StaticWithABeat

I might agree with you if this were, say, 1992. Unfortunately, the days of planting big monster defenseman in front of the net to flatten any forward who comes near it are gone...unless, of course, your team strategy is to pile up as many obstruction/interference penalties as possible. That's why big, slow, modestly-talented players like Ference are disappearing from the NHL and being replaced by smaller, faster players like Lebda. But I must admit, I do love watching Lilja "clean out the crease" with his size and strength...truly a display of raw power the likes of which hasn't been seen since the glory days of Anders Myrvold.

heheh...Maltby hits the other team's best batter in the head with a pitch, McCarty dives out of the stands to fight the guy as he charges the mound, then Draper comes on to kill off the ensuing penalty...see, hockey and baseball are basically the same sport.

Somehow I'm not surprised Lilja uses the one-handed bear claw maneuver for batting...he probably uses a similar method for fighting off mastodons who come near his cave during the offseason.

haha..."Fisticuffs Misconduct"

Cullimore's usefulness died along with the old NHL...Downey is still a decent fighter but is 33 and has injury issues. I don't think he's worth signing, even as a utility player...Sopel is pretty good when he stays within his game and doesn't get overplayed, he could be useful if he's willing to sign for reasonable dollars.

Good signing for Nashville...Langfeld will add size, grit, and scoring potential to their bottom 6. And by size, grit and scoring potential I mean a total lack of coordination, Kuznetsov-level toughness, and the ability to spend 95% of his ice time either falling down, about to fall down, or just having fallen down.

Not entirely surprising...it's no secret he was willing to play for the league minimum for a chance to get his 500.

Crazy how fast a player can fall from grace...last off-season he was the highly sought-after budding power forward who was going to put San Jose over the top, now his career is falling to pieces...feels like Theo Fleury all over again.

The Buffalo one at the top is pretty sharp...everything else on the page is ridiculous.

I'd put it at #2 on Vancouver's worst-jersey-ever list behind the legendary V-necks of the 70s...Too bad, that color scheme has potential. The front logo is pretty badly done, but the "VANCOUVER" writing deserves its own wing in the horrible idea Hall of Fame.

...but it wasn't until Darius Kasparaitis and Nikolai Khabibulin came crashing out of the VIP section brandishing chairs that things got REALLY interesting.

I still have major doubts about the BJ's ability to make the playoffs...I think their biggest problem is a lack of team chemistry, especially in their top 6. Nash should be scoring way more than 27 goals a year, but he has yet to play with anyone he really clicks with. They have some good parts on that team, if players can gel together and form solid lines (and their defense overachieves) they could be in business. Who knows, maybe Nash-Fedorov-Voracek and Modin-Brule-Vyborny will turn into the hottest line combo in the NHL and they'll become an 100-point team. That's what I like about a salary cap league...teams can go from doormat to contender (or vice versa) practically overnight.

Ahh good old American "justice" system...sometimes when I'm feeling down about my financial situation I half-jokingly think about sticking my leg into the path of an oncoming bus...with the right lawyer and creative sob story I could probably sue the busdriver, bus company, whoever manufactured the bus's brakes, the city in which it occurred, and everyone within 35 yards of the bus stop and live comfortably off the ensuing settlement for the next 50 years.

Still a good guy to have on the 3rd line, especially on a team that lacks leadership like the Canucks do...they're still probably not getting past the first round unless they add Forsberg and/or another top-sixer. Naslund and Morrison have been steadily fading since they peaked 4 years ago, and the Sedins can't provide all the offense every night. Still, they have nice D and the best goalie in the NHL, so if they miss out on Forsberg I can see them waiting until mid-season or even the trade deadline before doing anything major up front.

From the Chicago Sun-Times: I think it's safe to say we've seen the last of him on NHL ice.

Hard to believe there was a time when he was considered one of the most fearsome scorers in hockey...he'll be used as a yardstick for overpaid, greedy, passionless players for many years to come.

Amen brother, I swear if I had a nickel for every time one of those damn gays came lunging out of a dark alley at me brandishing a cucumber...(shakes fist at *** community) Haha...alright that's enough of that, back to pretending to be mature.

I've been adamantly against changing jerseys since the rumors began stirring after the lockout, but the more I hear about them the more accepting I become. I still don't think it's a particularly necessary change, but as long as they're not ridiculous-looking I think I'll live.

Are you inferring that taking out offsides would have no major effect on the game, or are you totally misinterpreting me and thinking that I'm not open to or aware of the fact that offsides can and has been modified in the past? When you're not busy delivering snide, ******* comments I think you have some of the more interesting opinions around here...tinkering with offsides is one thing, like in your move-it-up-a-line idea, but taking it out altogether? I would love to hear you, this dumbass blogger, or anyone on earth try to explain how that wouldn't completely f**k up the game. If the presence of offsides isn't a fundamental part of hockey, then what the hell is? I fail to see what's so wrong with it as it is right now. Is the game really that boring? I know the NHL has problems, but I don't think offsides is the cause of any of them.

That's his major claim to fame, but not the only source of his problems. Word on the street is that he is aggressive and stubborn, even with members of his own team, and has a tendency to clash with coaches who get on his ass and push him to work harder. Of course, part of this may well be due to factors outside his control (racism, cultural barrier, etc), but regardless of the causes, the bottom line is that he hasn't fit well into any locker room he's been a part of and seems to be a lightning rod for trouble, which paints the picture of a kid with an attitude problem. I guess we'll find out for sure when he gets to the big leagues. Edit: I don't have an exact source for this stuff other than "the street," but here's something from The Hockey News about him:

Prudent move on Nashville's part, considering the circumstances...better to deal them off now and get a 1st round pick than sit around knowing you're not going to sign them and get nothing when they leave. All this Balsillie drama is going to make it hard for Nashville to attract free agents...this might be the best move they make all summer.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...orts/columnists

I'm not saying Muckler is a bad GM...he's had good moments and bad moments just like anyone, I just find it odd that people are so shocked by his potential firing. Just because the team got to the finals last year doesn't mean he should be immune from being fired. The guy is 73...being a GM is a tough-ass job, there's a reason you don't see many 70+ year olds doing it. If his time isn't now, it's soon.

Let's put it this way...the team doesn't even exist and it's already outselling Nashville.

I fail to see why Muckler is such a wonderful GM...traded Havlat away for nothing, signed Redden at ridiculous dollars over Chara, overpaid for Gerber...the main reason they got to the finals is because their top line caught fire at the right time, Muckler didn't do anything special to put them there. The one good thing he's done lately is to acquire Heatley, and so far the guy they traded away has performed pretty much just as well as the guy they received. Plus he's in his mid-70s, perhaps it's just time to move on.