GDT: #61 Coyotes VS Blues 6PM

[cobra427]

I think the Blues came into the game and took us lightly. they know we are not a good team. Pitt and Chicago did the same thing. The difference is the Blues decided to play harder in the third period and won the game. Outside of our hot start, as mentioned above, the team has been one of the worst on the NHL the last 35 games. Tip is constantly moving AHL guys or 3rd and 4th liners into the top 6. Tip also never gives the 4th line any minutes. Doan looked old and slow tonight, maybe 22 minutes was too many for a 37 year old guy getting over a virus.

I suspect after that collapse, DM makes a move at the TDL now, he kind of has to, or we are doomed. By the way, best play of the game was Yandle's rifle, no look pass to Halpern, the guy makes plays, for all of you that want to trade him...

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

Again, I'd like to keep Yandle, the problem is that he's playing with DeMo. DeMo was himself an offensive dman coming out of juniors...he's not a stay at home guy or a heavy guy that is going to help Yandle.

Remember our best season was when Z paired with Yandle. That is what we need a true shut down type with Yandle, and we need a true shut down type with OEL, giving them the flexibility to do what they do best - "make plays"

Stone needs to go, Schlemmer needs to go, Chipchura needs to go, Moss needs to go, Klinkhammer needs to be a 13th forward, Halpern needs to go

Our top 6 is never going to be better than the top teams, so the bottom 6 has to be better

 

[ck26]

Did He????
I didn't even notice

If you go box scores on the website ...

http://coyotes.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/boxscore?id=2013020918

... and look over at the right-hand side, under "OFFICIAL GAME REPORTS" it'll break everything down really well.

TOI charts are time on ice, which is where I got the time on ice stats for my rant on the last page. Breaks down each player shift-by-shift. It's not sortable / interactive (takes some work to see who was on the ice together, etc), but it has every shift.

Last night:
http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/TH020918.HTM

HANZAL
shift / period / start time / stop time / shift length ... a P or G at the end says the shift ended with a penalty or a goal.

1 1 0:00 / 20:00 1:06 / 18:54 01:06
2 1 2:07 / 17:53 2:31 / 17:29 00:24
3 1 4:04 / 15:56 4:38 / 15:22 00:34
4 1 6:39 / 13:21 7:16 / 12:44 00:37
5 1 11:06 / 8:54 11:09 / 8:51 00:03
6 1 11:23 / 8:37 11:49 / 8:11 00:26
7 1 12:05 / 7:55 12:28 / 7:32 00:23 P
8 1 13:17 / 6:43 14:07 / 5:53 00:50
9 1 16:09 / 3:51 16:53 / 3:07 00:44
10 1 19:11 / 0:49 20:00 / 0:00 00:49
11 2 0:00 / 20:00 0:35 / 19:25 00:35
12 2 2:52 / 17:08 2:56 / 17:04 00:04
13 2 3:42 / 16:18 4:40 / 15:20 00:58
14 2 7:09 / 12:51 7:41 / 12:19 00:32 P
15 2 9:48 / 10:12 10:16 / 9:44 00:28
16 2 11:22 / 8:38 11:59 / 8:01 00:37
17 2 13:19 / 6:41 14:13 / 5:47 00:54
18 2 15:38 / 4:22 16:50 / 3:10 01:12
19 2 18:23 / 1:37 18:46 / 1:14 00:23
20 3 0:00 / 20:00 0:38 / 19:22 00:38
21 3 2:16 / 17:44 2:41 / 17:19 00:25
22 3 3:35 / 16:25 4:12 / 15:48 00:37
23 3 6:10 / 13:50 6:28 / 13:32 00:18

Period / shifts / avg shift length / total time on ice / pp time / pk time
1 10 00:35 05:56 05:06 00:50 00:00
2 9 00:38 05:43 05:43 00:00 00:00
3 4 00:29 01:58 01:58 00:00 00:00
TOT 23 00:35 13:37 12:47 00:50 00:00

I didn't see what happened, but Hanzal's last shift only lasted 18 seconds and it ended with 13:32 left in the game, which strongly suggests he got hurt somehow. Haven't heard anything about it.

