eva unit zero

The OT goal where he took Gretzky and Casey to school...that was it. TSN definitely got that part right.

To be fair, Hossa wasn't on a line with the likes of Datsyuk, either. He was just on a line with some Russian in a Datsyuk jersey.

If Hudler had signed with another NHL team, he probably would have played on their first line. You have to remember, if Hudler is going to another NHL team, he is playing in the top six, and very few NHL teams have a first line that wouldn't have a spot for Hudler. So at minimum he's gaining five minutes per game, or 50% of his even strength production. Which pushes him to about 30 goals and 70 points based on last season's output. That doesn't even account for the fact that instead of playing with guys like Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby he would be playing with offensively capable players. People on the board dish on him for being a PP specialist, but take a look at where he ranked compared to the rest of the team in PP scoring. If he has skilled linemates, the guy produces like crazy. Put him on a ******* scoring line.

Marcel Dionne carried s***ty teams on his own his whole career. Ron Francis was one of the highest scorers in the league most of his career, even though he spent the first half of it as basically the only first-liner on his team. Francis is also one of the best two-way players ever, and the best faceoff man I've ever seen. Trottier and Clarke played the same style as Messier, but better. Nels Stewart was a dominant offensive center who was big and physically dominant as well. Howie Morenz, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, and Elmer Lach all were Montreal centers who dominated their eras offensively, played strong defense, and won many championships. In fact, Dionne and Francis are the only guys on that list, along with Messier, who did not win at least half of their championships as the top center on the team. And with Dionne and Francis, it is because they played many of their better seasons on teams that belonged at the bottom of the league but instead made the playoffs. Messier, on the other hand, got to spend his best years playing on the second line on a team full of All-Stars. Messier had one "great" season before the Oilers were completely dismantled and he got to play with Gretzky's wingers. After that, he was traded out of Edmonton and his performances never even came close to what they were in Edmonton. Could it be that Messier, while a great player himself, also benefitted from the presence of the great players he was playing with? Sure as hell looks like it. Other players on this list may have played with great players, but were often just as good. For example; Maurice Richard scored 50 goals in 50 games, the first player to score 50 goals in the NHL. This is brought up constantly as proof of how great the Rocket was. More interesting about that season? Elmer Lach was his center that season, and Elmer Lach was also the Hart trophy winner that season as the NHL's (and Montreal's) most valuable player. Very interesting indeed.

Hossa's statement had more to do with the fact that he had signed, basically, for life and was glad he had signed in a city that was a hockey town rather than a place like Los Angeles or Tampa Bay where he would have been playing on a bad team that nobody would have cared about even if they won the Cup. This is the same kind of situation as the comment last year; Hossa said he had the opportunity to make a lot of money or he could try and win a Cup. Pens fans thought he was taking a shot at their team, when he was really directing it at the Oilers and Kings who offered ridiculous amounts of money that NO player should be making, and offered it over a long term. Hossa gave up over $80m dollars to play for the Wings last year in trying to win the Cup; it would have still been more than $50m on the table if he had stayed in Pittsburgh. Any Pens fan who thinks Hossa was taking a shot at Pittsburgh didn't realize what other offers were out there, and assumed Hossa was taking a shot at the Pens.

So suggesting that Hudler would be overpaid at $3m and so he should reject it and take less, but Filppula is not overpaid even though he was offered that much earlier than Hudler was and is basically the same level of player as Hudler overall, means I have a ridiculous man crush on Hudler all because Franzen makes just under $4m? Odd.

He's going to scoff at your suggestion, despite the fact that Tretiak is perhaps the only goaltender who can be considered on the same level as Sawchuk or Brodeur.

Not including Gretzky, Lemieux, or Yzerman, 10 Canadian centers better than Messier: 1) Jean Beliveau 2) Phil Esposito 3) Howie Morenz 4) Marcel Dionne 5) Elmer Lach 6) Nels Stewart 7) Henri Richard 8) Bobby Clarke 9) Bryan Trottier 10) Ron Francis Very close to Messier: Joe Sakic, Alex Delvecchio, Sid Abel.

Fixed.

Hudler was given a top six chance for one game. Perhaps Filppula was deserving of a top-six spot at the beginning of last season, but was he more deserving than Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa, Franzen, Hudler, or Holmstrom were? No, he was not. But ultimately, Filppula ended up getting as much time per game as Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Hossa. So to claim "Filppula didn't get a lot of ice time either" is ******* bulls***. Filppula got as much as anyone on the team. Hudler produced like a first liner and was treated like a third/fourth liner. Not to mention, anyone complaining about Hudler's defensive play is clearly assuming that Datsyuk and Zetterberg are the average defensive forward.

