GDT: Three words. Just Win Baby! @ Penguins

[Joe McGrath]

If I'm a contender I'd love to have Skins at the tdl.

Maybe These is the Times will trade us that AHL goalie from last night fro Skinner. He seems pretty good.

I don’t know who would want Skinner for the playoffs the way he’s playing right now. He looks like a guy who has never set foot inside his own blue line and he somehow came up as a center. That 2nd goal was either a complete lack of hustle, or being completely clueless. Either isn’t exactly something playoff bound teams are looking for.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

TDL is the wrong time to sell off a guy who’s got another year on his contract. Especially if you want roster players in return. Those trades are meant for getting draft assets and prospects in return for guys who are going to leave as FAs over the summer.

At this point I’m interested to see what we could get for Skinner and Faulk, but that needs to happen in the offseason. We damned well better not be trading those guys for anything other than established top-line roster players.

Yeah, trade deadline deals for a guy like Skinner would end up being a late 1st (from a contender) and a decent, but not lock, prospect and maybe a later pick or so. That's a Buffalo level tank type move.

 

[Joe McGrath]

RF said when he came on it was a 5 year plan that was going to consist of building through the draft, and this is year 4. Still, this is the first season that the team, from RF on down gave the impression that they had the team to make the playoffs so it's understandingly frustrating (I'm just as frustrated) that it won't be the case again. His outlook was based on:

• Expected improvement from young guys (which we are getting from TT and Aho).
• Bring in Williams to help score more goals (which we aren't getting)
• Improved Goaltending with Darling (which we aren't getting)
• Shoring up the 3rd pairing (which we are getting, but offset by the fall-off of the 2nd pairing / Faulk)
• Improved 4th line with Kruger (which we aren't getting).

The basic problems that plagued this team still exist. Weak down the middle (no 1C) and poor goaltending. As most teams have found out in the past, those (particularly a 1C) are two the most difficult things to solve, particularly when you are a low budget team who isn't getting a #1 or #2 OA draft choice.

I'm still not convinced Bill Peters is the right coach, but I am convinced that this team still is lacking in talent and until either they open the checkbook or some of the guys drafted (Necas?) start to contribute, it will be the case.

I think the 4th line is better. They actually take semi difficult matchups without getting completely blitzed like the 4th line last year. When they could manage to get them out there against Crosby last night, they did and they shut him down. Now they aren’t a great 4th line by any stretch, but I think you’re underselling how terrible McClement’s line was.

 

[Breakdowns]

Counterpoint - our 4th line guys last year were better at PK, this year we are getting lit up almost always when we are 1 man down.

 

[GoldiFox]

Skinner for Hoffman is a swap I'd make.

Dundon is pouring a lot of effort and money into this Fanuary homestand. Trust that he is invested in this thing being successful and he has already said he isn't patient.

I expect a shake-up trade or two.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I think the 4th line is better. They actually take semi difficult matchups without getting completely blitzed like the 4th line last year. When they could manage to get them out there against Crosby last night, they did and they shut him down. Now they aren’t a great 4th line by any stretch, but I think you’re underselling how terrible McClement’s line was.

Fair enough. Probably more expectations vs. reality clouding my judgement. McClement was terrible. On the flipside, the PK is much worse this year although that's not all on Kruger.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I expect a shake-up trade or two.

Unlike the TDL thing, a trade in the next 2 days wouldn’t surprise me at all.

Dundon is known as a disruptive presence. He has two captains. One of those captains is playing like ass at our position of greatest strength.

Just saying.

 

[bluedevil58]

Good point. I also don't think this fan base can handle another rebuild. I am not too convinced a rebuild works. Just look at Buffalo and Edmonton. Then look at Tampa Bay. They just added a few key pieces and they are a cup contender year in and year out. I know it's bad but I am always comparing RF to Yzerman from a GM stand point.

 

[JCLA]

Fair enough. Probably more expectations vs. reality clouding my judgement. McClement was terrible. On the flipside, the PK is much worse this year although that's not all on Kruger.

I don't think the fourth line is any worse. They seem for the most part to dominate the offensive zone, there is just not an ounce of scoring on that line.

but the PK did drop off so that could even it out.

I also believe our expectations weren't meant because of the lack of production. Kruger has what one goal? I wasn't expecting him to set the world on fire but I'd expect at least 2

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Good point. I also don't think this fan base can handle another rebuild. I am not too convinced a rebuild works. Just look at Buffalo and Edmonton. Then look at Tampa Bay. They just added a few key pieces and they are a cup contender year in and year out. I know it's bad but I am always comparing RF to Yzerman from a GM stand point.

Revisionist History.

Steven Stamkos: #1OA pick
Victor Hedman: #2OA pick
Jonathan Drouin: #3OA pick (Who they traded for Sergachev).

 

[Joe McGrath]

Fair enough. Probably more expectations vs. reality clouding my judgement. McClement was terrible. On the flipside, the PK is much worse this year although that's not all on Kruger.

