RedRockit

Luv, I despised, with every fibre of my hockey being: Brett Hull. I never accepted him as a Wing-- hated the "buying of" The Cup in '02. Idid appreciate the effort and sheer talent he put towards our Cup win, but.... he was a hired gun, no more. I tried to like him, I DID cheer his goals, but.... errrrhhggghhh, he still bites big ones. NOTTAWING. Forsberg: NOTTAWING. Not as his price, and I definitely don't want to know what's in his closet. [veg]

There's a reason his (Lang's) plus/minus was decent-- he skated to the bench every single time he turned it over, leaving it to somebuddy to take the hit for his mistake. Watch your DVRs, and 'ware always of stats. Just sayin'.

I sort of understand it, dunno if I can properly articulate it, 'cos I've tried to defend Bert to non-Wings. I THINK what I see, and what many here have seen, in the guy is as a near-Biblical tale: The Prodigal Son (mind you, I'm not preaching here, just suggesting a convenient allegory). Never felt that one cheap hit should crucify him: but for the grace of the hockey gods, there goest Pronger.Everyone is entitled to overcome their past Just not with the Ducks.

I have a feeling that's why Bert left-- despite his numerous media posturing to the contrary.He's SAID he felt uncomfortable with Wingstyle (read: Babcock), and I'm sure he'll fit in great in ANA.) (May the Hockey gods curse him for choosing $$ over fan ambivalence. That's just... really smart) I DO believe that Bert wanted to stay a Wing. But after Insane Free Dollar Day, that was GWTW: starring Ken Holland as Scarlett O'Hara and Bert telling him, "Frankly, Ken, if you won't give a multi-year, I don't give a damn."

I resisted posting on most of the "would Zubrus be a WingFit" because most posters were so negative and adamant NOT, that , I doubted my own perceptions. He's good, very good. He was integral to Buffalo's success this year:.. daringly saying, perhaps as much as Drury. (yeah, not AS much, but I think he was #3 after Chris and Miller. I was a longtime Briere fan until I got schooled by an old-school SabreFriend.... (but that's another subject) I would have been way vocal calling for him to wear Red if I thouoght that we could afford him. Always knew we couldn't, but daaaannnnngggg. The worst of this signing is that it DEFINITELY means BUF has the bux to sign Vanek to a great contract. Ohwell.

There's a couple of considerations that have maybe been overlooked, as thought-provoking and spot-on as much of the debate raging here has been. For one: These days even high school athletes, if they can, jump to schools that they think will best contend for championships and hence, put them into consideration for top college scholarship $$. Why do they, or more importantly, their parents, go to this trouble-- which often entails moving, changing jobs, expensive tuition, or at best, long commutes to schools? Because they want to ensure a better future for their family, pure and simple. Why should an NHL player be expected to feel any differently about the career which supports their own family? That same career that, for many, effectively ends in their mid-30s and may be the only thing they can do well... not every former player is a savvy investor, a viable newscaster, or even a good real-estate or car salesman or bar owner. Add to that that a great many players suffer physically and have pricey bills relating to injuries incurred on the ice... and the dawn of understanding why a player might choose to take the best money an run begins. (and BTW, though a yearly salary of, say, $4.5 million sounds paradisiacal to most of us struggling to make the rent this month, it may surprise you to find that many millionaires have the same problem. It's a fact of human nature that the more you make the more you spend. 'S'truth!) The other thing I'd like to mention is that, for many pro athletes, the salary they can command is enormously tied into their pride in themselves as a player. Call it egotism if you want-- a great deal of it may well be, but personally I wouldn't give tuppence for a player wholly without ego! One final consideration for players jumping ship: they may just be looking for a better fit for their style, a happier work environment. If you dislike coming to work every day (for whatever reason: don't like the boss, don't mesh with your colleagues, hate the climate/city,feel underpaid, underappreciated, UnderDawg, etc), then you won't be a productive employee. You won't give the company your best feeling your worst.

Actually, I think the (mis)perception that they out-physicalled us seems to come more from Pronger's dubious play than anything else. Sure, the Ducks were big and played gritty, but there was never a moment when we didn't hang right in there with 'em. We lost the series because we didn't score more goals, and that, quite honestly, came more from Giguere's solid (to put it mildly, heh) presence in net. Look what happened when Jiggy had an off-night-- we creamed 'em, and yet, the rest of the team didn't magically become smaller or less physical that game.

Actually, lame-oid trash talk aside, Perry is quite the catch too, although of the three, I covet Getzlaf the most.

