KaseMeOutside
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- Oct 18, 2011
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We got a guy comparable to Turcotte last year and many think Zegras has a higher upside
Speculation: How do you feel about the rebuild, and how confident are you in the team's direction?
- Thread starter MMC
- Start date
Boo Boo
Registered User
- Jan 31, 2013
- 2,133
- 2,257
The best thing we could do for lindholm's game in the long term is for our forwards to start winning puck battles and for more than just one right d to play at a top four level per year.
The hip injury is concerning - hopefully this extended offseason can rejuvenate his skating.
The hip injury is concerning - hopefully this extended offseason can rejuvenate his skating.
DavidBL
Registered User
Sorry about the delay but here are my issues with this line of thought:
1. This looks like a tanking move. There is no good argument that this make the team better next year. Yes, you can argue that the goal is not next year but in 3 or what ever duration you want to label the rebuild with but I don't subscribe to that and I doubt the Ducks do either. IMO the team should always be looking to improve.
2. We will overpay these replacements creating bad contracts. Yes it is slightly mitigated by the shorter term deals, if they take them, but at the end of the day even if these aren't the Lucic, Eriksson, or Skinners of the world you very well could end up with the Bonino's, Beagle's and and Bozaks instead.
3. Instead of putting the prospects in a position over their heads we are asking these new UFA's to do it instead as well as removing talent that could help teach our prospects how to be top 6 players. Do we want a bottom 6 guy teaching our prospects or a top 6 guy? The results will be worse, I can guarantee it, but again that seems to be the goal here.
4. What message does it send to the team? We heard how pissed BM was that the team seemed to be okay with losing this year. What does it teach the prospects? That we don't believe in them? That some unknown draft pick is more important than trying to win? You tell people they're not good enough and eventually they will start to believe it or want out.
5. I am pretty sure I have read Leaf fans comment on how they were not happy with what Lou did to Tor while he was there, but at the end of the day he was let go. I'm too Getzlaf to check on that though. That being said, look at the Islanders now. When they lost Tavares a lot of people felt they should go full rebuild but here they are in the playoffs both years after Tavares left. Barzal their only real notable player and he wasn't even a top 15 pick.
6. The Ducks didn't completely deplete their prospect pool like the Kings. One of the reasons the Ducks stayed relevant longer is that they didn't just trade off their picks every year. Which means they had guys Pamieri and Rakell in the past and Steel, Terry, Jones, MC already in the system now when we really got bad. Wheeler from the Athletic ranked Zegras as the number 2 drafted prospect not in the NHL right now. We are going to get a good player this year as well.
7. If we sell off the good veterans we have I fear the cycle it will create. It takes 3-4 years at least for a lot of these players to really find their way and by the time they do then we are looking at guys like Steel and Terry being in similar spots as Rakell is now. What if we haven't gotten that Super star prospect by then? Do we trade them and start the cycle all over again? Because chances are likely we're not likely going to be much different than we are now, prospect pool wise but will have less good veterans. Lets not forget that both Terry and Steel have been very well thought of. Yes they have not met expectations yet but lets not rule them out already.
Somewhat confident.
As others have said, we desperately need more star power. A first overall pick would help with that, but that's obviously not happening this year.
I am also a bit disappointed and concerned that most of our young guys didn't take a bigg step this year.
On the positive side, I do trust our scouts and love that we have an elite goalie locked up for a while and at a good price. I think we are in a good position with our cap space as well (would be nice to get rid of Henrique though).
As others have said, we desperately need more star power. A first overall pick would help with that, but that's obviously not happening this year.
I am also a bit disappointed and concerned that most of our young guys didn't take a bigg step this year.
On the positive side, I do trust our scouts and love that we have an elite goalie locked up for a while and at a good price. I think we are in a good position with our cap space as well (would be nice to get rid of Henrique though).
