Speculation: 2017-18 Roster Discussion

[Flat Ronnie]

I want to keep Palat too. My hope is Killorn is either taken by Vegas or is traded. He has value. If we have to trade someone else it will be Drouin or Johnson. My guess is whoever is more willing to not break the bank in signing an extension. I think Johnson would take a discount.

I hear Drouins agent is a pain in the ass and the team is not happy he chose him as his agent. My guess is Drouin is traded this off-season. I didn't think he would until I heard from someone I trust that he's as good as gone. I hope it's not the case but at the same time believe it happens. Going to the highest bidder aka better defenseman coming back.

However if Killorn is taken by Vegas or is traded don't be surprised to see our big 3 rfas re-signed. Killorn leaving will be big relief.

Getting rid of Killorn and resigning the 3 RFAs is NOT going to improve our team. It keeps it the same, minus Killorn. Which is not that big of addition by subtraction.

I think it's obvious now that we need to trade for a D to actually improve this team.

 

[The Macho King]

Getting rid of Killorn and resigning the 3 RFAs is NOT going to improve our team. It keeps it the same, minus Killorn. Which is not that big of addition by subtraction.

I think it's obvious now that we need to trade for a D to actually improve this team.

This is truth. I dont' want to return predominately the same team next season with a few changes in the bottom 6 like the past two years.

Although moving Killorn does do more than just tread water. Freeing up 4.5m in cap space gives us a ton of flexibility to make a trade where we actually take on some salary.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Getting rid of Killorn and resigning the 3 RFAs is NOT going to improve our team. It keeps it the same, minus Killorn. Which is not that big of addition by subtraction.

I think it's obvious now that we need to trade for a D to actually improve this team.

The team nearly made the playoffs while missing key players for long stretches and dogging it half the year. Give that team Stamkos it's in the playoffs. Vasilevskiy should be improved and the defense was much better late in the year.

The type of defenseman we want, a young puck mover, is in the system and ready in Koekkoek. He's not a PPQB which we could also use but will help our transition game and ability to clear the zone. Getting rid of a declining Garrison for him is an improvement and we don't have to lose a top 6 forward when we don't have a replacement lined up yet.

 

[showtime8]

Question for Lightning fans. Apologize if not in the right thread.

How do you see Slater Koekkoek fitting into the organization next year? Is there a spot already given to him, does he need to win one out of camp or is he the odd man out and spend another half year in Syracuse / traded?

 

[Rschmitz]

Question for Lightning fans. Apologize if not in the right thread.

How do you see Slater Koekkoek fitting into the organization next year? Is there a spot already given to him, does he need to win one out of camp or is he the odd man out and spend another half year in Syracuse / traded?

Good question and one Lightning fans would like to know as well

 

[c_robio]

Question for Lightning fans. Apologize if not in the right thread.

How do you see Slater Koekkoek fitting into the organization next year? Is there a spot already given to him, does he need to win one out of camp or is he the odd man out and spend another half year in Syracuse / traded?

Well we know he will make the team because he'd have to clear waivers to be sent down

Assuming Garrison is still on the team I think he'll start out as the 7

Hedman-Dotchin
Garrison-Stralman
Coburn-Sustr
Koekkoek

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

I don't think Garrison is going to be with us next year. Not sure we can trade him for much of anything, but perhaps he's a candidate for buyout??

Koekkoek and Dotchin have been playing as a pair quite a bit with the Crunch throughout their playoffs. If they are an effective pair (I haven't been watching their playoffs - I need to start watching), then perhaps...

Hedman-Strålman
Coburn-XXX/Sustr
Koekkoek-Dotchin
with Witkowski as #7

Would love to get a solid #3/#4 Dman to work with Coburn rather than have Sustr on the roster. Coby can play RD or LD so that leaves some flexibility for trading/acquisition on the second pair. He actually played rather well during the last half of the season.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Question for Lightning fans. Apologize if not in the right thread.

How do you see Slater Koekkoek fitting into the organization next year? Is there a spot already given to him, does he need to win one out of camp or is he the odd man out and spend another half year in Syracuse / traded?

depends on if we can move garrison

 

[Stormbreaker]

I think it's necessary to move Garrison he's on the verge of a Carle level drop off in play. His play last year was pretty mediocre.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

I think it's necessary to move Garrison he's on the verge of a Carle level drop off in play. His play last year was pretty mediocre.

Agreed, but who will want him?

 

[The Macho King]

I think it's necessary to move Garrison he's on the verge of a Carle level drop off in play. His play last year was pretty mediocre.

Don't really need to move Garrison. I mean - better if we do, but there's one year left on the contract. Riding that out is no big.

 

[Sky04]

We don't have a "weak roster" by any means, even if we did return the same team, it's a cup contending team on paper.

This is truth. I dont' want to return predominately the same team next season with a few changes in the bottom 6 like the past two years.

Although moving Killorn does do more than just tread water. Freeing up 4.5m in cap space gives us a ton of flexibility to make a trade where we actually take on some salary.

I don't believe it's the roster at all, sure we could tweak things up in the bottom 6 or add another top-4 defenseman but the problems lies deeper then that with the system. If we were to make big changes, then get rid of one of "Cooper's boys", consistency seems to be a big problem with his favorite 3 (Palat, Johnson and Killorn).

 

[The Macho King]

We don't have a "weak roster" by any means, even if we did return the same team, it's a cup contending team on paper.



I don't believe it's the roster at all, sure we could tweak things up in the bottom 6 or add another top-4 defenseman but the problems lies deeper then that with the system. If we were to make big changes, then get rid of one of "Cooper's boys", consistency seems to be a big problem with his favorite 3 (Palat, Johnson and Killorn).

I don't think it's the roster necessarily, but at the same time I think - since we are not a Cup-winner - stability can be counterproductive. We need hungry players, and I think we're missing a few.

