I found it interesting that both Stan and Bolland went out of their way to point to Carcillo as being someone they really missed agains Phoenix.

What's everyone's take on Leddy? I think he got better this year and is still improving but I think he needs to be paired with a bigger/physical type d-man to offset his weaknesses (not physical). He really didn't seem to mesh well with Hammer and the 8/27 pairing was exposed in the playoffs. All that being said I don't think he's untouchable either, if there's a deal to be made that involves him that will make the Hawks better then I say do it.
- dan9189

IMO, if Leddy played 3rd pair for a year or two, given green light to rush puck, and played on PP, NOT PK, he'll be really,really good. all about putting these guys in a position to succeed. but as curly said, if at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking til you do succeed????

I found it interesting that both Stan and Bolland went out of their way to point to Carcillo as being someone they really missed agains Phoenix.
- NewToHockey

Meh....maybe, but most likely not much.

I'm shocked that they point to a guy on IR as the reason for failure.

Worst strawman argument used in association with sports and labor negotiations. Fans can't fathom or relate to owners, but they can or think they can relate to players and how much they make to play a "game kids play". That minimum contract sounds like a lot of money until you think about the average length of career (maybe 2 years) and that their earnings are capped. So maybe they make $1.5 in their career (which is a figure on paper, nowhere near their gross or net earnings), is that really that much? Compare that to the money an average guy makes in his career. This compared to ownership, many of which are just investments and roll in money without even trying to be good. Look at the MLB team owners that just rake in revenue sharing cash and trot teams out with $40 million payrolls. Same thing in the NHL before the salary floor.

Without the guys you don't feel sorry for making 545k, the owners you support don't have a product. These are the top of their class players playing the game, the only people worth paying $100 a ticket to see. Run these "greedy" players out of the game and now you are one level lower into the onion of caliber of players. Same reason Christian Bale gets 20 million a movie, because the next class of actors isn't as good and people won't go out and see a second rate actor for $15 a ticket.
- PhatJoeSki

OR you can make the same gross so at about 50K a year for 20 years working at a job you absolutely hate counting down the days till retirement.

Cry me a river.

OR you can make the same gross so at about 50K a year for 20 years working at a job you absolutely hate counting down the days till retirement.

Cry me a river.
- mvp0207

But why would you cry for the owners?

But why would you cry for the owners?
- StLBravesFan

they aren't allowed to make a profit? why else would they invest in a business?

Just got done watching the Stanbow and Q pressers.

They pretty much said all the right things, Stanbow calling the PP unacceptable, Q taking a lot of the blame for the poor PP etc.

To me, one of the more interesting moments came when Q was asked, if in his opinion the roster needed more of a tweek, or more of an overhaul. As you would expect, he danced around the question a bit and never truly answered directly, but I got the distinct impression that Q thinks more than just a tweek is needed. Maybe it's just me though.
- Ogilthorpe2

Q was a rough and tumble type of player Im sure hes looking for a tougher group of guys to coach.

I have a gut feeling that SB will wash, rinse and repeat.

Bring in some role players on 1 year deals, plug and play, just like the last 2 years...

...and Crawford gets another shot.

And I expect those friggin' "One Goal" ads will be back again with the usual tweek or two.
- ArlingtonRob

ever the optimist......

But why would you cry for the owners?
- StLBravesFan

I don't cry for either, since I've been priced out of attending games for years now. As it relates to hockey, I just wish the NHL had a system where close to all the franchises were financially stable. Seems like a third of the teams are on the brink of insolvency, yet salaries are driven higher and higher, ticket prices go up and up...and attendance struggles in lousy markets.

They aren't trading Kane. And they don't need "big time" players. Who is asking for that? They need big players that can skate and play physical... They don't always come with a huge price tag..
- ilinkhawk

where do they come from then? big 'impact' players that can skate and play physical in FA come with a big price tag.... Low salaried big 'impact' players that can skate on entry level contracts take more than moderate projected prospects or overpaid under-performing vets. you have to give to get.... and you get what you pay for. If anything last offseason should have taught you that. Mayers, Carcillo, Monty, SOD, Brunette all on the cheap.

Totally agree with Ogie... don't trust SB to get much back in return for Kane. He's been burned on nearly every occasion. Tallon must be laughing right now with the trades he's pulled off (including Versteeg from my flyers for a 2nd which was used to get an ineffective old timer in Pavel Kubina).

I found it interesting that both Stan and Bolland went out of their way to point to Carcillo as being someone they really missed against Phoenix.
- NewToHockey

what a reach but it always easy to point to a injury loss....i think the loss of montador was the nail in the coffin


puhleeeezzzz....if carbomb doesn't go down...does ever get out of rckfrd

and we have a G7 OT....

I don't cry for either, since I've been priced out of attending games for years now. As it relates to hockey, I just wish the NHL had a system where close to all the franchises were financially stable. Seems like a third of the teams are on the brink of insolvency, yet salaries are driven higher and higher, ticket prices go up and up...and attendance struggles in lousy markets.
- ArlingtonRob

a phx/panther final will go along way toward solving all the lousy market financial issues...

they aren't allowed to make a profit? why else would they invest in a business?
- dpard

Oh, yes - these pillars of free enterprise.

