GDT: Free agent frenzy - day 2+

[DougieSmash]

Drury was good in Sweden. He's probably better at this point from Leivo and Lorentz. Not saying he should start in top 9 but prefer him with better linemates.

The D is terrible. Bear is definition of meh, TDA brings Casey Borer level defense.

 

[bleedgreen]

I ****ing HATE the look of that defense compared to what we've rolled the past few years.

Also we really need another good (top 6) LW before that group will look threatening. We need Drury to be contending with Marty to get out of the press box, not with Nino for second-line minutes.

We can’t say with any seriousness we’re a top defensive team anymore. We’ve got two elite defensive defenseman and then everyone else is what everyone else has.


I’ve assumed we’re putting TDA with Slavin the whole time. The only reason Skjei was better about having the yips was the presence of Pesce. We have to split up the SlavinPesce. Which hurts my soul since we could reunite them.

 

[mikeyfan]

I know he is injured prone, but Sami Vantanen is available and he could come cheap

 

[To Be Determined]

As of now. Not sure we add another, other than AHL depth.

Svech/Aho/TT
Nino/Tro/Necas
Drury/Staal/Fast
Marty/Lorentz/Leivo

Slavin/Pesce
Skjei/DeAngelo
Cole/Bear

i hereby dub that third pair, "stephen"

 

[tarheelhockey]

Yeah it does seem like he has a spot to lose so my earlier presumptions that he’s going to get time to develop are wrong. We’ll see how that goes. I’m sure he can handle the job defensively, just wouldn’t mind him getting as much time as possible to develop the offense.

Part of what's frightening about this is that inevitably Nino gets dinged up, which means sliding Drury into top-6 minutes and Marty into top-9 minutes and... I honestly couldn't even say who moves up to the 4th line in that scenario. Presumably another McCormick or Bishop that we sign between now and the start of the season.

That's not good depth at all. Getting Tarasenko would be less of a luxury than a need.

 

[bleedgreen]

Part of what's frightening about this is that inevitably Nino gets dinged up, which means sliding Drury into top-6 minutes and Marty into top-9 minutes and... I honestly couldn't even say who moves up to the 4th line in that scenario. Presumably another McCormick or Bishop that we sign between now and the start of the season.

That's not good depth at all. Getting Tarasenko would be less of a luxury than a need.

True. I’m just hoping there’s a better choice to be had than Tarasenko.

You hit on a good point. We haven’t just lost our defense first title we’ve lost our depth, which we needed more of. I guess that’s the part where we remember it’s day two, presumably some of the depth gets added by the season.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I mean I think we've still got a forward hole and based on what Waddell said ("short a forward or two") I wouldn't be surprised if we add another middle 6 type, though I hope it's a top 6 type.

With regard to the start of this season, Drury should be treated as found money - if he pushes Leivo into the press box good for him but we shouldn't be penciling him in anywhere. Don't want to get back into the JR years of penciling in the kids, unless we've taken positive steps towards stacking the front of the lineup which of course we haven't (if an Eichel trade necessitates sending players out to the point where we need to pencil in Drury, of course that's fine).

As it stands right now we've gotten worse at forward and worse at defense. That's why I think (hope) we're not done on the forward side.

Agree we've gone from an elite defense to a "good" defense. If Oilers fans are right about Bear having a top 4/2 upside maybe that's a nice find. For better or worse, I think the man of the hour is who's going to determine how good our defense is. If he can put up 40-50 points with 2nd pairing minutes and PP1... well, it's a pretty good D core.

 

[GoldiFox]

Part of what's frightening about this is that inevitably Nino gets dinged up, which means sliding Drury into top-6 minutes and Marty into top-9 minutes and... I honestly couldn't even say who moves up to the 4th line in that scenario. Presumably another McCormick or Bishop that we sign between now and the start of the season.

That's not good depth at all. Getting Tarasenko would be less of a luxury than a need.

On the upside if they get Tarasenko, Drury fits right in like he has always done at every level, and someone like Jarvis/Suzuki/Rees/etc. pops out of nowhere then they have the potential to be dangerous on all 4 lines. It all relies on some key health gambles though.

 

[To Be Determined]

Part of what's frightening about this is that inevitably Nino gets dinged up, which means sliding Drury into top-6 minutes and Marty into top-9 minutes and... I honestly couldn't even say who moves up to the 4th line in that scenario. Presumably another McCormick or Bishop that we sign between now and the start of the season.

That's not good depth at all. Getting Tarasenko would be less of a luxury than a need.

so, is that bold part just an off-hand way of saying someone gets dinged up? over the last 8 years nino has played 56 (of 56), 67 (of 68), 82, 63, 82, 82, 80, and 81 games.

edit - i counted one year twice. oops

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I ****ing HATE the look of that defense compared to what we've rolled the past few years.

Also we really need another good (top 6) LW before that group will look threatening. We need Drury to be contending with Marty to get out of the press box, not with Nino for second-line minutes.

