This is one of those many areas which we disagree LOL
I do not see the difference between being 8th or 9th with 60 or 40 points; it is the same as last year when everyone said we had a good team and were better than where we ended up.
The goal for this year is to develop. If we can get picks for Stonehouse, it really does not matter what they are. It is still better than having to release Gerrior and getting nothing.
While I agree that Pinelli is good, let's not forget that it is possible that he gets sent back and plays an OA year. The Monsters (AHL) are a pretty good team. Yes, it is a long shot, but hey, it is something that has to be pointed out.
It would be great if we could get a couple of players for Mews and Pinelli, and we could also get some picks for Foster.
That would leave us with Horner Dever and Barlas next year as OA. That would not be bad and would definitely leave us with a lot of picks that we could use.
It would also mean that we can escalate the development of the young guns, bring up some of the other players, and leave an opening for the high draft picks we will have.
The questions are
what kind of deals can Boyd get
How good are the players that we get with those players?
What happens with Ekberg and Korbler?
You are correct that we disagree.
I have always been of the opinion that the team should attempt to stay competitive. You can have a competitive team that misses the playoffs. Because of the loser points, you can finish around .450% (60 points) and miss the playoffs. In fact, I think that is very possible this season. I think #8 and #9 will be relatively close for the last playoff spot.
Missing the playoffs puts you in a lottery. You could pick anywhere from 1 through 4. So, if you remain competitive and jsut miss the playoffs, you have a decent chance at picking 1st. You don’t need to bottom out and finish with 30 points.
If you JUST make the playoffs, you pick 5th or 6th. Both of those picks net quality players most seasons. The common difference between 4th and 6th is preference. There is usually the bonafide #1 and then depending on the quality at the top end, picks 2 through 4-5 are relatively equal. So, unless you are picking #1 and for some drafts #2, there is no reason to worry about picking 3rd through 6th.
We’ve discussed at length the importance of insulating youth with veteran leadership. You don’t’ want your prospects getting a ton of experience chasing a puck. You want them to play with it. You need to remain competitive. Considering this, it is my opinion that we resolve our OA situation and we trade Pinelli. There is no “need” to trade Mews unless he is still silently demanding a trade. His trade value at the deadline this year is only marginally better than his trade value next year. He is worth more to the 67’s remaining on the roster until next deadline IMO. One of the main reason for that is the lack of ‘08s available. I pointed to O’Donell and Challenger (BFD and ER). Outside of those two teams, I don’t’ see a landing spot that garners an ‘08. Plus, we already have two 1st round ‘08s. If we wait until next year, we could potentially get an ‘09. That gives us two ‘08 1sts and two ‘09 1sts. That is a better mix IMO.
The way the market is shaping up, it is more likely we get mostly picks for Pinelli. Some rumours regarding Michael Misa out there. Romani likely gets moved. Who knows about Musty. I think the market will be somewhat flush with options. I am not sure we can pull an ‘08. Brampton and Kingston don’t have ‘08s. London will not move Hawery. Kitchener is more likely to sell than buy. Pinelli isn’t a strong enough player to snag Parker Vaughn from Barrie. Windsor is clearly not moving Belchetz. That leaves Brantford and Erie as the two most likely to move their ‘08. Maybe Saginaw moves Zhilkin? Maybe?
Foster is likely worth a 2nd, 3rd, and 5th as an OA next year at the deadline. Why move him now?
