hey buddy,
i don't think you know your hockey. stats don't always measure the true vlaue of a player. you claim mike rathje is not worth all that much, well, i am more inclined to listen to people who know and play the game. rathje is very underrated. two things work against him, the fact that he played in san jose, and the fact that he doesnt score 20 goals or get 50 points a year from the blueline.
now that he is in the eastern time zone, and playing for a team with a good television deal in prime-time, his worth will quickly become known. ask san jose, specifically goalie evgeni nabakov about mike rathje! blocks shots, clears the front of the net, and definitely can man the point on the powerplay. his offensive game has never blossomed, but doesnt mean he can be taken lightly in that regard.
i agree with you that bobby clarke is a moron, but, i give him his due for the work he has done this off-season. leclair and amonte gone? no problem, just brought in two highly regarded youngsters in mike richards and jeff carter. forget about those two? forsberg for roenick? anybody in their right mind would call that a major coup. yes, derian hatcher is not what he used to be, but, he will not have to be the main cog on the blueline in philly. hitchcock had him in big D, he knows what he can and cannot do.
anyways, you wanna call out everyone here on different players. explain to me then, how does a guy who wanted to play here, and is regarded as one of the best d-men in the game, not end up here? talking about adam foote. i would have bought out mcabe or kaberle, to make room for him. lost their best face-off man in nieuwy, and arguably, the heart and soul of the team in roberts. they never will replace roberts. as for the very popular topic of domi here, he should never have been brought back, never! he is past his prime as a fighter, and he thinks he is an offensive force. for the money they gave him, they could have gotten a productive player. why don't they make a run for ziggy plaffy? where is jason allison, they could get him for cheap, with alot of bonuses.
say what you want about teams signing guys for terms too long, and money too high, but, they are being active. leafs will have room next year you say? so what, you think the leafs are smart enough to do anything with the cap room they have? not with this current regime in place. they dont do anything right here. look at the draft record of the leafs, who is the most significant player they have drafted the last few years. nik antropov??? please. were is this coliacovo guy? they never gave mcauley a chance to shine, and look at him now in san jose. think the sharks would give him back to the leafs for nolan now?
go ahead, open your mouth about my comments, just want to jump at the chance to see what you think you know about hockey. i don't claim to be an expert, like you do, but i do know alot about the players.
Plyrs99