I look at it like this:

Slavin-Bear: drop offensively, but maybe a wash defensively? I don’t know enough about Bear yet to say, but Slavin anchored the D on that pairing.
Skjei-Pesce : same as last year
Cole-Ada: no worse than what we had last year, and likely better. Gardiner struggled, Fleury struggled, bean was very sheltered and struggled, Hakanpaa was only here for a short time.

pk defenseman likely won’t be any worse than last year.
Pp will depend on how much ADA and Bear can replace what Dougie brought.

a lot of unknowns though

 

[Daeavorn]

What are our options if we don't land tarasenko?

Tatar? Maybe Kreicji? E Staal? Talent left is getting a bit thin.

 

[FreshSeabass]

Think i read Kreici going back to boston after they trade debrusk

 

[bleedgreen]

What are our options if we don't land tarasenko?

Tatar? Maybe Kreicji? E Staal? Talent left is getting a bit thin.

There’s always some trade that seems out of left field. Someone you weren’t thinking of because it just wasn’t an obvious and known to us thing. That’s what I’m hoping for, because the ufa list is how you say it is.

 

[GoldiFox]

so, is that bold part just an off-hand way of saying someone gets dinged up? over the last 9 years nino has played 56 (of 56), 67 (of 68), 82, 82, 63, 82, 82, 80, and 81 games.

Nino is just weird because he oscillates between good and bad years consistently since forever. His past 6 seasons point pace over 82 games has been:
43
57
42
53
35
50
(you are here)

 

[DougieSmash]

Nino is just weird because he oscillates between good and bad years consistently since forever. His past 6 seasons point pace over 82 games has been:
43
57
42
53
35
50
(you are here)

Yeah but he is in a contract year. So is Trocheck, right?

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Part of what's frightening about this is that inevitably Nino gets dinged up, which means sliding Drury into top-6 minutes and Marty into top-9 minutes and... I honestly couldn't even say who moves up to the 4th line in that scenario. Presumably another McCormick or Bishop that we sign between now and the start of the season.

That's not good depth at all. Getting Tarasenko would be less of a luxury than a need.

I agree. I would love to overpay Anaheim to take Gardiner and get Manson or Lindholm

As bad as TDA is in his own zone, let him be the 7th defender / PP specialist. He can run both PPs cuz his will be sitting outside of that. Put him in for O zone draws with our top line on occasion with Slavin as his partner. Immediate sub out as soon as the other team gets possession.

or sign Demers to a low one year deal for him to get on a good team again.
Maybe Niskanen wants a 1 year deal now that the pandemic doesnt have the same grip on protocols.

I would want to another defender I could count on. Demers would be my vote as the guy who could be a 3RD in defensive situations and let TDA be the 3RD in defensive situations.

 

[Chrispy]

I agree. I would love to overpay Anaheim to take Gardiner and get Manson or Lindholm

As bad as TDA is in his own zone, let him be the 7th defender / PP specialist. He can run both PPs cuz his will be sitting outside of that. Put him in for O zone draws with our top line on occasion with Slavin as his partner. Immediate sub out as soon as the other team gets possession.

or sign Demers to a low one year deal for him to get on a good team again.
Maybe Niskanen wants a 1 year deal now that the pandemic doesnt have the same grip on protocols.

I would want to another defender I could count on. Demers would be my vote as the guy who could be a 3RD in defensive situations and let TDA be the 3RD in defensive situations.

Which forwards are double-shifting if they are running 7D?

 

[tarheelhockey]

so, is that bold part just an off-hand way of saying someone gets dinged up? over the last 8 years nino has played 56 (of 56), 67 (of 68), 82, 63, 82, 82, 80, and 81 games.

edit - i counted one year twice. oops

The year we have no depth to cover a loss in the top-6 is the year Nino will inevitably run into TDA during the first drill of training camp, leaving Nino's leg shattered in 6 places and TDA completely unscathed.

 

[Chrispy]

The year we have no depth to cover a loss in the top-6 is the year Nino will inevitably run into TDA during the first drill of training camp, leaving Nino's leg shattered in 6 places and TDA completely unscathed.

Or worse, Nino discovers sweet potatoes.

 

[Daeavorn]

I have a feeling we may need TDA to facilitate puck moving in 5v5 situations. Yes he is a liability on defense but im not sure we have anyone else nearly as talented in that regard. I find it hard to imagine him on the bottom pair.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Which forwards are double-shifting if they are running 7D?

Duh. Martinook of course

 

[Joe McGrath]

I have a feeling we may need TDA to facilitate puck moving in 5v5 situations. Yes he is a liability on defense but im not sure we have anyone else nearly as talented in that regard. I find it hard to imagine him on the bottom pair.

He started Dougie on the bottom pair.

 

[FreshSeabass]

 

[Incubajerks]

ADA will take the place of Dougie on PP, with Cole as the third pair make a lot of sense to open the season, then who knows? I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a Slavin/Pesce reunion.

 

[To Be Determined]

The year we have no depth to cover a loss in the top-6 is the year Nino will inevitably run into TDA during the first drill of training camp, leaving Nino's leg shattered in 6 places and TDA completely unscathed.

ok - that makes perfect sense. and now i'm expecting to hear the interviewees for the assistant coach position will include brad malone.