GDT: 2024-2025 Training Camp

[Gurglesons]

Panic setting in lol….

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840772811419271412

I mean, if it means we get a NHL stretch from Brunicke, I'd be stoked.

 

[Andy99]

I mean, if it means we get a NHL stretch from Brunicke, I'd be stoked.

We won’t…he’ll be sent back to Juniors…expect Aho lol

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I'd like to see Geno (and the whole team) have a little less patience on the PP.

Other than that, just keep doing what you're doing, Geno. With the same PP stats as he had the year prior (which was still just an OK PP, not a great PP), he would have had over 30 goals and over a point/game at age 37.

The PP looks better without Karlsson. It did the year before he came too. 17th. Not 30th.
At this point I would either run both Letang and EK on PP1 or put EK on PP2. Wait until Letang does something to lose the spot.

 

[Gurglesons]

We won’t…he’ll be sent back to Juniors…expect Aho lol

We will see.

 

[SEALBound]

The Acciari line may be listed as L3 there, but they'll almost surely get more minutes than L2 tonight. So they're effectively L2.
That includes McGroarty. Top-six.

I was referring to DOC-Eller-Puustinen being the correct 3rd line for opening night roster.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Bunting's availability and usage on PP1 will strongly influence Malkin's totals. He could be our best winger this year if Rust regresses.
Rakell doesn't work with Geno if Bunting isn't there. And PP1 needs him too.
Even yesterday 4 shots, 2 of which were very dangerous and well placed.

Very good player.

I still have my doubts about how long Bunting can keep it up. I feel like I've seen way too many players coming in hot just to fall right back down to earth and worse to be anything other than skeptical at this point. But it's true that his game helps Malkin a lot and really I think it's a mutually beneficial situation. Malkin isn't what he used to be but he can definitely still elevate guys and I think Bunting probably is the beneficiary of that considering he was not doing great in Carolina.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I don't have any issue with starting Karlsson on PP2, especially if he is not going to start the regular season (or is behind the rest of the group). What I do have an issue with is going with that balanced two even PP units shit. Get that stuff out of here.

We have to assume that when Karlsson is healthy and playing, that he will have better production than he had last season regardless of his usage. We have to assume this because it is hard for him to produce less than he did a year ago, and his former HC in SJ is now here. If that does not change anything in Karlsson's game, then it was yet another horrendous acquisition (Quinn).

IDEALLY, Karlsson would quarterback a second PP unit with some younger talent on it. In our reality, Karlsson will be quarterbacking the likes of Lars Eller, Kevin Hayes, Anthony Beauvillier and Rickard Rakell.

 

[SEALBound]

I still have my doubts about how long Bunting can keep it up. I feel like I've seen way too many players coming in hot just to fall right back down to earth and worse to be anything other than skeptical at this point. But it's true that his game helps Malkin a lot and really I think it's a mutually beneficial situation. Malkin isn't what he used to be but he can definitely still elevate guys and I think Bunting probably is the beneficiary of that considering he was not doing great in Carolina.

I think the idea of him "falling back to earth" will be more of an "us" issue than a Bunting issue. He's a player, not unlike Rakell and Hornqvist, whose impact to the overall play and game will not always show up on the scoresheet. In a 20 game stretch, he went 1g, 2a but we won 18 of the 20 and Malkin went 25pt and Rakell had 20pt and the line dominates 5v5...people would be in here saying he's failing.

If Bunting does 40pts over 82gp, and provides the in-your-face scrumy stuff we need, that's a complete win for me.

 

[Gurglesons]

I still have my doubts about how long Bunting can keep it up. I feel like I've seen way too many players coming in hot just to fall right back down to earth and worse to be anything other than skeptical at this point. But it's true that his game helps Malkin a lot and really I think it's a mutually beneficial situation. Malkin isn't what he used to be but he can definitely still elevate guys and I think Bunting probably is the beneficiary of that considering he was not doing great in Carolina.

For some reason Bunting was being used on L4 a lot in Carolina.

If we do that, I can see the issue. Otherwise I think he's a fine middle six winger.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I still have my doubts about how long Bunting can keep it up. I feel like I've seen way too many players coming in hot just to fall right back down to earth and worse to be anything other than skeptical at this point. But it's true that his game helps Malkin a lot and really I think it's a mutually beneficial situation. Malkin isn't what he used to be but he can definitely still elevate guys and I think Bunting probably is the beneficiary of that considering he was not doing great in Carolina.

I don’t expect last years end of year pace: especially if he’s not on PP1

but ~20 g ~50 p with some heart, hustle, energy is my hope. Would be happy with that.

 

[Pancakes]

I don’t expect last years end of year pace: especially if he’s not on PP1

but ~20 g ~50 p with some heart, hustle, energy is my hope. Would be happy with that.

Yeah 20g 50 points seems like a reasonable total to shoot for if he's given top six time and #2 pp time.

Anyone hoping for more than that is probably out to lunch. He's not going to put up 60+ points without #1 pp time and without injuries he's not getting that.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I don’t expect last years end of year pace: especially if he’s not on PP1

but ~20 g ~50 p with some heart, hustle, energy is my hope. Would be happy with that.

