Speculation: 2022-2023 General Lightning Discussion - Part 2

[Sky04]

If you think they need an off season to bounce back you might as well be thinking rebuild now cause wasting prime years while your window is closing is idiotic.

There is a significant cap constraint next year and we'll be losing even more depth but just need some sleep and they'll be good right?

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

If you think they need an off season to bounce back you might as well be thinking rebuild now cause wasting prime years while your window is closing is idiotic.

There is a significant cap constraint next year and we'll be losing even more depth but just need some sleep and they'll be good right?

It's not just about sleep. It's about adding time to recover from injuries, time to regain strength and train, time to work on skills development (crucial - young guys like Sergachev/Cirelli/Cernak/Colton have missed out on this for 3 straight years). The value of having time off between seasons isn't insignificant.

But you're right we can't win either way, next year the cap crunch is razor-thin. Hedman and Stamkos aren't getting any younger. We have to go for it every year from here on out.

 

[PJ817]

If you think they need an off season to bounce back you might as well be thinking rebuild now cause wasting prime years while your window is closing is idiotic.

There is a significant cap constraint next year and we'll be losing even more depth but just need some sleep and they'll be good right?

I don't think they need an off-season or that we need to go into rebuild.

But I know for me - a professional in my own world - that after working 19 hour days for 9 months straight, I needed time off to regroup in my own head. I didn't have ANYTHING left in the tank - I was going through the motions of my job. (sound familiar??)

These guys have been doing close to that for 4 years (everything from President's Trophy season to last season) and if you throw in the years before that where it was ECF, miss, ECF, SCF?

I do not think this team can beat TOR and I do not think this team can beat the Canes, if we should fall to WC#1... I do think we'd have a shot against Devils but Devs are not clear to overcome Canes.

Either way, no way this team could take out Boston and I don't see Boston getting beat by Isles, or Pitt.

So why not get an extra couple of months off?

 

[Sky04]

I don't think they need an off-season or that we need to go into rebuild.

But I know for me - a professional in my own world - that after working 19 hour days for 9 months straight, I needed time off to regroup in my own head. These guys have been doing close to that for 4 years (everything from President's Trophy season to last season) and if you throw in the years before that where it was ECF, miss, ECF, SCF?

I do not think this team can beat TOR and I do not think this team can beat the Canes, if we should fall to WC#1... I do think we'd have a shot against Devils but Devs are not clear to overcome Canes.

Either way, no way this team could take out Boston and I don't see Boston getting beat by Isles, or Pitt.

So why not get an extra couple of months off?

Again, if you think they have no chance this year then why would it be any better next year with a weaker roster? We'll just be having this exact same conversation this time next year, our roster isn't going to see any significant improvement over the next couple years so if you think they're outclassed that bad and you want to throw in the towel then just start the rebuild.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

i agree with sky, if we are throwing in the towel we royally screwed ourselves on the trade deadline missing out on record returns and paying for a player to help us in the playoffs.

we have to go for it now. just hope hedman is ok/will be ok in a month or so.

 

[Sky04]

It's not just about sleep. It's about adding time to recover from injuries, time to regain strength and train, time to work on skills development (crucial - young guys like Sergachev/Cirelli/Cernak/Colton have missed out on this for 3 straight years). The value of having time off between seasons isn't insignificant.

But you're right we can't win either way, next year the cap crunch is razor-thin. Hedman and Stamkos aren't getting any younger. We have to go for it every year from here on out.

There isn't a middle ground, you either go for cup runs with this core or start the rebuild while other teams are peaking. With JBB's moves, it's obvious which direction he's taking, again why wishing for an exit for rest is idiotic and extremely exaggerated by fans. I'll just point to Pittsburgh again, or why exactly do you think a well rested Toronto team exits early every year? Rest isn't an issue with the amount of resources these players have.

 

[PJ817]

Again, if you think they have no chance this year then why would it be any better next year with a weaker roster?

Weaker roster? I don't see that. Cap is going up - right?

The UFAs are:

Killer,
PEB,
Perry,
Cole,
Elliott
= $9M

RFAs are:
Colton,
Jeannot,
Eyssimont
= $3M

Launch Cirelli with Colton to get D in return, a healthy Heddy & Cernak, Kuch fired up again (Pointer is ALWAYS fired up), and Jeannot signed to be help on 3rd line, resign Perry for his pestiness

Resign Moose (I think he does a great job as 2nd tendie and if he had solid D in front of him... even better)

And possibly... launch Sergie. I'm not a huge fan but not a negative Nelly on him either; just think for as long as he's been playing, his mental lapses are a challenge.

EDITED: Physical rest =/= mental rest

exhaustion mentally can't just be "overcome" by a few tweaks. Throw in what they played through last year with Russian invading Ukraine? They don't talk about it because they know better (learn USSR/Russian history if you want to discuss that further)

 

[PJ817]

With JBB's moves, it's obvious which direction he's taking, again why wishing for an exit for rest is idiotic and extremely exaggerated by fans. I'll just point to Pittsburgh again, or why exactly do you think a well rested Toronto team exits early every year? Rest isn't an issue with the amount of resources these players have.

I'm not WISHING for an early exit. I am simply looking at the likely outcome of the first round and thinking of the silver lining.

And no team has done what we've done in the salary cap era: Not the Pens, not the Caps.

TOR is a whole other issue - culture is bad there, including the fan base. Can't imagine being a player in that environment.

 

[Sky04]

Weaker roster? I don't see that. Cap is going up - right?

