Official NHL thread?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Recon

cheley didnt even dress for the cup so eh i think we can manage without him

---

I don't think either Quincy or Meech have any options left. They either are on the roster or they have to clear waivers. So, Cheli is gone I think....his age was beginning to show near the end of the season.

Lids-Raffy
Kronwall-Stuart (UFA)
Lebda-Lilja (UFA)
Meech/Q

I'm projecting that they sign Stuart....he was flat out invaluable. The only true physical presence on the blue line. Kronwall hits, but doesn't have the ability to clear people off the boards and muck out the puck like Stuart. I also think they end up with Lilja though if he's switched out I ain't complaining. Babcock loves Ericsson so he might make the team in place of Q.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Recon

ITS PARADE DAY *****ES!!!!!

https://www.sharkyforums.com/images/...2008/06/30.jpghttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-w...9843d78598.jpghttps://www.sharkyforums.com/images/...2008/06/31.jpg


Ya i know the last pic isnt from the series but no wings montage is complete without a wings goalie fighting a crap avs golie

---

To say Roy was a crap goalie is just like saying Hasek was a crap goalie. Don't be so blinded by your faith to your team.

Looks like Holland wants to resign Chelios if he takes a part time role. He's got a boatload of D-men logjammed in Grand Rapids and he wants to resign someone who wasn't trusted enough to play in the Cup finals? Sometimes Holland needs to be saved from himself. He also wanted to resign Shanahan, Schneider, Bertuzzi and Fedorov. Fed had one good year after he left Detroit and he had a 5 year contract on the table the year before he left. I think Holland is a good GM but sometimes he's been successful despite himself.

There are cases when being loyal to your established veterans can get in the way of making a team better. Philly has the same predicament with Hatcher and Mike Knuble. Chelios is an extreme case though, due to his age.

It's tricky ground, because the other players (and especially potential free agents) will be swayed by how a team treats it's veterans.

On the other hand, Holland may be filling a legit need by keeping him around. I'm not familiar with Detroit's d-men down on the farm, but for example if they are all offensive d-men who can't stop anyone...then re-signing Chelly might be wise.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Snakespy

To say Roy was a crap goalie is just like saying Hasek was a crap goalie. Don't be so blinded by your faith to your team.

---

Roy was good its why we hated him...the rest of the avs were crap =)

I would have liked to have Sakic on the wings back in his heyday.

and Forsberg, Kamanski, Lemiux...? seriously we've both had great teams in the years with amazing players. I have enough respect for the Stanley Cup winners that I actually respect them. I would never put down any of the wings this year or any year that they've won. (except Osgood who is a piece of s***). yea i just contradicted myself lol.

My favorite Ave from the 90's was probably Adam Deadmarsh. A real shame his career was cut short, I loved his game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Snakespy

and Forsberg, Kamanski, Lemiux...? seriously we've both had great teams in the years with amazing players. I have enough respect for the Stanley Cup winners that I actually respect them. I would never put down any of the wings this year or any year that they've won. (except Osgood who is a piece of s***). yea i just contradicted myself lol.

---

I miss the days of hate....

I miss hating Chicago and then the Avs..

there really is no rivalry anymore with ether team because they've dropped off so bad

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Recon

I miss the days of hate....

I miss hating Chicago and then the Avs..

there really is no rivalry anymore with ether team because they've dropped off so bad

---

You can hate the Oilers!

The last time that they met in the playoffs, the Oil pwned the Wings... :eek:

:D

Maybe I should just shut up... I guess that the Oilers have to actually MAKE the playoffs for anybody outside their division to actually hate them... LOL!

or they could put the wings back in a EASTERN division......

Kings are absolute retards.

I've given my opinion to all the Kings fans in the area... last year was tough but the Kings have an awesome group of young talent who is ready to explode. Within a year or two, the Kings should shock the league.

Today I find out that they traded Mike Camalleri to move up the draft to the #12 spot. Camalleri is an awesome young talent. A young guy who's been proving himself. And the Kings traded him away for what will amount to be a prospect who won't be league ready for probably three to fours years.

I am just dumbfounded by the trade. Not that it hurts... it actually gives me bugging rights over some Kings friends down here... LOL!

The Kings have an amazing young core of players... Dustin Brown, Alex Frolov, Andre Kopitar, and Jack Johnson. Today they pulled a boneheaded trade.

I like what the Kings did. Maybe they felt Camalleri wasn't going to stay anyway, in which case it makes more sense to get something back for him. They won't be hurting for offensive talent.

Meanwhile, they are probably going to have one of the top defenses in the whole league in the next couple of years. J.Johnson, Hickey, Drew Doughty and now that wrecking ball Teubert thanks to trading Cammy. That is a completely sick top four, who can feed the nice forwards they still have. You have to give to get.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by r'aggro

I like what the Kings did. Maybe they felt Camalleri wasn't going to stay anyway, in which case it makes more sense to get something back for him. They won't be hurting for offensive talent.

