They were regularly icing a defense that consisted of Sproul, O'Gara, Gilmour and Pionk after the TDL. Two actual rookies and two guys with 40 games between them. And they had to play real minutes. Pionk stepped straight into a 1RD role.
Shattenkirk is back, and for all his shortcomings, is better than Rob ****ing O'Gara, for instance. Claesson may be better than the three non-Pionk players. I mean if you just made those two changes you're automatically better on defense. Hopefully Pionk settles in while playing a more reasonable role and maybe even Smith can return to form and rejoin the lineup.
Then, there's the issue of the implementation of a system that the guys hopefully understand and can handle. I really expect that the team is going to be better defensively--not allowing 35-50 shots with regularity like they were after the deadline.
Offense should be average-ish. Depends on who makes it and of it's kids, how quickly they start to produce.
I think we're bad, but I don't think bottom three. I can't name the teams I think will be worse because too much can happen to change a team's fortune, but I think they probably finish maybe sixth or seventh from the bottom.
