So what happens if this team is actually bad?
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Ambassador Of Fun
Registered User
- Jun 23, 2010
- 2,780
- 11
Spezza for a 1st + prospect.
Gonchar/Cole/Horcoff for anything.
Trade for a top pairing D, if that fails trade for a top 4 D.
??????
Troy McClure
Suter will never be scratched
Dillon, too. If he's not going to take a step up, he's not going to deserve the big raise he already thinks he deserves and will be traded.
Dr Pepper
Registered User
Hopefully we see a flurry of action at the deadline, with some improvements made to the team.
Not immediate improvements, mind you, because we'd obviously be selling, but....deals that would set us up nicely in the future.
Whatever happened to Juzmo, anyway? He don't come 'round here no more.
Not immediate improvements, mind you, because we'd obviously be selling, but....deals that would set us up nicely in the future.
Whatever happened to Juzmo, anyway? He don't come 'round here no more.
Noodletoro
Registered User
tjcurrie
Registered User
David Castillo
Registered User
I'm probably just as pissed, frustrated, and looking to curse out a number of Stars players and personal (Mike Valley and Fraser mostly) as anyone, but since I'm still all in on this team making the playoffs, let's try a glass could be full look:
-Ales Hemsky has 20 shots, and is shooting 0.0% Does anyone really expect that to continue?
-BlackHoleCole/Spezza/Hemsky is a subtle but vital problem. One has to consider that the points Hemsky put up with Spezza may just be a little overblown, small sample size and all. After all, Hemsky is talented but he's only gone over 30 goals ONCE in his career. In juniors. He doesn't have some sort of brilliant shot. He's like a more eccentric Michael Grabner. In other words the line doesn't have much of a finisher and they're not defensively responsible wizards. Plus they need a real LW. Cole is a vacuum; his offensive is purely singular, with him trying to beat someone one on one only to turn it over, or shank it. And he's not a passer (nor does he receive them well). Cole actively takes away from them given his style. If the 2nd line can be figured out while leaving Spezza intact (Hemsky with Seguin and Benn, Spezza with Nichushkin and Sceviour/anyone but Cole/Eaves: hell Roussel could play LW, and it would be ten times better than Cole), then I think you really establish the so called depth.
-Strength of Schedule. We've played some really good times while dealing with an utterly incompetent backup leaving zero room for error. The schedule gets tough for another 7 games, but December and the last bit of November should tell us a lot about this team because if we're still playing this dreadful kentucky fried hockey from November 18th until the new year, then yea...we can call ourselves "officially bad".
-Nichushkin is back. And I thought he looked really good. If he continues an upward trend, he should get the attention of Ruff, and considering being Spezza's Hemsky while Hemsky becomes Bennguin's Nichushkin.
-The Stars have scored 3 goals in their last 3 games. Sustainable? Hardly.
-Jim Nill. He was an x-factor last year, and he was an x-factor this year. Yea it's not working so well, but don't underestimate the stache. I get his logic: the kids looked good enough, and the veterans both young and old seemed serviceable. We know that's ********, but now it's almost too obvious. I don't like the idea of making big trades, but he's acquired Spezza and Seguin without giving up Ritchie, Shore, Klingberg, Ully, Campbell, Faksa, and anyone worth a damn in our prospect system. Granted, Chiasson and Smith are doing well for themselves but I don't think we considered them the backbone of our prospect system. We're still a very deep team at forward in the next many years.
And that's it. Jordie Benn is trash, but he's trash against elite players. Maybe Ruff designates him to 3rd pairing for good. Our best players are not our best players (yes, including Jamie Benn, who keeps dropping passes to fans in the stands), and the Conference is a hilarious shark tank, but this just means the swings will be more intense than usual and Dallas will have to claw their way in just like last year. I'm confident that this team knows how to claw.
-Ales Hemsky has 20 shots, and is shooting 0.0% Does anyone really expect that to continue?