- Nov 7, 2008
- 1,247
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On the whole I am very underwhelmed with our "rebuild", as it quite obviously appears that neither management, nor ownership, nor coaching staff fully committed to what you just mentioned: a "rebuild". BM's comments from the days of drafting Lindholm back in 2012 still ring in my ears, as he said we would have a "rebuild, but a re-tool on the fly". Granted, we did avoid becoming a bubble team (or even worse, a fully mediocre team that always misses out on the Playoffs and isn't bad enough to get a top-10 pick each year) and went on to the WCF twice after that - but that was with some high-end elite players on board who still had lots left in the tank, such as Getzlaf, Perry, Kesler (at least from 2014-2016) as well as some veterans with drive to win such as Teemu, Koivu, and Beauchemin.
Now we are left with an injury-riddled Getzlaf, a copmletely done Kesler and some band-aids.
If the franchise really had cared for a rebuild, we would have tried to ship out Kesler four years ago, when it became apparent to those who followed the team, that he will not be able to keep up his level of play. We also should have cashed in on the likes of Rakell, Silfverberg and Henrique at least one year ago, maybe even two (for the former two), because we knew they would not be able to develop more and instead would regress due to injuries (Silfverberg, Henrique and Rakell) or lack of commitment (Rakell). Of course it's easy to say in hindsight, however, the writing has been on the wall for all of those three long ago. Add in to this the utter trainwreck of a headcoach we had to endure in Carlyle, who was at least A DECADE BEYOND HIS PRIME as a coach as well as a human being and the underdevelopment of our promising young players that evolved from his hiring, you have the shit situation we are in now.
With all that being said, I do not trust BM to be the right GM for a rebuild. I mean, he was recently voted the "most unreasonable" GM in the NHL by player agents. (The NHL Agent Poll: Agents have their say on GMs, Gary...)
He seemed to be a good builder per se and has shown that he can "re-tool" if the circumstances are right - but he lacks both vision and killer instinct for this business. What was the highest-paid free agent signing under his tenure? Unless I am mistaken, it was Clayton Stoner at 3.25M per year. Yeah, let that sink in.
Now we are left with an injury-riddled Getzlaf, a copmletely done Kesler and some band-aids.
If the franchise really had cared for a rebuild, we would have tried to ship out Kesler four years ago, when it became apparent to those who followed the team, that he will not be able to keep up his level of play. We also should have cashed in on the likes of Rakell, Silfverberg and Henrique at least one year ago, maybe even two (for the former two), because we knew they would not be able to develop more and instead would regress due to injuries (Silfverberg, Henrique and Rakell) or lack of commitment (Rakell). Of course it's easy to say in hindsight, however, the writing has been on the wall for all of those three long ago. Add in to this the utter trainwreck of a headcoach we had to endure in Carlyle, who was at least A DECADE BEYOND HIS PRIME as a coach as well as a human being and the underdevelopment of our promising young players that evolved from his hiring, you have the shit situation we are in now.
With all that being said, I do not trust BM to be the right GM for a rebuild. I mean, he was recently voted the "most unreasonable" GM in the NHL by player agents. (The NHL Agent Poll: Agents have their say on GMs, Gary...)
He seemed to be a good builder per se and has shown that he can "re-tool" if the circumstances are right - but he lacks both vision and killer instinct for this business. What was the highest-paid free agent signing under his tenure? Unless I am mistaken, it was Clayton Stoner at 3.25M per year. Yeah, let that sink in.
Hockey Duckie
Registered User
I feel positive about our direction.
For the past three years, we depended a lot on our defense. Healthy, we make the playoffs despite the lack of offense, which was three years ago. Two years ago, our veterans tuned out RC, our center position took a massive hit, and our defense also took a massive hit. Things turned around when GM Murray became interim head coach. Then last year we went with a new coach, the youth movement, massive injuries to our defense, and the parent didn't intervene so that the new coach's peers wouldn't send out bad vibes. heh
Here's THN's Future Vision of 3 years from now, written in the summer of 2017.
