DickieDunn

Zetterberg has been as good or better than expected, the best player on the team despite his age and the fact that he's half the player he was a few years ago. Vanek is playing well, too. He's right at the top of where I expected him to be. Mantha is showing why he should have been on the roster from day 1 playing on the second or first line. Larkin is playing fairly well, although he has plenty of room to go. His numbers would look better if he had linemates who could do anything at all. Nielsen is what I thought he'd be, an overpaid 2nd line center being asked to do more than he's capable of doing and locked up for FAR too long. Nyquist and Tatar continue to disappoint. AA is better than Trashill is giving him credit for and needs to be used more. Abdelkader 8 points in 22 games before he got hurt, about what I expected. Still not worth that deal. Helm started hot then predictably fell off before getting hurt, also a bad contract. Sheahan has the size to be effective but is softer than a new born bunny. Glendening is an average 4th line center, probably wouldn't be in the lineup on a good team, has one goal, and is going to be making $7.2 million over the next 4 years. Well done Kenny Miller is a warm body Ott is bad. Dumb penalties, no offense, and gets beat when he tries to fight. Jurco continues to be misused. He's not a checker. Give him time on a scoring line without the threat of benching for a single bad shift Kronwall is a warrior, but a warrior with one good leg. Ericsson is a waste of space Green has been good this year, should fetch a high pick/prospect if Holland is smart enough to move him Dekeyser is in over his head on the top pair. Get a top pair guy and move him to the second unit he'd be fine. Sproul has issues defensively, but he could be an effective player in a limited role if he was used properly XO can do a lot of things well, but doesn't excel at anything. Decent 3rd pair guy, probably not a lot more than that. Jensen has good speed but too weak to do much in the NHL. Decent depth guy Marchenko: See XO Blashill. Fire this guy now. On another board with less moderation, I replace the -ll in his name with a -thead. worst coach in the NHL by a wide margin. Values hard work over talent, misuses players, and tries to be Babcock Jr. He fails. Every time I see him I want to punch him.

Blashill took over what was basically the same team Babcock coached. Most of the players regressed and had subpar years. Larkin started hot, then the longer he was coached by Blashill, the worse he got.. Year two, the nearly universal decline has continued. Tatar and Nyquist went from guys who looked like they could score 30 goals to useless players. Larkin has regressed. AA plays well and earns a back handed compliment peppered with criticism about a couple bad shifts. Sheahan continues to get PP time. Ott gets PP time. Glendening is played on a scoring line. The PP is almost historically bad. Howard, Vanek, Mantha, and Nielsen meet or exceed expectations, EVERYONE ELSE is worse. This team was never going to be a contender, but it shouldn't be pushing for the first overall pick either. All of that is on the coach. Holland is to blame for the bad contracts that are going to anchor this team in mediocrity for the next few years and for not wanting to admit that they need to rebuild, at least not publicly. Jeff Blashill is not anywhere close to an NHL caliber head coach. Holland has done a bad job. These are not mutually exclusive, but some people seem intent on giving Blashill a pass. Name one thing he has done to show he should be coaching in the NHL.

Bowman won Trashill loses. Bowman made players better, Trashill makes players worse. But yeah it's all about being a hater. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

He ain't wrong Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Continues the trend of trying​ to turn anyone with decent size into a grinder Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Richard at 26 popped into this era with his original gear, no. Richard coming into the NHL at 18, having grown up in this era and with his size adjusted to how big players are now would still be one of the best players in the NHL. Same with Howe, Orr, Harvey, Robinson, Lemieux, Abel, and all the other all time greats. I'd like to see some of the guys scoring 30 goals now with the new composite sticks that add 10 mph to your shot score with the lumber they used back in the 50s and 60s.

If I was Zetterberg I'd tell Holland to fire that moron or I'd retire and he could eat the recapture penalty. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

I'd have liked to see a young Fetisov and Larionov start in the NHL when they were 20 or 21 and see what they would have done Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Because he's a terrible coach and anything else they so would be useless while he's here Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Lashoff aspires to be as good as chopped liver. Trashillus just tossing whoever he can think of on the PP. It doesn't matter, his system is garbage. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

He is? Based on what?

Doesn't make it much better nor does ot answer the question. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Just out of curiosity wtf would Mrazek have to do to get an F? He's one of the worst goalies in the league this year and a guy with better numbers was just waived by the BJs and went unclaimed Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

That says a lot more about the team than Smith actually being good Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

90% of pro sports is mental. Jurco's confidence has to be in the gutter with how he's been treated. Get his confidence up and I think he can be a 20 goal guy. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Mathematical odds and actual odds aren't always the same. Realistically it's more like .0000033% because of Trashill. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Modern medicine extends Orr's career a long way. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Ignoring the way a player dominated against his peers and saying "well, modern players have more advantages so they're automatically better" is Echo fantasy land.

The game is a joke. Zetterberg probably said no. Vanek probably was more deserving than Nielsen.

Coffey couldn't hold Orr's jock strap. Orr could defend if he needed to, he just never had to because he always had the puck. The idea that older players somehow wouldn't want to put in the work and wouldn't benefit from modern training nutrition and equipment and absolutely dominate today is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Bias is one thing, but come on. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

They have as much of a shot at the playoffs as I have of marrying Kate Upton. Last time Vanek was reportedly looking for a huge contract. Now he's a rental who, if he re-signs, will likely be relatively cheap.

He still has below average NHL ability. Mind set is only a part of the equation.

exactly. when your linemates can't bury a wide open chance to save their lives, you're not going to get a lot of assists. Add the pathetic PP system and the overall terrib;e coaching, and anyone woulds struggle

By that argument Howe, Bobby Hull, The Rocket and Pocket Rocket, etc. aren't as good as Toews, Ovechkin, and other modern stars. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk