NHL 2011-2012 Season

[Eli26]

Pittsburgh won't win a cup with Fleury in net.

The Ducks are the most underrated team ever. they had the only 50 goal scorer last year and a 40 year old with bad knees who was 8th in PTs in the league and you don't hear a thing about them. not to mention their rookie defenseman Fowler who had at least 2 game winning goals in OT that i can remember.

2009 NHL playoffs and Fleury laugh at you.

Also, how am I wrong about the Wild? I never said how well they do but they have potential, and everything I said was fact... not subjection. Except for what I liked... but in terms of what were said about the players, it's all factoids. THAT'S IT! YOU, ME... OUTSIDE!

 

[Eli26]

i know. and to this day, i still can't believe it.

Yankee Planet is right. Ouch! Anyway, Fleury has gone to two Stanley Cup Finals and if it weren't for the month of October he could have been a candidate for the Vezina this past season. I am baffled... BAFFLED!

 

[The Craw]

2009 NHL playoffs and Fleury laugh at you.

Also, how am I wrong about the Wild? I never said how well they do but they have potential, and everything I said was fact... not subjection. Except for what I liked... but in terms of what were said about the players, it's all factoids. THAT'S IT! YOU, ME... OUTSIDE!

sorry i'll never have anything good to say about the Wild. i've waited years to get a NHL team back in MN, but instead we got the Wild.

 

[SixMillionDollarMan Guy]

i've waited years to get a NHL team back in MN, but instead we got the Wild.

...................................

 

[Eli26]

Next subject.

 

[Y4NK33 PL4N3T]

i've waited years to get a NHL team back in MN, but instead we got the Wild.

Ok guys, who are your sleeper picks this year?

 

[The Ringer]

October 6th can't come soon enough.

 

[praxitas]

Bobby Holik is another, yikes

Wade Redden gets my vote. At least they were able to rid themselves of Gomez. Drury was at least hurt. They are paying Redden millions to play in the AHL....

How Sather is still employed is beyond me

 

[Eli26]

Wade Redden gets my vote. At least they were able to rid themselves of Gomez. Drury was at least hurt. They are paying Redden millions to play in the AHL....

How Sather is still employed is beyond me

Agreed, Redden was worse than Drury.

 

[Grenouille]

Ok guys, who are your sleeper picks this year?

For a few years I've said the Kings. I don't see a reason to change my mind. Maybe they'll even get to the second round this year.

 

[Y4NK33 PL4N3T]

Wade Redden gets my vote. At least they were able to rid themselves of Gomez. Drury was at least hurt. They are paying Redden millions to play in the AHL....

How Sather is still employed is beyond me

Agreed, Redden was worse than Drury.

Redden is another one for sure. Having watched both of them play though I went with Drury. Nothing this guy did on the ice said "Captain" to me, and scoring a pathetic 1 goal last season was the final straw.

Thank god he retired.

For a few years I've said the Kings. I don't see a reason to change my mind. Maybe they'll even get to the second round this year.

Good pick!

 

[The Craw]

i pick the St. Louis blues to actually make the playoffs this year. that is my sleeper pick. they started out pretty good last year but then all their goal scorers gort injured and were out for most of the season. with Oshie, Perron and the newly added Chris Stewart they should be able to score some goals this year. and they still have Halak in the net. that doesn't hurt. i don't think they can win the cup but i think they'll get to the Playoffs for sure.

 

[praxitas]

I think both the islanders and panthers will be much better teams providing their key people stay healthy. I liked Florida pickups during free agency and I think from sucking for so long the islanders will be getting close to playoff contention...

My sleeper in the east is Buffalo, the west I normally say LA as well, but i'm going to go with the ducks because ducks fly together!

 

[KBA]

Crossing fingers and toes this new Flyer team put together over the summer does well. I see a 6th place finish in the East. Maybe a little higher.

 

[Eli26]

i pick the St. Louis blues to actually make the playoffs this year. that is my sleeper pick. they started out pretty good last year but then all their goal scorers gort injured and were out for most of the season. with Oshie, Perron and the newly added Chris Stewart they should be able to score some goals this year. and they still have Halak in the net. that doesn't hurt. i don't think they can win the cup but i think they'll get to the Playoffs for sure.

