I feel like you say this once a week.

Also, thanks for spoiling Sunny for me.
- Wetbandit1

Is that a show that can be spoiled? Sorry if it is, but it's comedy, not plots. I do apologize.

Also, I probably say it every other day. What can you do, these guys are just completely whacked and a president Trump makes them think they have actual authority/ a right to believe in a fact-free world.

I rarely comment, but I had to mention this was probably the best +/- ive read. Tanner, I get you dog.. The trump tweet from Mr. Bobby was pure gold as well!!
- beerkeeper30

Hey thanks mr beekeeper . I am a huge fan of apiarists in general and I just want to say : bring back the bee.

I mean, if you can find me one person who even predicted Backstrom would be in the Top Ten in scoring, I'll eat my hat. Otherwise, you've just made the worst comment in hockeybuzz history. Congrats.

Really James? No trolling here my friend, but Backstrom is thought by MOST to be a top 10 scorer. You said you thought Backstrom in top 5 more surprising that Burns in top 5. Not by pools I am in.

I am in a 24 player pool where it is simply Pick the Top 15 scorers for this year. Done just before the season started. 20 of the 24 teams had Backstrom on their roster. Hardly underrated. In comparison, Burns just on 8.

I would also venture to say, if you read pre-season projections from TSN, Sportsnet or any other publication you would see much the same. Backstrom as a Top 5-15 scorer.

For a time, Backstrom MAY have been underrated. But, I think most REAL hockey fans see him as a Top 10 scorer and one of the best centers in the league.


- hawk35

I am a hockey pool king. The guys I play with (who I hope read this) are my loyal subjects (read: a word rappers say that this will filter out).

I read my preseason hockeypool stuff religiously, and I was pretty sure I wasn't wrong on this, so I went back and checked.

Noted casual hockey fans NHL.com had him ranked as the 13th best CENTRE not player.

https://www.nhl.com/news/...c-281554666?tid=277729150

ESPN had him at 23rd overall

http://games.espn.com/fhl...display=alt&startIndex=15

I don't remember a single magazine or expert suggesting he was a top or even second round pick - hence my point. Also why i guess I shouldn't get so worked up over people with an axe to grind and no point to make.

TSN, Sept, 2016.....Projected Top 300 in points:

http://www.tsn.ca/crosby-...rojected-scorers-1.565371

Backstrom.....9th
Burns...........33rd

Now, you may make some comment on the skills in predicting by TSN, but I don't think these projections are so totally outta wack for most hockey watchers going into the season. The REAL point being. How is 9th rated Backstrom so UNDERRATED and surprising to be in Top 5 when he was projected to be Top 10 anyway. So, your calling the other posters lame for bringing this up seems quite unwarranted.


Later James. Keep up the good work.
- hawk35

That's the only one I saw top ten. And it's just some TSN guy, not even a magazine or a site that hosts pools. In addition to what I already posted ...yahoo had him 31

How does AZ dictate the play when they were outshot 31-25 and out attempted 62-43? It's either poor goaltending by Pitts or good goaltending by AZ or luck? I'll let you pick.
- annoyed

Honestly, just let that guy be. Don't encourage him. He's mad I don't wear a skirt and wave pom poms.

But what do you think of Nick Backstrom?

- tomburton99

The Coyotes are 29th.
Last night, they Played Luke Schenn the most at 5v5
Dvorak, Perlini and Crouse played under 10 at 5v5
DeAngelo and Duclair are in the AHL.
Chychrun was a healthy scratch.
They won a game, when the best thing they could do is lose.

I am sorry you don't get more positive coverage. But I don't see how I can be positive about this team at this time. If they fire Tippett, if they make a move that suggests they know what they're doing, if they actually win a game in which they don't get crazy lucky, I'll be the first to say so.

