Roster/Rumors/Speculation/Trade Talk - 2023-24: Hotel California

[Mike C]

I agree about MM and Clutter. Casey has more then a few years left. His game was never near as physical and he is talented. Cal has played 1,003 games including POs, Martin 896 and Casey 733. Not to mention casey is the youngest of the 3 by a couple years. If you put some fresh legs on his wings and you will see him benefit massively. I wouldn’t mind seeing Kyle Maclean and Bellows on his wings. Maclean stood out in every game I watched Bridgeport play this year and his game would suit a 4th line role. If Parise doesn’t mesh in the top 9 well but still has wheels and hustles I think him, Casey and bellows would make a good 4th line. Little speed, hustle, 2 way players. Just would no longer be the hard checking 4th line.

At least Cal is effective when he's out there. Martin was a liability last year

Hoping Casey scales down the penalties this season. Totally agree the line needs some balance. Not only has the line faded but simultaneously the league has improved. Time to break up that ole gang of mine in my humble opinion

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

Can't really evaluate someone on per82 when they are getting barely 12 minutes a night of ice time.

The obvious reason why anyone would assume Wahlstrom "could" and I would argue "should" be a 30-goal scorer is because of his shot and the volume in which he shoots.

He was a DISTANT 9th among forwards last season in minutes, some 130 minutes behind even Cizikas, our 4th line center and yet he finished 4th in shots on net, only 14 separating him from Brock Nelson's team-leading 171 among forwards.

The previous season was really no different, as he finished behind even Clutterbuck and Martin in total minutes, but managed 94 shots.

To put it into perspective over the last 2 seasons:

Barzal- 2345 TOI/295 SOG (7.5 shots per 60)
Nelson- 2272/292 (7.7 shots per 60)
Pageau- 2268/207 (5.5)
Bailey- 2195/164 (4.8)
Beauvillier- 2034/263 (7.8)
Lee- 1737/231 (8.0)
Palmieri- 1319/187 (8.5)
Wahlstrom- 1425/251 (10.6)

Bailey doesn't shoot and neither does Pageau really (he led all forwards in minutes last season but finished 9th in SOG)....

Barzal needs to shoot even more obviously (beating same drum), Lee will get his 30 because he is getting his shots close to the net and Nelson has to be accurate to get there, which is why it took him hitting at a unsustainable 22% to have his first 30 goal season last year. Beau has to be more accurate like he was in last two playoffs (9.7 shots per60, 13% shooting as opposed to career 11% and less than 8 last season).

The only "true" 30-goal potential annual producers (other than Lee as long as his body allows him to do what he does by the net) are Kyle and Ollie, because they have arguably the two best shots on the team, and (especially if you use Kyle's second half last season) they shoot more. No one shoots as much as Ollie does, however.

And this is SOG, this isn't even talking about shot attempts where the difference is even more of an eye opener.

We need Lambert to find a way to get him 15 minutes MINIMUM a game like Palms, and hopefully both improve enough on the defensive end to support that usage...

Remember this was a team that finished near the bottom (again) in shots (30th) and was outshot by over 300 last season....

 

[seafoam]

Can play both wings:
Bailey
Beauvillier
Bellows
Durandeau (ticketed for minors)
Holmstrom (ticketed for minors)
Johnston (probably healthy scratched)
Palmieri (probably will play RW though)
Panik (ticketed for minors)
Parise (probably will play LW though)

LW:
Lee
Martin


RW:
Clutterbuck
Wahlstrom
Dufour (ticketed for minors)
Fasching (ticketed for minors)

C:
Andreoff (ticketed for minors)
Barzal
Cizikas
Pageau
Nelson
Koivula (ticketed for minors)
Raty (ticketed for minors)

It’s going to be paramount that Lambert can assemble a balanced top nine to score goals right out of the gate.

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

As for the insistence of keeping that "identity line" and continuing with Martin, my opinion is the sooner we move away from it the better. This identity has been showing its kinks for awhile now and Matt was downright awful last season. Clutterbuck has missed significant time the last 3 seasons. I would keep one of Martin/Johnson on the active roster, but not both.

Ideally, they do find a place for Bellows among the top 9 (Barzal, Nelson, Pags, Lee, Bailey, Beau, Palms and Wahlstrom) and Parise gets a long look on that 4th line to add some much needed scoring punch...

That is my hope anyways since we failed yet again to upgrade our forward group externally...

