Season Wrap-up

[ABasin]

Well guys, it's taken me a while to recover from the fact our season's ended, and I do apologize in advance about the negativity I'm about to write here (summarizing things in my view):

1. This season we were decimated by injury. Full strength, we are the best team in the entire NHL. We have elite players from the very top, right down to the very bottom. BUT, in my opinion, the whole squad learned how to deal with adversity, which will bode well into next season.

2. This season further backed up the fact we have the best coaching team in the entire NHL. Didn't matter who and how many players were absent, our system and culture carried us with that "next man up mentality".

3. Chris MacFarland showed me (learning under the best GM in sports - Super Joe), that he's an elite GM, not making short term, or rash decisions, that may hurt our ability to retain players like King Bo, Toews and others.

4. In my view, we have the best center and right winger in the entire league. We have the best defensemen in the entire league, with another top 5 defensemen developing. Our core is unstoppable. Next season, rejuvenated, healthy, our guys will come back HUNGRY - and I fear for the rest of the league in what will be our complete dominance. I see nothing but extreme improvement.

5. So many players improved exponentially. Talking Newhook (still so much potential ahead, too), Compher, Malgin, I thought Eller improved as the season progressed, Rodrigues, King Bo, Girard had an amazing year etc.

6. I think our recruitment / drafting team is probably the best in the entire league. Our college recruits, our draft picks (despite dropping to 4th in the draft etc) just know how to find absolute diamonds, that just have unlimited potential and ability - so that excites me.

7. We are winners. We should all get very excited for next season, because we are going to come out big, tough, hard, hungry, angry and with chips on our shoulders. So buckle in guys, the future is VERY bright for a very long time. Yes, we are out in round one, but it happens (look at Tampa !), but we are going to make teams next year suffer for that

Looking forward to Chris tinkering with our team this off season. We'll look a little different next season, but winners are winners, and cream rises to the top. My prediction will be top 1-3 overall in the entire NHL, and we'll grab the cup.

Cheers guys.

I love you, Eagles.

 

[Metallo]

Things I wan to see in the off-season:

1-In-depth audit and potential overhaul of the medical staff. Something is clearly not working here and it can't go on.

2-New assistants for Bedsy. This coaching staff is out of ideas and the message is getting stale. Time to bring fresh blood and ideas. We need top shelf tacticians to go along with Bedsy's "culture-type" coaching.

3-Avs need to figure out the situation with Nuke and Landy. It has to be black and white, we can't live in limbo again.

4-Moneypuck the shit out of the offseason. If money is freed-up by item 3 above, spend it in UFA. Let our pro scout do their thing to find bargains, let Joe and Mack use their rizz to attract targets. Do it!

5-Press reset on the bottom 6. Have a strategy for the bottom 6 and execute on that. I'd like to see a bottom 6 filled with mean mofos that can cycle teams to death. Enough with the smurfs.

 

[Reparlana]

I think this first round with every empire falling shows how ridiculously tough it is to win the Cup. Tampa did with two shorten seasons which reduces the chances of sustaining injuries.

A lot of holes on this team, but I think the desire to win again will be there next season and that is just as important as finding a 2nd line centre. The desire to win puck battles, block shots, killer instinct, etc where I saw a lot of lazy plays by core players this season.

I noticed this too, teams with heavy mileage out in Colorado,Tampa and Boston. Last year was special, retool and regroup. Go Avs Go!

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Eagles: You are either cleverly cynical or plainly delusional.

CMac is in charge. The asst coaches suck and are Bednar's yes men. The medical staff can't properly diagnose Landeskog's knee injury. He's probably done career wise. Everyone is a year older. Do you really think MacK gets another year w/o sustaining a major injury? The '96 & '01 pattern repeats itself........ i.e.; The window has closed. Get used to it. lol

 

[nammerus]

I will be absolutely SHOCKED to see that happen.

The Avs know he's not good enough for that slot and he basically proved it down the stretch. Even though he's clearly Bednar's favorite, even at $3.5M JTC was mediocre for the majority of that contract.

Playing as poorly as his did past the TDL, signals to me that he was disappointed he wasn't re-upped by the team after his play up to that point.

JTC put up 10 points in 23 games after the TDL playing exclusively in the TOP-6.

He'll be someone else's problem July 1st - someone that wasn't paying attention.

That's not remotely true. They were happy going into the season with him possible being the #2C (along with Newhook....), and were even happier to do nothing to that error at the TDL, cementing him as the #2C for the cup defence. All this while having watched him fail on multiple occasions in that position over the last two years. The one thing we learned about management this year is...they don't learn shit from the past.

