Yahoo! Power Rankings

[Lidstrom for Norris 0]

lol you Detwat fans are on crack...Medicore D? We have the best D Core in the league. SEABROOK AND KEITH probably the best pairing in the league. Barker showed how good he is on both O and D last year. CAmpbell offensive force with average defense and Hjalmarsson showing how good of a stay at home D man he is. Wow lay off the pipe Detroit. Huet showed he can win with MTL, and Wash...not to mention he won 20+ with Chicago in limited starts. The Blackhawks have one of the best offenses in the league without Havlat and Hossa. All 4 lines can score...when November rolls around and Hossa is on the Ice look the f*** out. Detroits run is over..sorry

This just made my day. Thank you for the laugh. Got anymore jokes in that brain of yours?

[RedFX 48]

lol you Detwat fans are on crack...Medicore D? We have the best D Core in the league. SEABROOK AND KEITH probably the best pairing in the league. Barker showed how good he is on both O and D last year. CAmpbell offensive force with average defense and Hjalmarsson showing how good of a stay at home D man he is. Wow lay off the pipe Detroit. Huet showed he can win with MTL, and Wash...not to mention he won 20+ with Chicago in limited starts. The Blackhawks have one of the best offenses in the league without Havlat and Hossa. All 4 lines can score...when November rolls around and Hossa is on the Ice look the f*** out. Detroits run is over..sorry

Yeah, I forgot about all those magical playoff runs Huet had in Washington and Montreal.......

[edicius 3,269]

A Quenneville-coached team should never, ever be ahead of the Wings in a Power Rankings listing. That's just plain common sense.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Yes, but that experience will be on the bench until Dec (I say Jan). No chemistry will be developed between Hossa and his linemates (whoever they may be). Just ask yourself this question. . . with all that Chicago has done in the off-season, where have they REALLY improved? I'm not saying this as a Wings fan, but as a hockey fan. My answer is they replaced Havlat points, did nothing to improve their mediocre (my opinion) D, and downgraded in the net. To say that this team has done what is necessary to dethrone the perennial Central Division Champs and current Western Conference Champs is ridiculous. I will never understand the Hossa signing since the team is now handcuffed for future signings. I really don't know why they signed Kopecky to $1.2M/yr for 2 yrs. . . he brings nothing other than one hit every 4th or 5th shift. But after that hit, he's on his butt becasue he rarely ever stays on his skates.

Match the top 2 lines, offense and defense of Det and Chi and tell me the Hawks CAN even stay on the ice with the Wings. Now factor in goalies and continue to state your argument.

Wings will finish first, Chicago is still the red-headed basterd stepchild of the Central.

How many times do I have to state that the Blackhawks are *not* going to dethrone the Wings as the Central Division Champs for it register with you? I've stated it in practically every single reply that I don't see them winning the division. I've simply stated that certain people on this site like to bash and criticize other teams' moves at every chance they get while turning the other cheek at the Wings' offseason departures, not to mention their physically draining past 3 postseasons.

The Hossa signing was a good one *for this year only*. I agree that it was dumb for the future of that franchise but that has nothing to do with my previous statements since they were solely based on this single upcoming season. Obviously the Blackhawks top 6 up front aren't nearly as talented of all-around players as the Wings are but since you're so hell-bent on the comparing the two, the Blawkhawks top 6 for the upcoming season scored 354 points last year while the Wings' top 6 scored 346. So offensively, not only are the current Wings not leaps-and-bounds ahead of Chicago, they're actually behind. As for goaltending, repeatedly I've mentioned they downgraded in net, but Huet is serviceable. Nothing more, but at the very same time, nothing less. I don't know how many more times I have to say that.

Bringing Kopecky into the argument? Really? That's like me bringing Maltby in to the conversation. In other words, its a waste of time.

You put so many words in my mouth this past post, its almost completely off-base for me to even respond to.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I think I didn't make myself clear enough in earlier posts. I think Chicago will be good, I think they could even win the central I am just saying without Hossa they are not the 2nd best team in the league so in a power rankings which lists who the best team is right now they should not be in the top 5. You might be right, I definately could be understimating their defense BUT they lost the leading point scorer off last seasons team and a solid center in Pahlsson so you think they will be solid offensively if (and I realize its still an if) Kane is out at the begining of the season? They would have a good not great top line of Versteeg-Toews-Ladd and then a second line of Bolland-Sharp-Byfuglien thats not exactly scary, especially for a team with a below average goalie. Now when Hossa and Kane are both in the line up they will have a very good top 6 but again I am talking about the begining of the season.

And my point was more in regards to the quality of the team in general. While most power-rankings weigh heavily on recent play I think its pretty conceivable the author of these was speaking in terms of state of the team with a full roster. Obviously, the Blackhawks minus Hossa for the first few months(which is guaranteed) plus Kane (which is *not* guaranteed) are massive losses to that roster, but as I've said all along...the Blawkhawks aren't going to be as bad as some here want to think. Countless time in this thread I've stated I don't think Chicago will overtake the Wings for the Central division, but given the offseason moves of both squads, the experience gained by the young Hawks, and the exhaustion the Wings will be faced with due to their third straight deep playoff run, it's ridiculous to state that the standings *this year only* won't be closer then they were last season. That's my one and only point.

[matt198913 932]

Chicago at number 2. By seasons end the Wings will still win the central.

[Lidstrom for life 20]

And my point was more in regards to the quality of the team in general. While most power-rankings weigh heavily on recent play I think its pretty conceivable the author of these was speaking in terms of state of the team with a full roster. Obviously, the Blackhawks minus Hossa for the first few months(which is guaranteed) plus Kane (which is *not* guaranteed) are massive losses to that roster, but as I've said all along...the Blawkhawks aren't going to be as bad as some here want to think. Countless time in this thread I've stated I don't think Chicago will overtake the Wings for the Central division, but given the offseason moves of both squads, the experience gained by the young Hawks, and the exhaustion the Wings will be faced with due to their third straight deep playoff run, it's ridiculous to state that the standings *this year only* won't be closer then they were last season. That's my one and only point.

Agreed.

[Mitchmac33 103]

well that gave me a chuckle for a day.

[TheSupafly 50]

Power rankings are always fun to debate...especially preseason ones. All it does is stir the pot. Seeing my team at #10 was good for a chuckle.

[Electrophile 3,554]

Chicago #2? LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Hey, don't laugh. When you have cabbie-slugging Patrick Kane on your roster, you're a bonafide power threat.