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Making playoffs next season

Nordic*

Registered User
Oct 12, 2006
20,476
6
Tellus
In order for us to be a sure playoff team next season, what is needed?

Is our current top-6 good enough, assuming Turris is healthy and back in form?

To me there are some holes that needs to be sorted out.

Hoffman-Turris-Stone

********-Zibanejad-Ryan

Dzingel/MacArthur-Pageau-Smith

Lazar-Paul-Chiasson/Neil


*********-Karlsson

Phaneuf-Ceci

Methot-Claesson


Anderson
**********


Can some of our prospects take the step into the big leagues as soon as next season?

Which UFA:s would fit our needs?
 
We haven't missed the playoffs twice in a row since the 90s, so it is a given that we make the playoffs next season.
 
Are we assuming Hoffman is 100% back next year?.....at this point I'm not that confident. We'll see how the next few months play out and where the negotiations go.
 
Must learn to play better, much better, team defense. Not sure Cameron really has a successful system. Either the system sucks or the players haven't bought in.

But that's the key.
 
Pipe Dream:
Hoff-Turris-Ryan
Boedker-Zibby-Stone
MacA-JGP-Wiese
Paul-Smith-Dzingel
Puempel, Neil

Campbell/Goligoski-Karlsson
Phaneuf-Ceci
Methot-Wideman
Claesson

Andy
Hammond/O'Connor

What is Likely:
Hoff/Drouin-Turris-Ryan
MacA-Zibby-Stone
Smith-JGP-Lazar
Dzingel-Paul-Neil
Puempel

Methot-Karlsson
Phaneuf-Ceci
Claesson-Wideman

Andy
Hammond/O'Connor

Chiasson and Wier are hopefully gone in the offseason, although both have picked their game up somewhat recently, so I could see them holding on to them. :cry:
 
Not sure a ton is needed: as long as the team is reasonably healthy the roster looks pretty solid to me.

Hammond being a reliable backup is going to be very important going forward though.

This team has to make the playoffs next season, if they fail to qualify (outside of catastrophic injuries or missing on a tie break or by a point or two) then I consider that a serious indictment of this roster's competitiveness at which point heads need to roll.
 
I think this team is a couple of moves away from being a playoff contender at least.

Get a new coach.
Get a better bottom pairing defenseman to play with Wideman
Get a top 6 forward.
Get a better backup.

The most important thing is to stay healthy.
 
Not Jared Cowen said:
What is Likely:
Hoff/Drouin-Turris-Ryan
MacA-Zibby-Stone
Smith-JGP-Lazar
Dzingel-Paul-Neil
Puempel

Methot-Karlsson
Phaneuf-Ceci
Claesson-Wideman

Andy
Hammond/O'Connor

Chiasson and Wier are hopefully gone in the offseason, although both have picked their game up somewhat recently, so I could see them holding on to them. :cry:
Click to expand...

Ya if we don't end up signing Hoff, I could see us panicking and pulling off another Bobby Ryan type of deal to save face with the fans and bringing in a guy like Drouin.
 
Offence and goaltending are good. MacArthur 's health may dictate if another top 6 forward is needed. Need to re-sign Hoffman or acquire a equitable replacement. They need to control the play better in their own end so as to reduce the number of shots allowed and goals against. Best bet would be to improve the bottom pair.
 
If Turris comes back and plays at his normal level, like the past 2 seasons, then staying healthy is the only obstacle.
 
1. The defence needs to be better. They've done a lot by deleting Cowen and adding Phaneuf. I assume Wiercioch is gone in the summer too. One more solid defenceman would really solidify the unit.

2. More consistent play from the kids. This is a very young team and some of our key pieces like Zibanejad and Ceci have been very hot and cold. They need to be consistently good. Especially Zibanejad. If they aren't confident in this, the Sens need to find a solid vet or two. This team is really young and it shows.

3. Improve the PK. It's been really bad. Awesome that we have so many short handed goals but I find they really over pursue on the PK. I bet that if we were middle of the pack on PK, the team might be in a playoff spot today.
 
OgieO said:
Must learn to play better, much better, team defense. Not sure Cameron really has a successful system. Either the system sucks or the players haven't bought in.

But that's the key.
Click to expand...

I would agree with that. I would also add that I think the GM will need to make at least one trade this coming yr to replace Chiasson, I think he will be watched carefully. I think both Puempel & Claesson should be in Ottawa next yr since they will both be waiver eligible as Prince & Wideman were this yr.

Hoffman - Zibanejad - Ryan
MacArthur - Turris - Stone
Smith - Pageau - Chiasson
Puempel - Lazar - Neil/McCormick

Dzingel - Paul - Robinson - I think should be the first forwards called up next season.

