Speculation: 2024-25 Roster thread

[Frosted Tips]

Fowler back at practice.

Ah yes, because Z on Mac's wing has always been my go-to combo as well. Sprinkle that with a little bit of a corpse of Killorn and I don't know how any of this wouldn't result in a handful of goals.

 

[hockey webcomics]

I think it'll be a little bit before we see Leo again

dude got injured by friendly fire :/

 

[Mr Rogers]

Mctavish has been weird this year, although maybe not quite as bad as the overall sentiment - it's bizarre because he looked like our best player in preseason. I refuse to believe he isn't good because he was really solid last year and even the year before. He's like a band member in a marching band who's constantly out of step. Hopefully he finds it at some point, but it may not come this year.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

Mctavish has been weird this year, although maybe not quite as bad as the overall sentiment - it's bizarre because he looked like our best player in preseason. I refuse to believe he isn't good because he was really solid last year and even the year before. He's like a band member in a marching band who's constantly out of step. Hopefully he finds it at some point, but it may not come this year.

Cronin's refusal to put him back with Strome and Vatrano drives me up the wall. It appears to me that those two want to try and play a cycle game down low, and he's really the only one of the young forwards who can at least semi-consistently maintain it.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Cronin's refusal to put him back with Strome and Vatrano drives me up the wall. It appears to me that those two want to try and play a cycle game down low, and he's really the only one of the young forwards who can at least semi-consistently maintain it.

It was such a good line last year and all three guys aren’t exactly killing it being separated.

 

[Firequacker]

Mctavish has been weird this year, although maybe not quite as bad as the overall sentiment - it's bizarre because he looked like our best player in preseason. I refuse to believe he isn't good because he was really solid last year and even the year before. He's like a band member in a marching band who's constantly out of step. Hopefully he finds it at some point, but it may not come this year.

This is why I want to see him on the wing for a bit tbh. I'm not down on him long term, but right now they've tried nearly everything else to get him going and it doesn't seem to be working. Jumping him between the fourth and first line gets silly at some point. Why not at least try reducing his responsibility to let him focus on getting back in step?

The worst case scenario is that he's not as good on the wing and/or doesn't like playing there, both of which we know are not deal breakers for the org (see one Zegras, Trevor). Prioritizing him at C over Zegras given their relative performances this year is what I don't get.

 

[Mr Rogers]

This is why I want to see him on the wing for a bit tbh. I'm not down on him long term, but right now they've tried nearly everything else to get him going and it doesn't seem to be working. Jumping him between the fourth and first line gets silly at some point. Why not at least try reducing his responsibility to let him focus on getting back in step?

The worst case scenario is that he's not as good on the wing and/or doesn't like playing there, both of which we know are not deal breakers for the org (see one Zegras, Trevor). Prioritizing him at C over Zegras given their relative performances this year is what I don't get.

I agree. I can't stand when they put him with 4th line guys.

With Leo out, i can see why they would want them out there together - might as well load up a bit rather than put them on separate lines - but yeah you could just as easily put Zegs at C and MM on the wing. I still think Mctavish is a centre as well but he needs to play with wingers like Strome or Terry. I don't think he's a guy who is gonna consistently drive play create chances for shoot-first wingers. But if one of Zegs and MM has to go to the wing, MM is my choice.

 

[ZegrassyKnoll]

The McTavish hate has gotten out of hand IMO.

Some of y’all are starting to sound like Instagram commenters lol

 

[LuGBuG]

The McTavish hate has gotten out of hand IMO.

Some of y’all are starting to sound like Instagram commenters lol

The hate for basically everything in here is over the top. It’s painful.

 

[LuGBuG]

I’d like to see this with Leo out. I know we won’t though.

Cutter-Zegras-Leason
Vatrano-McTavish-Terry
Strome-Lundestrom-Killorn
Johnston-Harkins-Colangelo

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

The hate for basically everything in here is over the top. It’s painful.

I mean.. the GM and Head Coach gave out a piss-poor effort in nearly every aspect of building this team. So yeah, the hate/disappointment is warranted

 

[LuGBuG]

I mean.. the GM and Head Coach gave out a piss-poor effort in nearly every aspect of building this team. So yeah, the hate/disappointment is warranted

Not saying disappointment isn’t warranted at times. It’s still painfully negative and quite often not objective at all. Some of the takes are ridiculous.

