• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

Leaf Rumours

Why don't they have a shot?

They have a pretty good top 6 and adding Langenbruner is only going to make them better. Personally I think they are a good defencemen away from being on the favorites to come out of the West
 
You don't trade your best forward when you are in a playoff run because the odds makers dont have you as a favorite. Just ask Phily how important the odds makers are to winning in the playoffs.

When the goal is the playoffs/Stanley Cup and you are in the running, you dont veer off course because you have a pending UFA at the end of the season.
 
I think if the playoffs started today they'd have a hell of a time getting past Anaheim.

Actually IMO, Anaheim and Dallas will probably swap spots in the standings by the end of the year. I like Dallas, but I just don't see them getting making a good run at the cup.
 
Given To Fly said:
You don't trade your best forward when you are in a playoff run because the odds makers dont have you as a favorite. Just ask Phily how important the odds makers are to winning in the playoffs.

When the goal is the playoffs/Stanley Cup and you are in the running, you dont veer off course because you have a pending UFA at the end of the season.
Click to expand...

Philly is a much, much better team than Dallas. Every team in the playoffs doesn't actually have a chance. Its a load of crap. Don't let a playoff spot veer you from your true goal of building a cup winner.

Losing Richards for nothing would be a disaster for that franchise.
 
leafman101 said:
Do you really think they have a legit shot at the cup? Cause I don't. And that is the exact reason I said above they have to move him. Losing in the first two rounds, then losing your best player for nothing is a disaster.

If they were Detroit it would be a different story.
Click to expand...

why don't they?

if they can acquire a puck moving defenseman then, without question, that team has a legitimate shot. they have as much depth as any team up front. and lehtonen, though untested in the playoffs, is a good goalie.

they just don't have that offensive #1 defenseman. but the upcoming free agent class is rich in defensemen and i could certainly see the stars making a move on that front. they just saved $350k on brunnstrom. in fact, mccabe might be a great fit. come the trade deadline (which falls around the 60 game mark) mccabe's remaining cap hit will be about $1.55. but his salary is about $1.5 below his cap hit, so in fact he'll only be owed about $1mn. factor in the $350k they have saved on brunnstrom and you're looking at nieuwendyk only having to ask for an extra $650k to add mccabe. and dallas has almost $8mn in cap space.

dallas might be close this year, and with richards' future unclear, might actually be advised to push for it this year, since they have the cap space to do so.
 
leafman101 said:
Philly is a much, much better team than Dallas. Every team in the playoffs doesn't actually have a chance. Its a load of crap. Don't let a playoff spot veer you from your true goal of building a cup winner.

Losing Richards for nothing would be a disaster for that franchise.
Click to expand...

i think you're underrating dallas. they have a ton of skill up front and though they lack a big minutes eater on the back end, are very deep. they have gotten excellent goaltending from both lehtonen and raycroft.

they have one sizeable hole. if they can fill it, though, then dallas is a team with a legitimate shot at doing damage in the playoffs.

detroit's goaltending is questionable with osgoode possibly finished for good and howard being wholly mediocre this year. chicago has struggled through injuries and poor goaltending. the remaining playoff teams (phoenix, nashville, anaheim and colorado would make it if the season ended today) comprise a pretty underwhelming group.

i think you're underrating dallas's chances.
 
But they have a strict budget.

Sure, if the owners decide to open the pocket books to let them add a high level key player or two it could be a different story.

But it doesn't look like that is what is happening there. And the team as it currently sits, isn't winning the cup.
 
But then again if the owners are willing to open the pocket books then you can probably resign Richards, and this isn't even an issue.
 
leafman101 said:
But they have a strict budget.

Sure, if the owners decide to open the pocket books to let them add a high level key player or two it could be a different story.

