Confirmed with Link: Carolina sign Ryan Dzingel - 3.375 x 2

[Dishface]

You’ll be a little frustrated with Dzingel’s lack of finish on breakaways (he’ll probably lead the team in that department) but other than that, there’s not much to pick at here. He’s fast, goes to the net hard, and really finds the open gaps close to the net for rebound chances, and finishing passing plays. Really good hands around the net. Elevates the puck quickly, and doesn’t try to finesse it in close. He hammers it home.

Can't be worse than McLovin

 

[Tryamw]

Can't be worse than McLovin

It could. Not easily but I have faith in humanities ability to one up itself in failure. I don't expect him to be worse

 

[MinJaBen]

You’ll be a little frustrated with Dzingel’s lack of finish on breakaways (he’ll probably lead the team in that department) but other than that, there’s not much to pick at here. He’s fast, goes to the net hard, and really finds the open gaps close to the net for rebound chances, and finishing passing plays. Really good hands around the net. Elevates the puck quickly, and doesn’t try to finesse it in close. He hammers it home.

Foegele says hello...


Edit: You’d think I’d have learned by now to read just a bit further before posting my snark...

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Foegele says hello...


Edit: You’d think I’d have learned by now to read just a bit further before posting my snark...

I think my recency bias kicked in, Foegele buried his last breakaway IIRC.

Anyways, I meant lead the team in breakaways total.

 

[Chrispy]

It could. Not easily but I have faith in humanities ability to one up itself in failure. I don't expect him to be worse

I believe Dzingel will not flub a dangle so severely that he scores.

(I know it wasn't a breakaway, but my point stands.)

 

[VAcaniac]

Wooooooo forward depth. Thank god

 

[Highest Boss]

I believe Dzingel will not flub a dangle so severely that he scores.

(I know it wasn't a breakaway, but my point stands.)

You put some respect on Nic Wallin's name

 

[zman77]

 

[zman77]

 

[Vagrant]

if he stays with ottawa all year, he probably scores 65 points. columbus made a strange move to pick him up and then cut his icetime by 3 minutes in the regular season and down to 11 minutes in the postseason. super strange deployment, but they really loaded up. part of me really wants to see the two new additions to the top 9 play together in haula and dzingel. not sure who lines up where, but that might be a soft spot for necas to slide into the action as well. get him to think the game a little faster and play more reactionary.

 

[Dishface]

if he stays with ottawa all year, he probably scores 65 points. columbus made a strange move to pick him up and then cut his icetime by 3 minutes in the regular season and down to 11 minutes in the postseason. super strange deployment, but they really loaded up. part of me really wants to see the two new additions to the top 9 play together in haula and dzingel. not sure who lines up where, but that might be a soft spot for necas to slide into the action as well. get him to think the game a little faster and play more reactionary.

Its not a bad idea to have haula, dzingel, and necas to play on a line together. Have the other 3 lines build off the chemistry from last year and have the newbies hopefully catch some light together.

 

[CandyCanes]

Brian Pesce is a national treasure

If we’re ever to trade Brett, Brian and Bradlee have to be taken into account in Brett’s trade value.

I put a little thought into this earlier and played around in MS Paint with how I would like it. What do you think? Ignore the lack of a name plate. A little difficult to make that work with what I have to work with.

I dig your mock-up.

 

[AD Skinner]

I discovered that I could use paint on my phone (not very well) and came up with this

Ignoring the awful quality of the mockup I wonder if they'll go in a direction like this- sort of reminds me of the original whites with the black wrists

 

[Negan4Coach]

I keep going back to this, but if Willy comes back, we're set up to make a run for the Cup. We've got layered scoring depth the likes we haven't had since 2006, our defense is arguably the best we've ever had (I am expecting the development of Slavin, Pesce, Fleury, and any of the other youngsters to offset the loss of deHaan) and Mrazek was playing some of the best hockey at goal in the stretch run and playoffs (until he got hurt) that we've seen since... well Cam put us on his back in 2009. And we just made the ECF this year, realized that our scoring was holding us back, and went out and legitimately slotted in a whole new line of talented scorers between Dzingel, Haula, and Necas. It might be crazy, but I think our chances going into next year are better to win the Metro than it is on us missing the playoffs. The little tweaks we keep making to this roster are just perfect.

And we are looking at 2 first round picks and possibly 6 picks in the first 3 rounds in the 2020 draft, which is supposed to be deep.

