Okay, so with my Raw review and a busy few weeks, the diary has gotten away from me. But something happened today that required me to write. If for nothing other than therapy.
First, I will catch you all up a tad. Now, I don't have the numbers with me, but I do remember some major events. When the tragedy of today occured, I was just fresh off the 2019-20 season. With that being said, the finnacial crunch I was under the past few times I wrote wasn't solved. Every year I was just squeking in under budget. So two seasons ago (fresh off my most recent cup win) I started to have to make painful adjustments.
First came at the 2018-19 trade deadline. I had a nice young player in Michael St. Coix who's contract was coming up. I knew he'd want more money, and with all my talent, he was never going to crack my top line and be worth it. So I shopped him around and Minnesota, who has a storied past of giving me awful trades, gave me two first round picks (2019, 2020). I was happy. That season we had a strong showing in the playoffs and got eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals. I was pleased....apparently, ownership wasn't.
In the off season that year, I had to make two more hard decisions. I decided to let go Zach Phillips, and more surprisingly, our captain PK Subban. Philips was in the same boat as St. Coix, unable to crack the top six, but wanting top six money. Subban's contract came up the same time and the rest of my top four defenders. Sbisa signed a resonable deal, as did Demers, and I have Cam Fowler the 10 mil he deserved from winning the Norris. Subban was starting to age quickly at 30, he had already dropped from a 91 to a 87 and was going to stay in decline. I also let go vetern depth and added lots of young, undrafted guys who had potential. I thought I had done a fine job with what I was given....ownersip, apparently, did not.
So the 2019-2020 season goes well. Everyone steps up and fills the roles that were subtracted. Claude Giroux had a amazing season finishing second in points with an amazing 98 points! We finished with 47 wins, just shy of the lofty goal of 52 set by ownership. Ownership set the goal of getting to the conferene finals, which we did, before being bounced by Detroit in the cup.
And after that season....after (off the top of my head) 4 cups and 6 cup appearances....after battling not only other teams but the cap year in and year out....after getting them 7 first round draft picks in two years.....
I GOT FIRED BY THE MONTREAL CANADIANS!
I couldn't handle it! I would've been less pissed if I got fired from my real job!
Upon reading the news, I promise you this is true, I stood up, pointed at my TV and yelled "AFTER ALL I'VE DONE FOR YOU?! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!". Let me remind you, I am indeed a grown man.
I got offers from the Sharks, Islanders, Kings, Bruins, and Rangers. I hate the Sharks and Kings, the Islanders are hopeless, and the Bruins just aren't fun. So I opted with the Rangers. I do like the Rangers in real life, not my favorite but I dig them. Especially after Mike Rupp's heel move on Jagr at the Winter Classic. They will be fun in the game too, as I knew Lundquist had just retired and I would need to rebuild them from the net out, which is fun. Upon examining them, they have some star guys at good prices (Stepan and Staal at around 6 mil a piece) and some people I will need to ditch (an 87 center which is also making 6 millions).
But let this blog be my statement......my new life goal is to destroy the Canadians and everything they stand for.
No comments:
Post a Comment