That would be a tremendous disappointment. And for fun it leaves us with 5 D worth/have to protect in expansion...which we can't...so we end up taking a step backwards in the only area we took one forward almost immediately.
I know wanting to have offense is a crime around here...but we really need offense. And hey...we can protect forwards in expansion since those 6 and 7 slots are like...Foligno and Deslauriers.
This gives us another lottery year and then we have to protect Risto, Bogo and the guy you traded for and watch McCabe get plucked. And for extra fun we may have traded our 1st in a season where one of the worst 5 on 5 scoring teams got no help and missed the playoffs again. so we're just screwed all around.
Of course there's always the 8 skaters instead of 7/3 method. Where we risk Girgensons, Larsson and Pysyk. Maybe we get lucky and they take a forward and our top 9 can have you or me in it the next year.
Expansion draft trades are the way to avoid having too few slots. Vegas will need salary, and you do exactly what Chicago just did. Trade Moulson to LV, and you've got 2 x 2nd and 2 x 3rd in 2017, plus whatever Franson fetches, and possibly what Ennis fetches, in a trade.
If Murray has to, he sends Baptiste, 2nd, 3rd to LV for taking Moulson. It's been done before in the Columbus expansion draft. No issue.
Stamkos...too much
No Okposo...too much
Draft a D no matter what at 8 because need
Trade next year's first for a proven D too
We must throw every asset at D. Welcome back to the top 6 with one injury Brian Gionta.
People here would rather have McCabe in the press box than a competent forward on the wing of the most important player on the franchise. Because need. Which isn't even what they make it out to be.
Cant wait for that bottom pairing down the line of Guhle and Bogosian while Eichel's tap ins go wide off of Deslauriers stick.
I mean...that's how Pitt won right? Concentrating on D and not offensive talent. la famously has two cups because their bottom 4 D is made up of top talent and not because their forwards are possession monsters. Chicago has a ton going on after that top pair right?
But we know better.
You're the #1 poster on here who watched the Pens and didn't understand what you saw. I wonder how Crosby won the Cup passing to Conor Sheary and Patric Hornqvist? How did their second line center make due with Brian Rust and Chris Kunitz? Those four "possession monsters?"
You won't address that. You haven't, and won't. It debunks your theory of getting a forward for Eichel. If Buffalo wins like Pittsburgh did, you play Eichel with Girgensons and Ennis, and he'll be just fine.
Or the Chicago example. Only Ristolainen projects as a number one defenseman. Who on Buffalo projects as the solid #2? Chicago has two of those guys in Seabrook and Hjalmarsson. McCabe doesn't project to the level of either. Maybe Guhle due to his athleticism projects as a shutdown guy like Hjalmarsson.
Which means Buffalo is still looking for its Seabrook. Sergachev or Juolevi fit the bill as a #2 to Ristolainen. You won't address that either, because it also debunks your theory.
Here's reality: Cup winners get 2-3 top five picks. They build center and defense-heavy teams. They go 3-4 four lines deep by spreading out talent. They build 2 good defensive pairs.
That describes Boston, LA, Chicago, and now Pittsburgh. Amazing how the Pens didn't sniff another Cup until they found a replacement for Staal in Bonino. Amazing how Kessel played away from Crosby and Malkin to create a scoring threat on the top three lines. Amazing how the Hawks have been working to acquire centers and defensemen every off-season and trade deadline to create depth. Amazing how the Kings went Kopitar-Carter-Richard-Stoll to win while surrounding their best players with lesser talent.
Amazing that Crosby's 4 finals assists were to Conor Sheary x2, Patric Hornqvist, and Kris Letang. (Shhh! Buffalo already has players that do what Sheary and Hornqvist can do).
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Did you even see who Crosby and Malkin were playing with? Gionta and Deslauriers sounds about right if we're trying to copy the Pens. (Which we're not, so moot point.)
