way to use it to its potential

its on his twitter damnit!
hhahaha

For some of those teams, you could argue they are stacked front and back.

Detroit: Z, D, Franzen, Filppula but on the back end, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall.
Pitts: Hard for MG to replicate this since they have arguably 2 of the top 3 players in the games.
Chicago: Young guns up front over-achieving for what they are getting paid but a stacked D as well with Campbell, Keith, Seabrook, Barker.

Not to mention Pitts + Chicago had to suck ass for many seasons just to accumulate the picks + players that make them the team they are now.

This. The Canucks weren't bad long enough and they weren't bad enough. We've always been competitive.

That's the thing with Detroit that everyone has already mentioned. The organization is very top notch. From good drafting/scouting system, player development, and upper management who know how not to over pay players.

For the last few years, Detroit has been reaping the benefits of good players in their prime, and up and coming players who were exceeding what they were getting paid.

Well I guess TSN is reporting it now as being close although nothing new

LUONGO CLOSE TO SIGNING CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH CANUCKS

It appears that Roberto Luongo will be between the pipes in Vancouver for the foreseeable future, as the all-star netminder is on the verge of signing a contract extension with the Canucks.

The news isn't expected to be announced until later in the week.

"Negotiations are on-going and we are confident we will reach an agreement before training camp," a Canuck official said Monday in an email to The Canadian Press.

Luongo had originally set a deadline of Sept. 13 to complete the deal.

"We're trying to get it done before (training) camp," Luongo said last week in Calgary during the National Team Orientation camp. "If it doesn't happen before camp, I will not be negotiating during the season. I don't want to have that distraction," he said.

Luongo was entering the final year of a four-year, $27 million contract. He will make $7.5-million for the 2009-10 season.

Last season, the all-star goalie went 33-13-7 with nine shutouts and a GAA of 2.34 for the Canucks. He is one of the top candidates to be selected to play for Canada at the upcoming Olympics.

He was drafted by the New York Islanders in the first round (4th overall) of the 1997 draft. He will be entering his 10th NHL season.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=289486

Getting annoyed. All these posts are just re-stating what we already know.
He's getting close to signing.

Update me when he's been officially signed with the contract terms.

Yes you are right in that all teams are formidable all areas. But I think you misunderstood on what I meant of being built Forward-In. What I meant is that the heirarchy of talent/skill IMO does go from Forward back. It didn't mean stacking to one side only.

DET: Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen et al.
(supported by) ---> Lidstrom, Rafalski et al.
(supported by) ---> Chris Osgood

PIT: Crosby, Malkin, Staal
(supported by) ---> Gonchar et al.
(supported by ---> Fleury

CHI: Kane, Toews, Havlat/Hossa et al.
(supported by) ---> Seabrook, Campbell et al.
(supported by) ---> Khabibulin/Huet

It just seems to me that gone are the days of the ultra-defensive teams that used to rule the NHL. I understood why Nonis did this approach at the time, but the league has long since passed those times. Anyways, that's just the observation that has me partial to offensive minded teams over defensive minded ones.

Yeah but having mentioned that, I have long since disagreed with how the current setup of leagues almost rewarding bottom dwelling.

Anyone else thinks that Tampa bay is going to be the next Pittsburgh?

Seriously, Lecavalier, Ryan Malone, Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, and now Alex Tanguay!?!? In the back they have guys like Ohlund, Krajicek, Meszaros and Victor Hedman.... The only thing shitty is their goaltending...

I don't think the Lighting will become the next Pens with Rick Tocchet behind the bench.

That's what he said.. what he meant, "I'm not giving the Sedins a 10 yr contract."

Canucks Vs. Stars, game 6 from 2007 is on right now on the NHL Network.

I wouldn't mind having a draft lottery every year. It makes it a little interesting and it prevents mediocre teams from tanking a season in hopes of getting a great pick.

But it would also prevent crappy teams from getting better.

What's funny about this statement is that Pittsburge sucked for many years before they drafted Lemiux and Jgar and then they were powerful for a while before they sucked again. Now that they have Crosby and Malkin, I wonder if history will repeat itself.

NYI was very strong back in the late 70's and early 80's but have been very mediocore at best since.

Being better should be the result of a franchises's ability to scout, it's organizational philosophy, it's refined system, and the regimen they develop their players with.

Not by bottom dwelling to manipulate your chances to stock up on high-draft picks. <--- I still haven't come to terms with this.

Wow, amazing... nobody has reported this yet?

We signed Nathan McIver again... so we just added another D-Man to the stable.

For the Moose, they need a couple D men signed. Right now the Moose D is looking like Baumgartner, Rome, Nycholat, McIver, Ellington, Oberg and Funk. Oh and possibly Lukowich if the Nucks waive him down to the AHL. Oberg and Ellington being AHL rookies probably won't play much and the Moose lost Rahimi, Fistric and Fortunus.

wtf was there no press conference?

perhaps not allowing a team to get two #1 draft picks in a row would help ... the way the draft is setup right now isn't bad .. but everyone can see that having a shitty team for a couple of years generally means a stanley cup 5 years down the road ...

Weird that Daniel would be there but not Henrik...

haha, Sundin's bodyguard? That guy is like 6'4..

u mean 5'4? lol