You're proving my point for me. When your D core has been so injury prone that you're regularly playing only 4 or 5 D-men, you do not have a jam-packed situation at that position.They played with 4/5 Dmen because of injury. Give them the summer to get healthy.
Flint with another 2 pick, not another Vierling.. people on here grasp for anything with that pick and say he is now playing like a top 5 pick that is just desperate. Flint will always be Flint. if they spend money you get Perfetti, what is the difference between Flint and Saginaw? a owner that will spend the money. cost them just to get Wilde from the US program. Flint needs a better pick, spend the money and get the Duke kid from Detroit area
Does Flint have a chance for Shane Wright?
I would be ok with that if we get another Koly......While I think the team could use an upgrade on defense I think Othmann will be the pick...but I wouldn’t be surprised if they used the import pick on defense
There was so much ignorance in his post I didn't even know where to begin.If they spend money?
What's the difference between what Vierling got and Perfetti got?
You don't really think they're going to have 3 or 4 D be missing for extended periods again next year? No team is developing a contingency plan for that with 8 or 9 capable D.You're proving my point for me. When your D core has been so injury prone that you're regularly playing only 4 or 5 D-men, you do not have a jam-packed situation at that position.
There was so much ignorance in his post I didn't even know where to begin.
The injury thing was only half of the point that I was trying to make. The other half is this...you're implying that because guys like McCort and Bangs are have been important parts of the Firebirds' defense this year, that they are personnel that the team can be confident moving forward with. I'm playing devil's advocate in saying that if the team wants to have a championship quality defense, that there is the possibility that guys like this might fall back into the category of "spare part", like they were on Hamilton or London's rosters. Believe me, I wish all these guys the best of success, but if you're suggesting that this years defense is okay to move into next year and be successful, I say you've got rose colored glasses on. There are A LOT of question marks moving forward, and I can't call what they have a "log jam" of defensive talent at this point.You don't really think they're going to have 3 or 4 D be missing for extended periods again next year? No team is developing a contingency plan for that with 8 or 9 capable D.
Bangs, yes. McCourt...I'd like to see improvements in his game but I wouldn't say he was a spare parts type guy. He was the 17yo D Hamilton moved in order to acquire vets for their run. 2-3-4-5 high quality 17yo D prospects get moved in that situation every year. Busby (congrats on scoring your first since like 2005-06 tonight kid!) is still finding his game after injuries and should be rolling next year. Yes, I have concerns about his durability too but I've seen that go both ways. Some guys are Daniel Alfredsson some just had a string of bad luck. We'll see. Koly is adjusting to a new culture, ice surface, league, language. He's good now, next year he'll be a stud. Gretz, Bianconi have played solid for their age which is my main point. Their entire D (outside of Hakon) is 16 to 18. That's crazy young for this league. If...(and I'm cool if) they do add an OA or even an Import or #1 pick that puts Gretz, Bianconi and Bangs as 5-6-7. I'm not sure that's where Gretz should or will want to be, but that's a decent D in my opinion. They're all gonna be better and a year older. I get your point. It's valid for sure but I'm leaning towards thinking Busby-Koly-McCourt-OA?-Gretz-Bianconi is a solid top 6.The injury thing was only half of the point that I was trying to make. The other half is this...you're implying that because guys like McCort and Bangs are have been important parts of the Firebirds' defense this year, that they are personnel that the team can be confident moving forward with. I'm playing devil's advocate in saying that if the team wants to have a championship quality defense, that there is the possibility that guys like this might fall back into the category of "spare part", like they were on Hamilton or London's rosters. Believe me, I wish all these guys the best of success, but if you're suggesting that this years defense is okay to move into next year and be successful, I say you've got rose colored glasses on. There are A LOT of question marks moving forward, and I can't call what they have a "log jam" of defensive talent at this point.
For the Evan Vierling is horrible camp. First off, let's just judge him on the first 30 games of his OHL career. That's all that really matters. Anything that happens after that is pointless anyway, right? Ethan Keppen had 10g and 18pts as a 16yo. 18. He seems to be working out pretty good to me. Vierling has 24 right now. If you throw out his horrible opening stretch he has 6g 17a 23pts and is only -4 in his last 47 games. It's not Cole Perfetti or Connor McDavid but many NHL picks have had lesser 16yo seasons. Just looking at 16yo 1st rounders from tonight's game over their last 6. Vierling 6gp 1g 7a 8pts +6. Cuylle 6gp 1g 2a 3pts Even. Foudy 6gp 0g 4a 4pts -1. I care a little about what a Vierling is doing now. I mostly care about what he does over the next 3 seasons. What's in the past is past. Oh yeah. Another kid with 24pts as a 16yo? Ty Dellandrea. On a better team too and he went 13th overall the following year.
Vierling has had a very nice second half, and is developing nicely. It's good to see the change in his game. It's also nice to see that Holmes has come alive since they have been paired together. Not sure if one sparked the other, or if they just work well together, but I'll take it.For the Evan Vierling is horrible camp. First off, let's just judge him on the first 30 games of his OHL career. That's all that really matters. Anything that happens after that is pointless anyway, right? Ethan Keppen had 10g and 18pts as a 16yo. 18. He seems to be working out pretty good to me. Vierling has 24 right now. If you throw out his horrible opening stretch he has 6g 17a 23pts and is only -4 in his last 47 games. It's not Cole Perfetti or Connor McDavid but many NHL picks have had lesser 16yo seasons. Just looking at 16yo 1st rounders from tonight's game over their last 6. Vierling 6gp 1g 7a 8pts +6. Cuylle 6gp 1g 2a 3pts Even. Foudy 6gp 0g 4a 4pts -1. I care a little about what a Vierling is doing now. I mostly care about what he does over the next 3 seasons. What's in the past is past. Oh yeah. Another kid with 24pts as a 16yo? Ty Dellandrea. On a better team too and he went 13th overall the following year.
Goalie is young. Team defense was horrendous. Both very fixable.Flint is a team that appears headed in the right direction. Next year playoffs. The biggest question in Flint going forward is goaltending? Numbers for your go forward goalie are concerning. Stats show that as your largest issue. Am I missing something?
I think a lot of the goaltending issues fix themselves once there's some team defense being played in front of them. Goaltending isn't a position that I'm overly concerned about going forward, and I don't hear a lot of the people that watch the team night-in and night-out worried about it either. I can totally understand, however, how someone who only sees stats or a single game would think this. These two guys have been hung out to dry on a lot of nights.Flint is a team that appears headed in the right direction. Next year playoffs. The biggest question in Flint going forward is goaltending? Numbers for your go forward goalie are concerning. Stats show that as your largest issue. Am I missing something?