How do we get better moving forward? No pun intended

[dulzhok]

I think we would have a decent shot at one of the UFA forwards but we would probably have to overpay, both in years and dollars

Vanek didn't want to play for a bad Buffalo team. Didn't want to play for bad Islanders team (with a a lot of young forward talent). I can't imagine he'd even remotely have interest in the Preds.

Stastny is not all that, but beggars can't be choosers.

 

[triggrman]

Totally agree TMI.

I'd through my biggest offer though at Statsny for sure.

 

[Byrddog]

Too many of you guys are dreaming FF will make the team next year. He may be ready by trade deadline next year but its very doubtful before that. He has not exactly tore it up this year in Milwaukee. Jarnkrok is a good bet to make it, and Beck will be here. Eaves will not be resigned and if the compliance buyout is used I would bet on Stalberg.

DP will make a strong push for at least one of Moulson and Stasney but neither will sign here. Like Vanek both will be looking at teams to win a cup my bet is Stasney stays in Denver and Moulson lands in Boston. You can also bet that Detroit is going to be a player for any top talent out there.

 

[alexmanu]

Here's what I'd like to see us do going forward for our forwards in 2-3 seasons:

Sign Paul Stastny
Draft Nikolaj Ehlers

Ehlers-Stastny-Smith
Forsberg-Jarnkrok-Aberg
Salomaki-Fisher-Hornqvist
Spaling-Sissons-Watson

Be rid of Stalberg, Nystrom, Bourque, Wilson via trade or other means. This side gets younger and more talented. We need to really utilise our youth. I put Watson in ahead of Beck because I don't think Beck will transition up full-time for us, just not seeing that second level to his game and Watson can be a bottom 6 asset. Also I'm a massive fan of Aberg who has done really well in the SEL and is only improving as a sniper.

 

[Byrddog]

Here's what I'd like to see us do going forward for our forwards in 2-3 seasons:

Sign Paul Stastny
Draft Nikolaj Ehlers

Ehlers-Stastny-Smith
Forsberg-Jarnkrok-Aberg
Salomaki-Fisher-Hornqvist
Spaling-Sissons-Watson

Be rid of Stalberg, Nystrom, Bourque, Wilson via trade or other means. This side gets younger and more talented. We need to really utilise our youth. I put Watson in ahead of Beck because I don't think Beck will transition up full-time for us, just not seeing that second level to his game and Watson can be a bottom 6 asset. Also I'm a massive fan of Aberg who has done really well in the SEL and is only improving as a sniper.

Problem there Stasney will no way be here and Fish will be retired but I think you did hit our 1st line in 3 years. Forsberg-Jarnkrok-Aberg will most likely be our 1st line. I would guess the second line center will come from this draft and from our draft position I think it will be Nylander. with Hornqvist on one wing and TBD on the other.

 

[101st_fan]

Too many of you guys are dreaming FF will make the team next year. He may be ready by trade deadline next year but its very doubtful before that. He has not exactly tore it up this year in Milwaukee. Jarnkrok is a good bet to make it, and Beck will be here. Eaves will not be resigned and if the compliance buyout is used I would bet on Stalberg.

DP will make a strong push for at least one of Moulson and Stasney but neither will sign here. Like Vanek both will be looking at teams to win a cup my bet is Stasney stays in Denver and Moulson lands in Boston. You can also bet that Detroit is going to be a player for any top talent out there.

Can't use the compliance buyout on Stalberg.

 

[Byrddog]

Can't use the compliance buyout on Stalberg.

Dang forgot that, friggin new CBA. Well that makes it pretty much impossible to see him moved.

 

[Ranskyre]

Forsberg-Jarnkrok-Aberg will most likely be our 1st line. I would guess the second line center will come from this draft and from our draft position I think it will be Nylander. with Hornqvist on one wing and TBD on the other.

Might as well pull Cehlin from the Ads to round out the all Swedish top 6.

 

[Byrddog]

Might as well pull Cehlin from the Ads to round out the all Swedish top 6.

Why not lol

All concessions will be required to sell
Lingonberrie Jam
Pickled herring
Crayfish
Prinsesstårta

 

[Persona5]

Here's what I'd like to see us do going forward for our forwards in 2-3 seasons:

Sign Paul Stastny
Draft Nikolaj Ehlers

Ehlers-Stastny-Smith
Forsberg-Jarnkrok-Aberg
Salomaki-Fisher-Hornqvist
Spaling-Sissons-Watson

Be rid of Stalberg, Nystrom, Bourque, Wilson via trade or other means. This side gets younger and more talented. We need to really utilise our youth. I put Watson in ahead of Beck because I don't think Beck will transition up full-time for us, just not seeing that second level to his game and Watson can be a bottom 6 asset. Also I'm a massive fan of Aberg who has done really well in the SEL and is only improving as a sniper.

