Opie

I took it at the Fleet Center the last time they were there. That is why it is my fav!!

This is what Kenny should do with Penner. I see it this way, if Lowe had done this to the Caps after the Nylander deal I would have been ok with it. Getting a little revenge, that is why I think it would be ok to do it with the Ducks. But then again I am looking at this through glasses with winged wheels on them.

He is becoming the Matt Millen of the NHL, instead of drafting WR's every year he is now going to go after everyone's RFA's for the next 5 years!!!

Some one help me out here, IF>>>> There is a RFA that Holland wants can he trade Hudler for the rights to that person . Much like Philly did with Nashville?

Homer - Dats- Grigorenko (I know a lot of expectations but Flip and Grigs can be switched in this scenario) Samuelson- Zetterberg- 2nd RW Maltby- Draper - Cleary Flip - Mule- Hudler Lids - Kron Rafalski - Chelios Lebda - Lilja

GordieSid&Ted Yeah well once and a while a lay a golden nugget!!!

Thanks for the info!!!!

I got to tell you the more I see of Kenny's moves and how slick and "Lack of Buzz" they are, he is the Stevie Y, the Lids of the front office. SO to speak. Everything he does is done the same way Stevie and lids played on the ice. He is respectful of the game (in this analogy the game being the GM Game), he goes at it with determination, never sells out the team. Does he make a bad move or a mistake every once and a while yes. But all in all he usually turns up money. I have been holding back on this opinion until this thread: I think the moves made by Ken Holland ranks in the best of any GM out there. Wait don't crucify me yet, he didn't over pay for anyone. Hasek and Rafalski were both great deals, he left room for Z to be resigned early (Mark my words contract extension), the defense is going to be great this year, oh like last years. Remember the only real difference on D going into the season is Markov, a healthy Kronvall could be that guy (fingers crossed). The one thing the team is missing right now is a 2nd line rw. The players that were available to him to fill this need were way over priced. This happened in Football, a couple of years after the cap a bunch of teams went hog wild filling their roster thinking they had the cap figured out, only in two years to lose all of the young franchise guys on their teams due to lack of money. Just like you and I, I am sure Ken realizes that the central is all but sewn up (yeah yeah injuries and other stuff, that is why they play the game, blah blah)!! He is mixing in a great amount of character guys, hard nosed hockey players. There are still some guys who don't go to the corners as hard as others, but the team is shaping up to be pretty damn good. As of right now the team has 3 of the top 15 d-men from last year (IMO), Lids, Cheli, Rafalski, plus three very capable young guys. (I put Cheli in their because his play in the wings zone is effin awesome!!!) The first line will be great, even if they split up D and Z you end up with two very good lines. The third and fourth lines are going to be great this year. For third and fourth lines. I don't usually post lines, because I couldn't coach a pee wee team let alone NHL team, so for the sake of argument: Homer - Dats- Grigorenko (I know a lot of expectations but Flip and Grigs can be switched in this scenario) Samuelson- Zetterberg- 2nd RW Maltby- Draper - Cleary Flip - Mule- Hudler Lids - Kron Rafalski - Chelios Lebda - Lilja Who knows I could be right could be wrong, "but I can't pay attention cuz I am on that dust" sorry felt the need to quote House of Pain there!!

Best analogy ever (using my best comic book guy from the simpson voice!)

Wow this guy is turning into the NHL bicycle every team is going to have a ride on T-Bo

I think him playing on the checking line will actually help his game. As I said in my other post, when he is surrounded by hard workers he seems to work really hard. Also he seems to really get going when he is playing physical, it appears as though using the body gets his stick going. Now I am not saying he is a beast out there, but he did level Phanuef and that led to a Draper goal, well his chasing the puck down while phanuef stumbled around looking for his blanky led to the Draper goal!!

Man every old Detroit d-man signs today!! hehehehe and it was at 4:20 to boot!

Think of the major impact guys on the roster last year that were brought up through the system: Dats Z Lids Homer I am missing some one who played a major role and was drafted by the wings and came up through the system? It is time to foster our own growth. Take a page from the red sox not the yankees. The sox have a bunch of guys they went out and paid for, but have a tremendous amount of youth. That to me is where the wings need to head.

I was worried that the heavier weight was pre-accident. Thanks for clearing that up!!

I feel like a proud papa today, I watched N4C3R go from a draftee to a JR prospect. For some unknown reason I feel like my nephew just graduated, and this is the first time I see him post.

With Calgary per TSN. Another non impact signing: Jan Hejda signs with Columbus

I mean is a devil sorry for the misguided topic! D'oh and I can not fix my typo in the title!!!

Didn't LA throw him a pretty big offer?

I am worried that a lot of teams with Marginal at best goalies are trying to steal him. And steal him it appears they will, with what he co$t last year a lot of teams will want him on the cheap and probably get him for more than the wings want to offer him.

2 years 1.375mil

Warning this is all opinion: I think Cleary experienced success with the wings because babs is the type of coach he needs and Draper is the type of line mate he needs. I think if you were able to put Cleary on an Yzerman line he would have had the same success. He needs to be pushed. He didn't perform well prior to Detroit for that reason. He was a top line player without proving it, he was paid top pick money without working for it. Now he has sort of a negative cloud over his head. Detroit is the opportunity for him to turn things around, he has a coach pushing him, and if he is given a hardworking line mate (Mule or Flip) he could continue to be better. I think putting him on a line with Dats or Z may make him revert because they look so effortless out there. He may have a tendency to float as opposed to grind it out and work hard. Homer doesn't change his game with anyone, so him with Dats and Z won't impact him.

I think if the team is going to give young guys shots, Howard should be one of them, I am not saying don't sign Hasek. But even with Hasek signed Howard should, and needs to get some starts 8-15 with the club. However that will be cutting into Ozzie's time and he is more deserved of the back up role, and Howard really needs to play in GR a full season rather than 8-15 games all season. It is quite the conundrum!!!

Well I remember a lot of people had the same attitude and approach to Bert. Every week some one, some article, some paper has said, Hasek will be signed this week. Hasek will be signed by the end of this week. Guess what the weeks are starting to run out. (edit: I know there are months left, but this has been a sure thing since the end of the WCF) I say let the rebuild happen, especially this year where it appears the central is the wings to have. Give the young guys a chance to experience some success. Now I am not saying they can't rebuild with Hasek, I still would like him signed just feel that with the offer he got from LA, his head has got to be spinning out of control. This is one of the most inconsistent guys in the league, and I am not referring to play!

Is Kenny making this the rebuilding year. It seems like he is letting the UFA's go by and planning to fill the roster with the young guys. My gut feeling is that he is waiting to see what happens with Hasek. If they can't sign Hasek, Ozzie and Howard will be the two goalies to start the season and that Top 6 spot will be filled with a youngster from within. If Hasek does sign then I believe it is Hasek and Ozzie, and a UFA in that top 6 spot. That is just the way I see this shaking out. Thoughts?

Apparently Anaheim has a ton of money laying around. They must know that Selanne and Neids are done!!