Speculation: 2017-18 Roster Discussion - Part 2

[Todd1a]

If it were that easy though Barberio would be here and successful. Need to find guys with good zone exit rates, decent passing and skating ability, and average+ possession rates. I know I listed some previously, forget if it was in this thread though...

That's our biggest issue and had me scratching my head protecting coburn.

 

[The Macho King]

Build like Pittsburgh just get d guys that can skate don't have to be all stars . Then we need to add our kessel.

I get the feeling that people just didn't watch the Pens when they say "JUST LOOK AT THEIR D AND THEY WON!"

First - a lot of their D are pretty underrated. Dumolin is one of the best young D in the league right now. Schultz has come into his own as a solid puckmover and steady if not studly defender. Cole was a shot blocking machine. Daley has had a second-coming. And they all move the puck up the ice incredibly well.

But even then, that's just half of it. Their forwards are defending like they're all trying to win the Selke. Crosby has turned into a really good defensive forward. Malkin now knows where the defensive side of the ice is. Kessel backchecks like a maniac. Add in guys like Bonino, Rust, and others - they have 100% buy-in to a system that fits their strengths.

We don't have a system that fits our strengths, and we sure as hell don't have 100% buy-in on it - which is one of the reasons I think we do so well when we have a ton of injuries. AHL call ups do what you tell them. NHL vets "know" better and do their own thing.

 

[HoseEmDown]

I don't think anyone is comparing Pitt to us straight up. I think it's more an observation based on core talent on each team.

With that said, the Drouin loss is a major blow to our offense. That's A LOT of playmaking that is now gone. A lot of setups and extended plays that are now gone - esspecially on the PP.

We need to find a way to try to make up for a lot of that.

I really don't think the Drouin trade is a big loss. Yes he was probably our best playmaker but for all the extended plays there was plenty of offensive zone turnovers. On the PP we are getting Stamkos back who'll be a focal point on one of the units so Drouin's need is a little less.

Our prospects coming up are more Pittsburg style, those quick, heavy forecheckers. Guys who play the way Cooper wants to. Since he never established a connection with any other forward, it's not going to affect chemistry in any way.

 

[Sky04]

I really don't think the Drouin trade is a big loss. Yes he was probably our best playmaker but for all the extended plays there was plenty of offensive zone turnovers. On the PP we are getting Stamkos back who'll be a focal point on one of the units so Drouin's need is a little less.

Our prospects coming up are more Pittsburg style, those quick, heavy forecheckers. Guys who play the way Cooper wants to. Since he never established a connection with any other forward, it's not going to affect chemistry in any way.

2 Completely different roles, outside of shooting Stamkos is awful on the PP. Drouin's use is a puck movement threat (all you have to do is look at the 2015-2016 PP where he was the "focal point"), Drouin can move it to the point for Hedman or to the slot for Kucherov with ease which is why that unit was so successful. Kucherov is far better a pure shooter on the PP, he is way too cute when he's the puck mover and with Stamkos back he's more likely to default to him instead of shooting himself. Not to mention zone entry on the PP was mostly through Drouin as well.

The PP took a hit, no doubt about that. This needs to be fixed considering our PP is what kept us from completely falling under last year.

 

[LightningStrikes]

He kinda looks like a shell of himself.

Kovy? How? His KHL numbers were stellar last season.

 

[DFC]

I don't know if I fully agree with that. The defense two and three years ago was plenty serviceable - not great, but Garrison still played like a 4 slot D, he and Coburn traded minutes in that spot successfully, Stralman avoided injury, Hedman avoided injury, and you actually had a weird but successful blend of guys who played in spots they shouldn't have, but did so successfully because they could bring one or two traits to the defense that had been needed. Barberio/Nesterov... forgettable in the D zone, but Nesty could move the puck and produce some points from the back end. Gudas wasn't the fastest and could get torched by faster teams, but he could also move the puck and eat minutes when necessary, and would feast on slower more methodical teams. Brewer could be an anchor that played back for Koekkoek/Barbs/Nesterov/etc to run around and try to make things happen.

I'll agree on the goaltending part though, and I wonder how much Steve kicks himself for last season. Splitting time with a workhorse like Ben and a kid like Vasy that is desperate to be a workhorse ended up being a recipe for disaster. I also wonder if the return would have been nicer around the draft on Ben, but of course going that route and leaving the reins to the kid to start the year is its own gamble.

I'll have to find someplace to dig up the numbers, but i'd like to take a 5 year picture of zone starts for this team and possibly find icing numbers as well. We all know about the faceoff issues from last year, we're still griping about it, and rightfully so. I have a feeling DZ starts are much higher last year than the previous four.

I think everyone was shocked we didn't make the playoffs. We kept Ben to push for a cup and it blew up fantastically in our faces. It was a gamble and we lost big time. But yeah, there were no safe options to take last year. If anything, keeping Ben probably "looked" like the safest option, and then the season went to hell in a way where we're now forced to realize how much wasted opportunity there was. (Like, the opportunity to move Ben for a significant piece.)

