Lalonde is fired! NOW what do you do with this team for the rest of the season?

[ElProfessor]

Disagree heavy on Johansson. He has looked like he can't handle more than (10-12 minutes) spot duty. He is very nonphysical and much too soft to cover net front and he is nothing special anywhere else. Not sure why they talked so highly of him, as I haven't seen anything yet that makes him anything more than a better skating Gus Lindstrom.

Would you rather have Petry/Holl/Gustafsson getting top-4 minutes on this team?

I'd think you were 100% wrong if you thought Petry would give you better minutes............but say you were right............what would be the point? Perry's gone forever at the end of the yr and Johansson could be a 3rd pair player through our prime. Get him some time.

 

[Oddbob]

Would you rather have Petry/Holl/Gustafsson getting top-4 minutes on this team?

I'd think you were 100% wrong if you thought Petry would give you better minutes............but say you were right............what would be the point? Perry's gone forever at the end of the yr and Johansson could be a 3rd pair player through our prime. Get him some time.

Not about Petry playing more, but Johansson to date hasn't shown he is even as good as Petry quite honestly.

 

[Hobnobs]

Lalonde is Laldone. McClellan is now the coach and will bring with him a new structure.

The roster makeup still has a lot of holes but I think we're going to see McClellan give young guys like Rasmussen, Veleno, Kasper and maybe even AlJo bigger roles. I'd also expect some GRG callups.

What *I* would do;
Trade Gustafsson as soon as possible. Future considerations or a conditional 6th or 7th round pick. Chicago, San Jose, maybe NYI, or BUF?
Trade Tarasenko with retention to maybe get a 2nd or 3rd for him. There has to be a team that is a middle of the pack playoff team that could use a vet for their 3rd line.
Trade Kane with retention. He's not getting a 1st anymore but a 2nd + a B prospect or a bottom 6er? He could be useful to a contender like DAL, EDM, VGK, NJD, FLA.
Trade Copp. With retention if you have to. Move an asset if you have to, but the guy needs to go. He's possibly the slowest skater in the NHL and an offensive black hole. He's years ahead of his timeline to become the next Frans Nielsen.
Trade Husso and/or Lyon closer to the TDL. Bring up Cossa and see what he's made of.

Put feelers out to other trade partners for players that can improve the middle of the lineup;
Look at pending RFAs like Alexander Romanov (LD) that would be a pretty awesome partner for one of Seider or Axel Sandin Pelikka. NYI have to pay Dobson big soon and will need to make sacrifices. Would they want a 2nd + Buium or Wallinder or AlJo?
Consider moving the team's 1st in 2025 (with top 5 protection) for young, immediate help. Who are some 2019 to 2021 draftees that could be of use? Cozens? McTavish?
Look at pending UFAs that have some life left in the tank. Jason Zucker would be a fixture on the 2nd line this year to replace some of the dead weight like Tank and Kane, but he plays a game that would be fine for the 3rd line next year and beyond.
Look for a guy that can reliably play a shutdown/PK role. David Savard, Luke Schenn, or someone like that. Give Seider less PK time and more ES/PP time as a result.
Bring up Soderblom. He genuinely looked better in the NHL 2 years ago than he has in the AHL.

Well, that's what I would do. What about YOU?

Yup pretty much some of this. Get rid of the vets that we can. Rotate in some kids.

Call up Watson so he can bang up some of the opposition. From what I heard he's well liked by the kids in the A.


I'd look for a shutdown D and a good defensive physical winger for 3rd line/Pk duty as well.

 

[Hen Kolland]

At the end of the day, they have to fill out a roster in a way that is responsible regarding the development of prospects, meaning not putting kids into situations they aren't somewhat close to being ready for.

You can plan to trade Kane, Tarasenko, Motte, Fischer, Petry in the last year of their deals if there are teams who will give assets. You can probably move Gus with one more year at $2 million.

But anyone who thinks they have a good chance of moving Copp or Compher casually as a routine piece of business is misguided. You aren't shedding them, you likely aren't shedding Chiarot or Holl.

I know that the popular opinion here is "the season is lost, the immediate future is a throwaway, so let's gut all the veterans and start fresh" but that is so unreasonable and unfeasible.

The season probably plays out with standard selling of UFAs at the deadline for an underwhelming return and you just hope that Yzerman develops a sense of urgency to make a sizable shake up in the offseason. That doesn't mean trading a bunch of nothing level players and one good draft pick for DeBrincat, who essentially orchestrated the trade by himself.

