Irving....not a great year but a stellar junior career

[dustygoon]

Irving ties dub record for junior career shut-outs. Congrats to him. Rough year in comparison to his prior years but he is pulling it together.

how can you not like this guy (http://www.finestwatches.com/iwc-11535.html)


BTW - I can't remember the nick-name used for Irving around here....not yahoo serious, but the guy from the that movie with the shrubby hair.

[OILFAN #81]

Napoleon Dynamite.

[OILFAN #81]

Irving ties dub record for junior career shut-outs. Congrats to him. Rough year in comparison to his prior years but he is pulling it together.

how can you not like this guy (http://www.finestwatches.com/iwc-11535.html)


BTW - I can't remember the nick-name used for Irving around here....not yahoo serious, but the guy from the that movie with the shrubby hair.

PS.......what's with the watch link?

[SarichFan]

Wow, nice watch.. wtf

[SteveToms]

That's one fine watch

[STeeLy]

thats a nice watch.

Buying it for the entire CP crew?

[LockedOut]

Takes a lickin but keeps on tickin?

Ya it's not a Timex in the picture.

[jamesteterenko]

Does Napolean Dynamite wear an IWC? That is a nice watch brand. My favourite is the Portuguese (http://www.finestwatches.com/iwc-11558.html).

[dustygoon]

PS.......what's with the watch link?

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2008/03/01/4885757-cp.html

what the? How dumb do i look?!

Sorry guys.

[Sylvanfan]

Leland Irving is in my avatar...He gets a watch like that.....Lucky.

[dustygoon]

Leland Irving is in my avatar...He gets a watch like that.....Lucky.

Oh my god.....i am getting a good roasting. And much deserved.

Anyway, that ND kid has had a great junior career.

[Crispy's Critter]

are you wearing that watch because you think you look fat? cuz you could wear a regular watch if you wanted to.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Irving' has had a terrific January and February (numbers rounding back to his old form). LINK (http://whl.ca/stats/gamebygame.php?id=24049)

He's slowly inched his way back into the WHL Top Ten in most categories, so I wouldn't call the season a disaster.

The old adage about developing goaltenders holds true. It takes time and you have to expect a few peaks and valleys along the way.

[ricoFlame]

good to see him get that mark. definitely one heckuva junior career.

great timepiece for sure. classic swiss quality.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

I like the IWC big pilot better.

[old-fart]

I like those February totals, that's for sure... .947 save % and 1.99 GAA. Very nice indeed.

[dustygoon]

are you wearing that watch because you think you look fat? cuz you could wear a regular watch if you wanted to.


Way to chip in with some humour that is about a day late. You are funny.

[icarus]

The WHL's four top save percentage goalies are all in the American Division... must be hard to score goals south of the border.

[Freeway]

It's going to be neat seeing how Irving transitions to the AHL next season (and which goalie the Flames decide to tandem him with).

[Reggie Dunlop]

The way I look at it is, the kid clawed his way back to respectability after some setbacks and may very well end up none the worse for it. All this in junior.

Face it, he had previously put up some insane numbers, and the expectations he'd retain the pace were probably premature. Goes to show that he still has a way to go, but getting his mojo back is a good sign.

[dustygoon]

It's going to be neat seeing how Irving transitions to the AHL next season (and which goalie the Flames decide to tandem him with).

I think the flames may trade away a goalie. Wonder what the going rate for a keetley or lelande is. They were 5th rounders but now 2 years down the road and not bust yet. But not often do you see goalie prospects traded (no value or too valuable?)

[icarus]

Well just the other day we saw three goalie prospects traded (Leneveau, Montoya, and Smith)...

[Oil Stain]

I think the flames may trade away a goalie. Wonder what the going rate for a keetley or lelande is. They were 5th rounders but now 2 years down the road and not bust yet. But not often do you see goalie prospects traded (no value or too valuable?)

I think no value.

Huet went for a second, and Anaheim couldn't even get a sack of turnips for Bryzgalov.

[Reggie Dunlop]

I think no value.

Huet went for a second, and Anaheim couldn't even get a sack of turnips for Bryzgalov.

I think the point in drafting and developing quality goaltending is that it is still a worthwhile endeavor. Goaltending is never a problem unless you don't have it.

[Crispy's Critter]

nm

[Oil Stain]

I think the point in drafting and developing quality goaltending is that it is still a worthwhile endeavor. Goaltending is never a problem unless you don't have it.

Oh for sure. Especially if you can draft a guy who turns into a "top" NHL goaltender.

It is still worth stocking up on depth as every year there are a few NHL teams that end up playing their third stringer due to injuries, but they aren't great trading chips.

[Sylvanfan]

Oh for sure. Especially if you can draft a guy who turns into a "top" NHL goaltender.

It is still worth stocking up on depth as every year there are a few NHL teams that end up playing their third stringer due to injuries, but they aren't great trading chips.

Yeah, really what do goalies tend to go for in trades? Usually not a whole lot. Even Vokun and Toskala this past off season didn't garner a kings ransom or anything and these were proven starters. Especially nowadays that teams are going with that one guy for 65 to 75 games a year. It's an important position...but not one that you get rich by peddling off your surplus pieces to address other needs.

[Freeway]

I think the flames may trade away a goalie. Wonder what the going rate for a keetley or lelande is. They were 5th rounders but now 2 years down the road and not bust yet. But not often do you see goalie prospects traded (no value or too valuable?)

The way I see it?

McElhinney re-signs. Joseph retires. Krahn walks. Irving takes a spot in the QC, McE returns to Calgary.

[Vulcan]

The way I see it?

McElhinney re-signs. Joseph retires. Krahn walks. Irving takes a spot in the QC, McE returns to Calgary.

