BringHomeTheCup!

Here is a question. It was a conditional first round pick. The conditions being if Atlanta re-signed KT. So, since they didn't re-sign KT, and obviously have no intentions of doing so, does this mean that Atlanta just sent KT, and a 4th round pick to St. Louis for nothing? Or would the Blues have gotten something else in compensation when the Thrashers didn't sign KT?

It's Eklund. Taking it for what it is worth was surpassed when you read it. Then you added to the over-investment when you created a post about it. Remeber it's Eklund. It's Eklund. It's Eklund.

Ok, then we will go with Antartica. Potatoes don't grow there, and I don't think any NHL player have ever come from there lol

I don't know you from Adam, but I wouldn't doubt that you know him. Several times I've met and conversed with the Hatcher bros, Belfour, and a few other NHLer's who have 'summer homes' in my area. I don't see why this is so difficult for people to grasp.

I don't understand this move. Unless it was premeditated, it makes no sense whatsoever. To trade for the rights of KT says that they are fairly certain they can sign him. If they are so certain they can sign him, why not just wait a few more days? I can't see many teams getting in line to sign him. And if he does sign with the Blues, it means that's where he wanted to play anyhow. I am a fan of the trade for rights idea. However, in this situation, I just don't see why the Blues did it.

If there is anyone who could turn that franchise around, it's Bowman. I for one would be all for it. I LOVE Toronto. They are a distant second to the Wings, but still my second team. I wish they could get on the map.

No, that's not what I meant. What I meant was simply this. The fact that the Preds have been in Nashville only 10 years doesn't matter, it's the level of intrest in the sport in the particular area. I realize that the length of time a sport has been in the area has a direct effect on the intrest level. However, we aren't talking about the type of crowds the Preds could draw if they had 10 more seasons to work with. We are talking about the current state of the Preds in Nashville. Regardless, there really isn't many people who can say that they are 3rd or 4th generation die hard Wings fans. For the most part, the Wings have gotten as big as they are over the last 12 years. Remember the Dead Things era? The only difference between the Wings of then, and the Preds of today is the Wings are an Original 6 team, and that alone will keep them in Detroit forever. I just don't see how keeping the Preds in Nashville helps out the NHL at all. Moving them to a stronger hockey market, however would help out the NHL greatly.

Let's not get the cart before the horse here. Before Kronwall can be asked to step up, he needs to shake his injury bug and play a full season. And yes, full season does include playoffs.

Quoted from www.spectorshockey.net/traderumors '.....Blues have placed veteran forward Dallas Drake (team captain) on waivers, a process necessary to buy out the remaining year of his contract. Teams have 24 hours to claim him, but if he goes unclaimed, the $1.1 million he was owed for next season will be bought out at two-thirds it's value but because Drake was over 35 and signed a multi-year deal it'll still count as $1.1 million against their cap next season.' That's what I was referring to.

First, the length of time the teams has been around is irrelevant. What is relevant is the intrest in the sport in each area. And yes, there is much higher intrest in hockey here, than in Tennessee. Second, to look at the percentages on ticket sales, it's a bit misleading. The tickets that typically don't sell during the regular season at the Joe are the upper deck seats. The fact of the matter is the Wings average attendance is higher than the Preds could ever be. I know it's because the Preds can only draw 17000. However, 17000 people at the Joe and it feels empty. Third, the unemployment rate, and average salary. Since Detroit has roughly twice the population of Nashville, you can just about garuntee that there will be more unemplyed here than Nashville. What's misleading is the number of people who do have jobs, and the average salary. No way is the actual average anywhere near the $24.85 you stated. I know you got that from a site and all, but it just isn't true. I would not argue that far more people are working here. However, I would venture to say that the true average salary is going to be around $14-$18 per hour. The reasoning is that the seperation between the wealth and the average person here. At $24.85 per hour, that person woould be bringing in $50k a year, pretty decent. But I've read on a few different site that in Michigan the average combined household income is $60,000. I would assume that to some extent, the same could be said about Nashville. Lastly, don't forget that Detroit has 3 other professional teams that are supported with great passion.

Hah, yeah you are right. Let's go with apples.

Whomever picks up Drake will get a lot of grit, leadership, and heart for a very reasonable price. I just don't understand why St. Louis did this. The intention is to buy out Drake, and if no one picks him off waivers, he wil be bought out. However, St. Louis gains nothing by doing this. They will still be on the hook for his $1.1.

This isn't any real surprise to me, or anyone in the Preds organization. Every time there is talk of a professional sports team moving, you see a sudden swell of support from the fans. I personally thinks it's just a bunch of BS because it's not going to work, in most cases. I don't think it matters to Balli, he if he gets the Preds, he will move them. The only thing that concerns him is whether or not he will have to compensate the city of Nashville or not. Not knocking any of the real Preds fans, but I don't think that Nashville should have a team. It's not because I have some idea that hockey should only be played in cities where it will flourish. Rather, the experiment was tried, and it failed. Yes, there are some die hard fans there. But I bet most of those fans aren't have been transplanted to Nashville. I'm not saying it's impossible for someone in Nashville to become a fan, just that for the most part it isn't happening. I would love to see the team moved to Hamilton. It's another Canadian team. I've said this before, but it would help out the entire league by moving a team there. Canadian teams have higher merch sales, ticket sales, and fan bases than your average American team. The only trouble they have really had in the past was the weakness of the Canadian dollar. But it's surging back, almost equal with the American dollar now. If you subtract a weak market American team, and add in an average market Canadian team, you gain so much more. I think in the long run, this would be a great move for the NHL. Yes, I am sorry that all of you real hockey fans down in Nashville will get your team ripped away from you. I really am. But I would much rather see the NHL get stronger as a whole, than see another team in the States keep sinking. Someone earlier mentioned that this move wouldn't help a TV deal in the U.S. Personally, I don't care, I am already getting screwed over by VS anyhow, it can't get any worse. Bettman has to bite the bullet here, and take whatever ESPN is willing to give. That is where the market is at. How many of us here LOVED Bucci, Chicken Parm, and Melrose on NHL2NITE? Getting the team out of Nashville is best for the NHL. Long term, the Preds will fail to draw any real crowds.

