Speculation: 2019 offseason thread IV

[majormajor]

I'm excited to have Dano back, and I'm not sold that Bemstrom is going to be NHL ready this Fall, but I also don't see why Dano would even be ahead of Milano on the depth chart. He just got waived twice last year. The Jets, granted, were exceptionally deep, but Colorado was not. He couldn't keep a job over the likes of Sheldon Dries and Sven Andrighetto.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Why are some certain Dano is even good enough to play in the NHL?

I’m not. But given our lack of nhl ready depth in the minors, I think he’s got inside track to make it as at least a depth guy. Him, Robinson, Lilja, Hannikainen are battling for two spots. Only one actually in the regular lineup.

Milano is in there too, but he’d have to excel and I think he’s more likely to be waived and claimed or traded.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[Xoggz22]

Dano is depth for the organization and nothing more. Milano, Bem, Tex are all likely ahead of him on the depth chart. Add Robinson too. Great story and maybe he recaptures his form that endeared us as fans but not much more than depth.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Happy to see Dano back. I always like rolling the dice on youngish guys who are cheap and maybe have been misused. Smart, low risk moves.

That said, he's clearly depth. If he earns it, he earns it. If he doesn't, he goes down. I don't think this signing in any way says anything about the hopes for any other player on the team. I think it's just a matter of adding another dude at a good price. Depth, flexibility.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Happy to see Dano back. I always like rolling the dice on youngish guys who are cheap and maybe have been misused. Smart, low risk moves.

That said, he's clearly depth. If he earns it, he earns it. If he doesn't, he goes down. I don't think this signing in any way says anything about the hopes for any other player on the team. I think it's just a matter of adding another dude at a good price. Depth, flexibility.

Expect nothing from him and hope for something from him. He clearly excelled here and then the trade to Chicago derailed him. I don't know if it was his own decision or the Blackhawks instructed him to do so (maybe the CBJ asked him to before he was traded) but he essentially decided to bulk up and put on more mass and it robbed him of his speed. If he's focused more on getting his speed back perhaps he can get back on track in the right situation.

 

[DarkandStormy]

I mean, if we assume a few things (and lines can move around, idc):
Nyquist-PLD-Atkinson
Texier?-Wennberg-Bjorkstrand
Foligno-Jenner-Anderson
???-Dubinksy-Nash

Something like that. I put Texier with a ? because maybe they want to try him at center or maybe he comes back down to earth a bit as a full-time regular. Also, it shouldn't be too difficult to put one of Nash or Dubinsky up in the press box if they perform similarly to last year and if a couple of the guys below perform better.

So competing for the last 2-3 spots?
Hannikainen
Robinson
Milano
Dano
Bemstrom
Foudy?

 

[Old Guy]

This team decided to trade Ry Jo for a top notch defenseman. While I applaud the trade, it robbed the team of a first line center. I was hopeful that PLD and Matt Duchene had the problem solved, but alas.

This team needs to solve this center depth issue in the next 12-18 months. If Texier is to be a center, put him there and let him learn. Same with jerking Jenner back and forth. Dubinsky can take draws, but can’t keep up and distribute. Maybe the answer is Bemstrom. I was hoping it was going to be Thurkauf but he regressed.

I want to see Jarmo (and Torts) give one of these young guys every opportunity to grab the opportunity. It isn’t Wennberg. It isn’t Dubinsky. It isn’t Nash. It seems like it is Jenner/Foligno only on odd # weekdays and 2nd nights of B2B games on the road.

Solve this center depth!!!! You are willing to give your young goalies an opportunity to grab the glory. Why not the same with a young #2 center???

 

[grindline]

Call it shiny new toy syndrome but I’m not that attached to several of our bottom six. I also hate the idea that you stick players on the 4th line for five minutes per night just to give others a shift off when you might as well see what younger players can do instead. I would rather try younger players and potentially roll four lines than just clog up a line with grinders.

I would love to go with something like this.


Nyquist-PLD-Atkinson
Foligno-Texier-Bjorkstrand
Bemstrom-Jenner-Anderson
Dano-Foudy-Nash

Wennberg

 

[Viqsi]

This team decided to trade Ry Jo for a top notch defenseman. While I applaud the trade, it robbed the team of a first line center. I was hopeful that PLD and Matt Duchene had the problem solved, but alas.

This team needs to solve this center depth issue in the next 12-18 months. If Texier is to be a center, put him there and let him learn. Same with jerking Jenner back and forth. Dubinsky can take draws, but can’t keep up and distribute. Maybe the answer is Bemstrom. I was hoping it was going to be Thurkauf but he regressed.

I want to see Jarmo (and Torts) give one of these young guys every opportunity to grab the opportunity. It isn’t Wennberg. It isn’t Dubinsky. It isn’t Nash. It seems like it is Jenner/Foligno only on odd # weekdays and 2nd nights of B2B games on the road.

