I highly doubt you see Exelby get any playing time in Boston this year. Hes not good enough to play on a top blue line in the league, Hamilton should be playing next year, hes toog ood for junior and cant go to the AHL.
But in all honesty, Buffalo wont be rolling over for Boston like they did last year. They have the fire power to match up with Boston pretty well now if Scott is in the lineup. I still think the overall team atmosphere and style of Boston is tougher but for 1 blood bath game Buffalo has potential to come out onn top of Boston
We'll see some fireworks between Boston and Buffalo, regardless. I still think Boston has the slight edge, but Buffalo improved over the summer. I think we'll see John Scott in many of Buffalo's games against Boston.
Good question. Tough call. There's a couple teams with about a billion bingers (edit: I don't know what a binger is or why I typed that. meant softies) then 3 guys to balance that out, so I don't know what to make of them.
Detroit's pretty soft. Despite his tendency to sucker people who aren't looking, Kronwall might be the softest D in the league (he bails on puck battles and turns the puck over any time he thinks he's going to get hit, incites incidents then, in a show of pure cowardice, crawls beneath the referees legs). Franzen might be the softest big man in the league as well. But, then again, Tootoo and even Z & D handle physical play pretty well for players of their stature.
The Islanders are pretty soft. They lost Haley and, thankfully, that Gillies nutbag is over in Vityaz (match made in heaven, that), leaving them only with Martin and Hamonic to provide sandpaper. Lot of guys on that team won't even try to win grinding board battles (Tavares not among them).
And Tampa's very soft. Adding Crombeen doesn't really change the makeup of all the other guys.
Winnipeg's been mentioned, but I don't agree. A lot of their better players can handle themselves.
Good question. Tough call. There's a couple teams with about a billion bingers (edit: I don't know what a binger is or why I typed that. meant softies) then 3 guys to balance that out, so I don't know what to make of them.
Detroit's pretty soft. Despite his tendency to sucker people who aren't looking, Kronwall might be the softest D in the league (he bails on puck battles and turns the puck over any time he thinks he's going to get hit, incites incidents then, in a show of pure cowardice, crawls beneath the referees legs). Franzen might be the softest big man in the league as well. But, then again, Tootoo and even Z & D handle physical play pretty well for players of their stature.
The Islanders are pretty soft. They lost Haley and, thankfully, that Gillies nutbag is over in Vityaz (match made in heaven, that), leaving them only with Martin and Hamonic to provide sandpaper. Lot of guys on that team won't even try to win grinding board battles (Tavares not among them).
And Tampa's very soft. Adding Crombeen doesn't really change the makeup of all the other guys.
Winnipeg's been mentioned, but I don't agree. A lot of their better players can handle themselves.
Kronwalls definitely not scared to get hit or anything and is probably the biggest hitter in the league last year. He doesnt fight but hes not scared to go in corners lol. Agree on Franzen.
But I would say Tootoo, Abdelkader, Smith, Ericcson and Bertuzzi will make up for what Kronwall doesnt fight. Kronwall probably does more damage with one it than most fighters in the league can do in a fight. Definitely doesnt make the team softer. But I know how much you hate Kronwall so I'll leave it at that
Good question. Tough call. There's a couple teams with about a billion bingers (edit: I don't know what a binger is or why I typed that. meant softies) then 3 guys to balance that out, so I don't know what to make of them.
Detroit's pretty soft. Despite his tendency to sucker people who aren't looking, Kronwall might be the softest D in the league (he bails on puck battles and turns the puck over any time he thinks he's going to get hit, incites incidents then, in a show of pure cowardice, crawls beneath the referees legs). Franzen might be the softest big man in the league as well. But, then again, Tootoo and even Z & D handle physical play pretty well for players of their stature.
The Islanders are pretty soft. They lost Haley and, thankfully, that Gillies nutbag is over in Vityaz (match made in heaven, that), leaving them only with Martin and Hamonic to provide sandpaper. Lot of guys on that team won't even try to win grinding board battles (Tavares not among them).
