You mean similar to the stellar future Edmonton has with the 10, yes that's right 10 1st round picks in their lineup the other night and still the worst team in the league. I'm by no means saying Pittsburgh has no future because quite frankly I'm not clairvoyant and don't know the future but this notion that having 1st round picks guarantees a great future is as asinine as suggesting they have no future.
- jaydogg1974

Yeah but sprinkle a few first round picks in with what we already know we have and the chances are much better.

Because he has "it." Why do people insist on making young guys play bottom 6 roles at first? If he's top 6 material then that is where he should play. He's a quick skater and he's got a killer shot. Would be a good pk'er too. Our own Matts Zucharello
- Dcoms

And if he's not ready development wise to take on that responsibility you are willing to risk setting him back and stunting his growth? Again if he was ready to be in the NHL and especially to play on the top line, he would be there already. Pushing a player faster than he is capable of like what happened with Despres, Bennett, and DP has dramatic effects. Pitt has 5 true prospects right now in the AHL, more than they have had in the past 4 or 5 seasons. Two are goalies, one is a D-Man who had time in the NHL and which set him back development wise. The other two couldn't make the roster out of camp, but yet now you want one of them to play on Pitts top line? Crazy talk. I can see using Sprong, he's already in the NHL, even though he shouldn't be really. But even with Sprong, who knows if is development has been impacted and by how much with this mess he was thrown into. Why risk screw with other players development and set back your prospect pool even further?

He may be top 6 material as far as AHL goes, but that doesn't mean he is anywhere near that for the NHL. You take that Soufle out of the oven too early and it will flop.

I don't know if any of you follow @HockeyMeesh on Twitter, but he is trying to get Rob Scuderi voted for the All Star Game. Kind of what happened to Sabres' Zemgus Girgensons last year when all of Latvia voted for him.

Let's all do it! It will be hilarious if it actually makes any noise.

https://allstarvote.nhl.com/

I think you can say they didn't really show up during the Disco years in the playoffs. Those game were just brutal. Im not making the leap, just suggesting that IF Sid is revolting against MJ, it might not be the first time.

I do think that MJ has gots to go.
- sammy87

I think if this California road trip is a disaster then MJ's job will be in serious jeopardy. And the way the kings and sharks are playing and the ducks have the potential to play it could very easily be MJ's swansong.

I think if this California road trip is a disaster then MJ's job will be in serious jeopardy. And the way the kings and sharks are playing and the ducks have the potential to play it could very easily be MJ's swansong.
- Dcoms

And who are they going to replace him with? Tocchet?

Ok, here is my attempt to lighten up the mood:

"I have certainly made adjustments as far as how you handle these certain situations that come up. I certainly want more communication. Let me put it this way: I'm not going to chase what people think of me and what they think I am, because really you don't know; you don't know how I handle myself in the locker room, you don't know when I'm listening to the players. Everybody just thinks I'm this raging bull and it's my way or the highway, which is so, so wrong. I can't change the thinking on that, so there's no sense in chasing that. But whenever you get into a situation and things didn't work out right, you self-evaluate because you have to. Have I made adjustments? Yes, I have certainly made adjustments. I'm trying to be a better coach, but I am not going to be someone I'm not. I feel very comfortable in my values as a coach and how I think the game should be played. But there are situations that come up that I'm going to handle differently. There already have been. You have to admit you're wrong sometimes. I self-evaluate all the time, and I know I've made some mistakes, some big mistakes, and those are what I'm trying to correct, but also keep my convictions as a coach and person."

Guess the coach.
- chimpira

He's definitely an intelligent, eloquent guy he's just in over his head right now. He just makes a better assistant coach. He can determine the strategy and another coach can inspire/ discipline them.

Well then by all means, please get on the phone to your people in the organization and get the ball rolling on all these changes.

Til then, Ill be a hopeful fan rooting for my team to win and play with some heart. Because at the end of the day we can all piss and moan to each other all we want, but we don't effect the game one single bit.
- thickman1178

Ditto!

