yeah, I go the other way....prospects are nice to look at it and google over, but until they show up in the NHL and prove to be worth a damn.....they are just prospects. So while TT may prove out to be a nice player, he also could bomb.
- SteveRain

That is what I was saying....When I see it I'll believe it....I'm just hoping he turns out to be a keeper

Correct....but so many people are just assuming because Hadnzus did that last year, that he can be counted on to do it again. Sorry. Not happening. At this point in time he should be a 4th line player.
- SteveRain

Oh by no means am I thinking he can be that player when the playoffs come by....if he can I'll be shocked....pleasantly shocked....but I don't think that will happen either...to me he is either a 4th liner, or bench depth

Oh by no means am I thinking he can be that player when the playoffs come by....if he can I'll be shocked....pleasantly shocked....but I don't think that will happen either...to me he is either a 4th liner, or bench depth
- captainserious

You and I are on the same page.

Regin doesn't do anything for me...at all.

Nice article of MacKinnon's trade bait:

http://www.tsn.ca/toronto...s/jonas_siegel/?id=444523

Especially like all the fans saying, if they were building a franchise they would pick him to lead it or all others...

You and I are on the same page.

Regin doesn't do anything for me...at all.
- SteveRain

He hasn't even played 1 game with Kaner yet...just wait, they'll be magic!!!

You and I are on the same page.

Regin doesn't do anything for me...at all.
- SteveRain

Well Rain…..once again it looks like you're SOL…..


https://twitter.com/Brian...status/438031965283827712

Unless Bowman can find somebody to retain salary in a trade.

The bag of pucks they got from the islanders should be waived this week. Guy is hopeless.

I don't see them trading a roster player. So like many said.....this trade deadline will be a yawn fest for the Hawks unless an injury happens between now and March 5th.

Looking at the comparable deals for Bickell....... that deal sucks more and more each day.
- SteveRain

Bickell and Verteeg make over 6 million (third line wingers) last year Stalberg and Bickell made like 1.5 combined for more production. I hate the Bickell contract too, I think will be Stan's worst move as GM and could cost some valuable depth down the road.

yeah, I go the other way....prospects are nice to look at it and google over, but until they show up in the NHL and prove to be worth a damn.....they are just prospects. So while TT may prove out to be a nice player, he also could bomb.
- SteveRain

THIS!


and Steve I can tell you and Captain Serious at length why Saad, Giroux and TT were drafted where they were.

Saad
terrible yera with basically a hidden groin injury that he came back several tomes to early from. His World Junior line looked little like a line, never clicked he never amde impact. It looked as though all three, they neve had a feel for their line mates, and treid to cycle very unsuccessfully.
If you are drafting and you read the September of his drfat year a guy is this and that and then you watch and nothing happens, you don't pick him.
(Interesting that the same guy would later be called "Plug and Play" by his coach.)

Giroux was drafted in the first and but 22nd overall....
Teams will alway view QMJHL point totals with sunglasses, because they tell about the skill of Quebec leagu player against Quebec league playerds and in general it usually IS a small league on average.
Giroux was hardly the 5 11 176 he is presently listed on draft day. There were big

I can name ten players with more goals in the Q his final season and you proabbly won't know any of them: Francis Pare, Tomy Joly, Michael Dubuc, Cedric McNicoll, Scott Howes,Dean Ouellet, Matt Maequardt, Tomas Svoboda, Toby Lafrance, and Stefano Gliati. Mathieu Perreault had more points and the third overall pick that year had as many as Giroux, a guy named Jakub Voracek.
No one questioned Jakub Voracek because he had the skills and size.


TT dropped because:
a) there was a run on defenseman in a year where everyone was convinced if you didn't get one in the first round NINE were off the board by pick 15. (in 2008, a historic deeman draft of Karlsson, Doughty, Pietangelo, Myers) there were only six in the top 15.
That meant the picks after 15 were going to be forwards probably due to go a bit earlier, Tom Wilson (capitals) Tomads hertl (Sharks) and Teuvo Teravainen.