And Tampa's very soft. Adding Crombeen doesn't really change the makeup of all the other guys.
Winnipeg's been mentioned, but I don't agree. A lot of their better players can handle themselves.
Detroit is still pretty soft, but keep in mind that Brendan Smith will be up full-time next year. Jordin Tootoo will be a regular on their 4th year.
The Islanders will have Matt Martin as a regular on their 4th line. Eric Boulton will get some games in. On defense, Matt Carkner and Travis Hamonic are pretty physical players.
I still think Carolina is the softest in the league.
The Leafs are softer than any team i can think of, they Lost Schenn and Armstrong and Rosehill and signed Spencer Abbott from NCAA all 5'9" 180lbs
There is Orr in AHL and thats it
Luke Schenn really wasn't tough at all. He would hit, but always on the boards. As a Leafs fan I hated when he dropped his gloves, the Schenn Brothers are terrible fighters. It was almost embarrassing to watch Luke getting into fights and then get man handled.
Army hardly played and he was never tough
Rosehill I liked, but hardly played.
I do however agree, we are pretty soft. Other than Brown we have nobody
How was Ference embarrassed vs Neal? Neal may have had a slight upperhand there, but no devastating blows and he was the one who lost his balance. Might need to watch that fight again...Then the Crosby fight, ok he got bloodied. Doesn't mean much, he still maintained his composure the whole fight and kept his balance till Crosby went down. Neither were horrible losses and don't define his fighting skills. Since when is Tropp a heavyweight? Like seriously, what has this guy done? Fight Rinaldo, a slightly better version of Campbell. Ference has 7 lbs on him despite losing an inch and has a superior fight card. Don't see how it is a given that Tropp would win, if he even cracks Buffalo's roster.
Seriously, what the **** is with your hardon against the Sabres? We got tougher (which you can't seem to admit somehow), you seem terrified. Kaleta stood blow for blow with Lucic last year, who has a few inches, and some weight on him. Now just wait until Scott steps in, or Ott. Then we'll see. Oh yeah, you think they're both garbage in the fight department. What a complete joke.
Seriously, what the **** is with your hardon against the Sabres? We got tougher (which you can't seem to admit somehow), you seem terrified. Kaleta stood blow for blow with Lucic last year, who has a few inches, and some weight on him. Now just wait until Scott steps in, or Ott. Then we'll see. Oh yeah, you think they're both garbage in the fight department. What a complete joke.
Sorry, I have not read through the thread to see what he is saying about the Sabres but, saying Kaleta stood blow for blow with Lucic is delusional. Lucic easily wins that fight, Kaleta cant take the punches and goes down pretty quickly. Besides that Kaleta had three other fights all year. Not exactly a tough guy.
Seriously, what the **** is with your hardon against the Sabres? We got tougher (which you can't seem to admit somehow), you seem terrified. Kaleta stood blow for blow with Lucic last year, who has a few inches, and some weight on him. Now just wait until Scott steps in, or Ott. Then we'll see. Oh yeah, you think they're both garbage in the fight department. What a complete joke.
Ott is far from tough, he is an agitator just like Kaleta/Gerbe. Not a chance he fights Lucic or makes a the Sabres tough. Scott is a 100% and while now they have someone to match other team's enforcers, he doesn't improve the teams toughness much as he doesn't fight most top fighters and most other guys won't fight him. That is when he plays... The team is still incredibly soft.
Good question. Tough call. There's a couple teams with about a billion bingers (edit: I don't know what a binger is or why I typed that. meant softies) then 3 guys to balance that out, so I don't know what to make of them.
Detroit's pretty soft. Despite his tendency to sucker people who aren't looking, Kronwall might be the softest D in the league (he bails on puck battles and turns the puck over any time he thinks he's going to get hit, incites incidents then, in a show of pure cowardice, crawls beneath the referees legs). Franzen might be the softest big man in the league as well. But, then again, Tootoo and even Z & D handle physical play pretty well for players of their stature.
