What to do from here....

[MHO]

This season is so damn frustrating as I really think the team is much better than they were last year. I see a team that's competitive in every game no matter who the opponent is. They're never blitzed or outshot 34-13 by the end of the game like last year but this year, THEY JUST CAN'T F***ING SCORE! So what should they do?

I feel like there are 3 real options but there could be more.

Option 1: Keep juggling lines until something sticks

Option 2: Keep the lines the same and eventually some chemistry between the players develops

Option 3: Call up Nazar and maybe some of the others to inject some damn energy

I'm going with option 2. I think none of these guys have played together and let them marinate and the goals will come. But here's the real thing that matters and I know we can't keep thinking this way but for this season we have to: There is a huge dropoff in the 25 draft outside the top 4. At this point, I'm happy with either Martone, Hagens, or Misa and someone else in the top 4 will take Schaeffer. We don't need another LHD despite how good he looks. Frondell and McQueen have been hurt and Ryabkin is seriously underachieving this year.

So here's how I think the situation could play out perfectly as I'm pretty sure the playoffs are out of the question. For the next few months, keep things the same and stay competitive in games that they eventually lose. Let the kids in Rockford continue to develop together. Then at the deadline, sell everyone you can like Hall, Smith, Maroon, Murphy, Martinez, Donato maybe even Kurashev or Mrazek. Then call the kids up and sign a prospect or 2 to fill out the roster and see if the energy picks up. If it does, they'll probably still end up in the top 4 of the draft and have enough excitement going into the next season to attract some free agents. I'd be curious to see a lineup like this at the end of the season:

Kurashev - Bedard - Teravainen
Bertuzzi - Nazar - Dach
Mikheyev - Dickinson - Foligno
Slaggert - Reichel - Savoie

Kaiser - Jones
Vlasic - Allan
Korchinski - EDM/Rinzel/Levshunov (maybe Brodie ugh...)

Then going into next season, if they could sign one of the big forward free agents, a vet D, and add one of the top 3 forwards from the draft, they just might be ready to go.

What do you guys think?

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[u2wojo]

Then going into next season, if they could sign one of the big forward free agents, a vet D, and add one of the top 3 forwards from the draft, they just might be ready to go.

What do you guys think?

If by ready to go you mean maybe sniff the playoffs and likely still miss next season then sure. Even if everything goes perfect (as in your scenerio). Bedard will still be 20 and despite 2 full NHL season will still be going through some growing pains (faceoff are still likely a work in progress even next year as just one example). Nazar and whatever other prospects we plug in will be getting their first extended NHL time and going through their own growing pains at essential square one (or maybe slightly more if they finish out the season after the TDL). Until one or both of Korch and/or Lev have transitioned into the NHL full time AND are actually good (aka not just swimming or worse barely keeping their head above water) we will not be ready to turn the corner (and those guys are both still pretty young on the D development curve).

Next year is likely a growing pains at the NHL level for several key prospects...Nazar, Slaggert, Dach, Korch, Lev (and hopefully where we see Bedard turn the corner to closer to what we hope his ceiling is toward the middle or end) being the most likely at this point. A year of AHL/KHL seasoning/developing for Rinzel, Moore, Greene, Lardis, Savoie, Kantserov and hopefully a top 4 pick sets us up for the next wave of guys ready to go through the growing pains transition the following season.

 

[shakes the clown]

do whatever it takes to finish last and get the most ping pong balls.

Keep Bedard on wing the rest of the year and play him with Dickerson.

Don't rush the kids in Rockford this season.

 

[MHO]

Yeah you're probably right about what 'ready to go' means. But what would you do if you were KD given the situation we're in right now?

 

[shakes the clown]

Yeah you're probably right about what 'ready to go' means. But what would you do if you were KD given the situation we're in right now?

check out the current trends in resume fonts.

 

[MHO]

check out the current trends in resume fonts.

That one took me a second but harsh my friend

 

[Mrfenn92]

Just sit back and relax. Give Teuvo and Bertuzzi time to settle in. Enjoy at least that we are losing close games even if it’s boring at times. Enjoy bedard rounding out defensively, much better this year. Enjoy the young dmen that have developed. Enjoy what will be a trade deadline with vets going and younger guys coming up.
Enjoy watching some Rockford games especially once they settle in roster wise.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Let the team suck let the kids eat minutes on D see if we can pry out another Vlasic or two and long term let Slaggert Dach and Nazar get a taste. This is a long term rebuild.