It's not semantics. There are 95 players in the NHL with more assists than Giroux currently. He has raw talent. Whether he gets to the elite level remains to be seen. But as of right now, there is nothing elite about Giroux.
- MJL

you remind me of my mother... you just troll around waiting for someone to say anything so you can say the exact opposite and make them feel like crap

How have you not received a life time ban with that smug attitude of your's?

I still don't get it.. more people have been banned from responding to your rude posts than ripped fuel...

That says alot about what people think of what you say...

HOLY FREAKIN' STAMKOS.... 40 goals?! REALLY?! SERIOUSLY?! my god this kid is going to be phenomenal

you remind me of my mother... you just troll around waiting for someone to say anything so you can say the exact opposite and make them feel like crap

How have you not received a life time ban with that smug attitude of your's?

I still don't get it.. more people have been banned from responding to your rude posts than ripped fuel...

That says alot about what people think of what you say...
- Nopointshot

YOU SIR, need to sort your mother issues before you post again.

Firstly, you don't know that for certain so you can't say that with a high degree of accuracy...once can also make a good argument that they're closer to winning a Cup now and in the next year or two, with Pronger than they would have been if they had kept Lupul, Sbisa and the picks.


- exlund

They don't look like they're very close to winning a Cup now! So yes I can say that. And I can also say that having a top prospect like Sbisa and those two 1st rouond picks would imprve their future prospectus then the current number of draft picks and prospects they have now. That's just common sense.

There's no way to prove that not doing the Pronger trade would have eventually given the team a better chance at a Cup than they have now and over the next 2-3 years......you take away Chris Pronger and add what? Lupul (horrible contract, headed for disc injury, season in doubt), Sbisa, enjoying his time in the minors/can't even beat Eminger out for a spot on the big club, and picks that may or may not help you in a few years? So, to call the deal bad if a Cup isn't won from it isn't necessarily true. With what's in place in Pitts, Chicago and Washington, I think you'd be hard pressed to build a team that looks like it would measure up better on paper to those guys, even if had you saved the picks and kept Lupul and Sbisa..all of that talk is conjecture and we'll just never know so you can't make conlusions based on what might have happened...by contrast, I think it can be said with more of a degree of certainty that the team is better right now and will be next year for having Pronger in the fold versus having Lupul, Spisa and the picks...what happens beyond the next 2-3 years is another story. Homer will have to earn his money and show he can keep the team in the playoff mix.


- exlund

It's absolutely true to say that if they don't win the Cup, it's a bad deal. That's why you make that deal. To put the team over the top. It looks right now like Holmgren miscalculated. We'll see how it plays out.

Look, at some point you take stock of what you've built and if you think you have a shot, you spend some of your future and make some moves to try and improve your chances...Pronger achieves that. If they can't beat the Pens/Caps/Hawks/Sharks/Wings or wheover, it doesn't mean it did't improve the team or that the trade was a bad one, per se...I'd say if they make the playoffs for a few years, and are a competitive team with chance to steal a series from a favorite or two, then the Pronger trade was a success...it indicates that they were about as close as they were going to get to a chance at the Cup...if they miss the playoffs, that's another story... then, I think it can be said that it was an obvious a miscalculation and thus more of a bad move (hindsight being 20/20 and all).


- exlund

That's the job of a GM. To look at it and ask yourself, if I make this move and give up so much of the future, am I better than the Pens/Hawks/Sharks?Caps? YOu don't give up that much of your future to improve the team. YOu do it because you think it's the final peice of the puzzle to try and win the Cup. This team doesn't look like a contender. This what your not getting.
Stealing a series or two doesn't make it a success. You can do that without giving up a large part of your future. Do you get a parade for winning a series or two? LOL

The Flyers already went though their period of hitting rock bottom a few seasons ago, they were the worst, got their lottery pick in Kane, ahem... I mean, JVR, they turned seller and made some good trades for the future (Zhitnik for Coburn, the Foppa to Nashville deal) and added some top free agent talent...it worked...they turned things around short order and made it to the conference finals...it's not unreasonable, given that, to continue to add pieces if you think you can improve...you keep waiting and "building for the future" with youth, whose to say you would ever build a team (and keep it together) that's more able to compete with the likes of Pens, Caps, Hawks? The team still has youth.. the two youngest core members of the team are JVR (20) and Giroux (22)...Richards, Carter, Leino, Coburn, Carle, Parent, Bart, Powe, Carcillo, Hartnell in their mid 20s...Gagne just turned 30. The only guys in the over 30 crew are Briere, Pronger, Timonen and Lappy and Ash. I think the team is in position to be in the playoff mix for a few years to come and given the competition out there, I think that's really all I can ask for as a fan, for them to be in the mix, to be in position to maybe get lucky and take a series or two from the Pens or Caps in hopes they can grab a Cup one of these years.
- exlund

