NHL

[metadigital]

Snow?

[Volourn]

"What is so wrong with Edmonton? I've almost never heard of anyone (except Lindros who didn't want to end up in a french-canadian district) breaking a contract because the geography isn't good enough..?"

 

It's doubtful he's broken a contract. Pronger requested a trade and I doubt 'don't ask for a trade' was in the contract.

 

IIRC, Lindros didn't break a contract with Quebec as he didn't want any part of Quebec and didn't even sign one in order to break it. That's a while back so I might be wrong there; but I don't think so. Quebec traded the rights to signing him away.

 

As for the apparant anti Edmonton sentiment by the Prongers. meh. Every city is not for everyone. They're probably not the first people to not care for a city they live in. Heck, I lived in a city named Timmins that I disliked big time for my own personal reasons. And, I'm sure most people have a city they lived in or still do that they dislike and wish they had the ability to move away. I don't know why Edmontonians take it so personally. I know I don't cry if someone says they hate North Bay, or my home town. *shrugs* I guess I'm weird that way. <>

 

 

Edited June 25, 2006 by Volourn

[Hurlshort]

I think Quebec was plenty happy with the outcome of the Lindros deal. I believe that was how they ended up with Forsberg. Considering the Av's went on to wing the Cup twice (?) and Philly never got to the Finals, we can see who benefited.

[Volourn]

The Flyers benefited too. They had a great run of seasons with lindros ebfore his career went downhill because the mass of concussions he got. The big difference between Philly and Colorado is that Colorado actually had possibly the bets goalie ever inbetween the pipes helping them. Philly had tons of goalies who ultimately failed.

 

I think I'd agree though, and say that Coloarado/Quebec had the advanatge of the trade; but only because Forsberg is just as good as Lindros. Then throw in the other players, and the trade obviously shifts towards Coloarado.

 

Of course, if Roy was playing with Philly and not Colorado, it would probably be Philly with those Cups. Remember, Philly was in a not so pleasant place when they got Lindros.

 

 

[Laozi]

Well Chicago got Toews. the "safest pick" in the draft. Only being 18 and still in college I doubt we'll see him in a Blackhawks uniform in anything less then 3yrs.

[Hurlshort]

Other than Erik Johnson, I doubt we'll see any of these kids for a couple years. Even Johnson might take another year of development. That's the one nod I give Crosby over all the other rookies, he entered the NHL at 18. Fewer and fewer kids are ready to jump into the NHL at 18 nowadays.

[mkreku]

Ovechkin is trying to talk Niklas B

[mkreku]

Noooo no no no!! I just read a rumour that the Leafs are very interested in Pronger.. and that the Oilers want Alexander Steen in return! I know Pronger is probably what the Leafs need right now, but not Steen! He's been the best and most reliable center all year long for the Leafs, even better than Sundin. And that was in his rookie year. For someone as interested in dinosaurs as Quinn was, letting Steen play as consistently as he did was a huge show of trust for Steen's abilities. 22 years old he is getting considerable icetime in boxplay, five-on-five and powerplay..

 

Apparently the Leafs are offering Matt Stajan and Tomas Kaberle (geez, that's the other half of our future, since we already stupidly traded away Tuukka Rask..), but the Oilers want Steen and Kaberle. Yes, let's rob us blind, why don't you.

[alanschu]

Meh. Pronger took an Edmonton team to the Finals. At 31, I really wouldn't consider him a dinosaur either. You'd also have him for 4 more years.

 

His style of play doesn't seem to be all that reliant on being exceptionally speedy and relying on raw athleticism. I wouldn't be surprised if he remains a solid player for a further 8-10 years.

[mkreku]

In four years Pronger is 35 and probably becoming another Chris Chelios.

 

In four years Steen is 26 and is two to four years away from reaching his prime as a two-way center.

 

Call me crazy, but I can see a future captain in Alexander Steen.

 

 

And I wasn't implying that Pronger is a dinosaur. Quinn is gone now and with him goes the "veterans first, young talent a very distant second" attitude. I can acknowledge that Pronger is a great player on small rinks, but I'd much rather have Steen for a decade than Pronger for a few years.

