GDT: Canes at cbj

[Negan4Coach]

That’s what we say every year. How’s that worked out?

How about they just actually play like a playoff team from the jump like 90% of actual playoff teams do.

For real. Other teams dont get shut down by backups. Ofher teams dont take 40 plus shots and get
One goal. Other teams dont agonize over the west
Coast tour, and they sure as shit dont worry about wearing down a bunch of 20 year olds. They just go out and win.

 

[My Special Purpose]

Maybe I’m being too pragmatic, but my thoughts were that if the team could tread water for the first 10 games or so until the lines get sorted out, the rookies come up to speed, and Darling gets back (can’t believe I just typed that), that the team would be in pretty good shape. Coming out of game 10 at .500 isn’t great, but I really think this team will get better as the season progresses. Just don’t dig too big of a hole through 10 games.

I think struggling out of the gate is a possibility. I expect this team to play extremely well during the middle of the season as the youngins settle in. But with the season coming to a close I could see things go downhill a bit with the team being so extremely young. These guys are not used to an 82 game season in a league that is this physical, they’ll likely get worn out.

Yep.

That’s what we say every year. How’s that worked out?

How about they just actually play like a playoff team from the jump like 90% of actual playoff teams do.

I think this take is wholly unreasonable based on the team we're putting on the ice. We had *10* new players in the lineup last night. I've heard coaches say that it takes 40 games to fully integrate *one* new player into the top six forwards or top four d-men. If we *only* had the mega-trade with Calgary and signed de Haan, it would be unreasonable to expect chemistry to be there in Game 1. Or if we *only* had five rookies in the lineup, it would also be unreasonable. We did *both* and we want to be firing on all cylinders on Oct. 3?

There's virtually no way for this team to be a cohesive unit out of the blocks. Add to that a new head coach, who did more than a fair share of experimenting in the preseason, and I think the least we can do is give these guys 10 games to settle into any kind of comfort level. It's most likely going to take a lot more than that.

And the cherry on top of this sundae is that we also have the lowest payroll in the league. Anybody who thought we'd be a "playoff team from the jump" was not dealing in the reality of the situation.

I hope Rod makes some changes to the line combinations. I want to see McLovin' with the Finns and Svech and Necas together. I'd also like to see Zykov with Svech, but if he wants to put Ferland with the two kids, I could see that. Zykov would be wasted with Staal and the human turnover, but we only have so many left shots to go around, so I guess putting him there won't slow down one of our faster players.

Based on RBA’s postgame comments it sounds like we’ll be seeing more of Svech tonight, which would be great.

I think Roddy got a bit of a rude awakening last night. This league comes at you fast, and it can get away from you easily. So far, I've liked his experimenting, but I think he needs to settle on something and stick with it for a bit. He's got a *lot* of options, which isn't something we've had in the past, and not a great thing for a brand new coach. Plus he feels a ton of pressure to win right away, which I don't think is a good thing (for the reasons listed above).

He's not a master juggler yet, so maybe let's not juggle so much. If it was me, I'd set my lines in stone and roll with them for a bit. Maybe he should have done this in preseason, too, but hey, like I said, this league comes at you fast.

 

[RodTheBawd]

That’s what we say every year. How’s that worked out?

How about they just actually play like a playoff team from the jump like 90% of actual playoff teams do.

Welp, felt like they did exactly that last night, so we should be in good shape.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

.500 as in 5-3-2 after 10 means 12 points in 10 games, or a 98 point pace. I'm down with that.

 

[My Special Purpose]

My lineup, if I'm Rod:

Foegele-Aho-TT
Ferland-Staal-Williams
Zykov-Necas-Svechnikov
McGinn-Martinook

de Haan-Hamilton
Slavin-Pesce
Fleury-Faulk
TvR

Mrazek/McIlhinney

Scratch: DiGuiseppe, Wallmark, Rask (IR), Darling (IR)

PP1: Hamilton-Aho-TT-Svechnikov-Zykov
PP2: Faulk-Staal-Williams-Necas-Ferland

PK1: Martinook-Foegele-Slavin-Pesce
PK2: Staal-McGinn-Hamilton-de Haan

I just don't think we lose anything by scratching Wallmark and DiGuiseppe and I simply do not like what Faulk does to our defense pairs. I have no issues with an all-rookie third line. Teams have done it before, and these guys work well together and are responsible. I also don't see any reason why Slavin *has* to be on the power play. Yeah, he *can* do it, but we have better options.

