I have no problem with this year not being about winning, but we are getting absolutely dominated, our team will start to lose confidence even more. I've been on both sides of it, losing like this absolutely sucks. How can we develop any of our young kids if we can't get the puck and never have it? Everything we do is 1 and one and that's no way to develop any hockey player. I haven't even begun about how we are getting abused physically and put forward an effort similar to a 10pm Thursday night beer league game. No one tries to get the puck back everyone stands around and hopes someone else gets it. We don't need to sign stars or even top 6/top 4 players but lets sign some players that may make it easier for our kids....
Actually, we do need top-4D defensive help if you want proper development. That was the most significant reason the previous season looked better. Verbeek gambled on letting Lindholm and Manson go, both top-4 defensive D. Currently, our best established defensive D is ::: gulp ::: Shattenkirk. Benoit is seen as a rotational D.
The team needs to get on the same page and realize they're a defensive and a physical deficient team. With several new players, it might take some time to get on the same page to play like Silf. Try to win via great execution, playing a simple game, and being opportunistic when the option presents itself. It sounds boring, but that's a great base for a two-way player. Hazy noted that a lot of our goals given up is because of our forwards not sticking with their assignment in our zone.
Defensively, most of the starting roster are OFD's, half of our roster is new, and we're rotating our 6D between Benoit, Beaulieu, and White. It might take a long minute to figure our blueline, but if Klingberg continues to be piss poor, then he needs to go the same route as Rico did two seasons ago.
We're slowly improving and that's all we can ask for.
Game 2: Gave up 7 goals. Goal differential was -6. PK went 4/4.
Game 3: Gave up 6 goals. Goal differential was -2.
Game 4: Gave up 4 goals. Goal differential was -2. PK went 2/2. Did not give up a goal in first period.
Similarly, we gotta see the development process will take two or more seasons.
Season 1 (this year): Focus is on forward development with Terry, Z, McTavish, Jones, Comtois, and Regenda in the NHL. Tracey, Perreault, Groulx, and Lopina could see some call-up time from the AHL.
Season 1 (after TDL): Get NHL experience for RD Andersson and RD Helleson. Maybe Vaaks returns. Maybe LaCombe and Thrun also get NHL games in.
Season 2: Focus should be defensive development in AHL as Minty, Zellweger, and Hinds will be there. Potentially, Thrun, LaCombe, and Helleson could be in the AHL.
Season 3: Focus on defensive development with the potential of seeing Minty and Zellweger. Luneau, Warren, and Moore could be AHL bound.
