After a season of over-achievement, grit, guts, and youth, you'd be a fool not to realize that better days are ahead for our beloved franchise.  Here are my thoughts on the team going forward....

goaltending:  Henrik Lundqvist entering his prime years; can you see them etching his name onto the Cup?  I can. 

Martin Biron:  a shame with the injury; he's solid in net and I'm very happy to have him...great team guy, locker room presence, and even a shoot-out assistant coach.

defense:  Your top four are set for years in my mind; they're only gonna get better...even Staal isn't finished getting better.  However, he needs to be more physical.  He needs to throw some bigger hits back there.  I am still not through with Matt Gilroy; he's got some speed and vision and he showed you a higher gear in the Caps series.  Brian McCabe has to go - he's terrible, just awful.  You thought Roszival was bad holding the puck in on the power play?  Jesus Christmas.....

I am a big fan of signing James Wisniewski....even at the expense of letting Gilroy walk. 


forwards after ye olde jump:

Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan, Artem Anisimov, Ruslan Fedotenko, Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust, Marian Gaborik (mostly because we're stuck with him) : that is my list of guys I want back 100%.  No real surprises;  I heart Feds...guts, guts, and relentlessness....Gaborik I don't know....he's not very effective when he's checked hard.   

Vinny Prospal:  I love him, I love his effort, his spirit, but I don't think so anymore.

Sean Avery:  He opened my eyes for the first time this year in the playoffs, but ah....he isn't worth it anymore, and the money could be better spent at this point.  Thank you, and good-bye Sean.

Eric Christensen:  Yes he's a shoot-out phenom and every so often he surprises you with a great play (his playoff goal was electrifying); but really, this guy is not a winner. 

Wojtek Wolski:  I'll take him back but Torts has to stay on top of him.  He aggravates the crap out of me 9 out of 10 of his shifts. 

Mats Zuccarello:  I just don't think he can cut it in this league (I hope I'm wrong).

Chris Drury:  buy-out, tag-sale, seance, orphanage, adoption, planned parenthood.....just please make it stop.  (with all due respect to him; he left his heart out on the ice after every game he played).....

Derek Boogaard:  please ship this guy to that team fulla derelicts in Russia....

If the cap space could be saved I would love to see this for next year:

delete McCabe, Avery, Prospal, Drury, Christensen.......add Richards, Laich, Wizniewski, and Konopka.

Thoughts.............?