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2018-2019 Around the league thread #3

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S E P H

S E P H

Cloud IX
Mar 5, 2010
31,044
16,569
Toruń, PL
Penguins probably make the postseason, but the future doesn't look too bright for a team barely hanging on.

2019 Draft
- 1st rounder
- 4th rounder* (Condition: if Sheary gets more than 40 points or 20 goals, currently has 9 goals and 24 points)
- 5th rounder
- 7th rounder (From VGK)

2020 Draft
All picks, but have already traded away their second rounder.
 
dahrougem2

dahrougem2

Registered User
Dec 9, 2011
37,405
39,285
Edmonton, Alberta
S E P H said:
Penguins probably make the postseason, but the future doesn't look too bright for a team barely hanging on.

2019 Draft
- 1st rounder
- 4th rounder* (Condition: if Sheary gets more than 40 points or 20 goals, currently has 9 goals and 24 points)
- 5th rounder
- 7th rounder (From VGK)

2020 Draft
All picks, but have already traded away their second rounder.
Click to expand...
It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see them shop Phil Kessel this summer in an effort to recoup some futures/youth.

I mean, they did already get younger by bringing in Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann but their core is aging.
 
Avs44

Avs44

Registered User
May 16, 2011
21,709
10,260
S E P H said:
Penguins probably make the postseason, but the future doesn't look too bright for a team barely hanging on.

2019 Draft
- 1st rounder
- 4th rounder* (Condition: if Sheary gets more than 40 points or 20 goals, currently has 9 goals and 24 points)
- 5th rounder
- 7th rounder (From VGK)

2020 Draft
All picks, but have already traded away their second rounder.
Click to expand...

The rough part is why they are struggling right now. Crosby is still playing some of the best hockey of his career, he's pacing for 104 points over 82 games and is one of the best all around forwards in the game. Letang is healthy and playing like a #1 dman. It's not like their stars are beginning a graceful slide into the shadows of their careers, leading to their decline. They feel like a team that started losing their identity (speed, youth, smart puck possession) after their second cup -- started drifting away from it, probably best highlighted by the Reaves trade, which reminded me so much of Mike Gillis' confusion after the Canucks lost to the Bruins -- and have never really recovered.

Their D needs a quick and effective retool. JJ and Maatta are terrible. And if I were JR....I think I would fire Sullivan. Might seem outrageous considering they won back to back cups, but coaches have short lives, messages get stale, and they need something fresh. Quennville would be an incredible replacement. With the way Crosby is playing they've still got several years left in their potential window if they can rebuild the defense, freshen up the locker-room (probably via the coach), and find a new, clear identity. If they don't turn things around this off-season they might spend the next couple years wasting some apparently still fantastic years from their stars. Big 6 months or so for them.
 
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S E P H

S E P H

Cloud IX
Mar 5, 2010
31,044
16,569
Toruń, PL
dahrougem2 said:
It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see them shop Phil Kessel this summer in an effort to recoup some futures/youth.

I mean, they did already get younger by bringing in Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann but their core is aging.
Click to expand...
Good point about Kessel, however, their central piece in any trade involving him has to be for a quality defender. Their defencive unit is looking quite damaged with the likes of Letang (his injury history), Dumoulin (growing number of injuries), Maatta (knee injuries killed his speed), Schultz (just came back from fracture), Johnson (was always damaged, lol), Pettersson (looks great, but green), Riikola (still very green), and Ruhwedel (AHL fodder).

Fortunately, they don't need too many picks to hit on some homeruns as they have in the past. They got a pretty damn good scouting team.

Avs44 said:
The rough part is why they are struggling right now. Crosby is still playing some of the best hockey of his career, he's pacing for 104 points over 82 games and is one of the best all around forwards in the game. Letang is healthy and playing like a #1 dman. It's not like their stars are beginning a graceful slide into the shadows of their careers, leading to their decline. They feel like a team that started losing their identity (speed, youth, smart puck possession) after their second cup -- started drifting away from it, probably best highlighted by the Reaves trade, which reminded me so much of Mike Gillis' confusion after the Canucks lost to the Bruins -- and have never really recovered.

Their D needs a quick and effective retool. JJ and Maatta are terrible. And if I were JR....I think I would fire Sullivan. Might seem outrageous considering they won back to back cups, but coaches have short lives, messages get stale, and they need something fresh. Quennville would be an incredible replacement. With the way Crosby is playing they've still got several years left in their potential window if they can rebuild the defense, freshen up the locker-room (probably via the coach), and find a new, clear identity. If they don't turn things around this off-season they might spend the next couple years wasting some apparently still fantastic years from their stars. Big 6 months or so for them.
Click to expand...
Yeah Crosby and Letang are playing fantastic hockey, Malkin on the other hand has been going through a tonne of emotions the entire season. He's still producing, but I suggest that's more because the entire league is up in scoring. If Kucherov is on pace for 130 or something points, Malkin should be right in the 110's for me even though he's on the other side of thirty.

Another problem I see is that Murray hasn't had the consistency you want for a #1 goaler, he's a lot closer to Cam Ward than he is to Henrik Lundqvist. That's why DeSmith has been a very pleasant surprise for them, but as we know from Grubs, he hasn't be able to handle the starter role for a long period neither.

Not sure I agree with the Sullivan firing, but I think JR is more of the problem. He didn't want to do a rebuild or retool in Carolina and that set them back like a good four to five years. JR has some Patrick Roy in him that he will do anything to win, even if he sets the team back to the early 2000's stone age for them (retire and let them tank for more generational talent). Now with that said, hiring Coach Q would actually be a very good move, that team lives and dies with Crosby/Malkin and having a coach who loves veterans for a very veteran-orientated team could push the right buttons.

But I believe an organization should go beyond "get talent and win as much as possible before talent retires". I argue that teams should rather be like Detroit and amass talent, be competitive for 15 years, and win a handful of Cups in that time frame than win two Cups in four years and wither away as the Kings have. Constantly trading 1st rounders as JR has done will absolutely destroy them when the crunch comes - I mean not every non-1st rounder will turn into Guentzel or Letang for them.
 
UncleRisto

UncleRisto

Not Great, Bob!
Jul 7, 2012
30,894
25,880
Finland
I don't know, it's not like Zucc's some team legend. I think it was a pretty good fit on the Stars, too.

I really like the Duchene CBJ fit too, now that we got stuff for him that wasn't Columbus'. I hope he stays there and forgets about Nashville. Who am I kidding, he's in Columbus.
 

Ivan13

Not posting anymore
May 3, 2011
26,141
7,095
Zagreb, Croatia
Avs44 said:
It's less weird to me than when he was in a Sens jersey. That one baffled me. I can get used to him in CBJ colours are a little better.


Zucc out of the Rangers uniform....that seems very wrong.
Click to expand...
Yet it feels really good knowing it stings that fanbase.
 
Foppberg

Foppberg

Registered User
Nov 20, 2016
24,126
26,598
Summerside, PEI
Duchene in Columbus doesn't really look that weird to me, I got used to seeing him in Sens colours fast.

Zuccarello is a weird one though. Dude should've went to another blue team or something.

Annnnd just as they add a piece to their offense

 
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Ceremony

Ceremony

blahem
Jun 8, 2012
113,321
15,730
Matthew wearing a Frolunda jersey during the last lockout made me physically ill, I don't know how any of you can live with yourselves.
 
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