Hes actually looked pretty good, outside of just his presence being a factor for the entire teams play, IMO. Maybe on a Cup contender hes a 13th forward, but right now, id say hes solid bottom pairing guy for us.
Speculation: 2023-24 Roster Thread
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Hes actually looked pretty good, outside of just his presence being a factor for the entire teams play, IMO. Maybe on a Cup contender hes a 13th forward, but right now, id say hes solid bottom pairing guy for us.
robbieboy3686
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Ice time has increased as well as how comfortable his line has looked together
Because silf doesn’t have the skill killorn has…
With the line combos... they are going to change as we get injuries and guys back from injuries but I like that Cronin hasnt done much line shuffling. The biggest thing for me is to find the best pairings with a center and winger and making that a staple and then swapping out the other winger as needed.
Zegras at center is a non-starter in my book unless there are injuries that require it, but I would be putting Henrique at center before Z. Id probably put Strome at Center instead of Z too.
I can see the argument for putting Killer on a 3rd line, but I dont think that will be the case this season. We dont have enough top 6 talent to push him out (as long as he can produce). We wont really know until November how that will play out.
Big Mac isnt a 3rd line guy. If we ever reach a point in our roster where our depth can actually push him to a 3rd line, that would be phenomenal, but I think it then bring up the question of asset management and if we will be able to afford Mac being a 3rd line guy.
Leo is absolutely the #1 center of the here and now as well as the future. He adds size to the first line and his abilities seem to work really well with Z. I like Terry on that 1st line but depending on other top 6 options and chemistry, I could see a lineup where Terry is on the 2nd line.
Zegras at center is a non-starter in my book unless there are injuries that require it, but I would be putting Henrique at center before Z. Id probably put Strome at Center instead of Z too.
I can see the argument for putting Killer on a 3rd line, but I dont think that will be the case this season. We dont have enough top 6 talent to push him out (as long as he can produce). We wont really know until November how that will play out.
Big Mac isnt a 3rd line guy. If we ever reach a point in our roster where our depth can actually push him to a 3rd line, that would be phenomenal, but I think it then bring up the question of asset management and if we will be able to afford Mac being a 3rd line guy.
Leo is absolutely the #1 center of the here and now as well as the future. He adds size to the first line and his abilities seem to work really well with Z. I like Terry on that 1st line but depending on other top 6 options and chemistry, I could see a lineup where Terry is on the 2nd line.
Hockey Duckie
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Well, Strome was 2C to start last year and we made Mac 2LW instead of trying him out at 2C to start the season. Mac was told during the summer he'd be playing wing. I'm leaning with the notion PV had it set that way in Strome's first year. Probably be similar situation with Killorn.
Deuce22
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The players that were here last year look better. The team is faster and playing with more energy. The new defensemen are able to move the puck quickly out of the zone more often, and threaten the opponent in their own zone. This isn't just different players, it's a different culture.
Hockey Duckie
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Give Cronin last year's shit defense with no bite and it'll still be shit defense with no bite. Mac is a strong player this year than last year, which was expected kinda like both Z and Drysdale looked better in their official rookie season than in their 24-NHL game stint.
Cronin is bringing adding the X's and O's to the team to improve upon the defensive pinching scheme, which obviously helps tremendously b/c our forwards have to have their heads on a wheel when one or both d-men pinch to rotate up.
New culture + better d-men + improved players (Mac, Drysdale, Leason, Carrick) + Carlsson makes for an exciting season. It's disingenuous to posit it's only culture just as it's just disingenuous to say "it's mostly the same players".
Deuce22
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Two of the three rookie D that played last night you had not even making the roster. Carlsson has only played one game and Killorn hasn't been on the ice yet. McTavish, Leason, Carrick and others look like totally different players. If you don't think the coaching change from Eakins to Cronin hasn't made a major difference, I guess we'll just have to disagree.
Ducks DVM
sowcufucakky
Ehhh
Jones is worse, Silfverberg is significantly worse, Henrique is worse, Fowler is worse. Terry is worse. Zegras is worse.
