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PRAYERS TO NASHVILLE. IMPORTANT

Just a quick note before my blog...My heart really goes out to the many readers of my site battling the terrible flooding in Nashville. There is an outstanding article I encourage you all to read written by Patten Fuqua on www.section303.com called "We Are Nashville." You can read it HERE.

I am calling out to the Hockey world to help. Anything we can do will matter, but most of all this situation needs to be recognized in a big way so the proper people in Washington can get off of their asses and make a difference. Please pass this story and the word around.

These are hockey fans. They need us.

Thanks,
Ek

RANKING THE UFA D
So here we are with this year's first official D list from Hockeybuzz Central in preparation for UFA Day 2010. This list may be void of many "All-Stars" but I still believe this is the best D list GMs have had to chose from in recent memory. Definitely, much better than the past two UFA D crops, this list actually is full of many 3/4 Ds who will make a difference for your team.

Ranking the list's "overall" strengths...
Star Power: 4/10
1,2 D men: 5/10
3,4 D men: 9/10
5,6 D men: 7/10
Offensive D men: 5/10
Defensive D men: 7/10
Shot Blocking D men: 9/10
Character D men: 8/10
Physical D-Men: 8/10

THE HOCKEYBUZZ CENTRAL TOP 54 PENDING UFA DEFENSEMEN -RANKED
(Many of you ask me to weigh in with my personal favorites on the Forwards list, so what I have done is marked some of the guys I would personally go after were I am GM in BOLD)

1. Nicklas Lidstrom (will only sign with Detroit or retire)
2. Sergei Gonchar
3. Anton Volchenkov
4. Scott Niedermayer (Likely to retire I am told...but who knows)
5. Paul Martin
6. Dan Hamhuis
7. Willie Mitchell
8. Zbynek Michalek
9. Rob Blake
10. Sean O'Donnell
11. Brett Clarke
12. Dennis Seidenberg
13. Kurtis Foster
14. Henrik Tallinder
15. Andy Sutton
16. Kim Johnsson
17. Adrian Aucoin
18. Derek Morris
19. Paul Mara
20. Pavel Kubina
21. Joe Corvo
22. Jordan Leopold
23. Toni Lydman
24. Marc-Andre Bergeron
25. Adam Foote
26. Jason Strudwick
27. Mark Eaton
28. Francis Boulion
29. Garnett Exelby
30. Sheldon Brookbank
31. Mike Mottau
32. Cory Murphy
33. Jay McKee
34. Andrea Lilja
35. Randy Jones
36. Brian Pothier
37. Mathieu Schneider
38. Carlo Colaiacovo
39. Brett Lebda
40. Freddy Meyer
41. Mike Weaver
42. Martin Skoula
43. Ruslan Salei
44. Mike Van Ryn
45. Shaone Morrison
46. Daryl Sydor
47. Nick Boynton
48. Shane Hnidy
49. Milan Jurcina
50. Mark Popovic
51. David Hale
52. Niclas Wallin
53. Lukas Krajicek
54. Andy Wozniewski

Questions for you..
1. Give me 5 guys you want your GM to go after.
2. How would you change these rankings?
3. Do you think this is a strong group?
4. Give me a player on this list on your team who you want your GM to re-sign.
5. Did I leave someone off the list who you like?

I will be heading to the Wachovia Center this afternoon for tonight's Flyers/Bruins Battle. I will blog more from the arena and tomorrow I will put out my Goalie list, along with my Group 6 list of players available (some really great buys in that group this year. Much more than ever before).

After that will come the Always Fun HockeyBuzz Central Top 25 UFAs for July 1, who will also be the first 25 players added to Rumor Chart for our HB Season Ticket Holders. By the way, we also are getting ready to announce another, new and great bonus/benefit Hockeybuzz Season Ticket Holders. We appreciate your $20 annually. Really helps around here!

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» Playoff Previews and UFA Previews start tomorrow