voyageur
Grizzled vet
- Jul 10, 2011
- 11,202
- 11,448
That's a real fair argument. Especially the puck moving element. But it's safe to say that Morrissey and Pionk are here to stay. And those guys aren't too bad at moving the puck. We saw Stanley could stretch the ice. I look at the way teams have been winning of late, and it's with big defenses. Tampa, St. Louis, Washington, teams that could close space off with physicality. But could also move the puck effectively. I don't think that Morrissey, Pionk, Heinola, De Melo have quite the same physical impact as Hedman, Mc Donaugh, Sergachev, Cernak, which we saw for consecutive years. We can try to win with the Pittsburgh and Chicago model of success, as things do go in cycles, but I am not convinced Heinola has a spot to win for awhile. For one Pionk is not a very good PKer, but an above average puck mover, so for Heinola I think he'd need to become a reliable PKer, at least in a reserve role to get a spot, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him get reps on the Moose over the next season. Then there is still the issue of taking PP time from the A on defense. Maybe if both Stastny and Copp go and only Perfetti replaces one, there is room for a 3rd d-man on the PP, but there is still the option of Stanley, who has shown the best point shot of any of our d-men.
I don't feel like there is a dearth of prospective depth at forward. Attrition will eventually promote all of Perfetti, Vesalainen and Gustafsson, conceivably by next season (some already this season).
After that you have Lucius, with high end potential, to replace Wheeler, a guy like Chibrikov, who may never leave Russia, Torgersson who is a potential bottom six winger, Nikkanen, who has chosen to stay overseas, and probably stunt his transition, and also far from a guarantee to be an NHLer. Nathan Smith has some potential, but is closing in on being a UFA out of college, unsigned. Harrison Blaisdell might have 4th line potential. I'm not sure we see any of those guys on the Moose by next season, which is the next step, hoping we do though.
Contrary to that you have Kovacevic who probably graduates to the big club next year as a 6/7. Heinola (top 4 potential), Samberg (top 4 potential), Chisholm is highly rated, (should be an NHLer in his development), Lundmark is an unknown, but a likely NHLer by the end of his development, then there are still Johannesson (puck mover), and Kuzmin. Seems like there is more certainty in the NHL potential of our defensive prospects, as most of them are already in the process or beginning it?
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