 

[HanSolo]

Am I crazy? Like sure the comments that Mac is the new Ritchie are too far but what has Mac done this year to make him immune from criticism? He routinely makes poor decisions with the puck on his stick and looks worse at that aspect than he did last year. From what he showed last season, this was a year he should have taken a meaningful step forward with his play but instead he looks like he's regressed.

It's not hate to want a high draft pick with promise to live up to his potential and have serious concerns that he may not have the hockey IQ to do it. Or maybe he's languishing under Cronin. Point is he's a cornerstone piece of what is supposed to be a future core that lifts this team out of the rebuild and he hasn't shown that he's on the right track this year. Concern about that is not the same thing as hate and equating fan concern to fan hate isn't productive.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Am I crazy? Like sure the comments that Mac is the new Ritchie are too far but what has Mac done this year to make him immune from criticism? He routinely makes poor decisions with the puck on his stick and looks worse at that aspect than he did last year. From what he showed last season, this was a year he should have taken a meaningful step forward with his play but instead he looks like he's regressed.

It's not hate to want a high draft pick with promise to live up to his potential and have serious concerns that he may not have the hockey IQ to do it. Or maybe he's languishing under Cronin. Point is he's a cornerstone piece of what is supposed to be a future core that lifts this team out of the rebuild and he hasn't shown that he's on the right track this year. Concern about that is not the same thing as hate and equating fan concern to fan hate isn't productive.

All things considered (what they've shown, potential upside, potential trade value etc) out of our cornerstone forwards - Terry, Z, McTavish, Carlsson, Gauthier, Sennecke - if we are putting together a package for a star player, McTavish is the guy I'd be offering or who I think makes the most sense to move in that scenario.

But again that's talking about moving someone for much needed guaranteed star talent, I'm not down on McTavish or any of them enough that I'm nearly to the point of giving up on them.

 

[TheDarkWingThatDucks]

The hate for basically everything in here is over the top. It’s painful.

It’s frustrating to have to vocal majority on this board constantly complain about Ownership, Verbeek, Cronin all the f***ing time. We are on pace for 78 pts this year. After failing to crack 60 the past 2 years. If I told you the same exact roster as last year 59 pt season was coming back basically exactly the same, and we were on pace for 78 pts thru 1/4 of the season most people would be happy.

Especially since it took us 12 games to even find anything close to an identity.

Here are the fans here: We win ugly, yeah but we looked like shit, goalies can’t save you forever, gotta fire Verbeek and Cronin before they ruin player development.

We lose but look like the better team, yup Verbeek and Cronin sucks, these guys would win if those 2
Weren’t around, but our cheap owners won’t fire them because they are cheap.

We are on pace to add 19 total pts to our season total from last year, this is what we call improvement (granted I said we were so injured last year this jump was all but guaranteed, but apparently injuries aren’t an excuse for why your team played bad all year).

It’s just all doom and gloom here, and it is in my opinion because our fan base is a bunch of whiny entitled, impatient cry babies, who suffer from the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

 

[branmuffin17]

Various thoughts:

I have some concerns that McT is injury prone. I also wish he was showing (a lot) more this year, as he's seemed to me to be fairly ineffective and just not creating a lot of dangerous chances offensively. But I definitely am not of the mindset that he should be traded or that we should give up on him.

Theoretically as a center, he's also the most potentially physical (due in large part to size) in a top 6 role, and while I think Z is best at C, we do need some size. Until Leo grows into his body and doesn't get bumped off the puck as easily, we definitely need some size.

In order of existing top young forwards on the roster, here's my order of importance: Leo, Z, McT, Cutter. Definitely looking forward to Sennecke, but like Leo, needs to put on a LOT of weight and muscle. I'm fine with if they bake him another couple of years. Maybe bring Gaucher up if they need some extra size. Fairly indifferent to Lundestrom. Want to see Sidorov in a year or two.

In order of existing top young D on the roster, it's sort of tied between Zellweger and Minty. Not super high on LaCombe. Hope Luneau will continue to develop. Still have hopes that Hinds and Warren will make it onto the roster in the next year or two. Super excited about Solberg but think he needs to learn defensive positioning a bit more and when to commit to a hit and when not to, before he makes it on the Ducks roster.

