crosby_87

Rumor has it we still have the inside track on Sidney Crosby also

I don't think it will bother UND. They were/are kids. Kids make mistakes. We don't know them so we can't judge them. I think everyone cheated in high school, they just got caught and had more harsh punishments. But really, does it matter what other fans think, as long as the Sioux beat their teams ass out on the ice?

Yeah. Briggs just stands there with the puck at his feet just to allow his opponent an easy goal.

Malkin and Crosby really are only EXPECTED to play together on the PP. They are both natural centers. However, some people seem to think they want to move Crosby to the wing. That would be ridiculous since Crosby is already a top 5 center in the NHL. They will probably be on two separate lines.

I think they'll bring Rask over from Finland to play in the AHL this season. Tim Thomas and Toivonen will split duties I believe. Thomas was pretty good last year. They do need an established starting goalie though next year. But they will have some nice firepower. Patrice Bergeron will break out next year, I'm calling it. And like it was said earlier, they just acquired the best pure shutdown d-man in the NHL. They will be better next year.

Raycroft has been fading....they now have Tuukka Rask who is probably a better prospect at this point. And Zdeno Chara was a HUGE signing for them.

Well of course he would go to Lowell. Don't expect him to be in the NHL as a backup right away. They want to get him some experience first. Almost every goalie I have ever heard of has played in the minors.

Toews is rated an 8.5B by hockeysfuture.com. Meaning: He SHOULD reach his potential, but possibly drop a point at the most. And his "potential" is rated as somewhere between a Patrik Elias(8.0) and a Joe Sakic(9.0). Not too bad if you ask me. And considering Zajac is a 7.0B. That is quite a tribute to how good Toews really is.

I have been hearing strong offers from New Jersey from over 2 months now. I dont know if that would be the best fit because they already have Ahonen, Clemensen, and Brodeur. Other than that i know there were four other teams talking to him, and if i remember correctly Colorado was in the mix, but how strongly I am not quite sure.

I believe he would have to pay his way to the tryout camp if he wants NCAA eligibility. If he goes without paying for it, it means its paid for by the Blackhawks, and college players can't receive gifts or anything like that. That's what I've been told anyways.

Can someone tell me why in the NHL article on Toews' being picked 3rd, that they say "He doesn't know if he'll play in Chicago or FARGO next year."?

No, but hes a high possibility.

That would be BHS. Mike Peluso, Mitch Vig, Jeremy Asheim...

He played on a crappy team that couldn't score and only had 1 line.

Haha. Vanderveld. That makes me laugh. Just so ya know, it's VandeVelde. I agree with quite a lot of your post except the part you say "I think Rylan Kaip is going to turn it on this season". I don't know about that. I'm not going to sell him short, but I just don't see a ton of offensive skill from him. I DO however, see a ton of talent as far as checking line center. He is VERY good at that.

Link, please.

The encouraging thing is that they voted 8-0 in favor of going to court AFTER the attorney general talked to them for an hour and a half. He must have convinced them that they basically can't lose.

Jack Johnson will not be in the NHL for sure. Unless he signs midseason. He has already turned down a contract offer from Carolina because he wants to go back to Michigan. The closer draft comes also, the more I think Erik Johnson will be in a Gopher Uniform next year. I don't think any of this years prospects are ready to go pro. Unless St. Louis needs him now(which on defense, they're not so bad), then they will let him stay for a year.

I'm sure it will heat up about this time next year, probably a little earlier though. There's 2 people who are gone after this year for sure that I know of(besides the seniors).

Oshie....quite possibly.

Jacques, who played for the Bismarck Bobcats, was headed for Air Force. They then found out he had depression, and wouldn't allow him in. He will be going to Northern Michigan(IIRC) instead. Kind of a sad story. From what I have heard, the family is French-Canadian. The parents are anyways. The kids were all born in the US I believe, and are American Citizens. I'm not 100 percent sure on that so if anyone else knows anything different, feel free.

Haven't heard anything yet, other then he has a scholarship offer from UND for next year, and Red Deer(his brother plays there) of the WHL is trying to get him into Major Juniors. Tough to tell. Which brother does he like more, Philippe, or PJ

I am very excited about what we have brought in the past few days, with Anthony Grieco, Hunter Bishop, and Shea Hamilton. We got what is supposedly a very good goalie, and 2 probable four-year players. Grieco is still 17, and will be until November I believe. He was voted MVP of his team's playoff run, by his teammates. Special honor if you ask me. He had a save % of around .906 in what is normally a very offensive league. He played for Wellington in the OPJHL(Ontario). Same league that Andrew Cogliano of Michigan lit up before he went to Michigan. Bishop played on the same Vernon team as Chay Genoway, who is also coming next year. Bishop is supposedly one of the fastest players ever to run through the league. He prides himself on always being the hardest worker on the ice, but he might get some competition next year . I am very excited about him because he will probably be a four year player similar to Kevin Spiewak(my favorite Sioux player in a long time...other then Toews). He should be a great addition. I don't know a lot about Hamilton. He transferred here from Anchorage after putting up 7 points there. That can be deceiving though because their leading scorer only put up 15 points. He apparently had some issues with the coach and was benched because of those issues and ill-timed penalties. I suspect that Hakstol knows what he is doing with this one. The kid will also have a year to mature, as he is not eligible to play until 2007-2008 season. We really landed some good players that have been yearned for around here. Players that will stay for four years probably. And what shocks me is some people are disappointed with what we got. Those are the same people who complain that there is no loyalty and we need players who actually "want" to be here. (That argument is an absolute joke, but that's for another time). More excitement for this coming season.

Well, he is still 17 and he was named MVP of the playoffs by his teammates. I have never seen him play, but that must mean something.