VM1138

The first line probably won't last long. Babcock has pulled Abdelkader from that duty before, which makes it even more confusing that he keeps putting him up there. I guess because Franzen won't use the body he figures that line would be too small with Nyquist up there. That's the only reason I can think of. I think the lines look so questionable because there's still so many question marks about them. Sheahan is impressing, but is he really second line potential? Remains to be seen. I think it's fair to say Tatar and Nyquist will be at the very least second line guys, but Jurco has been on and off the last year, so we don't know for sure he'll tear it up. Nestrasil is another question mark. We know the fourth line will be ineffective, so until these other players become more familiar and reliable to us any lineup is going to look questionable.

Weiss was an established and effective NHL player when we signed up to a four year contract to replace Flip. He spent the first year of his contract injured. Now he's not, and Babcock benches him, presumably due to performance with poor linemates in four games in six nights or something like that? Sports psychology or no, this isn't a Scott Gomez situation. The guy's been injured. He hasn't had a chance to show he had some drastic reduction in talent yet. At the very least let him center some kids or something. Tatar-Sheahan-Jurco is set becuase it works, but a 2/3 line of Nyquist-Weiss-Nestrasil could tear stuff up, at least early in the season. It's painfully clear we're still missing that much needed scoring winger. I suppose Helm could play on that line, as a winger, but he has hands of steel. But he does make things happen with his speed. Unlike Abdelkader, who doesn't make much happen despite his hitting.

I doubt Weiss has a bad attitude. He was Florida's heart and soul guy. Something weird is going on.

Why isn't Nyquist with Franzen and Z? Yeah, we want to bury on of our best goal scorers and neuter tthe top line with Abdelkader?

We haven't been able to trade him in months. It won't happen now.

I thought for sure they learned their lesson about Abdelkader on the first line. Sigh.

The pre-season has taught us nothing, really. In 2002 I'm pretty sure we went winless in the preseason. And we all know how that turned out.

Glad to see Cleary is scratched. But why Nestrasil? Why keep him up if he's just going to sit? And as for Weiss, he's barely gotten a chance to prove himself. Scratching who is supposed to be our number two center is a real bad move, I think. Unless he's still fighting off a nagging injury or something. Even if he didn't tear up the pre-season, he's a competent player who we need to stabilize the roster.

The article states Schenn has always been available. If we haven't inquired yet I don't know why we would now.

I don't think he does. There is so much turnover in the roster going on that he's basically getting a whole new set of players to coach. He may have been here for ten years, but most of his team will only be with him two or three years. You had to jump when you had the same roster for 10 years but already we're seeing a changeover, and I expect some retirements and trades to make the roster that much different the next year or two.

We should really just stop playing pre-season games, or at least ice only an AHL team. With our injury luck, it's more damage than it's worth to put our NHLers in.

I realize such injuries tend to happen after a long summer off, but the troubling sign is that this always happens to Helm. The fact that things like this happen so frequently to just one player makes one wonder about their durability. I love what Helm brings, but if he's going to be injured all year again it might be time to start doing a cost/benefit analysis on keeping him.

Is Mantha still out for six weeks, or will we get to see him this preseason?

It's the preseason. I wouldn't put much stock in anyone's performances.

It's not 2009 anymore. Why wouldn't you pay Subban 9 million? That's what superstars make. We can argue he has flaws but in the eyes of the league he is now top tier for what's available. Having only a handful of free agents every year because of long term contracts also drives up prices. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

Inflation happens. Kane and Toews set the new standard, and I'm sure their agents had them do it on purpose. No biggie. Everything goes up over time. People acting shocked and annoyed are being ridiculous. Did they think the cap would go up and everyone would just keep making their old salaries? The world doesn't work like that. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

That's a good point about Weiss but the rest of your post is just unnecessarily critical and misguided. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

I think you're overthinking it. Legwand is a 45-50 point player. He continued this consistency with us. No matter how few games he played, that's 45-50 points that could have helped us that now won't. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

If Alfie doesn't come back we will have lost two 50 point players (Legwand, Alfredsson) and replaced them with Dan Cleary. When you look at it that way, we need Alfie back. I doubt Jurco, if he plays, hits 50. That's 100 points to be replaced. Some of it will be made up by a healthy Zetterberg and Datsyuk, but its hard to say we are better without Alfredsson.

Kindl is a goner. He was sat in a crucial final playoff game because he was terrible, for an UNTRIED PROSPECT. And the prospect played better than Kindl. They'll waive him and lose him for nothing because no one wants him. Or he will bolt to the KHL. If I were a betting man I'd say he's not in their plans for the future. And we have lost players for nothing. Quite a few times, so it wouldn't surprise me to lose him for nothing.

No sense worrying about Babcock. He admitted to wanting to stay by saying a contract deal will get done. Thank God. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

I just finished Frankenstein, am currently re-reading Dracula, and starting The Jungle by Sinclair simultaneously. I'm on a bit of a classics kick. A nice break from endless history books. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

The concern shouldn't be: do we re-sign them? The concern should be: will we destroy our relationship with them trying to lowball them. Quite frankly I bet Tatar looks at the Cleary deal and says "I'm worth double that.". And frankly, its silly for Holland to get stingy with the good players and throw wallets at the bad ones. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

True, but with players like Crosby you can tell because they over-react to every call in a really embarrassing way.

It's one thing to whine to the ref and another to whine publicly, I think. Yzerman never did the latter. I remember him talking to refs a lot but I don't remember him being whining, unless it was a rivalry game and passions were high. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2