Roster Thread (2023-2024 Season)

[Chainshot]

Maybe it's just me, but that might actually be a good way to winnow out players that care more about partying than hockey if it were a big issue for guys.

O'Reilly NTC shift upcoming.

 

[TehDoak]

SLC is VERY, VERY different from the rest of Utah. I don't think it'll be an issue at all.

I am just curious:

Would the places the players live actually be in SLC proper?

Either way, how much is an ad for the boards for the coyotes last home game?

"Don't want to be a Mormon? Come to Buffalo, where God has abandoned us long ago!"

 

[Jacob582]

"The Max" podcast (posted in the Byram thread) proposed three UFA names for our 3rd line center position.

Alexander Wennberg
Chandler Stephenson
Elias Lindholm (short term contract)
Sean Monihan

 

[Gabrielor]

"The Max" podcast (posted in the Byram thread) proposed three UFA names for our 3rd line center position.

Alexander Wennberg
Chandler Stephenson
Elias Lindholm (short term contract)
Sean Monihan

eh
YES
maybe...
likely too expensive

 

[GrierIsGod123]

eh
YES
maybe...
likely too expensive

Stephenson may get more than Monahan or at least more term.

 

[joshjull]

Thoughts on our WHL 2019ers:

Byram: Steve Bernier? in hot, then complete zero since. Away from Dahlin, there's zero offensive impact, and even with Dahlin, it was hit and miss.

Not sure what to make of him. He has a ton of talent and upside potential. But I’m not sure where he fits best with this d-group. If you asked me before the trade what type of dman we needed. I would have said an older experienced version of Sammy. Not a puck moving rover.

Maybe there is more to come in the offseason to make this move fit into a bigger picture. Not holding my breath.

Cozens: is he hurt? Zero impact down the stretch, in an already scary bad year. 6yx7mil left. He looks like the guy I wasn't excited about picking. Fast, big, can't handle the puck or make a play.

I think he’s been mostly misused. His draft pedigree is of a two way matchup guy. The few times he’s been used that way he’s usually done well. But any chance to develop him as that type of center went out the window when the kid line was created. I always thought that was a mistake. Made more sense to put Mitts there.

When Cozens plays the matchup role he doesn’t get in his head. It comes naturally and he doesn’t have to constantly think about creating offense. It comes as a byproduct of his defense.

And added issue for him this season was getting humbled by Hathaway. It really took the wind out of his physical game.

Krebs: has no role. hasn't translated his prospect qualities to the nhl yet. what do we do? He has intangibles I've always defend, but sadly on the ice, he eventually needs to contribute more than potential.

@Fezzy126 @joshjull @Chainshot

Gimme your takes, gents.

I’m not sure what to do with Krebs.

He was given plenty of opportunities not long after he got here at both wing and center. He wasn’t able to take advantage of it. He was consistently making poor/reckless decisions with the puck. It eventually landed him between Girgs/Okposo in the hopes they were cure him of those bad tendencies. He had a successful stretch of play between them at the end last season. But this year he didn’t start well and has been disappointing.

Could he develop into an effective third line center? In theory, sure. But I don’t want to rely on that if the goal is the playoffs. I don’t want him on the 4th line again either. I would be open to packaging him for a vet middle 6 center with a strong two way game.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

SLC is VERY, VERY different from the rest of Utah. I don't think it'll be an issue at all.

It’s like playing in Atlanta vs. playing anywhere else in Georgia

 

[joshjull]

Misinformed notions that he's bad at defending because he isn't overly physical yet at 20.

I’d add that how the team is built also impacts the scrutiny Power gets.

Since he started last season, he’s been a lock in the top 4 and is viewed as one of our top 3 dmen. He’s been put in a position where he needs to play effective hockey on a consistent basis for us to have success. That’s a lot to ask for a player his age at that position. Regardless of draft pedigree. It’s also not his fault that he was putting in this position. He’s played an insane amount of minutes 5v5 the last two years.

 

[joshjull]

Rather spend that money elsewhere. He’s not worth his qualifying offer.

Thats fine. But you don’t just let him leave for nothing.

 

[joshjull]

How much of the core guys playing to their potential might be tied to upgrading the coaching staff?