Yeah, doesn't a really excellent rivalry in hockey have to encompass some dire hatred at its core? I've loathed Pronger for years and years, and his performance in this year's playoffs exacerbated that to an nth degree.But that's just one player, and I've hated him wherever he played. I do think that the Duck organization, and incidentally the NHL, would like nothing better than to bring back a Wings/Avs-type rivalry, but I hardly think that their signing Matty and Bert gets it done. Like you said, though-- maybe with some time. I do despise the Quackhead GM and coach, and that's quite promising! Sabres/Sens this year had all the elements of a great up-and-coming rivalry, but sadlyI think that probably will fizzle out to nothing this coming season.

That wasn't Penner, that was Perry. Just sayin'.

Yeah, that's what I've been thinking for the last couple of days. Just the way Kenny has worded his references to Dom in the media have all strongly implied that it's a done deal, and if so, there's got to be a logical reason why it hasn't been inked yet. The rationale you gave above makes much sense to me. If so, t's good business on Hasek's part, but I think it also shows that he has a great deal of trust in Kenny, and vice versa. That must have been one helluva bottle of wine they shared!

Yeah, that was my second thought after hearing that Matz signed a Duck contract: "Scotty's retiring, after all." I really didn't believe it would happen until just now-- he's still so young. Bye, Scotty, we knew ye all too well. Enjoy the golf, and your family.

Knoweldgable BUF fans saw this coming from a looonnngg way off. I just got off the phone with SabreFriend, and SF's "well, told you so before the POs". Called it, SF did: Drury & Briere gone, and mark SF's words, Zubrus will be next.

Nicely put. Please bring your pointy hat to the cross-burning to KrystalNacht tonight, and, remember, it's two-for-one to get in if you bring a terrorist.

Kozzie's last years were unhappy ones in DET: he and Scotty butted heads in a major way, to the point that Scotty benched him on several occasions. He WAS unhappy about the trade, but that doesn't mean that his last coupla seasons in DET were a good experience for him, either. He publicly trashed his coach and teammates and the city in BUF, even though most of his time there was spent on the IR list. Please don't mistake me: I still love this guy, and for precisely the reason you cite: the mad turn-on he does during POs. But my gut tells me he'd hate playing here again.

Philly looking like a contender next season-- whodathunkit? Maybe there is something to this parity dealio, after all. I don't like it.

Really? I thought he was happy in ATL. He's always been a fav of mine, but now I wonder: wasn't happy in DET, was vocally unhappy in BUF: now ATL? He's human,he's allowed to complain (i've NO problem with athletes bitching, I'm sick of political correctnesses), but I'm wondering if he even likes playing in the NHL at all.

Aye, Cap'n, Mate Mat found the buried treasure. He was a treasure himself on the crew of the Red Wing, and we should wish him well, not maroon him on the Island of Fedorov, yes?

A man who lives within his budget... I don't particularly want Ryan Smyth (nothing against him, just think he's redundnt on a Homer team), I DO want Chris Drury badly. but I know we cannot afford either. Yikes, at these market prices, I'm wondering if we shouldn't downsize from octopus to squid.

Biron? Briere? Philly can contend, I think.

SabreBud calls up, after a mo sez, "Do you want the bad news now?" Sez I, bracing myself, "Yeah, wot?" Verizon garbles the reply, but I thought I was being told a friend of mine named Snyder had died. Given the original misheard story, this one, *shrug* not so horrifying. (although I AM agonizing-- ANYONE but the Ducks, Mats! yikes. YIKES that hurts) Pretty certain Scott is retiring now, innit? Hence clearing cap space for Matty.

I put it badly-- C'bus (and OH in general) is a great sports area, and I'm glad they have a hockey team. I DO have a problem with the color, however-- yep. You just caNOT expect even the most hardcore, rabid hockey fan in Ohio to get behind a team when the cheer is "Go Blue"! It's just wrong on so many levels.

When you put it that way... it should be a no-brainer! (sorry, Columbus, but IMHO you shouldn't have been given a hockey franchise and named it anything BLUE-- I'll always hate you for that eejit move-- as if anyone in THAT town would proudly display THAT color)

As shocked as I am about those salary offers, heck, the price of everything else's going up. Milk will soon be $4 US per gallon, I guess $8 mil isn't too much to spend on one premier hockey player, innit.

Yeah, him. That one. Yeah, I know we cannot afford him, was merely wishful thinking, but holy cow-- 8.5? Yikes.