I don't think there's anyone that feels that Gustafsson can't assume a top six role for the Flyers next season.

I'm not sold he can handle a top 4 role, yet. I don't care for people being anointed off of a small sample size. That said, Gustafsson has played well in the past, which is why I have little doubt he can be part of the solution on defense. The thing that remains to be seen is just how big a part he will be.

He's certainly earned the opportunity.
- Jsaquella

Definitely a 3rd pairing/2nd PP guy to start the season, barring injury. Hopefully his role expands (because of his play, not injuries to others) as the season progresses.

i don't think he's the best goalie in the league. never have. even if he'd won 5 cups, imo, it's arrogant to decorate yourself as a king of anything. if the rest of the world wants to call you that, fine.
- hammarby31

Pretty sure that like most nicknames, "King Henrik" was given rather than being self applied. Certainly he's grabbed ahold of it, but I'm pretty sure it was born out of the media.

i don't think he's the best goalie in the league. never have. even if he'd won 5 cups, imo, it's arrogant to decorate yourself as a king of anything. if the rest of the world wants to call you that, fine.
- hammarby31

just out of curiosity, who do you think is the best goalie in the league?

i don't think he's the best goalie in the league. never have. even if he'd won 5 cups, imo, it's arrogant to decorate yourself as a king of anything. if the rest of the world wants to call you that, fine.
- hammarby31

who is better than the king?

Definitely a 3rd pairing/2nd PP guy to start the season, barring injury. Hopefully his role expands (because of his play, not injuries to others) as the season progresses.
- bradleyc4

Agreed. At the very least, if they land Timonen's replacement, Gustafsson can push for time and possibly be ready to assume a top 4 slot next year. That would probably be ideal, rather than assuming he can handle the job now.

who is better than the king?
- aightwebang17

Don Beaupre

i don't think he's the best goalie in the league. never have. even if he'd won 5 cups, imo, it's arrogant to decorate yourself as a king of anything. if the rest of the world wants to call you that, fine.
- hammarby31

I don't think you'll ever catch Lundqvist referring to himself as the "King", just like you were never going to catch Gretzky referring to himself as "G.T.O.". The crown on his personal logo might be a play on the nickname, but it's also the Tre Kronor crown, so I wouldn't read too much into it.

IMO, he's the best... his year-in-year-out consistency is pretty unmatched as far as goalies of the past decade or so.

Pretty sure that like most nicknames, "King Henrik" was given rather than being self applied. Certainly he's grabbed ahold of it, but I'm pretty sure it was born out of the media.
- Jsaquella

i think that's the case. i don't like that he's applied to himself. maybe he was coached into doing that by his agents for branding purposes. he's a terrific goaltender though.

Depends on the roster and caliber of opposition in any given game. Gustafsson was Sweden's #1 defenseman (at least in terms of ice time) before Edler's arrival and then after he got himself booted from the QFs and the rest of the tourney.

In the QFs against Canada, these were the lines Sweden was facing:

Ladd - Giroux - Stamkos
Read - E. Staal - Simmonds
Duchene - J. Staal - Eberle
Hall - O'Reilly - Skinner

Hamhuis - Robidas
Harrison - Subban
Campbell - L. Schenn
Dillon - Schultz

M. Smith

- bmeltzer[Dubnyk]

This was no All-Star Game -- the players were going all out. Gustafsson ended up playing 33:27 against that lineup, which is a better lineup talentwise than ANY he'd face in the NHL. Obviously, the other lineups he went up against were less fearsome on paper than this one. Also, the big rink game is played differently than the NHL style.

Even so, I think it's fair to say that Gustafsson's play in the final 10 games of NHL season -- similar ice time, too -- carried over to the Worlds.

In the Canada Sweden game. Team Canada had a TOTAL of 1 hit with 6 minutes to go in the 3rd. I don't know if that's all out

This was no All-Star Game -- the players were going all out. Gustafsson ended up playing 33:27 against that lineup, which is a better lineup talentwise than ANY he'd face in the NHL. Obviously, the other lineups he went up against were less fearsome on paper than this one. Also, the big rink game is played differently than the NHL style.

Even so, I think it's fair to say that Gustafsson's play in the final 10 games of NHL season -- similar ice time, too -- carried over to the Worlds.
- bmeltzer

just out of curiosity, who do you think is the best goalie in the league?
- bradleyc4

if i had to choose anyone right now, at this moment, i would go with jonathan quick. and it's not because he's the current cup champion. i love the way he plays, and i feel like he's improved each year in the league (even though he had a slow start this season, but was coming off of surgery).

there are many talented goalies in the league. very little separates most of them.

I don't think you'll ever catch Lundqvist referring to himself as the "King", just like you were never going to catch Gretzky referring to himself as "G.T.O.". The crown on his personal logo might be a play on the nickname, but it's also the Tre Kronor crown, so I wouldn't read too much into it.

