40Dangles

We're strong on the left side anyways. A top winger (or center winger - draft is deep at C this year) is also a need, so you go at that this year, and hope you can find a RD gem amongst the next rounds or next year....JB and Bracket will find a good player regardless. And should we somehow squeak in, I think it may mean more than many fans realize. These guys making it in, even if they're out in 4 would really help them as a group mentally. After a very tough, up and down season, to still have made it, will reinforce what Green has been teaching them, don't quit, keep working, battle. It will pay dividends down the road when we're ready to actually compete. It will also toughen them up. The game changes, the boys need to learn how they will need to up their intensity, start being physical, deal with more physical play etc. It's nothing like Junior, they need to learn at this level. Whether we pick top 5 or #16 we'll still be fine. And honestly, I would love to see them make it simply for Marky, that guy will have willed us in if we make it. He deserves it after the year he's had.

Heee heee heee, Heee heee heee SMH

Confidence. It’s such a funny thing, but Hughes is the type of player that “knows” if he makes an error he’ll somehow get the puck back, or at least react and prevent a chance the other way. Players like Stech and Hutton have a flash, then try again and err, and don’t recover and get worried they’ll get stapled to the bench. So their creativity gets a bit stifled in order to ensure they play the “right way” and by the book / within the system. This is always they challenge for most young players, to keep their offensive creativity, while playing within the system for the team. The NHL is such a systems driven game now that if one part breaks down, teams are so quick to take advantage and counter, that an error easily causes a goal against. Now I will say this, Hughes game will change in the NHL, his errors will be more costly against pros and the “shinny” game he can play offensively may not come out, given errors in the NHL often end up in your own net. Unless of course Tambellini is right and he is Bobby Orr!

If he can improve our PP (which is almost a given), and help our transition game, whether he get 20 pts or 50 pts I could care less. They key for him/ us is that he is able to get the puck out of our zone quickly, on our forwards tape when they have space and time, in transition. That skill alone, which he has, will benefit our team immensely. That is a major aspect of offensive chances, and right now we really lack that from the back end.

Has Lockwood said he's going back? I see 2 pages of drama when he hasn't even said what his plans are.

100 and 150 would be nuts! That would be like back to the ...... Wayne and Mario days

How do you think Trump got into Wharton? It wasn’t his brains. Daddy probably donated a lot of money to their endowment fund

No chance. Kane and Keith yes (not that I revere Keith, but you know what I mean)

Gretz turned those players into those players. If you were around, not sure if you were, hell I could have played with him and scored 50. The guy literally gave players empty nets to shoot at with his passing. Remember BJ Mcdonald? Lol look up his stats of when he played a Wayne vs when our stupid management traded for him thinking he had real talent lol! Wayne bounced the puck of his own players sticks into the net - it really was more of that than “all of them being greats”

I’m agreeing with you, I’m all gretz all day as the best ever.

Especially given our lack of high end defensive depth, he’s even more important to us. If he ends up anchoring the first or second pair for his career which he “should”, then he was the right pick

Wayne made everyone around him better. Mario was a better pure scorer and one on one player, pure hockey sense, ability to see the ice. No chance. Hell, Mario only came “close” to breaking Wayne’s goal scoring record of 92 goals in a season (he may have if he hadn’t of been hurt), but in reality, Mario couldn’t even match that or come close again. Even on goalscoring ability (which I’d reluctantly give Mario the. Edge) the stats don’t support it, Wayne scored 92, 87, 73, and 71 as his best. Mario broke 70 only twice. And let’s not forget the pure physical gifts and advantages Mario had over Wayne (and the entire league given his size).

Gardner is junk in his own end man. He solves nothing. He just causes more pucks in our own net