 

[cobra427]

If you go box scores on the website ...

http://coyotes.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/boxscore?id=2013020918

... and look over at the right-hand side, under "OFFICIAL GAME REPORTS" it'll break everything down really well.

TOI charts are time on ice, which is where I got the time on ice stats for my rant on the last page. Breaks down each player shift-by-shift. It's not sortable / interactive (takes some work to see who was on the ice together, etc), but it has every shift.

Last night:
http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/TH020918.HTM

HANZAL
shift / period / start time / stop time / shift length ... a P or G at the end says the shift ended with a penalty or a goal.

1 1 0:00 / 20:00 1:06 / 18:54 01:06
2 1 2:07 / 17:53 2:31 / 17:29 00:24
3 1 4:04 / 15:56 4:38 / 15:22 00:34
4 1 6:39 / 13:21 7:16 / 12:44 00:37
5 1 11:06 / 8:54 11:09 / 8:51 00:03
6 1 11:23 / 8:37 11:49 / 8:11 00:26
7 1 12:05 / 7:55 12:28 / 7:32 00:23 P
8 1 13:17 / 6:43 14:07 / 5:53 00:50
9 1 16:09 / 3:51 16:53 / 3:07 00:44
10 1 19:11 / 0:49 20:00 / 0:00 00:49
11 2 0:00 / 20:00 0:35 / 19:25 00:35
12 2 2:52 / 17:08 2:56 / 17:04 00:04
13 2 3:42 / 16:18 4:40 / 15:20 00:58
14 2 7:09 / 12:51 7:41 / 12:19 00:32 P
15 2 9:48 / 10:12 10:16 / 9:44 00:28
16 2 11:22 / 8:38 11:59 / 8:01 00:37
17 2 13:19 / 6:41 14:13 / 5:47 00:54
18 2 15:38 / 4:22 16:50 / 3:10 01:12
19 2 18:23 / 1:37 18:46 / 1:14 00:23
20 3 0:00 / 20:00 0:38 / 19:22 00:38
21 3 2:16 / 17:44 2:41 / 17:19 00:25
22 3 3:35 / 16:25 4:12 / 15:48 00:37
23 3 6:10 / 13:50 6:28 / 13:32 00:18

Period / shifts / avg shift length / total time on ice / pp time / pk time
1 10 00:35 05:56 05:06 00:50 00:00
2 9 00:38 05:43 05:43 00:00 00:00
3 4 00:29 01:58 01:58 00:00 00:00
TOT 23 00:35 13:37 12:47 00:50 00:00

I didn't see what happened, but Hanzal's last shift only lasted 18 seconds and it ended with 13:32 left in the game, which strongly suggests he got hurt somehow. Haven't heard anything about it.

Hanzel was involved with a check behind the net. He came away slowly like a shoulder or upper body injury, did not play at all after that. If he is hurt, we are sunk for sure. I think he is our best forward, does so many things for us on D, O, PP, and PK...

 

[rt]

Again, I'd like to keep Yandle, the problem is that he's playing with DeMo. DeMo was himself an offensive dman coming out of juniors...he's not a stay at home guy or a heavy guy that is going to help Yandle.

What?!?!? Morris hasn't been an OFD in a decade. He's absolutely the heavyweight stay at home defenseman we need. Especially for Yandle. Ordinarily he's the ideal partner for him. It's just that his game has completely fallen off a cliff since he lost his mother earlier this year. That's it. He looked amazing the second half of last season and the start of this season. Then he had to deal with some unfortunate stuff, and he's been crap on the ice since. It sucks, but it's not a stylistic issue.

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

What?!?!? Morris hasn't been an OFD in a decade. He's absolutely the heavyweight stay at home defenseman we need. Especially for Yandle. Ordinarily he's the ideal partner for him. It's just that his game has completely fallen off a cliff since he lost his mother earlier this year. That's it. He looked amazing the second half of last season and the start of this season. Then he had to deal with some unfortunate stuff, and he's been crap on the ice since. It sucks, but it's not a stylistic issue.

He's really not. He's a converted OFD, what we need is a better skating right-handed version of Klesla to be paired with Yandle.

