Stammertime91
TBL: TEAM OF THE CENTURY
You're going to be talking to yourself on here pretty soon because Lilleberg isn't the player you think he is in the eyes of people that aren't Norwegian.
Speculation: 2024-2025 General Lightning Discussion IV
- Thread starter AlwaysSunnyInTampa
- Start date
FinnLightning26
Death and no taxes
I don't even really care who they trade or fire. I just want change. It's been three years of the same shit. You can talk about better underlying numbers or whatnot this season but ultimately it's looking like the exact same result as last year. A five game first round loss.
We can't adapt or raise our game when it's needed. Kucherov hasn't scored a goal in playoffs in how many years now? Point looks like a ghost of his former playoff warrior self. Cirelli is dead in the water because of injury and Björkstrand didn't even make it to the playoffs. Hagel has been a huge disappointment in the games he's played and now he's concussed. Vasy has actually been pretty good after that softie in the second game so he has showed up.
I don't know if it's the players or the coaching. I don't get paid to know that. What I do know is that we can't keep doing the things we've been doing and expect to fare any better against Florida or Toronto in the coming years and we absolutely have to be able to beat them if we ever want to get out of the first round again.
We can't adapt or raise our game when it's needed. Kucherov hasn't scored a goal in playoffs in how many years now? Point looks like a ghost of his former playoff warrior self. Cirelli is dead in the water because of injury and Björkstrand didn't even make it to the playoffs. Hagel has been a huge disappointment in the games he's played and now he's concussed. Vasy has actually been pretty good after that softie in the second game so he has showed up.
I don't know if it's the players or the coaching. I don't get paid to know that. What I do know is that we can't keep doing the things we've been doing and expect to fare any better against Florida or Toronto in the coming years and we absolutely have to be able to beat them if we ever want to get out of the first round again.
Stammertime91
TBL: TEAM OF THE CENTURY
There's so many disappointments it's tough to pin down the problems and make the right change. Assistants seems like appeasement but it did something from 2019 to 2020. Idk. More negatives from this group at the moment than positives. At least Vasy has been good.
Coopers Gum
Extend Andrej Sustr
Because someone is critical of a player of a country you're from, you block them?
How odd.
Can you honestly say Lilleberg is playing well this series? Seems like he gets turned, out of position, exposed, etc. pretty much every shift I see him out there. I haven't been here all season, but if I'm reading this right, he's supposed to be the muscle on the team? L O f***ing L.
Sure, you can go back in the archives and see us bashing Hedman for the same thing when he was a rookie / newbie. I remember Hedman when he f***ing suuuuuucked. But Lilleberg is not a 2nd OA draft pick, nor does he have the skillset of Victor Hedman. Defending such a mediocre player seems strange to me. What's his ceiling, 3D, generously? 4D? I haven't seen anything to suggest he could be higher than that. My favorite player of all time is Marty St. Louis, but when he left the way he did, I had no problem calling him out.
Crunchrulz
Registered User
Any team that relies on Lilleberg to be its "muscle" deserves each and every butt kicking and dirty hit it gets. To put a young player like him in such a situation is an absolute joke. He is not, and never has been, a player whose job is to intimidate others. He is capable of defending himself but to expect him to be your team bodyguard is asking too much.
Roman Schmidt in Syracuse may develop into that role, but he is at least a full season of playing regularly away from being able to prove he can play at the AHL level, let alone the NHL level.
Free agent options are slim, with Trent Frederic being the closest option. That being typed, if his asking price is 4mil plus as expected, the organization would be far better looking to other teams at the AHL level for a player to sign to a two way for next season and call him up when the going looks tough. Dylan McIlrath is another option with his contract being 775k this season with the Caps, but he seems quite comfortable with that organization.
aylib
Registered User
Martin (unless he retires), Athanasiou, Kunin, Frederic, Pezzetta, Sabourin, Aston-Reese , Perry, Jeannot. All are free agents and would add some sandpaper.
Zwui21
Registered User
- Aug 31, 2019
- 2,340
- 3,588
Assistant coaches need to be fired into the sun this offseason, enough is enough.
