Old news but for those who missed it. BTW, that was his AHL number.
And Kenopka has snagged #28, his traditional number (check the wild.com roster). Could be some professional courtesy in the tough guy fraternity there. Could be green pieces of paper changed hands. Or both.
And Kenopka has snagged #28, his traditional number (check the wild.com roster). Could be some professional courtesy in the tough guy fraternity there. Could be green pieces of paper changed hands. Or both.
Actually just about all of the TOR posters in that thread know much better, even mentioning that we intend to keep Backs for now. It's just that one guy who doesn't seem to know what fair value is or how the cap works should injuries arise (or all the options we now have to replace injured players for that matter).
Actually just about all of the TOR posters in that thread know much better, even mentioning that we intend to keep Backs for now. It's just that one guy who doesn't seem to know what fair value is or how the cap works should injuries arise (or all the options we now have to replace injured players for that matter).
Yeah, but still Pffft! at that poster who suggested it! My point still stands!
So i've been thinking for the last little while here about our 2006-2007 team which to me is the most "talented" team we've ever had, not the best as that honor still goes to 2002-2003, but I was trying to think about it compared with our roster now. I still regret that year a little only because if Gabby and Demitra had been healthy for the entire year no question we would have won the Northwest, and at least had the opportunity to give a better account of ourselves in the playoffs before eventual referee darling ******** made it through. Anyway, when Gabby and Demitra were playing here were basically our lines though with good ol' JL you never really knew.
In thinking about comparing to what we have now, Parise is a great scorer but Gabby still a little more pure of a scorer I feel and chemistry with Demitra was incredible, so we'll see how Parise-Koivu-Heatley develop this year. Todd White I feel people forget he was very good for us that year, and Granlund whole-hum is similar in size and stature to him, with that not so subtle added bonus of much greater hockey sense and skill in my books. Bouchard's the only one that remains in theory, in reality not so much, and Rolston was very good and Seto's got to do some rebounding in that regard.
The defense now I think is a wash, and better now because Suter is obviously far and away the best dman we've ever had. I love our 3 and 4 lines so much better now then in 06-07 save for Walz, depth, speed, tenacity, checking, and scoring touch way, way better and that team had Veilleux and hopefully this one shouldn't.
So what do you guys think? I'm not ready to say this is the most talented yet alone hopefully best pure team we've ever had, but I think it has more then opportunity and room to grow in both regards. Anyway, it's middle of summer so again just some more food for thought.
True, and 07-08 he should've be #1 with Demitra Gaborik had DR not screwed the pooch so royally on that one too.
He didn't center the top line because he had SO much chemistry going on the 2nd line with Rolston and Bouchard. Notice, that was the same season Bouchard had his career year.
That was the first time Lemaire left a line virtually untouched through an entire year.
That was the same year DR started REALLY mishandling prospects as well. Lemaire wanted Pouliot on the team and centering Demitra and Gaborik out of camp, but DR said no, destroyed Pouliot's attitude (or encouraged it to get worse at least) and gave a roster spot to Matt fricking Foy! The Original popcorn gourmet who spent all his time in the pressbox - yet had "too much value as an asset" to risk via waivers, even though we let him walk the very next offseason!
But Demitra should not have been centering that top line, that was a mistake, and we were never going to get a #1 centerman that year, but at least a 2nd or 3rd line would've allowed other to move up and Demitra back to the wing.
But Demitra should not have been centering that top line, that was a mistake, and we were never going to get a #1 centerman that year, but at least a 2nd or 3rd line would've allowed other to move up and Demitra back to the wing.
)-Foster
