Speculation: V. 2014 Stars Offseason Thread: Spezza to the Rescue

[OttMorrow]

We are now in the deep of the offseason. No big news, no posts....nothing, but a sickening silence.

 

[Elysian]

Guys... I just realized something... Remember last season when Seguin got injured and we had no options? Never again!

 

[oconnor9sean]

We are now in the deep of the offseason. No big news, no posts....nothing, but a sickening silence.

Until Nill trades Cole and Horcoff for Ekblad and we're all good.

 

[Stars99Lobo37]

We are now in the deep of the offseason. No big news, no posts....nothing, but a sickening silence.

 

[Klockis]

We are now in the deep of the offseason. No big news, no posts....nothing, but a sickening silence.

I hope you see the irony in this post.

Lobo is way too fast, sadface

 

[OttMorrow]

lol!

 

[Hull Fan]

This goes along with the prognostication post about how the players do. I commented before that Dallas was 10th in the league with 231 total goals scored. 126 goals at home. 105 on the road. Anaheim led the league with 263 total goals. Given that we've signed Spezza and Hemsky, that Whitney isn't dragging down the power play and Chiasson won't hit the goalie in the pads on basically every shot, how many goals can this team score?

I have a hard time picturing this team being as bad offensively as they were at times last season. If Benn/Seguin do their thing and Spezza/Hemsky score their average can this team score less than 270 goals, assuming everyone is healthy and in the lineup?

Someone temper my expectations because if things go right as far as the power play, possession, injuries, and not stumbling out of the gate searching for our identity this offense is capable of 285+. Am I just being irrationally optimistic?

 

[redbeardtx]

Hey guys, people like us now. Lol

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1709029

 

[MetalGodAOD*]

I"m anticipating a downswing for Tyler and Benn on the goal scoring, just because I don't want to get my hopes up. Garbs and Rousell probably won't get as many goals as they had either with less ice time. I think we'll be better than we were last year but that close to #1.

 

[BigG44]

I"m anticipating a downswing for Tyler and Benn on the goal scoring, just because I don't want to get my hopes up. Garbs and Rousell probably won't get as many goals as they had either with less ice time. I think we'll be better than we were last year but that close to #1.

There's still really no reason to assume those two will play less. Eakin maybe but it seems reasonable that he'll still get PP time ... those two though were playing 13 minutes a game and that easily stays the same.

Spezza makes it more likely they consistently roll 4 not less because each line is so much better.

 

[TrillMike]

So Nashville signed Ribs and Roy...

 

[FrailSwan]

So Nashville signed Ribs and Roy...

Poor Poille doing all he can to try to keep up with the rest of the Central. And it will probably all fail in the end.

 

[Klockis]

Poor Poille doing all he can to try to keep up with the rest of the Central. And it will probably all fail in the end.

Honestly not sure about that. Weber is scary good. But they lost Tortz awesome defensive system and replaced it with Lavi's offensive system, while Rinne might not be good anymore (he played during and since the lockout, even without injuries).

Edit: Oh wait. They are going to have Ribs and Roy up against Spezza/Seguin, Toews/Richards, Backes/Stastny, Duchene/MacKinnon, Granlund/Koivu. The more I think about it the less of a threat the Preds seems.

 

[FrailSwan]

Honestly not sure about that. Weber is scary good. But they lost Tortz awesome defensive system and replaced it with Lavi's offensive system, while Rinne might not be good anymore (he played during and since the lockout, even without injuries).

It might be an offensive system, but lets be honest. Ribs is probably the 1C and Roy the 2 or 3C. Ribs' slowness is going to be eaten up by us and the rest of the Central. Roy isn't the same player he was since the shoulder injury. Will Weber help them? Maybe. But my money is on them doing less that what some are expecting.

 

[Klockis]

It might be an offensive system, but lets be honest. Ribs is probably the 1C and Roy the 2 or 3C. Ribs' slowness is going to be eaten up by us and the rest of the Central. Roy isn't the same player he was since the shoulder injury. Will Weber help them? Maybe. But my money is on them doing less that what some are expecting.

Just edited my post. Didn't think you would be so fast at responding. But I agree with you, they seem like a mess. Similar to pre-Nill Stars.

Another late edit: I meant losing Tortz as bad and hiring a offensive coach with that lineup as bad, at least this year.

 

[FrailSwan]

Just edited my post. Didn't think you would be so fast at responding. But I agree with you, they seem like a mess. Similar to pre-Nill Stars.

Another late edit: I meant losing Tortz as bad and hiring a offensive coach with that lineup as bad, at least this year.

It's going to be awesome watching us play against them. For us anyways

 

[Klockis]

It's going to be awesome watching us play against them. For us anyways

Indeed, sir.

I'm still scared of weber, though

 

[glovesave_35]

Someone temper my expectations because if things go right as far as the power play, possession, injuries, and not stumbling out of the gate searching for our identity this offense is capable of 285+. Am I just being irrationally optimistic?

I think we have a top 5 team in terms of offense next year. We added some help on the PP but as piqued mentioned a few days ago, we still have no PP QB on the blueline. Garbutt and Roussel aren't going to sneak up on anyone next year, so the offense we get from the 3rd line will be hard earned with a possibility for a down turn.

I think you're being irrationally optimistic. We're better than before by a long shot but we were also relatively healthy last year. Seguin and Benn both played 80 or more games. Who knows how healthy Hemsky or Spezza will be.

