AHL- Apolyton Hockey League 07/08: Preseason

[Asher]

As a side note, the boys who made NHL 2K8 ranked Calgary as the top team in the league @ 95. Anaheim is 2nd at 93.

[Jonny]

1.1 Asher: Sidney Crosby - C (PIT)
1.2 Sparrowhawk: Roberto Luongo - G (VAN)
1.3 mrboo123: Martin Brodeur - G (NJ)
1.4 notyoueither: Joe Thornton - C (SJ)
1.5 Imran Siddiqui: Miikka Kiprusoff - G (CAL)
1.6 Kontiki: Dany Heatley - RW (OTT)
1.7 snoopy369: Marian Hossa - RW (ATL)
1.8 Jonny: Jaromir Jagr - RW (NYR)
1.9 Flubber: Vincent Lecavalier -C(TB)
1.10 Ninot: Alexander Ovechkin -LW (WAS)
1.11 Guynemer: Jarome Iginla - RW (CAL)
1.12 Tingkai: Joe Sakic - C (COL)

2.1 Tingkai: Niklas Backstrom - G (MIN)
2.2 Guynemer: Olli Jokinen - C (FLA)
2.3 Ninot: Jean-Sebastien Giguere - G (ANA)
2.4 Flubber:Evgeni Nabokov G (SJ )
2.5 Jonny: Marty Turco - G (DAL)
2.6 snoopy369:
2.7 Kontiki:
2.8 Imran Siddiqui:
2.9 notyoueither:
2.10 mrboo123:
2.11 Sparrowhawk:
2.12 Asher:

[Ninot]

lol, hockey video games, IMO, are terrible at ranking teams and many players.

[Asher]

Yes, but it's great for Flames fans.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Tingkai


Yeah, and last year you would have said Sakic is getting old, he's 37...

He's not showing any signs of aging and the AVs are a better team with Smyth giving them two solid lines.

I saw Sakic twice in person relatively late in the season last year and the guy was just AMAZING. He freaking carried the team down the stretch when the Avs were one of the best teams in hockey . . . and I agree that the Avs are a better team this year.

So I don't fault the pick at all-- But at age 37-- I don't know . .. . He was plenty durable last year but you do have to start wondering if the guy might start wearing out a bit

From what I saw last year, it wouldn't shock me if Sakic had a stellar season-- That said, I don't see any circumstance under which I personally would have picked him before the third round.

But all picks are risky-- The most durable folks can get a fluke injury--

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher
Power struggle? If Keenan tries to engage in a power struggle, he's on his way out pretty quickly.

And given Keenan's track record...

What will happen to the Flames if this type of soap opera starts happening?

As for the game ranking, seems to me that last year a lot of the experts predicted the Flames would go far.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Kontiki
Wow - some interesting choices so far.

Which ones do you find most interesting?

So far, nothing in this draft has shocked me. While my rankings were quite a bit different (see my comments on Sakic and even there my comment that he would be third round for me was partly due to the fact that I planned to nab a goaltender in the first two rounds) there has been nothing too surprising yet.

[Asher]

And they would've gone far, had they had a coach with a backbone.

I'm by no means a big fan of Keenan, but anything's better than Nervous Jimmy.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Flubber
But at age 37-- I don't know . .. . He was plenty durable last year but you do have to start wondering if the guy might start wearing out a bit

To be honest, at first I was thinking the same thing and had initially picked another player. But he's been healthy recently and he's had a long summer to recover from any injuries and build up strength.

But there's no way he's a third rounder.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher
And they would've gone far, had they had a coach with a backbone.

I'm by no means a big fan of Keenan, but anything's better than Nervous Jimmy.

Yeah, I know your theory on coaches, which is why I figure you must be worried about whether the Flames make the playoffs.

I figure the Flames' big hope is that Nashville bombs out, because I can't see the Avs missing the playoffs.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Tingkai


Yeah, I know your theory on coaches, which is why I figure you must be worried about whether the Flames make the playoffs.

I figure the Flames' big hope is that Nashville bombs out, because I can't see the Avs missing the playoffs.

You are so learned about this sport.

Nashville isn't in the same division as Calgary, I'm not sure what the point is of bringing them up?

As for the avs missing the playoffs -- yes, they got tons of firepower...but look who is in goal and who is on defense. They'll lose a lot of 6-5 games...

And do you care to make another awesome Flames prediction like last year? I'm willing to enter any kind of sports bet with your track record.

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by Flubber


Which ones do you find most interesting?

So far, nothing in this draft has shocked me. While my rankings were quite a bit different (see my comments on Sakic and even there my comment that he would be third round for me was partly due to the fact that I planned to nab a goaltender in the first two rounds) there has been nothing too surprising yet.

Well, obviously we'll see how it turns out. Personally, I wouldn't have taken Lecavalier, Iginla or Sakic so high, and there's a few players notably absent from the top picks in my mind.

[snoopy369]

1.1 Asher: Sidney Crosby - C (PIT)
1.2 Sparrowhawk: Roberto Luongo - G (VAN)
1.3 mrboo123: Martin Brodeur - G (NJ)
1.4 notyoueither: Joe Thornton - C (SJ)
1.5 Imran Siddiqui: Miikka Kiprusoff - G (CAL)
1.6 Kontiki: Dany Heatley - RW (OTT)
1.7 snoopy369: Marian Hossa - RW (ATL)
1.8 Jonny: Jaromir Jagr - RW (NYR)
1.9 Flubber: Vincent Lecavalier -C(TB)
1.10 Ninot: Alexander Ovechkin -LW (WAS)
1.11 Guynemer: Jarome Iginla - RW (CAL)
1.12 Tingkai: Joe Sakic - C (COL)

2.1 Tingkai: Niklas Backstrom - G (MIN)
2.2 Guynemer: Olli Jokinen - C (FLA)
2.3 Ninot: Jean-Sebastien Giguere - G (ANA)
2.4 Flubber:Evgeni Nabokov G (SJ )
2.5 Jonny: Marty Turco - G (DAL)
2.6 snoopy369: Dominic Hasek - G (DET)
2.7 Kontiki:
2.8 Imran Siddiqui:
2.9 notyoueither:
2.10 mrboo123:
2.11 Sparrowhawk:
2.12 Asher:

I guess i'll go ahead and take the Hasek plunge... nobody expects me to win anyway right?

[Ninot]

I certainly don't

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Tingkai


To be honest, at first I was thinking the same thing and had initially picked another player. But he's been healthy recently and he's had a long summer to recover from any injuries and build up strength.

But there's no way he's a third rounder.

Hmmm

You might not have seen that he was a third rounder for ME since I wanted to pick up a goalkeeper in the second round (its a long way back to picking late in round 3). And despite his obvious skills, I just couldn't bring myself to rank Sakic in my top dozen skaters (mainly due to his age). He might end up being in the top 5 in scoring in the league. It wouldn't shock me if he did.

I just saw more potential for upside with some of the other players that were available ( I still have four skaters ranked ahead of him from those available even now).