you're gonna eat your words regarding Zack Bogosian...
- JETSWIN

Yeah seriously....why does everyone hate him now? haha

Exactly, like how is Edmonton still even allowed to draft?! I'm speaking from pure jealousy here, it drives me NUTS they were literally swindled/given those picks to save the franchise from dying and going under... And yet, they're still a joke team. Had you drafted more selectively based on positional need, guarantee you'd be competing very closely for a playoff spot, or would have already been in the playoffs. Straight-up insane.
- Flyers_V88

how did they swindle anything? and how were the oilers going under??? this isnt the mid 90s

and then probably literally the next day wrote one about how theyre mismanaged and wont make playoffs
- DarcyTucker16

I seriously think clouts is bipolar...the arguments that must go on in that guys head.

agreed that the kings scored with voynov's deal. forget bogosian's deal this year, you know with the cap rising next year that there will be some supremely idiotic deals soon enough to make the voynov deal look like genius cap mgmt.

Not sure what you mean by the Flyers have a dartboard of a roster. My biggest concern with Philly is health. If the defense stays healthy, they'll be a top 4 team in the East.

not really. N Schultz, Potter, Larsen, Grebeshkov, Belov all competing for the bottom pairing.

EDM may not have a top pairing, but they'll at least have one of the better bottom pairings in the league lol
- TheNugeIsHuge

lol thanks. It drives me nuts when he says logjam at 3/4/5/6/7. If you have a logjam of 3/4 guys, your in pretty good shape. Run three 2nd pairings with even ice time and your laughing.

2 of those guys didn't even play in the NHL last year, one was a #7 on one of the worse d's in the league, one was a #5 on one of the worse d's in the league and one was a #6/#7 on a yet another weak team.

We might once again have one of the worse bottom pairings in the NHL.

You want a good bottom pairing. You acquire more 2nd pairing d-men and force the coach to end up rolling his 2 bottom pairings.
- Lahey

I'm thinking at least one of Grebshkov or Belov surprises. Belov has been compared to Emelin and Grebeshkov was great in his time in EDM.

I hope N Schultz is dealt.

I'm thinking Greb, Belov, Larsen, Potter, N Schultz, Klefbom, even Fedun competing for 5/6 will be way better than Whitney-Potter last year.

14. Minnesota Wild - I like how once every off-season a team proves that going UFA crazy always backfires. The Wild are no closer to becoming a playoff threat, and now, they're losing $30mil per season. What have we learned?


- Maxbone

This argument is a bit stale there Ritchie. It was a no brainer that after the Parise/Suter signings that anything other than a full season, the Wild were cutting deep into their profit margin due to the $24 million in signing bonuses.

So it's not like last year was an average season, and if I do recall, the Wild did in fact make the playoffs last season. So not exactly sure how the Parise/Suter signings 100% backfired.

I'm sure though that if Edmonton had signed them and lost money, you'd have a sure fire explanation as to why it was still a good thing.

What do you know?

how did they swindle anything? and how were the oilers going under??? this isnt the mid 90s
- DarcyTucker16

Name another team in major professional sports in recent memory to be given that many first round picks consecutively? If you look back, 4/5 years, the Oilers were in pretty serious financial trouble, and the team was going up for sale. I can't prove it, but I will bet a significant amount of money that the NHL helped the city of Edmonton and the Oilers in hopes that the picks would re-fuel the franchise back to glory and profitability. How does Columbus get absolutely (frank)ed when they had the worst season in the league and still not get the 1st overall pick. Twice, sure, you lucked-out. 3 times, I'm sorry, but I smell intervention all over that. I could quite obviously be wrong, but I'm willing I'm to bet I'm right.

Agreed, hes just trying to pass off garbage to another team. Doesnt N. Schultz have a pretty high cap hit? Washingto is right up against the cap. Watching theyre D last year, it wasnt even that bad. Ideally replace Erskine with true #4 D
and have erskine with Hillen/olesky
- pbrsimps

yea he does. and with the number of guys EDM now has that could easily take his spot I hope he's dealt or even bought out

where did Hillen and Oleksy come from? I hadn't heard of them before this year.