Before the pick,when San Jose took Hertl ,I was jumping up and down in joy, because I KNEW the Hawks were gonna get Olli Maatta.

I am pretty sure that Teravainen because there were the same concerns that plagued Giroux PLUS he was Euro player, with little experience playing past Jokerit U-20 team.

...also in the years prior the scouts (including me) had the Wild's Mikael Granlund going even higher than his evetual pick at 9th overall in 2010.
Granlund played big, and had international experience in World Junior early, played feisty and skilled.
TT didn't actually get a big World Junior role until after he was drafted, as the Finnish Junior had a packed house of under 20 "veterans" and weren't making space.
Granlund comes to Minnesota to be a big time NHLer.
So teams saw that Granlund didn't necessary come ready to make the transition, and needed time, so teams in 2012 bigger players as options and that plethora of rushing defenders.

(i am going to add that Granlund looked really good to me in the olympics so he isn't a guy you call failure just yet. These kids especially from over the sea need adjustment to the elite league called the NHL.)

Well Rain…..once again it looks like you're SOL…..


https://twitter.com/Brian...status/438031965283827712
- yahoodi

It will be magic!!!

Bickell and Verteeg make over 6 million (third line wingers) last year Stalberg and Bickell made like 1.5 combined for more production. I hate the Bickell contract too, I think will be Stan's worst move as GM and could cost some valuable depth down the road.
- rollpards19

That's not really a fair comparison. Bickell and Stalberg were on their first real contracts of their career so of course they are going to be cheap.

Versteeg at $2.2 million is a steal, he can roam around the top 9 as required and provides experienced depth. If you're going to complain about Versteeg at $2.2 million then you have to complain about Shaw at $2 million next year.

After the playoffs everyone wanted Bickell re-signed and we were happy when it was done, It became the worse case scenario when Bickell tanked this season, but I put that on Bickell not Stan.

That's not really a fair comparison. Bickell and Stalberg were on their first real contracts of their career so of course they are going to be cheap.

Versteeg at $2.2 million is a steal, he can roam around the top 9 as required and provides experienced depth. If you're going to complain about Versteeg at $2.2 million then you have to complain about Shaw at $2 million next year.

After the playoffs everyone wanted Bickell re-signed and we were happy when it was done, It became the worse case scenario when Bickell tanked this season, but I put that on Bickell not Stan.
- DarthKane

Well put Darth.

That's not really a fair comparison. Bickell and Stalberg were on their first real contracts of their career so of course they are going to be cheap.

Versteeg at $2.2 million is a steal, he can roam around the top 9 as required and provides experienced depth. If you're going to complain about Versteeg at $2.2 million then you have to complain about Shaw at $2 million next year.

After the playoffs everyone wanted Bickell re-signed and we were happy when it was done, It became the worse case scenario when Bickell tanked this season, but I put that on Bickell not Stan.
- DarthKane

Maybe not. I'm not a big fan of Steve Stone, but he always was right when thought that the only real predictor of a player's value is the body of his work minus his high and his low extremes. Apply that logic to Bickell and you don't have a $4mm/yr power forward.

Maybe not. I'm not a big fan of Steve Stone, but he always was right when thought that the only real predictor of a player's value is the body of his work minus his high and his low extremes. Apply that logic to Bickell and you don't have a $4mm/yr power forward.
- Return of the Roar

If Bickell wasn't re-signed and Stan let him walk what would you have proposed be done instead. Think if how things were at the end of the playoffs, not how they are now.

That's not really a fair comparison. Bickell and Stalberg were on their first real contracts of their career so of course they are going to be cheap.

Versteeg at $2.2 million is a steal, he can roam around the top 9 as required and provides experienced depth. If you're going to complain about Versteeg at $2.2 million then you have to complain about Shaw at $2 million next year.

After the playoffs everyone wanted Bickell re-signed and we were happy when it was done, It became the worse case scenario when Bickell tanked this season, but I put that on Bickell not Stan.
- DarthKane

I think Shaw influences the game much more than Versteeg, I'd be happy to give Shaw 2.2, I would still complain about Versteeg, his first ten games were good, since then I haven't liked what I've seen. I never liked the Bickell contract. Him being horrible and hurt hasn't helped, but even healthy I don't love it when he's playing at the level he played at in 2013 (regular season).