Yeah and th whole team was a no show in the playoffs other than MAF, Crosby, PH and Lap.
- sammy87

Yeah and literally every other player was injured and 50% effective or less. But yeah let's not even take that into consideration

Yeah there's a whole bunch of obstacles to that. This is a AA town and the closest AAA teams are Windsor(45 minutes), London(hour), K+W (2 hours.). His father(my brother) is a deadbeat addict. His mother is a single parent. Etc etc. But if he's dedeicated and still as big and talented when he gets to peewee which is 5 years away still then we will figure it out. His skating needs improvement but he has the hands and the brain that sees how plays are going to unfold before they do, which is all stuff you can't teach, you're born with it or you aren't. The same stuff guys like Pouliot have and guys like Bortuzzo don't.
- Dcoms

I thought Chatham/Kent had their own AAA center? Hmm, but I hear ya, where I live our nearest AAA center is in Orillia (North Central Predators) which is 1hr 15min drive.. I had buddies who played with them and their poor parents driving that distance for practise and "home games". But they did it to chase the dream. Sad part is the scouts have become so obsessed with the GTHL (Toronto AAA loop) the scouts barely look at AAA in the OMHA anymore. 4th line kids from the Toronto Jr. Canadians get drafted to the OHL before the top player from the North Central PREDS or QUinte Red Devils go... Is a 4th liner in the GTHL better than a top liner center in the OMHA? No.. Just all about exposer and who you know these days. Minor hockey is becoming a real big money thing and it's a damn shame, lots of very good rural Canadian kids going unnoticed.

What makes Plotnikov/Sprong better than Kunitz/Dupuis at this point? I get that everyone wants the shiny new toy but I'm looking for tangible facts that Plotnikov/Sprong would be better than Kunitz/Dupuis.
- jaydogg1974

I guess first of all we have tried Kuni and Duper, although no at the same time, and they have been very underwhelming. Dupuis skates hard but he no longer can carry the puck and was never a real threat to score. Kuni is playing very hard right now but his hands have turned to stone. Plotnikov is no real threat to score either but he bangs and disrupts the other team and Sprong is a sniper with good skating skills and a great mind with the god given talent that you can't teach. If you are for the no rookies in the top 6 school of thought how about a Plotnikov Sundquist Sprong 4th line? I think that line would be very dangerous.

Name the author:

"The top three worst things I've seen in hockey? The invention of the trap. The invention of the morning skate. And the invention of the extremely ugly uniform."
- chimpira

Allen Iverson?

Allen Iverson?
- Dcoms

"At a divorce proceeding in Atlanta in 2012, Iverson shouted to his estranged wife, Tawanna, "I don’t even have money for a cheeseburger!" She handed him $61."

YES!! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

And if he's not ready development wise to take on that responsibility you are willing to risk setting him back and stunting his growth? Again if he was ready to be in the NHL and especially to play on the top line, he would be there already. Pushing a player faster than he is capable of like what happened with Despres, Bennett, and DP has dramatic effects. Pitt has 5 true prospects right now in the AHL, more than they have had in the past 4 or 5 seasons. Two are goalies, one is a D-Man who had time in the NHL and which set him back development wise. The other two couldn't make the roster out of camp, but yet now you want one of them to play on Pitts top line? Crazy talk. I can see using Sprong, he's already in the NHL, even though he shouldn't be really. But even with Sprong, who knows if is development has been impacted and by how much with this mess he was thrown into. Why risk screw with other players development and set back your prospect pool even further?

He may be top 6 material as far as AHL goes, but that doesn't mean he is anywhere near that for the NHL. You take that Soufle out of the oven too early and it will flop.
- Reverend Killtaker

He would not be in the NHL because we have no injuries and a bunch of old, less useful players taking up space and cap. I would give him 3 games and if he proved to be not ready then I'm sure even he would have no problem going back to WBS. Anything is worth a try and I know raw talent when I see it.