The Islanders are pretty soft. They lost Haley and, thankfully, that Gillies nutbag is over in Vityaz (match made in heaven, that), leaving them only with Martin and Hamonic to provide sandpaper. Lot of guys on that team won't even try to win grinding board battles (Tavares not among them).
And Tampa's very soft. Adding Crombeen doesn't really change the makeup of all the other guys.
Winnipeg's been mentioned, but I don't agree. A lot of their better players can handle themselves.
Duno where you got Kronwall as a chute-puller from. He gets buried on the forecheck allthe time to win puck races. Kindl and Quincey on the other hand ...
Re: the Leafs, I don't expect us to dress a heavyweight on a regular basis this year. Our centres will be Bozak, Grabo, and two of Connolly/McClement/Steckel, zero fighting there. Our wingers will probably be something like Kessel, Lupul, JVR, Mac, Kulemin, Kadri, Frattin and Brown. Brown is really the only fighter there, with guys like Lupul or Mac dropping them in an absolute pinch, but not on any sort of regular basis.
On d we should have two big guys who can hit (Phaneuf and Komi), as well as a softer big guy (Franson), but no fighters. Phaneuf and Komi will drop them once in awhile, but neither are very good at it.
Overall we'll likely be one of the worst fighting teams in the league, maybe the worst period (again, assuming we don't dress guys like Orr or Rosehill on a regular basis, which I think is a safe assumption). In terms of hitting we'll be a bit below average, but not bad. Phaneuf is one of the better hitters in the league, Komi is quite a good hitter too, Brown loves to play physical, Frattin can really lay guys out when he does hit (which wasn't often enough in his rookie year, but hopefully that changes). Guys like JVR, Steckel, Franson, Bozak, Lupul, McClement, etc. will all hit a bit too, though none are anything close to being punishing players.
We definitely lost some toughness on d by trading Schenn (meh fighter, great hitter) and Aulie (good fighter, good hitter). I didn't disagree with either trade, but purely from a toughness point of view we should be a bit softer than last year, and we were already one of the softest teams in the league.
Re: the Leafs, I don't expect us to dress a heavyweight on a regular basis this year. Our centres will be Bozak, Grabo, and two of Connolly/McClement/Steckel, zero fighting there. Our wingers will probably be something like Kessel, Lupul, JVR, Mac, Kulemin, Kadri, Frattin and Brown. Brown is really the only fighter there, with guys like Lupul or Mac dropping them in an absolute pinch, but not on any sort of regular basis.
On d we should have two big guys who can hit (Phaneuf and Komi), as well as a softer big guy (Franson), but no fighters. Phaneuf and Komi will drop them once in awhile, but neither are very good at it.
Overall we'll likely be one of the worst fighting teams in the league, maybe the worst period (again, assuming we don't dress guys like Orr or Rosehill on a regular basis, which I think is a safe assumption). In terms of hitting we'll be a bit below average, but not bad. Phaneuf is one of the better hitters in the league, Komi is quite a good hitter too, Brown loves to play physical, Frattin can really lay guys out when he does hit (which wasn't often enough in his rookie year, but hopefully that changes). Guys like JVR, Steckel, Franson, Bozak, Lupul, McClement, etc. will all hit a bit too, though none are anything close to being punishing players.
We definitely lost some toughness on d by trading Schenn (meh fighter, great hitter) and Aulie (good fighter, good hitter). I didn't disagree with either trade, but purely from a toughness point of view we should be a bit softer than last year, and we were already one of the softest teams in the league.
Yeah, Rosehill is still a UFA. I assume he's gonna sign somewhere in the AHL. I still find it hard to believe that a Brian Burke team would look that soft, but it seems that their roster is pretty much set.
Ott is far from tough, he is an agitator just like Kaleta/Gerbe. Not a chance he fights Lucic or makes a the Sabres tough. Scott is a 100% and while now they have someone to match other team's enforcers, he doesn't improve the teams toughness much as he doesn't fight most top fighters and most other guys won't fight him. That is when he plays... The team is still incredibly soft.
You overrate fighting. By your standards every team in the league is soft other than Boston.
