#2: Hemsky - Gagner - Nail

[McSuper]

Hmmm, a brand new poster that just started an account being an expert at all and stating "sorry for being a broken record".

I wonder..

I am new myself . But i would never post anything about a player i have no clue about . Perry , a center ! In what universe ?

 

[misfit]

The Soft as butter line

That didn't seem to stop Tanguay-Sakic-Hejduk from being one of the best lines in hockey for years.

 

[tiger_80]

That didn't seem to stop Tanguay-Sakic-Hejduk from being one of the best lines in hockey for years.

Yes, but to be able to make this kind of comparison, you need to swap Sam Gagner for Datsyuk or Giroux, otherwise the talent level is just not comparable. Lest we forget, Joe Sakic was one of the best players of his generation. Hejduk in his prime was a 40-50 goal scorer and Tanguay during his Avalanche days was basically what we were always hoping Hemsky would become. IMHO, Hemsky in his best days was not as good as Tanguay in his prime.

 

[nabob]

This line is going to be a disaster unless they are inside the other teams blue line. I've seen Hemsky and Gagner bail on more puck battles and turn the puck over more leading to odd man rushes against in the last 3 years than all other Oilers combined.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Impossible.

Lest you forget that Horcoff is on the roster.

And people act like Hall, Eberle and RNH never turn the puck over. Not the case. Sorry.

 

[nabob]

Impossible.

Lest you forget that Horcoff is on the roster.

And people act like Hall, Eberle and RNH never turn the puck over. Not the case. Sorry.

I dont know but its pretty sad that the line that is going to need the most sheltered minutes is one with 2 of your more veteran forwards on it.

 

[Draiskull]

I dont know but its pretty sad that the line that is going to need the most sheltered minutes is one with 2 of your more veteran forwards on it.

Dont be so sure..
Horc-Smyth line might get the most TOI ES..

Gagner line I think will be getting the softest\sheltered minutes early on.

 

[Canovin]

Which do you guys prefer?

Hemsky-Gagner-Yakupov

or

Hartski-Jamie Benn-Yakupov

 

[tiger_80]

Which do you guys prefer?

Hemsky-Gagner-Yakupov

or

Hartski-Jamie Benn-Yakupov

Because Stars would trade Benn for Hemsky and Gagner.

 

[Canovin]

Because Stars would trade Benn for Hemsky and Gagner.

Starting with Hemsky and Gagner.

 

[Replacement*]

That didn't seem to stop Tanguay-Sakic-Hejduk from being one of the best lines in hockey for years.

meh, No grit, not enough hitting, flying around like girlies, and needed somebody else to stand up and fight for them.






All they did was score goals and win cups.


next

 

[McBaevid]

Didn't Krueger say he liked Duos more than Trios somewhere? Splitting up Yakupov/Hall/Eberle/RNH on 2 lines could be more effective than just loading the first one.

 

[windjackass]

Corey Perry?

How awesome would it be if Patrice Bergeron replaced Sam Gagner? Or Jordan Staal? David Backes? Mike Richards?

Or Sidney Crosby? Bobby Orr? Jacques Plante?

 

[Samus44]

I think sometimes we worry about defense too much. I think this 2nd line should be able to score at a rate that will be tough for the opposition to match despite some possible defensive issues. I do think Gagner and Hemsky are being very underrated defensively and in terms of battle level/ability. Hemsky has been facing the toughs for years and Gagner has been forced into the role at times before too and hasn't been completely overwhelmed. I think this line should be spending more time attacking than defending so i'm not as worried about defense as some of you seem to be. Lets put it this way Yakupov is an improvment from most of the players the common pair of Gagner-Hemsky played with the last few years and they did reasonably fine. They aren't going to be a checking unit but many of the best teams don't use their 2nd lines for that anyways, especially not the forward heavy groups.

 

[Philly85*]

still would prefer to see Hemsky and Nail switch, although I'm fine with it for now. There's no excuses for this line to not produce. 3 skill guys, everyone can pass and shoot, yeah they might not be as big or physical as some would like but if they can keep the puck in the offensive end... the potential is there to do damage.

 

[harpoon]

It's okay, friend. I notice you.

We just notice nutters like harpoon a little quicker. He made the SS trampstamp a fashion statement long before Sammy Snowpants rocked the handlebar stache. He once crouched beside his dog and a left a coiler on Tambellini's lawn. The man is a legend.

You have to earn a reputation around here.

Are you kidding me with this post? I was not ridiculing the poster for his low post count, merely trying to reassure him that nobody thought he was "a broken record" so he had no reason to be apologizing.

I see you've already lost your avatar as a result of your inability to keep to the rules of the site. Keep engaging in personal attacks like the one above and I imagine you'll find yourself gone from this site - which of course would be no loss to anyone.

 

[Supermassive]

Are you kidding me with this post? I was not ridiculing the poster for his low post count, merely trying to reassure him that nobody thought he was "a broken record" so he had no reason to be apologizing.

I see you've already lost your avatar as a result of your inability to keep to the rules of the site. Keep engaging in personal attacks like the one above and I imagine you'll find yourself gone from this site - which of course would be no loss to anyone.

