Speculation: 2017-18 Roster Discussion - Part 4

[These Are The Days]

I'm thoroughly impressed with how much better this new lineup looks and moreso by how it is playing. The entire lineup looks healthy, rested and rejuvenated. And imagine that... we get some roster turnover and suddenly we get stretches where it's as if though we are watching a brand new team.

I agree with the comments about Sustr. Addition by subtraction. The improvement is so profound that I cannot possibly justify him ever returning to the lineup. I just pray to almighty God we just keep the defense as it is. It's clear that we can move forward with two rookies. However I am apprehensive and nervous at the idea of Hedman continuing to pull 25+ minutes a night. His injury risk increases the more he plays and I neither want to see him get injured and be exhausted by April from carrying us for 6 months and then being asked to work even harder for another 2 months through a Cup run.

 

[Felonious Python]

This is the new game opening video in case y'all haven't seen it yet. I'm putting it in this thread because I wonder if the lack of certain players in it could suggest anything with regards to a possibly tenuous position with the Lightning? The rookies/recent roster additions called up from Syracuse I can understand not being included but... Beh, I'm probably reading too much into this.

It's a bit surprising how much emphasis they put on Names.

 

[These Are The Days]

It's a bit surprising how much emphasis they put on Names.

Gotta sell him as a first line player somehow right lol

 

[DFC]

I'm thoroughly impressed with how much better this new lineup looks and moreso by how it is playing. The entire lineup looks healthy, rested and rejuvenated. And imagine that... we get some roster turnover and suddenly we get stretches where it's as if though we are watching a brand new team.

I agree with the comments about Sustr. Addition by subtraction. The improvement is so profound that I cannot possibly justify him ever returning to the lineup. I just pray to almighty God we just keep the defense as it is. It's clear that we can move forward with two rookies. However I am apprehensive and nervous at the idea of Hedman continuing to pull 25+ minutes a night. His injury risk increases the more he plays and I neither want to see him get injured and be exhausted by April from carrying us for 6 months and then being asked to work even harder for another 2 months through a Cup run.

We're not gonna need him for > 25 minutes every night. If we can play, for instance, the Detroit Red Wings with the intensity that we played the majority of the last three games, the game will hopefully be a lot more comfortable and we can keep Hedman in the lower 20 range.

But there's no reason he can't put in the same kind of minutes the other top Dmen in the league put in.

 

[Ulysses31]

Thinking about making a move for Killorn or Namestnikov in fantasy for a week. Any suggestions of the two of who i should pick? Looking for points mostly esp on the pp and goals in general.

Thanks in advance

 

[JoVel]

Thinking about making a move for Killorn or Namestnikov in fantasy for a week. Any suggestions of the two of who i should pick? Looking for points mostly esp on the pp and goals in general.

Thanks in advance

Namestnikov. He will get his points playing with Stamkos and Kucherov while Killorn's numbers so far are much better than he actually has played. He also had a 4 point game against Pittsburgh which he probably won't repeat any time this season.

 

[These Are The Days]

We're not gonna need him for > 25 minutes every night. If we can play, for instance, the Detroit Red Wings with the intensity that we played the majority of the last three games, the game will hopefully be a lot more comfortable and we can keep Hedman in the lower 20 range.

But there's no reason he can't put in the same kind of minutes the other top Dmen in the league put in.

I'm sure Hedman could play 25 minutes a night ala Keith and Weber no problem but I cannot necessarily advocate that he should. The injury bug has been torturous these last 2 years and Hedman is the one guy we have on this team other than maybe Kucherov that we CAN NOT lose under any circumstance. It's full blown conspiracy theory that I would worry about him burning out from fatigue before the playoffs given he is in the prime of his career but given the fact we've never really asked him to go beyond 22 minutes (until the last few years) it just gives me a slight worry when the current recipe for success entails him playing probably 26 minutes a night at least. I don't know... perhaps I worry too much.

Because if we do in fact stick with Koekkoek and Sergachev and part ways with Sustr to create a Hedman-Dotchin, Sergachev-Stralman, Girardi-Coburn + Koekkoek lineup then I would say that an objective view of the situation demands that Hedman play that 26 minutes a night every night. It would be much as out of necessity as it would be due to that the more he plays the better our chances will be of winning. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the correlation of winning more when your best players are on the ice more.

 

[DFC]

Namestnikov. He will get his points playing with Stamkos and Kucherov while Killorn's numbers so far are much better than he actually has played. He also had a 4 point game against Pittsburgh which he probably won't repeat any time this season.

I think Killer's been surprisingly good. Not as good as his numbers, mind you, but it should be said that we're seeing the "good" version of him so far.

 

[JoVel]

I think Killer's been surprisingly good. Not as good as his numbers, mind you, but it should be said that we're seeing the "good" version of him so far.