That Chris Stewart trade was the most lopsided trade in recent memory. Okay, for the past few years. Lets ignore the Islanders Zdeno Chara/Jason Spezza deal or even the Philadelphia Flyers/Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche deal concerning Eric Lindros for a package of players that included a better player coming back, Peter Forsberg. I mean, why would you deal a cheap young rising power forward who's on the cusp of being a superstar in this league along with Kevin Shattenkirk, a big offensive powerhouse on D, and a PP machine... for Erik Johnson who maybe a better all-around dman, but at that cost? WTF?! Colorado you're stupid stupid stupid.

I like St. Louis as well and believe they have a great team going into the future. Chris Stewart will be a 40-50 goal scorer. Bank on it.

 

[Eli26]

I think both the islanders and panthers will be much better teams providing their key people stay healthy. I liked Florida pickups during free agency and I think from sucking for so long the islanders will be getting close to playoff contention...

My sleeper in the east is Buffalo, the west I normally say LA as well, but i'm going to go with the ducks because ducks fly together!

Making a successful hockey franchise: A strong nucleus/core is needed by building up through the draft and/or developing ones prospects within one's organization. You then make the appropriate FA signings to enhance a team. Looking to improve your team strictly through the Free Agency Market and via FA signings doesn't necessarily make a team strong right off the bat. Enter pre-lockout and cap era New York Rangers. Meaning that is what I believe has happened here. Almost half of the Florida Panthers team was built through FA signings this past Summer. FA signings are meant to compliment or take away from the roster depending on how well that respective GM signs. They're mediocre in goal with Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen in net. Losing Tomas Vokoun hurts. David Booth is a bandaid boy and they still don't have a top tier talent on their roster. Speaking of band-aid boys, they went after Tomas Fleischmann, who by all definitions and meaning of the label "bandaid boy" is one of the biggest red flag players to sign in this league. A blood clot in the lung is serious business. Again, the way GM Dave Tallon went to work seems to be more reminiscent of Glen Sather's work from the pre-cap era vs. what a Ken Holland would do. You build a great fantastic core and let it grow by building out with complimentary players that work and bring out that core's strength. The Panthers at their core are much weaker than any point the Detroit Red Wings were with Holland on board, and (again the Wings) made the appropriate FA signings that made them into the powerhouse they are today. I am simply not convinced that the Panthers with their average scoring depth up front, still untested and young D with the exception of Brian Campbell, and mediocre goaltending, that this team is going to make a lot of noise. I simply do not see it. There is a reason why Tallon was relieved of his duties in Chi-town.

So while we mostly agree on things praxitas, our opinions couldn't differ more concerning the subject matter here.

 

[Deeznutz6]

As much as I hate to admit it, if Eric Cole pans out and the Carey Price plays liek he did last year, Habs could take the East, LA in the west is a good pick

 

[praxitas]

I'm not saying they are playoff contenders, but I think they will be harder to play against than in years past simple as that. Yes goal is their weakness, but when they had a strong goalie where were they in the standings? Aside from Vokoun they really did not lose a whole lot, but in return Versteeg, Campbell, Fleishman? (I know they signed someone from Col forget if thats who it was) and a few other decent role players. We'll revisit this after the season and see who is right

I think they will finish better than the leafs though

 

[VS1976]

The old thread was so much fun though

Alright, alright. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chris Drury for finally retiring! Biggest bust in NY Ranger history bar none.

But he was a great Ave player. What a clutch playoff performer. Aves need to retire his jersey

If Peter Mueller becomes healthy, what a line it will be with Matt Duchene & rookie of the year 2012 Gabriel Landeskog! Aves will win the Stanley cup this year!

 

[Eli26]

But he was a great Ave player. What a clutch playoff performer. Aves need to retire his jersey

If Peter Mueller becomes healthy, what a line it will be with Matt Duchene & rookie of the year 2012 Gabriel Landeskog! Aves will win the Stanley cup this year!

Chris Drury was a solid player for the Aves. His best years were with Buffalo though. W/o looking at his stats.. Going alone on memory. I do this with a lot of players. I am a hockey obsessed freak.

No lie.

best Colorado season 71-24-41-65

best Calgary season 81-23-30-53

best Buffalo season: 76-37-32-69

Rangers I think it was 56 or 58 points.