Geez, relax man.
It's Supermassive.
Just joking.
(SS=Sheldon Souray)

 

[sepHF]

Which do you guys prefer?

Hemsky-Gagner-Yakupov

or

Hartski-Jamie Benn-Yakupov

Dallas is not trading Benn, especially for Gagner and Hemsky. He's the play they're going to build around.

 

[nabob]

I think sometimes we worry about defense too much. I think this 2nd line should be able to score at a rate that will be tough for the opposition to match despite some possible defensive issues. I do think Gagner and Hemsky are being very underrated defensively and in terms of battle level/ability. Hemsky has been facing the toughs for years and Gagner has been forced into the role at times before too and hasn't been completely overwhelmed. I think this line should be spending more time attacking than defending so i'm not as worried about defense as some of you seem to be. Lets put it this way Yakupov is an improvment from most of the players the common pair of Gagner-Hemsky played with the last few years and they did reasonably fine. They aren't going to be a checking unit but many of the best teams don't use their 2nd lines for that anyways, especially not the forward heavy groups.

Gagner has NEVER had to face the toughs.

I agree that line will be great to watch when they have the puck. The problem for them will be getting the puck and finding space to play with it before they turn it over.

 

[Supermassive]

Gagner has NEVER had to face the toughs.

I agree that line will be great to watch when they have the puck. The problem for them will be getting the puck and finding space to play with it before they turn it over.

I think Yak and Hemmer will be on a whole other level. Sam might as well hope for rebounds and be the first man back to defend. A pylon could notch 40 points alongside these two.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

whats the nickname for the second line?

I know the first lines' nick is "Ryan Nugent-Hallberle" but what is the 2nds?

"Shop Class" ?

Ie. Hemmer=Hammer...Gagner=win (in french...sorta)...Nail=Nail
So Hammer beats nail....sorta like in shop class.....

I put a lot of work into this...don't blow it.

 

[Supermassive]

whats the nickname for the second line?

I know the first lines' nick is "Ryan Nugent-Hallberle" but what is the 2nds?

"Shop Class" ?

Ie. Hemmer=Hammer...Gagner=win (in french...sorta)...Nail=Nail
So Hammer beats nail....sorta like in shop class.....

I put a lot of work into this...don't blow it.

The Construction Crew.
A Hemmer, a Nail, and a guy named Sam.
(From Twitter)

 

[WeridAl]

That didn't seem to stop Tanguay-Sakic-Hejduk from being one of the best lines in hockey for years.

You got to love it when someone puts his boot in his mouth. Sakic was a exceptional 2 way C, great defensively as he was offensively. The Av's also had the coke bottles that could play the top 6 if need be. Then there was Forsberg that wasn't afraid to wrap his stick around you neck or shove it up your butt and the Av's had the muscle to back him up.

Bad example to use. If Gagner was even close to Sakic, maybe, but it isn't even close.

 

[windjackass]

meh, No grit, not enough hitting, flying around like girlies, and needed somebody else to stand up and fight for them.






All they did was score goals and win cups.


next

I like Straka/Lemieux/Kovalev as my own personal whipping boy when it comes to high scoring, but wimpy lines. It might not survive in today's league.

 

[Samus44]

Gagner has NEVER had to face the toughs.

I agree that line will be great to watch when they have the puck. The problem for them will be getting the puck and finding space to play with it before they turn it over.

Gagner has faced top defensive pairings many a time to go with playing the other teams top 2 lines. Horcoff has been hurt many times during Gagner's career, and i seem to remember Penner-Gagner-Brule being the teams #1 line. Gagner even now is not a sheltered player, he plays top 6 opponents. For example Sam Gagner played similar or tougher competition compared to other centers (part time too) Benn, Ribeiro, Vermette, Statsny and Duchene (by alot too), Sharp, P.Kane, Hodgson, Bergeron (although he had a tough zonestart), ect... Sam Gagner by the way had a positive RelCorsi and was a plus player last season to go with easily top 50 production for his position.

I've said it before and i'll say it again the only players the same age or younger to outscore Gagner as centers are Stamkos, Tavares, Hopkins, O'Reilly, Henrique (Parie-Kovalchuck linemates), Stepan (same ppg basically), and Seguin who played RW. Couture and Kane (who played alot of center last season) scored more too but they are both nearly a full year older despite going in the same draft. So basically other than the first 5 centers taken in their drafts we have, Henrique a Calder canidate who had arguably the best linemates in the league, Stepan who's scoring at an identical rate and is a smaller center on a team with a "soft" 1st line center too (they also happen to be a top team), O'Reilly who looks like Bergeron 2.0, and Couture who like i said is older and is a very very good player. Gagner it seems to me is doing just fine if he's in the tier below those guys and is in or even slightly below the next group of up and coming centers with the Henriques and Stepan's of the world. We need to appreciate what we got here and not devalue quality young players like Gagner or Paajarvi just because they can't keep pace with elite players. Gagner in particular has been outstanding up to date for his age. He's not a PKer but he produces at evens and can play quality competition and outshoot them. He's not a Selke caliber two way center but he could easily end up as Stephen Weiss type player.