This. I am not seeing a playoff caliber effort out of this team. Ever. I also think maybe we just embrace where we are and the team uses pro pride or whatever to be fun to watch. I feel if Bruno was capable of getting something out of this team it would have shown by now. Sad.
I don’t want a heater at this point. Embrace the suck, don’t go on a heater and get the 12th pick. In the past the excuse for at least trying to go on a heater would be that it’s good for youth development. But what youth are we even developing at this point?Do we even want that Detroit-like heater at this point?
Maybe we're coming full circle to lining back up with Trotz's approach... maybe we should start a "Don't Fire Bruno!" campaign.
(Yet.)
His overall record with Nashville is 60-52-12. At this point, i think he is lucky to have a winning record. It took an absurd hot streak which will not be replicated in order to have what amounts to getting 53% of the available points over his tenure.
I don't see any way of trading Saros now with his new contract. IDC what the cap is, it is the length of the contract that is the boat anchor! Never should have been done! GMBT has made some bonehead decisions so far and keeping his HC is one of them. Jettisoning young players for basically nothing is another. Hopefully he is learning OTJ of what not to do from here on out. Or he doubles down and says it is his team and he will do what he wants the way he wants to. Screw everyone else.On the goalie situation: the unforced error was in signing him to an extension too soon. Trotz simply did not have to sign him this past offseason. He was going to be here this season if we wanted him. That signing resulted in chaos. Lankinen tapped out. Askarov whined his way out. Barry overpaid a scrub backup. Result: dumpster fire.
The unknowns are what Saros would have actually returned if traded. Without that contract extension, we'd have the flexibility to trade him today for a box of doughnuts and a pick 12 years from now, if that's all Barry could get. The second unknown was whether Lankinen could step up as a #1 goalie. Saros kept him sitting on the bench quite a bit. The third unknown is whether Askarov could step up and be a solid NHL backup. We didn't know anything at that time.
Of course, now we have more information, but you can't use that to frame the past. Lankinen has been pretty good in Vancouver. Decent enough that he could likely be part of a #1 and #1A rotation at least for a team pushing for a WC spot. Askarov probably still isn't really ready, I mean San Jose is awful and not trying to make the playoffs. But he seems to be farther along than maybe we thought.
In addition to the lack of perfect forecasting, it's become obvious our own talent evaluation across the board is suspect at best. We could even call it awful. So it isn't surprising we misevaluated the goalie situation.
Nor is it really surprising it was mishandled from a team asset standpoint.
Hmm, I'd like to try that but it's been a while since I've managed to catch a Ducks or Kings game live (I usually opt for the AHL Reign, that are way cheaper and like 10 minutes away). @bdub24 is out this way as well.
There may still be some areas out here not smoldering when you make the trip.
Ugh, praying for no new ones to flare up that way. I grew up in Ventura (and my grandparents all lived there til they passed). Super miss it and wish we could live back up that way instead of the 909. Sigh...
No jinx.ESPN (NHL half-way point grades):
Look at that preseason prediction
F grades
Nashville Predators
Record: 13-22-7
Preseason over/under: 98.5
Current points pace: 64.4
Class president: Juuse Saros. All but nine of the games the Predators have played this season have had Saros in net. That's how consistent he has been in a season that has been anything but for the Predators. If not for Connor Hellebuyck. Saros would be leading the NHL in shots faced, saves, minutes and shutouts.
In danger of failing: Tommy Novak. Finishing with consecutive 40-point seasons showed Novak could operate as a top-six option for the Predators. Adding Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos in the offseason came with the premise that Novak could operate on a line with two veterans and see his production increase in the process. But Novak has struggled for offensive consistency. He went pointless in November and is projected to finish with 10 goals and 18 points.
Grade: F (first-quarter grade: D). A slow start became even slower and what was once thought to be a playoff team now looks like one destined for the draft lottery. Several questions have been raised with arguably the most looming being: How much of an active seller will the Preds be ahead of the trade deadline if they go that route? Especially when they could be among the strongest contenders to win the lottery and earn the No. 1 pick.
As long as we end up with Hagens or Misa (assuming their projections hold), I'm all aboard the tank train. I think it's our only chance to get a true #1C in the near term, even if they aren't brought to the NHL straight away.
