Finnish Wing

It's been said that this is will be the greatest olympic hockey tournament so far. There are two major reasons for that. First, the olympics are held in Canada, the country of ice-hockey. Second, this is the last olympic tournament for all the 90's great players, while today's best players are at the top of their game. Almost every country has that big star of the future and past. Crosby and Brodeur for Canada, Ovechkin and Fedorov for Russia, Kane and Langenbrunner for USA, Lidstrom and Backstrom for Sweden, Krejci and Jagr for Czech Republic, Halak and Demitra for Slovakia and Selanne and M.Koivu for Finland. This is great for the atmosphere and media attention.

I'd DEFINITELY have tears if Finland were to win it.

In think in Finland it's even more about the system than Canada.

Is he good enough? I mean I know he's not going to be the next Lidstrom, but is he good enough to be a leading defenseman in a team who wants to win the Stanley Cup every year?

So the lines are: Sedin-Sedin-Weinhandl Forsberg-Backstrom-Alfredsson Eriksson-Zetterberg-Franzen Modin-Pahlsson-Hornqvist

Belarus. I love their ultra-defensive anti-hockey.

I think Kronwall at 3M is pretty damn good deal. That could also mean that he has more trade value. Can he be the next leading defenseman in this team?

I'd definitely support that trade. That doesn't mean I back up my words about Filppula, but Horton would add more top scoring to the team. There is one big question about that trade though. How good will Kindl be? He has obviously a lot of potential and has been growing in our system. He has played below expectations recently though. He's a big guy who still an offensive defenseman, kinda like Ericsson. I have a feeling that Kindl will end up being at least a top4 defenseman.

Sources say Babcock has given him 10 days to decide between retiring or going to GR.

Even if you counted his ppg of this whole season - also the pre-injury time - he's still a 2nd line center.

He's missed 26 games this season for God's sake.

No he's not. He's 53rd among all centers in the league (not counting those who've played less than 10 games, about 5 of them). http://espn.go.com/nhl/statistics/player/_...oints/count/121 I really don't know where you're getting your "facts".

I LOL'D HARD! Where do you come up with this stuff? Jesus. :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDd Above average 3rd liner and a sub par 2nd liner? WTF. He's not playing like a top6 player? I don't care how he plays, as long as he keeps that top6 point pace up. He can jump on his head if he wants to. Although that may cause some problems to his great defensive abilities

I don't really care what "type" he is, as long as he keeps producing like a top6 player.

Fact: Filppula plays on the thrid line in this team when Babcock splits up Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Fact: Filppula is a 2nd liner if you compare him with every forward in the league. Fact: You don't get NHL-level 2nd liners to this team cheap, just because they're possibly 3rd liners here. That's like saying that Kopitar would be a 3rd liner if he were to be traded to Pittsburgh and couldn't fit centering the top6 because there already is two better centers.

So he just IS 3rd liner because you say so? No matter how he produces, your word is the fact. Okay, then. There are basically 74 top6 forwards producing less than Filppula and somehow Filppula isn't a top6 forward. Marian Gaborik was a 4th liner last year? Okay, I see. I think your hate towards Filppula is much much bigger than my bias.

It's the opposite. He is a 2nd line center, but on this team he doesn't get the chance to play there in the future, because Babcock splits Zetterberg and Datsyuk.

I can't defend a guy that I like? I know much about him, that's why I defend him rather than a guy like May I don't know much about. You still didn't reply to the actual point I made. I make three solid arguments and you call them "ridiculous" just because that's the only thing you can do besides admitting you're wrong. Datsyuk, Franzen, Zetterberg, Filppula, Bertuzzi, Holmstrom. Those are our six best forwards in that particular order. How isn't Filppula a 2nd liner exactly?

@RedWingsAbner: it seems that you ignore posts you can't argue against. Still waiting reply for this: It's all the same to me which role Babcock plays him as long as we win. Filppula is a 2nd liner in the NHL and 2nd liner in this team. He is among our 6 best forwards. The only reason he may play in the 3rd line is because guys like Cleary, Holmstrom and Bertuzzi are wingers or because guys like Helm may not be ready to be more than 4th liners. Either way, he won't be going anywhere. Filppula is 106th ppg in the league among forwards who have played at least 10 games this season. There are 30x6=180 top6 forwards (=at least 2nd liners) in the league so Filppula is pretty easily on that list. The reason why I count ppg and not points is because Filppula has been injured this season. Marian Gaborik was still a top6 forward in the league last season even though he had only 23 points. Filppula is a 2nd liner. Another fact why Filppula shouldn't be traded: he's much more valuable to us than for other teams, so we would never good enough price trading him.

Talk about failing...

I probably am, but that doesn't change those facts. edit: Or it could be also the thing that I know more about Filppula than for example guys like Cleary and Stuart. It's kinda easier to discuss about players you already know much of.

This. There aren't even really any good deals in the market for us right now.

Filppula is 106th ppg in the league among forwards who have played at least 10 games this season. There are 30x6=180 top6 forwards (=at least 2nd liners) in the league so Filppula is pretty easily on that list. The reason why I count ppg and not points is because Filppula has been injured this season. Marian Gaborik was still a top6 forward in the league last season even though he had only 23 points.

It's all the same to me which role Babcock plays him as long as we win. Filppula is a 2nd liner in the NHL and 2nd liner in this team. He is among our 6 best forwards. The only reason he may play in the 3rd line is because guys like Cleary, Holmstrom and Bertuzzi are wingers or because guys like Helm may not be ready to be more than 4th liners. Either way, he won't be going anywhere.

Nobody even cares what you guys are saying here and thank God for that. At least Babcock knows these things.