Shaman464

My predictions:
Zetterberg 46
Franzen    42
Dats       38
Hudler     30
Homer      25
Flip       23
Bertuzzi   23
Cleary     21

Is Ritola out of minor league options this year? he's gotta get waived before being able to get sent down? (and he would most certainly get picked up right)

z

The wings got this.

My prediction: Hudler will out score Flip by 10 points while still receiving less ice time.

An old washed up fighter who will add nothing but a single attribute to a team that needs minute eaters not bench fodder... If this is what people want can't the wings just send a player to sit in the locker room for 10 mins every 5th game? It'll be the exact same, because the most time on the scoresheet down will ever have is penalty time.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman: Come on in, Bill. Take a seat. Just clear that stack of bills off the chair.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly: Whose bills, this time?

Gary: Still Phoenix. You know that last season we paid for bottled water at their offices? And for Ed Jovanovski?

Bill: Yeah, but he's the City of Glendale's problem now, and only for one more year. He'll never make it to Winnipeg. Of course, neither will the team, am I right?

Gary: One more year! One! [flourishes cape, laughs, thunder rolls, lightning flashes]

Bill: So Gary, about this Ilya Kovalchuk contract, what are we gonna do? The Devils front-loaded that deal like crazy -- of the US$102-million, he'd get US$98.5-million in the first 11 years, and then in the last six years he'd be paid in cotton candy and hockey tape. The average cap hit is $6-million. Cripes, that's what we're paying Ed Jovanovski.

Gary: Have him killed.

Bill: I keep telling you, Gary, we can't have players killed. If we could, Sean Avery would be in a ditch in New Jersey.

Gary: I told you to write that into the last collective bargaining agreement, didn't I? Didn't I?

Bill: Gary, stay focused here. Look, we let the Marian Hossa deal go through, and the Duncan Keith deal go through, and the Henrik Zetterberg deal go through...

Gary: Get to the point. Bill: ... and the Roberto

Luongo deal go through, and the Johan Franzen deal go through...

Gary: [Throws a hockey puck. Daly ducks just in time. The puck lands on the carpet, where it is quickly stolen by Chris Pronger.]

Bill:... and the Chris Pronger deal go through, but boy, this one's really rubbing our faces in that loophole. Sure, we allowed 15 years for Rick DiPietro, and he's made of balsa wood tied together with twine, but 17 years?

Sure, we allowed deals that would see Zetterberg and Franzen play until they're 40, and Pronger play until he's 42, but 44? That's just crazy, right?

Gary: [smirks coldly] Whoever wrote this CBA wasn't paying very close attention, were they, Bill?

Bill: [soldiers on] So I say we reject it as a contravention of the agreement. It's time to draw the line.

Gary: The red line?

Bill: You think you're so funny.

Gary: OK, OK. Well, I'll consider it. Better warn our pal Lou Lamoriello, though. Wouldn't want him to hold an introductory press conference and sell season tickets to see a guy whose contract we rejected.

[The phone rings. Gary, a little surprised, answers]

Lou Lamoriello: Gary, Bill, it's Lou.

Gary: Lou, how did you know we were just talking about you?

Lou: Lou knows everything, sunshine. Lou's sharp.

Gary: Well, Lou, we might reject the Kovalchuk contract.

Lou: Sure you will, sweet cheeks.

Gary: What?

Lou: Gary, buddy, do me a favour. Look real close at what I say at the press conference tomorrow. I'm gonna say stuff like, "There is nothing that we have done wrong. This is within the rules. This is in the CBA. There are precedents that have been set. But I would agree we shouldn't have these." And I'm gonna say I absolutely rolled my eyes at the 13-year Ovechkin deal and the DiPietro deal. And I'm gonna say, "as far as what the financial commitment is and that aspect of it, that was out of my hands."

Bill: Lou, why would you do that?

Lou: You let Lou worry about Lou, candy apple. Anyway, I gotta run. I got stuff to do. Just a sec. [shouts] Hey, order up those Kovy ads for the website, willya? You don't, it's your ass!

Gary: But you're still going to go through with the press conference, Lou? We're not kidding, here.

Lou: [cackles, hangs up]

Bill: OK, that takes care of the Devils, I guess. But what about the players' association? They could appeal, right?

Gary: Who?

[they both laugh]

Gary: No, but seriously, even though the NHLPA is basically run by whoever hasn't gone out for coffee, they'd probably fight it. I mean, the Hossa deal was just about as ridiculous as this.

Bill: Why didn't we reject that deal?

Gary: We were a little busy with Jim Balsillie at the time, if you remember.

Bill: Oh, yeah. You see the local ownership bought Boots del Biaggio's 27% stake in the Predators for US$15.2-million? That means the team is worth what, US$60-million? Jeez, and to think Balsillie offered us four times that.

Gary: [Throws puck. Daly ducks. The puck is alertly scooped up by Chris Pronger, who darts out again.]

Gary: [shouts down hall] What is wrong with you?

[sound of footsteps receding into the distance]

Bill: Hey, when do you think those Ice Edge guys will finally buy the Coyotes, anyway?

[they both laugh.]

Gary: Anyway, the NHLPA is an empty shell. It's nothing.

Bill: Until Don Fehr comes in.

[they both shiver.]

Bill: What are you going to do during the lockout, anyway?

Gary: Bill my friend, the NHL was built on certain unalterable precepts. Sure, we change the rules as soon as Sean Avery does something stupid, and we prop up teams that are failing in ridiculous markets that we're totally devoted to until there's a better one available, and we keep changing the rules. But I'm not so sure about this. I'm worried we'll look like farmers shutting the barn door after the horses have gone.

