Plenty of people predicted Stafford would have a good year, this being his contract year and all.

I have to admit, I really liked him when he came up in 05-06, and through most of 06-07...but he's seemed to mostly disappear since then (from what I remember, i'm not saying he sucks, or I hate him, but we did call him hellen keller for a long time...)

Do you guys think his good performance is a matter of his natural maturation and coming into his potential? Or is it largely because he's in a contract year?

Also, if his play continues like it has, what sort of money and time do you think he'll get signed for?

And luke adam sucks.
(HA! I keed, I keed.)

staffs for real. he has the talent, and this year he has the drive thats never accompanied it. contract years are cute, and im sure he wants his money, but theres more to it. hes legit.

some minor corrections though. he was called up in 06-07 and fulltime in 07-08.

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I would love him to have a great year so he's valuable. Trade his ass to another team so he can suck there after he signs.

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Yeah I smell him to be a big juicy trade deadline trade. Maybe for a pick or two?

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

I totally agree with you.

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HOCKEY IS BACK!

i dont get why people are so hard on stafford. before this season, he was still a 45 point a year player on average, who seems to be putting it together. the kid has 30-30 talent, and he finally seems to have the right mindframe to put it together, and people want him gone.

what other option do we have on the right side? pominville? hate to say it, hes not a better option.

watch him get traded, continue to blossom, and people moan and groan about darcy.

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Lol...dammit, I could have sworn he came up for the playoffs in 05-06, but you're right, that was 06-07.

Dammit, sky got me for not doing research in the luke adam thread, I really need to start looking this stuff up before posting, is there a single site with all this info you guys prefer for quick refence of stats and stuff?

You know, it would be so infuriating to have suffered through his early career slump, only to trade him and see him flourish as he seems to have started doing.

So, he's a RFA after this year, right? So its the whole, someone could make an offer on him, but we'd get compensation scenario?

It's because people expect ever single first-rounder to have top-line production, when in reality, not even most of the Top 10 in each draft even can get that.

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Girgensons for captain. Team Keep Nick DesLauriers forever.

@TJLuckman550

correct. i assume he will be resigned and stay a sabre. in a season full of crap, i dont get trading away one of our bright spots, despite struggling earlier in his career.

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He's scoring at twice his career pace. It's perfectly reasonable to think it's a contract year bump.

In the end, not that big a deal. He's an RFA, so you can get him for a couple more seasons at a value price and see if this was legit, or a fluke. (Then again, if he keeps going like this, he'll opt for arbitration, and probably get a stupid award. )

I'm scared by the idea that he'll go back to being Helen Keller. We need him to keep playing like this.

its also perfectly reasonable to think, hey, maybe the light went on.

i read someone say they see no difference in how stafford plays this year, but the pucks are going in. stafford was always in good position to score, he was always snake bitten. this year they find the net.

and (baseball reference) its not like brady anderson going for 50 home runs in a season after spending his whole career as a leadoff hitter. staffs always been able to produce at a decent clip. this isnt like mike grier going to 55 points out of the blue. (example)

thats why, i think theres more to it then a contract year.

thats what i think.

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Stafford has potential. Motherfucker.

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"Let's just trap Sekera in the caverns underneath HSBC arena." -BlueandYellow

Reporter: "Steve, you guys now lead the league in defensive scoring."
Montador: "It's probably because of how good-looking we are."

Contract year bump

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mechaphil

this....last year the big joke was that he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn

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I don't understand how it's personally reasonable to think that the light suddenly went on. When does a guy start scoring at twice his usual pace after 3-4 years in the league?

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I dunno, I think I might be in the minority here, but I think Stafford has finally figured out he's a big guy, and can throw his weight around.

I think the extra production comes from him finishing his checks, keeping his feet moving, and driving to the net and middle of the ice. He used to hang out on the outskirts, and above the goal line a lot. I've noticed him going to the net a lot more this year, and finishing a lot more checks. Especially after his shoulder healed. I think he's taken on a mentality of initiate contact, rather than receiving contact.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

The light went on because he wants to show his net worth to get a raise. Obviously he can do it because he is. The issue is that no one on this team is willing to push their hardest until it's time to get paid. Maybe with a new owner who has faith in them and has interest in their productivity we will be seeing this on a constant basis.

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its happened plenty of times. martin st louis comes to mind. bill guerin as well. daniel briere first saw NHL ice in 97-98, but didnt become legit till 2001-2002.

he was rushed into the league and finally looks like he belongs.

as ive said, weve all bemoaned stafford for missing open chances. but he was getting PLENTY of open chances. this year, they appear to be going on.

like i said, in a year full of crap and misery, i dont understand why everyone wants to move one of the few bright spots because he struggled prior to this point (and still was a 45 point guy production wise year in and year out.)

meanwhile, an older jason pominville continues to digress (regress) as a player, while eating a large portion of cap space. wheres the outrage?

i agree with jay. he just looks like he finally grew into an NHL player, not a player playing in the NHL.

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