2011/2012 NHL discussion

ok, we're a few games into the season - what are the predictions?

As a Flyer fan, I think many are underestimating this team this year. Lots of new faces, yes, but tons of top-end talent up and down the lineup. I think they'll make some serious noise come playoffs.

Still like Richards and Carter, but happy with the talent that Holmgren brought in when they left. I think the trades were good for all parties involved.

Giroux is going to have a very solid year - another year older and now the go-to guy. Playing with JVR (who will have a solid year of his own), and Jagr - that's going to be a formidible line.

I know not everyone will have a career year, but I think Vorcek is an underrated piece of the trade return. This guy has some serious skill.

Pitt will be solid, Caps will be good as well. Lots of people saying Buffalo will be a force in the east, but I just don't see it. A lot better than last year, but I just don;t see them as an elite team.

What say you?

I agree the Flyers look good but can't support a team that dumps 2 top nhl players including it's Captain because they wouldn't sign a Christian pledge of conduct , sorry but it's just plain un-North American and to say they left and infer it was a hockey move is just BS , that said and out of the way I'll Try to confine most of my ire to the incompetence at the top of my own team The Leafs all I can say is at least the Marlies are going to have a heck of a good year with all the veteran Nhl players Wilson has sent down after camp , We have an abundance of good players but Wilson will keep juggling them around so that nobody gets the chance to develop any real chemistry , what kind of retarded tool sends a young Dman who played most of last year as half of your #1 D line down to the minors and keeps a guy who spent most of last year either in the minors or in the press box -Ron Wilson what a Goof

Right on Cannucky, another Leaf fan in BC. I'm a kronic Leaf fan too. Philly I think about broke even this year with their moves, added goalie and traded their two best players for some young guns and prospects. I think they'll be good enough to get maybe 5 or 6 in the East.
Buffalo brought in a 3rd liner Leino and a couple defencemen and overpaid for them. That doesn't make them good. They have hardly no offence, if their goalie gets hurt their toast, but when Miller is healthy he's hard to score on. All depends on Miller where fluffalo ends up.
Leafs will come 7 or 8th. They now have a deep, talented and monster defense group. Also emerging star goalie & 3-4 30 plus goal scorers. Go Leafs

Habs will be out of the playoffs :crybaby:, Price can't stand on his head every year.

cannucky said:

I agree the Flyers look good but can't support a team that dumps 2 top nhl players including it's Captain because they wouldn't sign a Christian pledge of conduct , sorry but it's just plain un-North American and to say they left and infer it was a hockey move is just BS , that said and out of the way I'll Try to confine most of my ire to the incompetence at the top of my own team The Leafs all I can say is at least the Marlies are going to have a heck of a good year with all the veteran Nhl players Wilson has sent down after camp , We have an abundance of good players but Wilson will keep juggling them around so that nobody gets the chance to develop any real chemistry , what kind of retarded tool sends a young Dman who played most of last year as half of your #1 D line down to the minors and keeps a guy who spent most of last year either in the minors or in the press box -Ron Wilson what a Goof

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I also heard that they were a cancer in the locker room...... And they didnt put there numbers on the chalk board in the locker room to not drink for a month....

As a Habs fan I'm not crazy about their start to the season. But get a few key guys back from injuries, and things should turn around.

On an barely-related note, around the corner from me lives Bruce Cowick. He got his Stanley Cup ring with the 73-74 Flyers. Any time I see him out walking his dog, he always asks about my Duster. Told me he had one 'back in the day'.

I agree Canucky, Wilson is an idiot...Colborne, Aulie in the minors?? 6'5 and 6'6?? They have a lot of good young defence now thank god. Probably be a more dominant team once they package a defenceman and forward for a quality and healthy center man. Anyone want Finger?? I pick Leafs to finish 7th, but lets see how the pk and pp is this year...can only go up right??

See the thing with Richards and Carter had ZERO to do with the "dry Island" incident (an attempt by coach and team to stop boozing every other night when the team went from #1 to can't-win-a game after the all-star break). It wasn't a Christian pledge. The actual issue was that Richards wasn't a very good leader or captain. The team was clique-y, the players weren't in shape, and they weren't dedicated to the game. Any hockey fan knows that a core value of the flyers organization is be gritty and hard-working. There were serious locker room issues with this team, and it wasn't because of Pronger. Pronger may be a loud mouth, but nobody can ever say he isn't 100% dedicated to his craft. There's a reason that holgrem shipped out all of the OCC (old city crew - a name given to all the young party-going players of the team over the last 5 years) - they were more interested in partying and getting laid than earning their millions and playing lights-out hockey. The team doesn't want to throw a former player under the bus, so that's why they say they were "hockey moves" when they were traded.

Maybe this will light a fire under Richard's butt - because he certainly isn't the same player he was 3 years ago. The move was a good thing and hopefully will be a wake-up call for him if he wants to have a succesful career.

The Flyers organization did absolutely the right thing in this situation. They thought these guys were the long-term core, but the players didn't hold up their ends of the deal.

BTW - Giroux has been the best player on this team for over a year now - they didn't trade away thier best players.

I feel for you Leafs fans - I remember some awesome playoff and season rivalries between the leafs and the Flyers during the Lindros and Roenick eras - as much as I hated you guys, I always respected the Leafs for playing the same gritty do-anything-to win hockey that the Flyers fans love. Hopefully you guys will be a bitter rival again someday soon.

one of the best playoff series I've ever seen was the one where Tucker leveled Kapanen and Roenick scored the winner right afeter. Just awesome, back-andforth action a with great hits.

I think LA will make some noise in the west. Obviously, Vancouver will challenge for the west as well.

HemiMark said:

I also heard that they were a cancer in the locker room...... And they didnt put there numbers on the chalk board in the locker room to not drink for a month....

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Thats what I was referring to when I spoke about refusing to sign the team pledge , a couple of guys partied a little too much and the right wing christian management team demands a "pledge" up until that point all anyone in hockey could say about Richards was how great he was in the locker room ,he tells the clowns to piss off and live their own lives and let him live his and all of a sudden he's poisen in the locker room ? ask LA if he's a cancer as a Leaf fan I've witnessed some dumb trades the last 45 years and I'll bet anyone that Richards is going to prove what a tarded deal that was . Anyone who grew up in the game will tell you that you don`t get to that level by being a party first guy , those guys get washed in minor midget , all teams go through losing streaks it`s a tough business and guys silently play hurt and the real hockey guys will tell you Dan that turning on your Captain and making those kind of excuses is BS they were a really good team that needed a goalie bad ,now they may have found one but they`re not as good a team ,hope for your sake Pronger can carry the load now that he's finally healed up .