 

[Steazy Doo]

A bit OT, but the term "Cooper's boys" is the dumbest thing on this board. Even dumber then Cat Bowser.

Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat would get the same ice time they get here anywhere else in the league. Killorn would probably play in the top six on a lot of teams as well. If there's complaceny in the roster, it's not Cooper's fault. He has to play these guys.

And it's not like Drouin and Kucherov lost minutes because of them. They all averaged around 18 minutes per game, and Drouin doesn't even PK. Stupid Cooper always playing those darn Cooper's boys!

 

[Sky04]

A bit OT, but the term "Cooper's boys" is the dumbest thing on this board. Even dumber then Cat Bowser.

Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat would get the same ice time they get here anywhere else in the league. Killorn would probably play in the top six on a lot of teams as well. If there's complaceny in the roster, it's not Cooper's fault. He has to play these guys.

And it's not like Drouin and Kucherov lost minutes because of them. They all averaged around 18 minutes per game, and Drouin doesn't even PK. Stupid Cooper always playing those darn Cooper's boys!

That's not why they're coined "Cooper's boy's" it's because of their inconsistency, and that they can look down right horrible on certain nights while going unpunished - likely because of their familiarity with the coach. Not because they're taking minutes, when did anyone say Johnson or Palat was taking minutes from Kucherov and Drouin? first I've heard of it was in your post today.

 

[HoseEmDown]

I don't think it's the roster necessarily, but at the same time I think - since we are not a Cup-winner - stability can be counterproductive. We need hungry players, and I think we're missing a few.

If we move out Killorn who seems very content and replace with Erne who seems much more hungry that's a win. Callahan and Stamkos should be much energized and hungry to get back to old form. Gourde in the bottom 6 will inject some life in that group. Put Namestnikov and Kucherov together where they seem to enjoy playing together and you have a much happier and hungry group. Dotchin will bring the energy on the defense, overpaid Garrison needs to go as he brings nothing, at least Coburn will hit and fight.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Getting rid of Killorn and resigning the 3 RFAs is NOT going to improve our team. It keeps it the same, minus Killorn. Which is not that big of addition by subtraction.

I think it's obvious now that we need to trade for a D to actually improve this team.

I don't think we would know for sure if that wouldn't improve the team. Maybe some guy comes up or Gourde is given his ice time. Maybe we are better with subtraction. Seeing a Pens team coast by with some pretty unspectacular D and getting by with their talent on offense. I think if we can't re-sign our 3 Rfas we will trade one of them for D but I think if Yzerman can get them all signed he will do so.

 

[RegularSznAllStars]

If we move out Killorn who seems very content and replace with Erne who seems much more hungry that's a win. Callahan and Stamkos should be much energized and hungry to get back to old form. Gourde in the bottom 6 will inject some life in that group. Put Namestnikov and Kucherov together where they seem to enjoy playing together and you have a much happier and hungry group. Dotchin will bring the energy on the defense, overpaid Garrison needs to go as he brings nothing, at least Coburn will hit and fight.

I think there is something to continually bringing in new guys who are hungry. We have sat with the same group for too long. Bottom six needs a lot of new blood in it.

 

[More 2004]

One thing that better happen.. we extend Gourde and see him play 82 games next season.

 

[Todd1a]

One thing that better happen.. we extend Gourde and see him play 82 games next season.

He is the next jam to leave

 

[Steazy Doo]

That's not why they're coined "Cooper's boy's" it's because of their inconsistency, and that they can look down right horrible on certain nights while going unpunished - likely because of their familiarity with the coach. Not because they're taking minutes, when did anyone say Johnson or Palat was taking minutes from Kucherov and Drouin? first I've heard of it was in your post today.

Drouin and Kucherov never got punished with ice time this season either. So I just naturally assumed that's what it meant. Drouin's had downs like the other guys, not quite as bad but still.

It more points to the fact we had no one else to play those roles. Johnson and Palat playing poorly? Well... who else can we use? The depth wasn't there.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Drouin and Kucherov never got punished with ice time this season either. So I just naturally assumed that's what it meant. Drouin's had downs like the other guys, not quite as bad but still.

It more points to the fact we had no one else to play those roles. Johnson and Palat playing poorly? Well... who else can we use? The depth wasn't there.

Exactly why Drouin played with nobody this year. If Drouin is playing with Kucherov then who is Palat playing with? Nobody. I would rather have a playmaker like Drouin playing with nobody than Palat who is not as good with the puck. Injuries killed us last year.

 

[Steazy Doo]

Exactly why Drouin played with nobody this year. If Drouin is playing with Kucherov then who is Palat playing with? Nobody. I would rather have a playmaker like Drouin playing with nobody than Palat who is not as good with the puck. Injuries killed us last year.

Pretty much.

I've seen the same people say Drouin drives the play and in the same breath complain he wasn't put with Kucherov. Even without the depleted line up, they shouldn't have been paired up.

 

[These Are The Days]

Why do I get the feeling that we are still trying to deal Drouin? I'm dying to see the logic in losing a guy who likely score 60 points next year so we can stay married to the continuously Palat and Killorn instead for the sake of another defenseman who will not be a difference on his own like Drouin is.

I swear if this trade is still happening then Yzerman is outsmarting himself

 

[Butchered]

Why do I get the feeling that we are still trying to deal Drouin? I'm dying to see the logic in losing a guy who likely score 60 points next year so we can stay married to the continuously Palat and Killorn instead for the sake of another defenseman who will not be a difference on his own like Drouin is.

I swear if this trade is still happening then Yzerman is outsmarting himself

I'm gonna say that if you really think the team is working to keep Drouin rather than deal him, you're out to lunch.

There is NO chance that Drouin is here next season.