Dear Nashville Predators,

Way to actually do well with yourselves this season. You're gaining national (and international) attention because you managed to snag probably the best center in the league, Peter Forsberg. Thank you for not sucking.

Love,
daze.



Is anyone paying attention to this!? I mean, this is big. Nashville is fairly close to me as far as major hockey teams go, so I'm totally excited about this. It may be just enough to force me to actually go watch my first game of hockey.


OMG?!
Anyone else have thoughts about this?


Peter Forsberg --> Nashville Preds

The Preds have quietly become a major force in the league...much like many expansion teams have done. Other examples have been Tampa, Ottawa, Anaheim and San Jose. By making smart draft choices when they were at the bottom of the league, and making good deals to make their teams better...oddly enough, no one saw them coming.

Forsberg was rumoured to go everywhere. Even Toronto. Injuries could play a big factor on whether or not the Preds got a good deal or not. He's very injury prone, however, if he's healthy there is absolutely no one better you'd want on your team in the playoffs. This is the same guy who was off for a year, came back in time for the playoffs and led the league in playoff scoring. To play on the same team as Joe Sakic and NOT be trapped in Sakic's shadow, well...that's really saying something.

People compare some of the current greats to former greats...but not Forberg. He's like Gretzky in the respect that he's a new mould. There wasn't anyone like him before, and future greats will be compared to him.

As for the trade itself...Nashville was already a heavy contender...and now they have someone that can feed Kariya (one of the best shots in the league) over and over again. With Vohkoun between the pipes, they have solid goaltending as well. It's going to be difficult for any team to keep up with them.

Pittsburgh? Nah. As usual, they have potentially hot goaltending mixed with offensive flare and no defense. Don't get me wrong, Sid and Malkin can single handedly beat any team...but in the playoffs, they'll be shut down at all costs.

Vancouver? Maybe. I still don't think they have 'the team', but they're as close as they've ever been. Far as I'm concerned, they live and die on the Sedin twins.

Buffalo and New Jersey are still big threats. Buffalo has always been a hardworking team...but that could prove their undoing. Teams burnout come playoff time, and Buffalo always seems to be the first. As for Jersey...the difference will be the best goalie in the game. If Brodeur is flawless (as he has been so many times) then they will be a tough team to face. Otherwise...they likely won't see past the second round, if that.

Detroit IS going to make a trade...and I promise you it will be a big one. No more Yzerman, and no more Shanahan. Datsyuk and Zetterberg can't do it all...they need some help. Detroit has a solid team, but they don't win cups with 'solid' teams. They win with dominant ones.

Calgary got a lot better after the Boston deal...and if there's one team that can scare the living hell out of another team, it's the Flames. Kipper alone can be the difference. Calgary's a better team than they were last time they went for the cup...but they will still have to rely heavily on Kipper.

I'll just finish off with a note about Toronto. There are lots of rumours of Sundin being traded. Though it 'should' happen, it won't. Sundin's happy here, regardless of win/loss record. That said, it's possible they may 'rent' him out to another team...but I doubt it. If it were up to me, I'd trade him to a contender for some young talent, and go through the rebuilding process.

However, since they're going to keep Sundin and still try and make the playoffs...they really need to pull the trigger on the Gary Roberts deal. They could probably get him for a fourth rounder and he could make the team so much better. His presence alone would bring the team to a new level.

dazy, it's a shame you couldn't see Roberts in the days when Calgary was one of the top two teams in the league. The battle of Alberta was always a fantastic game to watch, and Roberts is such an intense player. To see him going at the big guns in Edmonton...it was pretty awesome.

Anyways, I'm getting sidetracked...

With the playoff race so close, it's going to be hard to pry talent away from the teams that are still in it. Hopefully by the deadline, some teams will pull away and open it up a little...making the deadline a potential spending spree.

Especially with all the high profile injuries this year!

Well, I was going to branch off into other teams and topics, but I think you just about said it all, Skwizzo.

I've gotta tell ya, I'm all about the Flames and everything, but I'm not sure that the Kipper is going to be enough to get them very far in the playoffs. He's a fantastic goalie for sure, but it takes more than a good goalie to win the cup.

The trade they made with Boston could come in handy, but we'll see how things go.

Even if the Flames come up a little short this year, I'm expecting big things from Nashville. They've had an outstanding season, and things can only get better from here.

As for any other ramblings about hockey and whatnot, those will have to be saved for a later time...


--and skwiddy, it is a shame that I couldn't see the Flames back then, but with any luck I'll be seeing them when they play @ Nashville. I'm still trying to work that out, but hopefully it will be a go now that I've got a brother-in-law that likes hockey also.

