SteveNJ Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 The most popular answer will be featured in a future (11/20/06. to be exact) edition of SFM's Around the NHL, and will hopefully bring more posters to the site (As of now, the test poll I ran at HFBoards.com, which was linked to the column, has over 40 posters), but I'd like you guys, the tride and true posters here at IJF, get the first say. Tell me, your building the new Hartford Whalers, or Winnipeg Jets, or Quebec Nordiques, or Las Vegas Panthers, who's your first pick in the ultimate expansion draft: -Sidney Crosby -Ilya Kovalchuk -Alexander Ovechkin -Dion Phaneuf -Henrik Lundqvist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafountain Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 Tough choice between Crosby and Ovechkin, they can both score like crazy. In the end out of the two I take Ovechkin though, he has already shown what he can do as a teams lone gunman. Lundqvist isn't even the best young goaltender in the league in my opinion. There you would have to go with Lehtonen or Miller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach_9 Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 In the modern NHL, you look at teams like Washington and Pittsburgh with goaltending and offense and they still can't win (or win big). You look at Anaheim and they haven't lost in regulation in 16 games (trailing tonight though) and they're bolstered by Pronger and Neidermeyer defensively. They have offensive talents too (mostly young and unproven), but their defense is the backbone. Tonight they're losing to Calgary, the team with one of the worst offenses in the league last year, but possibly the best overall defense. Teams like Buffalo have a great mobile core of defensemen (though could use depth) and no real 'superstar' forwards - Briere and Afinogenov are great, but they're not on the level with Ovie and Kovie. Obviously, you need all three - goaltending, defense, and offense - to win games, but even in the new, offensively driven NHL, I'd like to start my team with a solid backbone and a good leader. Phaneuf is a guy who can contribute offensively, will play a tight defensive game every night, and can get things done physically like the very best. I would start my team with Dion Phaneuf. Note: From a financial standpoint I'd start with Ovie. He'd pack the house more consistantly than Phaneuf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villavelocity Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 In the modern NHL, you look at teams like Washington and Pittsburgh with goaltending and offense and they still can't win (or win big). You look at Anaheim and they haven't lost in regulation in 16 games (trailing tonight though) and they're bolstered by Pronger and Neidermeyer defensively. They have offensive talents too (mostly young and unproven), but their defense is the backbone. Tonight they're losing to Calgary, the team with one of the worst offenses in the league last year, but possibly the best overall defense. Teams like Buffalo have a great mobile core of defensemen (though could use depth) and no real 'superstar' forwards - Briere and Afinogenov are great, but they're not on the level with Ovie and Kovie. Obviously, you need all three - goaltending, defense, and offense - to win games, but even in the new, offensively driven NHL, I'd like to start my team with a solid backbone and a good leader. Phaneuf is a guy who can contribute offensively, will play a tight defensive game every night, and can get things done physically like the very best. I would start my team with Dion Phaneuf. Note: From a financial standpoint I'd start with Ovie. He'd pack the house more consistantly than Phaneuf. As much as i love all the players mentioned id still pick Sid the Kid. Hes a pretty complete player and makes those around him better. Villavelocity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CryWolf Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 I picked Ovechkin although it is a tough choice between him, Crosby and Phaneuf. Kovalchuk is sensational now, but it took him a few years to really get things going. The way Ovechkin came on the scene last year as a rookie leads me to believe he is a better player than Kovalchuk, with a much higher ceiling. For some reason, I sense more consistent energy and excitement coming out of Ovie than Sid, though it is so early in their careers, you can't really make that call yet. I just think Ovie will be the more exciting player for the fans to watch night after night. Otherwise, he and Sid are pretty even. As great as Dion is, casual fans don't come out to watch defencemen as much as they do an exciting dynamic goal-scoring forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach_9 Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 As great as Dion is, casual fans don't come out to watch defencemen as much as they do an exciting dynamic goal-scoring forward. That's why I pick Dion if I'm going for a championship. Ovie if I'm going for ticket sales (my vote was for Dion though, obviously). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CryWolf Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 That's why I pick Dion if I'm going for a championship. Ovie if I'm going for ticket sales (my vote was for Dion though, obviously). The ticket sales will get you a better shot at a championship, with more ability to sign additional quality players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach_9 Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 The ticket sales will get you a better shot at a championship, with more ability to sign additional quality players. True - but potentialy never a Phaneuf quality defenseman. I don't know. Maybe it's just old-school mentality from coaching, but I like to start with defense. There are some teams in this league that are scoring without super star forwards (Anaheim has Selanne, but he's not really on the same level that he used to be - McDonald, Perry and Gretzlaf aren't quite proven yet either) and they're looking like a championship team. Something inside me just says go for the all-around defenseman. He can be your captain, backbone, #1 defenseman, an offensive contributor and a spark when the team needs physical play. Very attractive. Phaneuf is a special player though, and he's going to be a hell of a defenseman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertRat Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 I'd pick Crosby since he's the most marketable of the most talented players. If you're trying to attract new fans, it helps if they can easily pronounce the player's name. I think Ovechkin is the better player, but maybe I'm thinking too deeply with this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach_9 Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 I'd pick Crosby since he's the most marketable of the most talented players. If you're trying to attract new fans, it helps if they can easily pronounce the player's name. I think Ovechkin is the better player, but maybe I'm thinking too deeply with this one. I think over time Ovie is more marketable. Like Wolf said, higher consistancy of energy output. Eventually people will get tired of Sid. He has no personality - little image to work with. Alex is going to be the poster boy and face of the NHL. He's a marketing gold mine. Tons of charisma and the nicest guy in the world, according to everyone whose met him. My initial response is to take Ovie, just based on how much I like him and what an impression he's made on me, both on the ice with his play, and off the ice, in interviews I've watched and read. I just have this weird impulse to want to build off of defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveNJ Posted November 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 The column is now up, which gives this site a plug and gives you a link to the poll. http://www.sportsfanmagazine.com/sfm/articles.html?id=3072 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 I also chose Phaneuf -- the backbone of a solid team, in my opinion, is defense. And if it's a solid defenseman who can force turnovers AND score.... all the better! (shuddering at a pairing of Phaneuf and Lidstrom....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveNJ Posted November 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 I hope some people will join the site because of the poll and join our fun community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach_9 Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 More people joining up would be nice. I doubt many people will just to join for a poll, however, as I was barely able to get 5 or 6 people to come over from the Sabres boards, to participate in Sabres specific polls and threads and when they did come over, they proved not to be the type of members we really wanted anyways, just voicing their opinions about the uniforms and then never posting again. Then again, Sabres fans tend to really aggrivate me lately. They're a loyal bunch, but to generalize and stereotype the whole fan base, they're some of the worst fans I've ever encountered. I'm glad that I am an exception from this. Hopefully some people will join up and participate, I still see tons of guests on here at times, but rarely do any register. We have several members who have taken the time to register, logged in on a few occasions, browsed through several threads and have yet to post. I don't know what we can do to get more people participating and participating on a more consistant basis, but it is frustrating at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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