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Boroweicki - Wideman/Claesson & Wiercioch if they can't move him this summer.

Anderson - Hammond - Hammond has to be much better or moved next yr.
 
Hoff-turris-ryan
Smith-pageau-stone
Mac-zibby-lazar
Puempel-paul-white

Methot karl
Phanoops ceci
Wier wideman
Boro

Make neil retire after his 1000th game and dont resign chiasson and this is easily a playoff roster.
 
This year is a write-off. Unfortunately, we waited just a bit too long in helping out our back end.

The addition of Phaneuf has really solidified our defence going into next year. If the team remains the exact same as it is now, I would fully expect to make the playoffs next year. I'm sure we will see some progression from some of our younger guys too.
 
Making the playoffs will be a simple 3 step process.

Step 1: Stay healthy. Full year of MacArthur, Turris, healthy combined with the addition of Phaneuf to the blue line will do wonders.

Step 2: Set everyones alarm clock one hour earlier. Seems like we forgot about daylight savings or something, because we show up a period late most games. This one's easy to remedy, everyone just needs to set their alarms at 6 o'clock instead of 7.

Step 3: Profit.
 
Do Make Say Think said:
Not sure a ton is needed: as long as the team is reasonably healthy the roster looks pretty solid to me.

Hammond being a reliable backup is going to be very important going forward though.

This team has to make the playoffs next season, if they fail to qualify (outside of catastrophic injuries or missing on a tie break or by a point or two) then I consider that a serious indictment of this roster's competitiveness at which point heads need to roll.
Click to expand...

What!?

We haven't improved much in a couple years and you say "we don't have to do much. looks good to me."

Isn't the point to win a stanley cup? If so, there's a lot to do, and we can't waste much time...therefore there's several things we can do to improve our roster.

Compare our roster to a stanley cup contender like chicago or washington and tell us there's not much difference between our teams and there's not much we have to do to be like them... with a straight face.
 
jbeck5 said:
What!?

We haven't improved much in a couple years and you say "we don't have to do much. looks good to me."

Isn't the point to win a stanley cup? If so, there's a lot to do, and we can't waste much time...therefore there's several things we can do to improve our roster and there's not much we have to do to be like them with a straight face.

Compare our roster to a stanley cup contender like chicago or washington and tell us there's not much difference between our teams.
Click to expand...

Yes it both Chicago and Washington took 6 years to rebuild not 2 or 3.
 
jbeck5 said:
What!?

We haven't improved much in a couple years and you say "we don't have to do much. looks good to me."

Isn't the point to win a stanley cup? If so, there's a lot to do, and we can't waste much time...therefore there's several things we can do to improve our roster.

Compare our roster to a stanley cup contender like chicago or washington and tell us there's not much difference between our teams and there's not much we have to do to be like them... with a straight face.
Click to expand...

We obviously just need to draft a guy like Ovechkin or Kane.
 
jason2020 said:
Yes it both Chicago and Washington took 6 years to rebuild not 2 or 3.
Click to expand...

They also had the benefit of a 1 OA pick in a strong draft along with 2 top 5 picks to fast track the process (though Cam Barker was a bust...)
 
Apart from the obvious, for me there's 1 big issue: fatigue. We need a dependable enough team that Karlsson doesn't have to play 30+ minutes a night over the course of a season, and Andy needs to face a whole lot less shots. These 2 guys are being severely overworked and it's going to lead to injuries and/or inability to sustain performance during a playoff run.

Also Zibanejad needs to come into camp in shape.
 
J0sh said:
We obviously just need to draft a guy like Ovechkin or Kane.
Click to expand...

or toews or backstrom or sign a hossa, etc.

You're proving my point. We're several moves away.

I realize this thread is about just making the playoffs. If we're content just making the playoffs and hoping and praying we stay healthy to make them,and think anything can happen...then sure.

But if we actually want to go somewhere in the playoffs, there's several roster spots that need improvement, not just a small piece.
 
jason2020 said:
Yes it both Chicago and Washington took 6 years to rebuild not 2 or 3.
Click to expand...

Six years?

A) Chicago missed the playoffs 9 out of 10 years before becoming an actual cup threat.

B) After getting swept in the Finals in '98, Washington had the following results:
- out of playoffs
- out in round 1
- out in round 1
- out of playoffs
- out in round 1
- out of playoffs
- out of playoffs (Ovechkin's rookie year)
- out of playoffs


Fun fact: both the Hawks and the Caps turnarounds coencided entirely with the hiring of very good coaches - Quennville (taking over for Denis Savard) and Boudreau (Hanlon), respectively.
 
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