lets play some puck!

[DarkDrgon]

It's hockey time again, preseason started this week. Who does everyone like this year?

As a ranger fan, I am oddly confident in my team. The last batch of kids have finally matured a bit, the next generation is looking good, and there are some good vets to keep everyone focused. I like that Hank has a good backup with Biron, but I think offensively the team is way too focused on getting Gaborik his old teammates back. I expect great things from Cally, Dubi, and Staal.

on the politics side, I like the resolution from the Kovalchuck deal, but I hate this years winter classic. The teams should have some kind of history together, instead of just being the vehicles for the NHLs 2 biggest stars.

[krogothwolf]

GO FLAMES GO! GO FLAMES GO!

The "heritage classic" actually has some history to it when you think about it. As the Calgary Flames are the only Away team to ever win a Stanley Cup in the Montreal Forums. So it's got at least a bit of history. Personally I think it would have been better to see a Calgary vs Vancouver tilt because they have a very fierce rivalry right now. Even if the flames are going to stink this year it's still a good game to watch against them.

But not many people actually agree with the winter classic, since the penguins were in the 2008 one and I think it's an insult to every team that hasn't been in one to see them in their again. Not only that I don't think the Penguins will have that good of a year this year.

I've got the Pick who would win it last year right, Chicago, so I'm going to have to pick The Kings or the Avalanche this year. They follow the mold of the last 2 winners, a quality young team with a few great young players with a solid veteran core.

I honestly don't think anyone from the East is built for a grinding playoff aside from the Flyers and Bruins. I think Washington is going to burn out again in the playoffs. They have flare but no grit that is needed. Plus once they get down in a game they just start firing pucks blindly at the net.

There is only 1 good Canadian Team this year, Vancouver, but they don't have the quality of players to win the Cup. Leafs and Oilers won't make the playoffs at all probably. Leafs are to D heavy, Oilers far to young. Ottawa, Montreal and Calgary have a chance, but they probably won't get far in the playoffs unless they get lucky. Montreal still lacks scoring, though Price is a good goalie. Ottawa is just old and tired. Calgary doesn't have the offensive firepower they need.

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

While I am loathe to admit it, Krogo has a point about the Oilers. We are young, but I hope in the next couple of seasons they can use that to mold and grow into a better team. Of course Vancouver is my second, and I just hope they don't choke like 2 years ago.

[krogothwolf]

At least the Oilers have a future. Calgary, not so much, we have a few more years of battling for 8-6th and then we'll drop like flies.

[Darth SS]

Originally Posted by krogothwolf

At least the Oilers have a future. Calgary, not so much, we have a few more years of battling for 8-6th and then we'll drop like flies.

I refuse to believe Edmonton has a future until that future is now. Despite what people keep saying, drafting high does not guarantee success. To prove my point...

Atlanta- Stefan, Kovalchuk, Heatley, Lehtonen, Coburn. All top 10 picks. Atlanta still sucks.

Columbus- Klesla, Leclaire, Nash, Zherdev, Picard, and Brule. All top 10 picks. Columbus still sucks.


Meanwhile, Calgary's window is closing fast, but their prospect cupboard is hardly bare. Mikael Backlund is the big ticket, obviously, but they also have Mitch Wahl, Greg Nemisz and Ryan Howse who are all former point per game or very near point per game players. Tim Erixon is 19 years old playing in the best Swedish league against men, and is one of the best defencemen over there. John Negrin and Keith Seabrook were two of the best defencemen in the AHL in their rookie years. Plus, they just signed Bryan Cameron, who scored more goals than anyone else in the CHL last season. This is all not including mention of TJ Brodie, Chris Breen or Giffen Nyren.

[krogothwolf]

Being good in the AHL doesn't always translate into success either. Calgary's prospects may be good, but you never know how they'll pan out in the NHL, and so far many of our own prospects haven't panned out into quality NHL players. Calgary is also far to D heavy right now. We need more offensive pazz. Though I am excited for Backlund, the kid looks good.

Sure high draft picks doesn't automatically equal becoming great, but it doesn't always equal failure either. For every Altanta and Columbus there is a Penguins or Blackhawks.

[Darth SS]

Originally Posted by krogothwolf

Being good in the AHL doesn't always translate into success either. Calgary's prospects may be good, but you never know how they'll pan out in the NHL, and so far many of our own prospects haven't panned out into quality NHL players. Calgary is also far to D heavy right now. We need more offensive pazz. Though I am excited for Backlund, the kid looks good.

Sure high draft picks doesn't automatically equal becoming great, but it doesn't always equal failure either. For every Altanta and Columbus there is a Penguins or Blackhawks.

Being good in the AHL translates to success in the NHL more than any other league. It's kinda' the point of a developmental league.

Besides, who was the last really good guy to come out of the Edmonton system? Seriously, who was the last one? Hemsky? 8 years ago? Trust me, historically there are more Atlantas and Columbuses than there are Chicago's or Pittsburgh. Not only did those teams have to be bad for a solid decade just to yield two or three really good players, they had to be bad at just the right time to get the players they did. Furthermore, they also needed a salary cap that forces everyone to play rookies in order to fill out rosters, thus forcing a lot of other teams to be not as good as they could.

[krogothwolf]

Not actually true. A lot of successful AHL players merely become role players in the NHL. The longer a player stays in the AHL though, the less likely they will become NHL regulars. Developmental league or not, a lot of the success stories are merely 1-2 year players down there.

Can you really name a Calgary player who has become a bonafied star aside from Dion Phanuef? You look at the list of Calgary flame draft picks and it looks as barren as the Oilers do.

Historically there are actually far more teams that build up through a good drafting system. It's just that the late 1980's- early 2000's became a cash flow league in which the rich teams signed any player they could(not that it always worked, look at the leafs and Rangers). Before that though successful teams developed through the draft. Pretty much the years before the early 1990's players didn't generally flock to other teams.

I hate Edmonton as much as most Flame fans but I'm not blind to the fact that the Flames have as little success at developing top talent as the Oilers do.

Detroit's current success has been based on Drafted players as the core of their team, same as the New Jersey devil Stanley cup years. Developing your own strong core is how a team becomes successful and stays successful.