Thats an interesting question since it’s the same coaching staff that developed them into core pieces. So what was different this season vs last season?

Its having the pressure of expectations for the first time. Whether from a new contract or making the playoffs. This core faced them for the first time and mostly wilted.

I’m not defending the coaches. I think we need to clean house on that front. But I really think the players are getting a free pass when this is brought up. As if the coaching was the only thing holding them back.

 

[StrompTroller]

Trade for Marcus foligno...playoffs.

 

[zenthusiast]

This may be an oversimplification but there are so many players on this team that just do stupid shit all the time. Are they exceedingly dumb? Is coaching failing them? Some combination of both?

 

[RefsIdeas]

This may be an oversimplification but there are so many players on this team that just do stupid shit all the time. Are they exceedingly dumb? Is coaching failing them? Some combination of both?

I think it’s probably a mix.

Cozens doesn’t have the hockey IQ to be a center. That’s the coaches fault for not realizing that much sooner.

Tuch sometimes goes through stretches where he thinks he plays for the globetrotters - that’s probably more on coaching.

Skinner tends to just skate circles in the neutral zone rather than trying to play defense - that’s on the player. Coaching has tried to fix it, but Skinner isn’t going to change at this point.

Dahlin still tries to get too fancy with the puck at times. That’s probably on coaching, but they’re trying to walk the line of not neutering him.

Power is lost what to do in the defensive zone without the puck. At this point, it’s probably on coaching.

 

[Jim Bob]

Thats an interesting question since it’s the same coaching staff that developed them into core pieces. So what was different this season vs last season?

Its having the pressure of expectations for the first time. Whether from a new contract or making the playoffs. This core faced them for the first time and mostly wilted.

I’m not defending the coaches. I think we need to clean house on that front. But I really think the players are getting a free pass when this is brought up. As if the coaching was the only thing holding them back.

I think it is both.

I think they need the players to play better and they need the coaches to coach better. And we have seen the players play better. But, we have have not seen the coaches that they have today being capable of coaching a team into the playoffs or solve problems that have lingered for a long time (PP, timeout management, pulling goalies at the right time, etc.).

This team needed the coaches to be able to help them deal with higher expectations and the shift to being more responsible defensively. And if the players are not responding to the coach, the easier fix is to change the coach. That is part of the reason why Granato is in the top 8 when it comes to longest tenured coaches in the NHL. Coaches are hired to be fired.

Part of questioning the coach is about the players, too. It's like when the coach pulls the starting goalie when the team in front of them starts slow. It isn't about the goalie. But, it's the easier move to make to try and get the players to play better.

 

[GrierIsGod123]

I’d add that how the team is built also impacts the scrutiny Power gets.

Since he started last season, he’s been a lock in the top 4 and is viewed as one of our top 3 dmen. He’s been put in a position where he needs to play effective hockey on a consistent basis for us to have success. That’s a lot to ask for a player his age at that position. Regardless of draft pedigree. It’s also not his fault that he was putting in this position. He’s played an insane amount of minutes 5v5 the last two years.

Indeed he's played an insane amount at 5v5 and stayed very much above water. That is impressive considering his partners and forwards that lack defensive awareness/structure. I truly don't understand the level of hate he gets from this fanbase. It's mostly uneducated fan-bros that can't see nuanced hockey imo. He needs to get better defensively, which he will. Dahlin took until last year to find his defensive game so I expect we see that in the next two seasons for Power as well.

I still think with a better coach/structured system he's going to be a true stud even if he's never a physical player. I still think it's better that he and Dahlin play separately though. It's a mistake to put your two best play-driving d-men on the same pair unless you're down in a game perhaps.

 

[Beerz]

Indeed he's played an insane amount at 5v5 and stayed very much above water. That is impressive considering his partners and forwards that lack defensive awareness/structure. I truly don't understand the level of hate he gets from this fanbase. It's mostly uneducated fan-bros that can't see nuanced hockey imo. He needs to get better defensively, which he will. Dahlin took until last year to find his defensive game so I expect we see that in the next two seasons for Power as well.

