Which one?
- powerenforcer

throw a rock. I am sure you will hit one.

throw a rock. I am sure you will hit one.
- Elbows15

Da Bears?Personally never watch.

I take the guy who is 6'6. Its the way NHL is moving these days,

I think both would benefit from more playing time. Raanta ,more so in my opinion.
Darling has played his whole life on NA rinks. Raanta still has those moments where the play is happening quicker than he expects at times.
- Elbows15

Agree the NHL is going to the big goalie
The percentages probably indicate the more net the goalie fills the better the save percentage
Raanta will get traded if they decide to keep Crawford next year IMHO

There are several people on this here board who accuse Q of being a poor coach - you know who you are, no need for names. For a real example of poor coaching, turn your dial to ESPN....
- mohel

Da beloved need to bring back dat Ditka guy der Mo!

Agree the NHL is going to the big goalie
The percentages probably indicate the more net the goalie fills the better the save percentage
Raanta will get traded if they decide to keep Crawford next year IMHO
- molly2522

Who gets you the best return?Raanta is beginning to prove that he can come off the bench and play well while Darling has been playing first goalie minutes and games.Can Darling be effective playing in the capacity that Annti has been thriving in?If Crawford stays we do not need another #1 so I could see Darling dealt for a bigger return as he has more upside to me.

Agree the NHL is going to the big goalie
The percentages probably indicate the more net the goalie fills the better the save percentage
Raanta will get traded if they decide to keep Crawford next year IMHO
- molly2522

Or not - if your goalkeeper is Anders Lindback.

Who gets you the best return?Raanta is beginning to prove that he can come off the bench and play well while Darling has been playing first goalie minutes and games.Can Darling be effective playing in the capacity that Annti has been thriving in?If Crawford stays we do not need another #1 so I could see Darling dealt for a bigger return as he has more upside to me.
- eagle50

isnt the guy with more upside who you keep...........except for Morin who had no upside in our organization

Da beloved need to bring back dat Ditka guy der Mo!
- HawkintheD

It's all in the 'stache, my friend.

Cutler is a (frank)ing joke

.944 sv pct and 1.85 GAA for Raanta in the NHL this year over 6 games

Imagine the feeling knowing you played that well and that you might get sent down in favor of Darling, an ogre of a goalie (who is playing well, but not clearly better) who has been passed around more than a bread plate at dinner time in his career
- FourFeathers773

I won't anoint Darlings as the next Vezina winner but he could very well be the best off the raider goalie signing by Hawks since Eddie Belfour.

Before you hold it against him about being passed around as you say take a look why...

Young people screw up and he did...For reasons I don't know exactly Darling didn't care enough and liked to party more than practice...He may have bottomed out and now is dedicated. I get the feeling reading some history on him he won't screw the pooch again.

On Twitter@AlCimaglia

Agree the NHL is going to the big goalie
The percentages probably indicate the more net the goalie fills the better the save percentage
Raanta will get traded if they decide to keep Crawford next year IMHO
- molly2522

It's not only the size it is the strength coming from the size as goals come from the inside...near the crease especially in the playoffs.

That's the difference with Halak who is very hot and then cold and prone to get hurt....He is a smaller goalie.

Agree the NHL is going to the big goalie
The percentages probably indicate the more net the goalie fills the better the save percentage
Raanta will get traded if they decide to keep Crawford next year IMHO
- molly2522

Raanta will get dealt if they are close....And the difference in contracts could tip the scale decidedly to Darling.

Hawk killer. I always liked Vermette, but it goes back to the Brouwer situation again, if we move bickell for another mid size forward, who steps in and is that big presence? same question when people were asking brouwer to be moved.
- nickmo2699

More often then not, Bickell isn't a big presence. Yes he is a big body, but so was Daze. Yes, occasionally Bicks shows up and throws the body in a game. When he does that he is worth the $4 mil as "Playoff Bicks", however, the floater seen in the remaining 75% of games is easily replaced with someone in teh 1.5 to $2 mil cap range or lower. Perhaps McNeill comes up to fill that role. I am sure a third line banger that can chip in a goal or two could be got on a fairly cheap side. Just my thoughts on it though

I won't anoint Darlings as the next Vezina winner but he could very well be the best off the raider goalie signing by Hawks since Eddie Belfour.

Before you hold it against him about being passed around as you say take a look why...

Young people screw up and he did...For reasons I don't know exactly Darling didn't care enough and liked to party more than practice...He may have bottomed out and now is dedicated. I get the feeling reading some history on him he won't screw the pooch again.

On Twitter@AlCimaglia
- Al

With Darling being an Illinois native, I wonder if the added motivation of playing for the hometown team also contributes to his play as well

There are several people on this here board who accuse Q of being a poor coach - you know who you are, no need for names. For a real example of poor coaching, turn your dial to ESPN....
- mohel

No offense to anyone, but it's really hard to present a credible argument that Q is not a very, very good NHL coach.

Or not - if your goalkeeper is Anders Lindback.
- RickJ

Watched Bishop some last night. Darling. Rinne.