It does?

Shall I refer you to the 1993 Stanley Cup Champions? They rode Patrick Roy all year, snuck into the playoffs and won the cup.

Roy was the only reason they even had a chance.

A hot goalie can indeed be the biggest difference...and the sole reason a team comes out on top. Many playoff games are low scoring, so goaltending is of the utmost importance. Kipper, Brodeur and possibly Miller are possibly the three best right now.

Maybe Hasek...but only if he's healthy. Luongo's been decent...but I don't think he's been the goalie Vancouver expected him to be.

It could help, but like you said, there are other good goalies out there. Something's gotta give.

And Kipper has been to the Finals. He knows what it takes now. So does Brodeur, and we may see a showdown between the best, and the best of the future in the final.

That would be way cool. :)

Maybe so.

But hey, how about that brawl between the Senators and the Sabres? Just saw the video on youtube... and man. Not the smartest of moves on the Buffalo coach's part.

Fined a pretty hefty amount, so I heard.
And now they are going to play again tonight in Canada?

I smell a sequel...

I'd be surprised if the refs let it escalate. They'll be calling everything.

Just goes to show, though...ya can't be running the opposition's star players. It doesn't go over very well with the rest of the team. ;)

What the holy crap are you talking about, that Luongo has not been the goalie we expected?!?!?

He's the only reason we've won 33 games. he's 4th in save percentage, 2nd in wins, and seventh in GAA at a sweet 2.34 - and that would be better if Van hadn't nose dived november december.

The Sedins are good, but they ain't great - Luongo is great.

Evrybody forgets Nashvilles other Goalie - Mason is 5th in GAA and 1st in Save percentage. That gives Nashville a double wammy in the pipes. But I'll bet my bottom dollar they don't come out in the West.... No experience.

Tell ya, Pittsburgh scares me the most - if they get even one good defencman and pull Tucker out of Toronto (thats an inside scoop) they'll surprise the hell out of everyone. they skate around the old teams (read toronto) like their standing still.

My moneys on Jersey in the East, which will suck. Brodeur wants one more and may likely do it by himself. Boring hockey... all we'd need is Minnesota to make it with them, they'll drop the puck at centre and both teams would leave it there.

Inconsistencies in Van blow chunks, but if we ever do get all three lines rollin (it seems to be only one on any given night) and Luongo goes mental in the playoffs, we'll make the conference Final. Not betting any more then that.

We are the best team in the league in tight games and Overtime (12-1-3), and thats playoff hockey - we'll see.

My bet is its Detroit out of the west, again. Crappy final that'll be.

Sorry, Dav...I just have not been hearing great things about Luongo this year...and I've noticed that if the Sedins are hot, Vancouver is unbeatable. If they're struggling, so is the team. Maybe it just seems that way?

Tucker ain't going anywhere. He's on the verge of signing his new contract with the leafs for about 3mill a year.

I'd love to see McCabe traded at the deadline...

The Trolling Toronto Media is at it again, picking on our superstar cuz all they got is a bunch of groceries in net. Check the stats, thats all you need to know.

Don't get me started on Rayzor. I know he had a bad last season on Beantown...but I was one of the few that believed he could regain his Calder Trophy form. I still think it's there...he's show flashes of it.

But until McCabe stops assisting on every goal that gets past Raycroft...well...yeah.

Utter Crap.

JFJ strikes again, and makes one of the dumbest trades ever. Decent prospects can still be acquired in the second round of a draft, and we gave that up for a rent-a-face-off-man...and for what? To make a run at making the playoffs?

Pfft.

The Isles added Ryan Smyth...that's a HUGE deal. Pittsburgh adds toughness and intensity. Buffalo gets rid of their anchor and get Zubrus, and San Jose just added another power forward in Bill Guerin. Who do WE get?

Yanic fucking Perrault.

Again.

I predict that three years from now, Yanic is coaching the Leafs...we just can't seem to get enough of him. <_<

Might be going to the game Thursday. The Vancouver Canucks vs the Phoenix Coyotes Farm Team. Tis OK, its not like the Nucks can beat teams that are already out of the playoffs. Our 4 regulation losses after Christmas are to The Kings, The Blue Jackets, The Blackhawks and The Blues.

Gotta be fucking kidding me...

The Leafs used to be afflicted with that as well. Now they just lose to everyone.

Heard Bert went to Detroit. Shame they didn't have someone like Shanahan, so that they wouldn't have had to make that deal.

Oh, wait...