GM Bob has been trying to prepare for the next generation while trying to chase a cup with veterans Kesler, Bieksa, and Eaves to surround Getz and Perry. I see the macro picture. Bob stopped drafting defensemen in the top two rounds from 2016 - 2018 (3 draft seasons) in order to give us a chance to land some forward prospects. But the bottom fell out far faster than expected with Kesler, Eaves, and Perry. We lost so many centers that we were forced to trade Vatanen for Henrique.
So many people want to trade off veterans for draft picks now, but Bob's been trading off players for first round picks. We doubled up on first rounders in 2016 (LW Jones, C Steel), 2019 (C Zegras, LW Tracey), and in 2020 (6th and potentially 31st). Those same people who want to trade away veterans today also complain about trading away players for picks before. It doesn't make any sense.
Before this season started, I was hyped for our youth prospects in Steel, Comtois, and Terry. Steel and Terry looked good in spot debuts in 2018-19. Comtois tore up juniors when he was returned in 2018-19. Oh, and we stole Zegras... we just didn't know how much of a steal he was.
The youth movement without supervision from GM Bob hurt the organization, which gave the impression to our veterans that we were throwing the towel in. Bob then did what he does best, tinker with the roster again. Between the start of last season up to now, Bob added the following defensemen: RHD Gudz, LHD Djoos, and R/LHD Curran for the NHL club along with prospect RHD Andersson, who will be AHL bound this season. Gudz found his groove here as a stay-at-home defenseman, 25-year old Djoos, and late bloomer 30-year old Curran who notched 49 points in 48 games in the SHL. Gudz and Djoos additions round up a top-5 defense with Curran and Hakanpaa battling for that 6/7th defenseman role. That puts both defensive prospects Larsson and Guhle in the AHL to continue seasoning, both turning 23 years of age in 2020.
That's amazing as it extends the window for our defensive prospects to develop for a couple more years. Then add to that the praise of two 2019 draftee defensemen got in 2nd rounder LaCombe and 4th rounder Henry Thrun. I haven't even mentioned Benoit or Mahura either. I'm not saying they all will pan out, but we have depth now out of nowhere quick! And we're probably going to grab another defenseman with at least one of our three picks in the first 36 picks.
GM Bob is trying to create a better bridge group for our youth as well as not give an easier path for our youth with Heinen and Milano. Heinen is already a better player than Ritchie the way we're constructed today. As for Kase... a head coach once said, "The best ability is availability." Sadly, we had to part ways with Kase and wish him the best, but if he's not on the ice, then there's a huge void in his stead.
Our forward bridge group are Silf, Rakell, Heinen, Milano, and our fourth liners. Milano is the only one I'm unsure about because he looked amazing for one game and then not much.
Our forward prospects
I thought Comtois would tear up the NHL a year after being sent back to Juniors. I was wrong. Tracey is still a couple of years away and seemed to struggle a bit on a team built on defense, which could be foreshadowing for him. lol
NHL Blue Line... is set with our top-7. I like the additions of Gudz and Djoos. I'm tantalized with Curran, as he might add some much needed PP offense.
Our defensive prospects
Thrun's offense came to live this past year and LaCombe's been working on his defense. I have no idea what we have in Andersson, but I really don't care because I'm liking the all older crew at the NHL level. We don't have to rush anyone now.
Netminders: We have an elite player in Gibson. That's huge! I dunno if Miller will return, but we have Stolarz available. Then there's the overlooked prospect in Dostal (including Mr. Wheeler!).
The THN Future Vision shows three players that are no longer with the team or can't play with the team due to health issues. It's difficult to lose a 1st line right winger, a 2nd line center, and a 1st line left winger projected to be here in 2020. That context is lost of expecting certain players to still be there, which prevents the necessity of rushing the youth.
I think Zegras is the game changer for our future. Our defense will be set for some time, especially if we retain Gudz and Djoos beyond 2020, which I think we will to balance the youths on the forward grouping. Technically, we're set for defense for a minute. We're set at goalie for a while. We're deep with center prospects. What we're missing is an actual goal scorer beyond Rakell in our organization.
