Watch the WC playoffs next year, then consider yourself lucky your team plays out East. Not.Even.Close.
- blackhawk24

Agreed the west is best and the only way an East teams sniffs a Cup is if the west teams beat each other up too much.

West>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> East

The Hawks are soooo screwed now! They are stuck with two losers like Kane and Toews, when they could spend that kind of money on four players like Orpik, Bolland, Clarkson and Nikitin!

Remember only the Blackhawks win the cup in Blackhawks fans minds.

The other years when they lose you know 63 of the last 65 years they dont count. They were practice runs.
- sycsam

Let's count the number of times the Blues won the cup ... they know all about success, right?

Giroux is not a top 5 player. Might be a top ten center though.
Crosby, Malkin, Toews, Tavares, Kopitar, Bergeron, Datsyuk, Giroux, Carter, Getzlaf
- YzermanIsTheMan

Might be?? Really?

Here's the players you listed plus a couple more
Over the past 4 seasons in the NHL

1. Crosby 174GP 263PTS 1.47 PPG
2. Malkin. 209GP. 251PTS. 1.20 PPG
3. Stamkos 249GP. 285PTS. 1.14 PPG
4. Giroux. 289GP. 303PTS. 1.05 PPG
5. Getzlaf. 270GP. 269PTS. 0.99 PPG
6. Tavares, Datsyuk, Kane. 0.97 PPG
9. Toews. 268GP. 261PTS. 0.95 PPG
10. Ovechkin. 283GP. 265PTS. 0.94 PPG
11. Kopitar. 286GP. 261PTS. 0.91 PPG
12. Bergeron. 283GP. 215PTS. 0.76 PPG
13. Carter. 255GP. 183PTS. 0.72 PPG

I mean I know there's more than just how many point a player produces in judging a player but come on he deserves some credit and not just a might in the top 10 centers...

We will and we will probably sign some of your players you can't afford to do it
- cuethenoise

The StL Blues "One Goal" campaign should be "Second round of playoffs or bust".

Agreed the west is best and the only way an East teams sniffs a Cup is if the west teams beat each other up too much.

West>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> East
- sycsam

I will admit the East is weak but don't count teams like the Bruins or even Montreal out

Anyone is entitled to their opinion. But to CRITICIZE without valid logic just makes your opinion extremely flawed.

I have yet to see ONE legitimate reason to cause the 'Hawks organization and their fans to agonize about the situation.

Hopped on the bandwagon? Please. If you're going to insult it's going to have to be more creative then that ...
- TommyHawk

You said the Canadiens have never been "the last one standing" implying they've never won a Cup. You pretty much set yourself up for that one. First I thought you might just be 10 years old(your comments played into this assumption), but then I saw that you're a Hawks fan so logically I assumed you're a bandwagoner like most others.

The Hawks need to re-sign several good, young players next season. With these 2 new behemoth contracts, every other NHL GM knows the Hawks need to move salary. You think GM's will line up to take the Hawks scraps for late round draft picks? The Hawks have ZERO LEVERAGE now when trying to move salary (which they will be forced to do). Let me guess: "OH, well they can just trade Sharp for a few 1st round picks and then trade Bickell for a prospect and a draft pick."

Do these extensions push Sharp out of town??
- bjpgallagher

It's all but over for Sharp's tenure in Chicago. It was a good run.

Might be?? Really?

Here's the players you listed plus a couple more
Over the past 4 seasons in the NHL

1. Crosby 174GP 263PTS 1.47 PPG
2. Malkin. 209GP. 251PTS. 1.20 PPG
3. Stamkos 249GP. 285PTS. 1.14 PPG
4. Giroux. 289GP. 303PTS. 1.05 PPG
5. Getzlaf. 270GP. 269PTS. 0.99 PPG
6. Tavares, Datsyuk, Kane. 0.97 PPG
9. Toews. 268GP. 261PTS. 0.95 PPG
10. Ovechkin. 283GP. 265PTS. 0.94 PPG
11. Kopitar. 286GP. 261PTS. 0.91 PPG
12. Bergeron. 283GP. 215PTS. 0.76 PPG
13. Carter. 255GP. 183PTS. 0.72 PPG

I mean I know there's more than just how many point a player produces in judging a player but come on he deserves some credit and not just a might in the top 10 centers...
- RobFlyers#1

Oh yeah. I never said he was out of the top ten centers in the league. Just would argue he's not top five

The StL Blues "One Goal" campaign should be "Second round of playoffs or bust".
- blackhawk24

We will win a cup soon and all the hawks fans will be out of material.