But it doesn't look like that is what is happening there.
Click to expand...

by open the pocket books you're asking them for an extra $1-$1.5mn, at a point in the season where an additional several million in revenue -- that hadn't previously been in the budget -- will be guaranteed.

of course, i am assuming that in any deal they aren't giving up additional salary, which they probably will be.

keep in mind that phoenix was allowed to open its pocketbooks at the deadline last year. and that was a team without an actual owner. hell, dallas was already allowed to do so with the langenbrunner trade.

if dallas is close nieuwendyk will be given a bit to play with to try and find the right balance.
 
if the stars were battling for a playoff spot then they'd for sure explore trading richards. but it's pretty tough to justify that sort of move when you're in line to win your division.
 
leafman101 said:
You're assuming a lot of things.

The Stars owner is bankrupt and desperately trying to sell the team.
Click to expand...

the only assumption i'm making is that they'll give him some money to play with.

even if they don't, dallas is in a pretty good spot. i see more distinguishing the stars from the likes of some of the other playoff teams than i see distinguishing the apparent top teams in the west (detroit, vancouver and chicago can't be discounted) from dallas.
 
Vancouver is in a class by themselves right now. They are great all around. Detroit just needs their goaltending to get hot to join them. And right now Anaheim is maybe the hottest team in the league behind the Canucks, and if they can keep this up, they may join that group too. And like you said, you can't discount Chicago who has been their usual selves with Crawford in net, and he is getting the ball right now.

Dallas is at least adding a stud defenseman away from being in the discussion. If they can do it, great, but it remains to be seen with all the turmoil involving their ownership situation.
 
nashville? their top forwards are sullivan, hornqvist and kostistyn.

that team is held together by some incredible goaltending. but i think lehtonen is every bit as capable as rinne and lindback.

dallas's depth up front is as good as any team in the league. they have a premier centre -- about as good as any in the west. they have two other bonafide first liners in eriksson and ribeiro. they have another borderline first liner in morrow. they have two bonafide second liners in benn and langenbrunner. they're physical on all four lines, and have solid 3rd and 4th line depth.

the blueline isn't talented but it's deep. daley, robidas, niskanen and grossman are all good 2nd pair defenders.

they have a very good (and often forgotten goalie) in lehtonen.

i agree that the canucks look like they're a cut above right now. but let's not forget that they'r ealso on the heels of a 17 game stretch without a regulation loss and the stars are still only 5 points back.
 
Nashville is going to take that next step this year....if they can avoid detroit in the first round...they win.

remember...they were poised to go up 3-2 on the cup champs in the opening round series before Kane had that miracle
 
MyNameIsJonas said:
Nashville is going to take that next step this year....if they can avoid detroit in the first round...they win.

remember...they were poised to go up 3-2 on the cup champs in the opening round series before Kane had that miracle
Click to expand...

or, kane had a miracle because he was playing against a second rate team.

since that time nashville has lost its top centre and a big part of its defensive depth.

that playoff series means very little. nashville lacks talent up front. they have unbelievable goaltending, and that is why they are sitting where they are in the standings. the goaltending can maybe steal a round, but the team is not near good enough to go on a prolonged run. they need serious help up front.

they don't have a single forward on pace for 50 points.
 
Nashville scarily reminds me of the 2001-02 Montreal Canadiens.

Their top-scorer that season was Yannic Perreault with 27 goals and 56 points. Their three next highest-scoring players after that (Zednik, Petrov, and Gilmour) had 44, 41, and 41 points respectively. They received a league-best .923 team save percentage (Nashville is currently at a .924 team save percentage). I think the most the Predators are poised to do is take one round and then get bounced.
 
Yeah Nashville stinks. Anaheim needs to get more love though.

3 guys in the top 30 in scoring. Plus Bobby Ryan, and some solid depth in Koivu, Lupul, Blake.

2 of the top 20 scoring defensemen, plus Lydman who has been one of the better shutdown guys in the NHL this year (1.59 GAon/60 (8th in the NHL among regular playing dmen) and a 0.079 qualitycomp (16th in NHL).

Plus Hiller in net.

They are 14-7-1 since the end of November, or a 108 point pace.
 
Last edited:
its all hiller.... that guy faces between 35-40 shots a night every game. They have a great top line, but Hiller makes that defense look good. If Thomas didn't have some of those ridiculous numbers because of the trap... Hiller should win the Vezina
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top