To each their own. I prefer to be pleasantly surprised rather than counting on my 30 goal scorers to add 10-15 goals to their totals like a few posters have suggested.

 

[Hull Fan]

I think we have a top 5 team in terms of offense next year. We added some help on the PP but as piqued mentioned a few days ago, we still have no PP QB on the blueline. Garbutt and Roussel aren't going to sneak up on anyone next year, so the offense we get from the 3rd line will be hard earned with a possibility for a down turn.

I think you're being irrationally optimistic. We're better than before by a long shot but we were also relatively healthy last year. Seguin and Benn both played 80 or more games. Who knows how healthy Hemsky or Spezza will be.

To each their own. I prefer to be pleasantly surprised rather than counting on my 30 goal scorers to add 10-15 goals to their totals like a few posters have suggested.

The only ones I really expect to put up more points is Nichushkin, Sceviour, and Dillon. Everyone else you hope stays the same then Spezza and Hemsky are good for 65+, 55+ respectively. I don't think you can or should pencil in Roussel or Garbutt for 35-40 points.

 

[Stars90]

Put me in as "more than cautiously optimistic but not going to wear a T-Shirt declaring my optimism just yet".

I think even if we see downturns from Benn and Seguin slightly, it will more than be made up for by adding the pieces we did. We essentially traded Chaison for Spezza and then added Hemsky for free. I know we all know that, but it bears repeating that we can handle a bit of a drop off in production from a few players. This isn't even counting a full year of Sceviour, maybe a better Cole, improved Val, etc.

However, I think still we're in a dog fight for the lower seeds in the post-season, even though I feel much more confident about this group than I did last year. The Defence is still relatively weak. I know we all have different feelings about how good individuals within the group are, but where do you rank them within the Central?

I think I go: Chicago, St. Louis (very close), Minnesota, Nashville, Dallas, Winnipeg, Colorado. That's going to hurt us through 82 games.

I'm still optimistic, I think we have a playoff team. But this division and this conference is a grind, and if/when the top 6 starts to get injured, our D won't be able to hold the fort like some others.

Just my two cents on the optimist conversation.

 

[Klockis]

Put me in as "more than cautiously optimistic but not going to wear a T-Shirt declaring my optimism just yet".

I think even if we see downturns from Benn and Seguin slightly, it will more than be made up for by adding the pieces we did. We essentially traded Chaison for Spezza and then added Hemsky for free. I know we all know that, but it bears repeating that we can handle a bit of a drop off in production from a few players. This isn't even counting a full year of Sceviour, maybe a better Cole, improved Val, etc.

However, I think still we're in a dog fight for the lower seeds in the post-season, even though I feel much more confident about this group than I did last year. The Defence is still relatively weak. I know we all have different feelings about how good individuals within the group are, but where do you rank them within the Central?

I think I go: Chicago, St. Louis (very close), Minnesota, Nashville, Dallas, Winnipeg, Colorado. That's going to hurt us through 82 games.

I'm still optimistic, I think we have a playoff team. But this division and this conference is a grind, and if/when the top 6 starts to get injured, our D won't be able to hold the fort like some others.

Just my two cents on the optimist conversation.

If we finish behind Nashville and 5th in the central the regular season is a disappointment. I don't expect anything but I know that the team should be better than last year, otherwise from a asset standpoint, we gave up some prospects for the same result.

 

[BigG44]

Nashville's new coach is far from the safe, defensive guy we're use to with them. He's going to neutralize some of Rinne's impact, IMO, who isn't use to playing behind an attacking style that's going to give up chances.

They're going to have some growing pains, IMO.

 

[glovesave_35]

The only ones I really expect to put up more points is Nichushkin, Sceviour, and Dillon. Everyone else you hope stays the same then Spezza and Hemsky are good for 65+, 55+ respectively. I don't think you can or should pencil in Roussel or Garbutt for 35-40 points.

Hemsky is an interesting case. In a quarter season he was scoring at about a 70 point pace and he did manage to play in 75 games last year. I just can't pencil him in for anything more than about 65 games next year until I see him do it. He was a joke around the league a few years ago due to his glass man reputation; everyone knew he could play but his health has been in question for 6-7 years. If you prorate Hemsky's scoring with Ottawa last year to my 65 game level he's at 55 points.

You're right that adding 65 and 55 points to our 2nd line is great. I just don't think it puts us into 1st overall scoring level unless Ritchie comes in and has a James Neal rookie season or Nichushkin has a 65+ point revelation season. We are absolutely set up to better withstand cold streaks or off nights from guys you count on to score.

More than anything and regardless of scoring numbers, our team is so much better balanced right now. I'm super excited, I'm just trying to temper my expectations.

 

[Stars90]

If we finish behind Nashville and 5th in the central the regular season is a disappointment. I don't expect anything but I know that the team should be better than last year, otherwise from a asset standpoint, we gave up some prospects for the same result.

I think we'll finish ahead of Nashville. I actually think we might come in third in the division to be honest, but I was ranking the defences of the division. In terms of our D as a whole, I think we're 5th.

 

[Klockis]

I think we'll finish ahead of Nashville. I actually think we might come in third in the division to be honest, but I was ranking the defences of the division. In terms of our D as a whole, I think we're 5th.

Oh, nevermind then.