It’s amazing what a lack of Hainsey has done to the PK. Totally blows my mind because i really didn’t appreciate it while he was here.

Kruger isn’t very good at the PK though. Staal is much better at every aspect of it which begs the question of how Kruger can exist as a defensive specialist when he’s not even elite in that aspect?

 

[Joe McGrath]

Good point. I also don't think this fan base can handle another rebuild. I am not too convinced a rebuild works. Just look at Buffalo and Edmonton. Then look at Tampa Bay. They just added a few key pieces and they are a cup contender year in and year out. I know it's bad but I am always comparing RF to Yzerman from a GM stand point.

Yzerman walked into a situation that already had Stamkos and Hedman though. It’s a lot easier to build a contender when you already have elite players. Not to take away anything from Yzerman because he’s done a phenomenal job.

 

[Unsustainable]

Yeah, trade deadline deals for a guy like Skinner would end up being a late 1st (from a contender) and a decent, but not lock, prospect and maybe a later pick or so. That's a Buffalo level tank type move.

What could we get for Skinner and Faulk?

Nylander from Faulk?

Something to consider.

 

[bluedevil58]

Revisionist History.

Steven Stamkos: #1OA pick
Victor Hedman: #2OA pick
Jonathan Drouin: #3OA pick (Who they traded for Sergachev).

Stamkos was already with the team when yzerman came on board.

 

[bluedevil58]

What could we get for Skinner and Faulk?

Nylander from Faulk?

Something to consider.

ROR for Skinner

Faulk and 2nd for Nylander

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Stamkos was already with the team when yzerman came on board.

You're being ridiculous (which is no surprise). Point, which you either can't comprehend or choose not to, is that he already had two elite players on the team as a #1C and a #1D (Stamkos and Hedman) before he took over and a #3OA pick the next season. Canes had neither. Your example was a bad one.

Now I'll practice what I preach and ignore you drivel on this topic.

 

[Joe McGrath]

ROR for Skinner

Faulk and 2nd for Nylander

I’d sign up for that so fast. Ofcourse that means the other teams wouldn’t but eh f*** em

 

[bluedevil58]

You're being ridiculous (which is no surprise). Point, which you either can't comprehend or choose not to, is that he already had two elite players on the team as a #1C and a #1D (Stamkos and Hedman) before he took over and a #3OA pick the next season. Canes had neither. Your example was a bad one.

Now I'll practice what I preach and ignore you drivel on this topic.

Eric Staal says hello.

We also had an "all-star defensemen" named Justin Faulk.

 

[bluedevil58]

I’d sign up for that so fast. Ofcourse that means the other teams wouldn’t but eh **** em

I don't think it's a terrible trade for either side assuming Faulk gets back to form . We may be losing out on the Skinner portion though.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

LOL...sorry, just can't help myself.

Steven Stamkos the season before Yzerman took over: 51G, 95 points
Eric Staal the season before Francis took over: 21G, 61 points

LOL..and equating Faulk to Hedman.

Oh, and let's not forget one team spends $14M more than the other.

Yeah, that's the exact same thing. They just added a few pieces.

 

[Unsustainable]

LOL...sorry, just can't help myself.

Steven Stamkos the season before Yzerman took over: 51G, 95 points
Eric Staal the season before Francis took over: 21G, 61 points

LOL..and equating Faulk to Hedman.

Oh, and let's not forget one team spends $14M more than the other.

Yeah, that's the exact same thing. They just added a few pieces.

Are you saying teams who spend more typically have a better team?

 

[geehaad]

Subtitled: "The Downside Of Increasing The Fan Base"

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Are you saying teams who spend more typically have a better team?

Not always. Teams can catch lightning in a bottle for a year or so, but the lowest spending teams are some of the worst. This year:

Florida, MTL, EDM, NJ, Vegas, Col, Car, ARZ are the lowest cap teams. Vegas is solidly in the playoffs, NJ has a 3 point cushion, and Colorado is a bubble team currently in the last spot (tied with Minn in points).

 

[Joe McGrath]

Not always. Teams can catch lightning in a bottle for a year or so, but the lowest spending teams are some of the worst. This year:

Florida, MTL, EDM, NJ, Vegas, Col, Car, ARZ are the lowest cap teams. Vegas is solidly in the playoffs, NJ has a 3 point cushion, and Colorado is a bubble team currently in the last spot (tied with Minn in points).

MTL, despite the $7mlion in cap space they have, is spending over the cap in actual $.

That’s not a criticism of your post I just find it really amusing

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

MTL, despite the $7mlion in cap space they have, is spending over the cap in actual $.

That’s not a criticism of your post I just find it really amusing

Yeah, I was looking at Cap. And the Canes are below the Cap floor when you look at roster players (because of retention/buy outs).

Current cap: $59.6M
Buyouts/Retention: $4.7M
Total without buyouts/retention: $54.9M
Cap Floor: $55.4M