OEL/Z
Yandle/Right-Handed Klesla w/wheels
Gormley/DeMo (until Murphy gains a few more lbs)

 

[RABBIT]

Wrong. Maloney's goal is to manage the short- and long-term health of the pool of players available to the franchise and to field a team for Tippett to coach. Making the playoffs every year isn't exactly either of their jobs, but it more closely resembles Tipp's.Ribeiro, Hanzal, Vermette, Doan, Vrbata and sometimes Boedker and Korpi are good players. That's 7 forwards. Halpern, Klink, Chip, Moss, Biz and McMillan (and Kennedy) are depth players. The ratio there seems pretty reasonable. There's a case to be made that our good players aren't as good as other teams' good players (true statement) and that our depth players aren't as impactful as other teams' depth players (I'd agree but there's room to argue), but we are one 25-30 goal winger away from everyone shutting up about this.

Here's a list of guys who qualify ... stop me when we get to the guy you want, and let me know your plan to get him:

Crosby, Kessel, Getzlaf, Tavares, Ovechkin, Kane, Perry, Okposo, Giroux, St Louis, Sharp, Malkin, Backstrom, Pavelski, Thornton, Toews, Seguin, Hall, Karlsson, Kunitz, Marleau, Duchene, Benn, Vanek ... and we get the point. You act like point-per-game players are out there like Alaskan gold in 1895, just laying on the ground to be picked up. There are a lot of teams in the league who don't think they have enough Milan Lucics and enough Jamie Benns.

Wrong? You're delusional. Every coach and general managers goal is to make the playoffs, not just to "suck less than they did last year."

You're not even remotely "talking sense" into anybody here, you're giving the typical response a fan in denial would give. Do you want to continue to watch this team either make it to the first round of the playoffs (only to be eliminated) or come really close to it? I don't either. I never once said there is an apparent abundance of point per game players available, we just need to knuckle up and suck it up and fork out the right package for a legitimate top line player, that's it. You make it sound like they're more difficult to obtain than common sense at a Miley Cyrus concert. It's not that hard. You have to just be willing to accept your losses and move on, even if you had to trade a fan favorite...such as your Dallas Stars when they traded Louis Eriksson..

 

[ck26]

[Morris] is really not [a stay-at-home defenseman]. He's a converted OFD ...

Same same, chicken beef. Apart from the rare Ron Greschner or Sandis Ozolinsh, the longer a defenseman plays in the league, the smarter / wiser / savvier they get. Ray Bourque slowed down physically but got even craftier as he went along. Sergei Zubov was downright irresponsible in 1996 but was an all-zones stud in 2006. Keith Yandle and OEL will do this.

Rich, well-fed humans get bigger and fill out ... how reedy and half-useless was Zdeno Chara in 2002? Is he the alpha male in the NHL today?

It's one thing to tell Keith Yandle, "hey, for the Olympics we need you to stay at home ..." because you don't just flip a switch. But you grow into it, and the fact that Morris has doesn't diminish his value. In fact, being super fast and skilled as a youth typically means you STILL have the wheels to stay in the league when you lose a step, while the Matt Spillers of the world slow down a bit and are out of hockey.

OEL/Z
Yandle/Right-Handed Klesla w/wheels
Gormley/DeMo (until Murphy gains a few more lbs)

Is this next year? Or now?

Morris AND another veteran defenseman??? Am I REALLY the only one who doesn't want 3 veteran stay-at-home guys next year?

OEL, Z
Yandle, Morris
Gormley, Murphy
Schlemko, Rundblad

Even THIS seems like we're just completely wasting Rundblad's entire contract / career. Remember that every dollar we spend on defense is a dollar we don't have to find Ribeiro some shooters.

 

[PhoPhan]

Wrong? You're delusional. Every coach and general managers goal is to make the playoffs, not just to "suck less than they did last year."

You're not even remotely "talking sense" into anybody here, you're giving the typical response a fan in denial would give. Do you want to continue to watch this team either make it to the first round of the playoffs (only to be eliminated) or come really close to it? I don't either. I never once said there is an apparent abundance of point per game players available, we just need to knuckle up and suck it up and fork out the right package for a legitimate top line player, that's it. You make it sound like they're more difficult to obtain than common sense at a Miley Cyrus concert. It's not that hard. You have to just be willing to accept your losses and move on, even if you had to trade a fan favorite...such as your Dallas Stars when they traded Louis Eriksson..

