And away we go NHL thread!!!!

[Shawn Lutz]

7-8 platyer left Chicago...heard their cap issues are wores that thought because they have to pay out bonus' to certain players...

[Spivonious]

Yeah, the Hawks aren't going to be much next year.

Flyers picked up O'Donnell and Meszaros. Not too sure about Shelley. Sometimes I think the Flyers are the retirement home for old goons.

I don't know about relying on Leighton, but our defense is definitely better now, and we got a winger. Trade Carter for a goalie and I'll be happy.

[goodwood]

Nobody can tell me that anybody did any worse than Calgary!!!

[Tekky]

Yeah, the Hawks aren't going to be much next year.

I don't believe that there is enough evidence to make that statement.

Granted, I say that as a full-blooded Blackhawks fan, but there is quite a bit of depth within the organization that may serve the Blackhawks well in 2010-2011. They weren't kidding when they said that the Detroit Red Wings were the model that they were working towards. Detroit had a depth that served (and still serves) them well.

I hate losing players that I have gotten to know over the last few years. Burish, Eager, and Byfuglien (just to name a few) were definitely role players. However, that next role player may be Skille, Beach, or any of the other Rockford Ice Hogs.

[Shawn Lutz]

Hawks lost some talent and depth for sure Todd but they have a good core of great players. The cap is what it is and Detroit found that out last season when they had to let players walk. Depth also taks a hit if you have as many injuries as the Wings have had.

The Blackhawks are still the Stanley Cup Champions with a good core, they'll be good again next year. In a sense they'll have to be even better during the regular season, everyone gets up playing the holders of the cup and want to knock off the champs during ever single game of the 82 game season

Buish will frequently be sharing penalty box with Steve Ott next year..lol

[Hellbat]

The 3 guys that its going to hurt Chicago the most to have lost is going to be Versteeg, Ladd, and Buf. Those are 3 solid 'git er done' kind of players that you need to win cups. I was honestly shocked they moved Versteeg of all of them.

I will be interesting to see who the Canucks move from the D core. I don't see them re-signing Mitchell currently unless his concussion magically fixes itself. The word on the street is the team may be looking to move Bieksa for a 4-7 forward.

[javert]

Go leafs! I was surprised to see they landed Versteeg.

[Tekky]

Hawks lost some talent and depth for sure Todd but they have a good core of great players. The cap is what it is and Detroit found that out last season when they had to let players walk. Depth also taks a hit if you have as many injuries as the Wings have had.

The Blackhawks are still the Stanley Cup Champions with a good core, they'll be good again next year. In a sense they'll have to be even better during the regular season, everyone gets up playing the holders of the cup and want to knock off the champs during ever single game of the 82 game season

Buish will frequently be sharing penalty box with Steve Ott next year..lol

You're preaching to the choir Shawn. Amen.

[Tekky]

The 3 guys that its going to hurt Chicago the most to have lost is going to be Versteeg, Lagg, and Buf. Those are 3 solid 'git er done' kind of players that you need to win cups. I was honestly shocked they moved Versteeg of all of them.

I would say those three (and the rest of the players that were moved) are more of role players. Granted Ladd is the more consistent of the three, but I think one of the core players are about to step up and fill that gap.

As much as I hate to see Steeger go (but not as much as Burish), he had a bad habit of getting a little too excited during breakaways and next thing you know he's blown a scoring chance. It happened quite a bit not only during the season, but during the playoffs where you notice it more.

Buff may be the scourge of goaltenders with his big booty, but I think that when we signed John Scott, he's going to be filling that role for the B-Hawks now. At 6-foot-8, and 258 pounds, he's going to be a a big enough screen you can show movies off his back when they're on the road. He just needs to learn that penalty box = much shame.

But this is all speculation on my part. I want the Blackhawks to repeat, and as the Superfans said about da Bulls, we're talking a minimum 8-peat.

But the cap is what it is, so when the dust settles and the players get back to the ice in October (earler because of pre-season), we'll see how well these moves worked for everyone involved.

[goodwood]

I think that with Chicago's core of talent, they make other players look much better. I would be surprised to see Byfuglien with 17 goals next season (which is what he got with Chicago this past season) and I'd be even more surprised to see him score on the pace that he did in the playoffs again like he did with Chicago.

That said, I think often a breakthough like he had can do a lot for a player's confidence and teach a player quite a bit.

[Shawn Lutz]

Tommy, you need to get ya one fo these before the start of the 10-11 NHL season

[atomic charvel guy]

why? so i can lock Sather in it and take over his job? that's the only reason i can come up with.
Deplorable organization, Steinbrenner's need to buy them and clean that place up now.

[Razor]

why? so i can lock Sather in it and take over his job? that's the only reason i can come up with.
Deplorable organization, Steinbrenner's need to buy them and clean that place up now.

Post of the pre-season there!!!

[6string40]

I would be surprised to see Byfuglien with 17 goals next season (which is what he got with Chicago this past season).

Correct me if I'm wrong Tekky, but didn't Buff play most of the regular season on D?

While he may not be a sniper, he should see more ice time at forward, in front of the net and on the PP and he may even do better than 17. Of course, then again, he may do nothing...you never know bout them Trashers.

[Tekky]

Most of last season he did. But only a small part of this season... When Soup went down from the Ovechkin hit. Otherwise he was a 3rd/4th line winger designated to get his ass in front of the goaltender.