2011 NHL Draft Lottery - Tue. April 12th - 8:00pm EST

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:I'm ripping into this CPhoenixM guy on HF. Can't stand his bias for Strome. He has RNH being drafted outside of the Top 6

Again, very seldom these days I go there anymore. I will say that Strome is becoming more and more enticing. We have time to let him develop properly and what he's done offensively this year is amazing.

RNH out of the top 6. That's as bad as Larsson being available when we pick.

Ok, he "forgot" to put him in. I'm still ripping him because I don't like him.

Couturier was bad tonight. He looks completely drained, lost basically every battle around the boards, wasn't quick enough to retrieve the puck, lost his guy 3 times that ended up on the back of the net... you name it.
The guy is getting on the ice every 2 shifts. I'm not even kidding. He's also basically always there on the PP and on the PK.
I think the guy is exhausted and may be it's because Drummondville don't have anybody else.
He looks pretty big though, fairly physical, great hockey sense ie knows where to be at the right time. Problem is, when he gets there, they lose the puck because they were completely shutdown by Gatineau. I don't think the VOltigeurs had the puck more than 30% of the game.

Big Ev wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:I'm ripping into this CPhoenixM guy on HF. Can't stand his bias for Strome. He has RNH being drafted outside of the Top 6

Again, very seldom these days I go there anymore. I will say that Strome is becoming more and more enticing. We have time to let him develop properly and what he's done offensively this year is amazing.

RNH out of the top 6. That's as bad as Larsson being available when we pick.

Ok, he "forgot" to put him in. I'm still ripping him because I don't like him.

He is a joke, plain and simple.

Big Ev wrote:
Ok, he "forgot" to put him in. I'm still ripping him because I don't like him.

You gotta do what you gotta do.

marakh wrote:Couturier was bad tonight. He looks completely drained, lost basically every battle around the boards, wasn't quick enough to retrieve the puck, lost his guy 3 times that ended up on the back of the net... you name it.
The guy is getting on the ice every 2 shifts. I'm not even kidding. He's also basically always there on the PP and on the PK.
I think the guy is exhausted and may be it's because Drummondville don't have anybody else.
He looks pretty big though, fairly physical, great hockey sense ie knows where to be at the right time. Problem is, when he gets there, they lose the puck because they were completely shutdown by Gatineau. I don't think the VOltigeurs had the puck more than 30% of the game.

By now he's probably both physically and mentally spent. Doesn't mean much IMO.

marakh wrote:Couturier was bad tonight. He looks completely drained, lost basically every battle around the boards, wasn't quick enough to retrieve the puck, lost his guy 3 times that ended up on the back of the net... you name it.
The guy is getting on the ice every 2 shifts. I'm not even kidding. He's also basically always there on the PP and on the PK.
I think the guy is exhausted and may be it's because Drummondville don't have anybody else.
He looks pretty big though, fairly physical, great hockey sense ie knows where to be at the right time. Problem is, when he gets there, they lose the puck because they were completely shutdown by Gatineau. I don't think the VOltigeurs had the puck more than 30% of the game.

Yeah that's why I said he basically plays the whole game I see that he had 5 hits. We need somebody who likes to hit, that's for sure.

Also, it looks like the goalies also sucked. The Volts will be back in Gatineau on Sunday.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:
Ok, he "forgot" to put him in. I'm still ripping him because I don't like him.

You gotta do what you gotta do.

He says the Sens have expressed a ton of love for Strome this season. When was this? I rarely hear them talk about any specific player (only time I did was last night when BM was gushing over Landeskog.

oh and he thinks Couturier will go 1st overall

garblar wrote:

hemlock wrote:2) actually make a losing season worth it by not winning a bunch of useless games at the end so as to give the mostly loser, fairweather fanbase a twinkle of false hope for next year.

you honestly think that a team is going to lose games on purpose?

Would it have killed anyone to at least give McElhinney 2 more games?
Like I said, after Anderson was signed Murray should have forced Clouston to play the backup at least 3 more games, not just one. No one's blaming the players here, but the Management certainly weren't very smart strategy-wise.

The Murrays certainly sound stupid these days. A few months ago:"THere's 2-3 guys at the top that will be great players and certainly play next year". A few weeks later: "the top 4-5 are pretty good, they certainly can play for us next year". Then yesterday: "There are 5-6 guys who are very good players and we may get the same guy at 6 or at 3."

Big Ev wrote:

marakh wrote:Couturier was bad tonight. He looks completely drained, lost basically every battle around the boards, wasn't quick enough to retrieve the puck, lost his guy 3 times that ended up on the back of the net... you name it.
The guy is getting on the ice every 2 shifts. I'm not even kidding. He's also basically always there on the PP and on the PK.
I think the guy is exhausted and may be it's because Drummondville don't have anybody else.
He looks pretty big though, fairly physical, great hockey sense ie knows where to be at the right time. Problem is, when he gets there, they lose the puck because they were completely shutdown by Gatineau. I don't think the VOltigeurs had the puck more than 30% of the game.

