A positivity thread (No Melnyk Talk Please)

[pzeeman]

It's funny, I've said in the past that our miracle lockout year performance probably cost us a ton in the long run. No Karlsson, Spezza Michalek or Anderson for a large portion of the season should have meant a top 3 pick, instead we made the playoffs and the went to the second round. This team might have gone a very different direction had we drafted Barkov or McKinnon instead of Lazar. Hopfully this year will be a bit of the reverse, and in 5 years we can talk about how tanking this season set us up.

Would you say the same thing about 2015? When Lehner and Macarthur went down, where was the team on pace to finish?

 

[Micklebot]

Would you say the same thing about 2015? When Lehner and Macarthur went down, where was the team on pace to finish?

That team was looking like it would be bad, but not top 3 pick bad (most of the season was already done). We lost Spezza 5 games in and Karlsson 14 games in. McArthur went down with 27 games remaining, and he returned and played 9 of those games. Two bigger players for a larger portion of the season. I mean, if it happened that we dropped to the point getting McDavid or Eichel, sure, but i don't think that is realistic, and our actual pick, Chabot, isn't bad at all.

Maybe if we tanked after it looked bleak that year we end up with Hanifin, or Provorov? Wereneski? I don't see that as nearly the difference maker as this year or the 2013 draft could be / could have been.

 

[coladin]

Despite many feeling otherwise, Boucher has done a great job of handling Chabot. he has made him play a system, but has not stopped him from playing an exciting, flashy game. 9 goals is a heck of a season so far on this team. He is playing a lot and learning on the job beside 65.

 

[topshelf15]

Despite many feeling otherwise, Boucher has done a great job of handling Chabot. he has made him play a system, but has not stopped him from playing an exciting, flashy game. 9 goals is a heck of a season so far on this team. He is playing a lot and learning on the job beside 65.

Kid probably flirts with 35 to 40 points as a rookie.....If he played all 82,unsure why some seem a little disappointed with him

 

[Micklebot]

Despite many feeling otherwise, Boucher has done a great job of handling Chabot. he has made him play a system, but has not stopped him from playing an exciting, flashy game. 9 goals is a heck of a season so far on this team. He is playing a lot and learning on the job beside 65.

He's loosened the reigns lately, and it's helping. Chabot is still making mistakes defensively, but he's not getting benched for it. He's going to be a heck of a player if he isn't already.

Duchene has looked better than expected for the last while. I was defending him when the puck wasn't going in those first ~20 games or so, but he's stepped up and is showing why Dorion was willing to pay the price, even if I still think it's a touch higher than I'd have liked.

 

[OgieO]

It would be cool if Duchene ends up with 60 points (he's at 57 with 3 games left) and even an outside chance at 30 goals (he has 26). For a guy who started as poorly as he did with us, that's not a bad season at all. That trade will suck if we lose Jack Hughes or something, but if we sneak into the playoffs next year that trade could look like a big win for us. Bowers looks good and certainly Turris is a fine player, but Duchene is a stud and I hope we can lock him up.

 

[coladin]

It would be cool if Duchene ends up with 60 points (he's at 57 with 3 games left) and even an outside chance at 30 goals (he has 26). For a guy who started as poorly as he did with us, that's not a bad season at all. That trade will suck if we lose Jack Hughes or something, but if we sneak into the playoffs next year that trade could look like a big win for us. Bowers looks good and certainly Turris is a fine player, but Duchene is a stud and I hope we can lock him up.

It has been a treat watching him. The nice thing about a player like Duchene is he is becoming a reason to go watch the team. I can never say that when I went to a game in the past I was going to watch Turris, the way I went to watch Spezza, Alfie, Heatley, Yashin, or Karlsson and Stone. These players were mesmerizing to watch and you can add Duchene to the list.

Dorion took a lot of heat but this will work out long term when he signs. A clear, clear upgrade at center.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

I know it's early but Gustavsson looks like the best goalie prospect Ottawa's had in a long long time

Agreed 100%

 

[Silencio]

It has been a treat watching him. The nice thing about a player like Duchene is he is becoming a reason to go watch the team. I can never say that when I went to a game in the past I was going to watch Turris, the way I went to watch Spezza, Alfie, Heatley, Yashin, or Karlsson and Stone. These players were mesmerizing to watch and you can add Duchene to the list.

Dorion took a lot of heat but this will work out long term when he signs. A clear, clear upgrade at center.

It feels like Duchene generates a good scoring opportunity every time he has the puck, which is exactly what you need from your #1 centre.

 

[DrakeAndJosh]

Duchene has been incredible. It's mesmerizing watching him stickhandle with absolutely no room below the faceoff dot. If he has the puck between the circle and the net I'm like 100% sure he's gonna score every time.

 

[coladin]

Duchene has been incredible. It's mesmerizing watching him stickhandle with absolutely no room below the faceoff dot. If he has the puck between the circle and the net I'm like 100% sure he's gonna score every time.

I get claustrophobic just watching him in tight quarters. Unbelievable

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Duchene has been incredible. If we re-sign him and our pick next year isn't bottom 10, then i dont see any reason to complain about the trade.

 

[Langdon Alger]

It's funny, I've said in the past that our miracle lockout year performance probably cost us a ton in the long run. No Karlsson, Spezza Michalek or Anderson for a large portion of the season should have meant a top 3 pick, instead we made the playoffs and the went to the second round. This team might have gone a very different direction had we drafted Barkov or McKinnon instead of Lazar. Hopfully this year will be a bit of the reverse, and in 5 years we can talk about how tanking this season set us up.

I think losing Alfie and making the Ryan trade is what cost us. We had some good pieces on the roster and some good players coming up back then. Dealing Silf, Noeson and a 2014 first was not something we should have done. We should have stuck with our plan.

 

[Micklebot]

I think losing Alfie and making the Ryan trade is what cost us. We had some good pieces on the roster and some good players coming up back then. Dealing Silf, Noeson and a 2014 first was not something we should have done. We should have stuck with our plan.

Sure, that's part of it, but lets focus on the positive in this thread; we don't appear to be repeating that history, and should get a really solid player this year when everything that could go poorly has. Duchene is showing why he had been regarded so highly in the past, Chabot is coming into his own (still has some room for improvement mind you), we've got a bunch of prospects exceeding expectations (Formenton, Batherson, Luchuck) Gustavson looks pretty promising along with Brown who is now showing why people thought he could be a steal. Our short term investments this year sucked, but some of our long term outlook is pretty positive.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Sure, that's part of it, but lets focus on the positive in this thread; we don't appear to be repeating that history, and should get a really solid player this year when everything that could go poorly has. Duchene is showing why he had been regarded so highly in the past, Chabot is coming into his own (still has some room for improvement mind you), we've got a bunch of prospects exceeding expectations (Formenton, Batherson, Luchuck) Gustavson looks pretty promising along with Brown who is now showing why people thought he could be a steal. Our short term investments this year sucked, but some of our long term outlook is pretty positive.

Hard for me to be too positive about the future when it’s likely Karlsson won’t be here.

 

[Micklebot]

Hard for me to be too positive about the future when it’s likely Karlsson won’t be here.

then you're in the wrong place my friend, might I suggest taking a stroll over here: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/melnyks-townhall.2468331/

 

[Micklebot]

Hard for me to be too positive about the future when it’s likely Karlsson won’t be here.

then you're in the wrong place my friend, might I suggest taking a stroll over here: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/melnyks-townhall.2468331/

 

[coladin]

Hard for me to be too positive about the future when it’s likely Karlsson won’t be here.

Then GTFO!!!