Z and D for the C

Flip's second goal in as many games (unheard of!) gives him his 10th point in 11 games, and 16th point in 20 games. I don't think it's crazy to say that his injury actually somehow made him a better player.

Everyone on the wings is over paid! And that video makes me miss Datsyuk more than Markov.

Getzlaf is like the tough, play making version of Franzen. I think I just made a fact right there.

I'd take Getzlaf over Stamkos 100 times out of 50.

Every game from here on out, like the past 20 games, have been must win games.

We don't need anyone for the top 6. Third line center? Yes.

Definitely not guido.

Cool.

Also you're only taking into account half of the players. But while it couldn't stand on it's own, it still goes back to, and supports the notion that he should be on the second line.

Any ideas where he'll play in the lineup? I've heard talk on here that he might play on the first line but I've read articles that place him on the third.

I'm sorry, I meant forwards.

Agree.

Bertuzzi scored 2 goals in Filppula's return (playing with Pav), he then went 8 games without a goal. Anyone want to venture a guess as to how many of the games he played with Datsyuk? 7 He then had 3 goals in 12 games. Just 4 of those were played on Filppula's wing. This is all going by the GDT threads. Bertuzzi's lack of goal scoring has nothing to due with Filppula, it has everything to do with Bertuzzi. Try some other argument. Yours doesn't work.

Bertuzzi's production halted well before he start playing with Filppula, chief. When Filppula got back he centered a line between Miller and Leino, not Bertuzzi. And it's not like Bertuzzi hit his goal streak the second he started playing with Pav. Bertuzzi was hot because he was hot, not because he was playing with Datsyuk (though obviously, playing with datsyuk will make any player score more).

This is a small point, but from the second Franzen was injured, Babcock had Zetterberg And Datsyuk together, with Filppula on the second line. Then when Filppula went down he had to split them up again. It was supposed to be permanent without Franzen until Filppula went down. And I think with Filppula doing as well as he since since his return, we can put Datsyuk and Zetterberg together on the first line and still have an excellent second line with Franzen Filppula and Bertuzzi, without sacrificing any bottom 6 depth. And I'm not sure how the logic goes when you say that if Z and Pav haven't been doing well together, so they'll start doing well when they're apart.

Filppula was ranked #39th in PPG for all forwards in the playoffs last year (and this is taking into account that he played on the third line for half of the games). We can argue semantics of what spectacular means, but that's damn good for what you think is a "third liner".

Might provide a bit of insight: http://flyers.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=771&id=59569

I see your point, but here is the difference: Filppula has shown no indication of being able to score 40 goals. This season, filppula shows plenty of indication that he can get at least 60 points. Why? - I've noticed it since his first season in the NHL. Believe it or not, I don't just like Filppula because he's cute, or because he's finish or because his last name is probably the most fun to pronounce in the NHL (admit it!) besides maybe Evgeni Nabokov. I've seen a lot of potential in him since I first saw him in the NHL and now that it's coming to fruition I'm ecstatic. (Okay, arguably coming to fruition ) The main point here is that I don't see his potential because I like him, I like him because I see potential - Was spectacular for his role/expectation in the playoffs last year. It's not arguable. - Over a period of 2/3 of a season and over 4 months Filppula has kept a pace of 55 points in a season, and it continues to improve. Now obviously pro-rating isn't absolute, but it's definitely meaningful and it's foolish to think he can't keep up that production for the rest of the season, especially that his PPG keeps going up! This brings me to my next point.. - Filppula has 9 points in the last 10 games, pretty close to a point per game. Now, don't get jumpy, I'm not calling him a 1 PPG player all of a sudden or will finish as a 1 PPG player from this point on until the end of the season, but again, this is indicitive of the fact that every game he plays he is getting better, and further reinforces the belief that if he had played a full season he would more than have broken 50 points, and left the 40 point plateau in the history pages.

Nope, gcom is pretty smart and even keeled, though I disagree with what he thinks about Filppula completely.

My point (And I'm trying to make it as "solid" as possible), using Kesler's history, is that just because a player doesn't break 40 points in his first 3 seasons doesn't mean he never will. This seems to be the basis of your entire argument. And your salary thing is supplementary, so don't go gallivanting that around. I can EASILY go on provide a host of additional detail but I'm pretty sure you'll lose focus and then say that I'm not making any points again. In fact I fear it may already be too late.

You act like 40 super dazzling points are better than 40 "regular" points. Points are points, goals are offense, assists are offense, points are offense, offense is offense. The wings need offensive contributions. Filppula is making offensive contributions. Flip provides what the Wings need. If Filppula is always going to be a third line center on this team, then yes, trade him by all means (otherwise, absolutely not). But I don't think he'll always be a third line center. The past 2 seasons, the last games the wings have played feature Filppula on the second line. I think this says a lot about how the lines should be set up.

You make this so easy, dude. All your logic here: First 3 seasons in the NHL Kesler averaged 25 points. First 3 seasons in the NHL Filppula averaged 31 points. So going from his first 3 seasons, Filppula will never top 40 points. But Kesler's first 3 seasons were worse than Filppula's, so he must be a crappy 40 point third liner right? How can you possibly like him? Oh and PS, no one is saying he should go in the HHOF. So please, stop making yourself look stupid with stupid exaggerations.

If only this post could be true if it was the last reply this thread ever has.

Just a decent third liner? This is just sheer stupidity and unrivaled bias. Even gcom will admit that if you put him on the third line you would have one of the best third lines in the NHL. Filppula could finish with 40 points in 50 games (which is within reach if he plays on the second line) and you'd still say "SEE, FILPPULA WILL ONLY EVER SCORE 40 POINTS! OVERPAID"

What is it? 9 points in the last 10 games? His faceoffs have been really bad lately though. After being 55%+ for the season these past 7 games have been really bad.