While that isn't literally true I appreciate your point.
- Morris

it is literally true...he's still better than any oilers defenseman...he just wouldn't be better while he's got 1 skate on...but he, himself, would still be better, so yes it is literally true

FWIW, our Top 5 players are Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Jimmy Howard, and Johan Franzen. Not newly-acquired Daniel Alfredsson.

What are Flyer fans preparing for?
- Ben37

I'd say golf but apparently they can't even do that right.

You are dead on about Steen, he's almost never mentioned yet he's consistently one of the best players on the ice. I think this may be his last year as a Blue as he knows he's worth more than we will probably want to pay.

I think Yost overrates Oshie slightly. He's a fan favorite (My jersey bears his name), and he has a tremendous amount of skill and determination combined with excellent two-way play. However, his skill does not come out often enough in my opinion. Several times a year we see him perform a sick dangle or wicked backhander, but I wish he could consistently put up 20 goals and 50 points. I would certainly rate Steen higher than him and would probably say J-Bo is more important as well.

As Clouts mentioned, you could also make a case for Berglund (if he continues what he did this past year), Shattenkirk, Schwartz (if this past year was any indication), and Tarasenko in the future (hopefully). Blues are deep, but it's still to be seen whether they can make it over the hump for their first cup.

I get your point that Letang is overrated because he puts up points on a big points fteam and doesn't do much else, but Yandle? foggetaboutit
not sure if i'd rather have Edler and Carlson, either. the others you have listed are indeed more valuable then Letang at playing the whole position of defense. you might at Subban, too.
- seanjohn667

Yandle's possession numbers are on par with Letang.

What the what?! Are you kidding me? I can take alot of stuff, but writing that Kronwall is 'close' to Lidstrom is absolutely ridiculous. You can make a decent argument that Lidstrom is the best defensemen to ever play in the NHL - you might not win, but you wouldn't be laughed out of the building. Kronwall is a great dman, but to say he's close to Lidstrom is straight-up crazy.

The only thing 'close' about them is their first names...
- awong048

While I agree with your sentiments that Kronwall is a great defenseman and isn't even close to being Lidstrom, I also think saying that Lidstrom is the best defenseman to ever play in the NHL is a winning argument at this point. Who was better? Maybe Bobby Orr? Considering the amount of high-quality defensemen in Lidstrom's 20-season career versus Orr's 12-season career, for example, the competition isn't even close. You could make a case for a handful of defensemen, so I'll stop there...

it is literally true...he's still better than any oilers defenseman...he just wouldn't be better while he's got 1 skate on...but he, himself, would still be better, so yes it is literally true
- annoyance_101

touche

touche
- Morris

Same could be said about most of the league though

Who said anything about recent picks not panning out? AV hasn't given enough chance to the young guys who were drafted to see if they can make a difference, torts isn't like that at all...he likes giving younger guys a chance to crack the line up...Horvat, Schroeder, Gaunce, Shinkaruk, Jensen, theres plenty of young that havent been given the chance to succeed...unless you have a team like calgary, which absolutely will suck for a very long time as long as they draft the way they do, the coaching staff is a large reason that a team succeeds or fails...i have faith in torts to get the most out of the players on this team for at least 1-2 years...there is no clear cut way to know if the picks the canucks have made are going to pan out or not...none of which should be branded as busts or flops as of yet because they haven't been around enough in the NHL to know that
- annoyance_101

You mean really well? Their past two drafts have looked excellent! Obviously there's only so much I can say on the subject as we won't really know how well they did until a few years down the road, but as it stands today, I'd say drafting is the least of their worries.

You mean really well? Their past two drafts have looked excellent! Obviously there's only so much I can say on the subject as we won't really know how well they did until a few years down the road, but as it stands today, I'd say drafting is the least of their worries.
- MaximumBone

If drafting was the least of the flames worries, they'd be full of great prospects like the oilers are...they have sucked for nearly as long...they were just in denial that they sucked for a few more years...

You mean really well? Their past two drafts have looked excellent! Obviously there's only so much I can say on the subject as we won't really know how well they did until a few years down the road, but as it stands today, I'd say drafting is the least of their worries.
- MaximumBone

They are in the same spot we were when we drafted Schremp, Cogs, and then got Gagner. By the time we drafted Gagner, we had Pouilot, Jacques, Chorney, Syvret, Stoll, Greeme, Stortini, Brodziak, amongst others that were looking like we did well at the draft table.

So basically, your eval of the sharks in this blog is a cut & paste of your 'who's interesting' blog...

Dude....please go find your true calling. Hockeybuzz ain't it by a long shot.

They are in the same spot we were when we drafted Schremp, Cogs, and then got Gagner. By the time we drafted Gagner, we had Pouilot, Jacques, Chorney, Syvret, Stoll, Greeme, Stortini, Brodziak, amongst others that were looking like we did well at the draft table.
- ryan78

I know. I've fully considered that comparison and have brought it up a number of times in Flames threads, but just because our organization failed, doesn't mean theirs will. As I said earlier, we won't know for a few years, but based off preliminary results alone (which is all we have currently), they're doing quite well. If I remember correctly, they overhauled their coaching and development teams a couple years back after the hiring of Feaster so failures like Howse and Neimisz can't really be used as good indicators of drafting.