I started playing when I was in middle school, played travel, now it's just the beer leagues. I wouldn't give it up for anything.

I don't really care about growing the game as much as I do the NHL as a whole. If Canada gets another team, attendance, mech sales, everything goes up. As for a TV deal here in the US, we are going ot get bent over on that for years to come.

I didn't say I didn't care if he went on an 82 game shutout streak. I said 'if he had and 82 game shutout streak'. Had, meaning in the past. I'll rephrase for you. I don't care if, in 97-98, Osgood went on an 82 game shutout streak. He isn't the same goalie he was then, he isn't that good anymore. Regardless of the shutout streak. My point is, the past means nothing. Focus on the hear and now. Osgood is not even equal to Raycroft. Raycroft is better.

Well, when one punch knocks you out, when any other two just leave you dizzy....

Kronwall is the first name that jumps to my mind. The only trouble is he will spend more time on the DL than anything.

You totally misinterpeted what I said. Let me rephrase for you. When I complain about Hasek, WHEN, it won't be 'I think Holland should have traded or signed so-and-so!'. It will be because he wanders from his net too much, which he admits to. Or because he lets in a soft goal, or has a bad game, which he admits to. I'm not sure what you are talking about in the first paragraph, so if you would fill me in, that'd be sweet. I never said Dom wasn't good in this years playoffs, only that he needed to be better. If you want to give him as much credit to say he got the Wings further than they had been since '01, then you have to also blame him for not getting them further than he did. It's a double-edged sword. On occasion, I will say Dom is horrible, blah blah blah. It's usually when I get into a heated discussion, or after he blows a game for the Wings. But more often than not, I give him credit when it's due. On the flip side, I will rag on him when it's due. Regardless, I know that I am not as good as he is, nor could I even dream of it. For that matter, you aren't either. So if you argue that someone shouldn't be able to say that 'Dom should have had that one', conversely you shouldn't be able to say 'Dom is so great, he makes huge saves'. Why? Because using your line of logic, we don't know what it's like to play at that level, so we cannot comment on it. I don't care who is in net. It could be the ghost of Vezina, Turco, Luongo, Marty, or, yes even Dom. When he lets in a bad goal, it kills the morale of a team. That's just how it works. Regardless of what the guys say in teh papers, what they feel at that moment, and for some time after it is different. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you've never played a game that meant anything to you. It's funny that you say all I see in Dom is negatives. In reality, you are reading my posts, and just pulling out the negative things I've said about Dom. You are the one who is jumping all over the Hasek things in what I originally wrote, attacking that in a sense. If you had read what was said, you would realize I wasn't dogging Dom, just making some legit points. You should stop living in the past. I don't care what Ozzie has done in the past, it means NOTHING right now. I don't care if Ozzie had an 82 game shutout streak, he isn't that good anymore. I don't see how you can think he is better than Raycroft. I'm not saying Raycroft is a badass, or even the next big thing. Merely that he is better TODAY than Ozzie. All those things you mentioned about Ozzie are meaningless, he isn't the same player. Much like RIGHT NOW Malts is a better player than Stevie. Plain and simple. Best tandom in the league is a joke. No way you could even come close. When you talk goaltending, in this senario it's a one two punch. Well, look at how many games Luongo and Marty play. My point? THEY ARE A ONE TWO PUNCH ALL ALONE. THEY DON'T REALLY NEED A BACKUP! Yes, more can be asked of Dom. Had the Wings won the Cup, he wouldn't have been a Conn Smythe thought. He could have played better, and the Wings needed him to.

No, having someone that can pass like Joey would only promote more shooting by Sammy. Sadly, this would just mean more chest pounding shots from Sammy. Although, I guess the odds of one actually going through the netminder would increase with the number of shots taken....

I try, but it's like watching a car wreck. You know you shouldn't watch, but you just can't seem to look away.

You are guilty of giving Rex too much praise. He played a lot with Lang, who yeah, isn't great but he is a good setup man. Rex won't incease his scoring proportionately. Just like Torres, he is a 3rd line guy. No way he is on a 2nd line. Well, maybe in Phoenix, but even that is a stretch. He isn't that fast, he isn't gritty. He does have a good shot, and hands. But he has watched Lang too much. BTW, again, Meech being 'NHL ready' is a matter of opinion. And again, I pose the question, if he is 'NHL ready', why was it Quincey called up, and not Meech during the playoffs?

Do you intentionally start threads with idiotic ideas just to get a responce from people?

It's funny how on one hand you use Rex's one decent season as a positive, but ignore Torres's HUGE playoff as just 'one good playoff'. Straw house....

The only problem I see with getting Jesus is he is terrible with money, and he has a HUGE ego. His issues with managing his money will only lead to a future hold out for more a bigger contract. And once he leaves, you never know exactly when he will return. And the ego would cause hell (no pun intended) in the dressing room.