Eriksson has come close a point per game a few times in his career. The issue ck26 brings up is an important one, and I agree most people seem to gloss over it. How many 30-goal scorers or point-per-game players are traded in a given year? It's not a ton, and the ones that move usually have baggage (in terms of contract status or otherwise), and even those guys cost quite a bit. Guys like Korpikoski and Stone aren't going to bring back players of that quality, and even when you do find that player, it's not a given he'll be so productive when he arrives (see Ribeiro and Jokinen).

Hell, the Penguins are rumored to be pushing hard for Ryan Kesler, and they already have Malkin and Crosby. Every team in the league wants to add a player like that, and there are only ever a few of them available at a given time (available only meaning not untouchable).

Maloney has already said that if he were willing to trade a guy like Max Domi, he could have had a top six forward yesterday. Thankfully, he's not willing to mortgage the future like that. Beyond that, they don't have a ton of great assets.

Adding a top six forward would be great, but whether it makes the team better depends on an awful lot of things. That it hasn't happened yet is all the evidence you need. Does anyone actually think Maloney is just sitting on his hands?

 

[ck26]

Wrong? You're delusional. Every coach and general managers goal is to make the playoffs, not just to "suck less than they did last year."

You're not even remotely "talking sense" into anybody here, you're giving the typical response a fan in denial would give. Do you want to continue to watch this team either make it to the first round of the playoffs (only to be eliminated) or come really close to it? I don't either. I never once said there is an apparent abundance of point per game players available, we just need to knuckle up and suck it up and fork out the right package for a legitimate top line player, that's it. You make it sound like they're more difficult to obtain than common sense at a Miley Cyrus concert. It's not that hard. You have to just be willing to accept your losses and move on, even if you had to trade a fan favorite...such as your Dallas Stars when they traded Louis Eriksson..

This again?



The goal is to make the playoffs, just like a Texas Hold 'em player's goal is to win, but you don't win by pushing all-in every hand. It's a process.

SR and I had this discussion like a month ago. "Knuckle up and suck it up and fork out the right package for a legitimate top line player?" Dude, really? Let's not speak in generalities, DM doesn't get to trade in generalities.

SR brought up the Eriksson/Seguin deal, and I brought up Nail Yakupov as a comparable (though Taylor Hall is probably a better one). DAL didn't just trade "a fan favorite" ... they traded their captain, then fired their GM, fired their coach, then traded their best skater and two of their best prospects. Complete franchise overhaul involved in getting Seguin done.

Which stud forward is available to us? Hard to say, but DM is kicking those tires. Which premium piece do you want to offer up? Hanzal or Yandle? Then add some combination (maybe all) of Samuelsson + Rundblad + a Rieder- or Dauphin-level prospect.

Interesting discussion in forum=3 about Nazem Kadri. He'd be cheaper, but is he good enough to qualify as the player you want? If that's not enough, do we give away Gormley or Domi to make the playoffs this year?

We can't afford to eat Tippett's buyout, so whether you like him or not, he's here, which makes certain forwards (Yakupov types) very unattractive targets.

No, I don't want to continue to watch this team miss the playoffs, but realistically, how far are we from beating CHI or ANA in a playoff series right now? A big scorer + maybe 2 changes in the bottom 6 forwards + some type of defensive upgrade? Do we get all that by giving away futures? Those futures would most likely involve Domi or Gormley if you want all those upgrades done by Wednesday.

"Make the playoffs or get fired" -type thinking is exactly why David Schlemko plays and Dave Rundblad doesn't. For BOS and CHI and STL and PIT and ANA, this season is a sprint. The Cup is sitting RIGHT THERE and they're all trying to reach out and grab it. That's why STL gave away a TON of assets to rent Ryan Miller last week. Had we done something similar and given up two high picks, a good roster player and a good prospect to rent Vanek, I'd be pissed. Back in October? Interesting. But now? So late in the game? Pissed.

