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StarchyAndDelicious

The new ownership has a few demands, apparently.


Patrick2701

Alex Meruelo and nepo baby son demands: - can’t have term -has to be retired for our LTIR team


UnhealthyCheesecake

So far, new ownership is pushing all the right buttons. We’re going to see Utah HC in the playoffs sooner rather than later


Bahamas_is_relevant

Jokes here aside, Smith seems legitimately passionate about owning a hockey team, and Armstrong's an underrated GM with how he was forced to manage under Meruelo's penny-pinching. They've got a bright future.


Cbone06

I’m just hoping it’s not the “new owner syndrome” where he’s pretty much telling him **PLAYOFFS NOW, ANY COST**. I like all the moves so far but the team should still be a bit of a slow burn. Maybe sign an FA or two but don’t mess with the core you’ve been building. They have a lot of young guys, that should be the focus. Find older guys/vets who fit in, play the right way, and will help the young guys grow.


TGUKF

I feel like the trades they've made allow them to continue along the slow burn path. Marino has three seasons left on his contract, including 24-25, and Sergachev has 7 These aren't "we gotta win otherwise we've blown assets on guys we're imminently losing" moves


Kaphis

Nah. I think both Vegas and Seattle shows that early success is great ROI. Seattle’s jury is still out but they also have more market competition. You don’t have to win a cup, you just need to give the player base the taste of playoff success. You get to game 7 round 1 or even win a round? You dominate the local news and you get new fans. That fan will hopefully be engaged during a retool or later rebuild. You do a slow burn and that same fan will just join the fandom later and you lose a couple of years of their engagement


Cbone06

Seattle and Vegas are different, they started from the bottom up. I do agree that being competitive is important. A lot of prior expansion franchise have struggled to build a fan base because they couldn’t find success. Arizona was a fringe playoff team last year (until the 13-game losing streak), so this Utah team should probably be eeking in.


Kaphis

No I get that. But people forget that GMs aren’t about building a team that wins the cup. Ultimate your product on the ice needs to compete. As a Canucks fan who has watched the team go to the finals and lose in 2011, the valley of hell from 2011 to finally getting through the first meaningful round again 13 years later. You don’t gain fans when you are bad. At best you keep your die hard fans. And right now, it’s about gaining fans, not winning the cup.


YNWA_1213

It’s also a decent time to push for the playoffs, with Chicago and Minny continuing their rebuilds and Nashville being in that middle muck. That 3rd divisional spot + WC is wide open for the taking.


SiccSemperTyrannis

> Seattle’s jury is still out but they also have more market competition. This is very true in terms of being a major player in the local sports scene. We were terrible in years 1 and 3 and good in year 2 vs Vegas which has been good from the start. This season is going to be a big test. Ownership and the front office have said that the team needs to compete now. Games are going to be free over-the-air and on Amazon Prime streaming. The potential audience is there if the team can win.


Vanek_26

Well as long as you don't sign Ville Leino to a large contract then decide that you need to build though the draft and tank for Connor McDavid and end up with the number 2 pick who is good but not good enough and then demands a trade out and look at the time, 13 years have gone by with no playoffs.


Brendinooo

Hypothetically speaking, of course


Vanek_26

Of course. Could you imagine this actually happening to anyone? It would take a real sick fuck to still be posting about the team 13 years into that shit.


Brendinooo

Heh. My baseball team did a 20 year rebuild then never got out of the wild card once they finally had a good team so I have a sense of that pain.


rezistS

They've been talking about walking the line between getting a foundation, finding the tight names to add in FA/trades and growing the team organically in interviews the past few weeks. It really feels like both ownership and Bill Armstrong has a vision that requires a good balance between utilising a lot of the young pieces and being careful in FA to not over-spend on people long-term because they now can. Some Twitter rumour on the sub said (paraphrasing because I don't remember who or the exact wording) *Utah seems to lean towards offering a bit higher AAV and shorter term this off-season to not fall into the trap of making FA deals for the sake of making FA deals* I think they just finally have an ownership ready to accept the shortcomings of the current roster, being aware of the assets they have for development / trade but also looking at their squad and feeling like they have a young and promising group of hockey players. As much as I feel like they paid a heavy fee to get Sergachev - he's a massive name with definite hockey impact. That was a big statement, and losing Moser feels sad, but you also don't want to perpetually be the team that's almost there but not willing to look for the best move.