You repeatedly refuse to look at the future situation of this team right now with any clarity. Maybe all your looking for as a fan is to be in the playoff mix, but I'm not. We've been doing that for the most part since 1975. That's a loser mentality. Unless Holmgren can somehow pull some rabbits out of his head and right the mistakes he's made, the future is supsect.

Look, if a bunch of people think he has elite level skills, it's their right to do so...why does your opinion trump theirs and be the only one that's factual? We don't have to be talking about it in the literal sense...when Ek said Giroux "is Marc Savard" well, no he's not. Savard (an elite level passer) far outproduces him at this point (when healthy)...but he (Ek) was making a statement about a young player who he thinks has those same elite level skills...it wasn't meant to be literal, as in Giroux is using his Forsbergian-like vision and Savardian passing to tear up the league right now...it just means he has that type of ability and could someday use it to do something akin to what those guys have done.


- exlund

Every player drafted high has top talent. And some that weren't drafted high do also. That doesn't make them elite at the NHL level. I don't know about you, but elite means the best of the best to me. That doesn't change regardless of whether you said or Eklund said it. X or a K, same result.

While Giroux, at 22 yrs old, has yet to fully exploit his high end skillset to put up big numbers in the NHL, it doesn't mean he doesn't posess that high-end, or "elite" skillset...it takes time for young players to take advantage of their skills...there are apparently many others out there who are able to appreciate some of the elite level skills he's flashed before he actually emerges as a high point scorer in the league. I made the point that Giroux could benefit from better linemates...playing with the likes of say, Gagne and Briere could be a real boon to his performance as he continues to develop in the NHL.
- exlund

What you said there is completely different than flat out calling Giroux elite. Anyone who has wached Giroux play, is aware of his talent level. That doesn't make him an elite player. Giroux is going to have to bide his time like most players to be given a bigger role. Right now, he's in the spot he belongs at. Because there are better players at his position right now.

HOLY FREAKIN' STAMKOS.... 40 goals?! REALLY?! SERIOUSLY?! my god this kid is going to be phenomenal
- Charlie M.

Now there's an elite young player in the NHL. Pretty simple.

Now there's an elite young player in the NHL. Pretty simple.
- MJL

Imagine if Melrose was still the coach down in Tampa. Stamkos would have 9 goals and be playing 4th line minutes

First of I don't troll. Trolls give responses like yours above. I give facts, such as the facts contained in the post you replied to.
- MJL

Pfffft....you ain't no 87+71.....he gives Cold Hard Facts at least.

Imagine if Melrose was still the coach down in Tampa. Stamkos would have 9 goals and be playing 4th line minutes
- Jsaquella

I don't know how mullet man ever got a coaching job to begin with

Pfffft....you ain't no 87+71.....he gives Cold Hard Facts at least.
- Symba007

is anyone else getting brought to a page that tells them their infected with virus' and need to download the "antivirus"

Now there's an elite young player in the NHL. Pretty simple.
- MJL

but hes no richard park

is anyone else getting brought to a page that tells them their infected with virus' and need to download the "antivirus"
- david22

yeah, second time now.

yeah, second time now.
- The Canehdien

FIX THIS SH!T EK

you taking the day off ek??????

is anyone else getting brought to a page that tells them their infected with virus' and need to download the "antivirus"
- david22

I had it happen 4 times at work this time last season

i refuse to leave my computer on this site unattended since

is anyone else getting brought to a page that tells them their infected with virus' and need to download the "antivirus"
- david22

yeah its happening quite a lot and whenever it happens my real anti virus tell me that it has to remove a trojan.

I had it happen 4 times at work this time last season

i refuse to leave my computer on this site unattended since
- homiedclown

Yes....... if you leave it unattended it will download a trojan.

FRANKEN BS EK

Yes....... if you leave it unattended it will download a trojan.

