RyanBarnes!

^ Sweet, thanks!

No problem Todd! I live in GR, so I follow the Griffins pretty closely. This is how I see their roster right now, if they sign big snake: Hudler Himelfarb MacLean Hackert Filppula Manlow Kopecky Ellis Bootland Barnes Oulahen Big Snake Delmore Meech Helmer Quincey Richards Amadio Lebda MacDonald Howard I think Greg Ireland likes Ryan Barnes, and will bring him back like he did last year. Hackert had a big year this year and I think will be signed to provide more offense. Plus, theres Rivers and McDonell who could potentially be in Grand Rapids, so they're looking pretty full right now. Thats why I think Jorgensen and the Jarrets, if signed, would most likely be in Toledo. I hope you are right about Barnes. He did seem to play better under Ireland.

Rivers for Cooke? Sounds like a suggestion straight outta Toronto, only Toronto is not involved. I think Vancouver would at least want a NHL regular in exchange for Cooke.

It's simply a question of standing up. If nothing happens when instigator X does something dirty, it sends the message that you can get away with it and if that happens your team is generally in big trouble. The opposing team now has a huge psychological advantage and before you know it they're all tough guys taking liberties in every situation. But what is it that would deter a non-enforcer type player from playing dirty? He never has to fight. Its like the teams enforcer is the whipping boy for the rest of the team. Will the enforcer beat up the offenders on his own team after the game for making him fight? Otherwise, I don't see any punihment for dirty play. Any player that plays dirty will have to fight sooner or later (enforcer or not). Players don't let a dirty play slip. If the player won't respond to the challenge, a teammate may step up in his place. Usually an enforcer. The enforcer won't be there every time though. If you play dirty, you will be punished. Someone will just grab a hold and start throwing. An enforcer fighting another enforcer is more of a psychological battle. One that not seldom will affect the outcome of the game.

Thanks. Sounds great to be able to chat with Lemaire and others!

It's simply a question of standing up. If nothing happens when instigator X does something dirty, it sends the message that you can get away with it and if that happens your team is generally in big trouble. The opposing team now has a huge psychological advantage and before you know it they're all tough guys taking liberties in every situation.

Barnesy! Any thoughts on Herring, Quincey or Kindl?

Please no.

More fights in the game vs Atlanta. One more for Big Snake and one for Jorgensen. Anyone care to share some info?

Ladies and Gents, I just read that Dan LaCouture and Rem Murray has been invited to Detroits camp! http://www.letsgowings.com/newsroom/2005-2...7holland1a.html

At some point yes, but not immediately. Lamoriello expects Elias to be out for quite some time. This meaning Lamoriello can take his time listening at offers. Gomez is not likely, but still possible. Which was my point. Friesen/Kozlov/Langenbrunner is reasonable. Matvichuk I'm not so sure about. There's also been rumors of White being on the block, but he's too valuable to trade in my opinion. Langebrunner is the cheapest but also the one with most trade value, which is why he could be moved.

I think there's a slight possibility Gomez could be moved, he's been rumored to leave NJ before. One reason is that he's not happy playing the trap. Looks like the biggest issue could have been Pat Burns though, and from what I've heard he's out of the picture now. The latest however is that Lamoriello might not be looking to dump any impact players right now since Elias will be out recovering from Hepatitis. His salary will not count against the cap if placed on the injury reserve list. Elias is signed at $4.18 M.

