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Most Improved Team?

cw said:
fyi: I saw somewhere today - don't recall where or I'd link it (it was just a note - not an article) that the Wings did make some sort of an offer to Vokoun.
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Vokoun himself said that he had offers from Washington and Detroit:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Red-Wings-were-finalist-for-Tomas-Vokoun-so-wha?urn=nhl-wp9014

It's speculated that he didn't want to sign there in fear of being a back-up to Howard.
 
Madferret said:
Heatley - Koivu - Setuguchi


Backstrom
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It's the rest of their team that worries me. But acquiring Heatley was a great move on their part. Still don't like the Burns trade though. Even if they feared losing him as an UFA next season, I think they could have gotten more at the deadline.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Madferret said:
CarltonTheBear said:
Madferret said:
Heatley - Koivu - Setuguchi


Backstrom
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It's the rest of their team that worries me. But acquiring Heatley was a great move on their part.
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They actually have a scoring line now.

!!
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Who knows, the younger Koivu might actually start getting some respect now.
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They have a decent blueline still despite losing Burns and Backstrom is Backstrom. Considering the trades they pulled off no one really is taking them into consideration.
 
Madferret said:
They have a decent blueline still despite losing Burns and Backstrom is Backstrom. Considering the trades they pulled off no one really is taking them into consideration.
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They have a very ordinary blueline and little offensive depth beyond the 1st line. Adding Setoguchi could be a nice move for them, if he can regain his 08/09 form, but if he's still the same guy he was the past 2 seasons, it's sort of a sideways move for them. Heatley is an upgrade on Havlat, but not a game-changing one. They're a better team, but they're nowhere near the most improved team - I mean, they're a one line team with a really good goalie. Woo freaking hoo.
 
Busta Reims said:
Madferret said:
They have a decent blueline still despite losing Burns and Backstrom is Backstrom. Considering the trades they pulled off no one really is taking them into consideration.
Click to expand...

They have a very ordinary blueline and little offensive depth beyond the 1st line. Adding Setoguchi could be a nice move for them, if he can regain his 08/09 form, but if he's still the same guy he was the past 2 seasons, it's sort of a sideways move for them. Heatley is an upgrade on Havlat, but not a game-changing one. They're a better team, but they're nowhere near the most improved team - I mean, they're a one line team with a really good goalie. Woo freaking hoo.
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Mmm, yeah, I'm going to have to go ahead and ask you to come in on Sunday.
 
The  Hockey New's 5 LEAST improved teams;

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41340-Proteau-The-NHLs-five-leastimproved-teams.html

5. Winnipeg Jets
4. Calgary Flames
3. Ottawa Senators
2. New Jersey Devils
1. Phoenix Coyotes
 
Adding Vokoun for peanuts. They get my vote, definitely and I think as it stands right now it's their Cup to lose.
 
Busta Reims said:
Madferret said:
They have a decent blueline still despite losing Burns and Backstrom is Backstrom. Considering the trades they pulled off no one really is taking them into consideration.
Click to expand...

They have a very ordinary blueline and little offensive depth beyond the 1st line. Adding Setoguchi could be a nice move for them, if he can regain his 08/09 form, but if he's still the same guy he was the past 2 seasons, it's sort of a sideways move for them. Heatley is an upgrade on Havlat, but not a game-changing one. They're a better team, but they're nowhere near the most improved team - I mean, they're a one line team with a really good goalie. Woo freaking hoo.
Click to expand...

Let's say Setoguchi & Heatley are moderate improvements over Havlat & an aging Brunette (I'm not completely confident they are but just to play along). They lost Miettinen and I'm not seeing the proven talent added to replace him nor any upgrade to their second line unless they're betting the farm on a healthier Latendresse.

If aging Zidlicky can stay healthy next season, he'll help but I don't see how they've fully replaced their lost offence from the backend with the departure of Burns. Scoring was the bigger problem with this team and I'm not convinced they've really fixed it or significantly improved there. To me, their backend looks worse offensively and because of that, if I had to guess, I'd say they're weaker overall offensively compared with last season. Maybe I'm missing something.

Plus or minus a few points, I suspect they look like they'll finish close to where they did last year as a slightly below average club.
 
cw said:
Busta Reims said:
Madferret said:
They have a decent blueline still despite losing Burns and Backstrom is Backstrom. Considering the trades they pulled off no one really is taking them into consideration.
Click to expand...

They have a very ordinary blueline and little offensive depth beyond the 1st line. Adding Setoguchi could be a nice move for them, if he can regain his 08/09 form, but if he's still the same guy he was the past 2 seasons, it's sort of a sideways move for them. Heatley is an upgrade on Havlat, but not a game-changing one. They're a better team, but they're nowhere near the most improved team - I mean, they're a one line team with a really good goalie. Woo freaking hoo.
Click to expand...