If drafting was the least of the flames worries, they'd be full of great prospects like the oilers are...they have sucked for nearly as long...they were just in denial that they sucked for a few more years...
- annoyance_101

No they wouldn't. They haven't been at the bottom of the league for a multitude of years like the Oilers. Only this past season were they drafting higher than 10th overall. Considering that, their prospect pool is quite impressive. They've REALLY stocked the cupboards these past few seasons with guys like Granlund, Baertschi, Gaudreau, Wotherspoon, Sieloff, Kulak, Gillies, and Jankowski along with this past year's haul of Monahan, Poirier, Klimchuk, and Kanzig. Yet again, I by no means am guaranteeing their success, but based off of preliminary results, they're looking good. Development will be key.

I know. I've fully considered that comparison and have brought it up a number of times in Flames threads, but just because our organization failed, doesn't mean theirs will. As I said earlier, we won't know for a few years, but based off preliminary results alone (which is all we have currently), they're doing quite well. If I remember correctly, they overhauled their coaching and development teams a couple years back after the hiring of Feaster so failures like Howse and Neimisz can't really be used as good indicators of drafting.
- MaximumBone

While I like some of Feaster's picks and I'll agree they are doing better, they still go off the grid. The other thing people seem to forget is it's not like the old days where you have one All-star and you can go places. The Flames need to find a few of them. Best way is to tank, which could very well happen this year. Hoping that mid to late first are going to turn into all-stars might happen, but the odds aren't in their favour.

Although I firmly believe they have their future #1 LW in Sven. Still have question if they have a #1 C, #1 D or #1 G.

No they wouldn't. They haven't been at the bottom of the league for a multitude of years like the Oilers. Only this past season were they drafting higher than 10th overall. Considering that, their prospect pool is quite impressive. They've REALLY stocked the cupboards these past few seasons with guys like Granlund, Baertschi, Gaudreau, Wotherspoon, Sieloff, Kulak, Gillies, and Jankowski along with this past year's haul of Monahan, Poirier, Klimchuk, and Kanzig. Yet again, I by no means am guaranteeing their success, but based off of preliminary results, they're looking good. Development will be key.
- MaximumBone

While I like some of Feaster's picks and I'll agree they are doing better, they still go off the grid. The other thing people seem to forget is it's not like the old days where you have one All-star and you can go places. The Flames need to find a few of them. Best way is to tank, which could very well happen this year. Hoping that mid to late first are going to turn into all-stars might happen, but the odds aren't in their favour.

Although I firmly believe they have their future #1 LW in Sven. Still have question if they have a #1 C, #1 D or #1 G.
- ryan78

Monahan could answer one of those questions and Brodie's development curve suggests that he could possibly be a top-2 D. Goailes are impossble to predict and take a LONG time to be ready, but Gillies has looked great so far.

I'm with you in that I think they should tank at least this season and grab a blue chipper like Ekblad, S Reinhart, Nylander, or maybe even Virtanen (plays for the Hitmen currently) if they're a bit lower. A top D pairing of Brodie and Ekblad, a one two punch at C of Reinhart/Nylander and Monahan, or a top line of Bartschi, Monahan, and Virtanen are all attractive choices and would all go a long way to helping the team.

- annoyance_101

Sure, don't put up a valid argument against what I've said. It seems that you don't follow prospects enough/at all to understand so I guess I'm just wasting my time. You can think how you want, but you're terribly misinformed if you believe that their prospect pool doesn't at least look good.

Monahan could answer one of those questions and Brodie's development curve suggests that he could possibly be a top-2 D. Goailes are impossble to predict and take a LONG time to be ready, but Gillies has looked great so far.

I'm with you in that I think they should tank at least this season and grab a blue chipper like Ekblad, S Reinhart, Nylander, or maybe even Virtanen (plays for the Hitmen currently) if they're a bit lower. A top D pairing of Brodie and Ekblad, a one two punch at C of Reinhart/Nylander and Monahan, or a top line of Bartschi, Monahan, and Virtanen are all attractive choices and would all go a long way to helping the team.
- MaximumBone

That team will not have to tank on purpose...nature will take its course now that they've finally given up the dream of actually contending when everyone else but them knew they were needing to start the rebuild...

It’s looking like Ales Hemsky will be at Oiler camp next month

It’s looking like Ales Hemsky will be at Oiler camp next month
- nayefj

I dont understand why they haven't bought him out and just used that money and given RNH a contract extension, RNH will be making around the same money that hemsky would be anyways...Hemskys obviously not going to be of much help from the 3rd line

They are in the same spot we were when we drafted Schremp, Cogs, and then got Gagner. By the time we drafted Gagner, we had Pouilot, Jacques, Chorney, Syvret, Stoll, Greeme, Stortini, Brodziak, amongst others that were looking like we did well at the draft table.
- ryan78

Long time no see

Kronwall is no Lidstrom, but he's close.

I dont understand why they haven't bought him out and just used that money and given RNH a contract extension, RNH will be making around the same money that hemsky would be anyways...Hemskys obviously not going to be of much help from the 3rd line
- annoyance_101

What the hell does Hemsky have anything to do with RNH's contract? If anything having Hemsky because of RNH's shoulder issue is going to give us some depth.

Long time no see
- Reveen

I was wondering where you went