+2. Seeing Backlund on anything but a 2nd line role will be a huge disappointment. With the line possibilities that are available (incl Jokinen on the wing)... I wouldn't be surprised to see a fluid line juggling... where there really is no solid lines set. Without a first line center... this has to happen.
OJ's comments: "I was little surprised when I received a phonecall today (thursday) from Darryl. When I listened what he had to say, I had no other option but to comeback. I wanted to comeback.
I know the coaches and how they run the team. For me this is a great place to play! I am excited to comeback."
Maybe those were posted here earlier already... I have to say OJ has some balls though coming back after all bhit he got last year.
First Sutter makes Jokinen (alongside with Phaneuf) the scapegoat to teams failure. With this signing Sutter is saying Jokinen was not the problem. Guess Sutter painted himself into a corner.
As for Jokinen, both Iginla and Conroy jumped to the defence of the man television analyst Matthew Barnaby called a locker-room "cancer" when the Flames acquired the big Finn from Phoenix.
"I thought Olli Jokinen, he came here and he tried hard and it didn't work out," Conroy said. "But you could see him every day, the way the world was on his shoulders. I felt very bad for him. I feel like Jokinen gets a very hard rap, too. People don't like him. Why? I don't know why." Neither does Iginla.
"I heard about it before he came that he was maybe not the best dressing room guy or maybe a little selfish," Iginla said. "I didn't see it.
"Maybe we didn't produce the way we wanted to on the ice. But it wasn't because he was complaining or unhappy. He enjoyed playing here, and he was a very good teammate, and that wasn't one of the issues."
Maybe Iginla had something to do with this. Maybe he convinced Sutter that he made a mistake when he traded Olli. There are few GM's who would have admitted they made a mistake like Sutter did, gotta give him some respect for that.
As a matter of fact, I did. 29 goals is pretty close to 30. That was in one of those two years you are using to base your argument on. That plus being the best producer in the playoffs for Calgary last year. That does count as a contribution doesn't it?
jokinen, a playoff contributor...you win.
by the way, this whole mess started when Sutter wet himself 2yrs ago looking at Jokinen's stats in the past. 90% of the time, it's what a player can and capable of doing today. Not what he can do 2 yrs ago.
OK, this doesn't make the signings defensible, but it's at least a little calming to have Iginla's candid comments supporting Olli and Tangs coming back.
Now it's his fault that others didn't contribute as much in the playoffs as he did? He might have contributed more in the playoffs if his team would have won.
You know, I think you are just upset because you are trying to stir up dissention and panic and it just isn't happening. You would love to see lots of negative woe is me threads wouldn't you?
Now it's his fault that others didn't contribute as much in the playoffs as he did? He might have contributed more in the playoffs if his team would have won.
You know, I think you are just upset because you are trying to stir up dissention and panic and it just isn't happening. You would love to see lots of negative woe is me threads wouldn't you?
I guess you are so blind by the koolaid that you fail to see Jokinen had all but 6 playoff games in 10+ years in the NHL....but I am sure you would say that's all bad luck...
as far as stirring up, I am sure there are plenty of fans that are smart enough to see the damage Sutter has done to this team..give them some credit, will you?
If you still dont get it. Ask yourself this question: Is this team a Cup contender? If not, Does this team have a future beyond the next couple years?
It's another quick fix to save his job...I dont buy it any more. BTW, the damage was done 2 yrs ago beginning with the Jokinen deal...nothing to do with yesterday. Sutter has been trying to build a team to win now but he sucks at it.
It's all really pretty simple. What was a big problem with Olli and Iggy? No one to pass to them. What happened? Tangs comes back to pass to them.
I get how resigning a guy that was just traded after not working out is going to sit poorly with a lot of people, but how can you not give credit to what could be a good second go? We all know Jokinen can put up points, and we all know that Tangs has an unreal ability to pass. I'm downright excited to see what Tangs will be able to do with 2 shooters of Olli and Iggys caliber to pass to.