 

[seafoam]

As for the insistence of keeping that "identity line" and continuing with Martin, my opinion is the sooner we move away from it the better. This identity has been showing its kinks for awhile now and Matt was downright awful last season. Clutterbuck has missed significant time the last 3 seasons. I would keep one of Martin/Johnson on the active roster, but not both.

Ideally, they do find a place for Bellows among the top 9 (Barzal, Nelson, Pags, Lee, Bailey, Beau, Palms and Wahlstrom) and Parise gets a long look on that 4th line to add some much needed scoring punch...

That is my hope anyways since we failed yet again to upgrade our forward group externally...

I too would like to see Bellows earn a top nine role, subsequently pushing Parise to the fourth line and Martin to the press box.

Until we actually see it happen though, I have to assume Lambert will run Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck until they prove they are no longer effective.

 

[beach]

I too would like to see Bellows earn a top nine role, subsequently pushing Parise to the fourth line and Martin to the press box.

Until we actually see it happen though, I have to assume Lambert will run Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck until they prove they are no longer effective.

He has already seen that they are no longer effective....

 

[seafoam]

He has already seen that they are no longer effective....

Yes but that could be said for the majority of the team last season.

I think Lambert will evaluate everyone without any preconceived notions from last season. If Martin truly looks terrible in preseason, then I expect Lambert to adjust accordingly. What we don't know is how much Martin's ankle surgery from last offseason affected him last year.

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

I too would like to see Bellows earn a top nine role, subsequently pushing Parise to the fourth line and Martin to the press box.

Until we actually see it happen though, I have to assume Lambert will run Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck until they prove they are no longer effective.

You are probably right, but I have seen enough to know the writing is on the wall. I find it unlikely that 33-year old Martin will find the fountain of youth and rebound or soon to be 35-year old Clutters will start becoming a beacon of good health....

And yes, I say this with full knowledge that I am inserting a 38-year old in to replace one of them, but Zach simply isn't showing the decline the other two have been, especially Martin.

Parise, sadly enough; was one of out better all-around wings last season....

 

[seafoam]

You are probably right, but I have seen enough to know the writing is on the wall. I find it unlikely that 33-year old Martin will find the fountain of youth and rebound or soon to be 35-year old Clutters will start becoming a beacon of good health....

And yes, I say this with full knowledge that I am inserting a 38-year old in to replace one of them, but Zach simply isn't showing the decline the other two have been, especially Martin.

Parise, sadly enough; was one of out better all-around wings last season....

I understand, and you and beach may be spot on.

However, I am more of a 'wait and see' guy for this situation here. This is the first shortened offseason the Islanders have had in the Lamoriello era, the whole team has gotten significant rest compared to prior years.

I consider guys like Clutterbuck and Martin to be fairly 'heady' in the sense that they've learned how to evolve their games to stay in the league for as long as they have while maintaining some success. How do we know that they didn't watch the playoffs last season and are once again realizing they have to re-invent themselves to stay relevant?

I look at a guy like Parise, who by all accounts was bad in Minnesota and looked done and was one of the most consistent wingers for the Islanders last season. It was clear getting bought out was a wake up call for him and he focused on recreating himself. I am waiting to see if missing the playoffs last season was a wake up call for some of the longer tenured Islanders and if they come into camp looking to change their styles to stay effective.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

While I agree that the Martin situation must be handled diplomatically (not only because of Martin's status, but because of his father-in-law's platform), it becomes a difficult situation if his speed/agility is the same (or worse) at camp, as it was last year when he simply could not keep up. If he can't play they'll have to make some arrangement, and I imagine that an LTI-Retriment + develoment or media job is the way to do it ... if they can get away with it.

We shouldn't forget that Martin apparently played with an injury (announced in November) throughout the whole season. I do not know if it was treated or operated in the offseason.

But it's possible that the Martin we saw played handi-capped with the knowledge that treatment could wait until the offseason.

In general, all of our boys have had a longer summer than in any recent year, so we've gotta hope that's gonna be a big advantage. Some of these guys went through a lot of wear and tear in a short period of time.

ADHD runs in my family, an I have a kid who has ADHD, and his off-ball play (lacrosse) went from terrible to very good the moment he started getting treatment (huge improvement academically as well). The way Wahlstrom plays sometimes reminds me of this. It's either that he's lost +invisible, or he's forcing his involvement causing him to be reckless with the puck AND his body - going into corners without properly bracing, and the like. I feel like he's missing the abilty to slow down, calculate, do his job without forcing anything, move to space, and have the patience to realize the puck only has to touch his stick for a milisecond for him to contribute. He's done it before, but never consistently - a hallmark of ADHD.

