But then we dont get nuge or yakupov. Maybe not even hall depending on quickly they succeed in edm.
- hugefemale dog77

That's an ignorance is bliss situation. In the coming years we'll be closer to competing for the cup than we would have been if we had kept it going, but it was pretty painful to watch them bottom out like that.

I'm fine with the way things worked out, especially since Gagner was a good pick.

You're right, Ottawa also needs to give credit to the 9-15 teams who were disgracefully bad last year.
- KB3Point0

Gonna be awfully amusing next season when the Sens jump up in the stadings and the Canucks begin their inevitable tumble into a rebulid.

Disagree - I think you're simply more used to seeing drafts with those 2-3 superstars at the top, there's been quite a run of luck with franchise players in the 1st round from around 2004-2010, but I don't think that's the norm:

04:Ovechkin/Malkin
05:Crosby
06:Toews/Giroux
07:None really, Kane/Kessel are stars but not franchise players.
08:Stamkos/Doughty/Karlsson, probably Pietrangelo soon.
09:Tavares

10-12 - too early to judge most guys, but so far only Hall looks like a potential franchise player.

13: I actually feel safe calling Nathan MacKinnon a future franchise player, the others we'll see.

14: Connor McDavid has potential.
- TommyDeVito

No, the top end, all-star depth just isn't there in 2007 yet. It could get there, a few of those guys have the potential, but up until this point it has proven to be a weaker draft.

2005: Crosby, Ryan, Price, Kopitar, Staal, Rask, Neal, Stastny, Letang, Quick, Yandle
2006: Toews, Staal, Backstrom, Kessel, Giroux, Lucic, Seabrook
2007: Kane, Couture, Subban, Benn
2008: Stamkos, Doughty, Pietrangelo, Karlsson, Eberle (far more potential stars than 2007 as well with guys like Henrique, Bogosian, Hodgson, Myers, Gardiner, Del Zotto, Schultz, Stepan, Markstrom, Allen)
2009: Tavares, Duchene, Kane, Hedman, Ekman-Larsson (Kadri, O'Reilly, Schenn, Kassian all have potential)

Well Bowman didn't win the (frank)ing Adams, either.
- TommyDeVito

That's a 15 point swing over an absolutely stacked Red Wings team.

Gonna be awfully amusing next season when the Sens jump up in the stadings and the Canucks begin their inevitable tumble into a rebulid.
- TommyDeVito

Based on what exactly?

Based on what exactly?
- KB3Point0

Response to your kessel statement earlier just to lazy to scroll up. I dont think he deserves 8mil but I think based on market comparables and free agency next year he might get 8.

Do i think he deserves 8..NOPE. I think he deserves 6.5 based on his production. Just to be clear I dont think he is better than getz or perry. I would take both of them over kessel.

Not sure the math but kessel I think has outscored getz and perry over the last 3 years.

Gonna be awfully amusing next season when the Sens jump up in the stadings and the Canucks begin their inevitable tumble into a rebulid.
- TommyDeVito

So what part of the Canucks team has made it appear like they are about to tumble? You realize that Luongo and Schneiders ability in the net isn't going to cause them to be in a rebuild right? They've now got a coach that likes to play younger players, therefore the draft picks in recent years, jensen, gaunce, horvat, shinkaruk, schroeder will all get the chance to crack the line up in the coming years making a "rebuild" a very unlikely scenario...

Response to your kessel statement earlier just to lazy to scroll up. I dont think he deserves 8mil but I think based on market comparables and free agency next year he might get 8.

Do i think he deserves 8..NOPE. I think he deserves 6.5 based on his production. Just to be clear I dont think he is better than getz or perry. I would take both of them over kessel.

Not sure the math but kessel I think has outscored getz and perry over the last 3 years.
- Bluechip23

Just did the math.
G A Pts
Perry 102 92 194
Get 45 137 182
Kessel 89 109 198

This is over the last 3 years. Kessel has a lot to be desired for defensively thats for sure but offensively he is in the same league as these 2 guys.