I don't want to run a 100 meter dash with CHI right now, because it's obvious to me that they're starting 40 meters ahead. Not this year.

To go back to the poker metaphor, now that we've seen our hand, the flop, turn and river cards, we realize we have a Jack-high hand and that's probably not going to get it done. Going all in right now would be stupid asset management. That's not "not wanting to make the playoffs" ... it's "being realistic."

 

[Grimes]

Awesome post CK26.

 

[mesamonster]

Eriksson has come close a point per game a few times in his career. The issue ck26 brings up is an important one, and I agree most people seem to gloss over it. How many 30-goal scorers or point-per-game players are traded in a given year? It's not a ton, and the ones that move usually have baggage (in terms of contract status or otherwise), and even those guys cost quite a bit. Guys like Korpikoski and Stone aren't going to bring back players of that quality, and even when you do find that player, it's not a given he'll be so productive when he arrives (see Ribeiro and Jokinen).

Hell, the Penguins are rumored to be pushing hard for Ryan Kesler, and they already have Malkin and Crosby. Every team in the league wants to add a player like that, and there are only ever a few of them available at a given time (available only meaning not untouchable).

Maloney has already said that if he were willing to trade a guy like Max Domi, he could have had a top six forward yesterday. Thankfully, he's not willing to mortgage the future like that. Beyond that, they don't have a ton of great assets.

Adding a top six forward would be great, but whether it makes the team better depends on an awful lot of things. That it hasn't happened yet is all the evidence you need. Does anyone actually think Maloney is just sitting on his hands?

Great post! Good assets are tough to come by! To get anything we will need to give up a small bit more than we get in return! Still believe RIbs should be moved, he simply does not fit the style of this team and would enable GMDM to bring in a player who better fits this system.

 

[RR]

I'm ready to move Ribiero. Again last night he looked like a guy who has checked out for the year. He looks lazy, bored, and sloppy. Should trade him now before he plays out the season like he's been playing and his value plummets in the off-season. He should return a good young forward and a very nice prospect or pick. We can use the contract savings to acquire or sign another forward or veteran defensive defenseman (let Morris walk), and help pay for Vrbata's raise.

 

[letowskie]

I'm ready to move Ribiero. Again last night he looked like a guy who has checked out for the year. He looks lazy, bored, and sloppy. Should trade him now before he plays out the season like he's been playing and his value plummets in the off-season. He should return a good young forward and a very nice prospect or pick. We can use the contract savings to acquire or sign another forward or veteran defensive defenseman (let Morris walk), and help pay for Vrbata's raise.

If they actually got him consistent, skilled, and productive line-mates, then you might have a point. He has basically played with a couple of scrubs for the majority of the time, and still remains at or near the top of team scoring throughout the season. I have no idea why people blame Ribs for things that he has no control over, which are a combination of management not able to fill our roster with genuine skilled wingers, and Tippett's decisions in line-ups and his intransigence on youngsters like Miele/Brown/Lessio, etc.

 

[Grimes]

If they actually got him consistent, skilled, and productive line-mates, then you might have a point. He has basically played with a couple of scrubs for the majority of the time, and still remains at or near the top of team scoring throughout the season. I have no idea why people blame Ribs for things that he has no control over, which are a combination of management not able to fill our roster with genuine skilled wingers, and Tippett's decisions in line-ups and his intransigence on youngsters like Miele/Brown/Lessio, etc.

Agreed, we literally need ONE forward to have three productive lines. A Ribs, Doan and aquired player would be dangerous, a Boeds - Vermette and whomever would be productive and the Vrby - Hanzel whomever would be good.

It just becomes an issue when someone is injured and that is why acquiring two forwards would be ideal. But just one player who can put 40 - 60 points would even drastically change Rib's production.

 

[rt]

He's really not.

He really is. (or was until his latest LOA)

 

[letowskie]

Agreed, we literally need ONE forward to have three productive lines. A Ribs, Doan and aquired player would be dangerous, a Boeds - Vermette and whomever would be productive and the Vrby - Hanzel whomever would be good.

It just becomes an issue when someone is injured and that is why acquiring two forwards would be ideal. But just one player who can put 40 - 60 points would even drastically change Rib's production.

