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You are obviously starting your time frame with 2008 & 2009, which we won the cup and then lost in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. Outside of winning the cup, there is literally no direction to go then down from your starting point. 2010 & 2011 & 2012 we did decline from the cup winning/finalists teams, I fully admit this (shocker, when there is one direction to go in). In those years we got 102, 104, 102 points respectfully. 2012 playoffs was arguably our low, but it was also a tough time to be a GM in the NHL with the uncertainty of the salary cup around the corner. I for one am glad Holland didnt put himself in the type of position Phily is in right now (not good, and right up to the cap) 2013, IMO the very beginning of the upwards swing, specifically in the playoffs. We did finish 7th seed BUT we did it without Lidstrom, upset Anaheim and almost Chicago in the playoffs. This was the first year we really started to showcase our young players. 2014, to me was the breakout. I know the simplistic way of looking at it was "you got 8th seed". BUT it was the first year the youth movement was in full effect. With Nyquist, Tatar, Sheahan, Smith, Jurco, DD all playing big roles. This all being done with our studs D&Z injured for a large part of the season. Boston (the #1 seed) showed to be too much, but at the end of the day they were better. 2015, we take it to the next level. We are currently sitting 2nd in the conference, and 5th in the entire NHL. I dont see how this year can be a part of this fictional gradual decline. It truthfully feels like you are watching a different team. Yes we declined from back to back finals from 2010-2012, but now we are back on an upswing. The narrative in your post would indicate that we have not improved at all since 2010 which is just wrong.

I think where you exit in the playoffs is extremely overrated. Sometimes teams drift to the 3rd round. Sometimes they have to fight tooth and nail to get there. And sometimes the best teams are upset very early. Getting there is the goal of the regular season. If you do that you deserve praise. The goal of the playoffs is to win the cup. If you don't do that you, you should start focusing on the next regular season and what it's going to take to get back to that position. Not blow up the team.

Franzen legwand and goose was a giant part of our making the playoffs last year

Blog post by Warren Tabachnick "If I were running my own company, I’d be hiring a team of hockey players, for their hockey skills alone. Here are 10 reasons why."https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-hockey-skills-real-world-warren-tabachnick

The same reactionary comments you are bemoaning about Mrazek are constantly perpetuated about Howard when he is healthy. I would be more likely to accept that the only thing you have against Howard is his puck-handling if your history suggested otherwise, but I think it goes well beyond that specific area. You can't be upset when people (rightfully) point out Mrazek was struggling and then do the same to Howard. Mrazek was giving up four goals prior to the Islanders game. He got pulled allowing three on seven shots to Buffalo and then gave up four in his next two starts against Minnesota and Florida.

To be honest, I don't see how they don't give Ouellet a spot on the backend next year. There's no way they can't, not given how he's played. Kindl has to be gone, or at least waived, because Babs is using XO over him at every opportunity. If you ask me, they only way X isn't on the roster next year is because he gets traded. Personally, I'd prefer KH to stand pat at the deadline right now, promote Ouellet full time, and probably do just that in the offseason in the backend. If 1 or 2 kids are actually ready right now, I don't see why we don't just put them in full time on the backend, save our selves some cap space, and allow further development from DeKeyser and Smith to bolster our D from within. Now go ahead and shoot me for being too conservative

I'm almost 25 and my parents help me deal with my money. It's not because I'm stupid, it's because they've handle their own money very successfully with minimal input from advisors. If I acquired millions I would definitely trust them to help until I felt I could make good choices with it or until I found an advisor that I trusted to work with. Sucks that he was betrayed by his family.

Don't get me started on Ericsson. 6'4 220lb non-physical floating waste of space.

Edmonton's mismanagement of everything is an atrocity. Chicago and Pittsburgh seemed to have done well with their top pick stockpiles, and did it in fairly short order. Edmonton just can't do anything right. At all. Anywhere.

I'm basing my opinion on Holland. If Holland traded XO it would be startling based on the strategy he's displayed over the years. I believe XO is probably one of the highest on his totem poll. He's always played the long game like that.

That's pretty awesome. Favorite part, hands down: One year, one of my teammateswho barely ever said a wordcame into the dressing room after the second period of a game during a terrible losing streak, put his dress shoes in the shower and set them on fire. He then turned to a bewildered dressing room and declared, I knew those [bleeping] shoes were bad luck.

Russian Sniper > German Sniper > American Sniper

I hope he doesn't pull his groin trying to catch that plane.

I have read Mikey's fine writing and be-friended him on be-facebook and everything. The person below me has gone zip-lining

Monsters starting for grand rapids Wednesday, so I'd guess Mrazek.

Cocaine. They didn't have meth when I was a kid. Alarm clock: Music, buzzing/beeping, or other?

Holland MAY be able to land some free agents in the offseason now that the team is on an upswing again and players might want to come here, but in the trade dept. he def is'nt aggressive enough and won't make risky trades for needed pieces. If he does make a move its a depth trade, or a good prospect for an aging veteran at the deadline.

I didn't. You specifically said monster didn't have a terrible injury rep when he signed with us, which was false. The first time he signed here he was already well known for his untimely "groin injuries"

The only way I see oulette being traded is because he's the low man on the totem pole and babs wants a righty.I don't think it will happen, but I'd it did, I imagine this would be the reasoning.

#croptopit2016

You left out the part where you start dating Emilia Clarke after beating Mayweather for the heavy weight title.

Russian Sniper > American Sniper

It would be more funny if Brodeur was named "Assistant to the Traveling Secretary"

In 1986 Canada didn't select Brett Hull for the IIHF World Championship. At the time he was basically an AHLer with a booming shot. Team USA gave him a call and offered him a roster spot, which he accepted. He credits that opportunity with Team USA to getting his NHL career on track, and has said it seemed disloyal to jump over to Team Canada after that break.

It seems to me that Mrazek is a rookie goalie that's only 22, about 8 years away from his prime, who is 9-3-2 with a .914 SV% and a 2.44 GAA. He may be inconsistent within a game or from game to game, but those numbers don't lie.