2020 Off Season Discussion Part V

[lanky]

Is there any chance that in the next two years Schmaltz is shifted to C and plays a bit tougher more consistently?

If that happened (big IF) then he would be way more valuable than he is right now. We know the kid is talented and can make things happen when he's on his game.

 

[WrinkledPossum]

Is there any chance that in the next two years Schmaltz is shifted to C and plays a bit tougher more consistently?

If that happened (big IF) then he would be way more valuable than he is right now. We know the kid is talented and can make things happen when he's on his game.

Really good chance he's playing C this year. Right now we have Dvorak, Stepan, Larsson and Hayton. Hayton hasn't yet proven he's an NHL C.

 

[YotesFan47]

I still like the idea of Keller for Schenn you posted however many months ago @rt. Combine that with Stepan + Hayton + Fisher + prospect for Monahan + Bennett? Then maybe Demers for Killorn?

We're not as strong on the wings but our center depth is so much better.

Killorn - Monahan - Schmaltz
Bennett - Schenn - Kessel
Crouse - Dvorak - Garland
Hunt - Larsson - Pitlick
Hayden, Burke

OEL - Hjalmersson
Chychrun - Miller
Capobianco - Oesterle
Lyubushkin

Maybe then Goligoski to Buffalo for Miller + Asplund?

Outside of Kessel still being in the lineup, I'd be pretty happy with that roster, happier than with the current one. No clue how it stacks up cash wise.

 

[moosemeister]

If Kessel comes back and scores 25+ I'll name my child Phil.

Boy or Girl. Phil.

Anyone know any divorce attorneys?

 

[WrinkledPossum]

If Kessel comes back and scores 25+ I'll name my child Phil.

Boy or Girl. Phil.

Anyone know any divorce attorneys?

I'll hold you to it

I'm hopeful Phil will bounce back. Some signs he could. Was injured most of last season. He had a poor first season in Pittsburgh then bounced back. Maybe he gets distracted searching out the best hot dog in town and loses focus...

Also a good sign that he's already on the ice. I've previously seen he doesn't usually get back on the ice until training camp starts.

 

[Jakey53]

Is there a more overrated coach than Krueger?

Why do you say that?

 

[rt]

I'll hold you to it

I'm hopeful Phil will bounce back. Some signs he could. Was injured most of last season. He had a poor first season in Pittsburgh then bounced back. Maybe he gets distracted searching out the best hot dog in town and loses focus...

Also a good sign that he's already on the ice. I've previously seen he doesn't usually get back on the ice until training camp starts.

If he was going to look good, it would have been in the bubble. Super long layoff, fully healthy, stuck in the bubble with no distractions, and it was playoff hockey where he's often been at his best. But he was a wet fart. So, it's over. He's done now.

 

[WrinkledPossum]

If he was going to look good, it would have been in the bubble. Super long layoff, fully healthy, stuck in the bubble with no distractions, and it was playoff hockey where he's often been at his best. But he was a wet fart. So, it's over. He's done now.

He looked much better against Nashville. 4 points in 4 games.

Everyone completely sucked against Colorado.

 

[rt]

He looked much better against Nashville. 4 points in 4 games.

Everyone completely sucked against Colorado.

That's fair. As much as I hate most of the players on this team, the group we have now is as good or probably better than the group that got us to first place when we traded for Hall. That's the wildcard in all of this. The team was in 1st place before Hall. We've got a harder to play against bottom six now and hopefully and upgraded forwards coach who can hopefully take over the PP. Apart from that, largely the same team. And with any luck, it'll be a healthier version and some of these soft vets might be playing for their final NHL contracts and have a little more gusto. Could end up being an okay team. It's possible.

I think Arizona might be the toughest team in the Conference to predict. I think it's reasonable to think the Coyotes could finish anywhere from 6th to 14th. And they're just as likely to be 7th as they are 13th, honestly. They could just as easily be the 5th worst team in the league as they could be a playoff team.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

The only hope for Kessel to have another good year is to do it elsewhere.

It won't happen here.