IMO, he's the best... his year-in-year-out consistency is pretty unmatched as far as goalies of the past decade or so.
- Tomahawk

i don't think he literally refers to himself that way, but the logo on the mask irks me. it's possible that there's some reference to tre kronor.

i agree that he's an excellent goalie. just not my personal pick as the best in the game right now.

Don Beaupre
- Jsaquella

and greg millen.

who is better than the king?
- aightwebang17

Rask is the only one that's close.

Thomas, Rinne, Quick, Elliott, Anderson, Smith... they've put together great individual seasons (Thomas a couple), but none of them have been able to sustain a level of excellence like Hank. Hank's never dipped below .912% or 2.43GAA in any season of his career, and a lot of those were spent behind some pretty suspect teams.

if i had to choose anyone right now, at this moment, i would go with jonathan quick. and it's not because he's the current cup champion. i love the way he plays, and i feel like he's improved each year in the league (even though he had a slow start this season, but was coming off of surgery).

there are many talented goalies in the league. very little separates most of them.
- hammarby31

Quick was in the bottom 3 of NHL starters in ES save % this past season.

i think that's the case. i don't like that he's applied to himself. maybe he was coached into doing that by his agents for branding purposes. he's a terrific goaltender though.
- hammarby31

He'd hardly be the first guy to embrace a nickname, though. Just going off numbers, he's stellar. Even his playoff numbers are very solid, with a .920 save % and GAA at 2.28, with 8 shutouts in 64 games.

In the Canada Sweden game. Team Canada had a TOTAL of 1 hit with 6 minutes to go in the 3rd. I don't know if that's all out
- Just5

With the way the game is played -- and penalties get called -- on the big rink, there is a lot less hitting. Players learn to adapt or they get caught of position constantly or spend too much time in the penalty box. Also, they don't track hits (or blocked shots, giveways, or most other real-time stats) as an official stat in IIHF competitions.

Quick was in the bottom 3 of NHL starters in ES save % this past season.
- bradleyc4

He used to be known more for letting in a softy per game than being unstoppable down low. You have to be impressed with his big-game and bounce-back ability, though.

Don Beaupre
- Jsaquella

I fully endorse any use of hockey cards from this era.

He used to be known more for letting in a softy per game than being unstoppable down low. You have to be impressed with his big-game and bounce-back ability, though.
- Tomahawk

He had a great individual season last year. And he's been a tremendous playoff goaltender.

But the rest of his body of work during the regular season has been poor.

Perhaps he's just improving. Or perhaps he just the next Chris Osgood.

He had a great individual season last year. And he's been a tremendous playoff goaltender.

But the rest of his body of work during the regular season has been poor.

Perhaps he's just improving. Or perhaps he just the next Chris Osgood.
- bradleyc4

Or Grant Fuhr. The last two seasons he's been brilliant in big games.

He had a great individual season last year. And he's been a tremendous playoff goaltender.

But the rest of his body of work during the regular season has been poor.

Perhaps he's just improving. Or perhaps he just the next Chris Osgood.
- bradleyc4

Might have to give him the benefit of the doubt with his back surgery during the lockout... I think he's more of a Cam Ward... excellent goalie, great in big games... luckily for him, he's had a much better team in front of him than Ward has had.

Quick was in the bottom 3 of NHL starters in ES save % this past season.
- bradleyc4

i don't really care what the numbers are. this whole season is an aberration for everyone, imo. and right now, the man is on fire, which is when it counts the most.

that said, if i look at his numbers and his performance in the 3 full seasons he's been an nhl starter he's improved in GAA and Sv Pctg, and had roughly the same number of wins/losses. his playoff perfomance improved 3 straight years, with him obviously winning the cup and conn smythe last year.

it's just my opinion. i love the way he plays, and think he's the best. not bad for a 3rd rounder that started his pro career in the echl.

edit: i misread his numbers. he had a slight down year in 2010-2011, but not statistically significant from the year before.

Or Grant Fuhr. The last two seasons he's been brilliant in big games.
- Jsaquella

Lots of goalies who have been beasts in the playoffs, have not necessarily put up great numbers in the regular season:
Billy Smith NYI early 80's
Ron Hextall PHL mainly in his early career in the late 80s not so much in the 90s
Grant Fuhr EDM
Tom Barraso PTS (had some great regular seasons earlier in his career but in his
cup years with PTS, he saved his best for the postseason
Chris Osgood DTR
and now
Jonathan Quick LA

I would be very happy with a goalie who is good in the regular season and turns it up a notch in the playoffs.

Might have to give him the benefit of the doubt with his back surgery during the lockout... I think he's more of a Cam Ward... excellent goalie, great in big games... luckily for him, he's had a much better team in front of him than Ward has had.
- Tomahawk

I'm keeping an open mind with him. He's put himself in the discussion and has his name on the Cup already.