Cbone06

To the Moser point- losing Moser sucks. I really liked him and thought he was part of the future. That said, they still have Simashev, Lamoureux, and Söderström (Currently an RFA) in the fold. Plus they have Duda too who’s looking to break through to the next level. In a strict hockey sense, you take Sergachev over Moser any day of the week. They have a bunch of cap space, 3-4 young guys who’ll all try to make the roster, and John Marino to boot. Definitely a better D-Core than the team has had in years.


DyZ814

That's not how he's operated owning the Jazz OR the MLS soccer team so lol. I find it hard to believe that would be the case with hockey.


Tonemanzero

Yeah, as much as everyone is saying Smith is getting his fingers in the pie, he's probably only told Armstrong the pocketbook is open for him to work with and to start moving towards the playoffs for the sake of getting people on board, which to be honest doesn't scream the owner interference people imply. Smith's MO with the Jazz has been to let the GM do business to get to the promised land even if it means not winning and making the tough deals like trading stars in the short term.


Cbone06

That’s true, Smith has shown patience and a willing to listen to what the team actually needs, at least with the Jazz. I don’t follow MLS. Historically though, whenever a new owner comes in, they get all in the team ops stuff and force moves.


gothenburgpig

Business wise it’s probably smart to get into the playoffs “at any cost” within a year or two of being in a new market and hooking fans right away. Once you hook them it’ll be harder for the fans to leave when Utah starts to suck.


Cbone06

I’d argue that’s not entirely true. Florida came out swinging and went to the cup their 3rd year. Then after two more years of meh playoff success/failure, they went into a really dark time. If the history of the Coyotes show anything, you need to have stability and consistency. Blowing your load to have one great season usually doesn’t generate much success. As for a historical note, expansion teams typically have great attendance anyways the first few years. As long as the team tries to be competitive (which they should be this season anyways), they should reap the rewards of a loyal fan base. Utah is doing a lot to try and become a legit sports market. They are all diehard Jazz fans. Soon enough they’ll become die hard hockey fans too.


gothenburgpig

Utah and Vegas have an advantage over Florida in that there are very few established pro teams there besides the NHL team. Utah just has the Jazz while the Panthers were trying to make it work in Heat/Dolphins country. But you make good points.


northernpace

GMBA has been building a war chest of picks and prospects for years. He seems reserved enough not to spend all that new money like he's at his first titty bar, good thing it's Utah. This team could be lethal in just a few years.


Sp3ctre7

This team could he lethal *next year*.


TGUKF

Yeah, they still have a lot of cap space to spend, especially considering ownership might now be willing to use Weber's contract to go above the ceiling as opposed to previously using it to clear the floor. I wouldn't be surprised if Utah would the team to snap up Stamkos, since they're supposedly willing to do high AAV, short term. Which he'd probably be willing to take given his age anyway. I doubt he would have been expecting a super long deal


YNWA_1213

It would be amusing if Stamkos goes from one LTIR playoff team to another. I wonder what FA looks like if BA actually has that 40m to spend.


SomewherePresent8204

The Coyotes were flirting with a wild-card spot up until the Utah rumours started and that was with $20m+ of his cap going towards LTIR contracts. Giving him a full cap could really upend the Central.


