tom webster

Wasn't sure if this deserved its own thread, but with 9-19 -4 just as likely as 19-9-4, I figured it deserved star treatment. http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/18/draft-lottery-odds-to-remain-the-same-but-winner-gets-first-pick/

Martin Hanzal. I think I just gave Drane and Deluca a warm and fuzzy feeling.

There is no question he is better at center. Question is whether the team is better when he is at center. There is a reason that Ruff grudgingly moved him there and there is a reason why most of the league's smaller players find themselves on wing in today's NHL.

Dallas v. Boston last year. I think an Islander game as well but can't remember details. Kassian is starting to resemble the player he was in Buffalo. His February totals 6 games 0 goals 2 assists 0 PIM 9 hits (5 in one game) Speaking of team toughness, guess which team is 11th in hits and 5th in blocked shots, two of Deluca's favorite stat's?

The 23 year old that should be playing wing

Watch Eric Staal treat Ennis like a rag doll on the way to scoring a goal against another overrated fan favorite (Enroth) and you will see why neither player should play on a team with Cup aspirations. Ennis would be a nice 7th forward, filling in when needed or used as a change of pace but he just lacks the compete level and/or ability to play center in today's NHL.

Ennis is a keeper if he can adjust to wing. If all he is is a center, trade him in a heartbeat. You can't win in this league if he is your second or third center except as a change of pace.

You mean you couldn't see Rick Dudley, Brian Burke, Torts, Sather et al laughing at them? Pegula is the new kid on the block, new money that entered their club. You can bet that they share a laugh every time he does something that goes against the norm. Whether they are right, well only time will tell. Executives are no difference behind closed doors then anyone else. They may put on a professional face and demeanor in public but behind doors, after a couple drinks, the gloves come off. One last thing, you may not like him but Bucky has his share of supporters on the national scene.

I've said before that I'm ready to see Lindy leave and I've never been a Darcy fan but there are a lot of explanations other then the coach for a player not to turn into what everybody thinks they should be. History is full of players that were the next "sure thing" after a great year or two that turned into nothing. As for the "imported" talent, its not like they brought in Wayne Gretzky. Most of them were fringe players. Before the internet it was always said that no one was more popular or better then the back up goalie or number one prospect because those were the only players fans knew besides the regulars on the team. Now with the internet every fan thinks their team is just loaded with prospects guaranteed to be NHL stars and when it doesn't happen, it has to be the coach or the organizations fault.

I stand corrected, I was thinking that Brennan didn't play last game so they will have to send someone down tomorrow if Regehr in fact plays. Also, Pardy was already sent down Friday

So did they send down Brennan? If Sekera and Kaletta are both in today for Myers and McCormick and Regehr is supposed to be back tomorrow one player has to be sent down today and one tomorrow, correct?

Lafontaine was second in scoring that year but played 24 more games then Lemieux

I was not trying to start a pissing match and for the most part enjoy your posts, just letting you know that the people I talk to know that everything is off the record. I also understand that therevis almost never absolutes in this business. Everything is fluid and can change on a dime. People that know me or my record know that I don't toss rumors around lightly. Lastly, by all accounts is my informed opinion.

The point is whether the compensation being that the player resigning with the team that traded him. No way that would pass mustard. The trade you mentioned happens all the time.

Some of us aren't in the business of promoting our own site or be the next Darren Dreger. I hope it all works out for those of you with those aspirations but I'll stick with my informed opinion, the Leafs are checking the market and while they may not trade him, I believe it's more then probable they will before tying their future to a guy that has shown little desire to be a leader.

Completely disagreee. By all accounts the Leafs are actively shopping Kessel with the prevailing sentiment that he doesn't like being the go to guy and his stats will inflate his value. There is no doubt that he would be a great 2nd line winger and he would probably thrive in that role but he will command first line dollars and if he doesn't embrace that role he'll be just another soft top 6 guy that half this board belittles. The Sabres either need Stafford to step up or they need a rugged second line right winger to eventually take his place between 25 and 82 to give the Sabres a pretty good two line set.

He said the defenseman still lives here. Its funny, despite how he insists that he doesn't pay attention to media and fans opinions that he always seems to get his excuses out there for public consumption.

What do you think? Defenseman Craig Rivet and the Russian Slava Kozlov?

I said I'm ready for Ruff to go. I am not giving him a free pass.

Has it ever occurred to anyone that maybe the talent wasn't that good to begin with. Just watch Eric Staal's go in the Carolina game to see why neither Enroth nor Ennis belong in this league. I'm ready for Ruff to go but its Reiger that created this mess. We went into the season with one legitimate, NHL ready center on the team and a back up goalie that can't stop a beachball.

I know I'm in the minority around here but there have only been 2 or 3 players that have gotten in snce Reed was eligible that I thought Reed was clearly more deserving then. I always thought he was borderline HOF material. That being said, I'd expect him to get in next year as Tim Brown and Marvin Harrison have done enough to hurt their chances of getting in before Reed and there aren't any sure fire first year entrants next year.

The notion that there is a lot of young talent arriving is questionable. The belief that TP was advocating this path to a Cup is nonsense. What Mike was saying was that he was wondering if Pegula realized how far away the team was and how hard it would be to accomplish that "signature" move that would put them among the league's elite. He repeatedly said he believed Pegula meant what he said, he just wasn't sure if he would have said it again. No one watching that presser thought what he was saying was the we are going to draft our way to the top within 10 years. We came away from that presser expecting a Brad Richards move, we got Leino. We thought we would already be battling for the division, not hoping for the playoffs. That's what Mike was saying.

Isn't that I said? Other then Ennis I don't think we have anyone.

A) I would argue the stats say Stafford answers the first question based on the stats. Look up how many forwards scored 20 goals and recorded over 100 hits last year. I would concur on Dumont and add Grosek. B) The fact that I can come up with only two or three and can only truly credit you with coming up with a good argument on one(Pyatt) begs the question of whether he was given anybody else over the course of 16 years that had the ability to satisfy your quest. Which leads to the point I have been making since Darcy first tracked me down 15 years ago to argue his case with me ( its been a long time since I played the I know someone too game), he underates the gritty side of the game.

For the most part very good analysis but I will question two points. 1) The premise that Miller lets in an inordinate amount of long floaters, I have seen no statistical analysis to back this up. Its always been more of an anecdotal premise based on two or three goals a year. 2) The notion that Buffalo's forwards are small and fast. This analysis dates back 05/06 and continues to be perpetuated by national broadcasters and writers. In fact, I would argue that only Tyler Ennis matches this discription. The second fastest forward on the team may be Kaleta and after that I'm not sure. Gerbe obviously qualifies as small but is not overly fast and after him and Ennis who is small by NHL standards?