jammer2

It sickens me to no end that Carter has a Cup Winning goal on his resume. Van kinda posted what I was thinking, minus his one break out hat trick game, Jeff was pressing throught the playoffs to score. The announcers were constantly refering to his "slump" at the end of the year had carried into the playoffs. I don't recall having a year where 8 goals lead the playoffs in goal scoring. That seems *really* low. I think LA will put Carter on the top pp to jumpstart him early....but they will realize what we know, he does not utilize his teammates well, loses key puck possession battles down low and misses the net (resulting in many short handed opportunities) frequently. In short, he's not to smart hockey sense wise, and that will inevitably work against his attempt to get back to 40+ goals.

I dunno, maybe I was giving the guy a bad rap. I just want my puck lugging d-men to be as mistake free as possible. If you're not bringing any physicility to the table you should not be causing game winning goals against doing what you do best, lugging the puck, making that sure first pass out of the zone. I just think it's a move in the wrong direction. I wanted a Scuderi type, that is smart and physical. Not so worried about the 25-35 pts of offense from back there, willing to give that up for somebody who will make opposing forwards pay the price. I know what you are saying, the NHL is a transition game more and more, and the skills that Carle possess are highly coveted. I'm just opposed to the pussification of our blue line....and this signing is furthering that pussification.

I think they are going to go defense, but in my heart of hearts...I want the big Russian netminder Andrei Vasilevski. Nice size at 6'3 and 204. Super fast reflexes.....had a outrageous .953 save percentage WJC. The big problem is this theory an NHL team will stash him away in the KHL and call him back as a finished product 2 years later.....how many teams are willing to take that kinda risk....chances are a KHL team will fall in love with the kids game and make an offer higher than an NHL team could muster....and he gets to stay home. The other two big tenders are Dansk and Subban, all of them, or at least 2 of the 3 are going to be there when they pick ( I think...lol). Of the defenders (and I mean non top 10 defenders) I like Olli Matta, but think he will be gone...but I'm sure Koekkoek or Finn would be fine picks. Throw Dalton Thrower in there as an underdog. If they take Thrower, they could move back a bit and snag an extra 3rd rounder.

@sarsippius Maybe we could widen the scope of the trade to fit our needs. Perhaps we ask for Steve Mason, Mark Methot and Rich Nash. We get an experienced back up in Mason (and he still might have a bit of upside, he is still pretty young...maybe with a better defense...), we get a nice physical presence, by all accounts a decent defensive d-man and Nash....who might be paired with Grossman in a shutdown pairing. The question of course is what would Columbus make us give up for that package? I'm thinking JVR, Schenn, Bob, Harry Z, and Bourdon AND this years 1st rounder. I think the Blue Jackets would be interested in Harry's size and skating ability. Like most, I'd like to weasel out of giving up Schenn, to much upside there...but on lthe other hand, I'm 100% convinced Nash would turn into a top 10 player playing with Giroux.....gotta give up talent to get it back.

@idahophilly One thing we can hang our hat on....Weber himself was a #49 overall pick....hopefully another beast slips through the cracks. Won't help right away, but that's the fun thing about the draft, hope springs eternal.

@Phillygrump I suppose the guys that did play with Mike, Jeff, Simon and Justin to a lesser extent could use this as additional ammo. This kind of stuff does happen in sports. I firmly believe the Bruins would not have won last year if we didn't come back on them down 3-0. They were pissed and it made them more focused. I'm thinking the pain of losing in that fashion is a bit more severe than watching ex-teammates hoist Lord Stanley, but ya never know....I'll take any kind of edge we can get!

He is a Cup winner, that alone shows him he can overcome anything I'd imagine. Regardless, they keep giving up 10 odd man rushes a game, it won't matter how Fleury plays....lol.

@flyercanuck As far as I can tell, we dealt our 2nd rounder to the Bolts for Mezaros (#50 overall). We acquired a second from LA in the Richards deal, but that was shuffled over to the Stars in the Grossman deal. We also got a 2nd in the Versteeg deal from the Panthers, but it's their option on whether it's a 2012 second rounder or a 2013. So....we *might* have a 2nd. Edit..even worse, it appears Tamap Bay did this deal with one of our picks (that 2nd for Mez)....

@doom88 Well, we all kinda know that Fleury is better than what he showed. I just wonder, was his collapse so complete that his confidence never comes back? Doubtful....but we *can* hope. The Pens defense was brutal in front of him, don't recall seeing so many odd man rushes ever. Funny, they lose their best all round d man in Scuderi 3 years ago....have not won since he left and WHAM, he wins in LA. That guy is really, really underrated.

All valid points, I really had no idea his shot blocking stats were that solid. Give aways are a weird kinda stat. A give away that results in no goals against is obviously less impactful than a give away that ties or loses the game. I'd love to see that kind of stat and see where he fits in, I'm betting he is pretty high on that list.

