So at the risk of sounding like a homer, I just have to ask...you guys are really going to snub the top 2 lines of the team that just won the Cup? They're probably not quite as good on paper as Chicago, but they're just as high as any of the other teams you listed.

Gaborik-Kopitar-Brown
Pearson-Carter-Toffoli

Hell, the reigning Conn Smythe winner can't even crack the top six on the Kings.
- tkecanuck341

Biggest difference between those 2 teams is lines 3 and 4. LA has the best bottom 6 in the league, and it sways the balance for sure.

Aside from wrong in your thinking Saad is =ORielly ( he's not, not even close) it's all in the way you lined it up.
Toews>Tanguay
Kane>Iginla
Sharp < Duschene
Hossa =ROR
Saad< Landeskogg
Richards < Mackinnon

Any donk can play this game if you don't go by position or best on best.
- Jeropotato

Gotta use multiple arrows to show the gaps between certain players or else your not using the arrow system properly. There are very, very strict rules when using the arrow test. Written in stone. So, if u wanted to line them up ur way(god knows why u would, but...) this is how it would look...

Toews >>> Tanguay
Kane >>> Iginla
Sharp = Duchene(too close to call)
Hossa > ROR(who u apparently seem to think is better than he really is)
Saad < Landeskog
Richards <<< MacKinnon

Thats still a 7 to 4 win for the Hawks on arrow count.

Benn-Seguin-Nichushkin
Hemsky-Spezza-Ritchie

Biggest difference between those 2 teams is lines 3 and 4. LA has the best bottom 6 in the league, and it sways the balance for sure.
- Jeropotato

Yeah that was a big difference between the 2 teams in last years WCF. LA had superior forward depth. This year Hawks fans are hoping that their improved bottom 6(on paper) shows up on the ice. Its gonna be huge to have Shaw at 3C and Kruger at 4C, rather than Shaw at 2C and Kruger at 3C with a makeshift 4th line featuring sloths like Handzus and Bollig. Of course then there's the whole Richards poopting the bed possibility, where then they'd have to scramble and move everyone around again. But lets not even entertain that nightmarish thought....

Gotta use multiple arrows to show the gaps between certain players or else your not using the arrow system properly. There are very, very strict rules when using the arrow test. Written in stone. So, if u wanted to line them up ur way(god knows why u would, but...) this is how it would look...

Toews >>> Tanguay
Kane >>> Iginla
Sharp = Duchene(too close to call)
Hossa > ROR(who u apparently seem to think is better than he really is)
Saad < Landeskog
Richards <<< MacKinnon

Thats still a 7 to 4 win for the Hawks on arrow count.
- SimpleJack

Okay, so by not being a donk you managed to reduce the gap by 2 arrows. I'll buy the single arrow diff between Hossa and ROR ( way closer than saying Saad is better), still think Duschene is better than Sharp at this point( 1 arrow) and would reduce an arrow from Kane over Iggy ( Don't Spazz out, Iginla is still a very effective player even at his age) and add an arrow to Landeskogg.

6-6. Tie game Bubba.

Okay, so by not being a donk you managed to reduce the gap by 2 arrows. I'll buy the single arrow diff between Hossa and ROR ( way closer than saying Saad is better), still think Duschene is better than Sharp at this point( 1 arrow) and would reduce an arrow from Kane over Iggy ( Don't Spazz out, Iginla is still a very effective player even at his age) and add an arrow to Landeskogg.

6-6. Tie game Bubba.
- Jeropotato

Idk....i think there's a much larger gap between Kane and Iggy right now than there is between Saad and Landeskog. So, id say it goes permanently into the official arrow testing logs as a 6-5 Hawks win.

Idk....i think there's a much larger gap between Kane and Iggy right now than there is between Saad and Landeskog. So, id say it goes permanently into the official arrow testing logs as a 6-5 Hawks win.
- SimpleJack

Why exactly is there such a gap between Kane and Iggy? 10 points? Defensive play? Physical play? I admit Iggy isn't as flashy and as fast a skater, but he still scored more goals last year. 2 arrows Max, and Landeskogg brings way more to the table than Saad.

6-6

Idk....i think there's a much larger gap between Kane and Iggy right now than there is between Saad and Landeskog. So, id say it goes permanently into the official arrow testing logs as a 6-5 Hawks win.
- SimpleJack

I'm still give the nod to the Hawks but to undervalue landy that much is crazy. Saad is a fine player but he's the Avs tanguay, 6th on the depth chart, you plug landy on the Hawks would be higher than Richards and saad on the depth chart.

I know the avs are not well liked among the Hawks fan base but Landy is still a hell of a player

Yeah that was a big difference between the 2 teams in last years WCF. LA had superior forward depth. This year Hawks fans are hoping that their improved bottom 6(on paper) shows up on the ice. Its gonna be huge to have Shaw at 3C and Kruger at 4C, rather than Shaw at 2C and Kruger at 3C with a makeshift 4th line featuring sloths like Handzus and Bollig. Of course then there's the whole Richards poopting the bed possibility, where then they'd have to scramble and move everyone around again. But lets not even entertain that nightmarish thought....
- SimpleJack

No way sharp is as much of a game changer as duchene IMO. Great player. But more of a complimentary scorer. While duchene is a game changing franchise player IMO.

And neither is saad equal to ror. Almost 30 goals, 65 points, and elite defensively. And can play multiple positions

I also give the hawks the nod. But disagree on a few things

No way sharp is as much of a game changer as duchene IMO. Great player. But more of a complimentary scorer. While duchene is a game changing franchise player IMO.