I don't believe it was a case of not being able to hang onto players, but more of a case of not knowing which players to hang onto. He's made countless crazy trades. He's traded away Bertuzzi, McCabe, Berard, Chara, Redden, Brewer, Luongo, Jokinen, Spezza (indirectly), Osgood, etc... Half the time he trades away the assets he traded for. peace Osgood was traded when he was coming back from injury, while snow was playing great and he was opening up room for dipietro. That was not a matter of bad decision and more a matter of moving forward. I think they should have moved Snow while he was hot, instead of moving a guy going into the last year of his deal. Bt they got a decent prospect and picks for him, so it wasn't all bad. The Redden thing was a matter of him not wanting to play there and Berard not wanting to play in Ottawa. Milbury would have rather had Redden, he just didn't get the choice. In all fairness, the deal was made basically at the draft and Berard was considered the better player. Chara was basically equal to Eric Cairns as an Isle...he took a major developmental step in Ottawa that never looked like it was going to happen in NY. Bertuzzi was regressing in his development and he and the coaches had lost confidence. Not exactly the best thing for a young player. Brewer was traded for Roman Hamrlik, who was better then and is better now. At 26, Brewer could get much better than he is now, but he's not nearly as good as Oilers fans liked to make him out to be. To call trading Brewer in that deal a bad decision is like saying Keenan shouldn't have traded Shanny for Pronger. McCabe was appearing to regress as well. His ice time increased yearly, but he was getting worse defensively and only the ice time increased his points from year one to two, and his offense disappeared from his second to third year until after the trade. He scored 12 points in 56 games that yea as an Isle. Unfortunately, it appears to have just been an Isles thing, as he potted 12 points in 26 games with the Nucks (a pace he would not repeat until 01-02, as Toronto's #1 defenseman.) Bertuzzi was in that trade basically so Vancouver got a forward and so the Isles didn't have to deal with him any more. McCabe was the prize. Of course he was later traded for a first round pick in Burke's Sedin shuffling, and we see how good those moves turned out. I don't think he got full value for Luongo...but there was the feeling he had to deal one of the goalies, and he felt Dipietro had better upside (which is why he took him first overall in the first place.) A slick move Milbury might have been able to get away with would have been to trade Luongo to Atlanta for the second pick and something else...He could have then gotten his goalie, Heatley, and whatever else. Jokinen scored 21 points in 82 games as an isle, after scoring 21 in 66 as a king his rookie year. his production would drop again his first year as a panther, before raising to 29 his fourth year. It wasn't until his fifth year, third as a panther, that he posted big numbers. He is also a career -86, his best being even in his second year. He has 210 points in 477 games. Jokinen's first two years with the Panthers were still not as productive as Parrish's career-worst season (first year with NYI.) Parrish has 254 points in 442 games, is a -25, and a 3-time plus. Both are 6-year vets. Kvasha has had the best +/- success (four times plus in six years, career -3), but has been the least offensively productive (185 points in 429 games) So all players have been basically even over their careers, with Jokinen's huge last two years pulling him up to par. Kvasha is just breaking out, so he should be up on that 55-65 point level, and Parrish has shown he can do that. He should hover around the 50-55 point mark for the next few years, maybe a little higher. I think Kvasha will end up as the best forward of the three because while +/- is not a great defensive indicator, Kvasha is easily the best defensive forward of the bunch and he is more physical than the others. I think he might have the most offensive upside when all is said and done as well..he has shown some real skill that is still developing. Jokinen and Parrish should be comparable. So Luongo for Kvasha was basically what Milbury did. If Dipietro pans out as he could and Kvasha does well (he led the Isles in scoring last year and is only 25, so it seems entirely possible) then while on its own that's not great, in context that doesn't turn out so bad. Berard was traded for Potvin around the same time Tommy Salo was traded for Mats Lindgren.and the pick used on Radek Martinek, who has turned out pretty well. That was later in the season in 1998-99. The Isles early the next season traded Potvin and a irrelevant pik for Weekes, Scatchard, and Muckalt, all of whom were very solid for the Isles. Vancouver dropped Potvin for free within a season, so Milbury comes off pretty well there. The next summer, Weekes, Kudroc, and the pick used on Matthew Spiller were traded for a first pick (Torres) and a couple other picks used on crap prospects. So basically, within a season and a half it was Berard, Kudroc, and Salo for Lindgren, Martinek, Torres, Scatchard, Muckalt. That's a pretty decent return. torres was traded in 03 with brad isbister for janne niinimaa. Nice breakdown! Thanks...it's just that I've always thought Milbury was a very underrated GM. The moment he was given a budget beyond 'whatever he could get from the gumball machine in the lobby' he turned the team into a pretty solid team by swinging just a couple deals. He didn't have much to work with from a last-place team--if Chara had been looking at all like future Norris material, he would either 1) never have had to include the pick or 2) gotten a much larger return, perhaps including Phillips. Speaking of GMs and budget management...how about Clarke, Burke, and Lamoirello this year? Burke and Lamoirello were always praised for their skills at keeping a low budget but building a quality team, while Clarke was one of the guys derided for overspending and it was said if a cap was put in that the Flyers would fall apart. Wonder what's going through those minds? I don't recognize Lamoriello anymore. I've always been an admirer of his, but his moves this season has been anything but impressive. Signing Malakhov at $3.6 M?! I think both Clarke and Burke has done pretty good this season so far. It'll be interesting to see how Clarke handles the task of getting under the cap again. Darryl Sutter is looking more and more like the new king of GM's, IMO.