We're about to be 3 for 3 in first round exits since Blashill took over the assistant role. Coincidence? Absolutely f***ing not.
Halpern, same thing. Having the WORST powerplay come playoff time, after having 1 full year to find solutions.. 6.7% on the powerplay after 4 games of playoff should automatically get you sacked on the spot. And if you take into consideration the quality of players we have on PP1, it's beyond absurd.
Now, a rant concerning our core players - because after last night, to me it feels this season is done:
- Point. Baffling to see (or to not see). Invisible, if not for stupid giveaways or turnover, complete passenger on the top line. The player we all loved seems to be long gone? He once was a difference maker, hard to play against AND defensively sound. Most of his qualities seem to have dissipated. What a shame.
- Kuch. I'm the biggest Kuch fan out there, but his contribution this offseason has been dogshit. Too cute with passing instead of shooting, backhand pucks turned over more than successful passes completed, can't find a way to work around Fla's D pressuring him constantly. This is not best-player-in-the-world, back to back Art Ross trophy winner caliber.
- Hedman. During game 3 they said he had 12 shots attempt but not one on goal, which kinda sums it all up. He's lost a step, offensively he's not close to what he once was and this hinders out offensive game.
- Cirelli. Great on the PK, but can't buy a goal to save his life. If I was JBB I'd honestly sniff out there if there's a team willing to overpay for Cirelli. Obviously difficult trade to pull off, difficult to get back a good roster player signed for quite some time + other assets. But there's no better time than this to sell high on him after a career year (mostly thanks to Hagel IMO) and maybe a selke nomination. Ask around, see what other teams are willing to give up and go from there.
- Hagel. Was expecting way more from him. But has played like half the games than the others between suspension and injury, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
- Guentzel. The only one to truly show up IMO. Came as advertised as a playoff beast, but it's hard for him to carry a line alone when Kuch and Point can't even carry their own weight.
From what I saw during the playoff, I wouldn't re-sign Gourde this season. Not the ball of energy we saw during the regular season, and we have more than enough undersized F.
Many important things to be done this offseason, preparing for what in my eyes is THE year to push as hard as possible for one more Lord Stanley.
We're about to be 3 for 3 in first round exits since Blashill took over the assistant role. Coincidence? Absolutely f***ing not.
Halpern, same thing. Having the WORST powerplay come playoff time, after having 1 full year to find solutions.. 6.7% on the powerplay after 4 games of playoff should automatically get you sacked on the spot. And if you take into consideration the quality of players we have on PP1, it's beyond absurd.
Now, a rant concerning our core players - because after last night, to me it feels this season is done:
- Point. Baffling to see (or to not see). Invisible, if not for stupid giveaways or turnover, complete passenger on the top line. The player we all loved seems to be long gone? He once was a difference maker, hard to play against AND defensively sound. Most of his qualities seem to have dissipated. What a shame.
- Kuch. I'm the biggest Kuch fan out there, but his contribution this offseason has been dogshit. Too cute with passing instead of shooting, backhand pucks turned over more than successful passes completed, can't find a way to work around Fla's D pressuring him constantly. This is not best-player-in-the-world, back to back Art Ross trophy winner caliber.
- Hedman. During game 3 they said he had 12 shots attempt but not one on goal, which kinda sums it all up. He's lost a step, offensively he's not close to what he once was and this hinders out offensive game.
- Cirelli. Great on the PK, but can't buy a goal to save his life. If I was JBB I'd honestly sniff out there if there's a team willing to overpay for Cirelli. Obviously difficult trade to pull off, difficult to get back a good roster player signed for quite some time + other assets. But there's no better time than this to sell high on him after a career year (mostly thanks to Hagel IMO) and maybe a selke nomination. Ask around, see what other teams are willing to give up and go from there.
- Hagel. Was expecting way more from him. But has played like half the games than the others between suspension and injury, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
- Guentzel. The only one to truly show up IMO. Came as advertised as a playoff beast, but it's hard for him to carry a line alone when Kuch and Point can't even carry their own weight.
