Flint Firebirds 2022-23 Off-Season Thread
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Gotta hope he turns Lombardi into a badass 16 or 17yo at this point and Kuzmin into a few 2nd/3rds. Dent has really mismanaged a team built by Branch and Christensen. That’s saying something. How he couldn’t/wouldn’t match or beat the price for Arcuri is beyond me. The ONLY situation I’d be happy with right now is good return on a sell or adding Del Mastro, Harrison (please not Wright) and a cheap depth forward. That’s the ONLY thing that puts them back in the game. Even then I question the goaltending. Cranley has shown he can make the highlight reel save and be good….just gotta stop letting soft ones past him during critical moments.
….and Windsor jumps in the game. Dent still sitting on the fence. Prices being paid are high. I’m all about sell at this point. At these prices Lombardi looks like a 3 2nds 3 3rds type player. Get a couple bodies and load up on picks like crazy for Lombardi, Kuzmin, Deline. Hope Guryev returns as an OA. Maybe even Kressler but that’s even less likely.
StingUpdates
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- Jan 12, 2019
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They ain't done either lol. I can't believe how you guys & OS have sat idle thru this all.
flint will be buying. owen sound will be better next year, so i can see why they are holding. why sell everything when your window is the following year.
OS is really built more for next year. Flint was set up for this year and Dent had two huge fumbles with Cranley and Othmann. Drafted Kaden Pitre (a reach on top of) handcuffing him this year. Traded Petrovski which hurt building around the ‘05 group if he had to pivot towards selling and has sat on his hands as piece after piece after piece moved off the board. We’re 35 games in. We all see what this team is now and what you have in net. Too many pieces needed to hang with the big boys and at these prices? Screw that. I feel bad for the team that gives up an ‘06 and 6-7 2nds and 3rds for Wright.
Who? And why? Would be my question. They need too much to compete with the top teams. Wright, Harrison, DelBelBulluz , Beck and Del Mastro are all that’s left that could even give them hope of making it to the Finals and they’d need two of them. No way. No way they outbid Barrie, Ottawa, Peterborough, and the 4 other etc’s. It’s a fools errand at this point. Half measures don’t work in this league.
your asknig the wrong person, im just telling you i think they want to buy. there are still names out there, either flint likes them of not i have no idea.
I get ya. I’m not surprised either. Just dumbfounded at that decision. How’d they let Arcuri slip away at that cost and now you’re seeing Jacob friggin Holmes go for THAT price? What’s one of the guys I listed gonna cost?!?! 4 2nds and 3 3rds? Your currently a 6 seed Dent. S. I. X. I hate to see Lombardi, Kuzmin, Deline go but man. Go rob one of these GM’s at those prices.
im guessing that dent doesnt want to come back next year and figures he needs to win to get more of a shot at moving forward. drafting 06 pitre limits the ability to trade him.
coach, hes always been a coach, hes barely doing the gm job there, the ast gm is doing all the real work.
I’d immediately be pivoting and putting Lombardi, Deline and Kuzmin up. Give them a real shot at a Championship. Those 3 should NEARLY net you one really solid 16-17yo, 5 2nds and 5 3rds. Ish. Move picks so you only have 6 picks in the first 5 rounds next year, preferably shifting a 2nd and a 3rd for a 2nd and a 3rd down the road +++. Leaving them with like 11 tradeable 2nds and a bunch in rounds 3-5. Now go shopping.
Some teams stay Idle because other players may have other destinations of choice and other teams may want young prospects, which not all teams would part with.
With regards to Deline and Kuzmin it's easier said than done. There's only one contending team that has an open OA slot for Deline (PBO) and after looking at rosters - although I might have missed something because it was a bit of a quick look - I could only find one contending team that has room for an import. So, this means that garnering any interest from the limited teams that they might be able to be traded to, those two would have to be a significant upgrade. And, because the places where they can be traded to seem to be a bit limited, then it becomes a buyers market.
I would have easily matched the prices for Arcuri and Harrison which were picks only deals. Winterton and Humphrey both went cheap but once again, Dent handcuffed himself by drafting Pitre. So now. Not only is he striking out, they’re all landing in the Conference. Management has just been outclassed by other GM’s. Period. I can totally see them being the team that ante’s up far too much for Wright. Depleting current assets and future rosters. Wright being disinterested, underperforming and getting knocked out in the 1st or 2nd round and being the laughing stock of the OHL. Either sends the vets off with a real shot at a title or get them some frigging help. What they’re doing now is a disservice to the fans and the players on that roster.
Peterborough, Windsor and Ottawa should all be considering Kuzmin. Off the top of my head….maybe Sarnia, North Bay too for Deline?
Knightsfan90
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Only Petes and Ott have 02 spots available.
NB are happy with their Imports.
Hearing Mississauga is cleaning house and should move Del Mastro, Del Bel Beluz and possibly Owen Beck, as he may not be back next year.
I think North Bay could upgrade with Deline. Perhaps Sarnia if moving Dillingham. It’s been “ahem” mentioned to me Flint feels it’s set with their D buuuuuut if they were able to pull Del Mastro and Del Bel Buluz I’d be ok. If they could also add one more top 6-9 forward all would be better. At these prices and with what they’ve shown so far? I’d bet they add one mediocre forward and get bounced in the 1st or 2nd round. I’d sell at these prices. Even if they add all I hoped for above, I’m still not 100% sold on Cranley. He’s shown flashes but far from enough to convince me. I can only hope they sell or they pull a repeat of last year where they tighten up a bit defensively post deadline and start finishing better too. They’ve made it so tough for themselves so far though. They should have learned last year that you don’t want to head into the playoffs as a 3-4-5 seed.
Only one I can see them upgrading is Piercey 02. Or in realty getting another type of player.
They need a forward to round off top 9 nicely, and hope that Cranley and d are consistent 2nd half.
I believe Deline and Cranley are staying, come hell or high water.
They need a forward to round off top 9 nicely, and hope that Cranley and d are consistent 2nd half.
I believe Deline and Cranley are staying, come hell or high water.
I can believe that. I’d be surprised to see Piercey moved but he utterly baffles me. Should be and at times can be the best and one of the actual very few true power forwards in the league. Then just dissapears, mishandles pucks, blows every scoring chance, offers much less physicality at times than others and puts up nearly zero points for huge 10-15 game stretches. He did this last year and I was sure he was hurt. Now I think that’s just who he is. If Flint were to go into the playoffs, reach the Finals and Riley was a point per game player while wrecking opposing D it would not surprise me. If they play 10 games, get knocked out in round 2 and he has no goals and one assist? Also would be completely unsurprised. C’mon Riley! Where’s that kid who had 4 goals in a Red Wings jersey?
A standing pat Owen Sound team has the potential to cause some post season trouble too.
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