I have plenty of hope for this team. I don't think Cronin is the answer, but I've got all the patience in the world for this team, and am not going anywhere. Been a fan since I read about the Ducks drafting Kariya in the Register and won't leave even if we're last place for 10 years straight, though that would be pretty miserable.

I do think another coach is needed that will allow for mistakes and for our offensively creative forwards to play more freely. That said, it's obvious to me that Z for example is much more responsible defensively, and I like that that's been instilled into his play. It will make him a more complete player for the rest of his career.

To me, the biggest frustration of coaching isn't the "I don't know"s or the defensive structure, it's the line pairings. They have to know some things I don't, I guess, because I would try significantly different lines than what keeps being displayed. With Leo out, Z should be in that top C spot, with Cutter and Terry (or Leason) flanking him. Restore McT centering Vatrano and Strome. Have Lundestrom center Killer and Leason (or Terry), leaving Harkins centering Colangelo and anyone but Johnston. Please call up someone else to take his place.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Am I crazy? Like sure the comments that Mac is the new Ritchie are too far but what has Mac done this year to make him immune from criticism? He routinely makes poor decisions with the puck on his stick and looks worse at that aspect than he did last year. From what he showed last season, this was a year he should have taken a meaningful step forward with his play but instead he looks like he's regressed.

It's not hate to want a high draft pick with promise to live up to his potential and have serious concerns that he may not have the hockey IQ to do it. Or maybe he's languishing under Cronin. Point is he's a cornerstone piece of what is supposed to be a future core that lifts this team out of the rebuild and he hasn't shown that he's on the right track this year. Concern about that is not the same thing as hate and equating fan concern to fan hate isn't productive.

You've identified going overboard vs criticizing bad play on the ice. Some are going overboard, and it's not just for Mac.

I get your frustration with Mac due to what we've seen in spurts last season such that he was a PPG player, but he was still lost defensively and cheated often offensively. Mac is going into his third NHL season at age 21. That's quite young still. The problem with Mac for his tenure under Cronin is Mac might be doing too much, injuring himself while doing too much, and playing through the injury. Mac hasn't looked great this year, but he went on IR and none of us knew when the injury happened. Similar to last season, Mac would eventually be held out of games due to injury or go to IR; or be seen with a protective boot on one day and the next be playing. One aspect about Mac is that he keeps chugging if we're up big or down big. He's got 8 points in 14 games.

Mac wasn't injury prone under Eakins, as he played 80 games in one season. In that same season, he only had 44 PIM's. He was a more disciplined player under Eakins.

In year 2 of Cronin, Mac remains undisciplined, still lost defensively, and injury prone. What makes it worse this season is that offensive production when he was healthy last year isn't showing up to hide all the ugliness that Mac must still work on.

There's criticism and there's going overboard. Depending on one's fanaticism, the threshold between criticism and going overboard varies greatly. We all want to be out of this losing journey, but the context that we're in year 3 of the Verbeekening without proper veteran support is often forgotten. It's just another development year for me and do not see a reason to go overboard.

Then there is the question, "Is it Mac or is it the System?" It is this question that worries me more than Mac b/c the system is affecting all of our youths.

 

[Firequacker]

It’s frustrating to have to vocal majority on this board constantly complain about Ownership, Verbeek, Cronin all the f***ing time. We are on pace for 78 pts this year. After failing to crack 60 the past 2 years. If I told you the same exact roster as last year 59 pt season was coming back basically exactly the same, and we were on pace for 78 pts thru 1/4 of the season most people would be happy.

Especially since it took us 12 games to even find anything close to an identity.

And you don't consider this a problem? We were told this year was going to be better because the team would have a year of familiarity with Cronin and his expectations, a minimally changed and fully healthy roster comes out of camp with nothing "close to an identity," and you find this unworthy of any concern or criticism?

Cronin's repeated "I don't know" press conferences, his wanting to bring in a witch doctor to change the team's mindset because he can't do it? Players telling the media they don't know where their linemates are going to be? Changing the system in November? All of that is going according to plan, nothing whatsoever worthy of questioning?