The UFAs are:

Killer,
PEB,
Perry,
Cole,
Elliott
= $9M

RFAs are:
Colton,
Jeannot,
Eyssimont
= $3M

Launch Cirelli with Colton to get D in return, a healthy Heddy & Cernak, Kuch fired up again (Pointer is ALWAYS fired up), and Jeannot signed to be help on 3rd line, resign Perry for his pestiness

Resign Moose (I think he does a great job as 2nd tendie and if he had solid D in front of him... even better)

And possibly... launch Sergie. I'm not a huge fan but not a negative Nelly on him either; just think for as long as he's been playing, his mental lapses are a challenge.

Yes the cap is going up... by 1M and if we make a bunch of unrealistic NHL22 trades we'll be in better shape? I'm convinced.

 

[PJ817]

Yes the cap is going up... by 1M and if we make a bunch of unrealistic NHL22 trades we'll be in better shape? I'm convinced.

I don't play NHL22 so have no idea what you're saying.

 

[Point21]

 

[CupsOverCash]

Maybe I'm wrong but even if it's not our year I don't think the window would be closed. We still have a bunch of talent and vasi. You can put a good team around what our core is and make a run with the right things going on. We've seen it. I mean we would just be getting off of an amazing 3 year run to the finals winning 2 of them and that's a hell of a run. Teams loaded up more than I think I've ever seen which will even more so be a difficult year but maybe we know what we are doing. We've seen them stumble in a 82 game stretch where it's clear they just don't give a shit then go on a great run. Is it that or is the team tired? I mean who knows. I think we will see a different team come playoffs but will it be good enough? Who knows but I think we will have other opportunities with this team in the future as well.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

Resign Perry? Meh. He may have some points this year but he sticks out so badly for being so goddamn slow.

 

[OffBy1]

Maybe I'm wrong but even if it's not our year I don't think the window would be closed. We still have a bunch of talent and vasi. You can put a good team around what our core is and make a run with the right things going on.

Hedman's play this year has told me our window is all but closed already. Yes, he's just one piece of the core, but he's been probably the most important player after Vasy in our cup wins, and the unit is already without McD.

Vasy has shown he alone can't compensate for the team's worse defensive play.

Kuch's giveaway/takeaway stats show he's also played worse this year, in spite of his comparable scoring pace.

The school bus line as a whole is a liability where they were effective last year.

The writing is pretty much on the wall at this point.

 

[Sky04]

Resign Perry? Meh. He may have some points this year but he sticks out so badly for being so goddamn slow.

The alternative being what for 1m? A 4th liner who doesn't do anything? Give me one that hits the scoreboard over 90% of other 4th liners.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

 

[PJ817]

The alternative being what for 1m? A 4th liner who doesn't do anything? Give me one that hits the scoreboard over 90% of other 4th liners.

and one who the other teams MUST make sure they cover because if not, the black thingy with rubber goes into the net behind the guy with the funky face protection

I NEVER thought I'd be happy with Perry (because it was him or Boyle and we alllll know how much I loved Boyle) BUT Perry has earned that place where I'm glad (ignore the coughing noise) that we got him

And for $1M, we should keep him - he's just such a pest that the other players MUST watch for him. Hell, put him on D make him stay in our end... lol

 

[Fritobandito3]

Perry is too slow. worse plus/minus on the team. League goes in cycles. may be trending toward speed again. this year will see if our slow mucking team can compete with faster teams.

doesn't anyone feel coaches have caught up to Cooper's system and we need to adjust. maybe we should have a forward fly the zone when they shoot the puck from blue line to stretch their d. (like Buffalo)

we tend to collapse to one side of ice or collapse down low.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

Money will need to be reallocated to guys like Colton, Jeannot as they need new contracts, and we need another top 4 defender next season as Cole is on a 1/3m. Wouldn't expect Perry back. I'm guessing they were betting on Fleury maybe living up to his draft pedigree but hasn't really worked out that way.

They need to figure out who is going to move the puck on defense.

 

[Hoek]

You can get away with one slow guy. The problem is when it's the whole line. He might just hang it up anyway making this all moot, but bringing back Perry isn't the worst thing if we can't do better in the bottom 6.

 

[Point21]

Couple of former teammates going at it

 

[The Gongshow]

With how brutal the FA D-Class is gonna be, we may need to sign Cole (he's been fine at times) or make a trade for a 2nd pair Dman. We should be able to sign a cheap 3rd pair guy...hopefully.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

A hopeful big leap by Perbix means we can have a bit more flexibility in names, which is good, this seasons FA class isn't really brutal but you're not going to find the cornerstone of your defense out there this season, and thats fine because we can't afford that.

There are some decent names looking at the FA class for guys that play at least 14 mins a night and I still wonder if there is a shot at someone like Klingberg with the swedish connection.

 

[PJ817]

A hopeful big leap by Perbix

Perbix: 23, 1st year in league, 19 points, +13, $842k, 2023 - 24: $1.125M
Sergie: 24, 7th year in league, 42 points, +9, $4.8M, 2023 - 24: $8.5M

Difference between salaries? $4M this year, next year difference? $7.375M

I mean, I think Perbix is flying right now and compared to Sergie? If Perbix can keep up the pace and just slightly increase scoring?

Perbix > Sergie with less mental gaffs.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

Perbix: 23, 1st year in league, 19 points, +13, $842k, 2023 - 24: $1.125M
Sergie: 24, 7th year in league, 42 points, +9, $4.8M, 2023 - 24: $8.5M

Difference between salaries? $4M this year, next year difference? $7.375M

I mean, I think Perbix is flying right now and compared to Sergie? If Perbix can keep up the pace and just slightly increase scoring?

Perbix > Sergie with less mental gaffs.

Loollllllllll