I would be amazed if Statsny doesn't re-sign with the Avs. If he doesn't I will be really upset if Poile doesn't make an amazing offer to get him. He is better than most think.

If we draft Ehlers he will not be on the team. There are very few players out of this draft who will play next season in the NHL and Ehlers is not one of them.

If Aberg, Salomaki, Sissons, Jarnkrok, and Forsberg make the team next year we will be going after the worst record in the NHL and that probably isn't a bad thing as Mcdavid would be the Prize. It won't happen though.

I'm thinking the team will look more like this maybe.

Spaling - Fisher - Hornqvist
Stalberg - Wilson - Smith
Nystrom - Jarnkrok - Forsberg
Salomaki - Gaustad - Clune

If we some how manage to sign Stastny than maybe something like this...

Wilson - Fisher - Hornqvist
Stalberg - Stastny - Smith
Spaling - Jarnkrok - Forsberg
Nystrom - Gaustad - Clune

If Fisher does retire soon it won't be until the end of next season so he will still be in gold next season unless we move him at the dealine.

 

[alexmanu]

I would be amazed if Statsny doesn't re-sign with the Avs. If he doesn't I will be really upset if Poile doesn't make an amazing offer to get him. He is better than most think.

If we draft Ehlers he will not be on the team. There are very few players out of this draft who will play next season in the NHL and Ehlers is not one of them.

If Aberg, Salomaki, Sissons, Jarnkrok, and Forsberg make the team next year we will be going after the worst record in the NHL and that probably isn't a bad thing as Mcdavid would be the Prize. It won't happen though.

I'm thinking the team will look more like this maybe.

Spaling - Fisher - Hornqvist
Stalberg - Wilson - Smith
Nystrom - Jarnkrok - Forsberg
Salomaki - Gaustad - Clune

If we some how manage to sign Stastny than maybe something like this...

Wilson - Fisher - Hornqvist
Stalberg - Stastny - Smith
Spaling - Jarnkrok - Forsberg
Nystrom - Gaustad - Clune

If Fisher does retire soon it won't be until the end of next season so he will still be in gold next season unless we move him at the dealine.

Note i stated "in 2-3 seasons".

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

I meant to post this response here and instead almost derailed the wrong thread.

Its not just Stalberg. Briere, Horton, and the player a lot of us (including me) thought we should have claimed on waivers, Grabovski have all substantially underperformed. I havent tracked the other UFA forwards from the summer but these were the ones we all talked about quite a bit.

This is a good point. More and more GM's seem to be valuing picks (see this trade deadline) and building through the draft/gaining prospects (see Buffalo). We're seeing rare cases lately of big name free agents being worth their respective hype. Who was the biggest name a couple years ago? Brad Richards. Today, there's a lot of talk surrounding him already being bought out.

In addition to the performance, it's these inflated contracts. The contracts handed out during free agency has become insane.

 

[FFWRX]

Why not lol

All concessions will be required to sell
Lingonberrie Jam
Pickled herring
Crayfish
Prinsesstårta

And we can get Ikea as a sponsor.

 

[Ranskyre]

And we can get Ikea as a sponsor.

As long as they don't hand us our seats and a screw driver as we come into the arena.

 

[drwpreds]

Vanek didn't want to play for a bad Buffalo team. Didn't want to play for bad Islanders team (with a a lot of young forward talent). I can't imagine he'd even remotely have interest in the Preds.

Stastny is not all that, but beggars can't be choosers.

I don't disagree with that- I don't think Vanek will come here either.

But as bad as we look now, we have a lot more going for us than many teams do- we are close to having one of the best defense/goaltending combos in the entire league- we won't have to have a high-powered, top 5 offense to be a contender.

I am hoping sometime in the next couple of years some good forward will recongnize that and that will at least give us a fighting chance to land someone........

 

[dulzhok]

I don't disagree with that- I don't think Vanek will come here either.

But as bad as we look now, we have a lot more going for us than many teams do- we are close to having one of the best defense/goaltending combos in the entire league- we won't have to have a high-powered, top 5 offense to be a contender.

That combo didn't take us to a contender with Weber/Suter/Pekka.

You have to go back to 2003 to find a team who really didn't have a great offense who won the Stanley Cup-- Devils (still good though with Elias, Gomez, Sykora, Newiendekye, etc). But that was in the clutch and grab era. Doubt that team would've won it in today's NHL.

