This is the greatest thing I have ever read on Hockeybuzz.
- Atomic Wedgie

Thanks I thought I was the only one who was confused and shocked by that statement. I'll take as many 200 point scoring 3rd liners as I can get on the Penguins please. Oh he's completely insane and there are no third liners that get anywhere near that that exist I the world? Dammit!!!

I'm not trolling at all.

1) The players today have more talent than ever before. Like I said in an above post, 3rd liners today have more talent than Gretzky ever did.

2) The tournament is set up to try and include as many elite players as possible and to provide parity and 'competitive games' by not including weak teams. I don't want to watch Canada whip the poop out of Belarus. Canada vs Grabovski and no name plugs? That doesn't exactly equal high quality hockey.
- Njuice

Oh $hit he said it again, I'll take 2 of those pills you are on please they seem to really just f reality right up the A.

You're not understanding the idea of 'talent'. Time travel a 37 year old Wayne Gretzky into the league TODAY and he probably won't even make the team.

Another tiny example of what I mean by talent:

Back in the 80's if you get could give and receive a saucer pass in the NHL you were a rare elite breed. Nowadays if you can't do this by the time you are 12 years forget about it. The players today skate faster, shoot harder, defend better, hit harder, shoot more accurately and handle the puck way better than they did in the past.

edit: just because Gretzky was so much better than his peers at the time, that doesn't mean he holds a candle to the skills of Crosby, Ovy, Kane, etc.
- Njuice

Yeah and I bet Mario couldn't even get a job as a waterboy in "today's NHL?" Gretzky had God given abilities to see through 4 guys and make pinpoint passes to exactly where the guy was going to be 2 seconds after he let the pass go. His vision was incredible and unparalleled. He would do just fine in today's NHL, things haven't changed that much. Orr would still be elite. Mario would still be the most talented. Jordan would still dominate the NBA. You act as though they are playing a different game.

Yeah and I bet Mario couldn't even get a job as a waterboy in "today's NHL?" Gretzky had God given abilities to see through 4 guys and make pinpoint passes to exactly where the guy was going to be 2 seconds after he let the pass go. His vision was incredible and unparalleled. He would do just fine in today's NHL, things haven't changed that much. Orr would still be elite. Mario would still be the most talented. Jordan would still dominate the NBA. You act as though they are playing a different game.
- Dcoms

Both Wayne and Mario would absolutely feast on today's systems coaching. Particularly Wayne. That level of creativity is largely coached right out of the game now. That's why I like watching Gaudreau so much, he plays the game with so much creativity he makes the opposition look foolish a couple times a game.

You're not understanding the idea of 'talent'. Time travel a 37 year old Wayne Gretzky into the league TODAY and he probably won't even make the team.

Another tiny example of what I mean by talent:

Back in the 80's if you get could give and receive a saucer pass in the NHL you were a rare elite breed. Nowadays if you can't do this by the time you are 12 years forget about it. The players today skate faster, shoot harder, defend better, hit harder, shoot more accurately and handle the puck way better than they did in the past.

edit: just because Gretzky was so much better than his peers at the time, that doesn't mean he holds a candle to the skills of Crosby, Ovy, Kane, etc.
- Njuice

U serious? U musta been born after the Great One.
Stay in school noob.

I challenge everyone who disagrees with me(99% of you) to watch some top highlights from each decade. Actually forget the highlights...watch a full game from the 70's, 80's, early 90's, late 90's, etc...

And then come back and tell that the game hasn't changed. Or that the players of yesteryear have even remotely the same skill as today's players do.

Using Gretzky(the best and most revolutionary player of any generation of hockey...along with Orr) might not have been the best example. It might be an exaggeration. Maybe I should've picked a superstar like Doug Gilmour, Petr Bondra, etc.

