Mike Ribeiro - 35GP 20G 22A 42PTS

Matt Cullen - 38GP 8G 29A 37PTS

Nik Antropov - 37GP 15G 20A 35PTS

Patrick Sharp - 34GP 19G 13A 32PTS

Brad Boyes - 34GP 21G 9A 30PTS

Dustin Brown - 36GP 16G 13A 29PTS


Tobias Enstrom - 37GP 3G 18A 21PTS

Paul Ranger - 36GP 6G 14A 20PTS

Brent Burns - 37GP 7G 14A 21PTS

Dustin Byfuglien - 24GP 8G 9A 17PTS

Mike Green - 37GP 8G 8A 16PTS




All these players are poised to greatly eclipse their career best scoring marks. Do you think these guys are the real deal? Can they keep up the pace over the course of the season? Over the course of their careers? Who else belongs on this list?

I like Sharpie cuz he's a hometown boy, and he went to my high school.

sharp is the most shocking one of the lot but he's been getting it done every night so whilst he may cool down 65 points isnt out of the question.

ranger is the product of boyle's bad luck so i think his numbers will tail off once boyle returns. cullen also seems to be the product of a good situation, i dont think he'll keep up his current pace.

someone (i'm too lazy) should make a thread of players: jagr, elias, afinogenov, etc... who arnt playing to their usual level. it will be interesting to see if those guys can turn it around in 2008.

Mike Ribeiro is another one of the brilliant moves Bob Gainey made..

what an overrated tool he is...(Bob Gainey)

Ribeiro's teammates didn't want him in Montreal anymore....


I think Green is a very talented, very nice surprise...

A friend of mine who is a Canadiens fan used to try and convince me every year that it "this year is Ribeiro's breakout campaign". Every I would scoff at him and make bets about ribeiro's total points vs different leaf players' points on the season. I always won the bets. The same friend was incensed when ribeiro got traded. And now when he would actually have won a few bets with me involving ribeiro, he doesn't care because he doesn't play for Montreal anymore.

Koivu and friends didn't want him in Montreal anymore, not all teammates. And we all know Koivu gets his wish every ****** time.

Cup envy?

That was a dumb move even you have to admit that, where's Niniima now?

I like me some Dustin Brown every now and then.

I think Sharp is for real, he's only 26 and finally coming into his own. I think Enstrom is what ATL expected offensively and pleasantly surprised by his defense. Ranger's numbers are a little high because of Boyle being injured, but he'll be at this level soon. I don't think anyone expected Byfuglien to do as well as he has so fast, the Hawks staff knew he has quick skates and a good shot, but I don't think they thought he would come on so fast. Mike Green is good also.

why'd we leave off miettinen? and yes he is 100% the benefactor of ribeiro

Yes, it was a bad trade.

My point was that Serge, as usual, makes a hyperbole out of everything. Bob Gainey made a bad move so he's an "overrated tool"? Serge has a hate on anything Montreal and there is only one reason for it...cup envy.

If John Ferguson Jr. had made this trade we would be hearing Serge go on and on about how Ribeiro probably never would have had a breakout season without getting traded.

Ribeiro had a difficult time as he was way too consumed with the night life in Montreal. I wonder what is his weight difference while playing in Montreal and now.

Green wasn't a surprise to me.

I seem to remember somebody telling me before the season started that Enstrom wasn't going to make Atlanta as I was drafting him. I wonder which member of the hockey media that was.