That's very interesting.

This will bear watching moving forward. I've seen all those things in Wally as well, but naturally without any knowledge of someting like ADHD.

 

[seafoam]

Last season, the expectations for the club were sky high. They were coming off two back-to-back ECFs, they were opening a new building, their Captain was healthy and they retained Palmieri and Sorokin (two key pieces in their prior ECF run).

To put it lightly, they fell flat on their face and broke their nose in the process. It's a humbling experience and one that I hope allowed the team to realize they can't just trot (no pun intended) out there and expect for wins to fall into their lap. Teams know how the Islanders play by now, it's not a secret...they need to focus on evolving their game and taking it to the next level.

 

[WangMustGo]

Can play both wings:
Bailey
Beauvillier
Bellows
Durandeau (ticketed for minors)
Holmstrom (ticketed for minors)
Johnston (probably healthy scratched)
Palmieri (probably will play RW though)
Panik (ticketed for minors)
Parise (probably will play LW though)

LW:
Lee
Martin


RW:
Clutterbuck
Wahlstrom
Dufour (ticketed for minors)
Fasching (ticketed for minors)

C:
Andreoff (ticketed for minors)
Barzal
Cizikas
Pageau
Nelson
Koivula (ticketed for minors)
Raty (ticketed for minors)

It’s going to be paramount that Lambert can assemble a balanced top nine to score goals right out of the gate.

I would like (I dont expect to see it) to see an opening night lineup similar to this

Beauvillier-Barzal-Palmieri
Lee-Nelson-Wahlstrom
Parise-Pageau-Bailey
Bellows-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

First callup from the minors would be Holmstrom. Give Bellows 11-12 minutes a night on the 4th line and give him some 2nd line PP time.

 

[mm11]

some observations this fine crisp late August afternoon: Matt Martin bleeds orange blue and white, came into the league from Sarnia hitting and will leave hitting. I expect him to compete in camp and earn a spot. Think he knows this is his last kick at the can at the NHL and the man has pride. No debating this, must be humbling knowing his time may be up soon. 2nd: I think Lambert opens it up and lets the youngins run alittle considering we have strong tenders and defense. Especially #13. Come spring time if the Isles are in the hunt, I expect them to clamp down defensively and revert back to stiffling playoff hockey mode

 

[leeroggy]

We shouldn't forget that Martin apparently played with an injury (announced in November) throughout the whole season. I do not know if it was treated or operated in the offseason.

But it's possible that the Martin we saw played handi-capped with the knowledge that treatment could wait until the offseason.

In general, all of our boys have had a longer summer than in any recent year, so we've gotta hope that's gonna be a big advantage. Some of these guys went through a lot of wear and tear in a short period of time.

If Trotz kept playing a hindered Martin over a healthy Johnston or others, that's on Trotz.

The Martin I saw last year could not get into position to forecheck and hit. Two steps behind CC and CC while doing that. It hurt the other two, who had to play a little higher in the offensive zone without the puck than their normal chip/chase/hit/cycle style that ate up minutes and kept the other team from getting breakouts.

If Clutterbuck goes down again that should be the end of the line. For those wondering who will replace them, the answer is you go in a different direction with the fourth line because their chemistry in the good years is not something you replace. It took YEARS to build. You're looking at Holmstrom - CC - Bellows/Johnston and that line will not hit as much but certainly will produce more offense.

 

[NC 1972]

While I agree that the Martin situation must be handled diplomatically (not only because of Martin's status, but because of his father-in-law's platform), it becomes a difficult situation if his speed/agility is the same (or worse) at camp, as it was last year when he simply could not keep up. If he can't play they'll have to make some arrangement, and I imagine that an LTI-Retriment + develoment or media job is the way to do it ... if they can get away with it.

ADHD runs in my family, an I have a kid who has ADHD, and his off-ball play (lacrosse) went from terrible to very good the moment he started getting treatment (huge improvement academically as well). The way Wahlstrom plays sometimes reminds me of this. It's either that he's lost +invisible, or he's forcing his involvement causing him to be reckless with the puck AND his body - going into corners without properly bracing, and the like. I feel like he's missing the abilty to slow down, calculate, do his job without forcing anything, move to space, and have the patience to realize the puck only has to touch his stick for a milisecond for him to contribute. He's done it before, but never consistently - a hallmark of ADHD.

And on Kessell - I have to say that I don't understand it for VGK. He's excellent on the PP, not very good at anything else, but his PP play is redundant given Eichel. But they can bury him if it doesn't work out, I suppose.

