Armchair GM III

[Porter Stoutheart]

Fair enough. I might've had too sentimental intentions anyways .

E: Have to add, do you think that we are a fast, transition hockey team? Because if so, I have some bad news for you..

No, I think we are a team that is already too slow and cannot possibly afford to get even slower!

 

[Armourboy]

No on Neal, he's done.

 

[Scoresberg]

No, I think we are a team that is already too slow and cannot possibly afford to get even slower!

Yeah, that's not how Hynes' is building his system. We've already gotten rid of Arvy, Jarnkrok and basically Grimaldi all of who were one of the speedier guys on the roster.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

2019-20... James Neal and Rocco Grimaldi have great seasons and both score 31 pts. 2020-21... Rocco Grimaldi scores 10 goals, James Neal 5. Rocco Grimaldi is the player we talk about being a spare forward or buried on this team. And he's better than James Neal. It's not 2016 anymore. No more James Neal talk, please.

 

[Scoresberg]

2019-20... James Neal and Rocco Grimaldi have great seasons and both score 31 pts. 2020-21... Rocco Grimaldi scores 10 goals, James Neal 5. Rocco Grimaldi is the player we talk about being a spare forward or buried on this team. And he's better than James Neal. It's not 2016 anymore. No more James Neal talk, please.

Tongue-in-cheek, but we are not magically going to convert into rush-creating team because that is not how this team is being built as of now. People expecting more and more speed are not probably going to get it. Is it necessarily a bad thing? No, if you get the right players to fit the system.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Tongue-in-cheek, but we are not magically going to convert into rush-creating team because that is not how this team is being built as of now. People expecting more and more speed are not probably going to get it. Is it necessarily a bad thing? No, if you get the right players to fit the system.

Hynes' system still requires players to skate. They don't have to be elite speedsters getting breakaways all the time, but they still need to pressure on the forecheck, hustle on the backcheck, and stay in motion. Neal is not that kind of player.

 

[Scoresberg]

Hynes' system still requires players to skate. They don't have to be elite speedsters getting breakaways all the time, but they still need to pressure on the forecheck, hustle on the backcheck, and stay in motion. Neal is not that kind of player.

People were saying these same kind of things about Pat Maroon, Corey Perry as well.

 

[triggrman]

Which is why Jeanot is so valuable to this system. He’s a very physical guy that can skate. Those that didn’t think Seattle would take Jeanot were absolutely wrong, that’s the type of team they built

 

[OldFan]

Neal was a very good player. Big with a bit of a nasty streak who had a terrific shot and scored goals. What more could you want? But the emphasis is on the “was”. Time has caught up with Neal like every player. He’ll hang around; someone will pick him up but not the Preds. Jeannot looks a lot like Neal and I’m more excited about his potential than anybody that’s come around in a long, long time. The sky is the limit for him if he continues to work. The only question is his shot; does he have big goal potential? Remember he’s only played 15 games thus far but what a package he looks like. So, Neal is about at the end like Pekka but we should remember him as a very good player and the future is just out there waiting for Jeannot. No doubt in my mind that Seattle would have taken him.

 

[Gh24]

Kessel wants out. Only one year left with 6.8M caphit, although he's only owed 850k in actual salary. Scored 20+23 = 43 pts in 56 games this past season.

According to some Arizona fans they don't want too much money going back due to internal budget. That being said, they have already paid most of his salary so retaining is probably not a big issue and that might keep teams that are tighter against the cap in the bidding war. Good to great production for low actual dollars is very intriguing.

Outside stats watching, I have no idea how he's been playing, so please share your insights about him as a player and if you'd see him as a fit or not. He'd have to waive to come here and we'd have to outbid anyone else on that list (Modified NTC - player submits 8 team list).

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

People were saying these same kind of things about Pat Maroon, Corey Perry as well.

I would say the same things about them too. I would not take either of those players for our team. (And I don't think Neal plays as hard as those guys either).

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Kessel wants out. Only one year left with 6.8M caphit, although he's only owed 850k in actual salary. Scored 20+23 = 43 pts in 56 games this past season.

According to some Arizona fans they don't want too much money going back due to internal budget. That being said, they have already paid most of his salary so retaining is probably not a big issue and that might keep teams that are tighter against the cap in the bidding war. Good to great production for low actual dollars is very intriguing.

Outside stats watching, I have no idea how he's been playing, so please share your insights about him as a player and if you'd see him as a fit or not. He'd have to waive to come here and we'd have to outbid anyone else on that list (Modified NTC - player submits 8 team list).

Pass on Kessel as well.

