Improving the Stars 101

[Ghost of Kyiv]

Toronto is currently paying $11.2 million on players to not lace up the skates for them, they've shown the willingness to buy draft picks and futures. I think the chances of them taking Lehtonen off our hands and giving us Reimer are much higher than the chances of us acquiring a number 1 defenseman. And because of that, looking into such a deal should be of very high priority.

Spending assets to acquire a player to help for just one year is not a good strategy, but spending assets to help multiple years should very much be explored. Riemer is an upgrade over Lehtonen and Niemi this year. Not that he's great, but he has been playing behind a porous defense his entire career so Dallas would be nothing new for him. And then in 16/17 and 17/18, I can think of a million ways to better spend $5.9 million than Kari Lehtonen.

The other potential option that has a slight chance of working would be Calgary in the offseason. Do something like trade Niemi and take back Raymond with the intent of a buyout.

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

There are websites that measure low medium and high shot quality. From memory, Kari last year was average from high danger areas, but lower than average on lower quality chances, which is what was frustrating. Last night, Niemi let in one softy, the last goal of the first.

If you look at Detroit, Nill had Vernon, Howard, etc. over the years. None were considered elite goalies (sort of like Crawford now in Chicago) so you may be right about that being the plan, probably forced on Nill by circumstance.

Yeah, that website says the Dallas keepers suck at everything this year, which they do.

The third goal against was about as bad of a goal as you're going to see in the NHL this year, but the second was on Niemi as well.

 

[Satan]

1st in on-ice High-Danger Scoring Chances For
3rd in on-ice High-Danger Scoring Chances Against

#DangerPuck

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

We spend more money on forwards and goaltenders combined than any other team in hockey, and we have one of the cheapest blueline cores in the league.

Given that salary allocation and that roster construction, in my opinion it is unrealistic to expect our defense to be any good. It's decent when Demers and Oduya are on the ice, but anything else and we haemorrhage shots, chances and goals against. But that should be expected.

The one thing that gives me some solace is that at least are blueliners are good offensively, as of last week, they were 2nd in the NHL in points among defensive units. I'm sure some of that is due to leeching off the forwards, but I think most would agree that our blueline as a whole can put the puck on our the sticks of our forwards, and that's what separates Dallas from Edmonton.

Maybe this was me being unrealistic, but I expected at least mediocre goal tending, but we haven't gotten that in two months now. And their salaries are inhibiting our ability to buy decent defenseman or 2 way forwards.

 

[Mr Misty]

I think it's pretty clear they realized they were stuck with Kari, so they spent to get the most consistent guy they could. To this point we've been lucky that when Kari was bad at the beginning of the year, Niemi was good 3 out of 4 starts. Now that Niemi is struggling, we've gotten the best Kari of the past 18 months.

It does suck that we are hitting this combination's ceiling now, but this is where we're going to be for 2 more seasons.

 

[valente317]

Based completely on the "eye test," Dallas goalies give up far more goals on undeflected wrist and slap shots from low percentage shooting areas than other teams, and I can't figure out why.

Sure, there are screens to contend with, but every goalie on every team deals with those. On Enstrom's goal last night, Niemi was screened, but if he just stays at the top of his crease, there is a solid chance the puck hits him. Instead, he actually slides completely out of the net. By the time the puck crosses the line, Niemi is halfway out of the crease, with about 90% of the net open from the angle of the shot. That just makes no sense.

Why would Niemi try to take the weak wrister at the end of the period in his stomach instead of deflecting it away and letting time expire? Why would Kari try to reach for a knuckling puck with his glove instead of taking it with his body? I don't know what the job of the goalie coach is, but I haven't really seen any philosophical differences in the way the goalies are playing compared to the past few years.

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

I think it's pretty clear they realized they were stuck with Kari, so they spent to get the most consistent guy they could. To this point we've been lucky that when Kari was bad at the beginning of the year, Niemi was good 3 out of 4 starts. Now that Niemi is struggling, we've gotten the best Kari of the past 18 months.

It does suck that we are hitting this combination's ceiling now, but this is where we're going to be for 2 more seasons.

Leaf fans seemed pretty open to the idea of taking back one of the keepers with us adding assets. Leafs management has dumped gobs of money and effort with the intent of building up young assets. Doing something like that would fall right in line with their MO. I'm pretty confident that they would entertain the idea, and I have no problem spending assets to fix our biggest issue. The other options like taking back other slightly less bad contracts with the intent of buyouts should also be explored. Hope Nill sees the writing on the wall.

 

[Mr Misty]

Leaf fans seemed pretty open to the idea of taking back one of the keepers with us adding assets. Leafs management has dumped gobs of money and effort with the intent of building up young assets. Doing something like that would fall right in line with their MO. I'm pretty confident that they would entertain the idea, and I have no problem spending assets to fix our biggest issue. The other options like taking back other slightly less bad contracts with the intent of buyouts should also be explored. Hope Nill sees the writing on the wall.

Almost posted this as a thread earlier today on the main board. Great minds etc

 

[LowSodium]

We couldn't match that price for Reimer?...

 

[Magic Mittens]

We couldn't match that price for Reimer?...

Doubt Toronto wants one of our Finn 20 million goalies

 

[Satan]

yeah, Dallas could easily match it but no chance Toronto is taking a rotting Finnish goalie for 2 more years

 

[nekyvGkOPaiWICTscLl6]

Hamhuis has said that he would be willing to go to Dallas.

 

[Mr Misty]

Hamhuis has said that he would be willing to go to Dallas.

I think he's still confused by Nichushkin Magellan-ing him. There are cartoon birds flying around his head distracting him into saying "Dallas" when he meant Chicago

 

[Canucks LB]

Not sure if you guys heard but, Dallas is front runners for hamhuis, and Hamhuis loves dallas.