I don't believe it was a case of not being able to hang onto players, but more of a case of not knowing which players to hang onto. He's made countless crazy trades. He's traded away Bertuzzi, McCabe, Berard, Chara, Redden, Brewer, Luongo, Jokinen, Spezza (indirectly), Osgood, etc... Half the time he trades away the assets he traded for. peace Osgood was traded when he was coming back from injury, while snow was playing great and he was opening up room for dipietro. That was not a matter of bad decision and more a matter of moving forward. I think they should have moved Snow while he was hot, instead of moving a guy going into the last year of his deal. Bt they got a decent prospect and picks for him, so it wasn't all bad. The Redden thing was a matter of him not wanting to play there and Berard not wanting to play in Ottawa. Milbury would have rather had Redden, he just didn't get the choice. In all fairness, the deal was made basically at the draft and Berard was considered the better player. Chara was basically equal to Eric Cairns as an Isle...he took a major developmental step in Ottawa that never looked like it was going to happen in NY. Bertuzzi was regressing in his development and he and the coaches had lost confidence. Not exactly the best thing for a young player. Brewer was traded for Roman Hamrlik, who was better then and is better now. At 26, Brewer could get much better than he is now, but he's not nearly as good as Oilers fans liked to make him out to be. To call trading Brewer in that deal a bad decision is like saying Keenan shouldn't have traded Shanny for Pronger. McCabe was appearing to regress as well. His ice time increased yearly, but he was getting worse defensively and only the ice time increased his points from year one to two, and his offense disappeared from his second to third year until after the trade. He scored 12 points in 56 games that yea as an Isle. Unfortunately, it appears to have just been an Isles thing, as he potted 12 points in 26 games with the Nucks (a pace he would not repeat until 01-02, as Toronto's #1 defenseman.) Bertuzzi was in that trade basically so Vancouver got a forward and so the Isles didn't have to deal with him any more. McCabe was the prize. Of course he was later traded for a first round pick in Burke's Sedin shuffling, and we see how good those moves turned out. I don't think he got full value for Luongo...but there was the feeling he had to deal one of the goalies, and he felt Dipietro had better upside (which is why he took him first overall in the first place.) A slick move Milbury might have been able to get away with would have been to trade Luongo to Atlanta for the second pick and something else...He could have then gotten his goalie, Heatley, and whatever else. Jokinen scored 21 points in 82 games as an isle, after scoring 21 in 66 as a king his rookie year. his production would drop again his first year as a panther, before raising to 29 his fourth year. It wasn't until his fifth year, third as a panther, that he posted big numbers. He is also a career -86, his best being even in his second year. He has 210 points in 477 games. Jokinen's first two years with the Panthers were still not as productive as Parrish's career-worst season (first year with NYI.) Parrish has 254 points in 442 games, is a -25, and a 3-time plus. Both are 6-year vets. Kvasha has had the best +/- success (four times plus in six years, career -3), but has been the least offensively productive (185 points in 429 games) So all players have been basically even over their careers, with Jokinen's huge last two years pulling him up to par. Kvasha is just breaking out, so he should be up on that 55-65 point level, and Parrish has shown he can do that. He should hover around the 50-55 point mark for the next few years, maybe a little higher. I think Kvasha will end up as the best forward of the three because while +/- is not a great defensive indicator, Kvasha is easily the best defensive forward of the bunch and he is more physical than the others. I think he might have the most offensive upside when all is said and done as well..he has shown some real skill that is still developing. Jokinen and Parrish should be comparable. So Luongo for Kvasha was basically what Milbury did. If Dipietro pans out as he could and Kvasha does well (he led the Isles in scoring last year and is only 25, so it seems entirely possible) then while on its own that's not great, in context that doesn't turn out so bad. Berard was traded for Potvin around the same time Tommy Salo was traded for Mats Lindgren.and the pick used on Radek Martinek, who has turned out pretty well. That was later in the season in 1998-99. The Isles early the next season traded Potvin and a irrelevant pik for Weekes, Scatchard, and Muckalt, all of whom were very solid for the Isles. Vancouver dropped Potvin for free within a season, so Milbury comes off pretty well there. The next summer, Weekes, Kudroc, and the pick used on Matthew Spiller were traded for a first pick (Torres) and a couple other picks used on crap prospects. So basically, within a season and a half it was Berard, Kudroc, and Salo for Lindgren, Martinek, Torres, Scatchard, Muckalt. That's a pretty decent return. torres was traded in 03 with brad isbister for janne niinimaa. Nice breakdown!

I think he'll go back to Europe in a couple of years.

A Toronto based rumor for sure, the "onesidedness" favoring Toronto is usually what gives them away. This one's no different.

The Wings certainly have a lot of good looking prospects this year and in the years to come. It will be interesting to see where these guys end up this season. I for one am hopeful that Bootland gets a chance on the Grind Line or even on the 4th line this season. I think he will be a really handy player for us in the future, and will play a role very similar to Maltby's. I'm also anxious to see how Big Snake goes. If he shows the talent and toughness that I have been hearing about, then I will be one happy little Wings fan. Kindl is another guy that I am interested in. There were a lot of people bashing him around here after the draft, but I think that he will turn into a pretty decent player. His offensive skills are noted, but he isn't as soft as people make him out to be. He's not Konstantinov, but he plays reasonably physical and isn't totally opposed to contact. People didn't see that last season, but if you think about it, his entire game was a bit off last year, both offensivley and defensivley. With a couple more years to adjust to the North American style of play and to fill out physically, I think he will come along in leaps and bounds. Kindl reminds me of Fischer. He was considered a offensive defenseman in juniors much like Kindl. Fischer didn't have a spectacular rookie season but had a very good sophomore year scoring 78 pts while adding 141 PIM. I think Kindl is capable of something similar.

Yeah okay, I'll take Torres, Winchester and future considerations for Datsyuk.

I wouldn't even trade Zetterberg for all three, much less throw in Kronwall. Only one worth a second look is Colaiacovo.

I've read that Stamler is willing to drop them too.

Thanks!

FunkyBlueFish, Will Howard be able to challenge McDonald for the starting role right away? Sidenote: No wonder Detroit gave Liv the cold hand. No room whatsoever for him now. I don't think Liv will ever come and play in NA.

No way!

I really like Beech. I've also heard rumors about the Rangers shopping Lundmark. That would be a nice pickup. Not sure what it would take though. Datsyuk + Hudler for Malone, Beech and Endicott would be sweet IMO.

Great!