If Martins career were to end today , I'm pretty certain there would be a position in the NYI organization as an ambassador of some kind as well a working for Boomers Foundation for CF and possibly a gig at WFAN.

 

[doublechili]

Can't really evaluate someone on per82 when they are getting barely 12 minutes a night of ice time.

The obvious reason why anyone would assume Wahlstrom "could" and I would argue "should" be a 30-goal scorer is because of his shot and the volume in which he shoots.

He was a DISTANT 9th among forwards last season in minutes, some 130 minutes behind even Cizikas, our 4th line center and yet he finished 4th in shots on net, only 14 separating him from Brock Nelson's team-leading 171 among forwards.

The previous season was really no different, as he finished behind even Clutterbuck and Martin in total minutes, but managed 94 shots.

To put it into perspective over the last 2 seasons:

Barzal- 2345 TOI/295 SOG (7.5 shots per 60)
Nelson- 2272/292 (7.7 shots per 60)
Pageau- 2268/207 (5.5)
Bailey- 2195/164 (4.8)
Beauvillier- 2034/263 (7.8)
Lee- 1737/231 (8.0)
Palmieri- 1319/187 (8.5)
Wahlstrom- 1425/251 (10.6)

Bailey doesn't shoot and neither does Pageau really (he led all forwards in minutes last season but finished 9th in SOG)....

Barzal needs to shoot even more obviously (beating same drum), Lee will get his 30 because he is getting his shots close to the net and Nelson has to be accurate to get there, which is why it took him hitting at a unsustainable 22% to have his first 30 goal season last year. Beau has to be more accurate like he was in last two playoffs (9.7 shots per60, 13% shooting as opposed to career 11% and less than 8 last season).

The only "true" 30-goal potential annual producers (other than Lee as long as his body allows him to do what he does by the net) are Kyle and Ollie, because they have arguably the two best shots on the team, and (especially if you use Kyle's second half last season) they shoot more. No one shoots as much as Ollie does, however.

And this is SOG, this isn't even talking about shot attempts where the difference is even more of an eye opener.

We need Lambert to find a way to get him 15 minutes MINIMUM a game like Palms, and hopefully both improve enough on the defensive end to support that usage...

Remember this was a team that finished near the bottom (again) in shots (30th) and was outshot by over 300 last season....

Don't forget that Trotz used to talk about working the puck for quality shots. He preferred quality over quantity when it came to shooting (and preventing quality shots and allowing quantity of perimeter shots on defense).

So, maybe the positive that you describe with Wahlstrom's shooting was actually a problem for Trotz that resulted in less ice time for him? I'm just speculating, but we'll see what happens this year under Lambert.

 

[MJF]

If Clutterbuck goes down again that should be the end of the line. For those wondering who will replace them, the answer is you go in a different direction with the fourth line because their chemistry in the good years is not something you replace. It took YEARS to build. You're looking at Holmstrom - CC - Bellows/Johnston and that line will not hit as much but certainly will produce more offense.

This should have happened 3 years ago. Lou should have started the ball rolling by not re-signing Matt Martin, then let Clutterbuck walk away.

 

[leeroggy]

This should have happened 3 years ago. Lou should have started the ball rolling by not re-signing Matt Martin, then let Clutterbuck walk away.

I was making that argument two years ago too, but was basically considered "unvaxxed in 2021" for doing so

 

[NC 1972]

Can't really evaluate someone on per82 when they are getting barely 12 minutes a night of ice time.

The obvious reason why anyone would assume Wahlstrom "could" and I would argue "should" be a 30-goal scorer is because of his shot and the volume in which he shoots.

He was a DISTANT 9th among forwards last season in minutes, some 130 minutes behind even Cizikas, our 4th line center and yet he finished 4th in shots on net, only 14 separating him from Brock Nelson's team-leading 171 among forwards.

The previous season was really no different, as he finished behind even Clutterbuck and Martin in total minutes, but managed 94 shots.

To put it into perspective over the last 2 seasons:

Barzal- 2345 TOI/295 SOG (7.5 shots per 60)
Nelson- 2272/292 (7.7 shots per 60)
Pageau- 2268/207 (5.5)
Bailey- 2195/164 (4.8)
Beauvillier- 2034/263 (7.8)
Lee- 1737/231 (8.0)
Palmieri- 1319/187 (8.5)
Wahlstrom- 1425/251 (10.6)

Bailey doesn't shoot and neither does Pageau really (he led all forwards in minutes last season but finished 9th in SOG)....