After the playoffs everyone wanted Bickell re-signed and we were happy when it was done, It became the worse case scenario when Bickell tanked this season, but I put that on Bickell not Stan.
- DarthKane

Return:
Yeah, now I saw it entirely different:

All they wanted the rehabbing Bickell to do is get his form together FOR upcoming playoff time.

Same with handzus
and
same with Rosival.

This next stretch is all about everyone shwing variuos levels of cmpete and dominance.

I never thought Bickell's dealw as naything but paying a guy you underpaid for years market...because he was "your" guy...not expectation he was big M now.

But he stays here with that contract and if he DOES start to wake up, the better for all the war parties involved....

If Bickell wasn't re-signed and Stan let him walk what would you have proposed be done instead. Think if how things were at the end of the playoffs, not how they are now.
- DarthKane

You have $4MM in cap to find a proven producer. The problem with evaluating Bickell at the end of the playoffs is it was just like how Tallon evaluated Huet at the end of his good run with the Caps - he priced him based upon his best performance of his career with no stats behind that to back it up as repeatable.

Return:
Yeah, now I saw it entirely different:

All they wanted the rehabbing Bickell to do is get his form together FOR upcoming playoff time.

Same with handzus
and
same with Rosival.

This next stretch is all about everyone shwing variuos levels of cmpete and dominance.

I never thought Bickell's dealw as naything but paying a guy you underpaid for years market...because he was "your" guy...not expectation he was big M now.

But he stays here with that contract and if he DOES start to wake up, the better for all the war parties involved....
- wiz1901

This is the bet.

I love it when revisionist history rears it's head.

Well Rain…..once again it looks like you're SOL…..


https://twitter.com/Brian...status/438031965283827712
- yahoodi

Yep...I'm going to Binny's and picking up a fresh bottle so I can admire the greatness of Regin on Thursday. Can't wait to see him in person on Saturday night....

Hawks 2nd line centers vs Bears starting qbs....the number in between is quickly starting to shrink.

Return:
Yeah, now I saw it entirely different:

All they wanted the rehabbing Bickell to do is get his form together FOR upcoming playoff time.

Same with handzus
and
same with Rosival.

This next stretch is all about everyone shwing variuos levels of cmpete and dominance.

I never thought Bickell's dealw as naything but paying a guy you underpaid for years market...because he was "your" guy...not expectation he was big M now.

But he stays here with that contract and if he DOES start to wake up, the better for all the war parties involved....
- wiz1901

Well that is a fair statement....but to pay a guy 4 million annually.....and then watch him provide little in regards to scoring his 1st year into the deal....

Now, if he becomes an annual spring time monster....that's another story.

Yep...I'm going to Binny's and picking up a fresh bottle so I can admire the greatness of Regin on Thursday. Can't wait to see him in person on Saturday night....

Hawks 2nd line centers vs Bears starting qbs....the number in between is quickly starting to shrink.
- SteveRain

God love ya brother.

That's not really a fair comparison. Bickell and Stalberg were on their first real contracts of their career so of course they are going to be cheap.

Versteeg at $2.2 million is a steal, he can roam around the top 9 as required and provides experienced depth. If you're going to complain about Versteeg at $2.2 million then you have to complain about Shaw at $2 million next year.

After the playoffs everyone wanted Bickell re-signed and we were happy when it was done, It became the worse case scenario when Bickell tanked this season, but I put that on Bickell not Stan.
- DarthKane

Versteeg on the 3rd line is great depth. He's not a top sixer, least of all on a team going for a cup. I see him as great 3rd liner here, and an avg 2nd liner on a non-contender. I was excited when they reacquired him, because we would regain our lower line depth. How's he worked out as a top sixer?

(frank)ing Bickell is the root of our depth problem, along with resigning Zus. You don't win a cup with a first and fourth line, plus some poor star stuck playing on the second line with a revolving cast of bottom sixers.

