tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post7484875931330818025..comments2024-03-17T21:09:46.268-04:00Comments on The Peerless Prognosticator: For your mystery reading enjoymentThe Peerlesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10293195514553989436noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-79976555133217030782010-09-16T13:04:16.770-04:002010-09-16T13:04:16.770-04:00We don't know what was communicated to the age...We don't know what was communicated to the agent (whether Belanger being signed depended on a trade or whether promises were made that he was guaranteed a spot), but an agent worth anything should have known that if you don't have a signed contract then you have no deal. From the sounds of it either Belanger made assumptions or the agent made assumptions and communicated said assumptions to Belanger resulting in chicks being counted before they hatched. McPhee and the Caps can't take the blame for an incompetent agent who is now trying to save face with the media.<br /><br />Belanger was a good guy and took a puck for the team but didn't seem to show the skills necessary to anchor our second line. <br /><br />In response to repeated failures in the post season, we have a team that won the regular season, hands down and lost to a team that had our goat during a season when we owned every other team in the league. I had a feeling last season that if we drew Montreal, New Jersey or Ottawa we'd have our work cut out for us to make it through to the next round and my worries were right. So we failed this time around...lets blow up the team that got us there! We have a minor league team that's won the Calder Cup 3 out of the last 4 years. With Alzner and Carlson moving up and possibly some new blood at wing and center from the lower team mixed with all of the experience and chemistry from the past few years makes us a better team from last year.Barthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02424923806403153304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-78169778847301936212010-09-15T17:23:17.429-04:002010-09-15T17:23:17.429-04:00Seems there is a nasty rumor going around that we ...Seems there is a nasty rumor going around that we get paid for this sort of thing. Just to be clear about this, we don't.<br /><br /> As for being critical, I'll assume the stance you're thinking I should have taken was to bash George McPhee. Of what, precisely? Of not signing Eric Belanger earlier? Of not considering an oral agreement as binding? Of not making the rumored trade?<br /><br /> As to the first, let's not attach too much value to Belanger. He has value to this team, in my opinion, but he's not irreplaceable. Second, other than a breathless e-mail from the player's agent, we don't know precisely what was and what was not agreed to by the parties. Third, what trade was in place? What do we know about what the Caps were offered? Contrary to popular opinion, neither Tomas Fleischmann nor David Steckel (the rumored players to be moved) are worth less than the proverbial bag of pucks.The Peerlesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10293195514553989436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-6500007712747466572010-09-15T14:01:15.984-04:002010-09-15T14:01:15.984-04:00Not exactly the offseason fans were hoping for. G...Not exactly the offseason fans were hoping for. GMGM has failed - new blood is required.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-5229586140730067452010-09-15T13:37:59.243-04:002010-09-15T13:37:59.243-04:00Typical tap dance around the issue to avoid any fr...Typical tap dance around the issue to avoid any friction with the hand that feeds the blog. Grow a pair and be critical. McPhee obviously communicated to them the deal was going to happen (evidenced by the house lease and enrollment in schools for the kids) and shame on Belanger's agent for believing them, but the money was probably too good to pass up. Now we find out what really happened - classless management and lack of professionalism in pro sports. McPhee is useless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-22463294429805005612010-09-15T10:54:27.777-04:002010-09-15T10:54:27.777-04:00Let me lead by saying that GMGM and Boudreau have ...Let me lead by saying that GMGM and Boudreau have done wonders for reviving the franchise and building a fantastic team, and their work over the past decade at the NHL and AHL levels has been top-notch. <br />That being said, their jobs are not lifetime appointments. You can work hard and do well, but when that stops, your job should be less than secure. The lack of playoff success should put Boudreau on the hot seat, and I think that most agree with me there. Our team has had plenty of regular season success, but for nearly 40 years we've been haunted by the lack of a Cup.<br />GMGM has built a great team. But the past two years have been pretty poor, in my opinion. Contract extensions for guys like Erskine, Steckel, and Sloan (without debate our current three worst consistent starters), the lack of activity during free agency this year (no defensemen when there was ample opportunity and cap space), and now the Belanger mess. If we don't win the cup this year, and if GMGM doesn't prove that he knows something we all don't, then a change in management is needed.<br />Thoughts?Boushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429582521581080138noreply@blogger.com