Currently there 6 top six forwards (Toews, Kane, Ladd, Versteeg, Sharp, Hossa), 3 top nine players (Brouwer, Bolland, Kopecky), 3 fourth liners (Madden*, Eager, Burish), 3 top two dmen (Keith, Seabrook, Campbell), 2 top four dmen (Hjalmarsson, Byfuglien), a starting goalie, and the 3 depth guys. Damn who put this team together
2002 wings have been the most impressive team to me on paper. Only team I can say I truly picked to be Stanley cup winner at the beginning of the season. Their line up was that deep, it was undeniable. That cup win was an inevitability.
yep. their 3rd line would be a top line on many other teams.
No it wouldn't, or at least not on decent teams. Ladd might be a capable top liner but neither of Bolland or Versteeg should be considered top liners in any capacity, especially not Bolland.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mickey Redmond
The 09-10 Hawks were really deep but there have been much deeper teams, the 08-09 Pens were pretty stacked.
Funny, I actually consider that Pens team to be the shallowest to win a cup in quite a while.
Great center depth with two elites as their top 2 and one of the best shutdown centers in the game on the 3rd line, but beyond that? Yeah not a deep team. Defense isn't overly great, though it's better then the 06 Canes defense. But in terms of offensive depth that 06 Canes team crushes the 09 Pens, as do the 2008 Wings, 2010 Hawks, and 2011 Bruins
09-10 Hawks are probably the deepest overall post lockout, which explains how a fairly mediocre goalie like Niemi posting very average stats in those playoffs was able to even sniff a cup.
2002 Wings are probably the deepest team of the post-67 expansion era.
I believe they had the deepest top 9 amongst teams post-2004 lockout. However, their D and goaltending, although good, weren't exactly that special aside from the Keith-Seabrook pairing.
Lafleur
Lemaire
Shutt
Cournoyer
Houle
Gainey
Roberts
Jarvis
Lambert
Risebrough
Tremblay
Savard
Lapointe
Robinson
Nyrop
Bouchard
Dyden
(Traded for Mahovlich)
^^^^^ These guys were terrible? Really?
All these players were picked fair and square over several drafts, without any special territorial rights coming into play. In 1969, the one year they did actually have this privilege, they decided to pick local boys Rejean Houle and Marc Tardif over Bobby Clarke, which was obviously a bad choice.
All these players were picked fair and square over several drafts, without any special territorial rights coming into play. In 1969, the one year they did actually have this privilege, they decided to pick local boys Rejean Houle and Marc Tardif over Bobby Clarke, which was obviously a bad choice.
The way the statement phrased it sounded like it was being implied that ALL the drafties picked by the Habs were terrible.....not just the "territorial" picks.
All these players were picked fair and square over several drafts, without any special territorial rights coming into play. In 1969, the one year they did actually have this privilege, they decided to pick local boys Rejean Houle and Marc Tardif over Bobby Clarke, which was obviously a bad choice.
A few of those players were already Habs property and never available in the draft (Cournoyer, LaPointe, Savard, Lemaire), but most of the were acquired through shrewd drafting and trading by Sam Pollock.
In 1969, they couldn't take Clarke because the rule was that they had to use those two picks on Francophone players.
All these players were picked fair and square over several drafts, without any special territorial rights coming into play. In 1969, the one year they did actually have this privilege, they decided to pick local boys Rejean Houle and Marc Tardif over Bobby Clarke, which was obviously a bad choice.
A number of teams passed on Clarke, likely because he was a diabetic. Had he not been, Montreal may have taken him first overall.
2002 wings have been the most impressive team to me on paper. Only team I can say I truly picked to be Stanley cup winner at the beginning of the season. Their line up was that deep, it was undeniable. That cup win was an inevitability.
Everyone says that, and yet they trailed 3-2 in the WCF and had to play an elimination game in hostile Colorado. A less spectacular effort from Hasek that night and they would've failed to reach the Finals.
i'd say 80's oilers have had a collection of gems in two top lines but the whole roster wasn't deep. Probably anyone could play in bottom lines - with their two top lines that wasn't important. Too big difference between top and bottom lines.
Except it's specifically the '87 team. They hadn't begun dismantling the team. They had youngsters joining the team or emerging as impact players. (Tikkanen & Beukeboom) They had veterans like Kent Nilson and Reijo Ruotsalainen joining the team. The best of the dynasty Oilers teams:
Centre:
Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Craig McTavish, Kevin McClelland(A bruiser with some skill)
Left wing:
Esa Tikkanen, Mike Krushelnyski, Dave Hunter, scrubs battling for minutes.
Right wing:
Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Kent Nilsson, Marty McSorley (Best group of RWs ever assembled?)
Defense:
Paul Coffey, Kevin Lowe, Randy Gregg, Charlie Huddy, Reijo Ruotsalainen, Steve Smith, Craig Muni
Goal:
Grant Fuhr, Andy Moog
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Yes they were deep. Like others said they could roll 4 lines rather well. Not the best top end talent of course, but that was a team that only had one weakness - in net.
Overall in my opinion the Islanders dynasty had the deepest team ever assembled or the 1950s Habs.
A few of those players were already Habs property and never available in the draft (Cournoyer, LaPointe, Savard, Lemaire), but most of the were acquired through shrewd drafting and trading by Sam Pollock.
In 1969, they couldn't take Clarke because the rule was that they had to use those two picks on Francophone players.
I was an either/or proposition, either they could have the first two picks overall in the draft as long as they selected two francophones, or they could have used their regular #8 pick to select whoever they wanted.
