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Cause unlike Ottawa, what happens in Vegas.......

Maybe the hold up was Garth Snow. If I were JT, having LL running the show instead of Snow would definitely increase the odds in me staying.

This seems like the most appropriate place to put this video.....scary stuff.

No. This is now the folks who probably gonna be banned (again) thread.

5 games total NHL experience is a ridiculously small sample size to base anything off of. At least meet in the middle and see how management comes to their decisions and where there coming from and what they’re doing isn’t just flat out wrong All these factors go into roster decisions. Hicketts may very well be on the team to start the season but thinking it’s ridiculous he’s not on the team is just irrational. Lots of legit reasons he’s not a regular NHLer

Back-peddling, that's what you do... This is very much about Hicketts, it's the only point I'm trying to make. If you'd like to talk about something else as well feel free, but I'm talking about Hicketts. You say "he absolutely did earn a spot" and I'm telling you he objectively did not.

Try typing that three times. Unless I'm mistaken it should conjure up Lefty.

If we do, hopefully he’s the steal of the draft. Ya know, in addition to every other pick we have ever. I do like Wahlstrom a lot. And hope that too.. with so many teams rumored to be open to trading down, the price may be a litttttle more reasonable than usual too.

I don't think there's much of a chance Zadina falls all the way to 6, but Tkatchuk could definitely be there. I'd still pick Wahlstrom over Tkatchuk or Kotkaniemi if we're going forward, but I'd still lean defense first. I really hope Holland is doing everything he can to get us another top 10 pick in this draft. Things could get interesting...

Some players are more suited for the NHL than AHL. I think Hicketts is one of those players. He had an abysmal year in Grand Rapids, there's no denying that. But when he played in Detroit, he played very well (better than some of the "vets"). I don't want this to turn into a debate about Hicketts though, because that's not what I intended. Again, I'm not that high on Hicketts. If he makes it, great, if not, oh well. Just give him (and other young players) the opportunity. My point is, if we're serious about rebuilding, "tie goes to the vet" needs to be gone. It should now be "tie goes to the kid". If Hicketts (or any young player) proves he can play as good (or better than) Ericsson (or any vet), he should get the spot. Get younger and shed cap space. There's a bit of a difference between an 18 year old and 21 year old making the team though. Again, this isn't necessarily about Hicketts. I just want the young players to be given more of an opportunity. Rasmussen, Svechnikov, Hronek, Cholowski and Hicketts should be given every opportunity to make the team out of camp. They should all have to earn it, but by earn it, that should just mean being one of the 12 best forwards / 6 best defensemen. I don't think that's been the case in the past. Hopefully that mind set is starting to change.

I’d say at least give Svech a decent chance to show what he’s got at the NHL level before taking a dump on him. I’m not against trading him either.

I'm not as high on Svechnikov as some. Never have been. But he definitely doesn't suck. I've said before that I'd be open to trading him, and I would. But if he's still with the organization on opening night, he should be with the Wings, not the Griffins. If we're serious about rebuilding this team, we need to give the "kids" every opportunity to make the team, whether we think they're top 6 forwards / top 3 defensemen, or bottom 6 forwards / bottom 3 defensemen. I don't see Hicketts as anything more than a bottom pairing defenseman. I don't see Turgeon as anything more than a 4th (maybe 3rd) line center. I'd still like to see them both given an opportunity over some of the vets on this team. Also, I don't think it's fair to compare Svechnikov to Larkin. Svechnikov's progression as a mid-late round pick is much more the norm than Larkin's progression.

So, are you saying that Hicketts didn't outplay the guys you mentioned last year in training camp / pre-season and eventually regular season? He absolutely did, yet he didn't get the call until that one game in January, immediately got sent down (after playing well), and then 4 consecutive games in March / April. I'm not saying Hicketts is going to be great. I don't even think he'll be anything more than a bottom pairing defenseman. But to say "all he has to do is outplay player x, y, and z" is just not accurate, and I think you know that. Like it or not, for good or bad, this organization has always valued veterans over the kids. "Tie goes to the vet". That's not even true though. We've seen young players not only "tie", but outplay older players, and still get sent down. If Holland truly is embracing the rebuild (like he's said he is), the kids should get the nod ahead of some of the vets. Hopefully that's the case over the next few years. We'll see what happens...

http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/news/nhl-draft-2018-quinn-hughes-highlights-projected-position-world-championship-performance-usa-ntdp/z75dnus48r4g1gfsgqzv3rpl5 Another Hughes article for anyone interested. Has a lot of quotes from a former coach of his praising him (shocking, I know). They did mess up and mention that Hughes played at Michigan last year, “40 Miles east of the Red Wings rink.” Wasn’t aware UofM relocated to Canada

