kipwinger

Green's most important "defensive" attribute is his ability to gain control of the puck, and lead the breakout, either by skating the puck out of the zone or making an excellent first pass. People who haven't watched Washington much don't realize how physical Mike Green is. He is very good as separating opposition players from the puck. And when he does, it's going the other way in a hurry. I think one of the key differences between Blashill and Babcock centers around this exact concept. Babs did not let any of his defensemen (other than Kronwall on occasion) skate with the puck. Their job was to gain possession, and look to dump the puck off to a forward. This does a couple of things. A) Makes the team easier to defend because you know where the puck is going, B) Makes the defensemen more vulnerable to the forecheck, C) Means that when your d-men turn the puck over, it will probably be in your zone, and D) Curtails the effectiveness of your zone entries. Obviously it remains to be seen how Blash will handle D to O transitions. But I'm optimistic. Letting your d-men skate with the puck should play into Green's skillset, but also improve Smith and Kindl's games (as they're both weak against the forecheck, but really good skaters).

Saying "he's not defensively responsible" is most frequently just a vague way for most people to justify their own personal dislike for a player. The difference in defensively ability between guys like Keith, Subban, and Karlsson is miniscule. Nobody (whose job security involves winning hockey games) would put those guys on the ice as often as they do, and give them as much money as they do, if they only contribute on offense. A 50-60 point, offensive, forward doesn't make as much money as P.K. Subban or Erik Karlsson . They don't play as much either. Yet their detractors all seem to suggest that a 50-60 point forward is all they are. It's bogus.

Who was that one offensive defenseman who kept the puck out of his own zone by essentially being another foward on the ice? You know, the one who was always jumping into the play and carrying the puck deep into the o-zone. I can't remember his name, but I swear he was pretty good. I mean, obviously not as good as a stay at home guy...of course.

Stay at home defense is overrated. I'd rather have guys who can get to loose pucks, get them up the ice, and make plays in the neutral and offensive zones. It's better to have guys that can do something effective with the puck, than guys who clear the crease, block shots, etc. because for them to do what they're good at, you've got to be hemmed into your own zone. I've posted this before. It's Daryl Sutter on why playing defense is overrated. It pretty much sums up how I feel about this topic. http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2014-03-10/la-kings-news-darryl-sutter-quotes-corsi-for-definition-sidney-crosby Here are a few more good articles on the subject: http://www.si.com/nhl/2015/07/27/puck-possession-game-makes-small-fast-defensemen-most-valuable-in-NHL http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/24981849/the-decline-of-the-shot-blocking-crease-clearing-defenseman http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2014/12/30/7464149/nick-leddy-new-york-islanders-nhl-prototype-defenseman

So do you think that people should have to ask permission to wear 18, 30, 33, 24, 26, or 91 as well?

Did you just favorably compare Darren McCarty to Mario Lemieux, Pavel Datsyuk, Doug Gilmour, and Wendell Clark?

I think Verrier will get one. Todd Nelson has had nothing but good things to say about him and he was solid in the development camp. I'd be surprised if he didn't get one.

People can like him all they want to. I'm not trying to talk anybody out of their opinions. But that's a very different thing than having his number unofficially retired, as some here are suggesting. He didn't earn that. He may have had some important highlights, but he never treated himself, the organization, or the city with the respect it deserves. And as a result, he doesn't get to have any of the priveleges that go along with it. The organization threw him a bone in 2008. That's about all the favors "Dmac" should ask for, expect, or receive IMO.

You can pity a substance abuser without any particular need to glorify them, or make excuses for them, in the process. There may be a number of factors that contribute to his behavior. There usually are. But that doesn't excuse it. And I'm not going to glorify McCarty when players like Draper, Maltby, Osgood, Kocur, Chelios, etc. contributed just as much on the ice, and represented themselves, the team, and the city twice as well off of it, without all the baggage. If Mike Green shouldn't wear 25, then I'd expect 18, 30, 33, 24, and 26 to be taken out of circulation as well. Which is completely silly. McCarty is a guy with a few high points, and a lot of "might have beens" in his career. Nobody can take that from him. But IMO, that's not worthy of the respect and admiration that gets heaped on him. Pity maybe, but not respect and admiration. That's reserved for the guys who continue to earn it.

Nah. He's a druggie idiot who could have been a cornerstone piece of Detroit for years (a la Maltby and Draper) but instead pissed it all away. Why should I care about him? Because he punched Claude Lemioux? That was 20 years ago. Who cares? Sergei Fedorov was the absolute lynchpin of those teams and people throw him under the bus for some reason. Yet it's politically incorrect to say that McCarty was a hack. I don't get this fan base sometimes.

People love McCarty and hate fedorov. Unreal.

25 is totally "dmacs" number. I mean why shouldn't we hold numbers for druggie idiots who throw their careers down the toilet while thumbing their nose at the organization that made them?

That second line is going to be sick. Hopefully Larkin and Nastasiuk will keep Mantha honest with their work ethic and pace.

This is a very good point. I hadn't thought about it. There should be a learning curve for a lot of coaches, particularly non-offensive minded coaches, for about a year or so.

My bold picks for the conference. Washington is on the cusp of being VERY good, and I liked the Williams and Oshie moves. Plus their two young Russians are going to be really good this year. Pittsburgh doesn't even make the playoffs because Kessel won't help as much as they think, and because Brandon Dubinsky eats Sydney Crosby alive in head to head play. Washington Tampa Detroit Montreal NY Islander Columbus NY Rangers Florida

That's not true. It's just been over ten years since a Wings coach deserved one.

We'll lose the Conference Finals in 6. To Columbus.

Haha, Boston Strong!

Wait, what?

Looks like TO is going to try their patented "sign a bunch of guys to one year deals and then trade them at the deadline" ploy again. Good luck with that.

Brad Richards is Babcock's future 4th line winger. David Legwand and Stephen Weiss beckon he join them.

Don't believe the hype. Johnny Depp can make even the most hardened of mobsters seem feeble, effete, and impotent. Just like he did with pirates, and cocaine smugglers, and serial killers, and raving lunatics, and Willy Wonka.

In a testament to how dumb Jim Rutherford is, rumor has it that the Leafs were going to trade Van Riemsdyk to Pittsburgh if the Pens hadn't been willing to pay up for Kessel. That's James Van Riemsdyk. The guy who would have been a perfect complimentary forward for Crosby and NOT been a giant ******* and distraction. Yikes.

If Dano can score 26 in the NHL, surely Mantha can score as much...provided he stops acting softer than a Johnny Depp character.

I doesn't matter whether it's an AHL contract or and NHL contract. The intent is clearly to send Dano to the Griffs. How do I know? Because it's not coincidence that he signed for the exact amount that can be safely buried in the AHL without incurring an NHL cap penalty. That wasn't true a year ago. Or two years ago. I think we feel different because I'd love to have Cleary on a line with somebody like Mantha. First, because Cleary was considered an under performing "floater" when he was first drafted too, and turned it around. Secondly, because Dan has never been shy about digging in his teammates ass if they don't hop to. I want him on the team to babysit Mantha alone.