 

[Kaibur]

This was a team that struggled with offense, particularly goal scoring. Look at the offensive production of players-in versus players-out. Players-out scored 36 goals (46, when you include Hall). Players-in scored 17 goals. A 29 goal differential.

Soderberg 17-18-35
Hall 10-17-27
Hinostroza 5-17-22
Grabner 8-3-11
Richardson 6-5-11

Pitlick 8-12-20
Larsson 6-12-18
Hayden 3-1-4
Hunt 0-4-4

On paper, this team has gotten grittier, but has lost goal scoring and faceoff skill.

 

[WrinkledPossum]

That's fair. As much as I hate most of the players on this team, the group we have now is as good or probably better than the group that got us to first place when we traded for Hall. That's the wildcard in all of this. The team was in 1st place before Hall. We've got a harder to play against bottom six now and hopefully and upgraded forwards coach who can hopefully take over the PP. Apart from that, largely the same team. And with any luck, it'll be a healthier version and some of these soft vets might be playing for their final NHL contracts and have a little more gusto. Could end up being an okay team. It's possible.

I think Arizona might be the toughest team in the Conference to predict. I think it's reasonable to think the Coyotes could finish anywhere from 6th to 14th. And they're just as likely to be 7th as they are 13th, honestly. They could just as easily be the 5th worst team in the league as they could be a playoff team.

Yup I agree there's a really wide range with this team.

If they return to pre Hall play they'll do well. There's a lot of room for players to improve. OEL, Keller, Dvorak, Chychrun, Schmaltz, Kessel, Crouse, Hayton...

But I have trouble believing all will with Tocchet as coach. I think being a bubble team up until the deadline is most likely. But maybe the post Hall record is reflective of Tocchet losing the room and other teams figuring out how to beat us. If that's the case we could be very bad.

I kinda would like an 0-10 start to get Tocchet fired. If that happens I think we could be a good team

 

[rt]

Yup I agree there's a really wide range with this team.

If they return to pre Hall play they'll do well. There's a lot of room for players to improve. OEL, Keller, Dvorak, Chychrun, Schmaltz, Kessel, Crouse, Hayton...

But I have trouble believing all will with Tocchet as coach. I think being a bubble team up until the deadline is most likely. But maybe the post Hall record is reflective of Tocchet losing the room and other teams figuring out how to beat us. If that's the case we could be very bad.

I kinda would like an 0-10 start to get Tocchet fired. If that happens I think we could be a good team

I totally agree. I’d love to lose the first dozen games. Then maybe we can have a good season.

 

[Grimes]

That's fair. As much as I hate most of the players on this team, the group we have now is as good or probably better than the group that got us to first place when we traded for Hall. That's the wildcard in all of this. The team was in 1st place before Hall. We've got a harder to play against bottom six now and hopefully and upgraded forwards coach who can hopefully take over the PP. Apart from that, largely the same team. And with any luck, it'll be a healthier version and some of these soft vets might be playing for their final NHL contracts and have a little more gusto. Could end up being an okay team. It's possible.

I think Arizona might be the toughest team in the Conference to predict. I think it's reasonable to think the Coyotes could finish anywhere from 6th to 14th. And they're just as likely to be 7th as they are 13th, honestly. They could just as easily be the 5th worst team in the league as they could be a playoff team.

Throw in a shortened season and an elite goaltender and it makes it even harder to predict. Honestly between the lack of games the 2021 class gets to play this year, the inability to scout like normal and shortened season it's probably a "best case" season to not have a 1st round. If we are hot garbage, it will all be over soon and a big sell off should happen. If we happen to sneak into contention or end up in the limbo 10-14th place range I wont care because we don't have a 1st and most of the vets are upcoming UFA's anyways.

 

[Mosby]

Why do you say that?

He seems to be living off of:

1. A half season where he made a sad sack Oilers team look a little less sad (but he was still under .500)
2. A run to the final at the World Cup with Team Europe that was more about Halak playing hot than anything coaching wise

He seems like a nice guy and a great speaker. I don't get the high regard however. Zero accomplishment to match it.

