norrisnick

Getting a young (read cheap) beast like Artyukhin is about the only incentive to taking on $6M/yr for the next 5 years St. Louis. Taking on Marty would be doing the Bolts a favor.

So looking at his stature/stats, is Ericsson a less mean slightly more refined Kolosov? Plus being Mr. Irrelevant (last guy drafted) you have to hope he makes it. Kim Johnsson being the most notable Mr. Irrelevant in quite some time.

Jimmy, Filppula, and Quincey could all benefit from one more AHL season as the go to guys. They did very well in their first pro (NA) season, but a few more games with prime minutes ought to help. Lebda needs to play himself off the team (most accounts I've heard is that he's 10 times better as a Wing than he's ever been as a Griffin), as according to Holland he's in the top 7 as is. Hudler needs to play himself on to the team, and with some spots possibly opening up (Stevie , Shanahan, Willy) I think he will. Kopecky and Bootland will be battling it out for Mowers' spot and possibly a 4th line hole that could open up if more than one forward moves on. Filppula would probably be better, but these two are older and need to sink or swim with the Wings.

That he is. Big, mobile, and mean. Needs to get more comfortable with the puck though, from what I've heard. I was meaning to catch a RoughRider game some time this season when they came to town but I never got around to it (did catch the Griffins coming through). If he's still in the USHL next season I'll definitely try to sneak a peak at the schedule to see when they come through. Though with him needing to be signed I'm not sure whether they'll move him up to Toledo or not, but they could just do what they did with Kindl and sign him and then likely keep him in Juniors anyway.

And that's all she wrote for the Griffins... 4-5 in game 4 to lose by the sweep.

Man the Griffins need to wisen up a bit. They storm back from down 3-1 in the first to tie it up at 4 with mere seconds remaining in the 2nd on a 5min PP and promptly give up a shorty 20 seconds into the 3rd to fall back down 4-5. I realize they need to play catch up, but they keep digging themselves a deeper and deeper hole. Flapjack seems on fire tonight with 2G 1A already.

I believe Chicken Parm and Ed got the memo, because during the last NBC broadcast I watched they were both calling him Billy.

My hope is that he and 'Stein become the Kirk and Kris of the future (I'd actually prefer the now) at at most half the cost of the current Grind Line alumni.

Cleary isn't very old himself and can skate circles around any of the GR crew brought up for a checking line role.

Ãœbertap for the win! Actually I believe he got hurt somehow, but his hits/game pace was unreal.

Seriously. Can we consolidate some of these things? Pick a thread and use it.

I don't think Bootland is expected to help the team. Just not hurt it. Hudler has insane offensive skills and he put up huge numbers being a lazy s**t all season long. He got his face run into the boards early in game 1, picked up 18 stitches along the nose, came back with a shield and some crazy intensity, and won game 1 in 3OT. His playoff games have been described as the best of his career. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Hudler seems bored with the AHL because for a guy that has excelled at the pro level since he was 17 there probably isn't much pushing him in the minors. If getting busted up in the playoffs gets him to go all out I think he'd flourish in a real role at the NHL level where there is a challenge for him. peace

Darryl just needs to outplay Mowers. Bootland seems tailor made for a 13th forward spot. With Grigorenko likely not making the jump, I like Hudler's odds to be given an honest shot on a scoring line. He has more than enough talent and apparently he's playing with some fire in the playoffs for the Griffins. peace

Sweet! Hope he gets the icetime that he wanted and isn't buried in the roster like a lot of young kids are. peace

I love it when posters on different forums have kick ass avatars you can swipe. peace

See GDT. peace

NN, your not going to believe this but i was watching the game and i was ready to record but guess what, just as it looks like a fight is about to start the damn B2 feed cuts out and i missed the whole thing. I don't even know who won the fights. Damn, I'd be mighty pissed. That sucks man. peace

Any chance to get a clip of Jimmy's pugilistic debut? peace

The CHL Juniors are not the NCAA. peace

CHL kids on ATOs are exempt from that declaration (see Carter and Richards for the Phantoms last season). peace

He'll start the year at 19. I don't believe you can play (full time) in the AHL until after the season of your 20th birthday. That is if you're coming out of the CHL. peace

No, he either comes up to the big club or goes back to Kitchener. He can't play in the AHL if he's still CHL eligible and his CHL team is still playing. Since the Rangers were eliminated he could move up and play with the Griffins. To note he picked up an assist on MacLean's hattrick goal (EDIT - I can't read. ) late in the 3rd. 5-0 with not much time left. peace

http://www.theahl.com/AHL/News/2006/04/06/1523024.html Don MacLean made the 1st Team. Jiri Hudler and Bryan Helmer made the 2nd Team. http://www.theahl.com/AHL/News/2006/04/05/1521233.html Jimmy Howard was yesterday named to the All Rookie team. peace

From Today's Freep. Pleasanly surprised is a good thing. peace

Isn't Lapointe still younger then than Manny is now? Manny could be looking at the end of the line coming before too long. Legace may very well see this as his last big contract opportunity. Lapointe was only 28 at the time he left. He knew full well there would be more paydays down the road. peace