The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[Fezzy126]

Cozens is getting opportunities. It feels like he'll get one drop any time and open things up. You can tell that he's feeling pressure and pushing it.

Quinn is who I'm worried about. Disengaged. He either had a really bad summer or he's hurt because we haven't seen this Jack Quinn ever before.

Yeah, Quinn is definitely more concerning. My initial instinct is the same - is something wrong physically?

But we've seen young players struggle with coaching changes before, I wonder if the mental side of the game has overloaded his processor. It's usually about the 20 game mark where things start clicking after a coaching change for some guys, so I guess we'll see how his game looks in a few weeks.

It'll be interesting to see if Ruff starts being tougher on him with ice time and deployment once everyone is fully healthy.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849835192065630335

Cozens with an actual vet? Lindy must have heard me

 

[TageGod]

Cozens is getting opportunities. It feels like he'll get one drop any time and open things up. You can tell that he's feeling pressure and pushing it.

Quinn is who I'm worried about. Disengaged. He either had a really bad summer or he's hurt because we haven't seen this Jack Quinn ever before.

I am not worried about Quinn at all. I think he is just the high forward on a line that can't get zone time so it looks like he's chasing the game. He is just way too skilled to worry about long term.

 

[old kummelweck]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849835192065630335

Outrageous Quinn is in and Kulich sits.

Outrageous Quinn is in and Kulich sits.

AND they break up the Mcleod line.

 

[Ace]

I liked when the players asked for accountability. I didn’t factor in they were asking for a rookie who is outplaying them to take it all. And they broke up the third line to do it!

This is the year we sacrifice everything to prove Cozens is something he isn’t.

Gonna go great.

 

[Matt Ress]

I am not worried about Quinn at all. I think he is just the high forward on a line that can't get zone time so it looks like he's chasing the game. He is just way too skilled to worry about long term.

I'm not worried long term. A lingering injury could make a lot of sense and a reason why he hasn't been moved around or benched and I do understand they haven't been completely healthy.

I don't buy that he's the high forward and not adjusted to coaching so he can't get a shot off and gives the puck away too much. I think he's too smart and too skilled for that. I mentioned a bad summer but I think that would be way out of character as well.

 

[Fjordy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849835192065630335

Why did they destroy the third line that was working so well? And where Kulich? I just don't understand it.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I'm all for getting Fabbro but trading Joki for him seems like way too lateral a move. We don't even know if Fabbro is any better than Joki.

Fabbro was good a few years back riding shotgun to Josi. Preds fans thought he might be the long term partner for Josi. Then he got moved off the pair and never returned.

I think he's got top 4 capability in the same way Marc Methot used to: stay at home, be the defensive part of the pairing, don't make a ton of mistakes. Fabbro isn't big like Methot, and skates better, and he's not a heavy player. But you really don't need or want that for a Dahlin/Power partner. Just be there to let the other do their thing.

I don't ever see Jokiharju being that guy.

 

[sabremike]

Why did they destroy the third line that was working so well? And where Kulich? I just don't understand it.

The penchant among NHL coaches to constantly break up things that are working is one of life's great unexplained mysteries.

 

[Uberpecker]

Fabbro was good a few years back riding shotgun to Josi. Preds fans thought he might be the long term partner for Josi. Then he got moved off the pair and never returned.

I think he's got top 4 capability in the same way Marc Methot used to: stay at home, be the defensive part of the pairing, don't make a ton of mistakes. Fabbro isn't big like Methot, and skates better, and he's not a heavy player. But you really don't need or want that for a Dahlin/Power partner. Just be there to let the other do their thing.

I don't ever see Jokiharju being that guy.

Ideally, all of that would be the case and the chance of it being the case is why I'd want Fabbro.
But he's been healthy scratched not for the first time and by different coaches, so there's risk involved.
I'd rather trade some other asset like a prospect or pick.

 

[GrierIsGod123]

I liked when the players asked for accountability. I didn’t factor in they were asking for a rookie who is outplaying them to take it all. And they broke up the third line to do it!

This is the year we sacrifice everything to prove Cozens is something he isn’t.

Gonna go great.

Really it's just to prove he has a bottom 3 contract in the NHL ... but that might already be the case.

