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Post by Citris on Sept 1, 2023 10:18:10 GMT -4
Halifax lost the guy that was their number 1 D heading into the playoffs and made the finals almost exclusively behind the best FW corps and Rousseau (I consider him the 3rd best returning G but an argument with Darveau could be had for 2). Take away a massive advantage up front and your D will actually have to play D (where Phillips, Schultz and Martin all got exposed vs Quebec). Halifax has openings and could fix their problems, but let's not just pretend that they are already the best team in the league and perfect right now. A top 4 D and 2 top 6 FW and I'd agree, but this is a one-line team with potential on D as opposed to depth. You win with 19s and 20s, but hey let's say that your 17 year-old, 18 who played mostly as a 7th D last year, and 19 who is a bottom pairing D is awesome. Cape Breton has a similar D but no one is proclaiming theirs as the 'best' What? Furlong is back tho.
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Post by Briwhel on Sept 1, 2023 10:21:58 GMT -4
These ridiculous statements need to stop. Halifax does not have the best D plus G. Victoriaville is significantly better and Rouyn might be better. Halifax won't bottom out but if they aren't careful, they might not win the division. I think it's more ridiculous to say Victo is significantly better then is it to say Halifax has the best D+G combo. This is the thinking that caused "Our team, our time". We had a nice combo of D and a returning quality G, but didn't add any stabilizing factors.
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Post by Briwhel on Sept 1, 2023 10:22:29 GMT -4
Halifax lost the guy that was their number 1 D heading into the playoffs and made the finals almost exclusively behind the best FW corps and Rousseau (I consider him the 3rd best returning G but an argument with Darveau could be had for 2). Take away a massive advantage up front and your D will actually have to play D (where Phillips, Schultz and Martin all got exposed vs Quebec). Halifax has openings and could fix their problems, but let's not just pretend that they are already the best team in the league and perfect right now. A top 4 D and 2 top 6 FW and I'd agree, but this is a one-line team with potential on D as opposed to depth. You win with 19s and 20s, but hey let's say that your 17 year-old, 18 who played mostly as a 7th D last year, and 19 who is a bottom pairing D is awesome. Cape Breton has a similar D but no one is proclaiming theirs as the 'best' What? Furlong is back tho. He was the #2 up to the playoffs?
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Post by moosefan1994 on Sept 1, 2023 10:23:10 GMT -4
Briwhel can’t even troll well, Whynot was not the Mooseheads best D last year, it was Furlong!!
Call it a day bud!!!
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Post by Citris on Sept 1, 2023 10:26:25 GMT -4
He was the #2 up to the playoffs? ...No? If you mean Cam Whynot, he's been a non-factor on the Mooseheads defense for the past 2 seasons at least. There's a reason he wasn't invited to camp, and it's not because he was our #1 D. On the one hand you're claiming to have watched the team play but on the other you're trying to tell me Cam Whynot was the #1 defenseman
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Post by Jack Bauer on Sept 1, 2023 10:30:57 GMT -4
With all due respect... what are you talking about? To say it's ridiculous that the statement Halifax has "arguably the best defense in the league" is... well in itself pretty ridiculous. Halifax is returning 6 D and a Goalie from a team that made the finals. Victo is returning a D that lost 2 of their top 4 including a very significant piece in Brunet... and while they did add Warren that's a wash at best. Victo was pretty bad in the second half last year and was upset in the first round in 5. P-O Roy is probably the best defenseman in this conversation, I'll give you that, but Halifax has absurd depth. And Owen Phillips isn't a 16 year old rookie anymore. Halifax lost the guy that was their number 1 D heading into the playoffs and made the finals almost exclusively behind the best FW corps and Rousseau (I consider him the 3rd best returning G but an argument with Darveau could be had for 2). Take away a massive advantage up front and your D will actually have to play D (where Phillips, Schultz and Martin all got exposed vs Quebec). Halifax has openings and could fix their problems, but let's not just pretend that they are already the best team in the league and perfect right now. A top 4 D and 2 top 6 FW and I'd agree, but this is a one-line team with potential on D as opposed to depth. You win with 19s and 20s, but hey let's say that your 17 year-old, 18 who played mostly as a 7th D last year, and 19 who is a bottom pairing D is awesome. Cape Breton has a similar D but no one is proclaiming theirs as the 'best' Phillips was exposed as a 16yr old in the league finals. CB had guys exposed in round 1. I think you're really underestimating how good Halifax's D is. I'd put Phillips right there with Lavoie in terms of potential. I'd take MacKinnon over any returning CB D other than Lavoie.