It's all really pretty simple. What was a big problem with Olli and Iggy? No one to pass to them. What happened? Tangs comes back to pass to them.
I get how resigning a guy that was just traded after not working out is going to sit poorly with a lot of people, but how can you not give credit to what could be a good second go? We all know Jokinen can put up points, and we all know that Tangs has an unreal ability to pass. I'm downright excited to see what Tangs will be able to do with 2 shooters of Olli and Iggys caliber to pass to.
This still makes more sense than the Kotalik trade They have nothing to lose. I would say the coach and GM both like Olli. If they had just kept him without the Kotalik/Higgins deal it wouldn't be near as annoying, even though its the same guy.
He is a career better than 10% shooter who suddenly drops to 6% last year. All other knocks against him, that isn't the type of scorer he is. Both these guys are still young. It isn't Marc Savard, but it could still pan out. Tanguay does dish much better than any LW Olli has played with. Give them 15 or 20 games and see what happens. It is a gamble, but less money for both this time.
I guess you are so blind by the koolaid that you fail to see Jokinen had all but 6 playoff games in 10+ years in the NHL....but I am sure you would say that's all bad luck...
as far as stirring up, I am sure there are plenty of fans that are smart enough to see the damage Sutter has done to this team..give them some credit, will you?
If you still dont get it. Ask yourself this question: Is this team a Cup contender? If not, Does this team have a future beyond the next couple years?
It's another quick fix to save his job...I dont buy it any more. BTW, the damage was done 2 yrs ago beginning with the Jokinen deal...nothing to do with yesterday. Sutter has been trying to build a team to win now but he sucks at it.
I see, I am supposed to give the people who side with you some credit while you imply "I still don't get it". In other words, I am stupid and you are smart.
Well if you are so smart, why are you implying Jokinen has been burned out for years when his performance has been sub standard for only one year? Why do you insist on placing all the Flames woes on Jokinen when he has been asked to change his game to accomodate a lack of depth on the top two lines? Why do you insist Sutter is stubborn and refuses to change the team when he has moved an all-star defenseman in order to establish more depth by bringing in some top 6 players? And any changes he does make, you chalk up to either panic or trying to save his job. Doesn't matter what he does, it will be wrong in your eyes. No wonder he doesn't care what people think.
There is panic and disorder in the streets but it isn't coming from Sutter. It is coming from psuedo fans, band wagon jumpers and the press who is so blinded by it's disdain for Sutter, they can't see a good move even when it happens right before their eyes.
There is panic and disorder in the streets but it isn't coming from Sutter. It is coming from psuedo fans, band wagon jumpers and the press who is so blinded by it's disdain for Sutter, they can't see a good move even when it happens right before their eyes.
The media are reacting to the absurdity of the situation more than they are the actual move itself I think.
Then they need to realize with Langkow still only '60%' 3 months+ after his injury, Darryl needed to go out and get a center. And with Ottawa acquiring Gonchar and keeping Spezza, Savard refusing to waive his NTC, and us not having the assets to aquire Dubinsky, Sutter had to pick from these: http://nhlnumbers.com/freeagents.php...none&type=none
Jokinen was a helluva lot better option than Lombardi, Cullen, et al. And he was certainly better than standing pat and doing nothing.
For me, Jokinen was not an ideal choice, but I'm willing to see how we do and wait until Game 20 to pass judgment.
I mean Jokinen and Tanguay are better than Kotalik and Higgins, right? We're not paying him for top line duties. We have better depth at center than before, but I do want to see a C (not Backlund) get moved.
So as for what you would have done differently, you would have done... nothing?
Obviously the Savard thing fell through, any Spezza talks fell through, the NYR talks fell through, so yes. There's still lots of time and lots of good centers that may be trade bait. Ribeiro is out there, Richards may be in play, there's still Weiss in Florida.
Doing "nothing" (besides signing a few 4th liners) isn't so horrible. Other teams are notoriously inactive at this time of year and it doesn't hurt them. SJ, Buffalo, Detroit.
jokinen, a playoff contributor...you win.