I still think with a better coach/structured system he's going to be a true stud even if he's never a physical player. I still think it's better that he and Dahlin play separately though. It's a mistake to put your two best play-driving d-men on the same pair unless you're down in a game perhaps.

The nuanced issues with Powers play has been laid out time and time again ...and it's not by "uneducated" people.

Not our fault you're not paying attention and just think it's uneducated fan-bros who want to see smash mouth hockey.

 

[joshjull]

Just my $0.02 as somebody who has done some work with the USOC. When I have taken over programs and run into this stuff it generally comes from long term inadequate coaching built around the personality of one coach rather than the success of the athlete, the structure of hte sport, and the work it takes to get there. This can be really hard to overcome for their replacement.

Granato deserves his share of criticism but this is just silly. He’s developed many of our top players and helped many take big strides. He’s not some narcissist who made it all about him at the expense of the players. Guys like Tage owe him their current deals.

 

[Chainshot]

Granato deserves his share of criticism but this is just silly. He’s developed many of our top players and helped many take big strides. He’s not some narcissist who made it all about him at the expense of the players. Guys like Tage owe him their current deals.

Salvaging Thompson and Mittelstadt, righting Skinner, helping Dahlin recover from his time under Ralph... how soon we forget.

Not to say his time hasn't passed and yes, they need a new bench boss, but they would be in so much more trouble if he hadn't helped straighten those players out.

 

[slip]

I hope when the final chapter of this roster is written we can look back at Granato as the bridge to somewhere.

 

[Chainshot]

I hope when the final chapter of this roster is written we can look back at Granato as the bridge to somewhere.

Yep, he's the development guy. I think they are trying too hard to make it that he's also the implementation guy. That is not him. It certainly isn't his staff.

He fixed some broken players. Now it's time for a different voice with different coaching skills to take them to the next level.

 

[zenthusiast]

Yep, he's the development guy. I think they are trying too hard to make it that he's also the implementation guy. That is not him. It certainly isn't his staff.

He fixed some broken players. Now it's time for a different voice with different coaching skills to take them to the next level.

Finally, the table is set for a proper Ralph Krueger attempt

 

[zenthusiast]

I think it’s probably a mix.

Cozens doesn’t have the hockey IQ to be a center. That’s the coaches fault for not realizing that much sooner.

Tuch sometimes goes through stretches where he thinks he plays for the globetrotters - that’s probably more on coaching.

Skinner tends to just skate circles in the neutral zone rather than trying to play defense - that’s on the player. Coaching has tried to fix it, but Skinner isn’t going to change at this point.

Dahlin still tries to get too fancy with the puck at times. That’s probably on coaching, but they’re trying to walk the line of not neutering him.

Power is lost what to do in the defensive zone without the puck. At this point, it’s probably on coaching.

I think this is a good analysis. Tage gets into some stupid shit too but is athletic enough to make up for it more often. Somewhat worryingly I think Quinn might be developing a habit as well

 

[TageGod]

I think it’s probably a mix.

Cozens doesn’t have the hockey IQ to be a center. That’s the coaches fault for not realizing that much sooner.

Tuch sometimes goes through stretches where he thinks he plays for the globetrotters - that’s probably more on coaching.

Skinner tends to just skate circles in the neutral zone rather than trying to play defense - that’s on the player. Coaching has tried to fix it, but Skinner isn’t going to change at this point.

Dahlin still tries to get too fancy with the puck at times. That’s probably on coaching, but they’re trying to walk the line of not neutering him.

Power is lost what to do in the defensive zone without the puck. At this point, it’s probably on coaching.

Bold are the player not coaching. Cozens I am not so sure about. He is skilled enough to play the game at a high level. He may be someone who gets tunnel vision.

 

[RefsIdeas]

Bold are the player not coaching. Cozens I am not so sure about. He is skilled enough to play the game at a high level. He may be someone who gets tunnel vision.

Yeah I could see both being a mix of player/coaching. We don’t know the conversations they’ve had with the player, so it’s really just guessing.

 

[Gras]

No, not at all. Liquor laws in SLC are almost indistinguishable from the rest of the country. Almost.

Yea if you overlook the measured pours and 3.2% beer, went to the gentlemens club last time I was up there and those were just depressing.