-BlackHoleCole/Spezza/Hemsky is a subtle but vital problem. One has to consider that the points Hemsky put up with Spezza may just be a little overblown, small sample size and all. After all, Hemsky is talented but he's only gone over 30 goals ONCE in his career. In juniors. He doesn't have some sort of brilliant shot. He's like a more eccentric Michael Grabner. In other words the line doesn't have much of a finisher and they're not defensively responsible wizards. Plus they need a real LW. Cole is a vacuum; his offensive is purely singular, with him trying to beat someone one on one only to turn it over, or shank it. And he's not a passer (nor does he receive them well). Cole actively takes away from them given his style. If the 2nd line can be figured out while leaving Spezza intact (Hemsky with Seguin and Benn, Spezza with Nichushkin and Sceviour/anyone but Cole/Eaves: hell Roussel could play LW, and it would be ten times better than Cole), then I think you really establish the so called depth.
-Strength of Schedule. We've played some really good times while dealing with an utterly incompetent backup leaving zero room for error. The schedule gets tough for another 7 games, but December and the last bit of November should tell us a lot about this team because if we're still playing this dreadful kentucky fried hockey from November 18th until the new year, then yea...we can call ourselves "officially bad".
-Nichushkin is back. And I thought he looked really good. If he continues an upward trend, he should get the attention of Ruff, and considering being Spezza's Hemsky while Hemsky becomes Bennguin's Nichushkin.
-The Stars have scored 3 goals in their last 3 games. Sustainable? Hardly.
-Jim Nill. He was an x-factor last year, and he was an x-factor this year. Yea it's not working so well, but don't underestimate the stache. I get his logic: the kids looked good enough, and the veterans both young and old seemed serviceable. We know that's ********, but now it's almost too obvious. I don't like the idea of making big trades, but he's acquired Spezza and Seguin without giving up Ritchie, Shore, Klingberg, Ully, Campbell, Faksa, and anyone worth a damn in our prospect system. Granted, Chiasson and Smith are doing well for themselves but I don't think we considered them the backbone of our prospect system. We're still a very deep team at forward in the next many years.
And that's it. Jordie Benn is trash, but he's trash against elite players. Maybe Ruff designates him to 3rd pairing for good. Our best players are not our best players (yes, including Jamie Benn, who keeps dropping passes to fans in the stands), and the Conference is a hilarious shark tank, but this just means the swings will be more intense than usual and Dallas will have to claw their way in just like last year. I'm confident that this team knows how to claw.
Magic Mittens
Registered User
Well we either turn things around or enjoy one of the best drafts in awhile lol. It's still early and we have lots of time to turn it around. But, yes it is frustrating
Stars99Lobo37
Registered User
Whatever happened to Juzmo, anyway? He don't come 'round here no more.
I told piqued it was a waste of a pick!!!
Hull Fan
The Future is Now
Is anyone else truly worried they're going to be back in that dreaded 9th but only a couple of points out spot close to the deadline. Nieuwendyk didn't sell most of the time when that happened and they always missed the playoffs.
Honestly it starts with Spezza, unless this team is like 6-8+ points up on the 9th place team, and he doesn't have a new contract you've got to move him. They've moved their 2nd round pick, the defense isn't adequate and if you can't come to acceptable terms they've got to recoup a pick, find another center, or use him to get a defender. He cannot be allowed to walk in FA with Dallas getting nothing in return.
If it's bad or so noticeable that it can't be ignored basically everyone but Daley and the kids will be on the block. Every forward not named Seguin, Benn, Nichushkin, and probably Roussel will also be available too.
Honestly it starts with Spezza, unless this team is like 6-8+ points up on the 9th place team, and he doesn't have a new contract you've got to move him. They've moved their 2nd round pick, the defense isn't adequate and if you can't come to acceptable terms they've got to recoup a pick, find another center, or use him to get a defender. He cannot be allowed to walk in FA with Dallas getting nothing in return.
If it's bad or so noticeable that it can't be ignored basically everyone but Daley and the kids will be on the block. Every forward not named Seguin, Benn, Nichushkin, and probably Roussel will also be available too.
Well, they re simply the better team atm...
Im just wondering whats going on with Benn, he's invisible if he's not batting Zucker out of the game at the time... Seguin I kinda understand... For all we know he could ve been in pain for the past week and definitely today or at least very uneasy.
Rune Forumwalker
Registered User
- May 11, 2006
- 2,570
- 0
SolidusAKA
Registered User
Hanifin!
Id assume Spezza is gone and the D gets blown up...but seriously...too early
Hanifin - Honka
Nemeth - Klingberg
Oleskiak - Dillon
Yay
Id assume Spezza is gone and the D gets blown up...but seriously...too early
Hanifin - Honka
Nemeth - Klingberg
Oleskiak - Dillon
Yay
SonicSpeedDash
All bets are off
Seriously, this team with top six talent and not producing is extremely bad. It goes back to whether what Ruff is coaching them up on. Because it isn't working now apparently.
