The West just a lot tougher

[getbak]

Originally Posted by saillias

Posters here have spent the past 2~ years bleating endlessly that you have to draft your top 6 centres. Jim Nill disagrees.

That's kind of like the people who say, "So much for global warming, huh?" on a cold and snowy day during the winter.

Last season, 18 of the top 20 highest scoring centres in the NHL were playing for the team that drafted them. Seguin and Thornton were the only 2 who were acquired in trades. Spezza is the only other one in last year's top 20 who has since changed teams.


If there's any fanbase that should understand the problems with trying to find top centres outside of the draft, it's Flames fans.

Unfortunately, the problem is that 12 of the top 20 centres were also top 5 draft picks. Take away Seguin and Thornton and exactly half of the top 20 centres were drafted in the top 5 and are still playing for the team that drafted them. If you never get a chance to pick in the top 5, you have a low chance of getting a top NHL centre.

The Stars have been similar to the Flames in that they've been a middle-of-the-road team for a number of years and end up picking in the middle of the first round year after year. If you're a team in that situation, you either have to get lucky with your drafting, or pay the premium when the rare top centre becomes available.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by Demetric

Boy did the western conference just get a lot tougher. Seems that most of the big names came to the west.

Ducks added:
+Kesler
+Stoner
-Robidas
-Bonino
-Perrault
-Hiller

They got better but not by that much. All depends on what do in the playoffs

Dallas added:
+Spezza
+Hemsky

Got better

AVs added:
+Briere
+Iginla
+Stuart
-Stastny
-PA Parenteau

I'd say they got worse

Wild added:
+Vanek
-Moulson

Slight upgrade but only because Vanek has chemistry with Pominville

Edmonton Added:
Fayne
Pouilot
Nikitin

No good

Chicago Added:
+Richards

Got better

Blues added:
-Miller
+Statsny

I think they got better

Gotta look what they added and what they lost.

[burnitdown]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Blues lost Polak... their defense is now Jackman and five or 6 other guys who who prefer to avoid contact. Statsny is an upgrade on Roy but they are back to Elliott in goal .... who they thought was their weak link at last years trade deadline.

Haha...I like how you highlight Jackman as the key defender there and lump in Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, and Bouwmeester as just "5 or 6 other guys who prefer to avoid contact". Maybe they'll trade us one of them for Engelland to make up for their major short-comings!

[Wolven]

On the plus side, with the top half of the Western teams getting so strong, it will really help smash the weaker western teams into the basement.

Not that I think we will need that much help to stay at the bottom of the standings... But hopefully it slows down the tank jobs in the East.

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Ducks lost their 3rd and 4th leading scorers Bononio and Perrault and their #1 goal tender. Their go to war goalie is Jason Laberra and a guy with 28 NHL games under his belt who had a .899 save % in the playoffs.

Ummm what!?! You realize Hiller was their 3rd stringer in the playoffs right. And who the hell is Laberra? They have Andersen and Gibson.



Colorado replaced Stastsny with Briere... added Iginla which looks at getting stronger but is relying on 36 year old Jan Hejda on their top pairing


Blues lost Polak... their defense is now Jackman and five or 6 other guys who who prefer to avoid contact. Statsny is an upgrade on Roy but they are back to Elliott in goal .... who they thought was their weak link at last years trade deadline.

Actually Jake Allen is their starter and despite not being high "grit" players, JBo and Pieterangelo are one of the best duos in the league.

In Chicago is Brad Richards an upgrade on Handzuz? Handzuz provided some shelter for Toews having to play against the Wests larger Centres... Richards definitely wont.

Richards will get sheltered minutes since Toews is a perennial Selke candidate and yes, Richards is an upgrade on Handzus.

The cap world evens things out a whole lot.

West is still best.

[sharkov]

Originally Posted by saillias

Posters here have spent the past 2~ years bleating endlessly that you have to draft your top 6 centres. Jim Nill disagrees.

not very often are 1st line centers available in free agency or trades

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by saillias

Posters here have spent the past 2~ years bleating endlessly that you have to draft your top 6 centres. Jim Nill disagrees.

1/30 (0.03%). Who doesn't like those numbers. Seems like a full proof strategy.

[19Yzerman19]

Everyone pointing out that what Jim Nill just did is unprecedented are right, but can we stop for a second and marvel at what that guy has just accomplished? Unbelievable GM'ing since he started there.

[SuperMatt18]

The craziest part IMO isn't just that he traded for two top line centers.

It's that he traded for them without really giving up a blue chip prospect, or one of their own first round picks (future or former)

Look at the Seguin trade.

Loui Eriksson: Dallas 2 round pick (30 goal scorer)
Reilly Smith: Dallas 3 rounder
Matt Fraser: Undrafted Free Agent
Joe Morrow: Pittsburgh First Rounder (Acquired for Brendan Morrow)

Then the Speeza trade:

Alex Chaisson: Dallas 2nd Rounder
Alex Guptill: Dallas 3rd Rounder
Nick Paul: Dallas 4th Rounder
Dallas 2015 2nd Round Pick

Pretty impressive to use those assets to get two top end centers.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Chiasson was an important piece. He was one guy that I really wanted the Flames to somehow acquire, but knew the cost would be very high.

[Split98]

Originally Posted by hackey

1/30 (0.03%). Who doesn't like those numbers. Seems like a full proof strategy.

*3%

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by burnitdown

Haha...I like how you highlight Jackman as the key defender there and lump in Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, and Bouwmeester as just "5 or 6 other guys who prefer to avoid contact". Maybe they'll trade us one of them for Engelland to make up for their major short-comings!

This was a defense that got run over in the playoffs 2 straight years up 2-0 and losing 4 straight.

Polak had 151 hits last year Jackman 97 ... all other 6 St.L d-men 208.

Whoever gets to play goal there had better get prepared to get run over like Kipper in his last year as a Flame.

If you don't think that Letang and Paul Martin benefited from having Engelland and Orpik keeping the other team honest then I am just wasting time trying posting this.


LA had 6 D-men with over 100 hits, The Bruins 4, The Ducks 4, The Avs 4

These were the best teams in the league last year

Maybe the Blues will finesse their way to the top of the league with nobody over 100 hits on defense...... would be like making the playoffs with no 20 goal scorers.


Oh the only Flame d-man to have over 100 hits was Smid...... thus making the need for Engelland very apparent.

[activeStick]

Who's St. Louis going with in net now? Elliot for a full season or will they bring in a 1B kind if guy?

[Read Only]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Who's St. Louis going with in net now? Elliot for a full season or will they bring in a 1B kind if guy?

Jake Allen and Elliot will probably split early on with the Blues hoping/expecting Allen to take over by end if the year.