 

[myperbixhurts]

JTC at 3 mill is a solid 3rd line center option. He should not make more than that and be your 2C if you want to win the cup

 

[Bender]

I'm going to make a statement that is going to blow everyone's mind and EXPLAIN EVERYTHING!!!!

Ready?

Sea Eagles IS Chris McFarland!!!!

Well guys, it's taken me a while to recover from the fact our season's ended, and I do apologize in advance about the negativity I'm about to write here (summarizing things in my view):

1. This season we were decimated by injury. Full strength, we are the best team in the entire NHL. We have elite players from the very top, right down to the very bottom. BUT, in my opinion, the whole squad learned how to deal with adversity, which will bode well into next season.

2. This season further backed up the fact we have the best coaching team in the entire NHL. Didn't matter who and how many players were absent, our system and culture carried us with that "next man up mentality".

3. Chris MacFarland showed me (learning under the best GM in sports - Super Joe), that he's an elite GM, not making short term, or rash decisions, that may hurt our ability to retain players like King Bo, Toews and others.

4. In my view, we have the best center and right winger in the entire league. We have the best defensemen in the entire league, with another top 5 defensemen developing. Our core is unstoppable. Next season, rejuvenated, healthy, our guys will come back HUNGRY - and I fear for the rest of the league in what will be our complete dominance. I see nothing but extreme improvement.

5. So many players improved exponentially. Talking Newhook (still so much potential ahead, too), Compher, Malgin, I thought Eller improved as the season progressed, Rodrigues, King Bo, Girard had an amazing year etc.

6. I think our recruitment / drafting team is probably the best in the entire league. Our college recruits, our draft picks (despite dropping to 4th in the draft etc) just know how to find absolute diamonds, that just have unlimited potential and ability - so that excites me.

7. We are winners. We should all get very excited for next season, because we are going to come out big, tough, hard, hungry, angry and with chips on our shoulders. So buckle in guys, the future is VERY bright for a very long time. Yes, we are out in round one, but it happens (look at Tampa !), but we are going to make teams next year suffer for that

Looking forward to Chris tinkering with our team this off season. We'll look a little different next season, but winners are winners, and cream rises to the top. My prediction will be top 1-3 overall in the entire NHL, and we'll grab the cup.

Cheers guys.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

This team and management is way to "nice" to do that. And Kroenke is not willing to spend over the cap either. So it doesn´t really matter.

Lets wait and see if Lando can even come back and play at this level. Thats my biggest concern.

I thought insurance paid when players where injured. Or does the insurance only kick in when a player has been deemed medically unfit to ever return.

 

[Hasbro]

I thought insurance paid when players where injured. Or does the insurance only kick in when a player has been deemed medically unfit to ever return.

Or if it covers a single season?

 

[Sea Eagles]

Hey mate, you are f***ing with us. There isn't a nanogram of negativity in that whole post. Lol!

But seriously, there must be a player or two that you don't want to see come back. You can let loose, you are among friends here.

Haha, I started with injuries (which was a bit of a buzzkill this year), but went on a roll from there. It ended up driving itself

Players I don't want coming back..hmmm..that's a tough one..

I'll concede that I think we definitely need to address 2C. That, or we move Rants to 2C and acquire a winger (probably the cheaper option).

Landeskog - Mackinnon - XXXXX
Lehkonen - Rantanen - Nichushkin
Compher - Eller - Rodrigues
Cogliano - Newhook - Helm

Toews - Makar
Manson - Byram
Girard - EJ

Georgiev
Francouz

We keep that team on the ice, it's quality, it's deep, it has every element to be a cup winner.

I'd like Malgin and JJ as primary depth.

Guess that means in my view, Nieto could be a spare asset maybe? I like Hunt and MacDermid as additional depth.

If we are healthy we are perfect in my opinion. So not many changes needed.

 

[Grigowski]

Landeskog - Mackinnon - XXXXX
Lehkonen - Rantanen - Nichushkin
Compher - Eller - Rodrigues
Cogliano - Newhook - Helm

Toews - Makar
Manson - Byram
Girard - EJ

Georgiev
Francouz

I dont want to disturb this party, but no. Not in hell running back the same team as before

Landeskog - Mackinnon - XXXXX
Lehkonen - Rantanen - Nichushkin
Compher - Eller - Rodrigues
Cogliano - Newhook - Helm

Toews - Makar
Manson - Byram
Girard - EJ

Georgiev
Francouz

Landeskog: Dont expect him to be ready to roll in september. At this point, doubtful if even playing again at this level

Nichuskhin: Whatever happened in that hotel in Seattle. Could be really f***ed up. We shall see. The truth will come out.