Barzal needs to shoot even more obviously (beating same drum), Lee will get his 30 because he is getting his shots close to the net and Nelson has to be accurate to get there, which is why it took him hitting at a unsustainable 22% to have his first 30 goal season last year. Beau has to be more accurate like he was in last two playoffs (9.7 shots per60, 13% shooting as opposed to career 11% and less than 8 last season).

The only "true" 30-goal potential annual producers (other than Lee as long as his body allows him to do what he does by the net) are Kyle and Ollie, because they have arguably the two best shots on the team, and (especially if you use Kyle's second half last season) they shoot more. No one shoots as much as Ollie does, however.

And this is SOG, this isn't even talking about shot attempts where the difference is even more of an eye opener.

We need Lambert to find a way to get him 15 minutes MINIMUM a game like Palms, and hopefully both improve enough on the defensive end to support that usage...

Remember this was a team that finished near the bottom (again) in shots (30th) and was outshot by over 300 last season....

This isn't brought up enough, everyone jumps on the bandwagon reciting the same narrative about Wally ( where are all the goals, he's weak defensively ) 22 years old played for a coach who values vets and two way play was only temporarily on the PP and receives low minutes. I'm sure someone could look this up as it is spoken of on telecast , how many starts did he get in the offensive zone and who were his line mates? As much as Barzal needs wingers that can finish Wally needs a setup man. So why aren't they on the same line , who know but Barzal's style is not compatible with some as we've seen. I see skill in this kid not merely a shot and last year he was throwing the body around also. I feel he will benefit from the hard lessons of BT and I'm hoping that leads to more minutes.

 

[19 in a row]

Well, for each, their own.

When I write a post like the initial response you're responding to here, I don't think so much about what I would do or would like to see. I'm thinking about what the NYI patterns and practices are under Lamoriello's guidance and responding accordingly.

We all saw that Martin looked sluggish and fading last season.

Then again, almost no-one looked to be up to his usual self with a few exceptions.

And we know that Lou doesn't just flip out 6-8 players every year like some other teams do, so he's giving all these guys a shot at a reboot.

The dynamics of the 4th line would indicate that, when all are healthy, we'll see the line as we know it and when someone needs a break - maybe even every week, in Martin's case - then Johnston will be the guy filling in. Injuries would demand other altercations and yes, that 4th line is more likely to be injured than any other. So sure, there may be a Wahlstrom, Bellows, or Parise on that line at times, and likely the Koivulas and Andreoffs of the world if particularly Cizikas is out for a good little bit.

With respect to Martin, if people think Lamoriello would send a guy like him through waivers to BPort because they see him as wearing down and a weak link, then they haven't been watching Lou's modi operandi the past four years.

That would essentially be a slap in the face to one of our chief warriors and figures of identity, one who is respected around the entire league. Heck, bringing him back to the Island was like the first thing Lou did here.

When the time comes where Martin can't do his job, you'll see him retire and join the organization in another capacity. It'd be shocking to see him disrespected with a demotion along the way.

Thanks for your response. With all due respect, and I do respect your opinion, you are one of the best posters on here. I have watched what the Isles and Lou would do. Greene and Chara were part of that equation last year as well, but they are not this year as per Lou. Barry gave preference to vets but he is gone as well, I expect Wahlstom and Bellows to be given every chance to be regulars, still a defensive stye but a slight easing of the reins on players such as Barzy and Beau, and possibly giving other young players a chance if they warrant it. I see that potentially impacting Martin as well who I believe was objectively our least effective forward last year.. I do pay attention and attend every home game, a few road games and watch every game that I do not attend. Many had down years. Martin looked like toast to me and started seeing it the prior year so not just last year. . If it was in large part due to a lingering injury (which it was speculated he had) or just wear and tear and he can return to form I would agree with you.. I will gladly admit I am wrong when it comes and hope Matty and that line can regain form but if you were to ask me which of the 14 forwards is most at risk of not being on the opening day roster barring trade/injury I would say 1) Martin, 2) Johnston and 3) Bellows in that order. I look forward to training camp and it will sort itself out. Clutter has worn down the last few years as well but still effective when in, however, I think that 4th lines days as a force are numbered unfortunately.

Edit: I see after that you mentioned Martin's potential injury in another post which I had not read. I did mention that as well. If that is the case and he can return to form , I would agree but we will have a better idea over the next month plus. I just want the best team we can ice.

