Speculation: AVS Proposals/Rumors/Free Agents & Related Topics 2016-17 Part XVII

[Ceremony]

I had a dream last night we traded Andrighetto to the Rangers. I suppose my subconscious has no faith in Sakic.

 

[Perratrooper]

So do you guys believe that
Ghetto-MacK-Rants
can ever be a top line? As good Ghetto has been, I'm not sure I'm sold on him actually being a top 6 player and I think we should be able to find a better 5'10" forward.

 

[Metallo]

Oh boy did we fleece the Habs or what with Andrighetto!

Not many things make me happier than screwing the Habs.

 

[chet1926]

So do you guys believe that
Ghetto-MacK-Rants
can ever be a top line? As good Ghetto has been, I'm not sure I'm sold on him actually being a top 6 player and I think we should be able to find a better 5'10" forward.

You are putting way too much stock into size. Ghetto proved that if given the opportunity he can handle top 6 minutes. Personally I don't wan't him as my top line winger, but he can clearly handle top 6 minutes and produce.

15pts in 19 games while playing +/- 0 hockey on this **** team is pretty impressive if you ask me. I think he has earned the right to at very minimum start the next season playing on a top 6 line.

 

[AvsGuy]

Did Sakic confirm following the final game that Bednar would be brought back?

I might actually be done.

 

[tucker3434]

You are putting way too much stock into size. Ghetto proved that if given the opportunity he can handle top 6 minutes. Personally I don't wan't him as my top line winger, but he can clearly handle top 6 minutes and produce.

15pts in 19 games while playing +/- 0 hockey on this **** team is pretty impressive if you ask me. I think he has earned the right to at very minimum start the next season playing on a top 6 line.

This feels very Mueller-ish to me. He has earned the right to start there (assuming he shows up to camp), but I hope we have a backup plan.

 

[Ararana]

So do you guys believe that
Ghetto-MacK-Rants
can ever be a top line? As good Ghetto has been, I'm not sure I'm sold on him actually being a top 6 player and I think we should be able to find a better 5'10" forward.

I think Ghetto will be a decent placeholder until we get a legitimate top line winger in there.

Landy - Jost - 2017 1st will be a damn good second line.

Greer - Compher - Nieto could be the best third line we've had a long time.

 

[Perratrooper]

This feels very Mueller-ish to me. He has earned the right to start there (assuming he shows up to camp), but I hope we have a backup plan.

Kinda my thoughts, although Muller got derailed by concussions and maybe if those didn't happen we'd have a 29 year old winger who could score. I get liking Ghetto after what he did to end the season, but I just don't know if I'd put him into top line forward. With that being said we don't really have much else and the line seems to work well enough. Just curious if people think he's our long term solution.

I know we have much larger concerns than if Ghetto is a top line player or not, but I believe it's something to think about.

 

[Ararana]

Did Sakic confirm following the final game that Bednar would be brought back?

I might actually be done.

He did. The only way Bednar is out of here this offseason is if Sakic gets canned, and the chances of that happening aren't high IMO.

 

[Vaslof]

So do you guys believe that
Ghetto-MacK-Rants
can ever be a top line? As good Ghetto has been, I'm not sure I'm sold on him actually being a top 6 player and I think we should be able to find a better 5'10" forward.

In a team who's 20 points behind the second to last in the league, yes.

In a playoff team, probably not, but we don't have to worry about that for the next few years.

 

[chet1926]

Disclaimer, sorry for the long post. It will be my only long post of the offseason until after the draft and shares my thoughts moving forward:

It's really disappointing to read all the negativity around here. The last 5 pages are of people just *****ing about anything and everything. And you know what I get it, we just had the worst season since an expansion team. It sucks and it was painful to watch.

But that being said there are positives and a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if you all have given up on Sakic and Bednar, that's fine that's your choice. And I know that even if Sakic has a good summer and makes some solid moves some people won't be satisfied, because you just can't please some people, no matter how good something is.

I'm choosing to be positive moving forward, I like to think that even though Sakic has made some bad moves, he isn't stupid and saw the same thing us fans saw this year. Sakic has made it very clear that he wants to be younger, faster and more skilled next season.