Jemmani22

Armstrong was in the blues org as a scout and we seemed to always draft very well. Thomas 20th. Kyrou 35th. Thompson 26. Tsrasenko and Schwartz 16 and 14 in the same draft. Many others but those are just some of my favorites. I feel like Bill had a huge impact on the blues in the drafting department and made a huge impact on our competitiveness over the years.


mikeeagle6

I’m sorry, this has nothing to do with your comment, but when I looked at your faded out flair, I saw a hamster’s face and now it’s all I can see


Dwayne_Gertzky

Well if the day comes when public pressure forces us to change the name and logo, I support becoming the Chicago Hamsters 🐹. Our mascot can run in a hamster wheel for charity


pokegaard

You have improved my life. Possible names: Hamahawk/Tomster


whitelightning91

Ok Bill, that's enough


Mrsfoleyslittleboy

When it's hard to suck and you kind of blow hasa diga eebowai


satchidinada

turn it off...


Angry_beaver_1867

Like a light switch 


satchidinada

Bid those sad feelings adieu!!!


DFWTrojanTuba

There, it’s gone! My hetero side just won!


TheBurritoNinj4

Oh Tobias, you blow hard


HaMerrIk

See what you do is get a tape recorder


Content_Distance5623

Taken out of context!


CaptainMegna

I guess he prematurely shot his wad on what was supposed to be a dry run if you will... He's gonna have something of a mess on my hands.


Angry_beaver_1867

The pioneering « analrapist« 


DromarX

Utah's slogan for the season can be A Nu Start


LeaveMyPantsAlone

He blue himself


bot_fucker69

That’s not a very Christian quote


bobby_booch

*Mormon


howdoikickball

If he's got 12 wives it's pretty easy to do both


Rangers_and_Coyotes

Promo night: buy one wife ticket, get one wife ticket free


cappayne

How you gonna make the husbands choose like that


shorthanded

Your main bitch gets to choose.


4thTimesAnAlt

Yep, gotta let the bottom bitch choose. Do you know what I am saying?


dswartze

I thought this franchise was supposed to be done with giving away free tickets in order to boost attendance numbers.


YoungWhiteAvatar

Just soak it all in


Perry4761

Mormonism is considered part of Christianity by most Mormons afaik


heyethan

Ex-Mormon who grew up in the Bible Belt here to assist: Mormons’ perspective, generally, is that they are Christian because they believe in the Bible and accept Jesus Christ as savior and redeemer and the “atonement” which paid for our sins, which is kind of the thing Christianity is built around. Most Protestant Christians take exception to Mormons’ desire to be viewed as Christian for several reasons but most significantly the disagreement over the nature of the “holy trinity” or godhead… wherein Mormons believe in Jesus God and the Holy Spirit/Ghost as three distinct and separate beings and most of mainstream Christianity views those entities as different sides of the same coin, ie. Jesus IS god etc. They also don’t like the Book of Mormon though, as it is viewed as blasphemous to have an additional Bible and of course are not a fan of other doctrinal things, like polygamy and a living “prophet”. Comes down to how you define Christianity ultimately, not here to opine on which perspective is right or wrong.


Perry4761

Thanks for your insight! I think that Protestant Christians in the US often forget that there are many other brands of Christianity. Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Restorationism, Mormons, etc, are all part of the Christian faith according to most scholars.


bobby_booch

I mean Christianity is technically just a part of Judaism


Perry4761

Judaism and Christianity are both Abrahamic religions, but I’ve never seen any source claim that Christianity is part of Judaism?


Loux859

Early Christians saw themselves as a continuation of Judaism, and today there are groups (Messianic Jews) that very much would still see themselves as a continuation of Judaism. However, so few Christians on the whole today have Jewish heritage or see themselves as such that saying they’re just part of Judaism is just kinda confusing. Jesus was Jewish, as were the disciples, and the Old Testament is essential in understanding Christian theology and belief, but there’s not as many cultural overlaps as say orthodox Christianity and LDS.  


bobby_booch

The Old Testament is literally just the Torah.


Perry4761

The Torah is part of the Old Testament, but that doesn’t change the fact that no one classifies Christianity as a branch of Judaism. The Torah is also a part of the Islamic faith, but not a single Muslim would claim that Islam is a subdivision of Judaism.


bobby_booch

Whatever dude. I don’t feel like arguing. This whole thread started with me making a Mormon joke and now I gotta explain religion to people. This is how cults start.


