the guy looked, but if someone like Eric Lindros makes
a big deal about not wanting to go to a certain city, it's bad karma.

I remember Alex Mogilny when he left Vancouver said all good things about the city.

[Thinktank]

Now I know why McDavid was not happy.
He should have been a Leaf.

but let’s be honest: McDavid would have been of maximum marketing value and would have had the most immediate positive impact in Toronto.

And you’d think that Bettman’s background in the NBA would have taught him a thing or two about the strategic value of, um, “directing” generational players. Remember how Patrick Ewing ended up with the New York Knicks in 1985 (the frozen or creased envelope conspiracy)? Remember how the Cleveland Cavaliers went from fourth to first in the 2011 draft lottery (hmm … don’t the Leafs have the fourth pick?) after losing LeBron James? Or how about 2008, when Chicago native Derrick Rose ended up with the Bulls when that team, in dire need of a star after the post-Michael Jordan years, cashed in on a 1.5 per cent pre-lottery chance of getting the first pick overall? Coincidence? Yeah, right. Professional sports is about entertainment and marketing and money and TV and such. Fairness sometimes sucks. Connor McDavid should be a Maple Leaf, and everyone knows it – including McDavid himself.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhl- ... -a-mcbone/

[GordonH]

^^^ They did not win #1 draft pick.

[Thinktank]

^^^ They did not win #1 draft pick.

It would have been so much better for the NHL if Bettman
would have cheated, allowing Toronto to get him. And McDavid would have been happier.

[Danielson99]

Now I know why McDavid was not happy.
He should have been a Leaf.

but let’s be honest: McDavid would have been of maximum marketing value and would have had the most immediate positive impact in Toronto.

And you’d think that Bettman’s background in the NBA would have taught him a thing or two about the strategic value of, um, “directing” generational players. Remember how Patrick Ewing ended up with the New York Knicks in 1985 (the frozen or creased envelope conspiracy)? Remember how the Cleveland Cavaliers went from fourth to first in the 2011 draft lottery (hmm … don’t the Leafs have the fourth pick?) after losing LeBron James? Or how about 2008, when Chicago native Derrick Rose ended up with the Bulls when that team, in dire need of a star after the post-Michael Jordan years, cashed in on a 1.5 per cent pre-lottery chance of getting the first pick overall? Coincidence? Yeah, right. Professional sports is about entertainment and marketing and money and TV and such. Fairness sometimes sucks. Connor McDavid should be a Maple Leaf, and everyone knows it – including McDavid himself.

Where a player is drafted does not mean he will ever play one single game there. Everything you're talking about, strategic value, conspiracies etc etc is all a bunch of garbage, sorry. Connor McDavid would rot in hell playing for Toronto. If any team does not deserve McDavid it is Toronto. Year after year the Leaf ownership has shown no concern at all for making the playoffs or winning. Now you tell me Thinkthank, why would McDavid be a good fit on a team with owners that don't care? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Now, when you're done talking about draft conspiracies and positive impact...maybe you'll want to have a rational discussion about hockey. McDavid is exactly where he should be (assuming Edm drafts him). They deserve him and they won the right to draft him fair and square. By the way, Bettman has done everything in his power to keep Arizona in the league including bailing them out financially every year. If there was ever a need for McDavid to go anywhere it would have been Arizona...straight to Bettmans team. If Bettman was going to fix the draft you can guarantee McDavid would be going to his team, unfortunately these conspiracy theories are not worth wasting our time on.