The Greek

How does mantha look?

Sorry, I should have clarified. You and I are in complete agreement. When I referred to franzen, I was specifically speaking about his playoff performances from '08 and '09.

Exactly, furthermore, we don't know what's motivating them. For all we know, they could just really want their buddy on the team. Everyone involved within the organization that has spoken in favor of cleary is pretty secure in his job and has a cup(s). I know, people are going to come at me saying "these guys are professional competitors, blah blah blah". I know this, but they're also human. It may not be a conscious decision, I'm not saying they don't care about winning. I'm just saying they may be a bit complacent. Such complacency, coupled with friendship and loyalty, can severely cloud someone's judgment and cause them to overvalue someone like cleary. Of course, this is all speculation on my part, but it's no different than others insisting that the players are correct to want cleary on the team.

We should all know by know that past performance does not necessarily have a bearing on future performance. Franzen is exhibit A. Cleary is past his prime. Every season, he is going to lose a step. Also, his injury history causes me to doubt cleary's ability to stay healthy over the course of a full season. Even if cleary does make the team better, I feel like this signing was pretty myopic. Regardless of his play, cleary will affect the ice time of Tatar and nyquist, thus hindering their development. In order for the signing to be justified, cleary will have to replicate his performance from the Blackhawks series, and the wings will have to make a legitimate run.

No, he would be on the third line, assigned to a defensive-forward role. Meanwhile, cleary would be on the top line with pav and z.

You can't even say hindsight is 20/20, in this case. Everyone knew Sammy's deal would bite us in the ass.

I ready said it in the signing thread, this team has turned into their personal social club. Exactly, everyone in the NHL knows our plight. Kenny has put himself in a very weak position for future negotiations.

You have to keep in mind that such a trade will deminish what what we get in return. Even though they're getting more players, the other team would actually be helping us by taking on our bad contract(s).I swear, sometimes it seems like this team is run as if it's a social club. Judging by holland's comments, it sounds like cleary will will get an extension next summer. I think this is a bad move from a morale standpoint as well as a development standpoint.

Ewww.

I don't think I've seen brunner's name within the last 20 posts.

You're the first.

I just don't get it. There is no way cleary has the leverage to demand such a contract. This is just another example of Kenny's extreme loyalty.

I'm not too worried. It seems like our euro scouts have vastly outperformed our NA scouts.

I really don't get the term. With his age and injury history it should be one year deals for him from now on.

So Sammy is worth 3 mil, but Brunner is not.

According to your logic the wings should just signs friends and I, instant top line.

Does Sammy's NTC prevent the wings from sending him down to GR?

It's like they're shooting stupidity at each other.

Sorry, double post.

I'm kind of disAppointed. I was expecting a video of Babcock wearing a lumberjack style flannel shirt while decimating a whole forest.

I like the color combo, but the logo is definitely on the hideous side.

It looks like a Stanley cup final between the hawks and penguins is all but inevitable. If this nightmare scenario comes to fruition who do you root for? I know that I'll be cheering for the kings and bruins, but I feel like neither team has a real chance. I know... That's why they play the game, but does anyone really think that either the bruins or kings are better than their respective opponents?

Spare me the condescension. I'm well aware of the point your were trying to make, I just thought it was stupid. Firstly , our society is no more polarized than it has been in the past. Secondly, this is a hockey forum, not a sociological round-table.

I don't see the relevance of the social commentary. I'm a hockey fan, I like having someone to root for.

I would be perfectly ok with holland getting replaced. I just try not to get too worked up about it because it's never going to happen. Unfortunately, babs pretty much validated what Kenny's been saying all season, "Anything can happen in the playoffs, just look at the kings." I can just hear him know, "I think we've got a real good team, we came within one goal of beating the president's trophy champs."