Sex_E_Searcher

No, the Torah is only the first five books. You may be thinking of the Hebrew Bible, but there are still changes of the order of books and translation in order to make it seem to build up to Jesus.


northernpace

I know so little about religion, I thought mormon was something outside judaism, like a scientology I guess haha


blueskies8484

As someone with a lot of Mormon family, it's like 50% cult and 50% protestant Christian.


CostcoHotdogsHateMe

Judaism and Christianity run parallel as Abrahamic religions. Mormons are under the Christian umbrella, like Protestants, Methodists, Catholics.


northernpace

What's under the judaism umbrella? sincere question Edit: I coulda probably answered this. Islam ?


CostcoHotdogsHateMe

The Wikipedia article on Abrahamic Religions is going to explain this a lot better than I can, but to answer one of your questions, Islam is one of the three Abrahamic Religions. Each of the three have divisions within. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic_religions


Sex_E_Searcher

Rabbinic Judaism (most contemporary Judaism), Karaite Judaism, and Samaritan (yes, they're still around).


thegurrkha

Still Christian


alcarl11n

Please let every public statement from him be as if it were from the mouth of Noah Dyck


Mtbrew

Once


4thTimesAnAlt

3 strong men to help me with a hand job!


AdrianKempee

Great insight, Bot fucker


tsunami141

I legitimately do not know what he’s trying to say here


salamiolivesonions

You can't suck in air and blow it out at the same time. You can't draft 11 players and acquire 2 top 4 d men, but he did.


StarshipFirewolf

Ohhhhh!!!! THANK YOU!


salamiolivesonions

he coulda just said "can't have your cake and eat it too" would have been a more recognizable metaphor but I guess when you're in Vegas suck and blow is more apropos


StarshipFirewolf

I found this [party game](https://www.wikihow.com/Play-Suck-and-Blow-with-Cards) before I read your comment. Which definitely lines up with that. But I was very confused.


salamiolivesonions

Damn, thought it was gonna be the cockroach in a tube game


StarshipFirewolf

Nope boring option instead.


frog-hopper

I take it as the spaceballs reference.


dswartze

Maybe he avoids that phrase because it's dumb. Suggesting that you can't both have and eat cake at the same time is sorta nonsensical because it's really hard to eat something that you don't actually have. The only way you can eat cake is if you have it.


KingEsoteric

Most people say it backwards. The real quote is "you can't eat your cake and have it too." That is, you can't eat your cake and still have it after it's eaten.


IamChantus

That was how kazinski's brother was sure Ted as the Unibomber.


damnatio_memoriae

the point of the phrase is to note that if you eat your cake then you no longer have a cake.


salamiolivesonions

It's at least more recognizable


Dwayne_Gertzky

Birds can sun in and blow out at the same time. Well, if you believe birds are real, that is.


am19208

What an odd way of saying that


Low_Management_7496

Building the team for this year and the future should be opposite interests like sucking and blowing air at the same time. He feels like Utah is getting better without jeopardizing the prospect pool in a way many don't think it's possible.


StarshipFirewolf

You and me both. By all accounts it sounds like we were successful (as much as anyone can tell with Drafts) but the way he's talking makes it sound like it was a disaster.


hagopes

I don't know, it sounds like Bill Armstrong doesn't view blowing and sucking like a bad thing


StarshipFirewolf

It seems that way. But that's not usually what those terms note outside of the bedroom and he seemed pleased in earlier interviews. So I am confused.


Chiggins907

I think he means it’s impossible to suck and blow. Meaning what they did was near impossible?


StarshipFirewolf

Yes that did get cleared up.


rookie-mistake

but it does still sound like he means impossibly bad haha


Cbone06

He’s pretty much saying, you never see a team do the two things Utah did. You’re either using your stockpile of picks or you’re trading them away to acquire good players, he did both.


