I thought the team was supposed to be getting younger... Another 30yo is not that. We are already one of the oldest teams in the league. It is starting to sound and possibly look like the same old Preds. What is actually different? We need/want a true 1C and/or top 3 but hey lets bring on more older culture guys and continue to stay in the mushy middle because we make the PO's and we just can't get any of the top young players to come to Nashville.
What if you need that guy to be your 2C for the first 4 years of that contract? What if we make a deep run in the playoffs with him as 2C and our prospects gain valuable experience and eventually take over the top 6 duties on their bridge deals after couple of buyout penalties have just expired? Is it still an issue?
I think it's only an issue in the specifics. In that our team is probably not close to a "deep run in the playoffs"... particularly when the 2C is Chandler Stephenson specifically.
Yeah, Askarov, a cap dump, a plug, and two middle 6 prospects don't get a Brady Tkachuk, much less both (unless you are treating Chychrun as a cap dump).
I don't think Parssinen fits this gegenpresse system. He could be following in Tomasino's footsteps. I've never though Novak was an NHL center. At best he's an undersized, underpowered 2C playmaker, who is a better fit on the wing or on a team with plenty of stud centers to hide his limitations. The young Cody Glass would've been a good fit for the gegenpresse system but injuries and a lack of trust/confidence nip that in the bud. He has a higher ceiling than someone like Beauvillier in terms of talent, but things just have not clicked for him. I doubt he gets a chance here.
If he is going to be our 2C for the next 4 years, we probably aren't making any deep runs in the playoffs. Sorry but I just don't see him and ROR as a combo that does that.
I think it's only an issue in the specifics. In that our team is probably not close to a "deep run in the playoffs"... particularly when the 2C is Chandler Stephenson specifically.
Now, maybe "a miracle happens" and somehow Stephenson actually would excel and help lead that charge. (Nobody thought Nyquist would do what he did last season). But... I think it would an issue to bank on that happening. The odds are stacked against it.
If you make a bad gamble, but it pays off anyway, nobody will complain in hindsight. Just... it's highly unlikely to pay off, so maybe there are better bets out there?
Honestly I love him as a scout. Guy had some real talent. Just not defensive talent. Franson was one of those guys in limited role that shines on getting shots through traffic and setting guys up on the PP. I think he will be a better scout than player.
So paying Stephenson $6M for next season might indeed make our team better. Next season. I'm not sure we're really a "99 pt team" regardless, although let's see who else we sign, but what real "bump" in competitiveness does Stephenson represent for that 1 season? A few points? Slightly better odds of making the playoffs? These are not bad things, for sure. I do agree he would make our team better next season.
I think the problem is at least as things stand today Trotz has to be very careful he doesn't get sidetracked on whatever his plan was. It looks like based on what happened over the course of the season that it did happen. Most of the kids got shifted down or benched and the roster was filled with older players and tweeners.
I mean I sometimes wonder if I'm just seeing things differently than everyone else. Yes we got WC1 and made the playoffs, but frankly it was kind of unnatural. We got that spot on the back of Career years from Forsberg and Nyquist, a ROR we didn't expect to see, and a 17 games point streak, which I'll remind people until that point Trotz was talking about selling. I'm really worried that streak could end up being the catalyst for what turns out to be a whole lot of mediocrity and then suckitude 4 years down the road.
You missed the two firsts I guess. The trade that brought Chychrun to Ottawa was for a first and 2 seconds. While a good player, I don't think his value went up while getting older and more expensive to employ.
I mean can he if Nyquist doesn't? Seems like one is kind of going to factor into the other. That doesn't even include if ROR doesn't repeat as well.
If Haslam has given the green light to spend to the cap the Preds should be one of the few teams who can really go big game hunting and at least somewhat credibly offer these targets a spot on a competitive team.
The problem with the names mentioned is that they don't seem to be realistically available? Or at least, Marner and Stamkos aren't available... Guentzel is, but it sounds like you'd have to pay him more than Josi? I mean, I like Guentzel ok, but he's not really THAT much of a "big name".
With about $18mil to the midpoint the team doesn't need to spend to the cap to go big game hunting. Askarov is under a million towards the cap. That means $17mil below cap midpoint with the need for 2-3 defenders and 3 forwards (pushing one of Jankowski / Smith / McCarron to the 13th forward). Ufko, Stastney, and Molendyk all figure to compete for an opening night roster spot. L'Heureux, Kemmell, Svechkov, Pärsinnen competing for a forward spot.