 

[RRhoads]

I don't think they should do anything to the roster right now. Let's see how the new coach can utilize it. Need to give it a couple of weeks, so the team can actually get some practice in.

 

[lhsgolf19]

Not sure where to put this but... we got line juggling... Joey V about to get his chance?

 

[SwedeChristoffer]

Not sure where to put this but... we got line juggling... Joey V about to get his chance?

Veleno played with Larkin and Raymond at the end of last game too.

McLellan mentioned it in his post-game interview that he liked Velenos foot-speed on that line.

 

[Shaman464]

Veleno played with Larkin and Raymond at the end of last game too.

McLellan mentioned it in his post-game interview that he liked Velenos foot-speed on that line.

Channeling his inner Babcock. Put a scrub on the 1st line. ?????. Success!

 

[Hobnobs]

Channeling his inner Babcock. Put a scrub on the 1st line. ?????. Success!

Veleno is a scrub but he does bring something the first line lacks and thats speed around the boards and we rather want him digging after pucks around the boards than Raymond, Larkin and/or Debrincat

 

[Peter Tosh]

I thought Veleno looked good early this season. This is his chance to prove himself. If he fails, SY can use him as a small piece in a trade.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I thought Veleno looked good early this season. This is his chance to prove himself. If he fails, SY can use him as a small piece in a trade.

This is a way for Veleno to reclaim his career. He might make a better middle 6 winger than a bottom 6 center. I liked his game there when he was on Malmo in Sweden.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

RFA offer sheet route?

https://puckpedia.com/players/search?q=2024-25-rfa

NHL offer sheet, explained: Compensation, qualifications for signing restricted free agents | Sporting News

Offer sheets aren't as common nowadays as they used to be in the NHL.

www.sportingnews.com

 

[gritdash60]

Well first thing get that bum Veleno out of 1st line? I dont get what this guy has that impresses the coaches, he should have been in the Griffins 2 years ago.

I thought Veleno looked good early this season. This is his chance to prove himself. If he fails, SY can use him as a small piece in a trade.

Yeah maybe he will even drive him to the city he trades him.

 

[Gniwder]

This is a way for Veleno to reclaim his career. He might make a better middle 6 winger than a bottom 6 center. I liked his game there when he was on Malmo in Sweden.

He has the tools, it's worth a try. If the team runs 1-3-1, he would be the forechecker.

It's obvious Joey doesn't have natural hockey IQ, but he has all of the other tools like skating, shooting, and some puck handling. His passing vision needs work along with his positioning, Maybe Todd think he can coach some sense into Joey, like finding soft spots and setting up for shots instead of just running around.

It's also the first time he's had a real coach, couple of collegiate goalies aren't gonna be able to teach what he needs. I'm never thrilled to see a goalie head coach. Todd was a low level defenseman IIRC, but he's got experience running the offense as assistant and head coach.

 

[SCD]

RFA offer sheet route?

https://puckpedia.com/players/search?q=2024-25-rfa

NHL offer sheet, explained: Compensation, qualifications for signing restricted free agents | Sporting News

Offer sheets aren't as common nowadays as they used to be in the NHL.

www.sportingnews.com

You don't make an offer sheet when your team is fighting for a high lottery pick.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

You don't make an offer sheet when your team is fighting for a high lottery pick.

Offer sheets don't automatically mean a 1st.

 

[SCD]

Yzerman said he expected to compete for a wild card spot this season, so I don't get the impression he's looking to tank. Everything from his presser suggests he made the move to replace Lalonde because he knows the team should be playing better.

What did you expect Yzerman to say just after hiring a new coach?

First rule of Yzerman....never believe what the man says, only watch what he does.

 

[OneMoreTry]

It's obvious Joey doesn't have natural hockey IQ, but he has all of the other tools like skating, shooting, and some puck handling. His passing vision needs work along with his positioning, Maybe Todd think he can coach some sense into Joey, like finding soft spots and setting up for shots instead of just running around.

I agree - but to me, that alone disqualifies him for a top 6 role. But we‘ll see how it goes.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

You don't make an offer sheet when your team is fighting for a high lottery pick.

You wouldn’t have given up a 3rd for Dylan Holloway? Or a 2nd for Broberg? That’s a 3/4 defenseman and a 2nd line winger on Detroit. We could use that, whether that’s the 37th and 72nd overall pick we give up, or the 62nd and 94th overall pick.