Owners to players: we don't care what the free market supply and demand says - your salaries will be limited by fiat (of course, free market forces rule on the ticket selling side with no limit on prices).

Owners to local (and, in Canada, provincial and federal) governments: build us new stadia or we'll move. Sounds like socialism to me.

Nets to Newark: well, you built us a stadium - tough crap - we're going to Brooklyn. Way to keep your promises.

Pirates to Pittsburgh: build us a new stadium and we'll spend money on players. How's that working out for the steel city?

Owners to Congress: we need to keep our anti-trust exemptions so that can continue to make monopolistic profits.

Yes, they're entitled to EARN a product by putting out a quality product and convincing people to pay to see it - they're NOT entitled to MAKE a profit just by openning the doors.

Let's hope Stanbow and Q can put all that talk to action this summer and work together as a team. I have a feeling Stan and Q will be on thin ice this coming year.
- roenick

Stan should have fallen thru the thin ice by now and his ass should be sitting in a puddle. Useless hockey man he is.

Somebody should have asked those 2 whether they collaborated in moving Brouwer out. I can see the bean counters thinking - I won't give Brouwer $2.5M -I will get Bruno and Mayers for the same money combined and get a draft choice in a trade. And if Q wanted Bruno as a replacement for Brouwer he should get a kick in the nuts too.

would a package of schenn and steckel be worth going after? steckel is a beast at the dot and can PK too?????

or is that too many players with last names starting with S on the team and confuse Foley?
- dpard

Doesn't Foley get easily confused anyways?

Again, I have to question the availablity of Schenn. Even if he is available, Burke isn't just going to give him away. Burke likes players with "truculence" and size, and that's something the Hawks don't have a lot of. I don't think Burke is looking to acquire one of the smurfs Bowman has on the roster.

I don't cry for either, since I've been priced out of attending games for years now. As it relates to hockey, I just wish the NHL had a system where close to all the franchises were financially stable. Seems like a third of the teams are on the brink of insolvency, yet salaries are driven higher and higher, ticket prices go up and up...and attendance struggles in lousy markets.
- ArlingtonRob

But total league revenues keep going up and up - a result of higher ticket prices and a cause of increasing salaries.

Two solutions: get rid of the teams on the brink, making the remainder financially stable - and, by the way, forcing salaries down; have a more NFL like revenue sharing - ALL TV revenues - national and local - for instance.

Bolland: “We have a lot of identity on that PP, if you look at the guys on there that put up points. But Kaner’s talked about having that front-net presence being huge for us,” Dave Bolland said. “It’s big to have that goalie screen and have a big body in front. Goalies hate it. That’s probably one of the main things.”

most of the players talked about this.....

are you kidding me...light bulbs turned on with these guys and management after g6??

there were problems with this from the beginning of the year and they never found a fix....that's is completely inexcusable

Isn't this 3 years in a row the champ is out in the first round?

so much for my pick.....Bruins join the hwks, pens, sharks, wings, canucks...

seeya....

Just saw the result...Joel Ward early in OT NICE!!!

Isn't this 3 years in a row the champ is out in the first round?
- StLBravesFan

yes it is, pens, hawks, and bruins

Oh, yes - these pillars of free enterprise.

Owners to players: we don't care what the free market supply and demand says - your salaries will be limited by fiat (of course, free market forces rule on the ticket selling side with no limit on prices).

Owners to local (and, in Canada, provincial and federal) governments: build us new stadia or we'll move. Sounds like socialism to me.

Nets to Newark: well, you built us a stadium - tough crap - we're going to Brooklyn. Way to keep your promises.

Pirates to Pittsburgh: build us a new stadium and we'll spend money on players. How's that working out for the steel city?

Owners to Congress: we need to keep our anti-trust exemptions so that can continue to make monopolistic profits.

Yes, they're entitled to EARN a product by putting out a quality product and convincing people to pay to see it - they're NOT entitled to MAKE a profit just by openning the doors.
- StLBravesFan

wow! that's a lot of anger to deal with?
ticket sales will be limited by price based on how many people can attend - thats the easy one.
don't know who the first politician was to cave to the threat, but they are idiots. here we seem to have common ground - if the owners want to own a team, its up to them to pay for the building they play in - not the tax payers. if they want to move....good luck...enjoy.
there is an extremely high cost of entry to create your own league - sports are a unique species. I have no problem with the anti-trust excemption. anyone who wants to start a league to cmpete...go for it - it's been done before

But why would you cry for the owners?
- StLBravesFan

Nope I cry for neither as neither are going to help me pay my bills. I just want these two groups of so called intelligent highly paid and very wealthy people to figure it out so a guy like me can come home after work and watch a hockey game.

Bolland: “We have a lot of identity on that PP, if you look at the guys on there that put up points. But Kaner’s talked about having that front-net presence being huge for us,” Dave Bolland said. “It’s big to have that goalie screen and have a big body in front. Goalies hate it. That’s probably one of the main things.”

most of the players talked about this.....

are you kidding me...light bulbs turned on with these guys and management after g6??

there were problems with this from the beginning of the year and they never found a fix....that's is completely inexcusable
- bogiedoc

And they have big bodies - Bickel, Stalberg, Seabrook even, Shaw (not so big but tough), Hayes, Brunette - not hundreds of them, but enough so it should have happened.

But it never did - PP or even strength.