Silver Nuggets: Which is More Likely Series: Zibanejad vs Latendresse
WIML Day 6! Thank you all for your participation so far, it has made these dreary summer times much more hockey filled, which is much more enjoyable. Yesterday the question pitted starting goaltender Craig Anderson's starts against Jason Spezza's goal scoring prowess. With about a 60/40 split, the majority picked Spezza to score 35 goals for the first time in his career. This was best summed up by Sheer_Craziness:
Spezza
With a stronger winger, his points might go up, but more importantly, he will be expected to shoot more. Again. And we can always hope he actually does it. But I have faith that as he becomes more and more of a leader on this team, he will start to shoot more.
On the other side, they’ll want to play Bishop. They want to see if he can be a full starter 2 years from now, so they can decide to keep him. Or they can dangle him in front of other teams, hoping for a solid trade if they decide they like Lehner. So basically, Anderson will get fewer starts because of how much we want to see our other goalies. Andy will get more starts towards the end though, and will likely get the last 15 or so before playoffs if Ottawa stays in the hunt
HOWEVER, as was pointed out in the comments, the comment section seems to lean one way, while the poll leans the other way. So if you are here to vote, we'd love to hear your opinions, so drop us a comment so we can understand your thoughts!
Today we pit the stopgap against the blue-chipper, and the question is this:
Which is more likely? That Guillaume Latendresse plays more than 60 games OR that Mika Zibanejad plays more than 20?
Latendresse: Signed July 1st, after passing his physical, to a 1-year $1.2 million contract Guillaume will be looking to prove that he can play and be effective at the NHL level. However, concussions are fickle things, and should he get hit the wrong way there is no telling whether he'll be ok. Not to mention if he comes to camp out of shape there are many hungry prospects willing to take his roster spot and he could find himself in the press box.
Zibanejad: After being the subject of many trade proposals to land the likes of Bobby Ryan and Rick Nash, Zibanejad will come to camp a year older than he did last year when he forced MacLean's hand by leading the team in scoring in the pre-season. He played his 9-games before going back to Sweden, but one thinks he'll be looking for more this year. He had a rough developmental year in Sweden, so it will be interesting to see if he spends the majority of the season in the AHL.
Tell us which you think is MORE likely.
Links after the jump.
Sens News
- User DA SENS does some crystal ball gazing in this Fanpost, and provides a look at the future of the Senators blueline. I personally think Ceci will push hard for a spot this year and next. [SSSFanpost]
- Another photo gallery over at the official site, this time of Jared Cowen. [Sens]
- Amelia gives us the history of Ottawa and the number 9 [SSS]
League News
- Really fun story over at CBC looking back at the history of offer sheets. Let's all thank the hockey gods that the Thomas Vanek one did not come to fruition. [CBC]
- David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail talks about how this Shea Weber offer sheet is the painful reality of being a small market team. It happens in every sport. At least the NHL isn't the NBA! [Globe]
- Sean Leahy at Puck Daddy claims that this Weber thing is a defining moment for the Predators as a franchise. I agree, and I expect them to take their time. [PD]
- T.J Oshie avoided the ugly process of arbitration yesterday by inking himself a spiffy new 5 year extension with the Blues. Oshie is an exciting young player and if he continues to grow, this contract is really good value. [NHL]
Which is more likely?
| Latendresse plays more than 60 games | 204 |
| Zibanejad plays more than 20 games | 304 |