Bill: Well, I feel strongly about it. Who can get to break the tie?

Gary: How about Colin Campbell? That guy never gets it wrong.

---------



Read more: http://www.nationalp...l#ixzz0ujVAfLNj

My birthday too and everyone knows im so much better than him... no thread for me?  

I  wouldn't say thats true. He'll fight anyone really and doesn't care about size or mismatches, he fought Landon Ferraro but he also has fought guys like Frazer Mclaren, Brett Ponich, Brayden Mcnabb and Scott Ramsay who are all bigger then him.

In his draft year he fought smaller guys and a few big guys but this past season he really stepped up and fought alot of ppl his size or bigger. For someone who also was a 52 goal scorer, 186 pims and a lot of fighting majors is pretty good. He might not be as tough as Lucic, he may be close, but he definitely has more of a scoring line potential then Looch as well. He would probably be Detroits best prospect if he were in our system or right in the top 3 at least.

I wouldn't go that far, Maltby was a 50 goal scorer in the minors.

Meech for Bobby Ryan, Getzlaf and their next 5 first round picks.

Any chance in hell we sign him, he's been a favorite of mine since he 1st primer on the Jackets, plus he is more then just a goon.

I fear how much Boll gets after what Boogard got..

cleary= 3rd line

Id argue that by skill hes a top six forward... over Bert..

Eaves:
22 Points
128 Hits, 44 Blocked Shots
2 Fights
2:16 PK Time On Ice Per Game

Miller:
19 Points
97 Hits, 47 Blocked Shots
0 Fights
1:49 PK Time On Ice Per Game

I'll take the first guy, thanks. Not to mention that Eaves possesses better hockey sense and a much better shot than Miller as well. I'm fine with the Miller signing, but Eaves is definitely the better player in my eyes.

Millers shooting % is higher... fights count for nothing, as they don't win games the PK is almost a wash, Id prefer it to be boiled down to PK goals against per minute. More blocked shots does count for something though. Hits... well TOI differences could make up the difference but they still both have a lot.

Oh man why you gotta start that up...

Because, I am tired of people trashing miller that he doesn't bring anything we don't already have... having 3 players that can kill a penalty isnt enough, and hes probably our best defensive forward on the team... he doesnt play a flashy high powered offensive game or fight, so he doesn't get noticed like Flip or some enforcer. Hes a solid forth liner, and I think the wings are a better team with him.

The title speaks for itself. Why not?

Because im tired of Holland going for washed up players/red wing retreads

I just don't understand why you're acting like the Hawks are going to suck next season. At the very least, they're going to have 2 good offensive lines and 2 very good d- pairings. You seem to have a very broad definition of "implosion". We're probably not losing a top 4 forward, a top 4 d-man, or our goalie. We're losing a whole lot of depth and skill, but not sure how you can call it an implosion when they didn't lose any of their top 4 on either side. Are we going to be a legit Cup contender when the playoffs come around? Maybe not, but we'll be there.

And I don't get why some act like everything will be the same. Did they lose a lot? Sure. But what if other guys step up? What if Kane and Toews get better? I keep hearing "they don't sniff the Cup with Byfuglien, Ladd, etc.". This may be true, but that was LAST season. By that same logic, the Red Wings won't sniff the Cup this season because they didn't come close last year and haven't improved.

Next year is a different year. Let's not act like there aren't all kinds of variables. Are they a lot weak eron paper right now? Absolutely, but "on paper" is just that

Anyways, I expect about 95 or 100 points next season, depending on what else happens. And that's fine with me. Just get into the playoffs and you never know what can happen.



First of all, exactly how did he cripple the nucleus?

nu·cle·us 1. A central or essential part around which other parts are gathered or grouped; a core:

We have not lost ANY of the nucleus. Not sure how you can possibly say we lost any of our nucleus when we havent lost a top 4 forward or a top 4 d-man. We've lost the complimentary players. Are those guys key to a cup run? Absolutely. But we haven't lost any of the nucleus. Unless you consider an 11th or 12th best player on a team part of it's core. (in which case, you think a core is half the roster)



Except, you know, helped us win a Stanley Cup (I'm aware he didn't score many goals. He still was extremely valuable in the playoffs and we wouldn't have won without him). Does that make his contract good? No, but I don't understand this thought process of "I hope it was worth it Hawks fans, because you're paying the price now" that I see a lot. Hell yeah it was worth it. If you told me "we can go back in time and take away the Hossa signing, then let thing play out", I'd say no. We probably don't win the Cup if that's the case. So I'd say it's worked out pretty well, even if it costs us in the long run.

I think Red Wings fans are so used to winning, that they forget what it feels like for normal organizations that don't have this kind of sustained success. If you told Blackhawks fans before this season "You can win the Cup this year, but you'll be mediocre for the next 5", they'd have all said YES without any hesitation.

Not every organization can do what the Red Wings do, and that's ok.

The Hawks have 2 good lines and one 1.5 defensive pairings. Ask Tampa the last few years how well that works out... Hossa has proven in the last few post season (the season with the Pens more and more seems like the exception not the norm) hes a playoff no show. So when the hawks get into the playoffs next season they have 1.5 good lines. Now what happens when a team throws their best defensive players against Kane, and Toews has no one to finish for him? Secondary scoring wins cups, its been proven in spades in the last 3 years (Sammy in 08, Talbot in 09 Bolland and Versteeg this year proved this).. teams just cant win in the playoffs with a couple good lines.