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Post by Briwhel on Sept 1, 2023 10:32:11 GMT -4
He was the #2 up to the playoffs? ...No? If you mean Cam Whynot, he's been a non-factor on the Mooseheads defense for the past 2 seasons at least. There's a reason he wasn't invited to camp, and it's not because he was our #1 D. On the one hand you're claiming to have watched the team play but on the other you're trying to tell me Cam Whynot was the #1 defenseman "Wasn't invited to camp" More like chose not to come back. But enjoy your season (Friendly reminder that Midge was one of the coaches during SJ's most disappointing season in franchise history).
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Post by Jack Bauer on Sept 1, 2023 10:35:16 GMT -4
I think it's more ridiculous to say Victo is significantly better then is it to say Halifax has the best D+G combo. This is the thinking that caused "Our team, our time". We had a nice combo of D and a returning quality G, but didn't add any stabilizing factors. How many 140 point forwards returned with the D and G? You're just spinning out of control at this point. Why does Halifax need to have these stabilizing factors for game 1? They already return a solid core with great experience. Hell you keep bringing up CB yet if Halifax had the same goaltending combo nobody would shy away from saying it's one of the worst in the league.
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Post by Jack Bauer on Sept 1, 2023 10:38:58 GMT -4
...No? If you mean Cam Whynot, he's been a non-factor on the Mooseheads defense for the past 2 seasons at least. There's a reason he wasn't invited to camp, and it's not because he was our #1 D. On the one hand you're claiming to have watched the team play but on the other you're trying to tell me Cam Whynot was the #1 defenseman "Wasn't invited to camp" More like chose not to come back. But enjoy your season (Friendly reminder that Midge was one of the coaches during SJ's most disappointing season in franchise history). This just seems like trolling at this point. Chose not to come back? According to what/who exactly? You take these endless shots yet want to come off as impartial. Yet take this same slant in almost every discussing involving Halifax. Now you're on to the coach. It's just endless pot shots and comments with nothing to back it up. SJ takes the biggest feast/famine approach of all. No shit they've had some terrible seasons and coaches. When your owners decide they're going to be a Jr. A franchise after every peak thats always going to be the results for the players and coaches.
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Post by Jack Bauer on Sept 1, 2023 10:41:53 GMT -4
He was the #2 up to the playoffs? ...No? If you mean Cam Whynot, he's been a non-factor on the Mooseheads defense for the past 2 seasons at least. There's a reason he wasn't invited to camp, and it's not because he was our #1 D. On the one hand you're claiming to have watched the team play but on the other you're trying to tell me Cam Whynot was the #1 defenseman It's clear he's not watching many Moose games. I don't either but watching the playoffs vs CB and later round games it was clear what Halifax had potential wise in that returning D...and in Rousseau. ...and that Whynot was never a huge factor. He's your Shortall in my eyes. Good depth. Average 20 if he returned. But not a big difference maker.
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Post by Briwhel on Sept 1, 2023 10:43:07 GMT -4
Halifax lost the guy that was their number 1 D heading into the playoffs and made the finals almost exclusively behind the best FW corps and Rousseau (I consider him the 3rd best returning G but an argument with Darveau could be had for 2). Take away a massive advantage up front and your D will actually have to play D (where Phillips, Schultz and Martin all got exposed vs Quebec). Halifax has openings and could fix their problems, but let's not just pretend that they are already the best team in the league and perfect right now. A top 4 D and 2 top 6 FW and I'd agree, but this is a one-line team with potential on D as opposed to depth. You win with 19s and 20s, but hey let's say that your 17 year-old, 18 who played mostly as a 7th D last year, and 19 who is a bottom pairing D is awesome. Cape Breton has a similar D but no one is proclaiming theirs as the 'best' Phillips was exposed as a 16yr old in the league finals. CB had guys exposed in round 1. I think you're really underestimating how good Halifax's D is. I'd put Phillips right there with Lavoie in terms of potential. I'd take MacKinnon over any returning CB D other than Lavoie. I would take MacKinnon over most of CB's D long term too. On the other hand, MacKinnon at 18 isn't necessarily going to put up a better season this year than Cape Breton's older D. If Halifax weren't supposedly in a go for it year, that would be a sweet D. Again, if they were to get a top 4 to move everyone down, we'd be talking potential best D in the league.
