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 Jay
Messages: 1341
Registered: January 2007
Location: Edmonton
1 Cup
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| CrusaderPi wrote on Thu, 31 October 2024 13:22 |
| Jay wrote on Thu, 31 October 2024 12:32 |
| CrusaderPi wrote on Thu, 31 October 2024 11:38 |
| Jay wrote on Thu, 31 October 2024 10:43 |
| CrusaderPi wrote on Thu, 31 October 2024 08:45 |
Halloween and hockey, what's not to like? Too bad the Thursday night football game will probably be a dud.
Draisaitl needs to be the guy here. He's the new 14 million dollar man. He's got a chance to show everyone he's capable of getting a team to the playoffs without McDavid.
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14? Pretty sure the cap hit is 8.5. The last time Mcdavid was injured 29 won the Hart. He's the only reason this team isn't under water already this year.
If there are still people who need to be shown how valuable Leon Draisaitl is then maybe hockey isn't their thing?
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The raise for next year is already signed. He earned the 14 million dollar contract, now he has to justify it. Draisaitl is the Oilers' Scottie Pippen. The great player who lives in the shadow of the greatest will always have to fight the whisper campaign that he's a creation of circumstance.
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I don't follow basketball. Did Pippen ever win a scoring title or an MVP? What's the equivalent of 3 50 goal seasons in basketball?
I wonder if 97 has justified his 12 this year? Or his 17 for two years from now...no cups so far. And injury prone apparently.
I'm kind of joking but also it's absurd to think 29 has anything to prove beyond the obvious (winning a cup).
With the exception of the last two rounds last year when he played with broken ribs and fingers he's been the best playoff performer probably since lemieux.
Switch their nationalities and the narrative around these two would be very different.
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Pro sports is a results based 'what have you done for me lately' world. Players always have to prove what they are. If the Oilers look bad and go 2-7 while McDavid is out a narrative will start to form and we'll hear about Drai being overpaid.
Pippen was a great player. Never the best, but top 10 (maybe top 5) in the Bulls golden era. He's been selected to the NBA's all time top 50 (1996) and top 75 (2021) teams, 2 time gold medalist in the dream team era, and no doubt about it hall of famer. BUT when Jordan skipped two years to settle a gambling dispute play baseball the Bulls weren't as good and a narrative formed about Scottie Pippen.
For what it's worth, I'm not too worried about McDavid being out for a couple weeks. I think the Oilers will do more than tread water and Draisaitl will perform well as the top dog. But he does have to perform. It's his team until Connor comes back.
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Oh yeah I agree he has to perform and that it's his team with 97 out. I just don't think he has anything to prove as far as being capable of being an elite franchise tier player. Semantics maybe but something to talk about.
"Initiative comes to thems that wait"
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