Carrick is healthy, last year he clearly wasn’t. Cronin doesn’t get credit for that.
McTavish is better, significantly. Strome has looked better. Vatrano is where he was 2nd half of last year. Leason is better.
Groulx, Carlsson, Johnston, Drysdale, Mintyukov, Gudas, Lybushkin, LaCombe, and Luneau are weapons that were not (or were barely) available last year.
The team is absolutely playing better (but it’s been 3 games in a new system, and I’m expecting most of those “worse” players to improve as they learn it), but the fact that 8 of the 18 skaters are new (this is before Killorn returns) is getting exceedingly glossed over around here. As is the majority of returning veterans aren’t actually individually playing nearly any better, and in many cases significantly worse, than they were 5 months ago.
I thought Terry had a tremendous game last night, and quite honestly was our best player on average. Jones looked bad. Silf gets a lot of criticism around here but despite his age and injuries he wins battles a lot more frequently than Max. It’s not even like Jones is doing much wrong in battles but he’s not coming away with the puck ever. He seems like a very inefficient player.
Agreed, but contract has nothing to do with it.
As long as the top 2 lines are working why f*** it up? There are worse things then have 3 legit scoring lines.
Top 6 stays together, Rico on 3rd line at practice. Drysdale not practicing , ruled out for this weekend…
thesportingtribune.com
The Sporting Tribune
thesportingtribune.com
Top 6 stays together, Rico on 3rd line at practice. Drysdale not practicing , ruled out for this weekend…
The Sporting Tribune
I'm not sure how to say this exactly but:
F
KelVarnsen
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It seems JD is a little more hurt than maybe the team is letting on? I guess day to day prognosis from the Ducks truly means anything from gametime decision to medically retired.
"Day to day" means "plan the funeral".
robbieboy3686
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Deuce22
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Don't agree that Zegras and Terry are worse. Z reported late and has been better in his own end. Terry has tried to do too much at times but is still our best forward. Jones is the same to me, never has done much.
Ducks DVM
sowcufucakky
Terry has been fumbling pucks he doesn’t usually fumble, and isn’t routinely getting his shot away on breaks like he usually does, in addition to puck hogging. Zegras is the most sheltered skater on the team, looks lost in the system, and is shooting less in spite of his offensive zone starts. Jones had 9 points in his last 20 games last year, was forechecking effectively, and landing punishing hits, he’s currently doing none of that.
Again, game 3, WAAAAAAY too early for major proclamations. Even if you feel they aren’t worse, you certainly can’t argue they are better. Zegras not being a complete black hole defensively while having 1 assist and 5 shots in 3 games isn’t going to light the league on fire.
Roughly 40% of the skaters (7 of 18) are new to the roster. THAT is the primary difference. Both toughness and skill were significantly upgraded. Is the ES system better? Absolutely. But I defy anyone to say that we’d be getting these results with last year‘s starting defense.
Ducks DVM
sowcufucakky
Ducks DVM
sowcufucakky
He actually got very effective about 60% of the way through the game. Good for him, he was making effective hockey plays in addition to attitude.
Lower body injury is better than the shoulder. Probably a soft tissue ailment from not playing a real game in over a year.
Derek Lee just earned even more respect from me. Damn! Way to go…
robbieboy3686
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Great to have an insider who cares about his team. Breath of fresh air, and he wasnt even paid to tweet that out. Just pure love for his ducks
Hockey Duckie
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Top 6 stays together, Rico on 3rd line at practice. Drysdale not practicing , ruled out for this weekend…
The Sporting Tribune
Wait... his "Quack of Dawn" series is covering EVERY morning practice?! I'm so down for this! We need to click on The Sporting Tribune's Duck page for Mr. Lee. Wasn't he in Vegas to inform us who was at the morning skate?! Will he be travelling with the team if it's further than Vegas?
Man, we're getting spoiled with Derek Lee. Call me a McDonald's employee b/c "I'm lovin' it!"
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