<----SIGN THIS GUY!!!!

You clearly don't have much of a grasp of hockey history. You make the challenge to name six players who are better than the six Canadians you named? I can name ten Canadian centers you didn't name who were better than Messier. That doesn't even count the other positions. Just centers. Please. Grow up, learn more about hockey, and stop trolling with your arrogant "Canada is better than everyone else, so anyone who doesn't submit to Canada sucks" posting attitude. If you want to post, fine. If you want to support your country, fine. Just don't be an ass about it.

I'll pass on McCormick and give the spot to Oulahen or Williams, thanks.

I am going to preface this with an apology to the mods. You, newfy, are the most arrogant little piece of s*** I have met on these boards in a LONG time. Please try to tone it down.

Depends on the situation. Blinds or curtains?

The differences between last year's cap and this year's: Zetterberg ($2.65m) and Franzen(942k) had their cap hits increase to $6.083... and $3.954..., respectively. Hossa ($7.45m), Kopecky ($500k), Samuelsson ($1.2m), Conklin ($750k), and Chelios (750k) are gone as UFAs. Darren Helm ($599k), Jonathan Ericsson ($900k), Jimmy Howard ($717k) and Ville Leino ($775k) are definitely on the roster. The difference in those changes allows the Wings approximately $1.213 more in cap space this coming season. However, this is with five players having left and only yet four replacing them, so much of that cap space will be used. This roster has 10 forwards, 7 defensemen, and 2 goaltenders; assuming Lilja is on LTIR. Most projected rosters also assume Justin Abdelkader is on the roster at a cap hit of $850k, which would leave $2.954m in cap space to sign 1-2 forwards. However, Abdelkader's cap hit has been projected anywhere from $740k to $850k, meaning if it were at the low end, the Wings would have $3.064 in cap space. Abdelkader could either be the 12th forward at that salary with Hudler at a $3m cap hit, or he could be in Grand Rapids with Oulahen or another player filling out the fourth line for the league minimum, thereby leaving the Wings approximately $250k in cap space.

Including the respect that he won a Norris simply for being a big huge physical defenseman who was actually a capable skater and had a notable statistical season?

I think he meant lower price, not lower seats.

After a local beer festival, the brewery representatives went to the pub. The representative from Molson said "I'd like the oldest Canadian beer. Give me a Molson Canadian." The representative from Anheuiser-Busch said "I would like the King of Beers. Give me a Bud." The representative from Labatt's said "I would like first dry beer introduced nationally in Canada. Give me a Labatt Dry." The representative from Guinness said "I'll have a Coke." The other three looked at him with a bit of shock, asking "Aren't you going to have a Guinness?" and he said "Well if you aren't having beers, I thought it would be rude if I did."

A healthy Zubov, I would put between Niedermayer and Pronger; and closer to Niedermayer than Pronger. Pronger is good defensively, but he has a HUGE mental liability with regard to taking bad penalties and making bad decisions with the puck. You state that Markov is a turnover machine...Pronger has his share of bad turnovers also. As far as offense, Pronger is easily the worst defenseman mentioned when it comes to puckhandling, passing, and general offensive skill. I'd take Duncan Keith over any of them though. Even Niedermayer. Lidstrom is probably the only guy on my list of defensemen ahead of Keith.

Boston should go with: And the Flyers should use:

You forgot Slava Kozlov. He'll be on the Olympic team before Radulov or Filatov. As far as defensemen go, Andrei Markov, Sergei Gonchar and Sergei Zubov are all pretty damn good defensemen who are capable of playing as well as anyone Canada will be putting on the ice. So it's not so clear cut as to which squad has the best defensemen.

Shaving. Slamming your fingers in a door, or having someone step on your toes?

The fact that guys like Helm and Leino were getting more even strength ice time this season than Hudler, even though Hudler produced at approximately the same rate point-per-minute as Zetterberg at even strength...while Filppula just played the same amount of minutes at even strength. And furthermore, Hudler was better point-per-minute at both even strength and on the power play than both Datsyuk or Hossa in the playoffs this year. And Hudler was the only one of the three who DIDN'T play on a top three line all playoff!

The salary cap is $12.8m higher than it was three years ago when the cap was put in place, just for reference. Basically 23% higher, before the 5% inflator. In other words, IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, THE LEAGUE'S REVENUES HAVE INCREASED BY 23%. Understando?