I'm not sure how reliable these guys are, but Last Word on Hockey did a scouting report of him: Skating: Hughes is an outstanding skater. He looks like he is floating above the ice. He has very good speed and acceleration in both directions. Hughes has a textbook stride, and the ability to change directions on a dime. He uses the outstanding speed to join the rush or to pinch at the line. Hughes is rarely caught deep as he can still get back into position defensively thanks to that speed. His agility and footwork allow him to beat defenders one-on-one as well as to walk the line and make quick moves to open up passing and shooting lanes. Hughes has a low center of gravity which helps his balance and makes him strong on the puck. Offensive Game: Hughes has excellent vision and playmaking ability, as well as the hockey sense to almost always make the right play. He seems to think the game and anticipate plays better than others out there on the ice. With his skating and stickhandling ability, Hughes is not afraid to skate the puck out of his zone or lead the rush. He can also make a long pass to start the transition game and start an odd-man rush. He has the passing ability and the hockey IQ to quarterback the play from the point. Hughes has the poise to make plays under pressure. He has a good arsenal of shots. His wrist shot is strong and accurate and features a quick release. He uses it often when trailing the play on the rush, or when pressured by shot blockers. He also has a hard and accurate slap shot. Defensive Game: Hughes' defensive game is based on this anticipation and ability to quickly transition the puck out of his own zone. The size is a liability as Hughes can be outmuscled in his own end. He needs to be quick on the puck on dump-ins, as well as using a good stick check to steal pucks from attackers. Hughes will continue to need work in his own end, perfecting his positioning, and reading the play in order to maximize his potential. He could also add some muscle to his frame. Projection and Comparison: Hughes can be an elite offensive and puck-moving defenseman at the next level. He should quarterback the power play and lead the rush. The defensive game is a question mark, and how much he can improve in the next couple of years will determine if he is a first pairing defenseman at even strength or more of a second pairing player. Hughes will likely head back to college for his sophomore season, as he is probably not going to be NHL ready this fall. His game is reminiscent of Ryan Ellis of the Nashville Predators. Yeah, I saw the same thing. He's not a local kid. He is local NOW, as in his first year in college at that school. Still, Holland does love his USDL players.

I think the emoji makes it clear that I was joking. I have never been Anti-Holland and I usually point it out when others are unreasonably critical of him. Sarcastic posts like that are one way I do it without singling people out. My 1000+ posts reflect that.

Is "from Michigan" another way of saying "born in Florida and lived most of his life in the Toronto area and now plays hockey in Michigan" ? Or is it another way of saying "just another played-out cliche trope bulls*** anti-Holland narrative f*** yeah!!!" Just wondrin'

That's what I am here for. (Said with a sheepish grin looking for any excuse to not be banned)

All is pretty much what one would expect, except for Svechnikov... I get that he has to "earn a spot", but it sounds like he's already inked in on the Griffins roster. Is this what Khan has gotten from Holland, or is it just Khan's predictions? If it's the former, that's unfortunate... He will outplay several players on the roster, and still be sent down, much like Hicketts did last year. Because f*** the youth movement...

In a straight up comparison, I would certainly choose Carlson over Green. But with all facts considered, I would rather see Green signed than Carlson. Why? Green is much older, yes, but on only a max 2 year deal, he is the safer and cheaper bet. I would consider Carlson on a max 6 year deal at 7 mil AAV, but he'll get more than that somewhere else. We have to remember that by the time this team is a contender again Carlson will be on the downslide. He may still be a serviceable defenseman then, but his cap hit could hurt the team's ability to re-sign core players at a time when the team is on an upswing. Unless a guy is a true, young, "building block" like Larkin or Ras, we shouldn't be signing 28 year-olds to long term contracts. It's too much of a risk for a team in rebuild mode.

Funny like LOL? No. But I can appreciate someone's creative attempt at humor, even if it's in bad taste. Something doesn't have to be in good taste to be humorous. I agree. There has to be more to the story than what is being reported. A normal human being doesn't just develop irrational hatred for another person (like Ken Holland) without something "sparking it". What it was? Who knows. And we may never know, which may be for the best. Not every salacious detail needs to be made public. That said, the Karlsson's have their side and Hoffman and his GF have theirs. The true probably lies somewhere in the middle. I am reserving judgment for now.

Bean - Carlson Hughes - Trouba Cholowski - Hronek Hicketts - Jensen

So how about them playoffs.....................?

that girl's krazy