By sheer physics, if a big guy can hold his net and position himself well, he has an advantage, especially with today's pads.

Watched Bishop some last night. Darling. Rinne.

By sheer physics, if a big guy can hold his net and position himself well, he has an advantage, especially with today's pads.
- John Jaeckel

Watch Darling - when he does the splits on the goal line, his skates are hard against both posts. Some five-hole available, but the posts are covered.

When all goalies are 6'6" 240, and goals per game approach 5 - when does talk of increasing the size of the net begin again?

Raanta will get dealt if they are close....And the difference in contracts could tip the scale decidedly to Darling.
- Al

I don't think you trade any one of them.
If you are able to secure both Raanta and Darling, you do simply because one becomes an attractive selection by Las Vegas in the expansion draft.

You try and bait the expansion franchises.
I have seen every expansion bring different philosophies in their selections;

Shying away from vets, selcting lots of vets, taking raw younger guys who they may feel haven't reached their potential (Rundblad, Erixon, Morin types) but they all prefer goaltenderor Rosivalss who have recent NHL success.

You have to gauge when this expansion comes how many of your Rockford hopefuls are entering that 4th pro year where you are going want to not lose them or pro rostered guys.

You can't count on new teams having interest in Carcillo or Roszival types but a goalie can be left open for them to select or TRADED as part of an understanding of who NOT to select in the upcoming expansion draft.
That was commonplace in past years.

Place me in really not sure Darling has a future as regular column.

Sure teams will continue to draft few goalies even at 6' 2" continuing to go big and wide to cover more net, but there already are plenty big ones who while covering large section of the opening, don't have sponge pads and rebound control, solid movement and low work so pucks are jumping so many different areas that their teammates have little security of where the bisquit is going after a save. They all don't sponge every shot.
Darling DOES use his stick well, but he came apart (imo) in parts of all his games, but the last start was the real tell that he may never have the chops to be a starter.
THERE I said it...have at me.

Having all three is a nice problem, but all three have to continue to aspire towards improvement and perfection.

Watch Darling - when he does the splits on the goal line, his skates are hard against both posts. Some five-hole available, but the posts are covered.

When all goalies are 6'6" 240, and goals per game approach 5 - when does talk of increasing the size of the net begin again?
- StLBravesFan

Agreed, good catch, like most big goalies, he has a vulnerable five hole

Watch Darling - when he does the splits on the goal line, his skates are hard against both posts. Some five-hole available, but the posts are covered.

When all goalies are 6'6" 240, and goals per game approach 5 - when does talk of increasing the size of the net begin again?
- StLBravesFan

I think they should shrink the pads. Make the max size a hard limit, not based on the goalie. If you're too big to wear the max pad size, too bad....then you can't play goalie in the NHL.

I think they should shrink the pads. Make the max size a hard limit, not based on the goalie. If you're too big to wear the max pad size, too bad....then you can't play goalie in the NHL.
- Ogilthorpe2

So what you are saying is goalies should ware Maxipads!

I don't think you trade any one of them.
If you are able to secure both Raanta and Darling, you do simply because one becomes an attractive selection by Las Vegas in the expansion draft.

You try and bait the expansion franchises.
I have seen every expansion bring different philosophies in their selections;

Shying away from vets, selcting lots of vets, taking raw younger guys who they may feel haven't reached their potential (Rundblad, Erixon, Morin types) but they all prefer goaltenderor Rosivalss who have recent NHL success.

You have to gauge when this expansion comes how many of your Rockford hopefuls are entering that 4th pro year where you are going want to not lose them or pro rostered guys.

You can't count on new teams having interest in Carcillo or Roszival types but a goalie can be left open for them to select or TRADED as part of an understanding of who NOT to select in the upcoming expansion draft.
That was commonplace in past years.

Place me in really not sure Darling has a future as regular column.

Sure teams will continue to draft few goalies even at 6' 2" continuing to go big and wide to cover more net, but there already are plenty big ones who while covering large section of the opening, don't have sponge pads and rebound control, solid movement and low work so pucks are jumping so many different areas that their teammates have little security of where the bisquit is going after a save. They all don't sponge every shot.
Darling DOES use his stick well, but he came apart (imo) in parts of all his games, but the last start was the real tell that he may never have the chops to be a starter.
THERE I said it...have at me.

Having all three is a nice problem, but all three have to continue to aspire towards improvement and perfection.
- wiz1901

Not a problem and I'm not all in on LV... If it was a great idea other pro sports would have been there by now.
There will be other good goalie prospect available too..
But I do see your point.

No offense to anyone, but it's really hard to present a credible argument that Q is not a very, very good NHL coach.
- John Jaeckel

Simply put at the very least for this core group and the rest of the add-ons Q. has been a great coach. Until there are more long losing streaks or 2 bad seasons in a row, it is what it is and he has been very good.

No offense to anyone, but it's really hard to present a credible argument that Q is not a very, very good NHL coach.
- John Jaeckel