As for the Keith Gretzky comments... He actually pulled off something like 300 pts over 400 gp or something. I had no idea about that because I was a kid back then and just remember him as a failure. Looked up his stats when I was about to ref an NHL Alumni game that he played in.(put on by Walter Gretzky)

Barrie getting $5.5! This is the biggest bargain of well... as far back as I can remember. I wonder how they pulled this deal off.

Barrie getting $5.5! This is the biggest bargain of well... as far back as I can remember. I wonder how they pulled this deal off.
- Rinosaur

Sounds like Arbitrator was going to rule more on the Avs side than Barries, so he would either have to take probably closer to a 5m deal for years or sign the 5.5m for 4 years offer that was on the table instead

Sounds like Arbitrator was going to rule more on the Avs side than Barries, so he would either have to take probably closer to a 5m deal for years or sign the 5.5m for 4 years offer that was on the table instead
- DDM-Coga

I guess, but I'm sure he could have done a two-year bridge deal. Either way, great deal for you guys. He's a future Norris-contender.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...th-july-2016-7-year-olds/

scroll down to number 1 and click the video. See what 7 year olds do in 2016.

Cam Fowler is from Michigan...last time I checked Michigan is not in Canada

Cam Fowler is from Michigan...last time I checked Michigan is not in Canada
- TheMayor9312

Trudeau annexed that poopty non car making state just last week. Keep up with your politics. Canadian PM has balls!

Wait, maybe every single thing I just said was backwards.

Barrie getting $5.5! This is the biggest bargain of well... as far back as I can remember. I wonder how they pulled this deal off.
- Rinosaur

Probably just under the table money. He's probably really making 7 million from them.

You're not understanding the idea of 'talent'. Time travel a 37 year old Wayne Gretzky into the league TODAY and he probably won't even make the team.

Another tiny example of what I mean by talent:

Back in the 80's if you get could give and receive a saucer pass in the NHL you were a rare elite breed. Nowadays if you can't do this by the time you are 12 years forget about it. The players today skate faster, shoot harder, defend better, hit harder, shoot more accurately and handle the puck way better than they did in the past.

edit: just because Gretzky was so much better than his peers at the time, that doesn't mean he holds a candle to the skills of Crosby, Ovy, Kane, etc.
- Njuice

Can't agree with you on the 3rd liners. It's more than skill and training that makes an elite player. I will grant you that where he to time travel to today, he would be hard pressed to make a team due to the speed and fitness level of todays players. But a few years of learning what he'd missed tactically the past 25 years, and hitting the gym like an average player of today, he would still be elite.
What I will agree with, is that any team from the 80's that suddenly appeared today, would be destroyed by any of todays teams. The 80's team would likely have as much, or more skill, but they wouldn't be able to keep up.
That's fitness level and tactics though. Not the same thing as talent.

Can't agree with you on the 3rd liners. It's more than skill and training that makes an elite player. I will grant you that where he to time travel to today, he would be hard pressed to make a team due to the speed and fitness level of todays players. But a few years of learning what he'd missed tactically the past 25 years, and hitting the gym like an average player of today, he would still be elite.
What I will agree with, is that any team from the 80's that suddenly appeared today, would be destroyed by any of todays teams. The 80's team would likely have as much, or more skill, but they wouldn't be able to keep up.
That's fitness level and tactics though. Not the same thing as talent.
- oldstyle

I hear ya. But those 80's/90's teams that are getting slaughtered(let's also give them goalie equipment to be somewhat fair)... they won't have the same skills. They would be the ones who inspired kids to master and improve skills.

I'm a Leaf fan and I have one specific goal in mind. Colin Greening. We acquired him from the Sens as a salary dump in the Phaneuf trade. THere is a goal where is splitting the D for a breakaway - and Nylander gives him a low saucer pass from his own end - and somehow Colin Greening(healthy scratch before the trade) bats it out of the air from behind him while splitting two D-men and goes in and snipes a breakaway goal. This is a salary dump player. I'm searching for that highlight. I will find it. When it happened the dumb Toronto broadcasters were so impressed with Nylanders pass that they never even said how amazing Greening's play was.