 

[MJF]

I was making that argument two years ago too, but was basically considered "unvaxxed in 2021" for doing so

I think my words back then were along the lines of “consider Martin’s good play in the 2019 playoffs a gift”, and, “ thank him and walk away.”

 

[MJF]

This isn't brought up enough, everyone jumps on the bandwagon reciting the same narrative about Wally ( where are all the goals, he's weak defensively ) 22 years old played for a coach who values vets and two way play was only temporarily on the PP and receives low minutes. I'm sure someone could look this up as it is spoken of on telecast , how many starts did he get in the offensive zone and who were his line mates? As much as Barzal needs wingers that can finish Wally needs a setup man. So why aren't they on the same line , who know but Barzal's style is not compatible with some as we've seen. I see skill in this kid not merely a shot and last year he was throwing the body around also. I feel he will benefit from the hard lessons of BT and I'm hoping that leads to more minutes.

Why weren’t they on the same line? They were for a while, but Wahlstrom got caught up in puck watching and not getting to where he needed to be. In BOTH ZONES.

Wahlstrom was a work in progress last year. I hope he remembers his lessons.

 

[The Real JT]

While it might upset a fair number of posters here, Matt Martin has earned the right to fail.

He’ll start the year as the 4th line LW. I suspect he’ll have a short leash since there are other viable options but barring injury he’ll need to play his way out of the lineup.

 

[Mike C]

While it might upset a fair number of posters here, Matt Martin has earned the right to fail.

He’ll start the year as the 4th line LW. I suspect he’ll have a short leash since there are other viable options but barring injury he’ll need to play his way out of the lineup.

i'm in the camp that say that situation occurred last season

not upset though! i try and see most things from everyone's perspective

I was making that argument two years ago too, but was basically considered "unvaxxed in 2021" for doing so

we allowed to say that now? i got points for uttering that word somewhere last season


hope you're doing good buddy!

 

[SI]

Can't really evaluate someone on per82 when they are getting barely 12 minutes a night of ice time.

The obvious reason why anyone would assume Wahlstrom "could" and I would argue "should" be a 30-goal scorer is because of his shot and the volume in which he shoots.

He was a DISTANT 9th among forwards last season in minutes, some 130 minutes behind even Cizikas, our 4th line center and yet he finished 4th in shots on net, only 14 separating him from Brock Nelson's team-leading 171 among forwards.

The previous season was really no different, as he finished behind even Clutterbuck and Martin in total minutes, but managed 94 shots.

To put it into perspective over the last 2 seasons:

Barzal- 2345 TOI/295 SOG (7.5 shots per 60)
Nelson- 2272/292 (7.7 shots per 60)
Pageau- 2268/207 (5.5)
Bailey- 2195/164 (4.8)
Beauvillier- 2034/263 (7.8)
Lee- 1737/231 (8.0)
Palmieri- 1319/187 (8.5)
Wahlstrom- 1425/251 (10.6)

Bailey doesn't shoot and neither does Pageau really (he led all forwards in minutes last season but finished 9th in SOG)....

Barzal needs to shoot even more obviously (beating same drum), Lee will get his 30 because he is getting his shots close to the net and Nelson has to be accurate to get there, which is why it took him hitting at a unsustainable 22% to have his first 30 goal season last year. Beau has to be more accurate like he was in last two playoffs (9.7 shots per60, 13% shooting as opposed to career 11% and less than 8 last season).

The only "true" 30-goal potential annual producers (other than Lee as long as his body allows him to do what he does by the net) are Kyle and Ollie, because they have arguably the two best shots on the team, and (especially if you use Kyle's second half last season) they shoot more. No one shoots as much as Ollie does, however.

And this is SOG, this isn't even talking about shot attempts where the difference is even more of an eye opener.

We need Lambert to find a way to get him 15 minutes MINIMUM a game like Palms, and hopefully both improve enough on the defensive end to support that usage...

Remember this was a team that finished near the bottom (again) in shots (30th) and was outshot by over 300 last season....

In order to get him 15mins a night - he needs to be on PP1. 11 at EV and 4 at PP.

PP1 - Barzal, Lee, Dobson, Wahlstrom, and Nelson
PP2 - Bailey, Palmieri, Pulock, Beau, and Pageau

Avg. 6mins PP time and 6mins SH
EV mins-
Barzal line - 13
Nelson line - 13
Pageau line - 11
Zeeker line - 11

Zeeker/Cal SH - 2.5
Parise/JGP SH - 2.5
Bailey/Nelson SH - 1

PP 1 - 4
PP 2 - 2