egroen

Alright -- get the kids signed Sucks to lose Hossa, but it'll be nice to keep Hudler, Filppula and Leino!

Chara has missed more games to injury in 11 years than Lidstrom has in 17 years. Lidstrom is the consummate "iron man" of the NHL.

The fact of the matter is a LOT less goals were scored when Lidstrom was on the ice than when Chara was on the ice.... and Lidstrom was on a team that let in 50 MORE goals than Boston. Hal Gill brings something to the table that Lidstrom does not have either. Who cares?

Did you watch Chara in the playoffs? He sucked. 4 points in 11 games and only a +1 playing over 25 minutes on the team that had the lowest Goals Against Average in the post-season. The media tends to equate big hits with defense, so it is actually remarkable Lidstrom has done as well as he has in Norris voting; he is about the most unsexy elite player in the league. Any chance the media gets to award someone else less deserving, they will -- like this year and 1998. Did Chara's "physical play" prevent more goals than Lidstrom? Not even in the wildest stretch of the imagination. Even Strength Goals against per 20 min when Chara is on the ice: .778 (amongst worst on team) Even Strength Goals against per 20 min when Lidstrom is on the ice: .527 (amongst best on team) Keep in mind Boston let in 50 LESS goals this year than Detroit during the regular season. Tim Thomas BOS 2.10 GAA .933 SV% Chris Osgood DET 3.09 GAA .887 SV% Did Chara's "physical play" help his team score more goals? Nope, not there either. Lidstrom had 59 pts in 78 games and was a +31 Chara had 50 points in 80 games and was a +23 (a -1 in his final 30 games) I'll tell you where "physical play" resulted in a "win" for Chara: Penalty minutes Chara, his team's top penalty killer was in the box, hindering his team, for three times as much as Lidstrom (95 min to 30 min) Lidstrom may have had a "down" year, but he was still a hell of a lot better than Zdeno Chara.

I'd like to hear a compelling argument how Lidstrom was not the best defenseman in the league this year. Chara and Green showed their stripes in the playoffs, and Lidstrom was a better defenseman even with a leaky ball sack. The media anointed Chara with the Norris in November, and they never faltered from it, despite Lidstrom outplaying him from that point on and finishing with more points as well as a better +/- in front of the worst goaltender in the regular season while Chara was playing in front of the Vezina winner.

Heatley sounds like a pain in the ass, but a bad signing nonetheless.

Franzen and Hossa play more like power forwards than Kopecky -- they charge, go hard to the net and are hard to knock off the puck -- they just never or rarely fight. Kopecky might get one or two more fights per year, but he is easy to knock off the puck and lands on his own ass more often than not when he goes for a hit. He has pretty awful balance and plays with a high center of gravity. I kept seeing hints of Kopecky blossoming in the past couple years, but he has not since his knee injury which I think really adversely affected him. He'll probably have a much better year next year and will benefit from being on another team... I think his agent realizes this and thinks he can get better money and minutes elsewhere. Rich Winter is right in this case.

If all 22 attributes are weighed equally it's easy to see how this list could get skewed - for instance, if "goal scoring" is weighed equally as "strength". It would be more interesting to see the rankings in each attribute.

First day of the season.

Heh... I was into the same scene at pretty much the exact same time (+ a few years), so can actually identify with a lot of that. Big into ska and punk - shaved my head, but thought most SHARPS were dicks -- but obviously not as bad as the racist skinheads and had a lot of run-ins with them, even worse when I lived in Spain for a time. So I get that, I really do... But I have chilled out a ton since then. Let's face it, if you were anything like me, you went a bit out of your way to seek these kind of confrontations out (even though you were usually "standing up for someone")... but that risk is just not worth it any more. I've had broken bones, a concussion, had my side split open with a broken bottle, had switch blades pulled a few times and even a gun once. I just look back at that and shake my head... I have a family now and really hope my son is never such an idiot. At this level, hockey is not just a game, it's a profession and a lot of these guys have families as well. Most enforcers in the NHL would give it up in a second for the skill to play in the NHL without it (the stress of being an enforcer is largely what turned him to chemical dependency). If I was lucky enough to still be playing hockey, and in the NHL, I would avoid fighting like the plague - screw that - but you better believe I would trash-talk like no tomorrow. That is part of the game, and if you can throw someone off with it, good for you... I just don't think I should have to fight, and possibly risk injury or worse over words. That said, I love seeing fighting in hockey, get excited seeing it and have nothing but respect for guys who stick up for teammates, especially after cheapshots (it's the cheapshots I am most bothered by, not trash-talking and not those who refuse to fight).... but I do not think anything less of those who don't -- because at my age and my place in life, I would go out of my way to avoid it as well. No one is legitimately threatening their loved ones, and that is about the only reason I would ever get into a fight nowadays for. Thanks for the post, I actually appreciated it and was surprised to have a common thread with you.

