glenngineer
Registered User
There's lots of talk of who should stay or go and is coming down the pike in our system. Who do we build around? Who do we trade for picks/prospects? Who's in our future plans?
Let's just look at the guys from last night and who were scratched for that matter
Centers: Legwand, Fisher, Wilson, Gaustad, Cullen
Wings: Smith, Spaling, Hornqvist, Beck, Bourque, Nystrom, Clune and Sissons since he was with Gaustad, Stalberg
Who of this group of 14 do we see on this team in 2-3 years realistically?
Wilson, Smith, Hornqvist, Beck I would say for starters.
Spaling and Bourque as well.
Sissons depending on if he sticks. Legwand, Fisher, Cullen and Gaustad will all be gone. Nystrom, Clune and Stalberg are probably out the door as well.
That's 6 forwards, possibly 7 to move forward with.
Now looking at our system, who is coming along that may make it?
Centers: Watson, not really sure of any other center prospects other than him and Sissons.
Wingers: Forsberg, Aberg, Budish, Cehlin, Leipsic, Salomaki, Stepan and Vesey.
So that's another 9 forwards to go along with the other 7 from earlier.
Centers: Wilson, Watson, Sissons and Spaling
Wingers: Smith, Beck, Hornqvist, Forsberg, Aberg, Budish, Cehlin, Leipsic, Salomaki, Stepan and Vesey
Is that going to get it done at the end of the day? While I see some really good potential in some of these guys, Forsberg is really the only high end talent of this group. Wilson is showing that glimmer playing at center the last few nights. While I like the idea of these guys panning out, half of them may turn in to NHL players and only a few may turn in to bonafide top 6 guys. Best case scenario we have a little bit of a blend of big guys with skill and smaller speedy guys with skill and some grinders with skill.
Beck and Budish could be heavy to play against with their size but both need to start stepping it up some but power forward types take longer to develop. Cehlin reminds me of a poor mans Erat. Salomaki is that 3rd line guy that will chip in 40ish points and agitate. Leipsic is a poor mans Sully, tons of heart and has a high hockey IQ. We know what we're getting with Horny and Smith. Forsberg and Aberg could be the snipers but it's anyone's guess at this point. Vesey seems to be heading down a good path but who knows. Watson is a 2nd/3rd line center. Sissons is a mystery at this point.
We have to get more high end talent in the draft. While it's nice to play it safe, you have to shoot for the moon on the hopes that you get that top end talent. Having solid players is great but you have to have the elite talent to go with it. It usually happens at the top of the draft board but plenty of guys have been had in the mid to late first round as well as out of the first round. We have to get better at this and developing these kids.
I really hope we stick with Wilson at center as he's shown fire there the last two games and he looks comfortable out there. We will see.
I have no idea what I'd do if I were the GM of this team to be honest. We're an enigma and I don't know if it's the GM/Coach/player combo, one or two of them or all three that don't seem to mesh just quite right. Glad to see Poile wanting to make some moves but we have a lot of guys that won't be here in a few years. Do we blow it up some by adding picks and prospects and move it along a little faster? I think we have to to be perfectly honest because what we have now isn't working that great.
Let's just look at the guys from last night and who were scratched for that matter
Centers: Legwand, Fisher, Wilson, Gaustad, Cullen
Wings: Smith, Spaling, Hornqvist, Beck, Bourque, Nystrom, Clune and Sissons since he was with Gaustad, Stalberg
Who of this group of 14 do we see on this team in 2-3 years realistically?
Wilson, Smith, Hornqvist, Beck I would say for starters.
Spaling and Bourque as well.
Sissons depending on if he sticks. Legwand, Fisher, Cullen and Gaustad will all be gone. Nystrom, Clune and Stalberg are probably out the door as well.
That's 6 forwards, possibly 7 to move forward with.
Now looking at our system, who is coming along that may make it?
Centers: Watson, not really sure of any other center prospects other than him and Sissons.
Wingers: Forsberg, Aberg, Budish, Cehlin, Leipsic, Salomaki, Stepan and Vesey.
So that's another 9 forwards to go along with the other 7 from earlier.
Centers: Wilson, Watson, Sissons and Spaling
Wingers: Smith, Beck, Hornqvist, Forsberg, Aberg, Budish, Cehlin, Leipsic, Salomaki, Stepan and Vesey
Is that going to get it done at the end of the day? While I see some really good potential in some of these guys, Forsberg is really the only high end talent of this group. Wilson is showing that glimmer playing at center the last few nights. While I like the idea of these guys panning out, half of them may turn in to NHL players and only a few may turn in to bonafide top 6 guys. Best case scenario we have a little bit of a blend of big guys with skill and smaller speedy guys with skill and some grinders with skill.
Beck and Budish could be heavy to play against with their size but both need to start stepping it up some but power forward types take longer to develop. Cehlin reminds me of a poor mans Erat. Salomaki is that 3rd line guy that will chip in 40ish points and agitate. Leipsic is a poor mans Sully, tons of heart and has a high hockey IQ. We know what we're getting with Horny and Smith. Forsberg and Aberg could be the snipers but it's anyone's guess at this point. Vesey seems to be heading down a good path but who knows. Watson is a 2nd/3rd line center. Sissons is a mystery at this point.
We have to get more high end talent in the draft. While it's nice to play it safe, you have to shoot for the moon on the hopes that you get that top end talent. Having solid players is great but you have to have the elite talent to go with it. It usually happens at the top of the draft board but plenty of guys have been had in the mid to late first round as well as out of the first round. We have to get better at this and developing these kids.
I really hope we stick with Wilson at center as he's shown fire there the last two games and he looks comfortable out there. We will see.
I have no idea what I'd do if I were the GM of this team to be honest. We're an enigma and I don't know if it's the GM/Coach/player combo, one or two of them or all three that don't seem to mesh just quite right. Glad to see Poile wanting to make some moves but we have a lot of guys that won't be here in a few years. Do we blow it up some by adding picks and prospects and move it along a little faster? I think we have to to be perfectly honest because what we have now isn't working that great.