I don't know if any of you follow @HockeyMeesh on Twitter, but he is trying to get Rob Scuderi voted for the All Star Game. Kind of what happened to Sabres' Zemgus Girgensons last year when all of Latvia voted for him.

Let's all do it! It will be hilarious if it actually makes any noise.

https://allstarvote.nhl.com/
- chimpira

Oh Scudei would think he deserved it, just like he thinks he's an important member of this team that is unreplaceable.

He would not be in the NHL because we have no injuries and a bunch of old, less useful players taking up space and cap. I would give him 3 games and if he proved to be not ready then I'm sure even he would have no problem going back to WBS. Anything is worth a try and I know raw talent when I see it.
- Dcoms

Nobody said he doesn't have raw talent, but again, That theory doesn't work. It does more harm than good if a player isn't ready for it. Throwing bodies at problems solves nothing. The Pens are proof of that.

I thought Chatham/Kent had their own AAA center? Hmm, but I hear ya, where I live our nearest AAA center is in Orillia (North Central Predators) which is 1hr 15min drive.. I had buddies who played with them and their poor parents driving that distance for practise and "home games". But they did it to chase the dream. Sad part is the scouts have become so obsessed with the GTHL (Toronto AAA loop) the scouts barely look at AAA in the OMHA anymore. 4th line kids from the Toronto Jr. Canadians get drafted to the OHL before the top player from the North Central PREDS or QUinte Red Devils go... Is a 4th liner in the GTHL better than a top liner center in the OMHA? No.. Just all about exposer and who you know these days. Minor hockey is becoming a real big money thing and it's a damn shame, lots of very good rural Canadian kids going unnoticed.
- Willaged

Oh the money thing is what is killing everyone as far as hockey goes. Imagine all the players in small towns with poor families that could have been superstars in the NHL with the opportunities that some scrubs with rich parents in the GTA have? I wonder how many potential Gretzky's and Lemieuxs there have been over the years that just couldn't afford it? It's not like highschool and university is the route to take like it is in every other sport. I used to live in Aurora/ Newmarket the first time I went to college. That has to be 30 minutes or so from where you live. Hard to believe Connor MCDavid and Andrew Wiggens both come from Newmarket is you've ever been there it seems like nothing special at all.

Nobody said he doesn't have raw talent, but again, That theory doesn't work. It does more harm than good if a player isn't ready for it. Throwing bodies at problems solves nothing. The Pens are proof of that.
- Reverend Killtaker

I'm not saying forcing him to be something he's not just trying him out there to see what we have. Let him know ahead of time that it's a trial and not permanent or performance based. Just let it all hang out. Didn't he play on a line with Jagr at the worlds last year? I think he did quite well too without looking it up.

Name the author:

"The top three worst things I've seen in hockey? The invention of the trap. The invention of the morning skate. And the invention of the extremely ugly uniform."
- chimpira

Hull

Hull
- cap1681

I'm sorry, you didn't phrase that in a form of a question. Also, you didn't specify which Hull it was.

I'm sorry, you didn't phrase that in a form of a question. Also, you didn't specify which Hull it was.
- chimpira

It's Brett Hull.

And there is no need to form the answer in a question, because a question was asked.

It's Brett Hull.

And there is no need to form the answer in a question, because a question was asked.
- cap1681

So my game, your rules? Got it. Ok, what about the second one?

So my game, your rules? Got it. Ok, what about the second one?
- chimpira

No idea

No idea
- cap1681

Hint: he technically is the only active Arizona Coyote in the HOF.

Nope. Disco would never compare himself to a raging bull as in here: "Everybody just thinks I'm this raging bull and it's my way or the highway"
- chimpira

a "Torts'ism"

this is crazy. the bottom six is the best it has been in a long time. i like the perron, geno, kessel line. i like bonino, fehr, plotz and strong. i really didnt think they signed plotz from the khl to watch games and why keep sprong if he is going to watch games from the press box? they could have gotten him center ice.