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Post by Jack Bauer on Sept 1, 2023 10:51:04 GMT -4
Phillips was exposed as a 16yr old in the league finals. CB had guys exposed in round 1. I think you're really underestimating how good Halifax's D is. I'd put Phillips right there with Lavoie in terms of potential. I'd take MacKinnon over any returning CB D other than Lavoie. I would take MacKinnon over most of CB's D long term too. On the other hand, MacKinnon at 18 isn't necessarily going to put up a better season this year than Cape Breton's older D. If Halifax weren't supposedly in a go for it year, that would be a sweet D. Again, if they were to get a top 4 to move everyone down, we'd be talking potential best D in the league. Then how it is ridiculous to say they have the best D+G if they're just a top 4 guy from talking about the best D? This is why people think you're all over the place. Adding a top 4 D isn't difficult.
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Post by blueeagle on Sept 1, 2023 10:55:47 GMT -4
Something that is maybe being missed here for me is this:
Comparing this roster to the one you had the same time this year is fine. Yes, it isn't a million miles away (although I would say it is significantly less deep).
But the issue is, no matter how you shake it, you went and added the leagues top goalscorer and a top 3 (at least) playmaker. Two of the better players in the market. Never mind the fact that what will be available this year will be weaker than last year - it's not something you can do year-on-year.
I may be wrong, but acquiring Doucet and Lawrence at that time was kind of a lightning-in-a-bottle moment. I had this team as #1 in the Q for this year at the beginning of the offseason. They are still the best in the division by a mile, but can you really count on improving the team at this deadline even more than you did the last one?
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Post by Briwhel on Sept 1, 2023 10:59:20 GMT -4
I would take MacKinnon over most of CB's D long term too. On the other hand, MacKinnon at 18 isn't necessarily going to put up a better season this year than Cape Breton's older D. If Halifax weren't supposedly in a go for it year, that would be a sweet D. Again, if they were to get a top 4 to move everyone down, we'd be talking potential best D in the league. Then how it is ridiculous to say they have the best D+G if they're just a top 4 guy from talking about the best D? This is why people think you're all over the place. Adding a top 4 D isn't difficult. Rouyn has a top 4 already and the slightly better Rousseau. Victoriaville has two studs at the top then slightly worse depth.
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Post by canbeer on Sept 1, 2023 11:38:13 GMT -4
With all due respect... what are you talking about? To say it's ridiculous that the statement Halifax has "arguably the best defense in the league" is... well in itself pretty ridiculous. Halifax is returning 6 D and a Goalie from a team that made the finals. Victo is returning a D that lost 2 of their top 4 including a very significant piece in Brunet... and while they did add Warren that's a wash at best. Victo was pretty bad in the second half last year and was upset in the first round in 5. P-O Roy is probably the best defenseman in this conversation, I'll give you that, but Halifax has absurd depth. And Owen Phillips isn't a 16 year old rookie anymore. Halifax lost the guy that was their number 1 D heading into the playoffs and made the finals almost exclusively behind the best FW corps and Rousseau (I consider him the 3rd best returning G but an argument with Darveau could be had for 2). Take away a massive advantage up front and your D will actually have to play D (where Phillips, Schultz and Martin all got exposed vs Quebec). Halifax has openings and could fix their problems, but let's not just pretend that they are already the best team in the league and perfect right now. A top 4 D and 2 top 6 FW and I'd agree, but this is a one-line team with potential on D as opposed to depth. You win with 19s and 20s, but hey let's say that your 17 year-old, 18 who played mostly as a 7th D last year, and 19 who is a bottom pairing D is awesome. Cape Breton has a similar D but no one is proclaiming theirs as the 'best' Would just like to point out that those rookies that got exposed vs. Quebec were -1 Phillips and +3 Martin in that series. They also now have 42 playoff game of experience between the two of them. The “19 who is a bottom pairing D” finish tied for top scoring among D in the playoffs.
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