And neither is saad equal to ror. Almost 30 goals, 65 points, and elite defensively. And can play multiple positions

I also give the hawks the nod. But disagree on a few things
- hugefemale dog77

Simple jack is just a homer that loves his players so deeply that he struggles to see it any other other way. Saad is like you said a fine developing player, but he is not an elite player. Put him on the Coyotes or Jets and we will all be underwhelmed by his play on both ends of the ice.

It was a fun chat though, and I (frank)ing Hate the Avs.

Simple jack is just a homer that loves his players so deeply that he struggles to see it any other other way. Saad is like you said a fine developing player, but he is not an elite player. Put him on the Coyotes or Jets and we will all be underwhelmed by his play on both ends of the ice.

It was a fun chat though, and I (frank)ing Hate the Avs.
- Jeropotato

how dare you

how dare you
- DDM-Coga

What do you want me say? Just because not a fan doesn't mean I'm gonna bash them or undervalue them.

What do you want me say? Just because not a fan doesn't mean I'm gonna bash them or undervalue them.
- Jeropotato

I thought you were going to convert and we would go on a canoe trip together...or something like that. Thats what you told Iggy

I thought you were going to convert and we would go on a canoe trip together...or something like that. Thats what you told Iggy
- DDM-Coga

Sounds fun

I thought you were going to convert and we would go on a canoe trip together...or something like that. Thats what you told Iggy
- DDM-Coga

I told Iggy nothing of the sort. And I'll never convert. I love the Oilers I. The same way I'm attracted to the craziest women.

I told Iggy nothing of the sort. And I'll never convert. I love the Oilers I. The same way I'm attracted to the craziest women.
- Jeropotato

whats the hotter section, produce or deli

whats the hotter section, produce or deli
- DDM-Coga

Produce all the way.


Wtf?

I would.

You wouldn't trade Duchene or Lando for Crosby or Malkin? That's pretty dumb.
- BINGO!

Crosby and Geno play for the Oilers!? NICE!

Simple jack is just a homer that loves his players so deeply that he struggles to see it any other other way. Saad is like you said a fine developing player, but he is not an elite player. Put him on the Coyotes or Jets and we will all be underwhelmed by his play on both ends of the ice.

It was a fun chat though, and I (frank)ing Hate the Avs.
- Jeropotato

Saad is much better than you're giving him credit for, he's got a very solid 2way game for being so young. He wouldn't just be a scrub if he played with inferior teammates. Maybe ROR is slightly better, but IMO its too close to call for this upcoming season. I think Saad is positioned to have a monster breakout season. And more importantly that slight difference is not nearly enough to change the fact that the Hawks top 6 is overall better than the Avs, which was my real point. So its funny that im the "homer" who "struggles to see it any other way" when we got half a thread claiming the Avs top 6 is the best in the NHL when clearly it isn't. And dont get me wrong i like the Avs, exciting young team, but lets not get carried away...

Saad is much better than you're giving him credit for, he's got a very solid 2way game for being so young. He wouldn't just be a scrub if he played with inferior teammates. Maybe ROR is slightly better, but IMO its too close to call for this upcoming season. I think Saad is positioned to have a monster breakout season. And more importantly that slight difference is not nearly enough to change the fact that the Hawks top 6 is overall better than the Avs, which was my real point. So its funny that im the "homer" who "struggles to see it any other way" when we got half a thread claiming the Avs top 6 is the best in the NHL when clearly it isn't. And dont get me wrong i like the Avs, exciting young team, but lets not get carried away...
- SimpleJack

If and when Saad has said breakout then we can adjust the arrows, but for now both O'Rielly and Landeskogg are much better defensive players that outscore him significantly.
I actually agree that Chicago's top 6 is better than the Avs, but I'm happy to see you managed to at least look at things a bit more objectively, and can recognize that it is a lot closer than you first stated. Your Original claim was way off base.

Now if only those Avs forwards had a D-Man like Keith moving the puck for them.....

Ladd-Little-Wheeler
Kane-Scheifle-Frolik

BOOM!

Why exactly is there such a gap between Kane and Iggy? 10 points? Defensive play? Physical play? I admit Iggy isn't as flashy and as fast a skater, but he still scored more goals last year. 2 arrows Max, and Landeskogg brings way more to the table than Saad.

6-6
- Jeropotato

Kaner is one of the top 10 players in the NHL in terms of pure offensive ability in my opinion. His speed, skating, hands, shot, vision, passing ability, etc. are unreal. He's definitely way ahead of Iginla at this point in each of their respective careers, again, in my opinion.

Duchene is very similar to Kane though and is a lot better than Sharp. Hossa is > ROR right now but not in 2 years (or even this year).

Saad is much better than you're giving him credit for, he's got a very solid 2way game for being so young. He wouldn't just be a scrub if he played with inferior teammates. Maybe ROR is slightly better, but IMO its too close to call for this upcoming season. I think Saad is positioned to have a monster breakout season. And more importantly that slight difference is not nearly enough to change the fact that the Hawks top 6 is overall better than the Avs, which was my real point. So its funny that im the "homer" who "struggles to see it any other way" when we got half a thread claiming the Avs top 6 is the best in the NHL when clearly it isn't. And dont get me wrong i like the Avs, exciting young team, but lets not get carried away...
- SimpleJack

ROR is a tier or 2 ahead of Saad at the moment.

Dallas is going to surprise.

Probably the best pure offensive top 2 centers in the league.

Add Benn and Hemsky to each line and you've gone one hellova top 6 regardless of who fills in the other wings on each line.

Spezza is going to dominate offensively as a 2LC.
- Charliebox

Think they already surprised last season.

I am pretty sure the Avs finished higher in the standing last year.

Chicago has way better D tho.
- tmurph

They can have the regular season gold star.