Yes, one more would do wonders for the combinations that we are able to assemble.

Having two more top-6 wingers basically would cement us as a 3 line team. With a strong and balanced D, plus a 3 scoring line team; we would likely be contending even if the team lacks super star snipers. That is if Smith doesn't go into a cocoon again.

 

[rt]

Awesome post CK26.

Seconded.

 

[rt]

I'm ready to move Ribiero.

It was a huge risk to bring him in and give him NOBODY to pass to. I guess we were banking on either being to acquire that player later or that he'd elevate some scrubs to new levels. Moss has scored twenty in a season back in the day. Maybe they thought Ribs could get him back there. Klinkhammer was hot last season, maybe they thought Ribs to get him to knock in 15-20. It ALMOST worked until Doan went down with illness. Ribeiro had him off to his hottest start (ever?) I can remember. 23ish points in 27ish games, IIRC? Then it wasn't Ribs, Doan, and some random plumber. It was Ribs and two random plumbers. Doan should be the random plumber, not the trigger man.

I don't blame Ribeiro. We bought a sports car and put tractor tires on it. Then we *****ed when it didn't perform like we hoped. Not smart.

 

[rt]

Yes, one more would do wonders for the combinations that we are able to assemble.

Having two more top-6 wingers basically would cement us as a 3 line team. With a strong and balanced D, plus a 3 scoring line team; we would likely be contending even if the team lacks super star snipers. That is if Smith doesn't go into a cocoon again.

Honestly, if Morris, Klesla, and Smith hadn't declined so tremendously (those first two may have something to do with the latter), and we had just one extra half decent goal scorer for Ribs (even Brad freakin' Boyes for a million bucks) we'd be fighting for the four seed, right now.

 

[XX]

and we had just one extra half decent goal scorer for Ribs (even Brad freakin' Boyes for a million bucks)

My trust in Maloney is somewhat shaken. I'm not sure how you walk into a season with nine one way D contracts and no winger for either the Czechs or Ribeiro. Brown should have had the inside track with Mason Raymond. There were all kinds of cheap options out there. Winnipeg dredged up Setoguchi. J. Jokinen was out there to be had.

I don't get it. Maloney probably didn't anticipate the market for Klesla flatlining, but he should have never put hmself in that position in the first place.

 

[awfulwaffle]

ck26, great post brother. I'm content missing the playoffs as long as something happens in the off season to help fix the problem. If nothing happens, then we have reason to be upset. Let's not forget, we started the season very well, and maybe we thought the team would continue to gel and get better, but we haven't.

 

[letowskie]

Honestly, if Morris, Klesla, and Smith hadn't declined so tremendously (those first two may have something to do with the latter), and we had just one extra half decent goal scorer for Ribs (even Brad freakin' Boyes for a million bucks) we'd be fighting for the four seed, right now.

Yep; those definitely would help, as would adding someone like Erat for cheap.

There are 2-4 teams for each conference that are just a leg above the competition; and there are always a few doormat teams that never have a chance to begin with. In the middle, the margins between success and failure in the reg season is razor thin. Those players showing up (along with someone like Erat), would have been huge, and we would be up there with the like of Colorado.

Dmo playing better probably would give Yandle a much better and more consistent season. Klesla being his usual self might be enough to be the partner Rundblad needed to shine. And someone like Boyes/Erat as a supplemental scorer might well have made the Rib/Doan line a force to contend with.

Anyways, this season is not looking good at the moment. But we do need to start preparing for next, and not make the mistake again of having atrocious wing depth that really put a huge drag on our chances.

 

[rt]

My trust in Maloney is somewhat shaken. I'm not sure how you walk into a season with nine one way D contracts and no winger for either the Czechs or Ribeiro. Brown should have had the inside track with Mason Raymond. There were all kinds of cheap options out there. Winnipeg dredged up Setoguchi. J. Jokinen was out there to be had.

I don't get it. Maloney probably didn't anticipate the market for Klesla flatlining, but he should have never put hmself in that position in the first place.

