Official Rockford IceHogs Forum Thread

[Capt. Serious]

Stan needs to add a few guys today.

 

[tbo41fan]

Stan needs to add a few guys today.

I would expect hammer to resign today or tomorrow and bowman to add 1-2 3rd/4th liners in the coming days

 

[Severz]

We barely have a 3rd/4th line right now.

Hell after Duncs/Seabs/Soupy/Hammer we need more d-men.

The team lost alot of depth.

Brouwer - Toews - Kane
Beach - Sharp - Hossa
Kopecky - Bolland - Olimb
Skille - Reasoner - Stalberg

Keith - Seabrook
Hjalmarsson - Cambell
Lalonde - (Olsen, Hendry, Vishnevskiy, Scott)

Niemi - Crawford

That still leaves us with using Kruger, Bickell, and Dowell if someone is not working out. Also that is just the current team I made that from keep in mind once Huet is wavied to Rockford we still are Roughly 5.5 million under the cap (I am guessing our propects contracts).

Now we all know the potential Beach has, he really solidifies that 2nd line. Kopecky was able to fill Ladd's posistion in the finals and did a heck of a job and Olimb is going to be as good as Versteeg, trust me on that. That leaves us with a very solid top 3 offensive lines and very solid top 2 defensive pairings, the majority of our ice time will be taken by those lines.

 

[tbo41fan]

I would switch Beach and Skille

Skille is more of a scorer and Beach is tougher

 

[ClydeLee]

I would switch Beach and Skille

Skille is more of a scorer and Beach is tougher

Could be saying the same with about Stalberg too. I think Bolly may center that 2nd line making neither up there.

 

[tbo41fan]

Ya, i see bolland centering line 2 also

 

[STEAL]

Although we may not be complete yet
what team can match up their top 4 forwards with

Kane (A+), Toews (A++), Hossa (A), Sharp (A-)

And their top 2 defenseman with

Keith (A), Seabrook (A-)


NOBODY!

We need some solid pieces to fill out the roster, and omg what do you know, we now have some cap space since we traded some players.

Added are my personal grades.

Richards (A+), Carter (A-), Gagne (A), Briere (A) isn't far behind while Carter is on the team. Hell if Hartnell (B) plays like he did the year before last or like he did in the playoffs, he's a pretty damn good forward, and same with Leino (B). That's also leaving out Giroux (B+).

Pronger (A+), Coburn (A-), Carle (A- in playoffs), Timmonen (B+), Meszaros (B+), O'Donnell (B-) > Your 2 man defense.

The sad this is, is we need to sign Nabakov or any B or greater goalie. Leighton is a C- goalie at best.

Any grades you disagree with?

I just don't get how when your team won, you had to gut the whole team, but the team that came in second hasn't made any changes besides getting better players.

 

[Capt. Serious]

Gagne is supposedly done as a Flyer

 

[ClydeLee]

How long are most of those flyers signed up for? Not that it equals their salary but if their up soon on older deals for a lot of those top players they could be cheaper giving more cap.

Blackhawks have the majority of their top players signed for long fresh high deals. But the real reason the Blackhawks have to clear a lot of cap is because they were in horrible hockey hell just a few years ago. They didn't just have a few bad years like the Flyers. They had to overpay to sign players and put huge money into FA's like Campbell, Huet, Hossa. Wrong or not, it worked and if they could of given Campbell or Huet to anyone for a reasonable deal they would have. So instead they have to clear out the replaceable talent.

 

[STEAL]

Gagne is supposedly done as a Flyer

I know Carter is but where'd you hear that.

 

[Severz]

I would switch Beach and Skille
Skille is more of a scorer and Beach is tougher

Beach is a tough scorer, he put in 52 goals in only 68 for Spokane last season. I don't think Skille makes the team this year he might be on the bubble... he for sure is not talented enough yet to play on our second line. There is also the possibility Bickell plays on the top line dropping Brouwer into the second line and Beach taking Andrew Ladd's role on the 3rd line.

Trust me you don't hear about Kyle Beach around town just because he has a nasty streak in his game, he was a top 6-7 player the year he was drafted but dropped to 11th because of his personality.

 

[ClydeLee]

I know Carter is but where'd you hear that.

Rumored interests from Tampa. Hears trade rumor of a Gagne for Tim Thomas.

Why the Flyers might trade Simon Gagne - Broad Street Hockey

 

[Severz]

How long are most of those flyers signed up for? Not that it equals their salary but if their up soon on older deals for a lot of those top players they could be cheaper giving more cap.

