For most of the season pretty ****ty and then pretty ****ty again as we'd have to gut the team to get him. We aren't getting Hall that's fantasy. If we somehow do I'd gladly eat crow. My thinking is this, the earlier we can get filling out the roster done the better. Karlsson needed time to gel but when he found his fit he was godly. Players need time to mesh, coaches need to time to adapt to the new players. We only have one top 9 right wing as of now. You can't go into the season with two rookies in those positions and hope for the best, that's not a safe way to operate. Get something now and build on that by the deadline.
We didn’t gut the team to get Burns, Karlsson, Thornton, Heatley, Boyle, or Kane. What makes you think we would have to gut the team to get Hall at the deadline? I realize my offer was extremely optimistic, but gutting the team the other direction isn’t realistic either.
Otherwise, you make some fair points. Chemistry is very important. Karlsson is also a bit of a weirdo and defensemen are more weird than forwards and take more time to gel, but I still think it’s a valid point.
However, I just think making a real commitment to a player who isn’t top line caliber is not better than giving a chance to the rookies. I understand that it is wishful thinking that even one of Gambrell, Chmelevski, or Chekhovich are ready for top-9 duty, but trying them in those positions is not going to kill us. The Sharks are still a playoff team without adding one forward. I would rather they stay patient in pursuit of a legit top line forward than blow their remaining cap space on middle-6 forwards who we will force into a top-6 role.
Anyhow, I don’t think the organization is planning on adding a stop gap anywhere judging by how they handled Donskoi, Nyquist, and Pavelski.
Rumor until confirmed so keep in your pants!
Like I said twice already, I freely admit I could be wrong. The stupidity of NHL GMs knows no bounds. I believe whoever signs him to that, McDavid money or more than EK65, will be out of a job in short order.
Alright man, I’ll wait until tomorrow. But I’m keeping my eyes glued to the screen to see whether or not he takes the CBJ offer before midnight Eastern.