Greening vs Gretzky. New debate.

I challenge everyone who disagrees with me(99% of you) to watch some top highlights from each decade. Actually forget the highlights...watch a full game from the 70's, 80's, early 90's, late 90's, etc...

And then come back and tell that the game hasn't changed. Or that the players of yesteryear have even remotely the same skill as today's players do.

Using Gretzky(the best and most revolutionary player of any generation of hockey...along with Orr) might not have been the best example. It might be an exaggeration. Maybe I should've picked a superstar like Doug Gilmour, Petr Bondra, etc.

As for the Keith Gretzky comments... He actually pulled off something like 300 pts over 400 gp or something. I had no idea about that because I was a kid back then and just remember him as a failure. Looked up his stats when I was about to ref an NHL Alumni game that he played in.(put on by Walter Gretzky)
- Njuice

Keith Gretzky did not play in the NHL.

Brent Gretzky played 13 games (1 goal, 3 assists).

Instead of convoluting the argument by focussing specifically on Gretzky, ask yourself this. Would the top AHL team today beat an average NHL team in 1990?

2016 NHL 3rd liner > Wayne. (frank)ing. Gretzky.

Keith Gretzky did not play in the NHL.

Brent Gretzky played 13 games (1 goal, 3 assists).
- Atomic Wedgie

Kinda weird how he came up with 300 pts and you came up with 0. Unless he was basing this off of his career outside of the NHL?

Keith Gretzky did not play in the NHL.

Brent Gretzky played 13 games (1 goal, 3 assists).
- Atomic Wedgie

haha (frank) I'm dumb. I swallowed the kool aid on that day that I reffed that alumni game. I didn't look it up. THe numbers were provided as "pro-hockey stats"

My bad. Straight up.

2016 NHL 3rd liner > Wayne. (frank)ing. Gretzky.
- weirdoh

Hey hes one of yours...you straighten him out...

Instead of convoluting the argument by focussing specifically on Gretzky, ask yourself this. Would the top AHL team today beat an average NHL team in 1990?
- RonPielep

I like the way this is set up. I would like to say hell's yes today's AHL teams would win. Even if we gave the vintage team real goalies and equipment for those goalies to wear, a top AHL team today would beat an average NHL team from the early 90's.

Kinda weird how he came up with 300 pts and you came up with 0. Unless he was basing this off of his career outside of the NHL?
- weirdoh

My mistake. Got blinded by stats when I was reffing some NHL alumni charity game. The stats reported were 'pro' stats and I made an assumption at the time.

I also stopped reffing the charity game after 1 period because it was fully Globetrotters. THey had one ref they brought with them and he was like the Rodeo announcer. He had a headset on during the game and the team was doing things like setting up behind their own net. Then the goalie would lift the net and they'd make a breakout pass. After one period and having gotten into a fake fight with Marty McSorley I offered my spot to another local ref saying "It's awesome" but really I just went and drank Tequila.

2016 NHL 3rd liner > Wayne. (frank)ing. Gretzky.
- weirdoh

Yes. Speed. Strength. Puck-handling. Passing. Shot strength. Shot accuracy. etc.

YES!

I'm still shocked that only about 5% of the people somewhat agree with me. And one of those people said "This is obvious to anybody...." But I'm thinking now that might have been sarcasm.

I think you could ask Wayne Gretzky this question right now and he'd agree with me.

I like the way this is set up. I would like to say hell's yes today's AHL teams would win. Even if we gave the vintage team real goalies and equipment for those goalies to wear, a top AHL team today would beat an average NHL team from the early 90's.
- Njuice

R you forgetting the beaten,hooking,pounding,grabbing they took?Gretzky and Mario didnt just drop off the face of the earth when Sid and Kane came along.Thats like saying Orr or coffey wouldnt stand a chance against Keith or Weber.Disagree completely with your post.