Speculation: 2018-19 Roster Discussion #4 - It’s Getting Better All The Time (maybe)

[Jakey53]

I've been on the trade Merkley train for a few years and would happily package him with Fisher and another piece for a top 6 winger that you can grantee, outside of injury, that he will pot at minimum 20 goals every season. Keep in mind I think Fisher will rebound and will become the 40 point power winger I see him as, I don't believe he is the answer to our problems though. We need someone a step or 2 above that is a lock to score goals and not be a defensive black hole. Paying a bit extra to get that will make a difference next year, along with a healthy roster.

Why have you been on the trade Merkley train? Fischer and Merkley won't get you a top 6 winger, I don't think anyway. Maybe Hoffman?

 

[AZviaNJ]

I was really disappointed this season, but he is young, potted 11 goals, 15 last year. He is big, uses his body sometimes, a RH shot. I say it is too early to give up on him. He is still on his ELC so he is still very cheap. Another year won't kill us.

Way too early to give up on Fischer, I agree. Unless he's a (big) chip in a trade returning a 30 goal scorer then why trade him.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I've watched Christian Fischer's game and it seems to me like he's not the power forward everyone expects him to be. I mean, he's got the face and build for it, but I'm not convinced that's the way he plays most effectively.

I wonder, therefore, if the coaching staff wants him to be a player he really isn't, and that's the basis of their issues with him.

 

[_Del_]

^That's a big part of it, imo. The other part is that this year he's been largely a no-show. Between the two, I don't see him surviving the offseason.

 

[_Del_]

So if we only add Hagelin (PIT/RT connection, also played on Rags with Stepan) and promote Premium, we'd look like:

Schmaltz -Dvo- Gally
Keller- Stepan- Garland
Hagelin- Richardson- Vinny
Crouse- Hayton- Grabner
Cousins

I'm not advocating this at all, but I can totally see this group being the opening roster.

 

[Imaravencawcaw]

Fischer's biggest knock against him is he was drafted by Maloney, that's akin to a death sentence in the current organization.

 

[RemoAZ]

So if we only add Hagelin (PIT/RT connection, also played on Rags with Stepan) and promote Premium, we'd look like:

Schmaltz -Dvo- Gally
Keller- Stepan- Garland
Hagelin- Richardson- Vinny
Crouse- Hayton- Grabner
Cousins

I'm not advocating this at all, but I can totally see this group being the opening roster.

Best hope is for mediocrity out of that group and even that's a stretch. Not much to be excited about on this roster and nothing coming any time soon. Just another day as a Coyote fan.

 

[Grimes]

Then let's just roll it, see where it goes and pray for Byfield.

 

[_Del_]

Best hope is for mediocrity out of that group and even that's a stretch. Not much to be excited about on this roster and nothing coming any time soon. Just another day as a Coyote fan.

It's better than this year if they manage to be healthy, but yes, it is very mediocre. Welcome to year 18 of mediocrity. Well, that's not true: several of those years were awful.
We have a long way to go to get to "good". Farther from "great".

 

[Grimes]

If the Oil draft a center do you think they move RNH? What would he cost?

 

[hbk]

If the Oil draft a center do you think they move RNH? What would he cost?

I think they are going D hunting or packaging up the pick to bribe someone to take Lucic's albatross of a contract off their hands. Hello Ottawa.

 

[Grimes]

I think they are going D hunting or packaging up the pick to bribe someone to take Lucic's albatross of a contract off their hands. Hello Ottawa.

Why not us?

 

[hbk]

Why not us?

Owed $19 Million over next 4 years, $11.5 million of that in signing bonuses. Buyout proof contract with a player who is well past his prime.

 

[YotesFan47]

I was really disappointed this season, but he is young, potted 11 goals, 15 last year. He is big, uses his body sometimes, a RH shot. I say it is too early to give up on him. He is still on his ELC so he is still very cheap. Another year won't kill us.

I'm down to keep him as well, but we need someone scoring goals and if that means Fisher is out, I'm good with that.

 

[_Del_]

If they'd do Lucic@50%, 7ov and a 2020 2nd for 14ov and KConn, I'd probably do it.

Could include Fischer for Poolparty as change of scenery for all parties involved.

Could do Goligoski for Lucic@50%, 7ov and F.Berglund if Edmonton needs to sell it to the fans as a hockey trade of sorts. Would get us 7ov (in addition to our #14), a solid d prospect, and free up cash for a free agent add at forward in exchange for Goose (and taking on Lucic). Ideally as a "future considerations" condition after the bonus pays out this year.

 

[YotesFan47]

Why have you been on the trade Merkley train? Fischer and Merkley won't get you a top 6 winger, I don't think anyway. Maybe Hoffman?

Plus something else. Not those two alone, I doubt they have enough value either.

I wasn't very happy with the pick in his draft year and he really hasn't done anything to make me believe he has a future with this club. Not saying he won't play in the NHL but I've never felt it would be in a top 6 capacity. I think he'll end up a 3rd liner on a team looking for secondary scoring, in fact we probably have the better version of him in Hinostroza. That's not a comparison of their skill set by the way, they have differences but I think they project similar careers.