Solve this center depth!!!! You are willing to give your young goalies an opportunity to grab the glory. Why not the same with a young #2 center???

"Throw them in and see if they swim" can be a valid prospect development method (see: PLD), but not always (see: Joey). I would much rather Kekalainen and friends handle developing our prospects in the manner they feel is appropriate for each one.

 

[blahblah]

Dano is depth for the organization and nothing more. Milano, Bem, Tex are all likely ahead of him on the depth chart. Add Robinson too. Great story and maybe he recaptures his form that endeared us as fans but not much more than depth.

I'm not sure I totally agree with this. Sure, he's depth but that doesn't mean the franchise brought him back just to sit in the AHL in case we need him. I tend to think they will give him every chance to make the roster. The depth chart will flush itself out as time goes on, but if he does well the current depth chart will move around fairly quickly. On a side note, I'm not sure Milano is being considered all the seriously for a roster spot.

Camp should be interesting, a lot of opportunities.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

Call it shiny new toy syndrome but I’m not that attached to several of our bottom six. I also hate the idea that you stick players on the 4th line for five minutes per night just to give others a shift off when you might as well see what younger players can do instead. I would rather try younger players and potentially roll four lines than just clog up a line with grinders.

I would love to go with something like this.


Nyquist-PLD-Atkinson
Foligno-Texier-Bjorkstrand
Bemstrom-Jenner-Anderson
Dano-Foudy-Nash

Wennberg

Nyquist-Dubois-Atkinson
Foligno-Texier-Bjorkstrand
Milano-Jenner-Anderson
Bemstrom-Wennberg-Nash

 

[majormajor]

Nyquist-Dubois-Atkinson
Foligno-Texier-Bjorkstrand
Milano-Jenner-Anderson
Bemstrom-Wennberg-Nash

I think this is a pretty realistic vision for the lines. I think Milano has a decent shot at starting the year on the roster, at least a better shot than Dano. Texier probably won't get full time center duty to start, but I could see him sharing faceoff duty with Foligno or Jenner, and gradually transitioning into being a center. Texier-Foligno-Bjorkstrand was a go to line when Tex first joined the roster - I can't remember if they stayed together through the Tampa series or not.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

I think this is a pretty realistic vision for the lines. I think Milano has a decent shot at starting the year on the roster, at least a better shot than Dano. Texier probably won't get full time center duty to start, but I could see him sharing faceoff duty with Foligno or Jenner, and gradually transitioning into being a center. Texier-Foligno-Bjorkstrand was a go to line when Tex first joined the roster - I can't remember if they stayed together through the Tampa series or not.

I wanna say it was Tex-Foligno-Anderson in the Tampa series with Jenner playing with Dubinsky/Nash

 

[majormajor]

I wanna say it was Tex-Foligno-Anderson in the Tampa series with Jenner playing with Dubinsky/Nash

Yes. I doublechecked the lines and these were the playoff lines until most of the way through the Boston series.

Panarin - Dubois - Bjorkstrand
Dzingel - Duchene - Atkinson
Texier - Foligno - Anderson
Jenner - Dubinsky - Nash

This Fall I think it would be realistic to see Foligno starting at center. He did last year and was back at center in the playoffs.

 

[majormajor]

I’m not. But given our lack of nhl ready depth in the minors, I think he’s got inside track to make it as at least a depth guy. Him, Robinson, Lilja, Hannikainen are battling for two spots. Only one actually in the regular lineup.

Milano is in there too, but he’d have to excel and I think he’s more likely to be waived and claimed or traded.

Doesn't sound like a shortage of depth if you have five decent players fighting for one spot.

 

[majormajor]

This team decided to trade Ry Jo for a top notch defenseman. While I applaud the trade, it robbed the team of a first line center. I was hopeful that PLD and Matt Duchene had the problem solved, but alas.

This team needs to solve this center depth issue in the next 12-18 months. If Texier is to be a center, put him there and let him learn. Same with jerking Jenner back and forth. Dubinsky can take draws, but can’t keep up and distribute. Maybe the answer is Bemstrom. I was hoping it was going to be Thurkauf but he regressed.

I want to see Jarmo (and Torts) give one of these young guys every opportunity to grab the opportunity. It isn’t Wennberg. It isn’t Dubinsky. It isn’t Nash. It seems like it is Jenner/Foligno only on odd # weekdays and 2nd nights of B2B games on the road.

Solve this center depth!!!! You are willing to give your young goalies an opportunity to grab the glory. Why not the same with a young #2 center???

I think it's going to be Texier in the long run, so it might as well start soon. He looks like a heads up center to me.

