thewookie1

My UFA Targets in Order of desirability. Obviously we wouldn't sign them all since some of them overlap in purpose. 1. Antti Niemi (Starting goalie 1 Ring) 2. Justin Williams (RW with a ton of experience and clutch. 3 Rings!) 3. Johnny Oduya (Experienced D-man with a ring, maybe rings if they win this year. 1/2 Rings) 4. Michael Frolik (Younger with 1 Ring) 5. Francois Beauchemin (Backup choice to Oduya 1 Ring)

I don't see where this 2nd 2nd rounder is coming from, I read over the trade and it says 3rd rounder if they make it past the 2nd round, otherwise a 4th rounder. Source? Does Tallon deserve credit, yes; he helped form the juggernaut called the Blackhawks through a few drafts, trades, and signings. However to say Bowman is devoid of any significant influence on the team's continued success is absurd. For starters Bowman had to do the next hardest job in maintaining the roster to continue its success. Choosing Hjalmarsson over Niemi was a key but risky move, he put faith in an inexperienced goalie in order to save the 3rd D-man. No matter how many times he's forced to shed his bottom 6 plus the occasional Top 6 player, he continues to retool year after year while leaving their core completely intact. Just look at Pittsburgh, this retooling process is what did them in, they never were able to create a second set of players that with their core could win a Cup. The Johnny Oduya trade was also well done. I will admit, his most recent trades for Vermette and Timonen weren't all that great, but Vermette has certainly played well in these last two series for the Hawks and Timonen strikes me as someone who looked okay for a 6th/7th D-man but just didn't turn out ready enough. The Hawks have at least 2 injured defensemen in Van Riemsdyk and now Rozsival, and Rundblad has proven himself not ready for playoff hockey yet. Brad Richards contrary to what you say in my opinion was a ingenious move by Bowman. The Hawks lacked a 2nd line Center, they signed him ultra cheap, and he's still skilled enough to be stimulated by Kane's elite talent. Bowman isn't perfect, but he's done certainly well enough to keep the ship steered in the right direction.

One thing about Chicago and LA typically is that they truly get better as the playoffs go on, both teams have immense experience. Only real difference is that LAK is almost only built for the playoffs and struggle in the regular season where Chicago has more than enough firepower to get them through the season. Hawks in 6

This one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJF5FvqKgWI

Slow start with a fiery end to the season with Buffalo getting 82 points. We'll miss the playoffs but the fanbase will be re-energized and multiple players will be invited to the Worlds. I think February on they'll start actually out playing teams that are rebuilding.

If Rutherford wants 21 he can shove his phone where the sun don't shine....

Come on Hawks, you've got to win this series. Either that or the Rangers need to win theirs. Would not be all that excited by an Anaheim-Tampa Bay Finals

Buffalo has 1 owner with a hodge podge of middle-men, Toronto has a board of directors, Shanahan, and likely as many or even more middle-men. Don't tell me Toronto doesn't have their own Battistas. The only reason we know more about Buffalo's structure is because we pay attention to Buffalo. Not to mention for every dumb hockey reporter here, they have 10. I honestly think it came down to his wife wanted to live in Toronto, he likely tried to convince her that Buffalo was very close by, but it wasn't enough to sway her.

What is wrong with parity? I like unpredictability and the opportunity for all fans to get a chance to enjoy their team. A league with little parity has the tendency of having certain teams have 15 years runs while others get into the playoffs once due to miraculous play. Non-believers of parity are typically on the side of a team which benefits from it, or a backs a team who should start dominating.

I'd just bring back the Sabres dance, we've had past success with it as well.

Question for you guys Would you trade the 21st and 51st and BUF's 2016 3rd for Kessel(22%) He'd be at around 6.25 a year in cap hit, and is 27 at this time.

This would be his second job, correct? Maybe he could come back better in theory; I just want information and reasons to like him. +1 though with him liking the Clash

Nope, that's the point :flirt:

Give me reason to trust him with the young players and to get the most out of them. The recent Olympics really ruined my opinion of him, and the Penguins inept playoff runs haven't helped. Could we still get Richardson as an Assistant Coach to work with the D?

I really don't want him as Head Coach of the Sabres but I'd be all aboard him being an Assistant. What scares me is his inexperience in head-coaching Part of my coaching requirements would be the ability to get Zadorov to grow up, and I'm stuck in terms of Richardson since he doesn't have much coaching clout so we'd need to rely on his playing career as reason for Nikita to respect him.

Chiarelli: Ring, ring, ringGMTM: Hello Chiarelli: Hey Tim, I'm calling to make you an offer. GMTM: Hmmm, alright. Chiarelli: We'd like to trade for your 2nd overall pick this year. GMTM: Okay then, what are you offering? Chiarelli: A 1st, Nugent, Hopkins, and our 1st next year. GMTM: As in the 1st overall? Chiarelli: No, I was meaning the Pittsburgh pick. GMTM: No thank you, Chiarelli: What if I give you more? GMTM: Unless this "more" is McDavid with a Christmas bow on his head, I refuse to trade the number 2 overall.

He's had far more success, on paper, than Richardson and is a seasoned coach; but would likely be willing to have Richardson on the staff.

I'd take Maclean with Richardson as the Assistant Coach

Something tells me Babcock wanted Toronto all along and decided last moment to reach out to the Leafs even while he'd given Buffalo brass no reason to think he wasn't coming here. Then he comes back this morning with another offer from Toronto and Buffalo merely flips him off, business version, and tells him to go to hell. Playing teams against one another is business, what it seems he did is rather shady and underhanded.

Babcock is not only dead to me but I hope ill will to the Maple Leafs even more now. I hope they all burn in hell!

Way too expensive to be feasible, few to no stadiums are capable of making the switch.

You'd think practicing with Crosby for years would have given Malkin a bit more patience in terms of playing talent greater than his own but I guess it did not. I've got to say, its a good sign when your 18 year old intended pick can legitimately frustrate an high end, experienced, Cup winner to the point he elbows him in the head.

Eichel looked visiblely better than most on USA in those last 5 minutes, stealing pucks from Malkin, literally wrestling with him in the corner on another occasion, putting pucks on sticks and attempting to drive the play forward. If anything I can at least get the feeling he is the type who plays better in bad situations.

I didn't mean all of the Nelson trade pieces for Lewis How's Eichel doing thus far?