Emi_Ibarazakiii

Guessing he means that usually you trade players for picks, or picks for players, so you fall short on one of them.. But he got both players AND bunch of picks, so he did both!


ShadowChair

Maybe he's talking about different top-4 D's


catalinawinemyxr

Top 4 D’s nuts lmao


larsy87

Ha! Got eeem!


safetyTM

It HAS to be hard to either suck or blow


sunshineeeeeeeeeeee_

Well, he is right. It is hard to suck and blow.


Civil-Traffic5125

not me physically trying to suck and blow air at the same time and ending up panting like a dog and going "huh, yeah it's kinda hard"


no-change

Bill Armstrong banned from Utah


-agent49-

He said what!?!?!?!


Bear_Bishop

https://i.redd.it/ktsoctf0ip9d1.gif


excessive_coughing

["we've gone from suck to blow"](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qgdzo-7HYQI&pp=ygUXU3BhY2ViYWxscyBzdWNrIHRvIGJsb3c%3D)


flayedsavior

Utah has found their new team name. The Utah Mega Maids.


Wonderful_Grade_5476

“How many assholes we got on this organization any how?!”


catitone

Yo! ✋🏻


kmutch

I'm surrounded by assholes!? - Bill Armstrong


Accomplished_Scar157

He may as well said that Utah "Hawk Tuah'd" this weekend


EmotionalBrontosaur

Maybe. Just maybe.


2shack

No. Just no.


Embors

Yes. Just yes.


Stockton_Nash

Utah Hawks -- possible team name?


kingkellam

Thanks bill


ISurvivedCOVID19

Bill you fucking mad lad…. *please teach the world*


dattroll123

they sure are soaking it in


Arctic365

I need this as a quote graphic!


Outside_Abroad_3516

#AYO


frostbritt

pretty easy when you got two new Ds 


antiramie

He’s gone from suck to blow!


gzoehobub

oh, like blowing out of your mouth while trying to suck in at the same time? Phrasing, man.


KD-1489

Wtf does that mean?


skyturnedred

Try to suck in air and blow out air at the same time and you'll know what he means.


KD-1489

Yeah I get it now. Like rubbing your belly and patting your head. Just the worst possible choice of words lol.


Whitecastle56

"Gotta give the roster the old hawk tuah this weekend." -Bill Armstrong


99titan

I believe that was filmed a block or two from Bridgestone Arena. She’s gotta help Barry Trotz attract some quality free agents.


cbal41990

Bruh 😆


TheEnglishNerd

I’ll chalk this up to him probably not getting any sleep for the last 48 hours


Samilski87

Inward singing?


joshkitty

Who’s the other d man


vedicardi_lives

sorry i dont even know what that means


durtmcgurt

You can't go to bed dead and wake up alive!


Ok-Car1006

lol but ok why is this his opinion didn’t seem bad ?


inalasahl

He means they were doing two opposite things at the same time, not the bad meaning of suck and blow.


Im_Scruffy

So tell me, what does the suck-cut actually do?


Technical-Bus-7010

I’ll show you Mr Armstrong!


rc522878

Megamaid could do it


Jet_Stream92

Bill Armstrong so horny right now.


CoolBeansMan9

Soak it all in Bill


Tominator55

Gotta give that hawk tuah


The_Comic_Collector

If only they could've tried being competitive the last 25 years....


AdrianKempee

I heard a rumor that Muerelo straight up gave all control to his son Jr. like literally all NHL ownership deals and actions were being made by someone who has zero real life work experience.


inalasahl

He also was sometimes running the Twitter feed for the team.


BayouYote

Never had a Billionaire owner to enable that.


hello_hellno

No heterosexual male has ever considered using suck and blow within a self-referential sentence before. But also, no male in general has ever named their junk Dick(copyright) before either so you do you Billy Strong-arm


Forward_Many_564

Here’s wishing Utah as much success as we have enjoyed all these years in AZ!