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Panthers Stacking Up


BTH

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I think the signing of Josef Stumpel was a great one for Florida. They've already signed Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyke. They need veterans like them to help develop their youth: Huselius, Hagman, Bouwmeester ...

Then they have Captain Olli Jokinen.

They also signed Martin Gélinas and we all saw what he could in the play-offs. Other players they recently acquired are Hill, Gratton, Cairns, McLennan, Karpovtsev and Kwiatkowsky, all adding size and depth to their team.

Stumpel can play either Center or as a winger which gives the Cats some flexibility. He would most likely be switched to RW because the Cats have 3 strong C, 4 strong LW but no great right-wingers.

And don't forget who's backing them up in net. They will, however, have a problem with their D but since when has that stopped Luongo from making 40+ saves a night.

Also, they won't be afraid to dish out the pain. Their line-up includes only 4 players under 6"0 and 2 under 200 pounds.

This is the year that Florida returns to the play-offs. By the way, other greatly improving teams that were horrible prior to this season are Pittsburgh, ATLANTA:/) and Chicago.

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It's to be hoped that the cap will actually level the playing field. The days of the high spending 'super powers' is over (again, I hope).

A bit off-topic but related nevertheless, I wish they could do the same with baseball. The discrepancy in salary bases and talent loading is just ridiculous and makes the game a bit of a farce.

Maybe the owners will look at what's happened to the other major sports in North America and wake up saying: "Hey, what are we doing, anyway? We can do the same as them and make the game more exciting". George S. and his kind won't like it but, geez, over 200 million in salaries? What's that about?

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I wonder how hard the Yankees will push to stop that.

Anyway, I really like their team. (Panthers)

I've said for a few years that Atlanta would make the play-offs this seasonand it could be true:

Dany Heatley

Ilya Kovalchuk

Patrik Stefan

Shane Hnidy

Marc Savard

Vyacheslav Kozlov

Bobby Holik

Niclas Havelid

Jaroslav Modry

Pasi Nurmenen

Kai Lehtonen

Jani Hurme

That's amazing goaltending. Two of the best prospects in the league. Some good veterans (Savard), good D, and big size: 3 players under 6"0 and only 1 player under 200 pounds!

And then they have Bobby Holik who's just pure skill.:)

:que::hlogo::ghg::hlogo::can:

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Hey, I'm another Atlanta fan. They looked like they could make the playoffs for about the past two seasons played. It will be interesting to see if they can finally nail it down.

However, anything is really possible now. Any team has a fairly good chance at making it, which makes the race all that more exciting.

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This could be the biggest trade of the century between the Panthers and the Canucks.

Some south florida radio station is saying that the trade will be:

Vancouver's, Ed Jovanoski, Dan Cloutier, Jarkko Ruutu, Matt Cooke, and either prospect Ryan Kesler or a high draft pick fo Panther's, Roberto Luongo, Jay Bouwmeester, Khristian Huselius and a conditional pick.

What a trade! But i dont think its gonna happen!

http://spectorshockey.tripod.com/spectors_...de_rumours.html

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No way would Florid do that!!

Lose an amazing goalia for an average goalie. A prospect (1st - or was that 2nd - overall choice) D for a veteran D,

and than a prospect with huge potential (Huselius) and a draft pick for Matt Cooke, Jarko Ruutu and a draft pick.

All ratings are on 10. A young players rating will eventually move to the second number.

Luongo-9--10

Bouwmeester-7--9

Huselius-6--8

draft pick

Cloutier-7

Jovanovski-8

Cooke-7

Ruutu-7

draft pick

I know if you rate the trade this way you get 29-27 and it looks like the Canucks lose but that's a very inaccurate way of doing it. There's no goalie in the league that fits better in Florida than Luongo. No other goalie can stop 40 shots regularly like that.

They also need the youth on their team. They can't trade a way their 2 top prospects for players about as good as they are RIGHT NOW.

It's interesting but I suggest Florida goes for a smaller trade just for Matt Cooke; I'd like to see him in FLA.

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Vancouver's, Ed Jovanoski, Dan Cloutier, Jarkko Ruutu, Matt Cooke, and either prospect Ryan Kesler or a high draft pick fo Panther's, Roberto Luongo, Jay Bouwmeester, Khristian Huselius and a conditional pick.

Florida gets ripped.

Bouwmeester vs Jovanovski

Jovo right now but Bouwmeester is on the verge of breaking out. He'll be one of the leagues best in a few years.

Luongo vs Cloutier

Not even close. Cloutier is an overrated goalie and Luongo is clearly the 2nd best goalie in the league

Huselius + pick vs Ruutu, Cooke, Kesler

Huselius is a 20-goal man. Ruutu is a depth player, Cooke is a decent defensive player but again is a depth player and Kesler is nothing special.

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The fly in the Panthers ointment is that Luongo is unhappy, and wants more money than he is being offered....I think they will clear this up..but could be trouble, since Keenan is not known for his patience, and had been known to 'make an example' of his best players in the past (ie, Brendan Shannahan). Also, I don't think adding Gratton (who has worn out his welcome everywhere), Roberts and Newendyk(old!!!), and Stumple (injury prone and on the decline) is going to make them a contender.

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Bertuzzi for Luongo... Florida still gets ripped with that one and big time too.

If there's going to be a deal like that available, I'd heartily encourage BG to get in there because this is a potential franchise goaltender - considered by much of he hockey community as the second best at the moment

(What was Milbury thinking about at the time...?).

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Poor Milbury. He seems to do that all the time. No way Florida is going to get rid of Luongo. They'll get rid of other players before they dump him in a trade. He'll be there for time to come. Goalies are what quarterbacks the playoffs...if they get there. Theodore has done that in a couple of first round meetings with the Bruins.

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I don't expect Florida to win the Cup but I'm just saying that they're a much better team and probably play-off material. And I think they still have the lowest payroll in the league which means in the next year or two they can add more good players to their roster. They have great potential.

The only Milbury trade I know both sides of was the Yashin/Chara, Muckalt, pick (Spezza). He seems to have well earned his nickname of Mad Mike. Can someone please post a list of some of his crazy trades and/or signings?

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The dumbest of Milbury's moves had to be dealing Luongo and Jokinen for Parrish and Kvasha, so he could draft DiPietro.

He could have kept Luongo, Jokinen and drafted Heatley or Gaborik.

Seriously, who would you rather have? Luongo, Jokinen, Heatley/Gaborik or Parrish, Kvasha, DiPietro?

That trade ruined the franchise IMO.

Also trading Bertuzzi and McCabe for Linden wasn't the brighest of trades either.

And I think the Peca for York trade will backfire big time.

[Edited on 2005/8/20 by Leafs Suck]

[Edited on 2005/8/20 by Leafs Suck]

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Thanks. So that's why a team that constantly gets a top draft choice stays at the bottom of the league.

The Habs have done way worse than those IMO, sadly enough.:(

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