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Looking Back At The Summer Of Ken
by IwoCPO on 11/20/06 at 04:24 PM ET
Comments (4)
I whined like a little girl. I stomped my feet and pouted and fretted. Free agents were being gobbled up like possum steak at Bubba’s. Ken Holland was asleep at the switch!! I invented a cynical term and used it again and again. It’s the Summer of Ken. The Summer of Ken is sucking. The Summer of Ken is passing us by.
I wrote things like, “tick tock Kenny”. Because sitting here in Memphis, with the internet at my disposal and KNOWLEDGE OF MY TEAM, I knew exactly what should be done, who should be signed and, by god, how they should be used.
Well, let’s take a look at some of the players that would have made my Summer of Ken a bit more palatable, and how they’re faring with the teams who—in some cases—got suckered.
Remember: Holland said, after The Punch In The Face, that we needed upgrades on the blue line, in the grit department and certainly in net.
Defensemen I wanted, but Holland didn’t sign because he doesn’t like me.
Keith Carney, Wild: averaging just under 13 minutes/game, +1, 2 points
Jay McKee, Blues: Oct 23rd hand surgery has limited him to 1 game played. Due back by Christmas.
Willie Mitchell, Canucks: 12 games played, +4, 1 point and only 2 PIM. Averaging 22 minutes/game.
Aaron Ward, Rangers: 21 games played, 8 points, 48 blocked shots.
Ed Jovanowski, Coyotes: 20 games played, 10 points, averaging 22 minutes/game.
Brendan Witt, Islanders: 18 games played, 5 pts, +5, 21 minutes/game, 39 PIM.
Forwards I was convinced would have career years simply because the Winged Wheel does that to guys, prompts career years
Mark Parrish, Wild: 19 GP, 8 pts, -4
Dallas Drake, Blues: 15 GP, 1 pt, -9
Fernando Pisani, Oilers: 20 GP, 5 pts, -1
Doug Weight, Blues: 19 GP, 11 pts, 20 min/game
Bill Guerin, Blues: 19 GP, 8 goals, 5 assists, 2 PPG, 17 min/game
Matthew Barnaby, Stars: 19 GP, 6 pts, 79 PIM, 8 min/game
Anson Carter, Blue Jackets: 18 GP, 4 pts, -8
Michael Peca, Leafs: 20 GP, 7 points, -2, 0 PP points
JP Dumont, Bubba: 18 GP, 15 points, 5 PP points, 15 minutes/game
Goaltenders who I demanded Holland sign or trade for, all of them, no matter the cost, to compete in an open tryout in Traverse City for the privilege to follow the legend that was Legace.
Martin Gerber, Sens: 4-8 record, 3.45 GAA, .890 Save
Martin Biron, Sabres: 7-1 record, 3.10 GAA, .893 Save
JS Giguere, Ducks: 11-1 record, 2.39 GAA, .914 Save
Dwayne Roloson, Oilers: 10-6 record, 2.38 GAA, .923 Save
Whew. What a team we would have had. With Carney, Barnaby, Carter, Gerber, McKee and Pisani? Unfriggingbeatable.
Feel free to add others I’ve missed. Do I still think we should have tried for Dumont? Yes. Giguere? Yes. Mitchell? Yes. Drake? Yes. But for some reason Ken Holland didn’t listen, and here we are floundering at 12-5-2.
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Comments
Good idea. I remember thinking Roli would have been a good target before he signed with the Oil and he has been solid this year. I also was interested in trying to get Langenbrunner, who has played 19 games this year, has 15 points, 4 PP points and is -1. I was shocked when there was talk of Detroit trying to sign Patrik Elias. He has been good other than the fact he is -9 and is on pace to go -39. Ouch.
As far as bad ideas, I did panic a bit and think the Wings should sign Gerber. Once I saw how much he signed for, though, it did seem like a bad idea. I also thought the Wings should sign Anson Carter just to make a move and that would have been awful. It’s even worse when you consider how much Columbus signed him for. In order to increase team speed I also thought Jeff Friesen could have been a good pick up. He has 1 point in 19 games and is -2.
Posted by Dave on 11/20/06 at 10:59 PM ET
Summer of Ken was probably one of the best of all GM’s. I still think Minnesota has overpayed for guys who won’t have much impact. San Jose, Anahiem, Dallas, Chicago (minus injuries) took the cake in the offseason.
looking at the plus minus around the leauge it looks Danny Markov and Lidstrom are dynamite together. If anyone saw the line off Flip, Hudler, and Kopecky you know we have one heck of future. I’m still not sold on hasek in net, he is shakey at best.
with that said, I really wanted Dumont and Carter, and I still think they would be beneficial to our line up. Right now however, I’m hoping for a deadline deal of Glen Murray.
Posted by Jdunc from Flint, MI on 11/22/06 at 07:55 AM ET
Kudos to you for your honesty. I’m thankful that most of my ideas (hockey and mostly otherwise) never make it into durable form, so I can quietly forget them and let them sink into obscurity…until one of my brothers or sisters brings them up, of course!
Posted by Baroque on 11/22/06 at 10:38 PM ET
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That is definitely an honest look in the mirror.
Nice post.
Posted by Gramps from HockeyTown on 11/20/06 at 06:15 PM ET