JJFIVEOH

Exactly. And this team isn't setting up to be one of those teams to be stacked defensively. So why force the issue when some of the most successful teams aren't defensively stacked either?

Bring them all here and this group will find something wrong with them, just like every other team's fans. And Anaheim will soon be splitting that up because they won't be able too afford them..... Like I said.

There isn't one single team with four solid top four defensemen. Either because people overvalue what a top four should be, or there just aren't enough to go around. How does anybody plan to afford to be the only team with four top notch top 4 D-men while fielding what should be a top 5 scoring team in the near future? It's not going to happen. Eventually fans are going to have to accept the fact that they highly overvalue the position because they put way too much emphasis on what should be expected.

Like it or not, Bogosian is a top 4 D-man. Trade him to any team and every team will have him in their top 4. Kulikov is also a top 4 who could be had for cheap because of his injuries in a contract year. Don't like Bogosian's injuries? You can get another top 4 by trading draft picks, prospects or go the UFA route. That scares me too.

Sorry, I kept adding. :thumbsup: And I understand why some would want to trade for that top tier D-man. I just don't think that the direction the game is going that loading up on high $$ D-men is the way to go. Just can't afford it. Teams like the Pens and Blackhawks stick with 3-4 good top pairing guys on defense and fill in the holes as they go with serviceable D-men and/or cheap prospects making the jump.

I watched probably 98% of the games all through the tank years. I watched as this team was completely dismantled. I've watched over the last year or two for that playoff caliber team to finally click. It's getting there ever so slowly. If Murray trades Kane, it just tells me as a fan that he has no interest in making this team better for the future. And I'm not going to live through any more of this. He says he has no intention of trading Kane. But if he does.............. I can only take so much. ;) We're going to have to agree to disagree. You can get a top tier D-man without getting rid of your top scorer, and there is nothing wrong with being overstocked with forwards. This team will be stacked offensively, win by outscoring the opponents. The best teams over the last several years didn't have the best defense.

Yet, Okposo averages .69 PPG and .26 GPG for his career and everybody was salivating over him. And Okposo doesn't have the physicality and the speed of Kane. There's a reason why Kane and Eichel do so well together, it's because Kane is the only one who can keep up. I just don't get it. Regardless of whether or not he can maintain this pace, he is a top 6 forward. More like a top 3 forward, who doesn't take a game off, who scores goal guys like Okposo could never do, and is the kind of player to look after guys like Eichel. He's the kind of player who would excel in the playoffs. I just don't understand why so many want him gone (I think I do actually). So he misses 20 games a year, that's what happens with guys who play his style of game. And you can't be without players who play that style of game, you take the good with the bad. So you trade him for a top 2 D-man and next year they'll find themselves looking to fill offensive hole. God forbid any of the top forwards misses extended time next year and we're all crying because there is no offensive depth. Yes, I said it......... there is nobody coming up through the ranks that can match what Kane brings. Not even remotely. If he says he doesn't want to stay here, worry about it next year. If he wants to stay, make an extension #1 priority so that way Murray can put this behind him and we can all find something else to bitch about. :P And yes, justifying not keeping Kane because he's "over the hill" is ridiculous.

Then Murray should be fired for signing players to long term deals when they aren't going to get any better.

Time to trade O'Reilly and Okposo.

Need to start loading up on draft picks, prepare for the future.

Can we package him with Kane and trade him? Their values are high so this is the time to trade them.

Risto and Eichel's values are high right now, this is the time to trade them. You and me both. If Kane is traded I am turning in my fan card because I don't see the logic in trading away a player who is a key to the future, when this is the point where the future is now. This isn't three years ago when we needed assets.

You betcha!

Gorges had a good game.

Why do I even bother listen to PHam's post game talk with Koziol. They don't make ladders tall enough for him to get off that high horse.

Thankfully it wasn't aired on TV. But yeah, it was bad.

Seriously, enough of the kid anthem singers. It's not cute any more. (It never really was). That was nauseating.

I've never seen an insurance plan with a max out of pocket of $20,000. As bad as insurance has gotten, most still aren't over $10,000. You're getting hosed somewhere.

Glad you're OK. If it was his fault, I'd be livid if they didn't reimburse me enough to cover all expenses and get another car without having to pay more. That's why we have insurance.

I always thought Lehner was better when he became more engaged. It seemed like the first couple of months they tried to neuter him and he seemed like he was trying to hard not to show emotion. And it hurt his game. The last month or two he seems more engaged and he's been playing better. Almost like he's relieved to not have to keep it pent up inside. I've seen some games where he stood in his head after pushing guys around.

High today of 75°.............. I have the worst luck.

I expected a continuation of what we saw the 2nd half of last year. Except this year they should have been better because they had a full year under a new coach, they had the addition of Okposo, and a full year together. The loss of Eichel should not demolish this team, if a team is that reliant on one single player, Murray should be gone because he didn't do his job. The were on a 94 point pace the last 41 games last year. There is no excuse for them to not at least match that.

Not counting Scotty Bowman, it's been 72 years since a coach has won a Cup with multiple teams. Just sayin'........................ :angel:

It's all fun and games until they lose on national TV to the worst team in the league.