FRANKEN BS EK


- faceto27

how else will he get people to buy season tickets

Thanks EK!! You have reversed the curse you put on my hockey team this time last year! The day after the trade deadline Calgary played Philly and to your credit they played probably their best game of the year. We just acquired Oli and he had a huge first game. Then the curse!!..... You said that this was the team to watch out for, this was the team that you don't want to meet in the first round of the playoffs! Well they hit the crapper hard for the next 5 weeks, and went into the playoffs on a whimper. Now you come out and say they didn't do enough at the deadline and that are team with no chemistry ( I do agree with you there) Well you just watch we are going to go on a great run now!! So thanks for all your help! Cheers!

Wow you are in deep trouble if you think Toskala is better than anyone and you got way worse just before the Olympic break.
- honesthockey

Oh I know we are in trouble, big trouble...... but the point is, McBackup is no doubt the worst the goalie in the league. Anaheim got him and then went after McDonald minutes later.

We didn't get worse short term before the deadline, Phaneuf was expendable because Giordano became the Flames best defenseman. Gio replaced Phaneuf, White replaced Gio and we did get stronger up front.

still don't think we will make the playoffs, which is good because it saves me buying the first round playoff tickets to be swept by Chicago or SJ

Oh I know we are in trouble, big trouble...... but the point is, McBackup is no doubt the worst the goalie in the league. Anaheim got him and then went after McDonald minutes later.

We didn't get worse short term before the deadline, Phaneuf was expendable because Giordano became the Flames best defenseman. Gio replaced Phaneuf, White replaced Gio and we did get stronger up front.

still don't think we will make the playoffs, which is good because it saves me buying the first round playoff tickets to be swept by Chicago or SJ
- scoot174

You sir, do not understand the swarm of poop Toskala is capable of bringing. It's actually entirely likely that Kiprosoff's talent will get absorbed into that black hole of poopty hockey.

The thing is, Toskala has some talent, he just makes dumb plays... a lot... and he's lazy as balls. We have the best (frank)ing goalie coach in hockey, and he refused to work with him. Seriously. We have the guy who made Brodeur, Giguere, Hiller, and Bryzgalof... and he said no to working with him. Felt he was starter, and rather good. Despite sporting the absolute worst sv% in the NHL.

Just to drive home the point, McElhinney's sv% is .890... tied with Osgood for 45th in the league....

Toskala is at 0.874.

You sir, do not understand the swarm of poop Toskala is capable of bringing. It's actually entirely likely that Kiprosoff's talent will get absorbed into that black hole of poopty hockey.

The thing is, Toskala has some talent, he just makes dumb plays... a lot... and he's lazy as balls. We have the best (frank)ing goalie coach in hockey, and he refused to work with him. Seriously. We have the guy who made Brodeur, Giguere, Hiller, and Bryzgalof... and he said no to working with him. Felt he was starter, and rather good. Despite sporting the absolute worst sv% in the NHL.
- Feeling Glucky?

I know you probably have never seen McBackup play, but I have never seen a goalie give up more or juicer rebounds. I am not a Toskala fan, but he is an upgrade. Hell Hardy Astrom would be an upgrade

I guess we'll see, Toskala is starting this afternoon

I know you probably have never seen McBackup play, but I have never seen a goalie give up more or juicer rebounds. I am not a Toskala fan, but he is an upgrade. Hell Hardy Astrom would be an upgrade

I guess we'll see, Toskala is starting this afternoon
- scoot174

I made a further edit... just to give you some additional faith that the impending loss is not your team's fault.

While Giroux, at 22 yrs old, has yet to fully exploit his high end skillset to put up big numbers in the NHL, it doesn't mean he doesn't posess that high-end, or "elite" skillset...it takes time for young players to take advantage of their skills...there are apparently many others out there who are able to appreciate some of the elite level skills he's flashed before he actually emerges as a high point scorer in the league. I made the point that Giroux could benefit from better linemates...playing with the likes of say, Gagne and Briere could be a real boon to his performance as he continues to develop in the NHL.
- exlund

What you said there is completely different than flat out calling Giroux elite. Anyone who has wached Giroux play, is aware of his talent level. That doesn't make him an elite player. Giroux is going to have to bide his time like most players to be given a bigger role. Right now, he's in the spot he belongs at. Because there are better players at his position right now.
- MJL

Um, well, I never said he "was an elite player" or called him "flatout elite"...what I said he was had "elite passing skills"...there's a difference...but you apparently didn't comprehend that and chose to call me out on it for some reason and here we are.