Meanwhile, they are probably going to have one of the top defenses in the whole league in the next couple of years. J.Johnson, Hickey, Drew Doughty and now that wrecking ball Teubert thanks to trading Cammy. That is a completely sick top four, who can feed the nice forwards they still have. You have to give to get.

---

What I know is that not only did Camalleri have good numbers but that I saw flashes of brilliance when I saw him play.

The Kings have a good crop of young guys who *if* they stick with that I think will really explode some year. The *if* part makes me wonder when they trade a guy like Camalleri (proving himself) for unproven commodities (the NHL draft is more uncertain than other sports I think).

I've seen Johnson play... I think that he is the real deal . Every game that I've seen him in, he has done something eye popping.

Hinckley was the 4th overall pick last year. He was projected to go late in the 1st. Even *if* he turns out to be Ray Bourque... the Kings could have still traded down, picked up extra picks and ended up with him anyways. The Kings seem to do something exceedingly stupid every year (the year before it was sighning Cloutier and the year before that was Roenick). Hinckley was a reach... at best... with 4th overall.

Doughtey's scouting report was glowing with two noteable exceptions... his nickname was "doughnut" because he was out of shape in juniors. Some player shape up when they hit the NHL, others don't. AND, while he seems close to "NHL ready" right now, some scouts don't feel like he has much more room to grow at this point (i.e. he is closed to being "maxed out").

Tuebert's scouting report sounded decent... but it also sounded like he was 3-4 years out from cracking the NHL lineup.

The King's are awful right now. They need as much help as they can get "right now". Trading Camalleri for a prospect was a step back I think. Trading their 28th and 17th overall picks for the 12th overall doesnb't make much sense to me either (they can use quantity... not quality at the moment).

*If* those 4 d-men pan out then the Kings will look good on the blueline a few years from now.

As for the NOW, they have good looking young forwards (one less with Camalleri gone) and a few good d-men in Blake (maybe one decent year left in him), Johnson, and Vishnovsky.

The Kings also had Camalleri locked up for cheap through arbitration at 3-4 million per year for the next 3 or something years. Which I thought was an absolute bargain for his talent.

(he was lightinmg the league up at the beginning before he got injured)

Ohhh... O'Sullivan too is a good prospect at forward.

Cammaleri was not locked up for three years, he was set to become an UFA after one more season. He had also been vocal about not returning to the Kings. So LA was right to shop him, or wait and possibly get nothing.

It's true that trading established guys for draft picks is very risky. Let's face it, plenty of draft picks will never make it in the NHL. But LA got a high first for Cammy, and used it on a very promising, defensive dman. You mentioned that he is likely a few years away and you're probably right, but they are set for the future. That's what rebuilding is! Besides, Doughty might even make the big club right out of camp.

Bottom line is, LA knows they aren't going to make a run at it this year, or the next. After that, watch out--they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by r'aggro

Cammaleri was not locked up for three years, he was set to become an UFA after one more season. He had also been vocal about not returning to the Kings. So LA was right to shop him, or wait and possibly get nothing.

---

My bad. Two year signing at a bargain rate.

I had heard rumours that Camalleri had been a locker room cancer. I don't know if there was anything to that or not. I also know that winning takes care of a lot of problems... and I think that the Kings are on the verge of winning and winning big with the current cast. Maybe winning would have kept Camalleri's piehole shut if in fact he is a problem player.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by r'aggro

It's true that trading established guys for draft picks is very risky. Let's face it, plenty of draft picks will never make it in the NHL. But LA got a high first for Cammy, and used it on a very promising, defensive dman.

---

The Kings got the 17th pick for Camalleri. They traded that AND the 28th pick to move up to #12... another dumb move in my estimation. They better have REALLY saw something in this #12 guy!

So they got a middle 1st round pick and traded it and a late 1st round pick to move up earlier in the 1st round.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by r'aggro

You mentioned that he is likely a few years away and you're probably right, but they are set for the future. That's what rebuilding is! Besides, Doughty might even make the big club right out of camp.

---

Thing is that the Kings are in perpetual "rebuilding" mode. It never seems to end. And the fans here are getting tired of it. I know... I talk to many of them.

When they see a guy like Camalleri... a proven player... get traded for more "rebuilding" projects... they get pissed. And rightfully so.

I think that it'd have been a easier sell on the fans had Camalleri been traded for a more proven NHL player. A draft pick at the very best is setting them back a few years.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by r'aggro

Bottom line is, LA knows they aren't going to make a run at it this year, or the next. After that, watch out--they will be a force to be reckoned with.

---

I actually had thought that they were one or two years away from breaking out huge. This in my estimation is a significant setback.

LA only looked poised for a breakout where the forwards were concerned; there were too many issues to address for them to be a complete team. They had no starting-caliber goalie, and guys like Labarbera/Bernier were still too young to come up.

There also wasn't enough defensive depth to guarantee the Kings any success. Visnovski and Johnson are great but with Rob Blake *well* past his prime, Kings management must have known that they were still a couple of years away. Their GM Lombardi has made an odd move or two, but that guy knows talent. He used to scout for the Flyers and made some excellent choices.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by r'aggro

LA only looked poised for a breakout where the forwards were concerned; there were too many issues to address for them to be a complete team. They had no starting-caliber goalie, and guys like Labarbera/Bernier were still too young to come up.