Hillen was playing the toughest competition on the team and doing really well.
- TheNugeIsHuge

Alzner, Carlson, and green faced the tougher competition, and Hillen had more sheltered minutes. But still, a pretty high relative corsi Qoc. Oleksy is a kid I never heard of until last year, and he supplanted Kundratek for that 6th spot. His advanced stats are funny to look at, and it would seem he should have the inside track for that 6th d spot, but Kundratek is on a one-way contract. Orlov has top-4 potential, but needs to work on his positioning and decision-making. (like all dmen)
Hillen is a depth d-man, and came from the Islanders I think.

This argument is a bit stale there Ritchie. It was a no brainer that after the Parise/Suter signings that anything other than a full season, the Wild were cutting deep into their profit margin due to the $24 million in signing bonuses.

So it's not like last year was an average season, and if I do recall, the Wild did in fact make the playoffs last season. So not exactly sure how the Parise/Suter signings 100% backfired.

I'm sure though that if Edmonton had signed them and lost money, you'd have a sure fire explanation as to why it was still a good thing.
- MnGump

owned

Fixed
- MnGump

Not sure what you mean by the Flyers have a dartboard of a roster. My biggest concern with Philly is health. If the defense stays healthy, they'll be a top 4 team in the East.
- Snotbubbles

Yup. We have more offensive firepower than 95% teams in the league up-front. Our only glaring concern is the health of our D. Our season depends on their health and the play of Emery/Mason.

I was wrong. Cloutier predicted DAL'd finish 6th this year.

"6. Dallas Stars - Now here's an team...or should I say an owner...who is doing anything possible to get this team into the playoff picture. Adding Jagr, Roy and Whitney in one off-season? The Stars should score plenty of goals this season. Their D is no-name, so that's a concern. Quality veterans and kids up front, though."

Doesn't sound like, "funny, because last year, and I said they'd be the disappointment of the season" does it?
- TheNugeIsHuge

awks...
I actually am picking Dallas to be a surprise team this season, a dark horse to make the playoffs. They are assembling a pretty nice core and a Benn/Seguin duo could be deadly. Having an elite goalie (when healthy) can make a big difference on any given night.

Correction, Nurse as well. It just pisses me off, regardless of Cloutier's article or not, that the Oil swindled 3 first overall picks and they still suck!? Like it's the team's coaching and management that need to be looked at, every other team (Chicago, Pitts, etc) who have had a couple of picks are all powerhouses now and their changes took place in literally a couple of seasons... What's going on in Edmonton? Seriously?
- Flyers_V88

Bad management. They'll come around.

I'm thinking at least one of Grebshkov or Belov surprises. Belov has been compared to Emelin and Grebeshkov was great in his time in EDM.

I hope N Schultz is dealt.

I'm thinking Greb, Belov, Larsen, Potter, N Schultz, Klefbom, even Fedun competing for 5/6 will be way better than Whitney-Potter last year.
- TheNugeIsHuge

No! you have to add Jeff Schultz for jersey humour purposes

Name another team in major professional sports in recent memory to be given that many first round picks consecutively? If you look back, 4/5 years, the Oilers were in pretty serious financial trouble, and the team was going up for sale. I can't prove it, but I will bet a significant amount of money that the NHL helped the city of Edmonton and the Oilers in hopes that the picks would re-fuel the franchise back to glory and profitability. How does Columbus get absolutely (frank)ed when they had the worst season in the league and still not get the 1st overall pick. Twice, sure, you lucked-out. 3 times, I'm sorry, but I smell intervention all over that. I could quite obviously be wrong, but I'm willing I'm to bet I'm right.
- Flyers_V88

Dude, the Oilers have been in the top ten of profit earning clubs for at least the last ten years. They sell out every game even though they have been mediocre at best, and have a poophouse arena. Get some facts straight man.

