stud_defenseman

I wish I knew the answer to that! For Helm and Abdelkader, I think it comes down to misplaced loyalty and a poor assessment of their actual value. Holland clearly overestimated what these guys brought to the table. Abdelkader was coming off a good year, but he was playing with Datsyuk and Zetterberg and getting PP time. Of course he's going to put up some points. The guy is a grinder though, nothing more. I compare him at that time to someone like Zach Hyman on the Leafs. He plays on the top line, but his role is to fore check and create space for the big guns. He's a third line guy that works hard, and who has happened to find a spot on the top unit. Both he and the Leafs know what he really is though and he gets paid accordingly. At his very best, Helm might have passed for a 3rd-line C, but he got paid like a top-shelf 3C / low-end 2C . Right now I'd say he's a really good 4C, but not much more than that. Again, I think loyalty played a lot into it.

Gardiner isn't going to be signing a short term deal like that IMO. And to be honest, I don't think we should even try to do anything of significance, even if the opportunity is there. Until Yzerman can get some of the bad contracts off the books (Nielsen, Abdelkader, Helm) they don't really have room for any big free agent signings. Bertuzzi, AA, and Mantha will all need raises next year, so we'll need to make sure they've got lots of room for those guys. This team simply won't be competitive while having 8m+ locked up in two 4th liners, and 5.5m locked up in a 3rd line center. The most prudent move is to sit tight for the next two seasons, and wait until Helm's contract is off the books (I'd love Helm at 1m, but 3.85m is f***in ridiculous). They might be able to do something with Nielsen at that point (maybe retain a portion of his salary and send him off for a middle-late pick). I can't see us being able to do anything with Abdelkader though, he's got zilch for value. Maybe in 2 years we can package him up with a prospect and send him off to a team looking to reach the cap floor. But, we might just be stuck with a 4.25m 4th liner for the next 4 seasons. Once those guys are dealt with, we should be entering a window where a lot of our current prospects are entering their prime. Pull the trigger on a big FA center, and a top pairing D-man and we've got a legit contender. No sense in making a big move now though.

Heyyy, c'mon...

Clarkson has a really bad contract, but the others aren't so bad individually. Lupul is great when he's healthy, Kessel is consistently one of the top scorers in the league, and Phaneuf doesn't deserve all the flak that he gets (he's a number 2 defensemen on most teams I'd say). That said... having ALL of those contracts on the same team is pretty worrisome lol.

The only way I'd move either of these guys would be as part of a package to pull in a #1 defenceman (Suter, Weber, etc). It's not too often you get guys that can score goals like this. They might be carrying our offence for years to come.

Ozzie's save percentage this year so far: .882 (not including tonight. Ozzie's save percentage last year: .914 Sooo, with my magical calculation, I'm going to apply his save percentage to the number of shots he's had this year to see how many goals he would have let in this year had his save percentage been what it was last year... Magical calculation: .914 * 726 = 663.564 saves 726 shots - 663 saves = 63 goals scored! 23 less than he has let in this year! All of a sudden detroit becomes the the team with the second best goal differential next to boston. So, even though our defense has taken a bit of a hit as of late, we are letting up a few more shots per game, most of the problem lies between the pipes. I'm getting sick of how so many coaches, players and even fans seem to shy away from laying part of the blame on the goalie. We are always hearing how the goaile "would have liked to have a couple back" or "wasn't getting any bounces", but rarely gets trashed even though it is fairly clear that they blew it. I think I almost threw up when mick was talking after tonight's game about Ozzie saving them in the first! What a joke. Something is definetly up with that guy, he just does not look confident at all, I want my Ozzie of old Long story short, Ozzie needs a few weeks off to get back to basics. Instead of progressing he has taken two steps back. With Stuart being hurt, use this opportunity to bring up Howard or Larsson and give them some starts. We may need one of them come playoff time. Hopefully we won't and Ozzie wil use the break to clear his head and get out of this terrible funk! Arg, I'm so frusterated, sorry for my rant.

As compared to what? As far as meaningful and insightful discussion goes, LGW has not exactly been an ideal grounds for debate as of late.

That is quite possible too. Something has to change though. He has the ability, something is wrong mentally right now.

If they lose this one my laptop is going through the tv.

Ozzie needs to take another trip to get some training to "reinvent" how he playe the game. Except this time maybe he should learn an altogether different positin, cause this one isn't working out so well for him. Maybe Ozzie could be our next enforcer.

Ahhhh horsehit! Another "defensive breakdown".

damn dats keeps tryign to force the pass

I'm not anti-ozzie, just anti- crappy goaltending

I'm just hoping that once playoffs come, and Babcock starts Ozzie (and we all know he will), that we will be fortunate enough that it will work out the same as last year. So when he blows a few games we throw Conky in and he saves our butts.

haha, I don't care what people say, that was not a defensive breakdown. Ozzie just needs to make a ******* save for once. Wooooo Hank!

The only way this deal will really work out then for Detroit is if Zetterberg retires after 9 or 10 years. But if Z is 40 years old and still hammering out a point a game that would be counted as working out as well

I think this is less of an argument for the abolition of fighting and more of an argument that Bettman is a ****** for trying to appease everyone by keeping fighting, but regulating it.

Haha, Im guessing you don't really understand what satire or irony means. Read Johnathon Swift's "A modest proposal" and you might get an understanding. While the author obviously does not appreciate fighting in the NHL his recommendations are clearly ridiculous and even he knows this himself. What he is mocking are the NHL's attempts at changing the rules of engagement. So before anyone goes and calls this article stupid, maybe you should read it a little closer. Even though I don't agree with taking out fighting, calling someone's opinion stupid because you don't agree with it is stupidity in itself. In all honesty I found this article to be somewhat humorous, but its literary qualities are obviously wasted on this type of audience. edit: sorry I don't mean to sounds elitist, but I'm just saying that its not likely that a large amount of people in this audience would have a background in literary studies.

sounds like a rumour to me.

Those guys over at LGP have taken the Hossa signing a little too seriously if you ask me. The thread has been at the top of the page for months now and there is no sign of it slowing down. It has become a joke even to them. I guess it could possibly be due to the fact that it is summertime, but oh well. Check it out for a good laugh. Obsess much?

well, considering that both Crosby and Malkin are probably going to continue to improve I could see them being around the same spot they were last year.

Leafs will make the playoffs this year.

I wouldn't be saying anything rude, but every once in a while we can go back, post something pointless on the thread to make sure it pops back up again on the front page. That way they wil never forget ... would that be wrong? haha. edit: I guess I don't really want a bunch of crybaby pens fans here anyways, so maybe its not a good idea

I say some of us should register on their boards just to make sure the thread will go on forever. We won't let the pain go away.