Yeah that's why I said he basically plays the whole game I see that he had 5 hits. We need somebody who likes to hit, that's for sure.

Also, it looks like the goalies also sucked. The Volts will be back in Gatineau on Sunday.

One thing's for sure though, I don't think he has the drive and the skills to be a top line player.
I will give him some slack for his poor first steps and lack of battle since I think the mono and everything from the summer camps to world juniors to the long playoffs last year plus basically having to carry the team is probably catching up to him.

If he becomes a second liner, that's fine...a #6 player should be a Top 6, which he would be behind Spezza. If he ends up like Jordan Staal that would be sweet.

I honestly don't know how he has so many points playing on that team though. He must have some drive to be able to do that.

I'm definitely fine with a legitimate 2nd line Center with 1st line possibilities. If a team can get along fine with Malkin and Crosby as their top 2 Centers then it's not an issue is it?

Big Ev wrote:If he becomes a second liner, that's fine...a #6 player should be a Top 6, which he would be behind Spezza. If he ends up like Jordan Staal that would be sweet.

I honestly don't know how he has so many points playing on that team though. He must have some drive to be able to do that.

But Staal wasn't picked at #6. He went second before Toews, Backstrom and Kessel. In this draft he'd be top-three for sure. We are not getting "Jordan Staal" where we are picking.

Don't forget, if not for Mike Fisher "preferring" center we would have had Antoine Vermette as our second line center. Not exactly a game changer, and neither was Mike, last night notwithstanding -- by the way, two of our cast offs with big nights, the other being Kovalev with the game winning goal.

We wold *like* to get a game breaker but picking sixth in this draft I just don't know if it's possible unless whoever we pick is an unexpected surprise (a la Skinner).

Big Ev wrote:If he becomes a second liner, that's fine...a #6 player should be a Top 6, which he would be behind Spezza. If he ends up like Jordan Staal that would be sweet.

I honestly don't know how he has so many points playing on that team though. He must have some drive to be able to do that.

Couturier is obviously being run into the ground by his coach and team so I don't think you can really hold that agaisnt him but fact of the matter is there are guys that have higher ceilings than him in the top 7 or 8 picks.

You look at a guy like Strome right now who is starting to take his game to the next level and just continues to improve. If that's the guy that falls to Ottawa that's a guy that can fill the 2nd line center position but has a serious chance at being a top line center. Couturier IMO doesnt have the tools to be a 1st line center in The NHL.

Thing is though, Strome may not even get to Ottawa. He could very well be picked at 4 or 5.

wprager wrote:

Big Ev wrote:If he becomes a second liner, that's fine...a #6 player should be a Top 6, which he would be behind Spezza. If he ends up like Jordan Staal that would be sweet.

I honestly don't know how he has so many points playing on that team though. He must have some drive to be able to do that.

But Staal wasn't picked at #6. He went second before Toews, Backstrom and Kessel. In this draft he'd be top-three for sure. We are not getting "Jordan Staal" where we are picking.

Don't forget, if not for Mike Fisher "preferring" center we would have had Antoine Vermette as our second line center. Not exactly a game changer, and neither was Mike, last night notwithstanding -- by the way, two of our cast offs with big nights, the other being Kovalev with the game winning goal.

We wold *like* to get a game breaker but picking sixth in this draft I just don't know if it's possible unless whoever we pick is an unexpected surprise (a la Skinner).

Not sure about that. Staal never had that much offensive flair. Check those guys' stats. Huberdeau, RNH, Strome and Couturier all have over 100 pts, Staal was just PPG. He just had a lot of tools but not much in terms of offense.

NEELY wrote:Thing is though, Strome may not even get to Ottawa. He could very well be picked at 4 or 5.

Fine with me, I'll take Huberdeau. Assuming 2 defensemen get drafted before him.

stempniaksen wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

shabbs wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

shabbs wrote:You know Burke is gonna try and make a move up to get Strome.

Why do you say that?

Strome's a Burke-type player... physical, gets dirty... I think he'd view Couturier as "too soft" for his likes...

Is he?

Not really, no.

Maybe 'ol Shabbers is referring to Landeskog? Or is pulling an SSF?

Nope, just comparing Strome vs Couturier in that one area.

marakh wrote:

NEELY wrote:Thing is though, Strome may not even get to Ottawa. He could very well be picked at 4 or 5.

Fine with me, I'll take Huberdeau. Assuming 2 defensemen get drafted before him.

I'll be happy with either of those 2, I still have my reservations about Couturier. Strome would be my first choice though has he has seemed to pick his game up going through the playoffs and into tougher games.

I think NJ will be drafting a D man as well.