 

[JediOrderPizza]

Who would you offer sheet? Looking at the list I'm not seeing anything that jumps out to me as plausible.

 

[jkutswings]

Who would you offer sheet? Looking at the list I'm not seeing anything that jumps out to me as plausible.

I'd throw the kitchen sink at Noah Dobson. Adding a quality young defenseman to Seider and Edvinsson would be transformative.

Now the Islanders could match and it's all a moot point. But as far as the assets are concerned, it could be 3-4 first rounders and I'd still shove the draft picks away in a heartbeat. Detroit can't just keep rolling the dice on magic beans forever - they need some more very good players to start bringing an actual timeline together.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Who would you offer sheet? Looking at the list I'm not seeing anything that jumps out to me as plausible.

Alex Romanov.
Matt Coronato
Connor Zary
Sam Colangelo
Jack Mcbain
Noah Cates
Kaapo kaakko

Sign 2, maybe 3 of these guys. I’d give up 4.5 mil and a 2nd for Romanov because the Isles will be cap strapped, and a 3rd each for Mcbain and Cates.

 

[JediOrderPizza]

Yeah just looking I don't see the teams not matching. Says the Islanders will have 20 mil to work with.

I'd throw the kitchen sink at Noah Dobson. Adding a quality young defenseman to Seider and Edvinsson would be transformative.

Now the Islanders could match and it's all a moot point. But as far as the assets are concerned, it could be 3-4 first rounders and I'd still shove the draft picks away in a heartbeat. Detroit can't just keep rolling the dice on magic beans forever - they need some more very good players to start bringing an actual timeline together.

I can understand that thinking but I just wouldn't be able to do that. I'd rather give up the cost it took for a Hanifin type over 3-4 firsts.

Yzerman really needs to work here and try to land another 1st somehow.

 

[Al48]

Alex Romanov.
Matt Coronato
Connor Zary
Sam Colangelo
Jack Mcbain
Noah Cates
Kaapo kaakko

Sign 2, maybe 3 of these guys. I’d give up 4.5 mil and a 2nd for Romanov because the Isles will be cap strapped, and a 3rd each for Mcbain and Cates.

Love Coronato’s attitude, but I can’t see Calgary letting it get to that point. He is definitely someone I’d love off that list.

 

[jkutswings]

I can understand that thinking but I just wouldn't be able to do that. I'd rather give up the cost it took for a Hanifin type over 3-4 firsts.

They need a couple of steaks, not half a dozen sliders. Quality guys to help shape the new core. If you're able to land an impact player for less, obviously you do so. But they need to stop acting like the entire new core will come from the draft, because nobody is that successful (or lucky).

Yzerman really needs to work here and try to land another 1st somehow.

To do what with exactly? If they keep using first round draft picks and expecting them to end up as part of the window of contention, then trade Larkin now, because he's going to be drinking prune juice and watching Matlock by the time all these teenagers hit their prime.

Or to put it another way, consider these two scenarios:

Option 1 - keep hoarding picks.
* In the next 2-3 seasons you gather up 4-5 firsts, 4-5 seconds, and at least that many thirds.
* You use all those picks in the draft and are encouraged by who you take and how they develop.
* It's at least 2029 before all these kids learn to shave, hit the NHL, and actually make a significant impact.
* Larkin will be 33 or 34. A guy who uses his speed that much will be a second line center at best, if not a 2/3 C.
* You have a zillion kids on the blue line and at wing, but between Larkin, Kasper, and Danielson there's nobody to play 1C. (The lottery hates this team and 1C's don't hit free agency.)

Option 2 - F 'dem picks.
* Offer sheet Noah Dobson in 2025. With Seider and Edvinsson in the NHL and ASP not too far away, you have the making of a very good blue line.
* I'd also look to add a top-six forward via offer sheet, if there's a kid you like on the wing.
* In both 2025 and 2026 I'm turning over every rock I can to pry a good young center away from a bad team. My first target would be Columbus to go after any of Johnson/Fantili/Silinger, but I'd also look at Connor Zary in Galgary and Conor Geekie in Tampa if either team has their window fading.
* By 2027 you have Larkin/<center via trade>/Kasper/Danielson up the middle, with that improved defense, Cossa getting NHL experience, and kids like Buchelnikov and MBN adding some scoring.

They need to start breaking some eggs to make an omelette.