I don't like framing our center issues as having anything to do with the Johansen trade. That trade was before the Dubois draft choice, they were never a part of the franchise at the same time. Those two players are roughly comparable as far as being #1C's (they are not high end 1C's at the moment, that's for sure). If we have a center issue if Dubois is our #1C, we'd have that same center issue if Johansen is our #1C.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Doesn't sound like a shortage of depth if you have five decent players fighting for one spot.

Yet only one of those players played in our minor league system last year. Thus making my statement accurate.

 

[majormajor]

Yet only one of those players played in our minor league system last year. Thus making my statement accurate.

There's five decent players fighting for one job, that's more relevant to Dano's chances than the number of them that played in Cleveland last year.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

There's five decent players fighting for one job, that's more relevant to Dano's chances than the number of them that played in Cleveland last year.

Sure, but that wasn’t my point. You’re just nitpicking

 

[The Wheelchair]

Here's something a little different:

Texier-Dubois-Atkinson
Nyquist-Foligno-Anderson
Jenner-Wennberg-Bjorkstrand
Robinson-Dubinsky-Nash

The main thing here is I think Nyquist could mesh well with Foligno and Anderson, who are both strong possession players who can maintain possession in the offensive zone and bend defenses out of shape to give Gus space to work. The obvious issue with this is that it's a whole lot of pressure on Texier to basically ask him to step into the Panarin role, but offensively I think he's got the talent to, if not completely fill those shoes, at least perform serviceably. Atkinson seems to perform best when he's got a strong playmaker setting him up, and Texier's vision was what most impressed me about his performance after his callup. The other two lines are basically the leftovers, though Jenner and Bjorkstrand are probably the two guys I think could get the most out of Wennberg at this point, so that works out. I don't really have a strong opinion on the fourth liners at this point; that might change in the next couple months.

 

[Old Guy]

Here's something a little different:

Texier-Dubois-Atkinson
Nyquist-Foligno-Anderson
Jenner-Wennberg-Bjorkstrand
Robinson-Dubinsky-Nash

I understand the point you went on to make about Texier. My problem with your proposal is the centers. Yes, Foligno can play there, but it's not ideal. This community doesn't lack for analysis on Alex Wennberg, so I'll leave that alone. While Dubinsky can win a draw, he struggles to keep up and can't distribute and rarely finishes anymore.

For the long-term benefit of the team, I think they are better off with Texier at a center position, and giving Emil Bemstrom or Kevin Stenlund an opportunity to grow into an NHL center.

 

[majormajor]

Here's something a little different:

Texier-Dubois-Atkinson
Nyquist-Foligno-Anderson
Jenner-Wennberg-Bjorkstrand
Robinson-Dubinsky-Nash

The main thing here is I think Nyquist could mesh well with Foligno and Anderson, who are both strong possession players who can maintain possession in the offensive zone and bend defenses out of shape to give Gus space to work. The obvious issue with this is that it's a whole lot of pressure on Texier to basically ask him to step into the Panarin role, but offensively I think he's got the talent to, if not completely fill those shoes, at least perform serviceably. Atkinson seems to perform best when he's got a strong playmaker setting him up, and Texier's vision was what most impressed me about his performance after his callup. The other two lines are basically the leftovers, though Jenner and Bjorkstrand are probably the two guys I think could get the most out of Wennberg at this point, so that works out. I don't really have a strong opinion on the fourth liners at this point; that might change in the next couple months.

I like the Nyquist - Foligno - Anderson line.

I'll agree with the old timer that Texier should be tried at center - we need to figure out soon if he's a long term solution there.

That and I don't think Wennberg in the top 9 is sensible, he has to prove that he can do it before I'm penciling him back in the top 9. Bjorkstrand had decent per minute results last year given that he was stapled to Wennberg, often on a doghouse line with Duclair. But then he absolutely exploded when given better linemates. I don't want to put him back there, I want to make sure he stays in a position to succeed.

And you might say it's "just a fourth line who cares", but that didn't stop Brandon Dubinsky from racking up the worst relative goals numbers in the league (see GF%), Last years team was a +17 at 5v5, Dubinsky was a -16 in limited minutes. The team GF% without Dubinsky was closer to the league's best - if you use Bobrovsky as a proxy it was almost 60%, although that seems impossibly high. Opponents scored at McDavid/Kucherov rates against us when Dubinsky was out there. We could barely afford the problem last year, I don't think we can afford it this year.

 

[Jovavic]

Calgary in the market for D with Valimaki's ACL injry. They may decide to promote from within but are putting feelers out. They have under 8 million in cap with Tkachuk still to sign so anyone they get will have to have equal salary going the other way. Just something to ponder and maybe keep an eye on.

 

[CoachWithNoTeam]

I think Texier is will start the year no lower in the lineup than 3rd line with some pp time. It feels like he’s going to take off from the very beginning. And by all accounts it seems that Bemstrom will be given every opportunity to lock down a spot and add offense. I have a hard time jotting down lines without including both of those guys.