DHawerchuk10

I don't think absurd is the right word, but "highly unlikely" fits the bill. It is highly unlikely for a couple reasons. First, he is coming off a MVP season. Not sure how many teams would be jumping out of their skin to deal a MVP. Second, I have heard (I know...hearsay) that Leonsis has a man crush on Ovechkin. Not sure if building around a single superstar is the correct forumla to win a cup these days anyway. It appears you are better off having stars, and lots of depth. He might not play his entire career with Washington, but certainly his prime years will be played there. He might fall into the Daniel Alfredsson category, where he is dealt in the twilight of his career. I would love Ovechkin on this team, but not at the price the Caps are likely to ask. If he demonstrated he could win Cups singlehandedly, it would be different. Until then, I build through the draft.

Simmer down buddy. I am just underscoring how bad of a pick that would be (i.e I am exaggerating).

Why the hell couldn't we acquire Nino? I like Clutterbuck, but my god, the Isles got raped with that one.

The trend suggests Nichushkin.

Would be the worst pick in the history of the draft. Like picking a kicker in the 1st round.

Who the hell does Edmonton pick now?????

Yep, most guaranteed pick in the entire draft!

All I have to say is....we better not draft Fucale in the 1st round. Something just tells me that is going to happen though.

I think the trend is set....all forwards go, and leave Nurse to Buffalo.

I guess it depends how the draft goes, and how our roster shakes out if there are trades. Briere was always a defensive liability and has considerable wear on his tires...wouldn't be my first option, but certainly worth consideration.

Should have read your post, before posting myself, as it embodies my sentiment exactly. I guess I have become a crusty ole curmudgeon or an elitist to some extent, but it certainly felt like it was "better back in the day" even during some of the lean times.

All true, but it is a different breed of fan. I am generalizing of course, but for the games I have attended over the past few years, the fans almost seem entitled...and dare I say, "bandwagon-ish". As if their fanaticism was bequeathed to them. If you want to see suffering, go to an Islander game. But even there building gets louder than ours.

You are right on the money with your comment! It's not as much the booing, its the alternative. No Buffalo fan wants to hear the truth, but even when the Sabres are playing reasonably well, the atmosphere is lousy. And then the only time the building gets noisy, its because of booing?! That is an embarrassment. Fan etiquette should be required learning for everybody entering the building. Look no further than the "Let's Go Sabres" chants. You should have your fan card revoked for such heresy! It is "Lets Go Buff-a-lo". The old ways have been lost due to forced relocation....shudder.

Even the stats here don't do the argument justice as the rules and styles of play were different. However, there were nights that Hasek imposed his confidence on the entire building, and you KNEW he wasn't going to be beaten. That's beyond elite, that is a generational talent. Sadly, even that didn't translate into a championship for Buffalo, but at least it came within a whisker.

Well said. When I speak of "average", I am really alluding to his ability (or lack thereof) to be a game-changer. In the grand scheme of things when ranked against other goalies, I am sure he can rank as above average, but what does that matter? Stats can be cherry-picked to support either side of the argument here, and as mentioned, don't stack up to a championship or even a winning team. I think its more important to believe your own eyes when watching Miller. And I see a goalie whose ability can be replaced at a lower salary level, and the "savings" can be used to strengthen the team in other areas. Certainly everybody has a different perception, but that is what makes this argument so compelling. Furthermore, "eliteness" would suggest a talent that can overcome shortcomings of the team. Ryan Miller can't do this, and even many apoligists here have said, "well, he would do better with a better defense". To me, that is like admitting he is not elite. Every goalie would do better with a better defense. The key is to perform at a high level and win games given what you have. ***Disclaimer: I realize our defense has been extremely putrid this year, thus using this year to judge Miller's career performance is somewhat of an outlier.

That is not a bad idea. I don't mind Rolston as coach, but there is no denying the skill of those two guys regardless of sentiment.

If any California team traded for Miller, it would be outright stupidity. This is born out of strict fan bs that Miller wants to be with his wife in SoCal. Maybe yes, maybe no...but why on earth would franchises with superior goaltending trade for a guy who wants to be dealt to your club because his wife is out there? If this happened, I would be extremely happy though, but it makes absolutely no sense. Maybe Ryan will enjoy Edmonton????

If the deal was Vanek or Pominville plus Miller for Quick the Kings would be fools not to pull the trigger. I like Quick, but that would be a hugely lopsided deal in their favor. Perhaps if it was Myers plus Miller for Quick and Martinez it would work, but I agree, I don't see any scenario where Miller goes to LA that makes sense. And the whole, "his wife lives there" thing is complete BS. These are professional athletes, not factory workers. These guys are on the road half the year, you think it really matters where the bricks are put down. If Miller doesn't live in LA during the offseason, then what difference would it make during the season?

We'll take up a collection to pay Brad's medical bills and get R. Kelly to write a song about him. Holy crap this is being overblown!!!!

How quickly everyone forgets the numerous times Kaleta throws himself in front of shots. Kaleta was stupid for the cross check while already being a man down. The fact that Richards went crashing into the boards is bad luck for the most part. In reading some of these posts, you would think Kaleta had devised this during the pre-game skate and was disappointed Richards didn't get hurt. If you want to see a real forceful cross check, watch Thomas Vanek in front of the net on the powerplay. If he was Richards, he would get propelled out to the red line with those.

My god man, he cross checked him in the back 10 feet from the boards, he didn't drop kick him in the throat with his skates.

I don't have a problem with the 2 minutes there, just pointing out the inconsistencies in reactions. I think both deserved two minutes and I agree with your Ennis arguement. But its somewhat disingenious to want to hang Kaleta, and ignore Girardi's hit. Yep, you summed it up perfectly.

Good breakdown. This certainly falls into the "looked worse than it really was" category. Quite frankly, I was somewhat shocked he got 5 mins. It was a cross-check plain and simple, worth of a 2 minute penalty. Since Richards lost his balance, everyone wants to draw and quarter Kaleta. Sorry to disappoint the Brad Richards fan club, but Thomas Vanek takes 5 times that abuse every game, and I never hear a peep from anyone on this board or anywhere. Not only that, but the location of his "supposed injury" changed from his shoulder to lower back while he was on the bench (which was shown on the NY telecast). How about the hit Ennis took in overtime? This is an excellent comparison. Where is the righteous indignation over that?

Are you being sarcastic? Pominville is one of the best two way wingers in the game.

That is freakin awesome! Yeah, I believed it too. I remember thinking how the heck does he know that kid is from Lackawanna? Ha! Unrelated to that, for whatever reason they always seemed to have technical difficulties on NFSN. The sound would always kick out. It happened like a dozen times a year.