Philadelphia Flyers Contracts, Salary Cap Space, Salary Cap Hits - The Hockey GM

Briere, Hartnell, and Timonen are all overpaid for a long time to come. Giroux, Gagne, and Carter are there key FAs next year.

They also are only 1 million under the cap right now and still have some roster to fill out. They are in a worse situation than us right now.

 

[tbo41fan]

Added are my personal grades.

Richards (A+), Carter (A-), Gagne (A), Briere (A) isn't far behind while Carter is on the team. Hell if Hartnell (B) plays like he did the year before last or like he did in the playoffs, he's a pretty damn good forward, and same with Leino (B). That's also leaving out Giroux (B+).

Pronger (A+), Coburn (A-), Carle (A- in playoffs), Timmonen (B+), Meszaros (B+), O'Donnell (B-) > Your 2 man defense.

The sad this is, is we need to sign Nabakov or any B or greater goalie. Leighton is a C- goalie at best.

Any grades you disagree with?

I just don't get how when your team won, you had to gut the whole team, but the team that came in second hasn't made any changes besides getting better players.

I only question your ratings because, if you have all these A and A+ players, why did it take a shootout on the last day of the season to barely squeak into the playoffs in a very weak Eastern Conference? I dont watch the flyers much, was it just chemistry issues?

The hawks players are all A's or A+ and we played like them all year and almost won the much tougher western conference. IDK, thats just what im thinking


As for the bolded part,

With us winning, all the contract bonuses kicked in so we are operating with 4-5 million dollars less than the rest of the league.

Also, Huet;s salary will count against us until the season starts because we cant put him in rockford until the season starts.

Between Huet and the bonuses, thats 9-10 mill we lose automatically to spend this offseason

 

[Severz]

Added are my personal grades.

Richards (A+), Carter (A-), Gagne (A), Briere (A) isn't far behind while Carter is on the team. Hell if Hartnell (B) plays like he did the year before last or like he did in the playoffs, he's a pretty damn good forward, and same with Leino (B). That's also leaving out Giroux (B+).

Pronger (A+), Coburn (A-), Carle (A- in playoffs), Timmonen (B+), Meszaros (B+), O'Donnell (B-) > Your 2 man defense.

The sad this is, is we need to sign Nabakov or any B or greater goalie. Leighton is a C- goalie at best.

I just don't get how when your team won, you had to gut the whole team, but the team that came in second hasn't made any changes besides getting better players.

You're a fucking moron, I am sorry but there are so many problems with what you have said...

#1 You don't have the cap space for Nabakov or any of the top 4 free agent goaltenders right now.

#2 Our 2 man defense? Look at how much ice time Pronger had to play for you guys and you are calling our defense front loaded? I guess you also forgot the key roles Campbell and Hjalmarsson. I noticed you pointed out you have the best 6 man defense in the NHL, our top 4 is far better than your top 4 and those are the guys who get the most ice time... I can care less if you have a better 5th and 6th... also you have no idea what Lalonde is capable of.

Richards is an A+? Compared to who? He is a good young two way center with some grit but Toews, Crosby, Backstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Kopitar, Stamkos, Sedin, Thornton are all better centermen (and those are players just off the top of my head, I am sure I missed a couple). I am not bashing Richards I like him as a player but he is a B+.

Carter and Gagne are A players? Yea they really showed it by doing nothing in the finals, your team was carried by Danny Breire... he was your team in the finals. His linemates looked good playing with him so they got credit as well but Briere was the catalyst.

Like someone pointed out... you made the playoffs by 1 point in the weak eastern conference and got some hot goaltending to carry your team into the finals. Our core team is intact and still far better than Phillys.

Ask yourself this honestly... would you trade your entire team for Chicagos? Sorry I don't usually rant but this guy is fucking moron and is overrating his team beyond belief.

 

[Severz]

I forgot to add Getzlaf, Staal, and Malkin as players who are as good or better than Richards...

A+ = Elite top 5 players... like players who Win a Gold Medal and are voted the best forward of the Olympic Tournament and then Win a Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe... then get picked for the cover of NHL 11... you knows Elite players who are really A+ like Jonathan Toews.

 

[CHAD0034]

severz u tell him

 

[Capt. Serious]

LOL, Coburn sucks. Dude skates like a camel.

 

[Severz]

LOL, Coburn sucks. Dude skates like a camel.

No he is an A- did you not read Steal's post. I guess that means Hunchback Aztek Warrior skating Brent Sopel is an A+ defensemen...

 

[tbo41fan]

LOL severz went off. hahahaha