With GM Bob saying he made a mistake by not interjecting himself onto the club from time to time, we get to understand why certain things failed. Also, he admitted there were too many youths on the ice, which is why our defense is now much older. Zegras is the Ducks' golden goose for the future, but can he carry the rest of the youth to bring up their games? I hope so, but he could also use upper echelon help via the 2020 draft. Three years ago, the Ducks ranked 18th in goals/game and 23rd for PP efficiency; while the defense ranked 3rd best at goals/against and 5th best at PK efficiency. It appears that's the way we're going for 2020. And with possibly more offensive talent developing or acquired, then we may start winning the Pacific Division again in 2021 season and beyond.
For the past three years, we depended a lot on our defense. Healthy, we make the playoffs despite the lack of offense, which was three years ago. Two years ago, our veterans tuned out RC, our center position took a massive hit, and our defense also took a massive hit. Things turned around when GM Murray became interim head coach. Then last year we went with a new coach, the youth movement, massive injuries to our defense, and the parent didn't intervene so that the new coach's peers wouldn't send out bad vibes. heh
Here's THN's Future Vision of 3 years from now, written in the summer of 2017.
GM Bob has been trying to prepare for the next generation while trying to chase a cup with veterans Kesler, Bieksa, and Eaves to surround Getz and Perry. I see the macro picture. Bob stopped drafting defensemen in the top two rounds from 2016 - 2018 (3 draft seasons) in order to give us a chance to land some forward prospects. But the bottom fell out far faster than expected with Kesler, Eaves, and Perry. We lost so many centers that we were forced to trade Vatanen for Henrique.
So many people want to trade off veterans for draft picks now, but Bob's been trading off players for first round picks. We doubled up on first rounders in 2016 (LW Jones, C Steel), 2019 (C Zegras, LW Tracey), and in 2020 (6th and potentially 31st). Those same people who want to trade away veterans today also complain about trading away players for picks before. It doesn't make any sense.
Before this season started, I was hyped for our youth prospects in Steel, Comtois, and Terry. Steel and Terry looked good in spot debuts in 2018-19. Comtois tore up juniors when he was returned in 2018-19. Oh, and we stole Zegras... we just didn't know how much of a steal he was.
The youth movement without supervision from GM Bob hurt the organization, which gave the impression to our veterans that we were throwing the towel in. Bob then did what he does best, tinker with the roster again. Between the start of last season up to now, Bob added the following defensemen: RHD Gudz, LHD Djoos, and R/LHD Curran for the NHL club along with prospect RHD Andersson, who will be AHL bound this season. Gudz found his groove here as a stay-at-home defenseman, 25-year old Djoos, and late bloomer 30-year old Curran who notched 49 points in 48 games in the SHL. Gudz and Djoos additions round up a top-5 defense with Curran and Hakanpaa battling for that 6/7th defenseman role. That puts both defensive prospects Larsson and Guhle in the AHL to continue seasoning, both turning 23 years of age in 2020.
That's amazing as it extends the window for our defensive prospects to develop for a couple more years. Then add to that the praise of two 2019 draftee defensemen got in 2nd rounder LaCombe and 4th rounder Henry Thrun. I haven't even mentioned Benoit or Mahura either. I'm not saying they all will pan out, but we have depth now out of nowhere quick! And we're probably going to grab another defenseman with at least one of our three picks in the first 36 picks.
Although we lost forwards Ritchie and Kase to trades, we gave up on Ritchie's talent and we moved on from Kase's propensity to being injured. Kase netted 4th line center Backes (salary dump), prospect RHD Andersson (will 20 yrs old for 2020 season), and the Bruin's 2020 first round pick. Ritchie netted Heinen. Heinen looks like a great fit in the limited action we've seen so far as he plays a 200 foot game with defensive awareness (Silf-lite).
We also traded away fan fav center in Grant for a minor league center prospect and a 4th round pick (the better of Philly or Nashville). That's not bad. Remember, 2019's 4th round pick was D Henry Thrun as well as 2009's 4th round pick was D Sami Vatanen. I'm still hoping we can sign Grant. This off-season, whenever that will be.
