All-Time Lines

[staal4pm]

There's been two interesting threads posted recently regarding all-timers. The first asked for your team's most skilled 5 and a goalie and then your team's toughest 5 and a goalie. The second asked for your team's all-time team (two scoring lines, a checking line, and a crash-bang line). I'll include my responses, but I'm interested to hear yours.

If we're going for in their prime, and just counting the Canes and not that "failed experiment" in New England (suck on it), we're gonna roll with this:

TOUGH
Stu Grimson (97/98) - Darren Langdon - (01/02) - Jesse Boulerice (03/04)
Sandy McCarthy (99/00) - Enrico Ciccone (97/98)
Sean Burke (97/98)
with an Honorable Mention to Keith Primeau in 1997-1998

SKILLED
Eric Staal - (05/06) - Ron Francis (01/02) - Ray Whitney (06/07)
Paul Coffey (99/00) - Sandis Ozolinsh (00/01)
Cam Ward (08/09)
with an Honorable Mention to Arturs Irbe in 1998-1999

If we're going for just their time with the Canes, McCarthy and Ciccone have to come out of the tough squad and be replaced by Nolan Pratt (98/99) and Mike Commodore (05/06) and that team becomes a LOT softer. As for the skilled, Coffey comes out in favor of Sean Hill (99/00) and I can't believe I just typed that. Hey, numbers are numbers.

Now for the all-time TEAM. As you can see, I drew heavily from the 01-02 and 05-06 teams.

Cory Stillman - Eric Staal - Erik Cole (2005-2006)
Jeff O'Neill - Ron Francis - Sami Kapanen (2001-2002)
Martin Gelinas - Rod Brind'Amour - Jaroslav Svoboda (2001-2002)
Craig Adams - Kevyn Adams - Jesse Boulerice (2003-2004)

Mike Commodore - Bret Hedican (2005-2006)
Sean Hill - Glen Wesley (2001-2002)
Aaron Ward - Frantisek Kaberle (2005-2006)

Cam Ward (2008-2009)
Arturs Irbe (1998-1999)
HM: Martin Gerber (2005-2006)

[Mr. America]

I thought alot about that thread. BUT DAMN! You REALLY thought alot about that thread! lol

My toughness line was gonna be:
Grimson-Primeau-Boulerice/Langdon

I know people on this site will like Langdon better, but Boulerice is a more entertaining fighter I think.

[staal4pm]

With Danny not appearing to be a direct threat to NC, work is slow so I have time on my hands.

I agree that Boulerice is the better fighter. Keith Primeau, however, is dead to me. I still haven't got over his turning his back on the team and holding out AS THE CAPTAIN in 1999 before we sent his @$$ packing. That dude can go f*ck himself. I tend to think of him as the one black eye out of the great captains we have had on this team.

He could fight a bit, though.