Majsheppard

So true, but the good thing is you can send him down without clearing waviers. I would have him be the 8th guy behind Janik and if we need him to play call him up. Smith I think is going to end up being alot like Scott Niedermyer. Defense coming from his feet. I would really welcome the chance for him to learn from Lidstrom about proper positioning. Him and Jakub are going to be staples for us.

Remember when everyone was talking about how great Dion was going to be, and a few shrewd people were like. I like this Shea kid. Those people are laughing all the way to the bank now. I wish he was on a team I could respect. Like ours.

Where was Hossa btw? Behind Franzen... That is for sure.

Note, only 41 games to 1500 for Mike, 42 to be eligible for the Cup. He could leave 40 games for the youngsters, if that is what you are worried about.

If you check all of Chicago's guys that fill the same role seem to be getting at least twice that, and from other teams!!!

No doubt, that red blur would be fun to watch.

No offense, but why do you want to get players that are not long term pieces of the puzzle? I mean I love these guys, but I don't have the money to buy fourth and third line player sweaters. I wish I did.... but that is something else all together.

TSN said at least 3 thousand times yesterday that Vancouver vaulted past Chicago as the team to beat because they added a couple of good defensemen in Ballard and Hamhuis and Malhotra to their third line. Meanwhile Chicago removed every player on their team that made less than 5 million dollars The question at hand, is Vancouver the team to beat in the West now? Or is this just Canadian sports coverage being overly hyped up for the Canadian team? Thoughts?

Yeah but you point to I won a cup and you are going to get paid, that is critera according to those rules. Too bad they cannot point to other players. A contract in Halaks ballpark would ruin that team. Even though Huet seems to be on his way out due to the KHL loophole. ..

You will have to let me know some of those links. Can never have too much hockey.

I think Modano is still an option especally since he is town right now... I agree he had great work ethic, and that makes me think Babcock wants him on this team. Perhaps this means something else could happen, that is why they compete for spots in camp. I wonder if someone could be traded, like someone we are not expecting.

It seems clear to me that Holland wants to have a lot of compettion at camp this year, with the addition of Filpulla the second, Ritola, and maybe Modano, It means that Eaves, Miller, Ritola- they don't have a roster spot in the bag. Odds are someone is getting picked up on waivers by somebody.

I am of the belief that anyone who hates Miller and wants him off the team has no concept of the defensive style of play in which he excells. His arrival coincided with the PK unit turning it around and saving our season. Honestly I hope he takes another step forward in Camp and secures a spot, because I believe he brings alot to the team, even if goal scoring is not something he brings.

I'd rather have Miller than Eaves because of what you spoke of on the PK. He is a bit redundant, unless of course we lose Maltby and Draper in the next two seasons... You know like if they retire or something. I feel like Eaves is a good solid player as well which brings a bit more offense than Miller, but is no where near as hard a worker or defensively sound. Bottom line is I respect Miller for helping us turn our year around last year and think he deserves a shot at being apart of this team. I doubt either Miller or Eaves are going to be long term parts of our team. I also get the feeling that Mursak would eventually replace Eaves role on the team. No matter what happens there will be battles in camp for sure, and let us just hope that who ever loses their spot can be traded for a pick or something! 1year deal for Miller

First jersey I ever owned was a Probert. I even put fake blood on it thinking I was cool. This is quite sad and I hope he is fighting in a better place now.

Technically the overall money spent is down, believe it or not. I think it has to do with the talent being second tier. I think it is absurd for some of these guys, not all. Quincey has valued himself near that point actually. Thank god we didnt go after Kovs, 100 million is stupid.

Yeah but Carter is good too, and he is much younger. Really their centers should be Richards first and Carter second. I would rather get rid of Briere, because he is even older and had an even better postseason, which means more value in return. Gagne makes sense too, why do you really need him when you have those three young wingers and Briere playing your fourth wing!?!?! I say they are doing right by their team, and while I might be upset if the wings did something simular like trading Franzen over Hudler... sometimes that is what you have to do to make your team viable in the cap world.

Simple, they have 9 top six forwards and a ton of salary being eaten up by the oldest guys of the bunch. They move someone good now and they might have the money to keep their young guys later while also getting better all around and winning a cup. Honestly, that would ruin any team. I would say straight to him if I were a random teams GM, unless you are the best player in the league, and he isn't, you don't get to make more money than the best player in the league. At least not from us.

Oh with out a doubt you are correct. This is the problem with looking at any players except the ones in your system. What works in one place may not work in another because of all the differences. I think Miller has earned a chance to build upon what he accomplished here, that is all I am saying. Ritola deserves a chance to prove himself as well, but Modano has earned his right to finish his career with the Stars too... I would be happy with him finishing with a cup though!

Well contribute what is the real point of all of this. Obviously points are easy to see, but will he contribute defensively?? I think sometimes what you have and know can be better than what you do not know about. He was a great defensive player, but he has been in the negative for the last few years. .5 points per game is great if he can hold that, and if he can stay in the plsu then yeah that is great, but these are questions. Miller was .29 ppg and plus 5. He should be getting better so those numbers should move north. If Modano moves south on his numbers then it could be a wash if you are replacing him with Modano. If you are somehow just replacing Maltby with Modano, I think you can safely call that a win. But you have to remember there are alot of players in the mix. What will Ritola do? I just assume that Modano may not want to come here if there is a chance he might not make the team. Maltby at least would. I would like to have Mike, but if we take him and lose someone like Ritola in camp because we have to subject him to waivers, and he becomes a player we will all be pissed. I still have the feeling he would be a fourth liner for us. I think the third line would still have to be composed of our young guys.

Yeah you have to remember with him that most of his role is that of Homer. Stand in front during the power play where you get no plus for contributing to a goal. To figure out the true plus minus worth of a player remember to remove the points scored on the PP from his total points. That is the amount of pluses he was out there for, and then compare to the negitive to see how many goals he was out there for. If most of his points were on the power play odds are that the amount of goals he was out there for is lower than you would initially think. If he had no power play points what so ever, or very low, and alot of even strength points then you get the idea that he was out for a lot of negitive points. I always handicap that for players, because that is the only real easy way you can tell a statistical skew for some players. Ummmm.... serious? A cup is always worth wild. If you were to finish in last 50 times in a row and get a cup afterwards then it was worth it. I mean ask Chicago about that, they practically did! lols.

It might be even higher now. I am a bit surprised that no one has called him. I had said that I expected the California teams, Minnesota, and Detroit to be the ones in on him. Detroit or retirement seems like an easy choice. perhaps... but he was the ONLY center of note on the market. 3.5 for a second line center is not horrible... It isn't good either.

Sounds like a plan!!! I plan on getting in a ton of hockey, if I overcome the recent concussion! Maybe we can convince Philly that Leino was so good that they owe us future considerations and lets us get Carcillo on the cheap!

I just dont get why these days are depressing. When you were right up against the cap last year and add a player making 2.8 basically to your roster before FA starts, I don't see getting upset over players that we basically can't sign. I would get depressed if some of these tough guys we are talking about came to Holland and turned down less of an offer and then they go and win a cup with someone else. Otherwise I am going forward with my team which I like a bunch. These days are great because if nothing else Chicago is falling apart. I wish they lost last year... Cheer up boyo! We still have some great players on our team!

Love it. I just assume that everyone else is busy trying to get guys to help them over the long term. Really only like six teams max would be looking for short term help of a year or so to win a cup, and most of them have nothing to offer a guy like that.