 

[My Special Purpose]

It just dawned on me that this team is dead last in terms of team salary. That is really bad.

Yeah, we win that honor by $1 million. I don't have any issue with this, in and of itself, except that we're second from the bottom in payroll at forward, and second from the bottom in payroll at goaltender (not counting Darling on IR), but fourth from the top in payroll at defense. Trading Faulk for a similar forward (both in terms of salary and talent) would go a long way toward balancing that all out.

 

[MinJaBen]

My lineup, if I'm Rod:

Foegele-Aho-TT
Ferland-Staal-Williams
Zykov-Necas-Svechnikov
McGinn-Martinook

de Haan-Hamilton
Slavin-Pesce
Fleury-Faulk
TvR

Mrazek/McIlhinney

Scratch: DiGuiseppe, Wallmark, Rask (IR), Darling (IR)

PP1: Hamilton-Aho-TT-Svechnikov-Zykov
PP2: Faulk-Staal-Williams-Necas-Ferland

PK1: Martinook-Foegele-Slavin-Pesce
PK2: Staal-McGinn-Hamilton-de Haan

I just don't think we lose anything by scratching Wallmark and DiGuiseppe and I simply do not like what Faulk does to our defense pairs. I have no issues with an all-rookie third line. Teams have done it before, and these guys work well together and are responsible. I also don't see any reason why Slavin *has* to be on the power play. Yeah, he *can* do it, but we have better options.

What is the advantage to scratching Wallmark and PDG and dressing TvR and Fleury so one of them can sit on the bench doing nothing?

 

[tarheelhockey]

Yeah, we win that honor by $1 million. I don't have any issue with this, in and of itself, except that we're second from the bottom in payroll at forward, and second from the bottom in payroll at goaltender (not counting Darling on IR), but fourth from the top in payroll at defense. Trading Faulk for a similar forward (both in terms of salary and talent) would go a long way toward balancing that all out.

I've come to believe, pretty strongly, that there are two ways to really make a team leapfrog its way up the competitiveness ladder:
1) Draft a superstar
2) Take advantage of some team that's having issues with a good player.

#1 is why teams tank, it's self-explanatory.

#2 is your Sharks getting Joe Thornton, Ducks getting Pronger and Niedermayer, Stars getting Seguin and Spezza, Jets stealing Byfuglien, Kings taking Richards and Carter off two teams, us getting Jordan Staal for scraps, Sens taking Turris off the Coyotes, Flames robbing Boston for Hamilton, and us turning around and robbing the Flames. The realm of crazy-stupid trades that happen for off ice reasons. This is where one team takes another to the cleaners and potentially skips ahead of the draft-develop model without killing their budget on a UFA.

Right now the Leafs (who need a better defensive group) have a damned good forward sitting around in Sweden doing nothing, for purely monetary reasons. We are last in the league in forward payroll, and we have an extreme surplus of defensemen.

This is where, one way or another, Waddell needs to make magic happen. Even if it costs us a player we kind of like, that's OK. If it's Faulk, even better. But this is the window he should be waiting for as a GM.

 

[Unsustainable]

My lines:

Aho - Necas - Svenchnikov
Ferland - TT - Williams
Zykov - Staal - Foegele
Martinook - Wallmark - McGinn

 

[Roboturner913]

Would the Leafs take something like Faulk + Bean + 1st for Nylander? If they would, I think we should do it even if it's an overpayment.

 

[The Faulker 27]

I'm gonna pour a nice glass of whiskey with plenty of ice to start this one. RIP my posts.

 

[bluedevil58]

Would the Leafs take something like Faulk + Bean + 1st for Nylander? If they would, I think we should do it even if it's an overpayment.

I teed it up. Starting with a 2nd, Fox, and Fualk/Fleury. A 2019 1st is overpayment IMO.