Just did the math.
G A Pts
Perry 102 92 194
Get 45 137 182
Kessel 89 109 198

This is over the last 3 years. Kessel has a lot to be desired for defensively thats for sure but offensively he is in the same league as these 2 guys.
- Bluechip23

Kessel is among the best offensive players in the game. No questions there. Didn't hear lot of people complain about Pavel Bure's defense..

Response to your kessel statement earlier just to lazy to scroll up. I dont think he deserves 8mil but I think based on market comparables and free agency next year he might get 8.

Do i think he deserves 8..NOPE. I think he deserves 6.5 based on his production. Just to be clear I dont think he is better than getz or perry. I would take both of them over kessel.

Not sure the math but kessel I think has outscored getz and perry over the last 3 years.
- Bluechip23

Points are not everything...and considering the leafs overpaid to have clarkson and bozak, i see no reason why they won't massively overpay kessel, a one dimensional guy that puts the puck in the net...nothing a cup contender should build around...but hey thats the best torontos got now

Kessel is among the best offensive players in the game. No questions there. Didn't hear lot of people complain about Pavel Bure's defense..
- Seitch2

I wouldnt talk about kess and Bure in the same sentence yet. Bure is arguably the best goal scorer since Lemiuex in the NHL. Kessel doesnt remotely score at the same clip.

Kessel is among the best offensive players in the game. No questions there. Didn't hear lot of people complain about Pavel Bure's defense..
- Seitch2

Probably due to the fact that he had 34 SHG, and 15 SHA in his career, and Kessel has................1 SHG..........0 SHA don't tell me that those numbers have nothing to do with defensive play

I wouldnt talk about kess and Bure in the same sentence ever. Bure is arguably the best goal scorer since Lemiuex in the NHL. Kessel doesnt remotely score at the same clip.
- Bluechip23

Fixed your typo

Just did the math.
G A Pts
Perry 102 92 194
Get 45 137 182
Kessel 89 109 198 X 0.85 = 168

This is over the last 3 years. Kessel has a lot to be desired for defensively thats for sure but offensively he is in the same league as these 2 guys.
- Bluechip23

Forgot to X Kessel's numbers by 0.85 to account for playing the SE division more times.

Fixed your typo
- annoyance_101

lol. I loved Bure. He was the reason I became a fan of the nucks when I moved here in 96. Just amazing to watch.

What I will say is this. I dont think Kessel will ever have the career bure has had in terms of just being a star but if Kessel continues at his current clip he will easily have more goals than bure and will probably be in the hall of fame as well.

But in terms of just edge of your seat tv watching I cant remember of any player in the NHL even now that i have to see when they have the puck.

Forgot to X Kessel's numbers by 0.85 to account for playing the SE division more times.
- IanEsplen

I guess you have to do the same thing with all teams playing in the NW as well.

I guess you have to do the same thing with all teams playing in the NW as well.
- Bluechip23

Last year maybe, but prior to that, the NW had some decent goalies. Even last year they were still better than the guys in the SE.

That division is like Friday night shinny.

Last year maybe, but prior to that, the NW had some decent goalies. Even last year they were still better than the guys in the SE.

That division is like Friday night shinny.
- IanEsplen

My buddy is in a friday night shinny league and he takes offense to your comment. He is already trying to ban you for 1hr.

lol. I loved Bure. He was the reason I became a fan of the nucks when I moved here in 96. Just amazing to watch.

What I will say is this. I dont think Kessel will ever have the career bure has had in terms of just being a star but if Kessel continues at his current clip he will easily have more goals than bure and will probably be in the hall of fame as well.