Well the UFA guys like Mitchell, Tyutin, Goloubef, Wiercoich can all go far away, no way Sakic offers any of them a contract. The defensemen especially we have too many young guys that can take their place.

That leaves the guys like Beauchemin, Comeau and Soderberg. I'm saying right now the only one that has any prayer of being here come opening night next season is Comeau. Beauchemin will either get bought out or traded. Sakic isn't stupid, he saw Beauchemin get burned by quicker more skilled guys on a nightly basis. Soderberg will request a trade, we'll probably have to take a bad contract but at the same time maybe we'll get someone who tries a little harder. Comeau will stick unless he is drafted by Vegas, as he will have some trade value come deadline time next season.

We're probably going to have to live with Colborne, unless Vegas does us a favor.

I fully expect Duchene, Landeskog and Barrie to be shopped hard. Not sure all of them move but they very well could. I know there are a lot of people around that will screech that Landeskog shouldn't be traded. But guess what guys, he is part of the problem. He is the captain and his team plays like trash and has played like trash for 3 years straight. Not to mention he just posted a 33pts, -25 season, that is just unacceptable from the captain. Duchene needs to move on, his head isn't here anymore, and he packed it in around January. I don't want guys that pack it in half way through the year on my team. And Barrie is another "core" guy that just doesn't get it done enough on a nightly basis. Some nights he shows up others not so much. Time to replace him with someone who gives solid effort every night.

All that being said here is what I envision the offseason to look like:

1. We are going to win the draft lottery. We'll draft Patrick. I know injury issues/character issues. But you can't deny that he is exactly the player we need. We need a ROR/Stastny type and that is what Patrick can provide. Wouldn't be shocked or dismayed with Hischier either he is solid as well but is more of the flashy type like MacK and we've seen what happens when you have two flashy top 6 centers, they don't compliment each other well.

2. Duchene will be moved in a 1 for 1 type deal. I personally think Carolina. For either Faulk or Hanifin depending on what Carolina is looking to do. Could see a draft pick coming our way as well.

3. Landeskog is moved to Anaheim. We grab one of their guys that would have to be protected but they can't, my gut says Fowler.

4. Barrie is moved for a young winger most likely a higher end prospect and a pick to a team that is in win now mode. Maybe as people have mentioned EDM for Puljujarvi.

5. Young guys like Butcher, Meloche and Beaudin will all get contracts. My surprise pick is Barron also gets a contract.

The team heading into next season looks like:

Rantanen-MacK-Ghetto (Ghetto gets protected in expansion draft and re-signed for 2 years)
Jost-Patrick-Puljujarvi (young and inexperienced but who cares throw them into the fire)
Greer-Compher-Comeau (more youth, hopefully playing with two young energy guys lights a fire under Comeau)
Grigorenko?Nieto?Colborne? Bourque? etc. whatever combo, maybe add a bottom 6 guy or two in UFA

EJ-Faulk
Fowler-Zadorov
Bigras, Mironov, Lindholm, Barberio, Butcher whomever you want and whoever earns it.

Varly (hopefully a healthy Varly regains form)
Pickard

 

[tigervixxxen]

As people have pointed out, no team really has 6 rock solid top 6 players. So I wouldn't exactly call Sven that but he works on that line and it continued to be productive and it's not like we have an abundance of wingers. I do wonder how he's going to look if he has to play 3rd line at some point but I don't mind penciling him in that line to start. I wonder if they are going to move toward more a modern top 9 with Compher and Jost as the centers, like they tried at the end of the season.

Chet, Meloche and Beaudin are already signed. Barron will sign between March 1 and June 1 next year I'm sure. I think they will sign Anderson too.

 

[chet1926]

As people have pointed out, no team really has 6 rock solid top 6 players. So I wouldn't exactly call Sven that but he works on that line and it continued to be productive and it's not like we have an abundance of wingers. I do wonder how he's going to look if he has to play 3rd line at some point but I don't mind penciling him in that line to start. I wonder if they are going to move toward more a modern top 9 with Compher and Jost as the centers, like they tried at the end of the season.

Chet, Meloche and Beaudin are already signed. Barron will sign between March 1 and June 1 next year I'm sure. I think they will sign Anderson too.