This is one of those situations where it's tough to live in a media wasteland like Phoenix. Nobody will ever ask Maloney to explain this. It's possible there are explanations. Could be he had some irons in the fire, trade-wise, and he thought he'd get one to convert into a winger, but they ended up all falling through unexpectedly. Could be he didn't want to bring in a short-term maybe like the names listed above because he didn't want to take up the roster spot when he thought he had a good shot at a better option elsewhere. Who knows? You're right, though, from the outside it looks...shaky. Nine one-way D contracts and at least one enormous, gaping, obvious hole in the top six at wing. That's tough to look at and remain a devout Malonian.

 

[RABBIT]

This again?



The goal is to make the playoffs, just like a Texas Hold 'em player's goal is to win, but you don't win by pushing all-in every hand. It's a process.

SR and I had this discussion like a month ago. "Knuckle up and suck it up and fork out the right package for a legitimate top line player?" Dude, really? Let's not speak in generalities, DM doesn't get to trade in generalities.

SR brought up the Eriksson/Seguin deal, and I brought up Nail Yakupov as a comparable (though Taylor Hall is probably a better one). DAL didn't just trade "a fan favorite" ... they traded their captain, then fired their GM, fired their coach, then traded their best skater and two of their best prospects. Complete franchise overhaul involved in getting Seguin done.

Which stud forward is available to us? Hard to say, but DM is kicking those tires. Which premium piece do you want to offer up? Hanzal or Yandle? Then add some combination (maybe all) of Samuelsson + Rundblad + a Rieder- or Dauphin-level prospect.

Interesting discussion in forum=3 about Nazem Kadri. He'd be cheaper, but is he good enough to qualify as the player you want? If that's not enough, do we give away Gormley or Domi to make the playoffs this year?

We can't afford to eat Tippett's buyout, so whether you like him or not, he's here, which makes certain forwards (Yakupov types) very unattractive targets.

No, I don't want to continue to watch this team miss the playoffs, but realistically, how far are we from beating CHI or ANA in a playoff series right now? A big scorer + maybe 2 changes in the bottom 6 forwards + some type of defensive upgrade? Do we get all that by giving away futures? Those futures would most likely involve Domi or Gormley if you want all those upgrades done by Wednesday.

"Make the playoffs or get fired" -type thinking is exactly why David Schlemko plays and Dave Rundblad doesn't. For BOS and CHI and STL and PIT and ANA, this season is a sprint. The Cup is sitting RIGHT THERE and they're all trying to reach out and grab it. That's why STL gave away a TON of assets to rent Ryan Miller last week. Had we done something similar and given up two high picks, a good roster player and a good prospect to rent Vanek, I'd be pissed. Back in October? Interesting. But now? So late in the game? Pissed.

I don't want to run a 100 meter dash with CHI right now, because it's obvious to me that they're starting 40 meters ahead. Not this year.

To go back to the poker metaphor, now that we've seen our hand, the flop, turn and river cards, we realize we have a Jack-high hand and that's probably not going to get it done. Going all in right now would be stupid asset management. That's not "not wanting to make the playoffs" ... it's "being realistic."

We'd be a great duo at a bar. I'd be the guy mindlessly throwing punches while you kill them with reason and vocabulary.
I've got to hand it to you and your logic, you know how to shut me up. I'm a hothead, when it comes to the Coyotes losing don't talk to me until 24 hours later or 24 drinks later.

I agree with you. No need to blow up the nucleus for a prima donna free agent that would leave us in a few short months.

That being said, I believe my main point still stands. We won't make it to the Cup with the current game plan implemented today. Sooner or later, we are going to have to grab a player (or two) that can provide the offense needed to compete with the Blackhawks, Blues, Kings of the league, home-grown or not. We need a Marian Hossa, Louis Eriksson type marquee player not just for revenue purposes, but because that's what winning teams have that we don't. A team full of 2nd and 3rd line players will only provide the type of talent teasing hockey that we've come accustomed to over the last 4 years. Do I see the Coyotes as a champion team this year or next 5? No, But we are the closest we have ever come. We need to capitalize sooner rather than later before this squad sputters out and forces us to blow it up and go full rebuild. Hopefully Domi can quench our thirst and spark the offense of the future, but if not, it may then be the appropriate time to consider outside resources.