 

[Viqsi]

As long as they don't hand us our seats and a screw driver as we come into the arena.

Make that an option for a ticket price discount and I imagine it'd be very popular.

 

[ThirdManIn]

That combo didn't take us to a contender with Weber/Suter/Pekka.

You have to go back to 2003 to find a team who really didn't have a great offense who won the Stanley Cup-- Devils (still good though with Elias, Gomez, Sykora, Newiendekye, etc). But that was in the clutch and grab era. Doubt that team would've won it in today's NHL.

I guess it depends on how you define "contender." I'd say at least two years the Preds were legitimate contenders even if they didn't make it out of the second round. In 2007 and in 2012 a lot of people thought the Preds had a good shot at the WCF or SCF.

I'd also argue that our blueline now has the potential to be better than our blueline has ever been. We know what we have in Weber. Josi is something special. MDZ has looked good. Jones has the potential to be a franchise player. Ekholm and Ellis have looked very good this year. We have a blueline that is solid from top to bottom, and with an average age of ~25 years old there is room to get better.

 

[dulzhok]

I guess it depends on how you define "contender." I'd say at least two years the Preds were legitimate contenders even if they didn't make it out of the second round. In 2007 and in 2012 a lot of people thought the Preds had a good shot at the WCF or SCF.

First off, I define a contender as someone who makes it out of the 2nd round.

Second, I define a contender as someone who doesn't have a first line of SK-Fisher-Erat. I'm sure some people thought some things, but it was mainly wishful thinking if that's your first line.

 

[ThirdManIn]

So no one is a contender until the third round of the play offs? That seems like a bit of a stretch. You wouldn't consider, say, Chicago or St Louis to be contenders right now?

And regardless of the names on the jerseys, in 2012 Nashville was top ten in every single relevant team-stat. Wins, goals for, goals against, penalty kill, power play. If that isn't a contender then what is? Furthermore, what about in 2007 when we had an actual top line? No?

If you disagree that's fair, but in my opinion you're being just a bit too hard to impress.

 

[101st_fan]

Records and stats have nothing to due with determining contenders. All contenders must come from "traditional" hockey markets and have played in at least one Winter Classic. The caveat to that is a Canadian based franchise cannot be a contender based on the country's two decade Cup drought. The Rangers cannot be a contender because they have just one Cup win since the attack on Pearl Harbor, and that occurred before the Predators came into the league. The Flyers cannot contend as long as Snider owns the team.

So ... it looks like just the Penguins and Blackhawks are ever contenders now. That makes it simple.

 

[Paranoid Android]

First off, I define a contender as someone who makes it out of the 2nd round.

Who is and isn't a contender is something that is determined before the playoffs begin.

 

[dulzhok]

Who is and isn't a contender is something that is determined before the playoffs begin.

I wasn't aware there was an official ceremony for determining contenders.

Chicago is a contender because they have proven Stanley Cup success with largely the same roster. STL will be a pretender if they flame out in early rounds.

As for 2007, our first line featuring such guys as "Buffalo won't give him 2 mil" Dumont, "Dallas doesn't want him" Arnott, "Please pick me in the expansion draft" Walker, "I have one working leg" Forsberg.

The fact that we are top 10 in scoring with SK-Fisher-Erat speaks volumes to how much Trotz stretched out talent in 2012. Being top 10 is good (top 33%) but does not elevate you into immediate hockey glory.

Contenders have winning playoff track records. The rest are wannabes until proven otherwise.

 

[Paranoid Android]

I wasn't aware there was an official ceremony for determining contenders.

Chicago is a contender because they have proven Stanley Cup success with largely the same roster. STL will be a pretender if they flame out in early rounds.

As for 2007, our first line featuring such guys as "Buffalo won't give him 2 mil" Dumont, "Dallas doesn't want him" Arnott, "Please pick me in the expansion draft" Walker, "I have one working leg" Forsberg.

The fact that we are top 10 in scoring with SK-Fisher-Erat speaks volumes to how much Trotz stretched out talent in 2012. Being top 10 is good (top 33%) but does not elevate you into immediate hockey glory.

Contenders have winning playoff track records. The rest are wannabes until proven otherwise.

It's just common sense. If you already know who is eliminated from the playoffs, what's the point of predicting who will be the likely winners? The answer is already given to you.

 

[dulzhok]

It's just common sense. If you already know who is eliminated from the playoffs, what's the point of predicting who will be the likely winners? The answer is already given to you.

I'm sure lots of people think they are contenders then. So just loosely throwing "were were contenders" is just a matter of opinion.

Commons sense to me is that SK-Fisher-Erat-etc isn't going to take you to the promised land.