Z and D for the C

Yes. If we had beat Chicago I still believe we would have won the cup or at least had a legitimate chance to.

I think this is the best team we've had in a few years, assuming we stay healthy and one year ago we could have won the Cup. I think we're a little underrated right now.

Yeah, if we could only be the flames with their 4th from last place finish in the standings last year. Well that's not being fair you mentioned Vancouver too, they did a lot better than the Flames: tied for 5th worst record. You're right frankgrimes. we should model ourselves after those teams.

Those were simply arenas, and boring ones at that. This has an entire different level of potential primarily because it's not just an arena but an entire new inhabitable zone (that people can stay at versus going back to the suburbs to eat/whatever). It also blurs the lines between the arena itself and the surrounding concourse/street area. What if on days where there were no events the arena could actually be occupied? How great would that be. You could buy food/drinks/etc from the surrounding businesses and then sit down in the seating. Mad date potential.

About what? Him making Kane and Toews look bad?

That is nothing but an excuse. Franzen was signed before Hossa and after there wasn't enough cap space to sign Hossa to a contract he deserved. Of course he would turn down Franzen money, he is worth way more. There is no excuse for such a horrible decision by Holland.

This is a broken record, but if Pav and Z have a healthy year and Weiss doesn't turn out to be a bust we have a pretty good set of forwards with the young kids and if we do make a trade we should have a better team this year. Two seasons ago we came within a single goal of beating the Stanley Cup winners. Last year was s***ty, but look at our injuries we had. We're not as bad as people think.

Obviously I'm disappointing we didn't get better players...but am I the only one who doesn't think Quincey is THAT bad? If Holland can trade for a top 2 defenseman like he said was his backup plan was without giving too much away I'll be happy to have Quincey. He is a serviceable bottom 4 defenseman.

Why would we want Ehrhoff for 1 wear when we can have Niskanen for 5+? If we only sign him for one year we have the same problem next summer.

More like hurt but still extremely effective or low on the depth chart or playing with players that barely belong on the team let alone in the top 6. I like to completely disregard facts and reality to make myself feel better, too.

Agreed, but if it was going to happen it would have happened already.

They must think pretty highly of him. Interesting

You mean sing a free agent?? Weiss wasn't a risky overpayment who had tons of teams coming after him, he just happened to fail miserably hopefully due to an injury..

As long as it doesn't prevent signing a real top 6 winger, I'm all for it. He was pretty good last year.

Yeah I'm sure it really sucked at the big house because there were 2 other outdoor games going on that season. Sarcasm off: I know the default reaction is "omg bettman sucks!" but having a few more per year so many more fans can enjoy the surely amazing in-person experience and potentially grow the sport is nothing but good. It's a little bit of a bummer that it makes the winter classic less special, but it doesn't nearly ruin it.

Oshie should win, his is way better. Tatar's was theatrical because of the collision, but what Oshie actually did himself was nicer.

Excuse me while I go create the other 99,999 threads about what people would do for all the other possibilities of what could possibly happen regarding resigning Mantha in 2017.

I thought I read something that even if he wasn't coaching he still wanted to stay in Detroit, possibly moving to upper management. Am I dreaming that or is that a possibility?

Unless we sign a bonafide top 6er, I'd like to see Alfie back. He had a good year and could have an even better one if our team is somewhat healthy.

No way, not even close. Even back then, when Franzen was almost as good a goal scorer Hossa, Hossa was still a better goalscorer, ten times the playmaker, a beast two way forward (which Franzen is NOT by any metric), way faster, much better defense, cooler last name, a workhorse and all the intangibles. Franzen at his best might be a better player than Hossa at his worst, and I'm not even sure of that. The only thing that lends any substance to Franzen being better than Hossa is a single playoff run when Franzen outscored Hossa. But that is not taking into account all the things that Hossa provides that Franzen doesn't.

It has nothing to do with hindsight. Hossa was the completely over the top correct choice over Franzen. Holland should have done everything he could have to sign Hossa and then worry about everyone else. I'm not a Holland basher, but it was a complete failure on his part and undoubtedly his biggest career mistake. He was more interested in term length than salary number. He wanted a long term deal.

People with sense also want Franzen bought out.

^ The worst part is he is signed for 6 more years. He is barely effective now and barely worth his $3.9m salary. How will that be in 3 years? Hopefully he can at least be benched all season or sent down to GR, because you know he won't deserve a roster spot at that point.

This is a great way to put it. It's just like pulling your goalie. It's usually about sending a message to your team as it is about actually putting in a different goalie.

This has been said 100 times, all about teams that we've beaten in playoff series in the past. The issue is we have a s***ty top 6, can't generate offense and have have a coach that either doesn't or no longer motivates our team to perform. I know it makes to easy to just say "we need to get bigger" and that makes people feel better, but it's more complex than that.