 

[Schemp]

The only way to salvage this season is if the league gives us back our 1st round pick. We're gonna suck!

 

[SniperHF]

I'd be pretty surprised if we're outright bad, the only way I think that happens is if Kuemper regresses hard or gets hurt.

 

[Schemp]

I'd be pretty surprised if we're outright bad, the only way I think that happens is if Kuemper regresses hard or gets hurt.

...or if we don't score any goals!

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

...or if we don't score any goals!

Or of course that Tocchet stays the coach for the entire year...yeah, I could see us being very bad.

 

[SniperHF]

...or if we don't score any goals!

More or less the same team beat the Perds pretty easily. Not all teams are the Avs, which for about a month HF would have had you believe were the 70's Canadiens

I get the Avs series exposed literally every flaw this team has, going back to late November or so, but I don't think it's bottom of the league bad in any sense barring some crazy event.

 

[Sm00chy]

That's fair. As much as I hate most of the players on this team, the group we have now is as good or probably better than the group that got us to first place when we traded for Hall. That's the wildcard in all of this. The team was in 1st place before Hall. We've got a harder to play against bottom six now and hopefully and upgraded forwards coach who can hopefully take over the PP. Apart from that, largely the same team. And with any luck, it'll be a healthier version and some of these soft vets might be playing for their final NHL contracts and have a little more gusto. Could end up being an okay team. It's possible.

I think Arizona might be the toughest team in the Conference to predict. I think it's reasonable to think the Coyotes could finish anywhere from 6th to 14th. And they're just as likely to be 7th as they are 13th, honestly. They could just as easily be the 5th worst team in the league as they could be a playoff team.

This is almost exactly how I see this team. The play of the Vets on this team will determine how far they go. Talk of a shortened season (60+ games) could be an advantage.

 

[Name Nameless]

...or if we don't score any goals!

That is a bit pessimistic over a 50-60 games season though.

 

[Schemp]

I don't see anyone making up for the 17 goals from Soderberg. That's pretty pathetic. Same coach that kept last seasons best player in a game while he was hurt to further aggravate the injury and having our best skater calling him out ( in only the way OEL can). Can we get meaningful assets for impending UFAs? Will we get a new coaching staff? Will the league feel sorry enough to give us back our 1st?

 

[rt]

I wonder if there’s even a 1% chance that the NHL was sick of the Mitchell Miller media feeding frenzy and quietly told XG if he immediately went back on every single thing he just said two days earlier, they would agree to give the team their 1st back if they renounced the 4th. They’ll claim later that it was due to the team cleaning house and getting to the bottom of the situation and deny any connection to the Miller renouncement.

It’s probably not true. Almost certainly not. But if it is, it sure worked. Hasn’t been one peep about the Miller mess since AZ and then UND both dropped him.

XG and BA sure seemed solidly behind him 48 hours prior to dumping him. 99% likely it’s because they caved to social pressure like punk bitches. But maybe a 1% chance the league incentivized them.

Maybe they’ll be encouraged to quietly appeal the decision in January and will quietly be awarded the 32nd pick in the draft, when it can be lost in the buzz of the new season starting up.

 

[moosemeister]

I wonder if there’s even a 1% chance that the NHL was sick of the Mitchell Miller media feeding frenzy and quietly told XG if he immediately went back on every single thing he just said two days earlier, they would agree to give the team their 1st back if they renounced the 4th. They’ll claim later that it was due to the team cleaning house and getting to the bottom of the situation and deny any connection to the Miller renouncement.

It’s probably not true. Almost certainly not. But if it is, it sure worked. Hasn’t been one peep about the Miller mess since AZ and then UND both dropped him.

XG and BA sure seemed solidly behind him 48 hours prior to dumping him. 99% likely it’s because they caved to social pressure like punk bitches. But maybe a 1% chance the league incentivized them.

Maybe they’ll be encouraged to quietly appeal the decision in January and will quietly be awarded the 32nd pick in the draft, when it can be lost in the buzz of the new season starting up.

With the 32nd pick of the NHL draft, the Arizona Coyotes select, Mitchell Miller