Let's say Setoguchi & Heatley are moderate improvements over Havlat & an aging Brunette (I'm not completely confident they are but just to play along). They lost Miettinen and I'm not seeing the proven talent added to replace him nor any upgrade to their second line unless they're betting the farm on a healthier Latendresse.

If aging Zidlicky can stay healthy next season, he'll help but I don't see how they've fully replaced their lost offence from the backend with the departure of Burns. Scoring was the bigger problem with this team and I'm not convinced they've really fixed it or significantly improved there. To me, their backend looks worse offensively and because of that, if I had to guess, I'd say they're weaker overall offensively compared with last season. Maybe I'm missing something.

Plus or minus a few points, I suspect they look like they'll finish close to where they did last year as a slightly below average club.
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I don't like their defense at all.
 
Bender said:
Adding Vokoun for peanuts. They get my vote, definitely and I think as it stands right now it's their Cup to lose.
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Caps have to get over that hump of regular season greatness, playoff disaster.  They're in the same sort of organizational "prove it" mode that San Jose is too.  Always great in the regular season, flops in the playoffs.
 
Floyd said:
The  Hockey New's 5 LEAST improved teams;

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41340-Proteau-The-NHLs-five-leastimproved-teams.html

5. Winnipeg Jets
4. Calgary Flames
3. Ottawa Senators
2. New Jersey Devils
1. Phoenix Coyotes
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I would agree with their list except I really think Philli should be on it as #6, or they are #1 on the "took the biggest risk of completely destroying a good thing" list.

New Jersey I really wonder about.  Most (self included) have been assuming they will again rise to prominence.. maybe we're assuming a little too soon.  So far they have no head coach, no signed franchise player and we assume Brodeur is getting his sloppy butt in shape this off season to try and return to his former amazing self. 

Those are 3 enormous issues and on top of that the rest of the team was hardly even tinkered with.  They really are an odd collection of overpaid players for the most part.  They may not be the team we assume them to be next season. 

Ottawa is clearly tanking.

 
The Hockey News Top 10: Off-season winners
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41326-THNcom-Top-10-Offseason-winners.html
9. Maple Leafs
Yes, the Leafs? acquisitions of Tim Connolly and Matthew Lombardi have giant ?ifs? attached to them (in no small part due to their concussion history). However, landing 6-foot-5 Cody Franson makes Toronto?s already-imposing defense corps that much more intimidating.

Leafs at#9, Caps at #1, Sabres #4, Flyers not on his list.

It's written by Proteau so I don't place tons of stock in it.
 
cw said:
The Hockey News Top 10: Off-season winners
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41326-THNcom-Top-10-Offseason-winners.html
9. Maple Leafs
Yes, the Leafs? acquisitions of Tim Connolly and Matthew Lombardi have giant ?ifs? attached to them (in no small part due to their concussion history). However, landing 6-foot-5 Cody Franson makes Toronto?s already-imposing defense corps that much more intimidating.

Leafs at#9, Caps at #1, Sabres #4, Flyers not on his list.

It's written by Proteau so I don't place tons of stock in it.
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Cool... Duplicate in new temporary positive vibrations thread? - another "must have" I'm thinking.
 
I think a lot of people are underrating how much Campbell brought to the Hawks. In my mind, Campbell, Kopecky and Brouwer are much more valuable than Brunette, Mayers, Montador and O'Donnell combined; I don't see how the Hawks are much improved, let alone at all.

The Caps, Kings and Bluejackets seem the most improved IMO. The Columbus PP has potential to be lethal. 
 
cw said:
The Hockey News Top 10: Off-season winners
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41326-THNcom-Top-10-Offseason-winners.html
9. Maple Leafs
Yes, the Leafs? acquisitions of Tim Connolly and Matthew Lombardi have giant ?ifs? attached to them (in no small part due to their concussion history). However, landing 6-foot-5 Cody Franson makes Toronto?s already-imposing defense corps that much more intimidating.

Leafs at#9, Caps at #1, Sabres #4, Flyers not on his list.

It's written by Proteau so I don't place tons of stock in it.
Click to expand...

Channeling Bill Watters....so Franson is going to intimidate the opposition by throwing glitter?

I don't think "9th" is all that off, although the idea of calling people winners/losers of drafts/free agency before the picks/signings pan out seems kind of pointless.  If it turns out that Brad Richards tears his ACL training next week and the Rangers now have a massive cap liability in the offseason who can't play, does that make them a winner still?  I realize they signed him for who he is today, but before he affects the team on the ice, you don't know what the Rangers are going to get.  Maybe he doesn't gel with Gaborik and is kind of like Kessel where you have a great individual talent who just doesn't fit well with the rest of the roster.

I think there were very few "losers" this offseason though.  The Panthers are probably one simply because they have a better team, but lost the only reason they didn't go 0-81-1 last year in Vokoun so they had to spend a lot of money to hit the cap floor that will pull them out of the true basement of the NHL before the team is ready to do so.

The Leafs are better because they didn't lose assets but added improvements with big "ifs".
 
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