Here are the fans here: We win ugly, yeah but we looked like shit, goalies can’t save you forever, gotta fire Verbeek and Cronin before they ruin player development.

We lose but look like the better team, yup Verbeek and Cronin sucks, these guys would win if those 2
Weren’t around, but our cheap owners won’t fire them because they are cheap.

We are on pace to add 19 total pts to our season total from last year, this is what we call improvement (granted I said we were so injured last year this jump was all but guaranteed, but apparently injuries aren’t an excuse for why your team played bad all year).

Yeah look at all of us stupid fans here, acting like there's more to analyze about a team's performance (in a rebuilding and development year, even) than just the win/loss record. What a bunch of clueless morons.

This team is dead last in the league in xGA/60, third worst in SA/60, worst HDCA/60 by a wide margin (nearly half a high danger chance per game), bottom two in every single possession differential, and has the sixth best goaltending. (That's all at 5v5, if you include special teams it's actually the fifth-best overall goaltending.) Fancy stats aren't everything but the fancy stats, the counting stats, and the eye test are all pointing to the same conclusion. But no, how stupid and ignorant do we have to be to think the goaltending might be masking some major flaws even when we win?

We lose but looked like the better team? When has that happened, maybe twice? Chicago and Minnesota, both of whom were on the tail end of back to backs at the time? What a bunch of idiots we are for not basing our entire assessment of the team and coaching staff on that!

It’s just all doom and gloom here, and it is in my opinion because our fan base is a bunch of whiny entitled, impatient cry babies, who suffer from the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Man, it sure is a shame all the negativity on this board is upsetting someone as positive and uplifting as you.

For sure, some of the vitriol around here is over the top. I'm as tired as anyone of all the "our owners are too cheap to care about improving the team" stuff, among (several) other things. But there are valid alternatives outside of just playing Pollyanna and pretending everything is just peachy in Orange Country solely because the point share looks better.
There are a lot of flaws. The coaching, especially, has done very little to inspire confidence. Are we not supposed to notice?
A hockey discussion board, believe it or not, is where fans go to discuss hockey. When there's a lot of negative to discuss, a lot of the discussion is going to be negative. You don't like it? Maybe try posting some more positive things to discuss, if you can find anything other than point share. (Which I'm sure you can, there are some things! I believe in you!) Be the change you want to see, instead of this tirade about how everyone but you is a negative idiot loser.

 

[slippingsloth]

It’s frustrating to have to vocal majority on this board constantly complain about Ownership, Verbeek, Cronin all the f***ing time. We are on pace for 78 pts this year. After failing to crack 60 the past 2 years. If I told you the same exact roster as last year 59 pt season was coming back basically exactly the same, and we were on pace for 78 pts thru 1/4 of the season most people would be happy.

Especially since it took us 12 games to even find anything close to an identity.

Here are the fans here: We win ugly, yeah but we looked like shit, goalies can’t save you forever, gotta fire Verbeek and Cronin before they ruin player development.

We lose but look like the better team, yup Verbeek and Cronin sucks, these guys would win if those 2
Weren’t around, but our cheap owners won’t fire them because they are cheap.

We are on pace to add 19 total pts to our season total from last year, this is what we call improvement (granted I said we were so injured last year this jump was all but guaranteed, but apparently injuries aren’t an excuse for why your team played bad all year).

It’s just all doom and gloom here, and it is in my opinion because our fan base is a bunch of whiny entitled, impatient cry babies, who suffer from the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Granted i agree with all of this. The hate is overblown.

My issue is those projected 78 points rely on dostal and gibson remaining amazing…like vezina contender amazing…. See last two games where we gave up a bad goal and we lose to buffalo and seattle because our goalies were average and not top 5. Or put another way. Dostal had a losing record and had 924 sv percentage going into last game… is it more likely dostal comes down towards league average or we score more goals going forward because thats the edge of “improvement” we are riding, no?