I am happy they beat the Penguins. But, big picture, who cares? I am sure there are a lot of cheerleader bloggers out there that can give you what you want. But I analyize the team as I see it, and currently, I see very little to be positive about.
- James_Tanner

As you predicted

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...zy-as-It-Sounds/200/78318

You mean like the time he finished 10th here...
http://www.nhl.com/stats/...sort=points,goals,assists

Or the time he finished 5th here with 101 points?
http://www.nhl.com/stats/...sort=points,goals,assists
- tomburton99

This is so stupid, the entire reason I am playing this is a surprise is because = as any Caps fan will tel you - he is ridiculously underrated.

We all know how to properly rate him, but you're taking the trolling to a whole new level of stupidity here. You're basically proving my point for me.
- James_Tanner

Being underrated and being predicted to do what said player has done before are not the same thing.

Outside of injury I would argue that the stupid argument would be how he doesn't end up in top 10 scoring

As you predicted

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...zy-as-It-Sounds/200/78318
- uf1910

This is one of those predictions where I'm not that psyched to be right. I have always been a fan of Schenn dating back to the Leafs drafting him, but I think he's too slow for the NHL.

I would also be more patient with the Coyotes recent management decisions if they didn't have DeAngelo in the AHL - a player I thought was one of their best guys while he was up. Yeah, he's the type of guy who's gonna look bad on a few goals against, but if you look at the numbers is a positive benefit overall.

This is one of those predictions where I'm not that psyched to be right. I have always been a fan of Schenn dating back to the Leafs drafting him, but I think he's too slow for the NHL.

I would also be more patient with the Coyotes recent management decisions if they didn't have DeAngelo in the AHL - a player I thought was one of their best guys while he was up. Yeah, he's the type of guy who's gonna look bad on a few goals against, but if you look at the numbers is a positive benefit overall.
- James_Tanner

Deangelo definitely has offensive talent. However he is a dumpster fire in his own end. His only saving grace is he can make a good pass out of the zone but only if he is able to retrieve the puck. I always felt you were a little quick to put Deangelo into a top 4 spot right now but in a year or 2 he should be able to get there. The Bolts brass (Murray and Yzerman) basically said as much at the time of the trade but they really like(d) Hajek and thus they made the deal

Deangelo definitely has offensive talent. However he is a dumpster fire in his own end. His only saving grace is he can make a good pass out of the zone but only if he is able to retrieve the puck. I always felt you were a little quick to put Deangelo into a top 4 spot right now but in a year or 2 he should be able to get there. The Bolts brass (Murray and Yzerman) basically said as much at the time of the trade but they really like(d) Hajek and thus they made the deal
- uf1910

Definitely some room to grow for him, but he was putting up points at 40+ point pace which doesn't make him too different from bad at D guys who score a lot like Josi, Risto and Klingberg. Considering the team's overall level of bad play, when would be a better time to let him work that out at the pro level?

I am a hockey pool king. The guys I play with (who I hope read this) are my loyal subjects (read: a word rappers say that this will filter out).

I read my preseason hockeypool stuff religiously, and I was pretty sure I wasn't wrong on this, so I went back and checked.

Noted casual hockey fans NHL.com had him ranked as the 13th best CENTRE not player.

https://www.nhl.com/news/...c-281554666?tid=277729150

ESPN had him at 23rd overall

http://games.espn.com/fhl...display=alt&startIndex=15

I don't remember a single magazine or expert suggesting he was a top or even second round pick - hence my point. Also why i guess I shouldn't get so worked up over people with an axe to grind and no point to make.
- James_Tanner

Whoa, whoa, whoa Jimmy!

You can't take Pool rankings, that include, PIM, shots and a litany of other stats and use it as a guide to compare predicting the TOP POINT getters for the season.

13th ranked center????.....in POINTS????....I highly doubt it. No they used goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes, PPP and SOG.

I love debating a good topic. But when the whole gist of the debate gets twisted just to avoid being wrong, then not much point debating.

Fact. Backstrom is Top 10-15 AS A POINT GETTER. No surprise he is up there. YOU may find it surprising, I doubt many other hockey followers are as shocked.

Cheers!