THIS!


and Steve I can tell you and Captain Serious at length why Saad, Giroux and TT were drafted where they were.

Saad
terrible yera with basically a hidden groin injury that he came back several tomes to early from. His World Junior line looked little like a line, never clicked he never amde impact. It looked as though all three, they neve had a feel for their line mates, and treid to cycle very unsuccessfully.
If you are drafting and you read the September of his drfat year a guy is this and that and then you watch and nothing happens, you don't pick him.
(Interesting that the same guy would later be called "Plug and Play" by his coach.)

Giroux was drafted in the first and but 22nd overall....
Teams will alway view QMJHL point totals with sunglasses, because they tell about the skill of Quebec leagu player against Quebec league playerds and in general it usually IS a small league on average.
Giroux was hardly the 5 11 176 he is presently listed on draft day. There were big

I can name ten players with more goals in the Q his final season and you proabbly won't know any of them: Francis Pare, Tomy Joly, Michael Dubuc, Cedric McNicoll, Scott Howes,Dean Ouellet, Matt Maequardt, Tomas Svoboda, Toby Lafrance, and Stefano Gliati. Mathieu Perreault had more points and the third overall pick that year had as many as Giroux, a guy named Jakub Voracek.
No one questioned Jakub Voracek because he had the skills and size.


TT dropped because:
a) there was a run on defenseman in a year where everyone was convinced if you didn't get one in the first round NINE were off the board by pick 15. (in 2008, a historic deeman draft of Karlsson, Doughty, Pietangelo, Myers) there were only six in the top 15.
That meant the picks after 15 were going to be forwards probably due to go a bit earlier, Tom Wilson (capitals) Tomads hertl (Sharks) and Teuvo Teravainen.

Before the pick,when San Jose took Hertl ,I was jumping up and down in joy, because I KNEW the Hawks were gonna get Olli Maatta.

I am pretty sure that Teravainen because there were the same concerns that plagued Giroux PLUS he was Euro player, with little experience playing past Jokerit U-20 team.

...also in the years prior the scouts (including me) had the Wild's Mikael Granlund going even higher than his evetual pick at 9th overall in 2010.
Granlund played big, and had international experience in World Junior early, played feisty and skilled.
TT didn't actually get a big World Junior role until after he was drafted, as the Finnish Junior had a packed house of under 20 "veterans" and weren't making space.
Granlund comes to Minnesota to be a big time NHLer.
So teams saw that Granlund didn't necessary come ready to make the transition, and needed time, so teams in 2012 bigger players as options and that plethora of rushing defenders.

(i am going to add that Granlund looked really good to me in the olympics so he isn't a guy you call failure just yet. These kids especially from over the sea need adjustment to the elite league called the NHL.)
- wiz1901

Thanks....it's always interesting to see why guys fell or were taken earlier.

Bickell and Verteeg make over 6 million (third line wingers) last year Stalberg and Bickell made like 1.5 combined for more production. I hate the Bickell contract too, I think will be Stan's worst move as GM and could cost some valuable depth down the road.
- rollpards19

Bowman had no choice but to sign Bickell. Can't blame him. What if he'd let him go and he performed well woth a conf rival? Besides, there was no obvious alternative. It's all on that lazy (frank)'s head.

Bickell and Verteeg make over 6 million (third line wingers) last year Stalberg and Bickell made like 1.5 combined for more production. I hate the Bickell contract too, I think will be Stan's worst move as GM and could cost some valuable depth down the road.
- rollpards19

100% agreed on Bickell. I was getting sick reading all of the hoopla articles late in the playoffs last year regarding Bickell and his upcoming free agency. I was on vacation when that deal was announced. I refreshed my twitter...saw it....stared at the ocean, muttered a bunch of profanity, and then figured Frolik was gone. The cherry on top was the Khabibulin deal.

Not a good personnel offseason for Mr. Bowman, IMO. Now...adding Versteeg for hayes and Olsen and getting Tallon to keep some salary is a WIN in my book. Versteeg will add some much needed boost in depth scoring.