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Totally agree about the goaltending. It's a bit of a truism to say that you need a hot goaltender to win the Cup, but it's hard to build around that. In fact, it's one of those rare situations where having the "best" goaltender hardly ensures you'll have "good" playoff goaltending. Consider that NONE of Luongo, Lundqvist, or Price have a Cup. Also totally agree that a group you can "build around" is a better situation than a few "elite" guys. But that's where I think positional strength matters. For instance, say you've got a couple workhorse centers but they're guys who don't score a ton relative to their peers. No problem if you collective group of wingers do score more than their peers. I don't think we need Super high scoring (80-100 point centers). Another 70 pts. guy will do as long as he's an assist machine. Because I think ALL of our top 6 wingers (and maybe one of our 3rd liners too) are going to score 20-30 goals. In this thought experiment lets use a Claude Giroux type. A top 9 of Larkin, Giroux, Veleno, Mantha, Bert, AA, Zadina, Ras/Berggren/Mastrosime/Svech, probably brutalizes opposition defenses without a single "elite" talent. Same with the defense. I think they need to collectively be able to put up points, without the need for any one player to be an offensive stud. A couple 30 point guys paired with a couple 40 point guys are a really good top four as long as they can defend competently.

yo, I heard he farted everytime...

Lets change the phrasing to "players you can build a team around" instead of elite. I think you can build a team around Larkin... I don't think you can build a team around Mantha or Bertuzzi. Likewise I think you can build a team Tarasenko, ROR, and Pietrangelo. That's what I think we need. 2 more solid building blocks that can help the D-Boss. I don't really care too much exactly where they slot in, but I'd like at least one to be a Dman. Hopefully that's Seider or Hronek. St. Louis really lucked into a HOT rookie goalie this year. I'm far from convinced Binnington is the real deal yet, but we'll see.

One ass meets another. Classic.

The most dangerous set of ass cheeks the league has ever seen

That would be awesome Flashy! You photoshop skills are friggin’ amazing!

Holland missed out on Brassard and Filppula. Should've predicted he'd chase Sheahan next.

If I have to asses the teams strengths/weaknesses I think we're strongest at forward and weakest in goal. Bertuzzi - Larkin - Mantha Athanasiou In the pipe: Zadina, Veleno Hronek In the pipe: McIsaac, Cholowski, Seider Nothing In the pipe: Larsson But really I'm not overly concerned about differences in position strength. At this point I think we need another Larkin at literally any position. Lafreniere winger? Plz gibs. Jack Hughes center? Plz gibs. Elite goalie or D? Gibs gibs gibs.

I figured once we signed Nemeth that Kronwall was done. Always viewed him as the replacement, or at least the stand-in, until Cholo or someone else can get their s*** together. I think the biggest surprise from Yzerman could be his treatment of the vets. He isn't the one who signed Daley or Ericsson or Abby or Helm or Nielsen. He may be more inclined to not stand by them when their play is lacking. Allowing maybe an increased opportunity for guys like Kaski and Bowey to earn more responsibility. Just spit-balling that though

I see your mindflies, your crymsons... but I have three words for you: Eva Unit Zero. Also, I'm not on HFBoards. Eff that place. I'm ride or die LGW.

Are we sure we've even figured out how to preheat the oven??

This particular rebuttal cuts the deepest. You win.

Seems flimsy. Puljujarvi sucks. First, see what you have in Svech. He might be really valuable as a digger for a guy like AA or Zadina down the road (the way Bert is for Mantha and Larkin). If so, don't trade him because you need those guys to retrieve the pucks for the skill guys. But if you're dead set on trading him for a righty, trade him for a GOOD righty. Again, Puljujarvi sucks.

Helm

I'm touched anyone even remembers me around these parts. I still lurk from time to time here and on HFboards and Reddit but my posting slowed down when the fan base became insufferably negative for me. Maybe I'll surprise everyone with some new photoshops this upcoming season.

by his own team's fans even

Most underrated D-man of his era.

you know you did something right when they turn your name into a verb. Thanks Kronner!

Ah. But so will the mods. And the Banhammers will drop. And the site will be gentrified. And the lovable misfits who kept this place alive will be forsaken. BUT, new accounts will rise from the ashes. I'm calling dibs on Zadinaisthefuture right now.

69,420 on the nose

Kronwall gets very emotional about retirement in this interview. Fighting back tears the whole time.