Then you got defense. Yeah, might as well be blackholes on the ice with them, exception of Daley and maybe Oleksiak as of late.
PP that is lackluster. Fire Fraser because he sucks at it.
Overall, I think they're getting worse as the season rolls along. I hope it turns around soon, but if it doesn't. We're ****ed.
Then you got defense. Yeah, might as well be blackholes on the ice with them, exception of Daley and maybe Oleksiak as of late.
PP that is lackluster. Fire Fraser because he sucks at it.
Overall, I think they're getting worse as the season rolls along. I hope it turns around soon, but if it doesn't. We're ****ed.
glovesave_35
Name
If Spezza and the Stars haven't come to an agreement because they can't agree to terms on a contract, I might agree with you. But if they simply haven't signed him but they are sitting in the playoffs I really don't think Nill is going to trade Spezza with the playoffs sitting there in front of him.
If we are a middling team and the playoffs don't look very realistic I would be for trading Spezza. We could recoup a fair amount of what we gave up for him, but I'm against trading him if we're fighting for a spot in the playoffs.
glovesave_35
Name
Just before last year's Stars went on a playoff making run, they had a near disastrous losing streak. And, all teams have them. They just look bad at the beginning of a season because you don't know if its a streak or the true team personality.
I am worried they go back to 9th place, and hey, they could end there even if playing well. They only made 8th last year because AZ flopped at the end. And, they didn't really improve the three areas we thought they did - backup goalie, D, and second line. So, basically, they are the same 8th place team they were last year, with the exception of the fact that they have the worst kind of attitude - entitlement.
Or, put another way, this team plays like it read their press clippings and are entitled to an nice easy road to the playoffs. Once they get that out of their system, and some new guys contribute as expected, they will be back to mid pack. Albeit, with no guarantees of success.
Sometimes a good season can falsely project where a team is, and fool them into thinking they are higher ranked than they are. While Nil certainly didn't think so and stand pat, the players seem to feel that way. If the Stars miss the PO, it will probably really spur them to change team culture, which right now, seems very Gullyesque.
I am worried they go back to 9th place, and hey, they could end there even if playing well. They only made 8th last year because AZ flopped at the end. And, they didn't really improve the three areas we thought they did - backup goalie, D, and second line. So, basically, they are the same 8th place team they were last year, with the exception of the fact that they have the worst kind of attitude - entitlement.
Or, put another way, this team plays like it read their press clippings and are entitled to an nice easy road to the playoffs. Once they get that out of their system, and some new guys contribute as expected, they will be back to mid pack. Albeit, with no guarantees of success.
Sometimes a good season can falsely project where a team is, and fool them into thinking they are higher ranked than they are. While Nil certainly didn't think so and stand pat, the players seem to feel that way. If the Stars miss the PO, it will probably really spur them to change team culture, which right now, seems very Gullyesque.
masinaLFC
Registered User
OttMorrow
Registered User
- Sep 18, 2003
- 3,721
- 1
It's still too early for this kind of talk, but I'll entertain it. Yes, I'm worried we're potentially still the dreaded mediocrity that has plagued us for quite some time now. Hopefully we're talking about these OTL points in the context of why we made the playoffs vs. why we have are stuck with 11th overall pick instead of the 6th overall in the 2015 Draft.
Yes, I think you move Spezza at the deadline for whatever you can salvage if this team isn't positioned for success in the playoffs. We have Dickinson and Shore who will eventually fill out that second line...you'd hate to lose Spezza, Chiasson, and our 2015 2nd for nothing in return.
This is a fantastic draft at the top and deep through probably the first 2 rounds. In the event that the worst case scenario plays out, I'd like to get our team a top pick in order to pick up one of Hanifin, Roy, or Kylington as a potential future #1 D. Although I'm skeptical we finish low enough to do that even if we sell off, because it'll probably be too late by the time that call is made to really tank into the prime real estate of the draft. We all know how hard it has been for us to trade up in the 1st Round to pick up anyone impactful as well.
As you can see this line of thinking leads us nowhere good, so let's avoid that for the time being. Let's revisit the gloom and doom in a couple months if the ship still isn't righted.