 

[anezthes]

When Leo's back I'd like to see:

Killer – Leo – Terry
Cutter – Z – Leason
Frank – McT – Strome
Harkins – Lundy – Cola

 

[Deuce22]

Moderate improvement since supposed “system change.” Those expecting major improvement this season weren’t realistic. Our vets are mid and best talents are 20-21. Some here are still longing for the days of Murray and Eakins, so crap on everything to discredit the current leadership. I think Verbeek is rebuilding properly and don’t see Cronin as the long term answer. Ducks won’t be good until the young guys become our core on the ice.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

It’s frustrating to have to vocal majority on this board constantly complain about Ownership, Verbeek, Cronin all the f***ing time. We are on pace for 78 pts this year. After failing to crack 60 the past 2 years. If I told you the same exact roster as last year 59 pt season was coming back basically exactly the same, and we were on pace for 78 pts thru 1/4 of the season most people would be happy.

Especially since it took us 12 games to even find anything close to an identity.

Here are the fans here: We win ugly, yeah but we looked like shit, goalies can’t save you forever, gotta fire Verbeek and Cronin before they ruin player development.

We lose but look like the better team, yup Verbeek and Cronin sucks, these guys would win if those 2
Weren’t around, but our cheap owners won’t fire them because they are cheap.

We are on pace to add 19 total pts to our season total from last year, this is what we call improvement (granted I said we were so injured last year this jump was all but guaranteed, but apparently injuries aren’t an excuse for why your team played bad all year).

It’s just all doom and gloom here, and it is in my opinion because our fan base is a bunch of whiny entitled, impatient cry babies, who suffer from the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Lots to unpack here... Is that you Cronin?


First, what do you expect? You can't be serious in saying or thinking that anything looks like an improvement from last year? 78 points is something to be happy about?

What identity? What games are you watching? I see the same mistakes made, hell even worse, than the Eakins era. The players can't seem to connect plays together, make simple passes, or play with any intensity. It's like they are afraid to mess up or else they have to deal with Ol' Man Cronin..

A coach plays a lot into player development. Not saying our prospects are gamebreakers, but there is a lot of talent here that shouldn't be plateauing like they are now. I would say besides a game here and there, we look pathetic. There is nothing wrong with winning ugly, but a majority of our games won have been ugly

I could go on and on.. you have a 'silent' GM who failed at making significant moves during the summer, a head coach that doesn't have answers (and clueless). This team has all the makings of a mitigated disaster

 

[Hockey Duckie]

It’s frustrating to have to vocal majority on this board constantly complain about Ownership, Verbeek, Cronin all the f***ing time. We are on pace for 78 pts this year. After failing to crack 60 the past 2 years. If I told you the same exact roster as last year 59 pt season was coming back basically exactly the same, and we were on pace for 78 pts thru 1/4 of the season most people would be happy.

Especially since it took us 12 games to even find anything close to an identity.

Here are the fans here: We win ugly, yeah but we looked like shit, goalies can’t save you forever, gotta fire Verbeek and Cronin before they ruin player development.

We lose but look like the better team, yup Verbeek and Cronin sucks, these guys would win if those 2
Weren’t around, but our cheap owners won’t fire them because they are cheap.

We are on pace to add 19 total pts to our season total from last year, this is what we call improvement (granted I said we were so injured last year this jump was all but guaranteed, but apparently injuries aren’t an excuse for why your team played bad all year).

It’s just all doom and gloom here, and it is in my opinion because our fan base is a bunch of whiny entitled, impatient cry babies, who suffer from the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

The impatient part is correct, which is the cause for going overboard.

As for projecting points, I'd be more cautious about that.

• Last year after 20 games: 9-11-0 (18 pts)
• GF = 56, GA = 65
• This year after 20 games: 8-9-3 (19 pts)
• GF = 50, GA = 60

From all metrics, our goalies are the determinant reason we're earning points. The only consistency we have is not being able to score over 2 goals while being caved in. Gudas did say we made changes several games ago and we went 4-1-0. The past two games, we choked away the lead and we're 0-1-1. In one-goal game results, we are 2-3-3. It is frustrating, but it's also not surprising.

I was gloom last year when I made comparisons between Eakins and Cronin. I did identify the offensive output was severely lacking by citing Cronin had more top-6 scoring talent and that top-6 scoring talent did out score Eakins' group, but overall couldn't muster much offense, especially at 5v5. This year, I'm just here for the ride b/c it's just another development season under the same coaching staff which the GM was pleased with the outcome last year despite being only 1 point better than the previous season where he was very much disappointed. heh