Minus the "intimidate" part. Kopecky is about as frightening as Bettman in a clown suit. Never mind, that is scary as hell.

It was only a couple months ago when you were still calling Datsyuk a "*****". You also ridiculed anyone who brought up the exact same point you just made. Man, you crack me up.

Franzen was drafted 97th.... Over 90% of the power forwards listed in this thread are North Americans. Coincidence? Look at where they were drafted as well: Shanahan #2 Iginla #11 Nash #1 Lindros #1 Neely #9 Bobby Ryan #2 Hartnell #6 Getzlaf #19 Ott #25 Morrow #25 Perry #28 Tkachuk #19 Dustin Brown #13 Lucic #50 Probert #46 Detroit, as long as they are towards the top of the league standings, is going to have very little shot at getting these type of players. So you can either start hoping Detroit starts finishing at the bottom of the league, or be happy with the late rounds picks they do uncover. Or find a new team to cheer for.

Franzen actually plays bigger than Lilja (it helps that he is a much better skater, so his hits and charges are delivered at much greater velocity). He just does not fight. Europeans, as a general rule, do not fight -- and when they do, they suck at it. Experience is often more important than actual size in a fight. Fighting is pretty much not allowed in european leagues (did you not know this???). It has nothing to do with nationality, but simply the leagues these guys were brought up in. Plop him as a kid in Canada and I bet he grows up playing hockey with the expectation that fighting is a big part of the game, and you would have a player you wouldn't feel obligated to hate -- but then the Wings would never have a chance at him because he would go much, much earlier in the draft. You have bagged on Datsyuk constantly for being a "*****" -- but again, some of us are simply thrilled the Wings were able to pick up such a gem so late in the draft. Ryan Getzlaf went late in the draft, for a North American with his size and skills, because he had character issues and a poor work ethic. How late in the draft? 19th overall. The last time the Wings had a pick that high (and not through the lottery) was in 1991 -- and they picked Martin LaPointe with the 10th overall pick. That is when players like that are drafted.

Uh, you "loathe" him. A pure goalscorer with soft, deft hands who hits, crashes to the net and actually plays well defensively and is arguably the most clutch player in the NHL. This is a guy Hakan Andersson picked up late in the 3rd freakin' round of the draft -- the players you want, who do all that AND fight (IE. North Americans) typically go high in the first round. So in other words, Detroit is not going to get them unless they suck for a few years and get those high draft picks -- is that what you want? I guess I am just happy Detroit can consistently find gems like this, without having to suck and get those picks -- even if they are not "perfect".

Yeah, I can't stand guys who come out of nowhere and break playoff goal-scoring and game-winning goal records -- 25 goals in 39 playoff games the past two years (#1 in the NHL by far). I don't care if he scores 70 goals next season and is a Selke finalist -- if he backs down from a fight he's nothing but a *****! I hope we lose him to waivers next year.

Brendan Morrow fits the mold, IMO.

Vancouver is positioning themselves to make a push for Gaborik and Hossa, methinks. They are going to have $23m in cap space and could even make a play for Bouwmeester as well.

You could get away with a ten year contract, but a 12 year contract is pushing it -- and might get voided by the NHL as an attempt to circumvent the cap (which it clearly is). A contract out to 40 years-old is one thing, but very few players are playing in the NHL at 42. I feel like the Wings are "pushing it" already. You can not "opt-out" of a contract (unless you retire) or renegotiate.

Holland is still reluctant to pay anyone over Lidstrom's salary in a single year -- which is kind of annoying. He could have really front-loaded Zetterberg's and Franzen's contracts, but he did not... and was still careful not to pay him more than Lidstrom in 09/10 (Hank makes $7.4). 10 8 6 6 3 2 2 1 1 1 = $40m All that money up front might be attractive, but Holland would never do it because it is more than the $7.45 Lidstrom makes next year. So instead he is probably offering something like: 7 7 6 6 4 3 3 2 1 1 Same cap hit, but the first contract would be a lot more desirable to me.

I see Kopecky as no upgrade over Abdelkader, and Abs has a lot more potential (and can stay on his feet). Would be nice to have Downey and Abdelkader rotate around.

http://ducks.freedomblogging.com/2009/06/2...-selanne/15283/ Good for Murray. Neidermayer is a piece of s*** for putting his team through this crap. What a rotten captain. If Selanne retires it would be hilarious -- $2 million of dead weight towards their cap!

Kid's a spitfire -- 23 fights last season! http://www.hockeyfights.com/players/8849 That's 3 prospects with fight credits. Damn Haula goes right after... I wanted him!

Franzen was considered a joke pick -- unheard of and 24 years-old. Flip was decently well-received.

Come on.... Haula!!!