From what I saw during the playoff, I wouldn't re-sign Gourde this season. Not the ball of energy we saw during the regular season, and we have more than enough undersized F.
Many important things to be done this offseason, preparing for what in my eyes is THE year to push as hard as possible for one more Lord Stanley.
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Felonious Python
Minor League Degenerate
- Aug 20, 2004
- 30,784
- 10,318
Perry still seems like an incredible value.
I don't think sandpaper is enough. Having some size (there's a difference between being tall and being big), along with everything else, can keep possession of the puck just long enough to make a few extra plays.
The Bruins have valued that sort of size, and several of the guys we talk about have not coincidentally played for them.
aylib
Registered User
Definitely- ideally we’d add size and sandpaper, but there’s not many of those guys available via free agency. Frederic, Kunin, Perry and Jeannot are probably about the only options, otherwise this addition would have to come via trade.
I think in order for there to be a noticeable difference, the top 6 absolutely must get bigger and significantly more physical, preferably meaner, as well.
Everyone pining for Jeannot must have a short memory,
Jeannot had like 1 big hit and 1 fight in his entire run with us and people still think he brings grit lol.
DownIsTheNewUp
Registered User
Hate to say it but the stars of this team all look like guys who have won it before and don't have the same fire to do it again.
Felonious Python
Minor League Degenerate
- Aug 20, 2004
- 30,784
- 10,318
Only LA can sign him for the full 8 years, so we'd have to get them to do a sign-and-trade.
LTIR Trickery
Plz stop pucks
Felonious Python
Minor League Degenerate
- Aug 20, 2004
- 30,784
- 10,318
Kunin is 6'0. I'd be looking more for 6'2+.
6'2+ and under 30 years old would be ideal for a UFA.
I never wanted Corey Perry to leave in the first place (the Chicago offer was just too good to pass up), but he can fit within the big boy structure. We can have some scrappy smaller guys who will have bigger line mates to back them up. Mikey Eyssimont or Yanni Gourde aren't supposed to be our bruisers.
RussianBum86
Registered User
One a league minimum deal wouldn't be terrible, but we have to get rid of at least3/4 of sheary, atkinson, chaffee, and glendening. We need size and grit . Ideally I would love a top 9 forward who has grit, sandpaper, and skill in place of one of bjorkstad or gourde. Sign some decent bottom 6 guys with sandpaper and skill we will be okay. Need to get some bottom pairing guys that are physical like bogo and schenn were. Basically we replaced perry, Maroon, Bogosian, and schenn with undersized fringe nhlers at forward and on defenseman with soft defenseman raddysh and perbix.
Coopers Gum
Extend Andrej Sustr
Felonious Python
Minor League Degenerate
- Aug 20, 2004
- 30,784
- 10,318
What's the alternative, risk another team offering more money in free agency, or have a situation where he could walk after only 7 years?
LTIR Trickery
Plz stop pucks
For a lot of people complaining about depth they're awfully quick to toss Chaffee out as garbage, when he had the most goals out of our bottom six, not counting Bjorkstrand.
Maelmoor
Registered User
I think it's been a real close series (apart from the first game) and it's easy to overanalyze things, especially after such a tough loss.
..but we have a power play percentage of 6,7%, with a "normal" PP%, we would be leading this series.
..but we have a power play percentage of 6,7%, with a "normal" PP%, we would be leading this series.
RDTBay4
Registered User
Stammertime91
TBL: TEAM OF THE CENTURY
I like Chaffee. He has the tools but hasn't put it all together consistently. Which is why he gets scratched and why I exclude him... I don't think Coop trusts him tbh.
JTBF81
Registered User
Brazeau, Kunin, Frederic, Bjugstad are all reasonable names that JBB could look at for bottom 6 options. It all depends on what he wants to do on the blueline, and how much of the ~9 million he wants to spend on each side. There are also players such as Armia and Kiviranta that aren't necessarily as big physically, but are still quite good in their bottom 6 roles that could be available. Just no to Jeannot, as he didn't fit well the first time at all. No thanks to a sequel of him.
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