"Disastrously run franchise" for the Flyers? Really...? That's not even remotely close to a correct adjective....

The team has missed the playoffs twice in 20 years... Far from disastrous. I agree moderately with your assessment of player management, but it's not that bad really... The team consistently makes bold, radical, and risky moves that have almost all paid off in some form. Sorry to say it, but if you wanna see disastrously run franchise, look no further than your beloved Oilers... How long can that team suck with all the talent on the roster? Also, they're probably the worst drafting team of this past decade, they choose the EXACT same type of player in every draft. Oscar Klefbom is your one exception to that rule...
- Flyers_V88

I totally agree with the above bolded comment, I don't know if I would go as far as saying almost all have paid off. I do have to give Holmgren credit that the moves that he does make that don't work out he has always found a way to get out of them. He is a very active GM and has made moves to keep his club competitive since he became GM. Even if I disagree with a couple of moves over the years I can't argue with the product Holmgren has put in place over the years, there has been a lot of Flyers players I really liked.

Name another team in major professional sports in recent memory to be given that many first round picks consecutively? If you look back, 4/5 years, the Oilers were in pretty serious financial trouble, and the team was going up for sale. I can't prove it, but I will bet a significant amount of money that the NHL helped the city of Edmonton and the Oilers in hopes that the picks would re-fuel the franchise back to glory and profitability. How does Columbus get absolutely (frank)ed when they had the worst season in the league and still not get the 1st overall pick. Twice, sure, you lucked-out. 3 times, I'm sorry, but I smell intervention all over that. I could quite obviously be wrong, but I'm willing I'm to bet I'm right.
- Flyers_V88

The oilers havent been in financial trouble since the mid 90s... their current owner is a bagazillionaire... The oil sucked for 3 straight years... they werent given poop... the only team thats been given something in recent history is the penguins when they had the lottery (when i say given i dont mean it was rigged) and even then the penguins were one of the worst teams the eyar before

Exactly, like how is Edmonton still even allowed to draft?! I'm speaking from pure jealousy here, it drives me NUTS they were literally swindled/given those picks to save the franchise from dying and going under... And yet, they're still a joke team. Had you drafted more selectively based on positional need, guarantee you'd be competing very closely for a playoff spot, or would have already been in the playoffs. Straight-up insane.
- Flyers_V88

You sure know the facts!

Bad management. They'll come around.
- TheNugeIsHuge

Note too, I'm speaking from pure jealousy... I have no real beef with the Oilers or Edmonton. I'm just mad it couldn't have happened to the Flyers, and mad because Edmonton was awarded what SHOULD have been Columbus' 1st overall pick.

Correction, Nurse as well. It just pisses me off, regardless of Cloutier's article or not, that the Oil swindled 3 first overall picks and they still suck!? Like it's the team's coaching and management that need to be looked at, every other team (Chicago, Pitts, etc) who have had a couple of picks are all powerhouses now and their changes took place in literally a couple of seasons... What's going on in Edmonton? Seriously?
- Flyers_V88

Not quite true. You need to check the standing back then. Pittsburgh sucked for about 5 years and received first round draft picks in the top 5 spots. (2 firsts, 2 seconds and one 5th) and Chicago missed the playoffs for at least 6 seasons in a row from '03-'08 and had 4 picks in the top ten 4 years straight. (1 first, 2 thirds and a seventh) So your couple of season theory isn't true at all. They are pretty much in the same spot. If they don't do something within the next two season, I do agree that high management positions need to be changed. (Kevin Lowe!!)

awks...
I actually am picking Dallas to be a surprise team this season, a dark horse to make the playoffs. They are assembling a pretty nice core and a Benn/Seguin duo could be deadly. Having an elite goalie (when healthy) can make a big difference on any given night.
- pbrsimps

agreed. I've said before, DAL is rebuilding without being the laughing stock of the league like EDM. Their cupboards are pretty full with the prospects they have.