Ask me anything about the NHL.....

[Zurvan]

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I agree with you, FLA sucks big time, I am just saying Bertuzzi and Auld will not help their team at all.

Sure, trade Luongo, but trade him for good player(s) that can help your team, not a shiity (backup) goalie and a washed up, has been player with much baggage.

Many good teams would have given ALOT to get Luongo on their team, he is that good.

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I disagree. The goalie market is a buyer's market right now. Noboby's giving up anything great for Luongo, when they can get somebody almost as good as FA, for $2M / yr less. Luongo would have got max money as a FA, but won't get huge value in a trade.

Florida took what they could get... look how little luck SJ had trading Nabokov.

[NhlNut]

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I disagree. The goalie market is a buyer's market right now. Noboby's giving up anything great for Luongo, when they can get somebody almost as good as FA, for $2M / yr less. Luongo would have got max money as a FA, but won't get huge value in a trade.

Florida took what they could get... look how little luck SJ had trading Nabokov.

[/ QUOTE ]

there are so many things wrong with this I don't know where to start.

canucks got 5 years of luongo + young d-man
fla got 1 year of bertuzzi @ 5.2 mil
auld, allen, 6th rd pick
I know for sure that the La kings would have given up young talent for Luongo. Fla got schooled if they thought Bert was worth much. What really hurt Fla was that Luongo already turned down their big offer.

"get somebody almost as good as FA, for $2M / yr less."
sure; gerber, grahame, belfour, hasek, or cloutier. lol

"look how little luck SJ had trading Nabokov."
after giving him a 4 year $21.5 mil contract. Tough way to trade a guy.

[Triumph36]

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I have watched hockey for a while and know the rules and everything, but don't really understand most of the strategy and so I don't really get much out of it when I do watch.
What book(s), if any, would you recommend?

[/ QUOTE ]

in a way, I kinda feel like this too.....I've watched hockey for over 20 years, and even played it for six years, yet I still sometimes feel like I'm a little in the dark about exactly what's going on on the ice, and I'm talking mostly in terms of analysis/evaluating what's important/etc.....

I remember, when I read "Moneyball" it changed my baseball thinking profoundly....I got into sabr stats and started viewing the game from a different angle - from a "process" angle instead of a "results" angle.....it totally enhanced my viewing and overall enjoyment of baseball.....I'd love to do the same for hockey.....anyone have any suggestions?....

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It's tough to go from a process angle - I didn't read Moneyball but I assume you mean some sort of sabermetrics analysis for hockey. Some guy over at hockeyanalysis.com is trying stuff - but he rated Martin Gelinas as the best even strength forward in the league last season, so I have to be dubious of his findings.

I've come up with a few principles that I feel are sensible for constructing a team - and feel I have a good handle on evaluating players generally as well as the downfall of conventional hockey statistics (much like baseball's, they have severe flaws when it comes to comparing players across the board, but often for different reasons), but in terms of on-ice strategy, I'm fairly lost as well. One has to think in terms of ranges and qualities if one wants to truly evaluate quantities.

Also - Rafalski is turning the puck over a lot more and today almost got beat by some 4th line nonsense on the Wings by the most simple play - just another indication that he's not 100%. He might be hurt. And yea - he's one of my favorite players too, the '36' in my handle comes from his pre-season number before the 99-00 season.

Luongo trade is being severely results-oriented - Bertuzzi has been out for the season. He is a power forward and he should be more injury prone than the average player at this stage of his career, but Florida knew Luongo was as good as gone (he may have told them so - no one has any idea how everything went down except Luongo and Florida management), and wanted to gamble that Bertuzzi might recover the magic. They also got Bryan Allen out of the deal who is a decent defender (though gave up Lucas Kraijcek who's also decent).

[Jay845]

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What do you think of the current schedule? Do you like the 8 divisional games?

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Hate it. Rivialries are started in the playoffs not the regular season in my opinion

[Jay845]

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Gretzky and Lemieux were probably the 2 best players I have watched (my hockey history started in the early 80s

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You say probably the 2 best. What third player do you believe is in the same universe as these two players so as for you not to say "definitely the 2 best without any shred of doubt"?

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Probably should have just said they were the best, with out a doubt. But, I think people at times underestimate the skill of Jagr and maybe a little of Steve Yzerman

[Jay845]

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What's your take on the Joe Thornton trade? Not the success or failure of it, which is quite obvious, but the real reason (or rumor) behind why it was done.

Boston mgmt claimed he underperformed. Ridiculous. A pylon with a stick would score 30 with him at center.

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Just my opinion on this as a Bruins fan...
The trade is not a total failure as you make it out to be. We saved a lot of money with that trade and I think our team will be better in the long run for it. Sturm has been good, Stuart is very good IMO, and Primeau is solid. Also, if we hadn't done the Thornton deal, we most likely would not have gotten Chara in free agency.

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Valid points, although the irony is they are in worse payroll shape now than when Thornton was in Boston. Is Chara worth $2 mil more a year than Thornton? I can see paying Savard his salary, but wasn't Thornton better? Chara, granted, he does have immense presence on the ice, but due to working him to death, he is already showing signs of wear (2nd Samsonov goal vs the Habs amongst many of late).

I'm just still disgusted that they let Thornton go. He was a once in a generation type of player. To let that type of quality go with merely serviceable players in return does not add up. Maybe it will longer term like you stated.

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I agree that now Thornton is a great player and is playing like one now, but at the time of the trade he wasn't. Also last I checked Thornton still hasn't really won the Sharks anything yet either, despite great individual numbers

[Jay845]

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will Stevie Y's record for 19years as team captain ever be broken? have you ever been to Cranbrook, BC? Do they have Taco Bell there?

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I doubt that record will ever be broken. I have been to Cranbrook, but I am not sure if they have Taco Bell

[Jay845]

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do u agree with me that 8 teams in the playoffs is bs? this also appliess to NBA

oh yeah, and do u agree that the oilers kick ass?

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I don't mind the 8 team playoff system, I just wish they would have stuck with best of 5 series for the first round. The NHL season is much to long as it is.

Given my previous involvement in hockey, I cheer for individual players rather than teams. I think Ryan Smyth kicks ass, but I don't think the Oilers do

[Jay845]

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Jay,

What W teams did you scout for. Is the crushed can the worst/funniest rink you have ever seen for a major junior team?

Did you ever see my brother play? If so, please give me an honest assesment of him. I'll PM you his name.

Tuco.

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The rink in Moose Jaw is brutal, terrible sight lines, never been in a similar rink in my life at for CHL hockey. The majority of my scouting was done for provinical teams (zone camps), but I did some scouting for the Raiders and Blades.

I don't honestly remember much about your brother, was paying more attention to guys like Clarke Macarthur and Cam Barker when ever I watched the Hat.

[Jay845]

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I have watched hockey for a while and know the rules and everything, but don't really understand most of the strategy and so I don't really get much out of it when I do watch.
What book(s), if any, would you recommend?

[/ QUOTE ]

I will be honest, I don't really read alot of hockey strategy books anymore. I have been around a number of great coaches and have learnt alot that way. In my opinion, there are a couple of TV guys who have a good handle on the game. Pierre Macguire, can't stand his antics but he knows hockey. Kelly Hrudy is another guy who is on top of things. In terms of resources for the average hockey fan I am not aware of any real good ones