Good call, totally forgot about that.

 

[McMetal]

I really wonder why people are saying that Andrighetto can't play on the top line. The main thing you need your top line to do is produce, and he has done that. As long as he delivers tangible results he's doing his job and can stay there as long as that continues.

 

[S E P H]

Did Sakic confirm following the final game that Bednar would be brought back?

I might actually be done.

Yeah McKenzie last night said that he doesn't see why Sakic or Bednar shouldn't be back next year from his sources.

I guarantee that Bednar will be on a short leash, if we start the season again like 2-7 or anything around that, he's definitely gone.

 

[Foppberg]

I really want Sakic gone, just so we can fire Bednar and get Gallant before he's scooped up.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I really wonder why people are saying that Andrighetto can't play on the top line. The main thing you need your top line to do is produce, and he has done that. As long as he delivers tangible results he's doing his job and can stay there as long as that continues.

Of course if the line keeps rolling you go with it, I think the question is if it dries up for a bit then what.

Yeah McKenzie last night said that he doesn't see why Sakic or Bednar shouldn't be back next year from his sources.

I guarantee that Bednar will be on a short leash, if we start the season again like 2-7 or anything around that, he's definitely gone.

It's a bit early for next season expectations but coaches who get fired early in a season are ones with expectations that get off to disappointing starts. If they start the year with a bunch of kids and it looks like they really are committing to the youth movement, why would they have any expectations next year? Or at least expectations of getting out of the gate strong?

 

[cgf]

This feels very Mueller-ish to me. He has earned the right to start there (assuming he shows up to camp), but I hope we have a backup plan.

Mueller-ish; Fleuschman-ish, or McGinn-ish. Guys coming in and producing for ~20 games doesn't prove anything. Ghetto should get a shot to stay on that line in camp, but no one should be surprised if he's out of the top 6 by Christmas.

 

[henchman21]

Ghetto will stay up as long as he produces. The second that stops, he will be pushed out.

 

[cgf]

Ghetto will stay up as long as he produces. The second that stops, he will be pushed out.

Basically this. And just because he produced to close out this season doesn't mean he's gunna produce next year

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Ghetto will never stop scoring at the pace he has as long as he plays the same situations/same tier linemates. Ghetto is as good as his points have been. The issue is if we grow enough other talent that Sven becomes the 7th or 8th best of our "top 6" style forwards and when that happens and he gets pushed out of those minutes/linemates he will be a different player.

 

[hughdreamz]

If our Top 6 does get increasingly better a 3rd line of Ghetto - Compher - Greer could be the best in the league.

 

[AvsGuy]

Here are the objective facts about how these players perform under Jared Bednar: Gabriel Landeskog went from 53 points to 33 points. Carl Soderberg went from 51 points to 14 points. Joe Colborne went from 44 points to 8 points. I know player response is a factor in some of these cases, but our offense absolutely plummeted under Jared Bednar. There is no case to be made for bringing this guy back - these guys are not going to perform any better under his guidance. If this isn't changed over the summer I'll be following Las Vegas instead.

 

[AvsGuy]

Yeah McKenzie last night said that he doesn't see why Sakic or Bednar shouldn't be back next year from his sources.

I guarantee that Bednar will be on a short leash, if we start the season again like 2-7 or anything around that, he's definitely gone.

Why wait for that just to put ourselves in the same scrambled position to find a new coach as last season?

DO IT NOW

IMMEDIATELY

MOVE ON

 

[henchman21]

Ghetto will never stop scoring at the pace he has as long as he plays the same situations/same tier linemates. Ghetto is as good as his points have been. The issue is if we grow enough other talent that Sven becomes the 7th or 8th best of our "top 6" style forwards and when that happens and he gets pushed out of those minutes/linemates he will be a different player.

That is probably a while from happening, but the big concern I would have is committing money to him. His bridge deal this year will be cheap... if he produces at a decent rate over the next couple seasons, I'd really hate to commit 3-4+m to him.

If our Top 6 does get increasingly better a 3rd line of Ghetto - Compher - Greer could be the best in the league.

I don't think Ghetto would work well on that line, and he can't really play a typical 3rd line role well.