But in terms of just edge of your seat tv watching I cant remember of any player in the NHL even now that i have to see when they have the puck.
- Bluechip23

for every 55-60 goal season bure had, it will take kessel 2 30-32 goal years to match his 1...they arent on the same level....Bure is 5th ALL TIME GPG

http://www.quanthockey.co...als-per-game-leaders.html

Kessel on the other hand? not even in the top 50...Kessel is not even on Kovalchuks level...Kessel will never be in the HOF

Probably due to the fact that he had 34 SHG, and 15 SHA in his career, and Kessel has................1 SHG..........0 SHA don't tell me that those numbers have nothing to do with defensive play
- annoyance_101

Obviously the game has changed a lot. Generally games aren't 8-6 anymore. That would help to pad Bure's SHG stats. With all due respect, no Kessel is not Bure, but their intangibles are very much alike - create offense. And in that respect, Kessel effectively does whats expected to him.

Last year maybe, but prior to that, the NW had some decent goalies. Even last year they were still better than the guys in the SE.

That division is like Friday night shinny.
- IanEsplen

Did the math ian and over the last 3 years the NW on average has a GA of only 5 goals a year less than the SE. If they are friday night Shinny I guess the NW is Sat night then.

for every 55-60 goal season bure had, it will take kessel 2 30-32 goal years to match his 1...they arent on the same level....Bure is 5th ALL TIME GPG

http://www.quanthockey.co...als-per-game-leaders.html

Kessel on the other hand? not even in the top 50...Kessel is not even on Kovalchuks level...Kessel will never be in the HOF
- annoyance_101

I don't know, another 5-7 years in Toronto playing fairly well might give him a shot.

After all, every year there are rumblings as to why CoJo isn't in.

Just did the math.
G A Pts
Perry 102 92 194
Get 45 137 182
Kessel 89 109 198

This is over the last 3 years. Kessel has a lot to be desired for defensively thats for sure but offensively he is in the same league as these 2 guys.
- Bluechip23

Perry (+12 over last 3 years) and Getzlaf (+17 over last 3 years) have been minus players once in their careers. Kessel (-33 over last 3 years) has been a positive player once in his career. You can't justify ridiculous salary expectations by using one stat that is convenient for your argument.

Look at the top 25 cap hits in the NHL and pick out approximately where you feel Kessel would be comparable. Out of those 25 you could make an argument that he deserves as much as Heatley (signed 5 years ago, injuries have taken their toll) Vanek (ridiculous RFA offer that Buffalo matched, hard to make him a realistic comparable for anybody) Semin (has way more talent than Kessel, but also a much bigger floater). Every single one of the rest deserve more than him. Kopitar is #25 at $6.8M. Even if Kessel got $7M he'd be severely overpaid. There is no way he gets $8M.

Obviously the game has changed a lot. Generally games aren't 8-6 anymore. That would help to pad Bure's SHG stats. With all due respect, no Kessel is not Bure, but their intangibles are very much alike - create offense. And in that respect, Kessel effectively does whats expected to him.
- Seitch2

Does Kessel play on the penalty kill? I fail to see how they're anything alike...Kessel is 1 dimensional...Bure was good defensively along with offensively, he was relied about for his defense as well...Kessel is only expected to score... I'm not saying he's a terrible goal scorer either, don't get me wrong...he's consistent at that...but nothing more than scoring goals

for every 55-60 goal season bure had, it will take kessel 2 30-32 goal years to match his 1...they arent on the same level....Bure is 5th ALL TIME GPG

http://www.quanthockey.co...als-per-game-leaders.html

Kessel on the other hand? not even in the top 50...Kessel is not even on Kovalchuks level...Kessel will never be in the HOF
- annoyance_101

This is what I know about kessel. He has 400 pts in 500 games essentially. He has around 10 years left maybe more since he is only 25. Over the last 3 years he has been a PPG player. I think he will end up with 400 - 500 goals when he retires and will have over 1000 pts. Not sure if that is a HOF or not but he will be pretty close. If he doest continue this then of course he wont but he could also out pace his current level play and then anything is possible thats all.