So, the improvements made to this team didn't happen in a vacuum. Along with the draft picks of the Rangers and Devils, what other improvements have the rest of the teams in the Metro made, and how do our modest improvements stack up against those? I mean we were a wildcard team last year, and it was dicey right up to the end. We could have easily missed. Don't want to rain on the parade or anything, but the Metro is a tough place.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

So, the improvements made to this team didn't happen in a vacuum. Along with the draft picks of the Rangers and Devils, what other improvements have the rest of the teams in the Metro made, and how do our modest improvements stack up against those? I mean we were a wildcard team last year, and it was dicey right up to the end. We could have easily missed. Don't want to rain on the parade or anything, but the Metro is a tough place.

f*** that. Let other teams fear us for a change.

 

[DaveG]

I mean I get it, it's the Metro and we're not used to having nice things.

But we finished 17, 21, and 27 points clear of the 3 non-playoff teams respectively. It wasn't exactly close. And we didn't lose a ton of talent off of what was the youngest team in the playoffs last year. Even if you figure that Bread and Trouba alone are worth 6-7 wins for the Rangers we're still well clear of them. And that's not factoring in our additions and our guys improving.

 

[Ippenator]

Aho-Dzingel-Teravainen

ADT Home Protection Line

My body is ready.

Could be a good line really. But why on earth you would have Aho as the winger and Dzingel as the center? Aho has been great as a center and Dzingel hasn’t even played that much as a center, and is definitely not even close to as good as Aho as a center.

I’m saying this especially because I have been following Aho’s career with great interest for already about five years, and what I have noticed is that he has played very clearly his best games and seasons when he has played as a center. He can better get the puck and control the game when he gets to play as a center, and even if he is not a typical modern center who covers a lot of the front of his own goal with strength, who cares, as it is easy to let someone else take more of that role, like it has often been done for many other classic very good offensive but smaller sized centers in the world.

I really think it’s completely wasting Aho’s great game controlling skills, if he is played as a winger. In my opinion he has been a lot more influencial as a center during his career, and I think it would be a great mistake to start playing him as a winger again, at least on a regular basis. I hope and pretty much trust that Brindy will not make this mistake.

 

[MinJaBen]

Metro Change meter:

Washington -> lost a little and stars aging, but still top three
Islanders -> lost starting Vezna caliber goalie, they probably slip to WC contention
Penguins -> lost Kessel and stars aging, they slip to WC contention
Jerks -> lost very good backup but stars are maturing and added good middle six talent, probably top three
Blue Jackets-> lost starting goalie and top six center and first line center, they slip to bubble and out probably
Flyers -> added top six center and experienced defense, probably top three
Rangers -> added top line winger and top six winger and top pairing defender, probably WC contention
Devils -> added 1C elite talent and top pairing defender, probably bubble and out

TL;DR: top end teams slip a bit, bottom teams improve a bit. It will be a slog all season long in the Metro and the Metro probably doesn’t get five teams in this year.

 

[MinJaBen]

But why on earth you would have Aho as the winger and Dzingel as the center?

Clearly for the letter ordering. Otherwise it’s just DAT line over dere, nuttin’ special.

 

[robbieberns]

I think we’re a top 3 team in the division to be honest. Washington isn’t going anywhere yet, and Barry’s Islanders are probably still up there as well.

Pittsburgh - Crosby and Malkin aren’t getting any younger, and JR has actively been making the rest of that roster worse for a couple of years now. A wildcard team and nothing more these days.

Columbus - Bottom 5 roster in the league you could argue. Perhaps the weakest goalie pairing, and a forward group you could describe as mediocre if you were being generous.

Philly - One of a few mixed bag squads in the Metro this year. They’ll need all of their young talent to step up in order to really make waves this year and I just don’t see it happening.

NJ - Not their time yet, even with Hughes and Subban coming in. Goaltending still a question mark, and overall depth still lacking.

NYR - I like what they’re building over there quite a lot, but it’s still too early for them to really make a huge impact. A bubble team that will only get better over the next few years.

 

[Borsig]

I think it's quite possible we win the division this year.

Who is better than us this year? Not really anyone, I think washington is our only real threat.

 

[MinJaBen]

I just hope we make top three so we don’t have to dog fight for a WC position all of March. Florida is going to be better. Montreal with Webber all year and improving young guys will be better. I don’t see the Metro getting both WC spots this year.

 

[spockBokk]

I think CAR takes over the 3rd spot in the Metro. I don’t see much drop off from WSH, they’re easily the best team still. I also think PIT has a better year after last year.

PHI and NYR definitely got better. I seem them and NYI and potentially NJD duking it out for a wild card spot. BUF and FLA also got better, on paper, so I think one of those 2 teams takes the other wild card spot, 4 in from each division.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Also - Dzingel isn’t a center. In any lineup.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

I think we have a good chance of winning this division. The confidence of making the ECF will pay huge dividends.