He's talented and he'll probably be at least somewhat motivated this year to get another contract. But I just don't see it being worth the potential headache/distraction. If he's NOT pulling his weight and buying into a team game and the coach's system, then we don't need him taking up space here, even if he'd score 20 or 25 goals just on sheer talent alone. Getting a full team buy-in and having everybody on the same page is more important for our team than a handful of goals he might score above whoever he bumps out of our lineup.

 

[PredsV82]

No to Neal. He capitalized on a fluke good year with Vegas to score a huge contract but hes done. As someone else already said we have youngsters who need a chance to prove they can stick

 

[herzausstein]

No on Kessel. He doesn't tend to give his all and often looks lazy on the ice. Hynes will end up benching him.

 

[Tysonson3]

I mean I’d buy a kessel jersey lol, not that I actually want him on our team. That’s not the kind of moves we should be making unless he literally comes free

 

[herzausstein]

I mean I’d buy a kessel jersey lol, not that I actually want him on our team. That’s not the kind of moves we should be making unless he literally comes free

I guess if he comes free we only have to pay him 1M since Coyotes already paid his 5M signing bonus. I guess I'd take him then since we have the capspace and when Hynes benches him we aren't out much cash.

 

[Soundgarden]

Would hate to add a Kessel, just let the kids play imo.

 

[Legionnaire11]

We certainly don't need to clog up the roster with Kessel since it's not a move that will take us from bubble to contender... but dang, some of y'all seem to have only read the Toronto media playbook on the guy. I've seen nothing outside of the Toronto cesspool to suggest that Kessel is anything other than totally professional, hard working and a great teammate and person.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

I'm good on Kessel. I'd like to bring in Domi, Kahun maybe even Galch. That would solidify our left side and all of those guys are in their mid 20s. Could be value pick ups.

Forsberg Joey Duchene
Domi Glass Tomasino
Tolvanen Granlund Kunin
Jeannot Sissons Yak

Something like that with Grimaldi, Cousins and Olivier as spares. Though I'll admit, I'm not the biggest Cousins fan so you could easily slot him in.

While I don't think this is a playoff team, I do like the direction overall. Too bad we couldn't have found a way to move Duchene or Joey and weaponize our cap space more, but not a bad off season.

 

[desmondtootoo]

It’s basically impossible to get a talented scorer on the cheap like that.

I know we want the kids to play, but we’ll rue the day we passed on Kessel if they don’t blossom and the first line keeps playing like Ahola’s. Our offense is way too shaky to just pop-poo the idea.

I’d rather not watch a whole year of last season’s first half. Pass on that. Kessel would be a nice way to avoid it.

It won’t be amusing when he signs with one of the teams we’re trying to stay ahead of.

 

[desmondtootoo]

Hell, get Kessel AND Domi. Added talent and grit and experience.
We don’t need to have more gambles and crapshoots in the lineup than Seattle.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

We certainly don't need to clog up the roster with Kessel since it's not a move that will take us from bubble to contender... but dang, some of y'all seem to have only read the Toronto media playbook on the guy. I've seen nothing outside of the Toronto cesspool to suggest that Kessel is anything other than totally professional, hard working and a great teammate and person.

Totally professional... especially in terms of diet and conditioning, hard-working... which is why each team he has played for has moved him. I'm sure he's a reasonably nice guy and all, but I don't think it is just the Toronto media playbook that is down on him. Boston, Pittsburgh and Arizona seem to be as well. That doesn't make him intrinsically evil or "toxic" or whatever. Nobody is saying that. But it would be going a little too far to suggest that he provides veteran leadership or any additional "intangibles" beyond the pure scoring numbers he puts up. He can be a nice guy, who is also a little lazy and not really into the strictly regimented pro hockey lifestyle. It doesn't make him a bad person by any stretch.

 

[OldFan]

We certainly don't need to clog up the roster with Kessel since it's not a move that will take us from bubble to contender... but dang, some of y'all seem to have only read the Toronto media playbook on the guy. I've seen nothing outside of the Toronto cesspool to suggest that Kessel is anything other than totally professional, hard working and a great teammate and person.

No to Kessel but the Toronto cesspool comment is right on target. They’ve never seemed to have a GM, coach or player that started out as their savior; the best hockey had to offer, who when they were finally driven out of town, were said to be sub-human slime.

 

[Legionnaire11]

especially in terms of diet and conditioning, hard-working...

In other words... yes, you totally bought into the BS and memes. The guy is basically the same size as Josi, Sissons and Benning and hasn't missed a single game in the past 11 seasons.

 

[desmondtootoo]

There are some very odd complaints about Kessel here.
Doesn’t eat the right food, doesn’t work out right, won’t be an instant leader.
How about we just hire him to score 25-25 for us ? After last year, this may just be our best scorer.
Strange outlook, “we can’t use him”, when we may have the weakest offense in the league.