---

What are you talking about?!? The Kings have Cloutier in net! LOLOLOL!

Actually... not sure that they even have him anymore... last that I heard, he got demoted to the minors.

They seem to make one boneheaded decision per year... and signing Cloutier represents their boneheaded move two seasons ago.

Their blueline needs some work. But it's not all bad. Blake's best years are fine behind him. But I think that he at least represents an "average" defenseman today. That being said... he is crazily overpaid for what he does now.

Vishnovsky is really good. Jack Johnson is quickly improving... I see flashes of brilliance every game that I see of the Kings. He is growing by leaps and bounds.

Preissing is ok. I don't think that he has worked out as great as they would have liked (like Brad Stuart), but he like Blake is average I think. So the Kings blueline does need some work... but it isn't a complete trainwreck.

Goalie... now that is a different story...

I like Bernier a lot. I think that he holds good potential. But that is just that... POTENTIAL. He is not ready yet. And like any prospect... realizing his potential is no guarantee. He is a few years out.

Labarbera I don't have much confidence in. He would be a good backup goalie... maybe.

I don't *know* what the Kings salary cap is. But I *think* that they have room. Blake is the only guy that I think is vastly overpaid. I think that they have room under the cap and maybe they could trade for, or sign a good NHL goalie who is good NOW.

I think that much of their problems last year were in net.

Offensively, the Kings look as good in terms of "up and comers" as any team in the league. They have the potential there to purely explode.

And I think that some of the years that we have seen from Frolov, Kopitar, O'Sullivan, and last year from Dustin Brown are all indicators of that.

I'd have included Camalleri in that group but obviously he ain't there anymore.

Quote:

---

Their GM Lombardi has made an odd move or two, but that guy knows talent. He used to scout for the Flyers and made some excellent choices.

---

You know his track record with the Flyers better than I would. I know that he was a big part of making the Sharks what they are. But to me, his track record with the Kings has some holes in it.

Hinkley last year with the #4 overall pick... was projected to go late in the 1st round by many. If Lombardi REALLY wanted him... he could have traded down for him. Geez... picking up ANYTHING extra would have been a deal. I find it hard to believe that in the entire league that he couldn't trade down with ANYBODY.

And of course I really question the Camalleri trade this year. That potentially could have been their NHL goalie right there...

BTW... I don't know that Camalleri will do well in Calgary.

Calgary is such a defensively minded team that I think that it hurts some players numbers. I think that Alex Tanguay is a pretty good talent and his numbers really dropped in Calgary. Part of that I also think is the lack of other offensive players to play with. In Colorado, Tanguay had them... in Calgary he didn't. Camalleri very well may suffer in Calgary like Tanguay did.

Iginla always has good numbers, but he is a pure superstar that'd have good numbers on any team I think.

Huge deal for Vinny Lecavalier on the horizon;

http://www.tsn.ca

Good for Tampa, ensuring the services of arguably the best all-around player in the game for his whole career.

I had thought that he had been locked up for a longterm deal already. I guess not.

Part of TB's problem in the firstplace was that they had most of their salary locked up in St. Louis, Richards, and Lecavalier and didn't have much money left over for the rest of the team. They have alleviated that somewhat by trading Richards last season. But I can imagine that Stamkos will cost them a lot too (as much as a rookie can cost in the NHL).

Looks like it's the new norm in the NHL... a front loaded contract that will not pain the team too much near the end of the players career should that player not put up the same numbers near the end. Still... this will handicap them in the short term (i.e. not much learned after beinf handcuffed by three salaries the past few years).

Yeah, front loading a contract will make it easier for a team to buy a player out down the road, or trade him if needed. Fortunately Philly has the same (albeit smaller) deal with Briere. He started out with a 6.5M cap hit, but it decreases every year.

This works well while your young guys are still clocking the rookie maximum, then it all balances out when those same young players go to sign their first big deal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by r'aggro

Yeah, front loading a contract will make it easier for a team to buy a player out down the road, or trade him if needed. Fortunately Philly has the same (albeit smaller) deal with Briere. He started out with a 6.5M cap hit, but it decreases every year.

---

For Briere in particular it's a good idea. He has been in the league for a while.

With Lecavalier and the Lightning... it seems a bit weird to me. I understand wanting to lock up the guy longterm... and that near the end of the contract that it may be a bargain. But I also find it odd that immediately after being handcuffed by having so much salary locked up in a few players that has resulted in the rest of the team being comprised of crappy players. Especially a contract that is front loaded on a team that needs rebuilding.

Must be a "short term pain for long term gain" plan.

I think they just adopted a "whatever it takes" philosophy to keep him. They aren't a great team, but TB actually has good attendance (especially for being in the Southeast), and it's a player like Vinny that will keep butts in the seats.

If they didn't pay the guy, almost every other team would have jumped at the chance to throw money at him.