Sprong was flipped for D Djoos. F Shore was flipped for LW Milano, hoping a change of scenery can build confidence in Milano... because we need goal scoring in the most terrible way.
We also traded away fan fav center in Grant for a minor league center prospect and a 4th round pick (the better of Philly or Nashville). That's not bad. Remember, 2019's 4th round pick was D Henry Thrun as well as 2009's 4th round pick was D Sami Vatanen. I'm still hoping we can sign Grant. This off-season, whenever that will be.
Sprong was flipped for D Djoos. F Shore was flipped for LW Milano, hoping a change of scenery can build confidence in Milano... because we need goal scoring in the most terrible way.
GM Bob is trying to create a better bridge group for our youth as well as not give an easier path for our youth with Heinen and Milano. Heinen is already a better player than Ritchie the way we're constructed today. As for Kase... a head coach once said, "The best ability is availability." Sadly, we had to part ways with Kase and wish him the best, but if he's not on the ice, then there's a huge void in his stead.
Our forward bridge group are Silf, Rakell, Heinen, Milano, and our fourth liners. Milano is the only one I'm unsure about because he looked amazing for one game and then not much.
Our forward prospects
AHL/NHL level: C Zegras, C Steel, F Terry, F Comtois, F Jones, C Lundestrom, and C Groulx
Juniors/NCAA: LW Tracey, LW McLaughlin
Juniors/NCAA: LW Tracey, LW McLaughlin
I thought Comtois would tear up the NHL a year after being sent back to Juniors. I was wrong. Tracey is still a couple of years away and seemed to struggle a bit on a team built on defense, which could be foreshadowing for him. lol
NHL Blue Line... is set with our top-7. I like the additions of Gudz and Djoos. I'm tantalized with Curran, as he might add some much needed PP offense.
Lindholm-Manson
Fowler-Gudz
Djoos-Curran
Hakanpaa
Fowler-Gudz
Djoos-Curran
Hakanpaa
Our defensive prospects
AHL/NHL level: Larsson, Guhle, Andersson, Mahura, Benoit
Juniors/NCAA: LaCombe, Thrun
Juniors/NCAA: LaCombe, Thrun
Thrun's offense came to live this past year and LaCombe's been working on his defense. I have no idea what we have in Andersson, but I really don't care because I'm liking the all older crew at the NHL level. We don't have to rush anyone now.
Netminders: We have an elite player in Gibson. That's huge! I dunno if Miller will return, but we have Stolarz available. Then there's the overlooked prospect in Dostal (including Mr. Wheeler!).
The THN Future Vision shows three players that are no longer with the team or can't play with the team due to health issues. It's difficult to lose a 1st line right winger, a 2nd line center, and a 1st line left winger projected to be here in 2020. That context is lost of expecting certain players to still be there, which prevents the necessity of rushing the youth.
I think Zegras is the game changer for our future. Our defense will be set for some time, especially if we retain Gudz and Djoos beyond 2020, which I think we will to balance the youths on the forward grouping. Technically, we're set for defense for a minute. We're set at goalie for a while. We're deep with center prospects. What we're missing is an actual goal scorer beyond Rakell in our organization.
With GM Bob saying he made a mistake by not interjecting himself onto the club from time to time, we get to understand why certain things failed. Also, he admitted there were too many youths on the ice, which is why our defense is now much older. Zegras is the Ducks' golden goose for the future, but can he carry the rest of the youth to bring up their games? I hope so, but he could also use upper echelon help via the 2020 draft. Three years ago, the Ducks ranked 18th in goals/game and 23rd for PP efficiency; while the defense ranked 3rd best at goals/against and 5th best at PK efficiency. It appears that's the way we're going for 2020. And with possibly more offensive talent developing or acquired, then we may start winning the Pacific Division again in 2021 season and beyond.
mightyquack
eggplant and jade or bust
- Apr 28, 2010
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I have zero confidence in BM leading any sort of rebuild, or in the franchise's ability to develop forwards and given how some of our more promising prospects have been used the past season - I don't have any faith in that changing anytime soon.
