NHL 2014

[Ming]

Making correct picks before the games are played is a skill...
Saying that if you had made different picks, after the fact, you would have done better... no ****
The score pretty much sums it up

[Demonbinder]

From Game 6 at the United Center:

http://gigapixel.panoramas.com/stanleycup/2015/

It is a 26 billion gigapixel photo that you can move around and scan the crowd as well as zooming in and seeing individuals and being able to tag them. I suppose now if someone says they were at the game you could see if they were telling the truth.

[Ben Kenobi]

Making correct picks before the games are played is a skill.

Coincidentally Blackhawks fans did quite well this year.

Seriously - say that we're picking stocks. All of you read a paper from one source and decide to all put your money into that one stock. That stock outperforms expectations.

How do you determine the difference in skill if all of you make the same choices for the same reason?

Would you rather put your money with the person who followed this group or the person who had good picks over a wider spread?

[Ming]

I'd rather put my money with the winner, not the loser.
But keep thinking how good your picks were and how skillful you were with your last place finish... benland must be a wonderful place.

Enough of this... Go Hawks.

[joncha]

Silly Ming. You only won because you picked the winners. There's no skill in that. I would've won too if the teams I picked hadn't lost.

[rah]

Sad to see the team losing good players but I said the same thing after 2010 and they found a way back again and again.
Let's hope it's the same this time.

[Ming]

They made the best of a bad situation. At least they got something in return. But Damn... he was another of those players you could build around. SIGH!

[-Jrabbit]

Saad wanted his (well-deserved) big payday, and the alleged "hometown discount" didn't happen (he wants $6.5MM/yr). As you say, at least they got some decent talent in return.

The Hawks have done a good job of keeping their core players, but the cap dictates that you can't just declare everyone "core" and sign them. I know a lot of fans are angry and/or bummed, but this had to be gut-wrenching for management as well.

In Bowman we trust!

[rah]

Just a little Saad about it.

[Sava]

Bowman did the right thing. Saad is not worth that $6.5mil +.

They didn't lose Toews or Kane. Saad is certainly among their "top 6" in terms of talent, but he isn't a cornerstone player, no team is going to win the cup with Saad as their top player

If anything, I think this opens the door for Teuvo Teravainen to get more ice time

This is the new NHL... managing the value of talent. You win cups by getting the most talent for the least amount of money.

Saad wanted star money. He's not a star. Maybe he becomes one. But, I doubt it. He might shine a little on Columbus because he'll be getting more ice time... I'm thinking, something similar to Ladd's numbers the year he left.

but that's also his Saad's ceiling, I think

[rah]

I hope you're right. He has the talent and it would be hard to watch him become a superstar somewhere else. But that's the salary cap. You can only afford so many stars, and the Hawks have quite a few already. I was hoping he'd get the money that would have been freed up with Sharp and Bickell moved. But there are worse problems to have.

[rah]

Ok, I need the help from the CHI-Town crowd for a bet at work.
Could you please list your favorite Black Hawk from this year's team.

[-Jrabbit]

Toews.

[Ming]

Toews

[Donegeal]

Same. Toews.