Cogliano and Helm: Enjoy your retirement. Helm is done, so is Cogs after his neck-injury. They both will call it a career. And rightfully so. They won the big price.

Newhook: Tradebait (along with one of our D)

Compher: 3C. And that´s it. For the right money, ok. But someone will overpay for him. It better not be the AVS.

Eller: 4C for the right money. I doubt he will take a hefty paycut to stay with us in a limited role. Can see him going back to Washington.

Rodrigues: Said he wants to stay. Maybe for the right money. Basically a 3rd liner.

Toews/Girad: One will have to go.

EJ: Thanks Condor for your loyalty and service through all the years. But it´s time to fly away for good.

XXXXX: 2C. No experiments anymore. We had, what, a whole season to solve this thing. We now have a full and long offseason to get that shit done. No excuses.

So thats the state of play. The rest of the band is locked in. Even Manson. If healthy, a needed body back there (and very hard to trade at this point)

Our GM will be very busy. He better not f*** this up again.

Oh, but first:

Evaluate or medical stuff. If that stays this way, it doesn´t really matter which players we bring in. They will be injured the moment they board the plane to Denver.

 

[Bender]

Haha, I started with injuries (which was a bit of a buzzkill this year), but went on a roll from there. It ended up driving itself

Players I don't want coming back..hmmm..that's a tough one..

I'll concede that I think we definitely need to address 2C. That, or we move Rants to 2C and acquire a winger (probably the cheaper option).

Landeskog - Mackinnon - XXXXX
Lehkonen - Rantanen - Nichushkin
Compher - Eller - Rodrigues
Cogliano - Newhook - Helm

Toews - Makar
Manson - Byram
Girard - EJ

Georgiev
Francouz

We keep that team on the ice, it's quality, it's deep, it has every element to be a cup winner.

I'd like Malgin and JJ as primary depth.

Guess that means in my view, Nieto could be a spare asset maybe? I like Hunt and MacDermid as additional depth.

If we are healthy we are perfect in my opinion. So not many changes needed.

They didn't do Rantanen at #2C when it was an issue down the stretch and into the playoffs, I don't see them doing it next year. I think they'll get a real 2C.

Helm is probably done. It's too bad but this is probably the end of the road for him. I could see Cogliano coming back for one more year though.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Rantanen will never be the #2C. There has been more than enough opportunities to make that happen and they have barely even tried. Winger for life.

 

[chet1926]

There wasn't a 2C available that would have raised the needle much, no one was going to perform at Kadri level, not even Kadri himself. Maybe they squeak by the Kraken but then pain comes later. I do think the biggest failure was not finding young talent that can grow. Not sure if that's on the developmental coaching or the GM for not having enough on hand. Let's hope more is to come next season as being able to use guys making under a million will be crucial to contention.

We did see some promise in Foudy but that was about it. Meyers got a little better but he's got to make a big step up. Byram looked quite good and I'm fine with that progress, let's see if the GM believes it enough to trade Toews. That's really the only chip left and it needs to be used properly. Newhook is just going to tease us but probably will never do enough to satisfy the team nor potential suitors. If I'm another team at most I'm giving for him is a mediocre prospect or a 4th rounder. Girard looked a lot better to me, not a star but probably worth the contract. Surprisingly effective as an undersized D man, he will have to keep it up if Toews is gone.

As for the depth regulars, man it's hard to believe how bad they are at offense. Logan, stop shooting at the goalies chest. Malgin, please stop thinking you can take on defenders. EJ, time to hang them up. MacDermid, find a beer league near you just cannot believe how many NHL games you were allowed to play.

Saying there wasn't a 2C available is a complete copout and giving CMac a free pass.

You have no idea who was of wasn't available over that span. All we know, is that he had over 10 months to figure out something better then JT or Newhook and didn't. And that is a complete failure.

 

[dahrougem2]

They didn't do Rantanen at #2C when it was an issue down the stretch and into the playoffs, I don't see them doing it next year. I think they'll get a real 2C.

Helm is probably done. It's too bad but this is probably the end of the road for him. I could see Cogliano coming back for one more year though.

I would have said this pre-injury. Now I'm not so sure since he fractured his neck.