Anyone else having posts altered to where it only showing 20% of the content

The Hawks are soooo screwed now! They are stuck with two losers like Kane and Toews, when they could spend that kind of money on four players like Orpik, Bolland, Clarkson and Nikitin!
- PPG75

Or trade them away for a big return like vanek or moulson

Stay classy
- sycsam

Sour grapes.

Instead of bashing the 'Hawks, try to emulate them. Can't. Haven't. Likely won't.

Look at four of the last five cup winners. LA and Chicago. Think about it.

The other thing LA did other than 2/3yrs ahead of the 'Hawks 2/4yrs was provide sort of a blueprint on how to beat the 'Hawks. The Blues sure as hell didn't do that; even after escaping two home OT wins in the playoffs, only to utterly collapse.

We will win a cup soon and all the hawks fans will be out of material.
- sycsam

I hope the Blues do win one. Going as the oldest team without a SC is getting a little.. well.. old.

We will win a cup soon and all the hawks fans will be out of material.
- sycsam

Its very hard to win a cup- hardest in the west to make it to the cup final... you got a good team but no one to shoulder the load when push comes to shove... i.e. clutch superstar

We will win a cup soon and all the hawks fans will be out of material.
- sycsam

That means 'never'. Beat the 'Hawks in the playoffs, or at least make the 2nd round, then you can talk.

Except he played primarily on the wing for the 1st Cup run and then only switched to C full time this Cup run because Richards sh!t the bed. He isn't great defensively, he's only put up elite offensive numbers one time recently, and- despite your assertion of his FO prowess- he was only 48.1% on the dot this postseason. There are a number of guys I'd put above him.

I'm not saying he's not a great player, but he's NOT a top-10 C.

And by the way, where the (frank) is Stamkos on your list?
- MaximumBone

Maybe not "great", but he is a solid two-way forward. Definitely underrated in his own zone.

The StL Blues "One Goal" campaign should be "Second round of playoffs or bust".
- blackhawk24

Oh yeah. I never said he was out of the top ten centers in the league. Just would argue he's not top five
- YzermanIsTheMan

Where is your reasoning for not putting him in the top 5? He plays against the other teams top D every night, he's good defensively, takes a boat load of face offs and is 50% or better every year in the circle. What else does he have to do?

Sour grapes.

Instead of bashing the 'Hawks, try to emulate them. Can't. Haven't. Likely won't.

Look at four of the last five cup winners. LA and Chicago. Think about it.

The other thing LA did other than 2/3yrs ahead of the 'Hawks 2/4yrs was provide sort of a blueprint on how to beat the 'Hawks. The Blues sure as hell didn't do that; even after escaping two home OT wins in the playoffs, only to utterly collapse.
- blackhawk24

Its a lot easier when you are not a budget team. Give the Hawks and Kings the resources that the blues have been given until just rescently and I gurantee they dont win any of those cups.

Blues are getting better and the signing of Stastny and Lehtera and moving Backes to the wing will help.

Blues fans arent idiots they know the cup goes through Chicago and LA.

Its gonna be our turn soon enough.

Considering what the NFL and NBA are shelling out for their star players not even in the top 5 in the league today... NHL players like Toews- seem like a bargain... I still cant get over Bosh offered 22 mill per...
- saskoil21

But what % of the payroll are those big contracts taking up?

NBA is ridiculous when I see some of the figures, but remember it's like a 12 man roster or something like that, and a superstar can play 2/3 of a game (if not more, I haven't kept up with the NBA since the Jordan days)

But what % of the payroll are those big contracts taking up?

NBA is ridiculous when I see some of the figures, but remember it's like a 12 man roster or something like that, and a superstar can play 2/3 of a game (if not more, I haven't kept up with the NBA since the Jordan days)
- stashu

Baseball contracts are the worst.

As long as you don't suck you will make a minimum of $10 mil annually.

Where is your reasoning for not putting him in the top 5? He plays against the other teams top D every night, he's good defensively, takes a boat load of face offs and is 50% or better every year in the circle. What else does he have to do?
- RobFlyers#1

He's gotta be the clutch player to lead his team to success. That's my defining aspect he hasn't hit yet.

Sure.

On NHL 15, ANYONE can win a cup soon.
- TommyHawk

In the next three years the blues will win a cup.

Of course the Leafs should trade Phaneuf, but nobody wants his hefty contract. Unless the Leafs pickup about $2 mill annually on that contract.