Yep, it looks like the end of the road for Krahn and the Flames. I'm not to sure about Joseph though. It seems like the guy still wants to play and he hasn't lost it yet.

[JiriHrdina]

Yeah, really what do goalies tend to go for in trades? Usually not a whole lot. Even Vokun and Toskala this past off season didn't garner a kings ransom or anything and these were proven starters. Especially nowadays that teams are going with that one guy for 65 to 75 games a year. It's an important position...but not one that you get rich by peddling off your surplus pieces to address other needs.

It's a strange thing and something that I don't understand in the least. You look around the league and see a number of teams who have struggled to reach their potential primarily because of goaltending - Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Columbus (until the emergency of Leclaire), Toronto.

These are teams that have been looking for a legitimate #1 for so long, and yet the trade market for goalies is poor - both in terms if established starters and prospects.

I don't get it.

[Sylvanfan]

Well I think teams know that there isn't a whole lot of places for a surplus goalie to go so no one really rushes out to go after the other guys tender. Contract limitations also play a part in this I think too. No team wants to be spending like 6 or 7 of their pro contracts on a position where only 1 guy really fills the job.

[dustygoon]

It's a strange thing and something that I don't understand in the least. You look around the league and see a number of teams who have struggled to reach their potential primarily because of goaltending - Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Columbus (until the emergency of Leclaire), Toronto.

These are teams that have been looking for a legitimate #1 for so long, and yet the trade market for goalies is poor - both in terms if established starters and prospects.

I don't get it.


I think it is strange too. And unlike a forward, it takes a little longer.....it is tougher to tell what kind of goalie you get in the draft. A couple years adds value as the visibility on future upside is more obvious. I guess this is true with skaters too.

I think a goalie who has been playing in the system for a couple years and has shown consistent progression (ala Keetley) should be worth more now than when he was drafted....ie more than a 5th rounder. But it doesn't seem to be the case.

You think back on kipper's trade.....we paid a pretty heavy price in a 2nd rounder for a 3rd string goalie that hadn't proved himself yet compared to what Huet just went for.

[icarus]

It's a strange thing and something that I don't understand in the least. You look around the league and see a number of teams who have struggled to reach their potential primarily because of goaltending - Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Columbus (until the emergency of Leclaire), Toronto.

These are teams that have been looking for a legitimate #1 for so long, and yet the trade market for goalies is poor - both in terms if established starters and prospects.

I don't get it.Well Toronto did get an erstwhile #1 goalie (and Calder winner) in Raycroft for a bluechip G prospect in Rask...

[Oil Stain]

It's a strange thing and something that I don't understand in the least. You look around the league and see a number of teams who have struggled to reach their potential primarily because of goaltending - Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Columbus (until the emergency of Leclaire), Toronto.

These are teams that have been looking for a legitimate #1 for so long, and yet the trade market for goalies is poor - both in terms if established starters and prospects.

I don't get it.

I think it's because goalies for the most part aren't consistent.

Look at the leaders in scoring for 03-04 in the differing categories of goals, assists, and points. They all remain pretty good players even if some have slipped a bit due to age or injury.

Then look at the goalies in Save %, GAA, and shutouts. You see more then a few guys that aren't even in the league(Aebischer), or hanging on by a thread(Weekes)although they should still be in the prime of their career.

With the exception of an elite few guys like Brodeur, Luongo, and others, the rest are sort of interchangeable, and there are way too many similarily talented goaltenders for too few spots.

I'd imagine most GM's aren't really "goalie guys" either so they are probably less likely to take gambles on things they don't entirely understand. That's assuming goalies can be understood anyways.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Oh for sure. Especially if you can draft a guy who turns into a "top" NHL goaltender.

It is still worth stocking up on depth as every year there are a few NHL teams that end up playing their third stringer due to injuries, but they aren't great trading chips.

Well, you don't draft 'em just to trade 'em.:rolleyes:

Obviously you keep the best one and whatever happens to the others in a secondary concern.

[Oil Stain]

Well, you don't draft 'em just to trade 'em.:rolleyes:

Nobody said you did. :rolleyes:

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

Even Vokun and Toskala this past off season didn't garner a kings ransom or anything and these were proven starters. Especially nowadays that teams are going with that one guy for 65 to 75 games a year. It's an important position...but not one that you get rich by peddling off your surplus pieces to address other needs.

Syl,

I know what your position is, yet those two I think kinda did garner a hefty return, ask florida this year; Cats are trying not to be the east's Coilers and we know Burke is laughing all the way to the podium to draft another quality player for disneyland. Unless Martin's boy's get real hot real quick then Dave Poille(one of my favs) will doing the Brian Burke in a quality draft year-especially for highend players. Fataing parity, something needs to be done to fix the schedule and points system, how many teams will have above or near five hundred records and be picking in the top ten? Ish, how come this type of scenario never played out for the flames' favour when they sucked in the mid 90s. The poor laffs, didn't do that bad in that they got rid of a couple of high picks last year which wasn't considered to be the deepest years of incoming amateur talent and yielded a recently turned hot Toskala.

Bottom line in the new cap NHL is that the draft choices will become more of a premium for teams looking to round out their rosters with younger, cheaper, talent. Having depth at any of the important positions in the NHL is a boon. You should feel happy to be in the position that San Jose was with Nabby, Kipper and Toskala. Wow, talk about depth.

[moon]

Unless Martin's boy's get real hot real quick then Dan Poille(one of my favs) will doing the Brian Burke in a quality draft year-especially for highend players.

Did Dan Poille take over for David Poile in Nashville?

Odd to have two guys with such similar names!:D

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

Did Dan Poille take over for David Poile in Nashville?

Odd to have two guys with such similar names!:D Whoops, I'll edit that. I got confused with Dan Boyle for some reason. Dave is much better than Dan Poile.