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Leaf Rumours

Good idea, I've never thought of looking at in inversely like that.

I haven't the faintest ****ing clue of where to find a CHL stats engine like that though. Much easier just to compile a list of NHL players who have scored 30 or 60 and work backwards from there. I know hockeydb would have the player stats, but it would be completely uncompiled. I would have to individually search each guy....a lot of garbage work.

Yeah, it'd be a job for multiple people.....
 
Ok I'm cheating a little, because he was also injured, but I don't think 15 points is that hard to make up when you go from goon-linemates to elite linemates, and go from a checking role to offensive role.

I guess I just don't buy the "checking role" talk. You're either on the ice or you're not, and if you're on the ice, if you're a good offensive player, you're going to create offence. The man plays ~20 minutes a night, that's a ****load of ice time, and though 3+ of that is on the PK, 16:00 of 5 on 5 & PP time is plenty, more than most 2nd line centres and close to what a lot of 1st line centres play.

The linemates argument I buy to a degree and I could see him getting a 10 point a season boost from that. FWIW, I peg his offensive upside somewhere close to where Zeke does, roughly 65 points a season on average with stellar defensive and PK work.

Very good player, I would trade Kabs for him. I don't think I would trade Kabs and Kulemin for him though.
 
I know Burkie told Lebrun the Savard rumour is BS, and I know he is 32, and I know he had concussion problems last year,

but I really don't think they can get a player who will have a bigger impact back. And that includes if guys like Ryan and Staal, who probably aren't on the table, are on the table.

Not to mention how much better his contract looks as the 5 year $20 million deal it likely will be, as opposed to the 7 year 28 million dollar deal it appears to be.
 
Places with better number one centres:

New Jersey - Zajac
Pittsburgh - Crosby, Malkin
Philadelphia - M. Richards, Carter
Buffalo - Roy
Boston - Savard
Ottawa - Spezza
Montreal - Plekanec
Washington - Backstrom
Carolina - Big Staal
Atlanta - Antropov
Tampa Bay - Stamkos, Lecavalier
Chicago - Toews, Sharp
Detroit - Datstyk, Zetterberg
Columbus - Vermette
Vancouver - H. Sedin
Colorado - Stastny, Duchene
Minnesota - Baby Koivu
San Jose - Thornton
Los Angeles - Kopitar
Dallas - B. Richards
Anaheim - Getzlaf


He would be a number one centre on the Leafs, Rangers, possibly the Islanders (although I think JT is better at this point), Nashville, possibly St. Louis, Calgary, possibly Edmonton (although I would rather have Seguin, even now), and Phoenix. So that's only six definitive places wher Staal would be the undisputed best centre.

imo you forgot a few names. Pavelski, Kesler
 
Not to mention how much better his contract looks as the 5 year $20 million deal it likely will be, as opposed to the 7 year 28 million dollar deal it appears to be.

Hell....it's quite likely Savard's deal ends up being a 4 year 16 million dollar deal (against the cap....25.6 million paid out)
 
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There are also a few on that list that Staal could very conceivably overtake on the top line (Zajac, Plekanec, Vermette, Roy, Antropov).
 
Preferably our resident CHL experts. There would be a lot of non NHL names on the list of 1.2ppg or higher players, most of whom I wouldn't be able to pick out of a 2 man police lineup

Handful of us could tabulate the players who've score 30/60 and work back.....another handful (CHL crew) work on gathering the ones that scored over1.2, but didn't make the cut.
 
Not that big really...30 or 60 is a lot harder to achieve than most people seem to think, and it's usually the same guys doing it over and over again.

Of course, it's a CHL only list because interpreting Euro & NCAA stats is something I have no desire to put the work into doing.

Let me go over it for errors and make sure I didn't omit any one and I'll post it tonight.
 
Places with better number one centres:

New Jersey - Zajac
Pittsburgh - Crosby, Malkin
Philadelphia - M. Richards, Carter
Buffalo - Roy
Boston - Savard
Ottawa - Spezza
Montreal - Plekanec
Washington - Backstrom
Carolina - Big Staal
Atlanta - Antropov
Tampa Bay - Stamkos, Lecavalier
Chicago - Toews, Sharp
Detroit - Datstyk, Zetterberg
Columbus - Vermette
Vancouver - H. Sedin
Colorado - Stastny, Duchene
Minnesota - Baby Koivu
San Jose - Thornton
Los Angeles - Kopitar
Dallas - B. Richards
Anaheim - Getzlaf


He would be a number one centre on the Leafs, Rangers, possibly the Islanders (although I think JT is better at this point), Nashville, possibly St. Louis, Calgary, possibly Edmonton (although I would rather have Seguin, even now), and Phoenix. So that's only six definitive places wher Staal would be the undisputed best centre.

not sure I agree on at least the bolded ones, and some others on that list I might argue with as well, at least in terms of upside.
 
I'm just talking about presently. You can argue that Staal has the upside to be better than those players (although Koivu is just as good defensive as Staal and Sharp is a playoff warrior), but right now they're better than him.
 
Staal's an excellent player at the age of just 21. There's no question for me that he'll be a first line talent if given a starring role on a good club. He's the perfect complement to our evolving roster and would be the ideal candidate to be our first line center going forward.

But I wouldn't trade both Kabs and Kuly for him. No chance.
 
staal's upside is somewhere between mikko koivu and patrick sharp, imo.

i think he'll be a notch above sharp... and maybe a step down from koivu.
 
I think that alot of people are going to be very upset with the return that Kaberle brings .....
 
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