Yeah, right now that team might not be good enough to make the playoffs, but not bad enough to end as low as one would like, still injuries to key players might happen, we could sell big at the deadline if we are going nowhere ect. On the other side a kid like Poehling could surprise while Suzuki and Brook could jump in at some point in the season and help for a playoffs push... Overall, I think we are about in the same position we were last year, what is rather depressing as a fan if no signifiant moves are done before the season starts...
I don't mind it cause it looks like they have a direction and are sticking to it, which is a bonus since at least it's not flip flopping back and forth between plans. Plus I think it's the right move, we just don't have the firepower to hang with the top teams in the east and Price can only do so much.
Injuries, regressions, perhaps the schedule is tougher, perhaps we're more the team that ended the season than the team that started the season, and maybe our division is better.
...I hesitate to actually argue the latter because Florida always finds a way to suck.
all those could certainly happen but unless it's an injury to Price, you are likely looking at instead of picking 15th, maybe we pick 9th-12th.
This is why that draft worries me.
I love the direction that they have taken with their recent drafting philosophy. How much pressure does Molson put on them to select a french player despite there being better options on the board.
Maybe MB is preparing for this scenario by amassing extra picks to be used as "bonus picks" to be used to satisfy this pressure?
the good news is that there does at least seem to be some very good Q players this time around, but hopefully they don't feel the pressure and actually pick who they think is best. If it's really close and they go with the local kid then so be it. I'm sure Timmins thinks about that '09 draft a lot.
Dylan Holloway at Wisconson with Caufield and Turcotte will be an interesting one to follow.
The wisconsin fans i've read on college message boards seem to think he could be the best of the incoming Freshman, I'll get to see a lot of him as I get the Big 10 network on tv so I plan to catch as many games as possible.
While the farm has improved greatly, it still lacks a bona fide elite prospect. Next year's crop is said to be deeper. If the Berg will be able to wrangle additional early picks, it would greatly advance the 'retool'.
It's all about progression. We have Kotka, Suzuki, Caufeild, Brook, Primeau. These players have the skills to be elite NHLers and half of them have the physical tools to do with those skills but it's all a question of how much can they continue to progress. Take a look at Subban, if you watched him in the OHL, especially his age 19 season he was very good. But the next year he really took off in the AHL and imo a big part of why he was able to be so good was the physical development he made in strength. His lower body strength which is so key, was great. He had the skill and the physical tools to be a star.
Some kids just peak at 18,19,20 so we'll see what happens with these kids. If Suzuki can overcome his lack of physical tools and use his high skill and smarts, there's no telling how good he can be. Will he turn into a 90 pt forward, I wouldn't expect that to happen but it could especially if this group has a few hit their ceiling at the same time it will help the others since you can't really have just one guy lighting it up.
Granted the more likely thing is that we end up with several really good players, maybe one or two not end up doing better then expected while one or two worse. But with all the depth we have, someone else could step up. Ylonen, Harris, etc..
That said of course getting a top 2 pick, something we haven't had since 1980 would be sick and would do wonders for our future.