“I think Dallas has a lot of great things going for it,” Hamhuis admitted. “It’s one of the best teams in the league.

“It’d be a great city to play in and have a chance to win this year.”

I also know quite a few players on that team,” Hamhuis said.

Can't find a trade thread on your board, figured I would post it here.

 

[LT]

It was literally two threads down...

 

[Satan]

Hamhuis has said that he would be willing to go to Dallas.

Is your name encrypted?

 

[LT]

Is your name encrypted?

IIRC, his username and password got switched somehow

 

[tjcurrie]

I will continue to remind everyone that a goalie is only as good as the defense in front of them. These guys are world class talent

There are good goalies and not good goalies

There are goalies who have habits of letting in shots they should stop, there are goalies who do it way less often

There are goalies who are great at covering up mistakes of their defense, there are goalies who aren't

This is not to say our defense plays no roll in our GA, but when goalies are playing poorly, they're playing poorly. Even with a not-so-good defense in front of them, that can still be a fact, and with us, it's a fact

 

[Troy McClure]

These goalies are terrible. We know Kari is terrible because the Stars felt the need to go find another starter. We know Niemi is terrible because the Sharks were eager to let him go.

 

[Frozen Failure]

There are good goalies and not good goalies

There are goalies who have habits of letting in shots they should stop, there are goalies who do it way less often

There are goalies who are great at covering up mistakes of their defense, there are goalies who aren't

This is not to say our defense plays no roll in our GA, but when goalies are playing poorly, they're playing poorly. Even with a not-so-good defense in front of them, that can still be a fact, and with us, it's a fact

And Kari did that for a long time. And now the team gives up a ton more mistakes and teams have figured out how to beat both him and Niemi.

Fixing our atrocious penalty kill (and penalty taking) situation would be great. Fixing our entire team being unable to consistently defense board battles would be great. Giving up tons of breakaways due to our hyper aggressive defensive play would be great...

Lots of problems all over that hurt our boat but ya know, we're still top of the damn West.

 

[tjcurrie]

And Kari did that for a long time. And now the team gives up a ton more mistakes and teams have figured out how to beat both him and Niemi.

Fixing our atrocious penalty kill (and penalty taking) situation would be great. Fixing our entire team being unable to consistently defense board battles would be great. Giving up tons of breakaways due to our hyper aggressive defensive play would be great...

Lots of problems all over that hurt our boat but ya know, we're still top of the damn West.

I agree with all the needs to be fixed, and it would all help any goalie, no matter who it was.

I agree Kari for the most part use to win games for us, he was a top 5 or so (regular season) goalie in 2011-12 even when our defense was sub-par. Even though I've never been his biggest fan, he deserved that contract Joe gave him. Many people moan about it, and sure it hinders us now, but at the time it was fair and you pay your players or you're a garbage club.

Fact remains though he's just not been good the last few seasons. He's had him games, and his moments, but at best he's been an overall average/slightly above average NHL starter, regardless of our defensive play. Some may say even slightly less than average, which I wouldn't argue against. I saw his game falling a few years ago, which is why I wanted us to trade for then fairly unknown Ben Bishop. Back-up Kari, steal his job.

I don't have a lot of faith in our goaltending right now. It makes me sick to fathom that this is what we have for the next 2 seasons. I pray something is done.

With our forwards (could use some improvement for sure on the defensive side/PK), and if our defense gets fixed, well hey we're a top 3 (standings) team right now, so even with the same goaltending we could be even better. I still just don't have faith in the tandem. I think it needs to be improved. The team in front could do everything possible (not saying ours does), if your goalie lets in the softies and the poorly timed ones, then it's not gonna get you far. We're a combo of team in front not doing what it should, and goalies just not being good. Hence the 22 goals against in the 4 games prior to today, and the pizz poor record since New Years.

So let's improve the team in front, we still have very questionable goaltending that could break everything.

Goalies can get hot, so I will hope for that here.

 

[Frozen Failure]

He's only been bad the last two (this and last) season. In that time, we lost our defensive forwards and our puck movers. The biggest hit in the Sharp trade was the loss of Garbutt's PKing and Daley's puck moving & PKing. Because Sharp doesn't PK and Oduya doesn't move the ****ing puck. Fiddler falling apart doesn't help either.

Hamhuis and Higgins/Hansen or equivalents would go miles in shoring up that impacting depth that we've lost.

But yes the goalies do need to improve and maybe them having more faith in the guys up front to be successful would be a good start...

 

[serp]

The team needs to shift away from giving Fiddler important minutes or draws . He can't handle them anymore and everyone sees it. Give those to Faksa or Eakin . Hell Spezza, Janmark or Seguin if you have to but Fiddler constantly losing draws on the PK puts an already shaky PK even more in trouble. He's not much help on even strength either.

 

[Mr Misty]

The team needs to shift away from giving Fiddler important minutes or draws . He can't handle them anymore and everyone sees it. Give those to Faksa or Eakin . Hell Spezza, Janmark or Seguin if you have to but Fiddler constantly losing draws on the PK puts an already shaky PK even more in trouble. He's not much help on even strength either.

Yet Faksa is going to be scratched once everyone is healthy like vs Arizona and Boston. Yay can't wait etc

 

[serp]

The coaching staff rode Fiddler hard these last couple of seasons and he was mostly effective up until this season . It's like they can't get it through their heads that Vernon got older and lost most of his effectiveness. Especially on draws , he was super reliable in the past but now he barely wins any . Part of it may be rule changes but still you can't give important defensive draws to someone who loses them constantly.