 

[Fezzy126]

Why did they destroy the third line that was working so well? And where Kulich? I just don't understand it.

I like the 3rd line, I really do. But are we sure it's working well? Or are they scoring timely goals and looking good in small spurts?

Over the last 6 games, the trio has far exceeded expectation:

The numbers below are going to regress, and when their PDO normalizes the trio is gonna go from peoples' good column to the bad column pretty quickly:

 

[GrierIsGod123]

I'm not worried long term. A lingering injury could make a lot of sense and a reason why he hasn't been moved around or benched and I do understand they haven't been completely healthy.

I don't buy that he's the high forward and not adjusted to coaching so he can't get a shot off and gives the puck away too much. I think he's too smart and too skilled for that. I mentioned a bad summer but I think that would be way out of character as well.

Right...this is a big year for Quinn and he's falling flat on his face so far. I'm honestly shocked by this. I thought for sure he'd be our breakout player, not that it's too late for that. I'm seeing what I expect from Cozens when the games matter...fumbling, bumbling, missing empty nets to seal games and just looking like an overmatched schmuck. It'll all be fine when they're out of the playoff picture, he'll go on some point streak to give us all hope.

Quinn catches me off guard completely though. He's got one of the highest hockey IQ's on the team and elite ability to get to the middle of the ice for high-danger chances. Something has to be amiss injury-wise or the line just can't operate with it's center struggling so bad. If I were Ruff, I'd have tried Peterka on that line before anything else. Thompson and Tuch seem like they have their game right and can probably operate with just about anyone there. Kulich might be an option there until Benson is healthy and ready to contribute.

I like the 3rd line, I really do. But are we sure it's working well? Or are they scoring timely goals and looking good in small spurts?

Over the last 6 games, the trio has far exceeded expectation:

View attachment 921477

The numbers below are going to regress, and when their PDO normalizes the trio is gonna go from peoples' good column to the bad column pretty quickly:

View attachment 921478

Dang ... that really doesn't match the eye test. I've thought they've been dominant on the ice and haven't spent a ton of time in their own one. Clearly my eyes are deceiving me here a bit. I wonder if there were just a couple games in there that dropped them down. I'd like to see them together for a bit longer to see if that data stabilizes. But thanks for bringing this up and hopefully Ruff is paying attention to stuff like this and not resting on his laurels, which is what got Granato in trouble at times.

 

[Chainshot]

I like the 3rd line, I really do. But are we sure it's working well? Or are they scoring timely goals and looking good in small spurts?

Over the last 6 games, the trio has far exceeded expectation:

View attachment 921477

The numbers below are going to regress, and when their PDO normalizes the trio is gonna go from peoples' good column to the bad column pretty quickly:

View attachment 921478

Ruff has decided to pre-empt that possible regression by moving Zucker off it and plugging NAK in. What could go wrong?

 

[Fezzy126]

Ruff has decided to pre-empt that possible regression by moving Zucker off it and plugging NAK in. What could go wrong?

Yeeeaaaaahhhhh...

NAK wouldn't have my been my choice, maybe he's just keeping the seat warm for Benny

My takeaway is I think we have a clear picture of who Ruff sees as his "pairs", although not sure this has changed much from camp:

Tage-Tuch
Cozens-Quinn
McLeod-Greenway
Lafferty-Malenstyn

 

[Fjordy]

I like the 3rd line, I really do. But are we sure it's working well? Or are they scoring timely goals and looking good in small spurts?

Over the last 6 games, the trio has far exceeded expectation:

View attachment 921477

The numbers below are going to regress, and when their PDO normalizes the trio is gonna go from peoples' good column to the bad column pretty quickly:

View attachment 921478

Well, while it worked and they scored goals, if it stopped working I would understand. Cozens - Quinn doesn't work at all.

 

[Jacob582]

Jason Moser also stated that Kulich rotated in the bottom 6 during practice and that it is possible that he plays on the McLeod line for the next game.
***

My guess: everything just stays the same with Zucker staying with McLeod.

We will just have to wait for the suspense when NAK comes back on Monday.

 

[zenthusiast]

At least they’re ostensibly committed to accountability