 

[Grimes]

Goligoski has a NTC. But why don't we just take Lucic and the 8OA for KConn.

Goligoski to Pittsburgh or Dallas for 2nd round pick.

14OA to Minnesota for Zucker.

Only adds about 3m to the budget.

 

[_Del_]

I doubt they are going to take KConn off our hands in addition to giving up the pick, if they're retaining on Lucic. They're better off with the prospect on an ELC and Lucic at full hit. I figure a couple of seconds and taking salary/cap back is probably what it will cost them to move him.

If they aren't retaining, we probably are better off using that money elsewhere. Just do Goose out and Zucker in. Skip Lucic altogether because we're broke. Can't afford to buy a pick, though it would be nice if we could swing it. I think Goligoski gets a lot more at the deadline. Which would be my vote.

Goose for 8ov though (and Lucic) with another pick/prospect is more attractive to me than getting a second back.

 

[Jakey53]

Goligoski has a NTC. But why don't we just take Lucic and the 8OA for KConn.

Goligoski to Pittsburgh or Dallas for 2nd round pick.

14OA to Minnesota for Zucker.

Only adds about 3m to the budget.

I keep Gogo. Gives the kids a chance to easy into that position. It's a tough position to play and I'm not sure we can afford to trade a vet D at this time.

 

[tucknroll]

Then let's just roll it, see where it goes and pray for Byfield.

I'm not sold on him yet, he's big, fast, strong and a great shot which he uses to destroy the kids he's been playing against for years now. He's just not great at setting up a play, or controlling the the tempo of a game. I think he'll be a good NHL'er, just don't know what kind of player he will be yet and with how good next years draft is looking i'm not sure if he'd be a player id want to target (depending on where Arizona drafts). He will be an interesting one to watch next year though for sure.

 

[Mosby]

Wennberg was in fact scratched last night and with CBJ winning I doubt he draws back in for Game 2.

I imagine CBJ is looking for picks after they emptied the cupboard at the deadline.

 

[tucknroll]

I'd keep Fischer (unless in a package for a player like Huberdeau) and try to put him in a system that will get him in front of the net and below the top of the circles which is where he's had his success in the OHL and last year, he's a great net front presence kind of guy (even on the rush he likes to go to the front of the net hard) who's only decent along the boards which is in my opinion why he's looked bad this year. I'm not sure why they've gone to playing almost completely along the boards or on the blue line. There is so little offence from it, which is why a lot of the top teams want to work the middle of the ice with seam passes especially on the PP where you can work the puck Low to high very easily (which Arizona does not). We also like beating a defender and then doing a drop pass for some reason so the guy that was just beat can get back into the play. After you've beaten a defender the defence has to open or tighten up to adjust and thats when you can capitalize on it... which Vinnie Hinostroza is awesome at because he's constantly driving towards the net and beating defenders. I personally believe things like this are the reasons why our top scorer had less than 50 points and we didn't have a single 20 goal scorer.
Theres just less to he had in the systems Arizona has been playing, This team has more talent than when Tippitt was coach but scores at the same rate as Tips all defence no offensive structure (for the record i'm glad Tips gone). I can't believe how many times i've watched per game this team just dump the puck in for a line change with nobody pressuring... which is literally just handing the puck to the other team without any intentions of making it hard on them to retrieve it and set up. People can blame Maclean all they want and i agree he doesn't know what he's doing, but Toccett's the head coach and has allowed him to implement brutal systems for 2 seasons now. Toccett is the head coach of a team with the worst start in NHL history (no new coach should go 2-18 in his first 20 games with no regulation wins, that is a joke). His work with Allen has obviously been good, but his ability to put players in a position where they will succeed with their given skill set, adapt in game decisions (system variations and plays) and provide offensive systems that will succeed throughout 2 seasons has been unforgivably bad.

 

[moosemeister]

Wennberg was in fact scratched last night and with CBJ winning I doubt he draws back in for Game 2.

I imagine CBJ is looking for picks after they emptied the cupboard at the deadline.

I’d give them a third. He isn’t worth much

 

[_Del_]

His system is definitely different, and it works to the degree our players can play it. We just aren't very talented, and our few talented players aren't engaged. They are more engaged than years past, but it's nothing like good enough.
Agree with just about everything you said. They would get back on their heels and go into "dump and change" mode far too often. Nobody seems interested in playing between the circles, which ironically, was one of Tocch's big talking points last year, but I didn't hear much this year.
It's hard to evaluate this year - a very weird year. They took a step forward as a group, but only one or two players had a "good" year. They showed up to more games than years previous, but still took too many nights off. They didn't get a lot of production, but had a lot of injuries and people playing up in the line up where they didn't belong. We got more points, but they were all from beating up bottom feeders in a horrific west.
Hard to be too disappointed at the end result in the standings, but I'm nothing like excited either.

 

[Mosby]

I’d give them a third. He isn’t worth much

Yeah I think I'd make them eat a piece too or take back money like KConn in the deal.

5 mil bucks long-term for a 2-goal player. I'm sure they'd like out of that deal.