achildr1

Wow. Overpayment of the year for sure. I'm so glad we have Kenny. Dats, Z, and Kronwall's deals are all steals.

Ok. So I'm a big hater of size prejudice at the NHL draft every year. How many Ennis' get passed up every year for Jessimans'? The league supports smaller players much more post lockout. Briere, St. Louis, Ennis, Desharnais, Kane, etc...all not only get by, but do well. Here's my curiosity case this year...Nic Petan. 120 points in 71 WHL games for the Winterhawks. Listed as 5'8". This kid dominated a league, that from what I've heard is generally a more physical league than the other two CHL leagues. He also jumped from 35 points to 120 in one year. Kid knows how to play. Yet, he's listed at #42 in the THN Draft Preview. http://flamesnation.ca/2013/5/31/flames-first-round-targets-2013-nicolas-petan

Good thinking. I'm really excited for this draft. Super deep draft. We have the lowest pick I've ever personally seen us have. There should be a flurry of trade activity today. Things I'm looking for... -Flames GM Jay Feaster will do something dumb AND make at least one draft decision that makes people wonder why he's still an NHL GM -Columbus trades one of thier 3 first round picks -Colorado takes MacKinnon, Patrick Roy says something stupid at one point or another -Florida takes Jones, Tallon personally thanks Colorado -At least one team trades to get into the top 10 -Leafs do something dumb (this is partially a wish) -Columbus has its best draft ever

Yea....Button's mock draft on The NHL Network had us taking Horvat. Sounds like a classic Wings pick. Two-way guy, PP and PK, 33 goals. Not too shabby. He did play on the Knights tho, who I think were good, so his stats may have been padded a bit. I'd be ok with hI'm but Iideally I'd rather we draft a higher production, higher ceiling, guy. I'm wondering if this is the year to trade up. From what I read, it seems like any of the top 3 guys would be number #1s in other years, the number 4 and 5 guys would be #2's...and so on. I think this would be the year to do it.

Pssshh...I liked the other girl.

Now I understand why he seems like just as much of a ****** as Kane...

Wow. Too bad Chris Drury, Ville Niemenen, and Scott Parker ain't around. Look for Aebischer to be signed in the next couple days

Name me ten better goalies who've played more than a year and a half. Go.... Trump.

Butterfly goaltending basically didn't exist in the 70's, pads were very heavy and small, and goalies were ENCOURAGED to stay standing and not to go down. Couple that with a near complete lack of defensive and positioning structure at the time and you have a recipe for the unheard of point production of the 70's and 80's. Simply put...Lidstrom putting up 70 plus points in 2000 is like Orr putting up 115 or more in the early 70's. Except Lidstrom did it without rushing the puck like a forward...even if Orr was better, I don't think its near as far apart as some people will tell you.

Its stuff like this that makes comparing players from different eras very hard. I think Orr would still be good but not otherworldly dominating good. Orr revolutionalized hockey for defenseman, he was a great skater, scorer, and he would fight. He was Wayne Gretzky on defense. Your right though. The game has become incredibly more refined, coached, and defended. I think its starting to settle into the zone where it won't change much anymore without large rule changes because they've really exploited out the games deficiencies. That said, Lidstrom played during the end of the freewheeling era, the dead puck era, and the post cap era. His most clear dominance though was during the dead puck era when some teams top scorer would have 55 points. This guy was putting up 70 from defence without rushing the puck like Orr. He did all this while being the best defensive defenseman in the game with little to no physical game...I believe he was the best ever during the most refined era of hockey to date.

I'm a little curious of that too but I don't remember ever hearing anything even remotely bad about his defence.

Wow. Little early for that I think. With Phaneuf and Kessel leading the way?! Even if Kadri lights it up and Bernier is good, I highly doubt they are even close.

Wow. Bad trade for both teams. What does Reimer have to do to be considered the #1 guy?! What's the point of trading for Bernier when you have a #1 guy? Kings got robbed too. Bernier should have went NJ, Calgary, or somewhere where he'd be THE (after Marty retires for NJ) guy. Watch Toronto ruin both of their goaltenders.

I agree that they ahead of Teemu. I think Sheahan will stick first then the other two will follow. I'm not sure Teemu goes to Toledo tho...he might not stay here if that's the case. I also don't see GR having six forwards ahead of him next year anyway. Ferraro, Jurco, Jarnkrok, snd Glendening are probably top six guys but it gets shifty after that. I think Tvrdon will be the winger sent to Toledo.

Sheahan and Jurco are not ready. I fully expect both of them to spend all next year in GR...with maybe an injury call up aside. Jurco needs to dominate the AHL like Nyquist did this year before he gets the call. Sheahan should be left downthere until he develops a better offensive game too. We have a whole teams worth of bottom six guys...we need Sheahan to put up points. Unless your trying to say that they will be eventual NHLer's. I expect Pulkkinen to play in the NHL. Lashoff would be included too.

Seriously...Blashill has to be trying to mock Babcock. At one point in this video, when he's talking, there's no distinguishing between the two. Jiri Fischer.

At this point, I'd rather have Mursak than Emmerton. Kenny, re think that one.

Zetterberg, Dasyuk, Brunner, Franzen, Nyquist, Tatar, Andersson are or need to be constant top 9 guys all year. That leaves two spots in the top 9 which Abby arguably may own one of now. The fourth line should not include Dan Cleary, Bertuzzi, or Samuelsson...because, well, because I said so. Emmerton, Eaves, Miller, Helm, and Tootoo can make a good fourth line. So, its pretty obvious that a physical, scoring winger is the ticket. I voted Clarkson, id take Iginla, and I want Bickell if all else fails. I highly doubt any of that happens though. I see us holding onto Bert until he discintegrates and asking him to do more than he's capable of. We'll probably resign Cleary under the same guise just to piss me off.

I'm not all Capgeek crazy but if we let Filppula walk, cut Sammy, and sign our essential FA's...how is it we won't have money? If we resign Cleary, which I desperately hope we don't do (sorry Dan, its time for us to move on), it should be for dirt cheap anyway...the guy doesn't have a spot to play in anymore.

Thinks he goes to Montreal? What about here as a cheap Filppula replacement?

I think McClellan needs an evaluation too...they should have won a Cup years ago.

That was a great move though. They should have traded Whitney too. Do the rebuild right. Sign a couple older free agents looking to get playing time and trade them at the deadline or keep one to influence and teach the kids. I believe Nill is gonna whip that place into shape.

YES! Exactly. Why couldn't they have just done this...would have made it so much better.

For real. The bottom line is, you will almost certainly be overpaying for potential. But he's 29, had one season where he lived up to it, and will probably get 5 years no matter how you slice it. We can't pay that for a fringe top 6 guy, period. To tell you the truth, I think Andersson will be every bit as good as Fil...and soon. Maybe not next year, but soon enough to make Fil not worth that commitment. Its guys like Fil that you let walk and hand the minutes to young guys like Andersson and Nyquist.

Sweet! I assume that means he'll be a Griffin this fall...joining what should be an absolutely stacked Grand Rapids roster. I hear people rag on the Wings farm system and im stumped as to why...we got so many real deal guys.