Ya that's what to be expected and what he was producing in Toronto before he signed in Carolina.
Maybe he hits 60pts again if he has pp minutes as well this season

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

To clarify I was never expecting big numbers from Bunting or at least CONTINUE to expect big numbers from him. I just meant general regression in efficacy. It just seems like countless guys have come in looking like the next big thing only to fizzle out like the very next year (or even the same year). Kap, Smith, etc etc.

 

[Sike Mullivan]

Interesting that they’d rather keep Broz at center and try Pono on wing

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840762623211585821

I dont hate this experiment. One of the things I noticed about him at camp was his battling around the boards. Nasty, and didnt lose many puck battles. Not a bad skillset for a potential 3rd wheel on a scoring line.

 

[pistolpete11]

The PP looks better without Karlsson. It did the year before he came too. 17th. Not 30th.
At this point I would either run both Letang and EK on PP1 or put EK on PP2. Wait until Letang does something to lose the spot.

Putting Karlsson in Kessel's old spot instead of at the point could be interesting. I know there's a kneejerk reaction to having 2 defensemen on the PP, but Karlsson and Letang are 2 of their top 5 most offensively talented players

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I just hope they don't jerk Malkin around too much again between powerplays this year. Not because he's some special guy or anything but because he is absolutely still easily one of their best five PP guys on the team and I have no idea where this notion came from that he isn't but it's bizarre.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I still have my doubts about how long Bunting can keep it up. I feel like I've seen way too many players coming in hot just to fall right back down to earth and worse to be anything other than skeptical at this point. But it's true that his game helps Malkin a lot and really I think it's a mutually beneficial situation. Malkin isn't what he used to be but he can definitely still elevate guys and I think Bunting probably is the beneficiary of that considering he was not doing great in Carolina.

Well he's at the 268 game mark and his numbers look really good still.
He didn't even get PP1 in Toronto when he got 63 points.

I think 36 points in 60 games in a "down year" is pretty encouraging, if anything. That's what, 49 points if he played 82 games, averaging 15:07 a night?
Sullivan was giving him 17:09.
12% more ice time. Over the course of a full season, that's gonna impact the numbers.

Putting Karlsson in Kessel's old spot instead of at the point could be interesting. I know there's a kneejerk reaction to having 2 defensemen on the PP, but Karlsson and Letang are 2 of their top 5 most offensively talented players

Gotta get crazy with it at this point. Nothing conventional has worked for 2 years. Not gonna get the 28th ranked Ottawa PK every night.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Well he's at the 268 game mark and his numbers look really good still.
He didn't even get PP1 in Toronto when he got 63 points.

I think 36 points in 60 games in a "down year" is pretty encouraging, if anything. That's what, 49 points if he played 82 games, averaging 15:07 a night?
Sullivan was giving him 17:09.
12% more ice time. Over the course of a full season, that's gonna impact the numbers.

Yeah like I said... I'm not ripping on Bunting here. I'm just damaged from watching what feels like countless middle six players come in and look lights out only to turn into a pumpkin.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Putting Karlsson in Kessel's old spot instead of at the point could be interesting. I know there's a kneejerk reaction to having 2 defensemen on the PP, but Karlsson and Letang are 2 of their top 5 most offensively talented players

I've been beating this drum since last season: they seemingly have no clue how to run an effective PP without the "Kessel setup"

So put EK in Phil's spot and see how things go. EK is a good passer and while his shot isn't as accurate as Phil's, it's got some juice and hopefully they at least get a rebound out of it.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Yeah like I said... I'm not ripping on Bunting here. I'm just damaged from watching what feels like countless middle six players come in and look lights out only to turn into a pumpkin.

Now do Rakell

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Now do Rakell

He's got a chance to turn it around this year. Evidently he was banged up a lot of last season.

But I mean... that contract is ugly unless he suddenly starts finishing more than one in every twenty-ish of his glorious chances he seems to get nearly every game. But his contributions are still there in the same way a guy like Hagelin contributed... obviously not the same wheels but the same kind of nifty board play and little NZ and OZ plays that free guys up.

But yeah I mean... you ideally don't pay 5M for many years for that and hopefully he gets back to ~30G form.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Yeah like I said... I'm not ripping on Bunting here. I'm just damaged from watching what feels like countless middle six players come in and look lights out only to turn into a pumpkin.

I get it. Bunting's not a middle-six though. That implies he should be on a team's 3rd line half the time, more or less.
He's the 11th most productive left winger at even-strength since he joined the league.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I get it. Bunting's not a middle-six though. That implies he should be on a team's 3rd line half the time, more or less.
He's the 11th most productive left winger at even-strength since he joined the league.

Eh. I don't see players like Bunting as top six caliber but I also realize there is some matter of opinion, there. He's a tweener to me but if he's effective I don't much care what he's labeled.

 

[Ryder71]

We won’t…he’ll be sent back to Juniors…expect Aho lol

But not the good Aho, unfortunately.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Eh. I don't see players like Bunting as top six caliber but I also realize there is some matter of opinion, there. He's a tweener to me but if he's effective I don't much care what he's labeled.

Tweeners don't reach 58 non-PPP's in a season in any situation. Ever.