 

[Roboturner913]

I'm gonna pour a nice glass of whiskey with plenty of ice to start this one. RIP my posts.

just skip the ice, you don't need any of that pesky water taking the edge off a clean buzz

 

[TheBigKahuna]

You think Nylander is worth 8+million a season?

Cap space or not, that's a huge gamble on a 20g player.

 

[Roboturner913]

I teed it up.

Yeah, that's gonna end well

 

[bluedevil58]

Yeah, that's gonna end well

Going good so far. Learning about offer sheets. They want Pesce in a 1 for 1 though.

 

[Stickpucker]

My lineup, if I'm Rod:

Foegele-Aho-TT
Ferland-Staal-Williams
Zykov-Necas-Svechnikov
McGinn-Martinook

de Haan-Hamilton
Slavin-Pesce
Fleury-Faulk
TvR

Mrazek/McIlhinney

Scratch: DiGuiseppe, Wallmark, Rask (IR), Darling (IR)

PP1: Hamilton-Aho-TT-Svechnikov-Zykov
PP2: Faulk-Staal-Williams-Necas-Ferland

PK1: Martinook-Foegele-Slavin-Pesce
PK2: Staal-McGinn-Hamilton-de Haan

I just don't think we lose anything by scratching Wallmark and DiGuiseppe and I simply do not like what Faulk does to our defense pairs. I have no issues with an all-rookie third line. Teams have done it before, and these guys work well together and are responsible. I also don't see any reason why Slavin *has* to be on the power play. Yeah, he *can* do it, but we have better options.

I'd flip Foegele and Zykov. Zykov is a pure finisher with guys who like to pass too much and Foegele has shown wheels and good 2 way play.

 

[Lucky Lindy]

McElhinney with his first start tonight.

Doesn't matter what you think of Sara Civian, but it feels damn good to have a beat reporter that reports (tweets) daily or almost atleast.

 

[The Faulker 27]

just skip the ice, you don't need any of that pesky water taking the edge off a clean buzz

I'm borderline obsessed with ice, and coldness. The drink has to be ice cold. Even my beers. I can't stand a beer that is just normal chilled.

 

[Stickpucker]

This will be a very chippy game book it.

Also no official lines?

Please invite Svech and Necas they looked magical together on the PP.

 

[Wolfpuck]

Time for McBackup to become McStarter

 

[Roboturner913]

I'm borderline obsessed with ice, and coldness. The drink has to be ice cold. Even my beers. I can't stand a beer that is just normal chilled.

I'm also obsessed with ice and coldness just not with whiskey. I might use a little piece of ice, like a cube but most of the time I drink it neat.

Now if I'm drinking a coke or something like that, glass gets filled to the top with ice and the coke is cold from the fridge. Best thing ever.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I teed it up. Starting with a 2nd, Fox, and Fualk/Fleury. A 2019 1st is overpayment IMO.

Probably won’t get far with this on the trade board. Fans think in NHL18 terms, to them an unsigned holdout is exactly the same thing as a player who’s happy and actively contributing. Real life management thinks about it differently. They don’t want this hanging over a team, and the natives will start getting restless if the team loses without him.

I mean think about what we were demanding for Skinner on the trade board a few months ago, compared to what we actually got. That’s how it is with djstressed assets, and why I hope Waddell is blowing up the TML phone lines to work this opportunity.

 

[The Faulker 27]

I'm also obsessed with ice and coldness just not with whiskey. I might use a little piece of ice, like a cube but most of the time I drink it neat.

Now if I'm drinking a coke or something like that, glass gets filled to the top with ice and the coke is cold from the fridge. Best thing ever.

Yeah, I do less ice for whiskey. I fill it up for a gin or vodka drink typically.

 

[bluedevil58]

Probably won’t get far with this on the trade board. Fans think in NHL18 terms, to them an unsigned holdout is exactly the same thing as a player who’s happy and actively contributing. Real life management thinks about it differently. They don’t want this hanging over a team, and the natives will start getting restless if the team loses without him.

I mean think about what we were demanding for Skinner on the trade board a few months ago, compared to what we actually got. That’s how it is with djstressed assets, and why I hope Waddell is blowing up the TML phone lines to work this opportunity.

He better be!