Even months later, it's still kind of surreal how disappointing this past season was.

This team is so bi-polar. We can be one of the most electrifying teams in the league, which makes it only worse when we often morph into one of the most boring, least energetic.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

I think everyone was shocked we didn't make the playoffs. We kept Ben to push for a cup and it blew up fantastically in our faces. It was a gamble and we lost big time. But yeah, there were no safe options to take last year. If anything, keeping Ben probably "looked" like the safest option, and then the season went to hell in a way where we're now forced to realize how much wasted opportunity there was. (Like, the opportunity to move Ben for a significant piece.)

Even months later, it's still kind of surreal how disappointing this past season was.

This team is so bi-polar. We can be one of the most electrifying teams in the league, which makes it only worse when we often morph into one of the most boring, least energetic.

I honestly wonder if we'd at least go a round if we played Ben about 15 more games. Cutting his minutes ruined things for him.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

Kovy? How? His KHL numbers were stellar last season.

You're right, I was way off. I must have found the wrong profile on hockeydb or something.

 

[LightningStrikes]

You're right, I was way off. I must have found the wrong profile on hockeydb or something.

Now we're even (Koekkoek / Kovalchuk).

 

[LTIR Trickery]

Now we're even (Koekkoek / Kovalchuk).

 

[RegularSznAllStars]

Budaj for two more years! 1.025 avg, not bad at all. Really good deal.

 

[Todd1a]

Budaj for two more years! 1.025 avg, not bad at all. Really good deal.

That's official not bad nice job Stevie

 

[DFC]

Budaj for two more years! 1.025 avg, not bad at all. Really good deal.

I needed this.

Some good news. Total pricetag on goaltending under $5m.

 

[Todd1a]

Budaj for two more years! 1.025 avg, not bad at all. Really good deal.

That's a fantastic deal for the lightning and great term anything under two years was perfect

 

[DFC]

That's a fantastic deal for the lightning and great term anything under two years was perfect

Now let's just hope he doesn't Nabokov us.

That pricetag is awesome though. And, so long as he doesn't fall off a cliff, he looked last year like a guy capable of helping out during Vasy's growing pains.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Budaj for two more years! 1.025 avg, not bad at all. Really good deal.

That is awesome! A very decent deal. He's an excellent backup and mentor for Vasy!

 

[RDTBay4]

I hope Budaj is ready to be the #1 goalie for the next couple years while we attempt to get a long term solution to the Vasilevskiy problem.

 

[Todd1a]

Now let's just hope he doesn't Nabokov us.

That pricetag is awesome though. And, so long as he doesn't fall off a cliff, he looked last year like a guy capable of helping out during Vasy's growing pains.

Good question who is the first call up goalie from the ahl ??

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Just had a thought...what about the total and complete roster freeze that is currently supposed to be underway?? Thought nothing could be announced/finalized until Thursday?

Is this a side deal Yzerman worked out with Vegas (none of which are supposed to be made public until after Wed) or a conditional extension if Budaj is NOT selected by Vegas??

@TSNBobMcKenzie might just have gotten himself in BIG trouble for this leak.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Good question who is the first call up goalie from the ahl ??

I'd say McKenna. Did pretty dang well during the Calder Cup playoffs.

 

[DFC]

Good question who is the first call up goalie from the ahl ??

I'm guessing McKenna, unless Ingram shocks us in the first few months.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Just had a thought...what about the total and complete roster freeze that is currently supposed to be underway?? Thought nothing could be announced/finalized until Thursday?

Is this a side deal Yzerman worked out with Vegas (none of which are supposed to be made public until after Wed) or a conditional extension if Budaj is NOT selected by Vegas??

@TSNBobMcKenzie might just have gotten himself in BIG trouble for this leak.

Just answered my question. lol

 

[Todd1a]

Just had a thought...what about the total and complete roster freeze that is currently supposed to be underway?? Thought nothing could be announced/finalized until Thursday?

Is this a side deal Yzerman worked out with Vegas (none of which are supposed to be made public until after Wed) or a conditional extension if Budaj is NOT selected by Vegas??

@TSNBobMcKenzie might just have gotten himself in BIG trouble for this leak.

Agent he knew must have leaked it to him

 

[DFC]

Agent he knew must have leaked it to him

It's not like teams aren't allowed to talk/negotiate right now. The only mistake here is using the word "resigned," since that can't happen yet. TB and Budaj have agreed to a new contract that'll be signed when the freeze lifts.

 

[Flat Ronnie]

I hope Budaj is ready to be the #1 goalie for the next couple years while we attempt to get a long term solution to the Vasilevskiy problem.

You should just go full on and change your name to Michael Scott.

Actually, Michael Scarn might fit you better.