The rebuild started a few years ago but a lot of fans were too blind to see it. We have some good pieces but drafting and trading for pieces is just the beginning. Now we need a few years to develop them and draft an additional key piece or two. We are well under way but need to be realistic about where we are for the next two years and position ourselves for success when Getzlafs contract is up. We are going to have a ton of cap space and a ton of decent young talent, just need a few more key pieces and then a quality fa or two to round us out. The best news is that Management showed they get it when they started trading off guys at the tdl. Worst case scenario is when we start buying too early and kill our talent pool, overpay on contracts and hurt our draft positioning. Juat need to suck it up for a little longer.
MMC
Global Moderator
MCB
Registered User
- Jun 21, 2019
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Feel much better about it after this draft, but will have to wait and hope to see how the prospects develop. Our defense seems solid for the future. Hopefully some of the kids will make the step in the next few years and some of the prospects will be gems.
Also if all of these young defenders start to develop nicely, they can be traded for other assets. We actually have a lot of players under 23 that are NHL level players. We will just see if any of them pan out to be top 6 forward and top 4 defensemen in 2-3 years when Zegras and Drysdale begin their careers.
The bigger problem is what veterans will be around in 3 years, and in what role. Maybe there is a trade that happens that brings in the top players.
The bigger problem is what veterans will be around in 3 years, and in what role. Maybe there is a trade that happens that brings in the top players.
Paul4587
Registered User
- Jan 26, 2006
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If a good amount of the picks pan out we should be in decent shape but that’s a huge if.
We’ve also got some hard decisions to make on Lindholm and Rakell. Both are UFA at the end of next year and Rakell will be 29 when his next contract kicks in while Lindholm will be 28. I’m not a fan of keeping Rakell for multiple reasons and am a bit disappointed he wasn’t dealt at the draft. Lindholm is our best dman but is likely going to be looking for 8 years on his next deal and as good as he is he’s not the caliber of player I want at 8 years when he’s 28 (those contracts should only be given to guys in their early 20s or absolute superstars). I also don’t see him aging particularly well, his skating is already falling off a bit and his hands aren’t what they used to be.
We’ve also got some hard decisions to make on Lindholm and Rakell. Both are UFA at the end of next year and Rakell will be 29 when his next contract kicks in while Lindholm will be 28. I’m not a fan of keeping Rakell for multiple reasons and am a bit disappointed he wasn’t dealt at the draft. Lindholm is our best dman but is likely going to be looking for 8 years on his next deal and as good as he is he’s not the caliber of player I want at 8 years when he’s 28 (those contracts should only be given to guys in their early 20s or absolute superstars). I also don’t see him aging particularly well, his skating is already falling off a bit and his hands aren’t what they used to be.
bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
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Lindholm will age like fine wine. I completely disagree he's too smart and works too hard to
KaseMeOutside
Based
- Oct 18, 2011
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Rakell needs to be traded and Lindholm needs to be signed
The Midnight Burrito
True Fan
The draft is always a sugar high but nothing's changed in the team's outlook from back when this thread was started.
Paul4587
Registered User
- Jan 26, 2006
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Intelligence won’t matter if his skating continues to regress and he can’t keep up. I’m all for re-signing him but if he wants 8 years there’s not a chance I commit to that. Fowlers contract was bad enough (term wise) and he signed at 26...
bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
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Paul4587
Registered User
- Jan 26, 2006
- 31,163
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Go watch games from 4 years ago, he’s not nearly the same skater as back then. He’s still an above average skater but early on he wasn’t far behind Fowler in terms of speed and acceleration. He’s certainly stronger, that I agree with.
mightyquack
eggplant and jade or bust
- Apr 28, 2010
- 26,403
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Don't feel any differently now then I did pre-draft. For me, a solid draft doesn't change that I think BM is not the right person for the rebuild, and this team still has shown zero ability in developing forwards.