I have to believe the Leafs will do something...Carlyle and Burke going with just Mike Brown? Jesus...
Also, even with those guys you mentioned Bruise Brothers the Stars look really weak. Morrow and Benn are two of there best players...Fistric and Nystrom? Ouch. Plus they lost Ott and Souray.
Do you honestly think Buffalo is one the softest teams in the nhl. They have Cody McCormick, Patrick Kaleta, Marcus Foligno, Steve Ott and Corey Tropp. Not to mention they will have John Scott and Joe Finley in the minors/scratched, i'm sure they will get to play some rivalry games.
Loaded with punching bags!Scott?Believe it when i see it.
Tampa=weak
Wings-weak
Leafs-weak(orr is one punch away from the looney bin)
Canucks-not as weak but easy to slap around
Dallas-weak
Montreal-weak but a good addition with Prust and lost a true heavy Staubitz
Loaded with punching bags!Scott?Believe it when i see it.
Tampa=weak
Wings-weak
Leafs-weak(orr is one punch away from the looney bin)
Canucks-not as weak but easy to slap around
Dallas-weak
Montreal-weak but a good addition with Prust and lost a true heavy Staubitz
Tampa has Crombeen, Hall, Malone and Thompson. On D they have Brewer. Not great, but not bad.
Wings - Tootoo, Bertuzzi, Abdelkader, Quincey and Ericsson.
Leafs - Brown, Phaneuf, and possibly Orr.
Dallas - Pathetic
Carolina - Pathetic
Montreal is the toughest of the bunch now with Prust, Moen, and White.
Also, even with those guys you mentioned Bruise Brothers the Stars look really weak. Morrow and Benn are two of there best players...Fistric and Nystrom? Ouch. Plus they lost Ott and Souray.
They lost Jake Dowell to Minnesota, as well. They'll be pretty soft, no doubt, but I think Carolina is softer than they are.
Tampa has Crombeen, Hall, Malone and Thompson. On D they have Brewer. Not great, but not bad.
Wings - Tootoo, Bertuzzi, Abdelkader, Quincey and Ericsson.
Leafs - Brown, Phaneuf, and possibly Orr.
Dallas - Pathetic
Carolina - Pathetic
Montreal is the toughest of the bunch now with Prust, Moen, and White.
Re: the Leafs, I don't expect us to dress a heavyweight on a regular basis this year. Our centres will be Bozak, Grabo, and two of Connolly/McClement/Steckel, zero fighting there. Our wingers will probably be something like Kessel, Lupul, JVR, Mac, Kulemin, Kadri, Frattin and Brown. Brown is really the only fighter there, with guys like Lupul or Mac dropping them in an absolute pinch, but not on any sort of regular basis.
On d we should have two big guys who can hit (Phaneuf and Komi), as well as a softer big guy (Franson), but no fighters. Phaneuf and Komi will drop them once in awhile, but neither are very good at it.
Overall we'll likely be one of the worst fighting teams in the league, maybe the worst period (again, assuming we don't dress guys like Orr or Rosehill on a regular basis, which I think is a safe assumption). In terms of hitting we'll be a bit below average, but not bad. Phaneuf is one of the better hitters in the league, Komi is quite a good hitter too, Brown loves to play physical, Frattin can really lay guys out when he does hit (which wasn't often enough in his rookie year, but hopefully that changes). Guys like JVR, Steckel, Franson, Bozak, Lupul, McClement, etc. will all hit a bit too, though none are anything close to being punishing players.
We definitely lost some toughness on d by trading Schenn (meh fighter, great hitter) and Aulie (good fighter, good hitter). I didn't disagree with either trade, but purely from a toughness point of view we should be a bit softer than last year, and we were already one of the softest teams in the league.
I disagree. Brian Burke always likes to have toughness on his roster and unlike Ron Wilson, Randy Carlyle plays his tougher players consistently. It's no secret why as soon as Carlyle was hired that Jay Rosehill suddenly found his way back into the Leafs' line-up.