I'd expect him to return to his 0,5ppg production soon. Namestnikov however could put up ~50 points if that line will stay as it is for the whole season.

 

[Leonardo87]

I think Killer's been surprisingly good. Not as good as his numbers, mind you, but it should be said that we're seeing the "good" version of him so far.

Well dude, he is in the middle of a PP unit with Kucherov, Hedman, and Stamkos. So you almost expect him to have higher numbers.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

c a l l u p v o l k o v
l o s e j t b r o w n

 

[DFC]

Well dude, he is in the middle of a PP unit with Kucherov, Hedman, and Stamkos. So you almost expect him to have higher numbers.

Yeah, but I think that's not really giving Killer the credit he's due. He was invisible last year, but this year he looks a lot like he did in 2015. Same as a lot of our guys. He'll probably wind up at 0.5 points per game, like always, but he's playing pretty solid hockey despite having 0 chemistry with Tyler Johnson.

I really think Killer would be a better fit with Point, who could put Killer's above average shot to good use, as we've already seen.

 

[Rschmitz]

Yeah, but I think that's not really giving Killer the credit he's due. He was invisible last year, but this year he looks a lot like he did in 2015. Same as a lot of our guys. He'll probably wind up at 0.5 points per game, like always, but he's playing pretty solid hockey despite having 0 chemistry with Tyler Johnson.

I really think Killer would be a better fit with Point, who could put Killer's above average shot to good use, as we've already seen.

Agreed. He's done a lot more to impress me 5 on 5 so far than he has on the PP. Proving me wrong

 

[JoVel]

c a l l u p v o l k o v
l o s e j t b r o w n

Brown already has been scratched in every game but one. I'd rather have Volkov playing full time in the AHL than in the NHL playing a single game every now and then. One possibility though would be to go 12-6 and put Volkov on the 2nd line with Johnson and Killorn so they'd get a permanent linemate. But, we haven't seen Volkov playing at the NHL level yet so he'd have to really impress to get into our top 6.

 

[Tampacuseforever]

Guys please........ Volkov is not even close to NHL ready, he had a couple of good exhibition games that is all. He has no points in 5 ahl games for a reason. He hasn't come close to playing an 80 game schedule before he needs a full year in Syracuse at the very least.

 

[The Macho King]

Guys please........ Volkov is not even close to NHL ready, he had a couple of good exhibition games that is all. He has no points in 5 ahl games for a reason. He hasn't come close to playing an 80 game schedule before he needs a full year in Syracuse at the very least.

This. Shiny new toy syndrome is taking over. He is still largely an unknown quantity, and it's absurd to put a just drafted player onto the second line without some sort of track record. He's like... the fourth call up at forward right now at best.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Nah he's not fourth callup. He should be first RW callup.

(Erne at LW, Peca at c)

 

[Firestorm]

Will Brayden Point continue to get top 6 minutes?

 

[HoseEmDown]

Nah he's not fourth callup. He should be first RW callup.

(Erne at LW, Peca at c)

All 3 of those players have sucked so far this year, none of them deserve a call up anytime soon.

 

[DFC]

Nah he's not fourth callup. He should be first RW callup.

(Erne at LW, Peca at c)

I think Erne would get called up first at either wing, then Peca, then Conacher. Volkov probably isn't even next up after that. Mitchell Stephens had a pretty stellar camp too.

 

[DFC]

Will Brayden Point continue to get top 6 minutes?

If he doesn't, we'll riot.

 

[Stammertime91]

I've been impressed with Budaj and Sustr lately.

 

[HoseEmDown]

I've been impressed with Budaj and Sustr lately.

They're the real reason we keep winning. Budaj is so quick opening the door our line changes have been top notch. Nobody butters the popcorn quite like Sustr, the guys are extra slippery out there because of it.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

I think Erne would get called up first at either wing, then Peca, then Conacher. Volkov probably isn't even next up after that. Mitchell Stephens had a pretty stellar camp too.

Yeah maybe. I think he's NHL ready though.

 

[Tampacuseforever]

I think Erne would get called up first at either wing, then Peca, then Conacher. Volkov probably isn't even next up after that. Mitchell Stephens had a pretty stellar camp too.

Conacher wayyyyy better than Erne
Stephens wayyyyyy better than Peca

At this point Erne is in trouble and about to surpassed by the young guys if he doesn't pick it up. He had a long run last year and kept getting less ice time as he went along. Not a good sign that Gourde and Dumont passed their auditions and he didn't . A spot was his for the taking.
Peca I can't explain so far he played so well and camp and so poorly in the early crunch season, I can't explain it but Stephens if based on this season alone (along with Cirelli) have been FAR superior.