Phaneuf could very well be the worst d-man in the league bar none, although the big lug Milan Jurcina has to be up there in terms of brutual play. I'd take Carle any day over those stiffs. Carle's particular skill set is easy to nullify when the going gets tough in the playoffs. That's one of my main problems with him....that and costly turnovers...he's just not a smart player IMHO.

The Kings fan base does get a bad rap. Even before Gretzky, the Triple Crown Line (Dionne, Simmer and Taylor) packed the house. I have fond memories of those early Kings teams.....big Rogie Vachon fan when I was a kid. Used to like him and Gump Worsley, those two just really intrigued me...and Eddie Giacomin. Think it was because I had all their hockey cards when I was 6...lol.

@Philly29 Another nice feature, if you click on the home page, it covers all sports, so one stop shopping...lol.

Just love this site. The charts are clear and easily readable. Just a wealth of knowledge at the wave of a mouse. Can't say enough about this little gem... http://www.prosportstransactions.com/hockey/DraftTrades/Years/index.htm

Wow, Pens are *this* highly thought of....just a month or so removed from the WORST defensive showing in the history of the NHL playoffs....really....I mean really?!?! This is a bad joke....

@Podein25 I agree Pods, this kids playoff run was crazy good last year. He played like a man possessed. That kind of compitive nature does not just go away....he must have been hurt to the point it didn't allow him to dig in properly. I give him a pass also, but also consider him a major puzzle piece to upgrading the defense. Another thing to consider, if he has another sub-standard injury filled season, the price we can fetch goes WAY down. Right now, he's pretty valuable to teams coveting a young power forward...which is just about every team.

@doom88 I was just about to start a thread about this. I must say, I'm PISSED. Why could we have given up a couple 2nd's or 3rd's and a prospect. This guy should have been at the top of Homers shopping list. Legit talent, low cost, fairly cheap to acquire. The NUMBER 1 thing to do on Homers list was upgrade the back up position....so when Bryz fails (and we know he will) we still have a chance to win. So what do we do....let Vokoun and Lindback slip to Conference rivals who got them both for fairly cheap. Why is Homer not in on this?!?!? Maddening!!! This kid Lindback is not proven, but most agree his skill set is real nice....lot of upside there....smart move by Stevie Y....he could have solved his number one problem for a few 2nd rounder and a bum prospect....unreal. It's only a matter of time till Stevie has this team in the thick of things in the East.

@doom88 Just calling them like I see them Doomster. I've seen to much of coughing the puck up at the wrong time. No physical presence, not very smart, just slightly above average on offense....I know it's the going rate for a 3-4 d man.....but how in the hell does his skill set add up to 4 mill plus....sorry...I walk, and walk away quick. This is lame.

Note to Lupul....pack a bowl, take a long haul and try to forget you play for the Leafs and will never win again....rinse, lather, repeat as rad would say....LMAO!!!

Damn, I'd rather have Garrison at 5 than Carle at 4.2-4.5....spend the extra money and rid yourself of the brain fart expert.

I've seen this before.....simply outrageous to nominate the GM's of the year before the Stanley Cup Playoffs even start. Who the hell cares who played better in the regular season....they should get this right. Might be a tad unfair to GM's who are not in the playoffs, but you could still measure regular season growth/trades/drafting and have playoff success as just one of the catagories.

Like other have correctly stated, the Kings won because of Quick. The last time I saw a goalie *that* fast, that positionallly sound....well, I'd have to say Tony Esposito. What really set Quick apart was uncanny ability to anticipate the play, and the God given skill to get to the spot he had to. Plus, seems like he never loses sight of the puck, always knows where that little disc is it seems. Hard to blame the Flyers because the Kings have the best goalie in the world. I don't blame Homer (who made sound hockey deals IMHO), I praise Hextall and Lombardi for knowing how close they were and knowing it was the right time to pull the trigger on secondary scoring. Amazing, simply amazing job of talent analysis and knowing/improving weak points. GM of the year FOR SURE.

Translation...the Flyers are commited to being soft on the back end.....sickening. Hmmm, do I wana pay 4 or 5 million for a guy who will just suck up minutes, or do I want to kick in an extra 1 or 2 mill for a real impact player??? Hmmmm....

@RonJeremy Ha ha....I miss Behn, screw loose and all! Exactly...that's who I want, a kid who can turn into a beast 2 years from now. Somebody who is smart but makes every opposing forward look behind them and hesitate before barreling into the corner for fear the collision may end their career. WIth so many defensemen in this years draft, chances are the kind of player we both seek will be there for the taking when we pick. It's a nice year for somebody who has huge upside to slide due to the crowded d-man position. Griffin Rienhart would be real, real nice....but will be long gone when we select.

@ Would be fun stuff to see. I hope Homer can work it out without selling the farm.