 

[Bender]

I would have said this pre-injury. Now I'm not so sure since he fractured his neck.

Cogliano is an indestructible Cyborg-like creature who cannot be permanently harmed. Another 'machine' (X-Ray) had to tell him that he was injured because he felt nothing.

He only needs time to regenerate.

 

[Ceremony]

Helm is done. Cogliano will be doing cartwheels by the end of the week but I wouldn't count on him. We should organise a mass laughing gif posting in the thread for wherever Compher signs. Newhook is a waste of time unless he signs for one million or we fuse Cogliano's brain into his body. I'd keep Rodrigues because he seems like he'd be fun in the playoffs on a real team but 3 million is my limit.

It's going to be a summer.

 

[dahrougem2]

Cogliano had his best offensive season since 2017 this past year so he's not completely washed yet, however we're teetering on getting to the point of unreliability with him. Once indestructible he finally dealt with injuries this past season.

He also fell off a f***ing cliff in the 2nd half of the season.

8 goals in the first 45 games.

2 goals in the final 34 games + 6 more playoff games.

 

[LOFIN]

When is the locker-room clean out going to be?

 

[The Moops]

When is the locker-room clean out going to be?

Hopefully if they weren't on the 1st line or D they already threw their stuff out into the street

 

[Oan]

Rantanen joining team Finland at World Championships. So much for resting.

 

[Pokecheque]

Well guys, it's taken me a while to recover from the fact our season's ended, and I do apologize in advance about the negativity I'm about to write here (summarizing things in my view):

1. This season we were decimated by injury. Full strength, we are the best team in the entire NHL. We have elite players from the very top, right down to the very bottom. BUT, in my opinion, the whole squad learned how to deal with adversity, which will bode well into next season.

2. This season further backed up the fact we have the best coaching team in the entire NHL. Didn't matter who and how many players were absent, our system and culture carried us with that "next man up mentality".

3. Chris MacFarland showed me (learning under the best GM in sports - Super Joe), that he's an elite GM, not making short term, or rash decisions, that may hurt our ability to retain players like King Bo, Toews and others.

4. In my view, we have the best center and right winger in the entire league. We have the best defensemen in the entire league, with another top 5 defensemen developing. Our core is unstoppable. Next season, rejuvenated, healthy, our guys will come back HUNGRY - and I fear for the rest of the league in what will be our complete dominance. I see nothing but extreme improvement.

5. So many players improved exponentially. Talking Newhook (still so much potential ahead, too), Compher, Malgin, I thought Eller improved as the season progressed, Rodrigues, King Bo, Girard had an amazing year etc.

6. I think our recruitment / drafting team is probably the best in the entire league. Our college recruits, our draft picks (despite dropping to 4th in the draft etc) just know how to find absolute diamonds, that just have unlimited potential and ability - so that excites me.

7. We are winners. We should all get very excited for next season, because we are going to come out big, tough, hard, hungry, angry and with chips on our shoulders. So buckle in guys, the future is VERY bright for a very long time. Yes, we are out in round one, but it happens (look at Tampa !), but we are going to make teams next year suffer for that

Looking forward to Chris tinkering with our team this off season. We'll look a little different next season, but winners are winners, and cream rises to the top. My prediction will be top 1-3 overall in the entire NHL, and we'll grab the cup.

Cheers guys.

Negativity? Where?

 

[LOFIN]

Rantanen joining team Finland at World Championships. So much for resting.

It's a two week tournament, where the hardest part will be drinking if Finland wins. Probably even if Finland doesn't win.

I'm pretty sure it will not affect on Mikko's post season, unless there's an injury.

 

[Metallo]

Rantanen joining team Finland at World Championships. So much for resting.

To me that's a good thing. The guy is still competitive, not bored, even after a tough season.

Cogliano had his best offensive season since 2017 this past year so he's not completely washed yet, however we're teetering on getting to the point of unreliability with him. Once indestructible he finally dealt with injuries this past season.

He also fell off a f***ing cliff in the 2nd half of the season.

8 goals in the first 45 games.

2 goals in the final 34 games + 6 more playoff games.

Cogs should not be in the top-12 but I like him as an extra, if cheap.

 

[dahrougem2]

To me that's a good thing. The guy is still competitive, not bored, even after a tough season.


Cogs should not be in the top-12 but I like him as an extra, if cheap.

He is perfectly fine as a 4LW but cannot play higher the way he was this past season. Ditto O'Connor.