KaseMeOutside
Based
- Oct 18, 2011
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If the forwards don't develop this year Murray has to get shown the door. If they progress well then I think a year from now we will have an optimistic view of the future
If not its gonna be bad because Zegras alone wont get it done
Steel and Terry in particular gotta show improvement. I thought Terry looked way better at the end of last year but the production has 5o be there
If not its gonna be bad because Zegras alone wont get it done
Steel and Terry in particular gotta show improvement. I thought Terry looked way better at the end of last year but the production has 5o be there
This draft has me more optimistic about the next 2-3 years now. Drysdale being insulated by Lindholm, Manson and Fowler will be huge for him, so long as they haven't fallen off a cliff. Mahura could be producing on the 3rd pair a la Sami Vats by then. And if one of them can be QB'ing the PP effectively, that would go a long way towards being successful.
Adding Perreault and Colangelo to Tracey, Zegras and Comtois is shaping up to be a talented Top 6/9. There's a lot of raw skill and hockey sense in that group. Plus Steel and Terry; hopefully we'll start to see more than flashes and spurts from them this year. Especially Steel. He lost all confidence as the season wore on. There's a good mix of creative playmakers, shooters, and net-front guys. It is a little concerning that a few of them get knocked for their skating and are said to have motor issues, but let's hope learning the pro game helps resolve those.
Add in possibly another Top 10 pick next year where there's a plethora of potential stud D-men (Luke Hughes perhaps?) and it could be a fairly short rebuild. Rakell should be traded this deadline. His friendly cap hit could be a good selling point to return a 1st if he's engaged and producing next year. Henrique could also return a 1st or B prospect from a team desperate enough, though that term is going to scare teams away, particularly with expansion coming. Likely staying put til TDL '22.
The bigger question is if the org can develop them properly. I understand wanting them to be complete players, but it shouldn't be at the expense of what makes them effective. Finally there are F prospects oozing with talent, it shouldn't be so hard to maximize that talent. In 4 years, we can either be watching an exciting young team battling for a postseason spot, or treading water.
Adding Perreault and Colangelo to Tracey, Zegras and Comtois is shaping up to be a talented Top 6/9. There's a lot of raw skill and hockey sense in that group. Plus Steel and Terry; hopefully we'll start to see more than flashes and spurts from them this year. Especially Steel. He lost all confidence as the season wore on. There's a good mix of creative playmakers, shooters, and net-front guys. It is a little concerning that a few of them get knocked for their skating and are said to have motor issues, but let's hope learning the pro game helps resolve those.
Add in possibly another Top 10 pick next year where there's a plethora of potential stud D-men (Luke Hughes perhaps?) and it could be a fairly short rebuild. Rakell should be traded this deadline. His friendly cap hit could be a good selling point to return a 1st if he's engaged and producing next year. Henrique could also return a 1st or B prospect from a team desperate enough, though that term is going to scare teams away, particularly with expansion coming. Likely staying put til TDL '22.
The bigger question is if the org can develop them properly. I understand wanting them to be complete players, but it shouldn't be at the expense of what makes them effective. Finally there are F prospects oozing with talent, it shouldn't be so hard to maximize that talent. In 4 years, we can either be watching an exciting young team battling for a postseason spot, or treading water.
TopShelfWaterBottle
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- Mar 16, 2014
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I think next season is going to be really telling for a few guys (Rakell and, to a lesser extent, Manson and Lindholm). This huge break is going to give those guys plenty of time to heal from any lingering injuries they have and show what kind of commitment they're showing toward the team. If I remember right, Lindholm was posting pics of working out, right? If Rakell, specifically, comes back out of shape and disinterested, he could be the shake up trade the Ducks make early in the season. Management loves Manson, so he may be given a longer leash than Rakell.
Fighter
Registered User
Not very confident, we're still in a limbo of mediocrity: our supposed good young players didn't do much and our veterans are washed up or not producing as they are supposed to (see Rakell). This season will be a wash, which can be expected, I just hope to have a very high pick in the next draft and rack up more picks at the deadline (selling our prized vets if necessary). We'll talk about being better from 2022 onwards I hope.
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