Vanflyer

Great post. My one rebuttal would be don't give Crosby a pass here because he does not have protection, etc. The best player in the world should be the best player in the world at this time of the year. Yet, he is not. I do think he is injured (concussed). There are 21 players ahead of him that have produced better than him. None of them have a guy named McSorely on their team. I am starting to think that while an enormous talent, Crosby is not clutch (not withstanding the OT winner in the Olympics). I mean really, when has he ever put his team on his back in the playoffs??? Malkin on the other hand has.

Thanks for clarifying. I was just doing an at a glance cap / roster. Re: Niskanen, I think 6m is as bit steep. Yet he is evidently a late bloomer and UFA. I really like him and could see him in O&B. But i am hesitant on a one year wonder in a pay dirt contract year. You break the numbers down well (and I am ignorant to most of it- or at least to lazy to provide anything of substance in a reply). At the end of the day, if I was king of the world, I would move either Malkin or Crosby. Crosby would be my option one because of his high marketability plus his concussion history. I guess it kind of comes down to cyclical things. Do you want your team to suck for 4 years and get top draft picks or do you want your team to compete every year?

99%, except of course the Flyers. Our fourth line center pays for the fourth line and at least a winger third line.

Crosby gave a bit of a home team discount. But there are two things here: 1) Are his additional 20 percent of scoring / play that consequential to the team that already has a player of the same ilk (Malkin) to make it worth it? 2) Having both Malkin / Crosby and the other players I mentioned on the team makes it hard to balance the roster. I / we cant argue about the value (ie. cost of those players) because of how you broke it down. Financially, nobody is getting overpaid. Yet is it worth having that many high players (tier 1) on the same team vs. balancing it with more tier 2 / tier 3 players? For example, currently the Pens have 55M committed in cap for next season. They have 10 (at a glance) roster spots to fill. Assuming a cap of 71M next year, that leaves 2m a roster spot on average. Niskanen is going to need a substantial raise (career year / pay day year). He will get 5M on market value. If pitts resigns him, that leaves 11M for the other 9 roster spots (now we are at 1m per player average). So, nearly half you team can only make 1M. Is that fiscally responsible for the success of the team?

Yeah, so what? I understand where you are coming from, but why not? I have ALWAYS thought this way (one of the two should go). Not that they have to, but should. Nobody wants Malkin to be their poster child. I get that, but the flip side is that a trade of Crosby is a poster child in of its own. Malkin and Crosby have put up nearly identical numbers in the playoffs (with Malkin storming ahead in a couple of categories). Is there production a by-product of each other being on the same team, perhaps. Pitts needs to not be so top heavy. If moving a Crosby / Malkin gets me a blue chip, and some high picks, I do it. I want my team balanced and not toppling over bechase of its big head(s).

Wow, that is harsh. The guy is nearly a ppg d-man in the playoffs the last two years and in the top 5 in production of d-men during the last two years and only 24 years old.....but he is one of the last players you would want to see in the O&B? Riddle me this: Karlson Byfgulien PK Subban Who do you take??

You need to take your memory pills. Domi did not "drag" anyone into the penalty box. He was being a douche and unprofessional by squirting his water bottle on fans while in the sin bin. A fan took exception to that and went after him (not wise, but aside from the point). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS_92eKcGMI Oh wise one, how is you FHL playoff team doing? Oh that's right. second to last in the entire league (and would be last if not for Jammers monty python draft). 26 points for you. You can't even sniff a hockey players jock strap with that point total.

What does fan / player battles have to do with a player on player topic. You usually lose me in your nonsense, but this one is beyond reach. Why don't you just bring coach / fans battles into the thread as well.

I would say its more than a difference "i guess". Lundqvist did it in support of his team mate on an evident witches broom / pitch fork stick move by crosby against moore. Thorntons play was just juvenile (from the bench). But then we could argue how juvenile crosby's incessant need to retaliate / attack an oppositions players jewels is as well.

I would augment that to add Neal, Martin and MAF to that mix. 5 players (less than 25% of the team) make up nearly 50% of the budget. That all falls on Shero as he is the one to sign those contracts. Truthfully, the rangers 5-on-5 play and defensive play has just been better. You can call it lackadaisical by the pens if you want, but nothing has changed in the Rags ability from the 1st to 2nd round. There are 3 players ahead of Crosby in production on the pens in the playoffs this year and one of them is a dman (niskanen). That is as damning as it comes. Crosby should not wear the horse collar on this one, but when you are supposed to be the best player on the planet. If I am the GM, regardless of game 7 outcome, I let crosby go. I take one albatross salary / player for another: Shea Weber for Sydney Crosby. Nashville has a staple of young d-men, but can't score. Pitts sorely needs a dynamic dman like Weaber (Martin and Letang are not it). I think its a win / win for both teams.

Price would / will outplay MAF in that matchup. Montreal would / will win that serires (again).

I get you are bent and on a rant, but not sure that I agree on some things. The Pens farm system is actually very good (and in fact sustained the Pens team through a high amount of man-injury-games). Additionally, while not stellar in futures rankings for prospects, not horrible either (middle of the pack actually). I think the Blysma rant is spot on (and as a Flyers fan, I think Berube got out coached in the first round against the rags as well). The difference is that the Pens were up in the series. If they lose game 7 (which is a legitimate possibility), heads will roll. Truthfully, I think Crosby's days are numbered in pitts. Its not to say he is not one of the best players in the world, because he it, but more that the team make-up / salary with him and malkin / Fleury etc. does not make sense. Somebody has to go.

Just call the 2 minute minor for unsportsmanlike and be done with it. For me personally, I don't care. Its synonymous to the ice spray that forwards do on the goalie (which gets a penalty - stupidly so in my book). To me its gamemanship. Its certainly less egregious than a stinky glove face wash.

I don't think Trotz is the right coach for the pens. Ironically, I think Laviolette would be (but too late for that bus).

Its hard for me to root for either team, but generally I will always root for the team that beat us (a weird solace type of thing). But seeing king henry do that, endears me even more to the Rags.

Well, it certainly won't be rick nash. WTF happened to him???

fixed it for ya.

The guns might have been a'blazing, but the skates certainly were not, nor was crawford.

So, what title does Crosby get for punching a player in the balls??

And for those that don't recollect, that 1st for Emminger turned into John Carlson. By far the Caps best defenseman and would be on the Flyers as well. Although Emminger was flipped (along with Steve Downie), Carle is no John Carlson.

I am not taking away his actions, but 700 points in 1100+ games and 1400 pims hardly constitutes goon.

Fixed if for ya! Me and DGG are not much on the Scotch side of things, but if you are pouring, okay.

No love for Jack Johnson? I thought he had a very strong year and was your MVP in the playoffs.

Fixed it for ya. 12 straight playoff games without scoring a goal. While the odds are in your favor the will score, if the past is an indicator of the future, its not looking too good. Truthfully, I think something is wrong with him. If I did not know better, I would think he was hiding a concussion.

I picked the hawks, but think the wild can give them a run for their money. Is there a better name in hockey than the Wilds Clayton Stoner??