Buppy

Remember that time that jinxes aren't real? I don't think the seeding will change much from where it's at today, so I'm going to say TB just so I can pretend to feel good when it happens. But seriously, I don't think any of the potential playoff teams gives us a significantly better matchup than any other. We could beat, or lose to, anyone.

Yes it was Butthole Surfers Girl part belonging to all of us edit: Nothing? Ok, hint: homophone

The Mamas and the Papas Mr. Gekko treads softly

I don't think Jurco was rushed to the NHL. He was and is ready. He played well last year, and I think mostly has this year as well. I thought there was a stretch prior to his injury that he looked better than he had all year last year, despite the lack of goals. And just because he's being used on the 4th line doesn't mean he's in a checking role. Every forward in the lineup is expected to play defense, and it's not like the 4th line is being matched up against the toughest offensive guys from the other team. He's doing the same thing on the 4th line that he would do on the 1st, just without the pressure (or as good an opportunity) to produce. Bad for his stats, but not sure it's bad for him as a player. I doubt it will hurt his ability to play offense. And the better he gets defensively, the better he gets winning battles, the longer the leash he'll have when he does get back on a scoring line.

Ministry? Matriarchal Paleontology

Nothing to do with his size, and he has had opportunities in a scoring role. He's spent time on every line this year. He's just in that situation where he has to produce when he does get those opportunities or they'll disappear (possibly even before the game ends). Babs just isn't very lenient when it comes to offensive kids. On the other side, Abby has been a fair success, Helm has been ok, so Glenny got that role on the 3rd line. While that line didn't produced many goals, I'd say they looked good and produced a lot of opportunities. Just wasn't any other spot for Jurco. Maybe with the shakeup from Pulks coming in, it will eventually result in another chance in a better spot for Jurco. Or maybe Pulks will get the hook and those two will have to fight for the 4th line spot. One thing is for sure; he either needs a lot of injuries to force Babs' hand or he needs to do something himself to earn a better spot. Nah, never really seen anything to suggest the Wings would operate that way. Only showcasing in the sense of our management wants to see what he can do. Jurco, Tatar, and Nyquist all had that same opportunity, and I would expect Pulks will be on a short leash just as they were. If he looks good he'll stay there, if he looks out of place or the line struggles he'll be gone by the 2nd period (and that's assuming he even gets the chance in a game).

Partly because of our strong possession stats, but mostly because we just don't have many defensemen who are very good at it. Most likely this is because, when drafting and developing players, we don't make it a big priority. Nor is there any real reason to do so. We have the best corsi, fenwick, and total shots against in the league (though 3rd in SA/60). We're clearly doing well enough without blocking shots. Nor is there any correlation between being a good shot-blocking team and being a good defensive team.

You mean Miller-Andersson-Pulkkinen

Not to say that Osgood belongs in the rafters, but the argument that he shouldn't be because he wasn't better than Hasek, Roy, or Brodeur is a dumb one. All three of those guys could make a strong case for being the best goalie in NHL history. It's like saying Yzerman shouldn't be there because he wasn't better than Gretzky, Lemieux, or Messier. He shouldn't be up there, imo, not because he wasn't great but because greatness alone isn't enough. The standard should be extraordinary greatness or at least greatness plus extraordinary contribution/significance to a team, though some of the names up there now are debatable by that standard. Dino is in the HHoF, btw.

Doubt there really is any hard criteria. I think Devellano said Aurie isn't up there because he's not in the HoF, so maybe that. But most likely it's just having enough guys up top thinking someone's "special". Kelly could be there with the other greats from the 50's dynasty. Fedorov also has a strong case. Doubt either will happen. Personally I don't think they should be. Not really sure Abel, Lindsay, and Delvecchio belong there either. Howe, Lidstrom and Sawchuk are all considered among the very best few to ever play at their positions. Yzerman was such a beloved icon for the franchise, and blasphemous as it may be to say I think he's borderline. It's that kind of stuff that should get you in the rafters, not just being a great player and winning some Cups.

Van Halen was better with Hagar (though they still sucked) Walking Dead is corny (but I love it anyway) Paulina Gretzky and Alyonka Larionov are not that hot Avatar wasn't very good Coffee is awful

Would put us around $62.5 with Nyquist, Jurco, Andersson, Smith, and Franson to re-sign. Depending where the cap winds up, we'd probably be 2-4 mil short. Maybe if we could offload one (or more) of Quincey, Franzen, or Weiss.

Pretty fair deal, provided Franson re-signed, but I don't think it would work for us cap-wise.

Lindsay - Delvecchio - Howe Shanahan - Fedorov - Yzerman Bucyk - Dionne - Mahovlich Robitaille - Oates - Hull Lidstrom - Chelios Kelly - Fetisov Coffey - Murphy Hasek Sawchuk

25 years of only the O6, plus another 16 years prior to that with all 6 in operation.

Fairly certain that "Original 6" started just as a way to differentiate them from the '67 expansion teams. Certainly a marketing tool now though.

Marchenko's only had 3 games. Don't think it says anything more than that he hasn't been awful. I expect he'll get quite a few more games, then get swapped for Sproul to get him a few games prior to the trade deadline. Then, barring a deal, probably have one of the kids up for the rest of the year.

I hope they don't do it. Would have none of the intensity and animosity of the rivalry. Just a bunch of old guys skating around in a friendly pretend game. No thanks.

Looks so uninspired. Like he's waiting on hold for tech support. You'd think there'd be someone more exciting he could pretend to call.

Didn't say we don't have space, I said we're not overflowing with it. I figure, replacing Cleary and Gustavsson with Pulkkinen and Mrazek, plus resigning our RFAs probably leaves us about $5-6 mil plus whatever cap increase. Sure it's enough to add Franson, but barring a big cap increase it doesn't leave a lot of flexibility. The following year we'd have Sheahan and Dekeyser due for big raises. Most likely the cap will go up enough to make it possible, but that doesn't necessarily make it a good idea. It also puts us in a spot where we either have only one spot for a prospect or we have to move Kindl. I suppose replacing Kindl would work as well as Ericsson. But still we're talking about several years of committing $20ish mil in cap to 4 defensemen, none of whom may be a legit top pair guy at that time, while also possibly needing a major overhaul of the forwards.

Getting Franson long-term really only makes sense if he's replacing Ericsson. We're not exactly overflowing with cap space or roster spots.

Yeah, get a lot of people together, you get a lot of different opinions. You have people you wouldn't trade, other people have theirs. Not sure what's funny about that.

Quincey was the last decent player lost to waivers. Also the only one I can think of off hand. Knuble was traded for a 2nd rounder.

Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Nyquist, Tatar, Abdelkader, Helm, Sheahan, Weiss, Franzen, Miller, Glendening, Andersson, Jurco, Pulkkinen Kronwall, Ericsson, Dekeyser, Quincey, Smith, Kindl, Lashoff Howard, Mrazek It's not necessary to waive or trade anyone to make room for Pulkkinen.

Tatar-Larkin-Mantha Nyquist-Sheahan-Pulkkinen Plus Bertuzzi-Athanasiou-Nastasiuk Zetterberg playing his last years on one vertebra, centering the 4th line with some combination of Jurco, Helm, Abby, and Glenny.