Dbrownss
Registered User
- Jan 5, 2014
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Blais doesn't even have to be in the lineup when everyone is healthy. He was a wrecking ball last year, so I'm not so quick to undermine his impactI am not convinced that I agree on Kyrou and I certainly don't agree on Blais.
- Kyrou has had 5 good games in a row now. Before that he was scoreless in 9 straight and was a -3 during that stretch.
Has he really turned the corner into becoming a solid NHL'er or is he just on a hot streak following the Bouw situation?
And how willing are you to risk the 3rd line falling into the toilet during the PO's based on your answer?
Personally, I would like to think that he's turned the corner but I just can't bring myself to bank on it. As we saw last year; you need your 3rd line to be able to win games for you and I'm not convinced that Kyrou is at that level just yet.
-If I'm being specific; Blais is the forward that I think needs to be replaced.
He has been a train wreck since he returned from injury. He is chasing the play instead of driving it, his offensive production is non-existent and his defensive game has fallen off a cliff(likely due to frustration).
And Army has noticed it(he commented on it during the Scandella presser).
Furthermore; Blais does not play a net front game. Even when Maroon wasn't scoring, his butt was in front of the goalie creating havoc and that opened space for Bozak/Thomas.
Blais doesn't play that style. Blais is at his best when he is patrolling the perimeter like a herding dog and driving the puck into the area's he wants it to go(usually right into our defensive coverage). Except that right now he is reacting instead of driving and that is causing defensive breakdowns.
Under normal circumstances, I would say he needs an off-season to reset. But if Army really wants to repeat we don't have that luxury. We need a reliable 3rd line and we won't have that if Blais or Kyrou are expected to play a key role there. As such; Blais is the forward that needs to go in favor of a more reliable option. He is the weakest link up front currently, and he will be in an absolute dogfight for the final lineup spot next year(Blais, MacMac, Kyrou and Kostin will all be going after a single spot).
Again; I'm not entirely sure who the right fit is in such a deal. But if I'm Army I'd be shopping Blais around for a more reliable option.
I see no reason to not give Kyrou the benefit of the doubt. Thomas didnt take off till around this time last year. I'm not saying Kyrou will follow the same path but he's trending in the right direction. Any significant improvement is going to be costly as we have to get max retention and we'd be looking at a Palmieri level player.
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