[Deraldin]

Hah! Huet signs for two more years with Montreal! Link

[alanschu]

This of course assumes Steen is still playing for the Leafs in 10 years. And that Pronger would only be interested in playing for 4 years.

 

The thing I noticed last season, was that whoever was paired with Pronger, was easily our second best defensemen. You could probably put him on a pairing with Wade Belak, and suddenly Belak will be a good defensemen.

 

For us this season, Bergeron, Spacek, and Smith all played their best hockey when paired up with Pronger. He really does seem to be one of those "make your teammates better" type players.

 

I guess it always depends on what you feel the upside of the younger player is. And whether or not you think he can actually get to it.

[Kor Qel Droma]

Are you regretting writing that letter to Pronger, Alan?

 

Let's just ship him off to the Pens for Malone and Gonchar and get on with it already.

[Volourn]

Any team that gets Pronger will likely be much improved. That would be a GREAT deal for the Leafs.

[alanschu]

Are you regretting writing that letter to Pronger, Alan?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Nope.

[Volourn]

@Metadigital: LOL Just noticed your edit a few pages back.

 

Dunno why you did it. It's funny nontheless. It's not like it's the first city/town to have soemthing negative to be posted about it. Heck, entire countries *cough* the US *cough* (as well as others like Iran, NK, and France) are attacked all the time here without worry.

 

P.S. I don't personally hate Edmonton. In fact, from what I know of it, I like it. Afterall, any place that has Mark Messier (I believe that's where he is from) or Bioware can't be all that bad.

 

I was just viewing it from Pronger's possible point of view.

 

 

"I wondering whats going to happen with Cloutier now that we have Luongo."

 

I think Cloutier is hellishly udnerrated., and got an udneserved bad rap for 'choking' in the play-offs a couple seasons ago. If anything, the Canucks' total collaspe after his injury early in the season shows he was rather important to their success.

 

As for now, how long of a contract does he have? He should try to get a trade to another team as he's definitely good enough to be a team's starter (when healthy, of course).

Edited June 26, 2006 by Volourn

[Laozi]

Does anyone know if Bobby Clarke is getting fired, and if not wtf?

[Kor Qel Droma]

Of course not, Laozi, he married the owners' daughter.

[Laozi]

Didn't help Phil Jackson

[Kor Qel Droma]

Well Clarke in Philly is like a case of herpes. It may go away for awhile but it always seems to resurface.

 

edit: and as much as I like the Blackhawks, you have to wonder what they're smoking. On most nights last season Matthew Barnaby was the straw that stirred the drink on that team. Need a big hit? Send out Matty. Somebody's pushing your players around? Matty'll duke em. Why wouldn't they buy out that useless injury magnet Eric Daze? It's pretty obvious that guy can't stay healthy at the NHL level.

Edited June 27, 2006 by Kor Qel Droma

[Laozi]

I dunno either, I think they're afraid as sone as they let Daze go he'll return to form as a premier powerforward.

 

 

I thought is was pretty funny when ESPN gave 2:1 odd that Chicago would clear 10mil in cap space and then decide not to use it.

[Kor Qel Droma]

You have to admit Laozi that Chicago has a pretty ****ed up owner. He won't televise home games, yet complains that he can't get anyone to show up in the arena. First he won't pay the stars that come their way what they're worth ( Roenick, Amonte) t hen they **** the bed on the Khabibulin deal. I think Mr. Wirtz needs to pull his head out of his ass and accept that Bobby Hull can't come back to save his team anymore.

[alanschu]

Have you heard much about the "Pronger rumour?"

[Kor Qel Droma]

LOL which one? That Oiler forum was aghast with dozens of thread about it before the mods finally stickied them into one.

[alanschu]

Not a trade rumour. A different rumour of some kind.

 

Bob Stauffer on Team 1260's Total Sports was commenting about how they were not going to deal with it in any way, as it's just a rumour. ANyone talking about it would be cutoff. No emails containing it would be addressed, and so on. They did say they had no problems talking about a trade rumour, but not "the Pronger rumour."

Edited June 27, 2006 by alanschu