Is our defence good enough?

[Thepoolmaster]

And that's a fair point. I was just jumping of your post to get into my spiel about keeping that identity that paralyzed Calgary and pushed the Sharks to 7 games...which was predicated on our elite puck-retrieval and transition game putting teams under-fire for 42 minutes a night.

...while most of SJ's push-backs involved an extended stint of PK-practice from Cole & EJ...

Our puckmoving was really special for those 5 games and I want that advantage back again

I agree.

I don't know because I haven't watched but my understanding from the stats is that Bura is quite good at zone exits and entries.

Kadri is as well. Plus maybe with being better on faceoffs as a team they won't have to spend so much time on puck retrieval.

 

[henchman21]

At times one or the other will struggle. Girard had bad stretches last season. Makar is still a rookie.

If EJ comes back and is his steady old self that will help. He can move up to the top pair as required.

I frankly have more confidence in Girard and Makar than I do EJ... that's not good though.

 

[Ceremony]

The #baller quotient is at a perilous stage now with Barrie's guaranteed 60+ points a year gone and Zadorov being unsigned, but I have high hopes.

 

[cgf]

I'm going to be a bit surprised if Byram gets sent down at all... Avs like to have their top prospects in house as quickly as possible. If he shows he can take a regular shift, he'll be up all season IMO.

Yeah, as long as he doesn't sink complete I have to imagine they'll find some role for him to work him in. Even if he's not ready for a big role, he needs more of a challenge than going back to the dub would be...and we need him to help us avoid another PK-3rd-pairing with a top 4 that we probably won't be able to lean on as heavily.

 

[Sea Eagles]

I frankly have more confidence in Girard and Makar than I do EJ... that's not good though.

EJ was playing hurt. He's still a D-man everyone would want on their teams. He's still our number one guy. Absolute legend, and an absolute must competitor in our team. Love him on and off the ice.

 

[Freudian]

The first few months will be hard with a very green defense. Later in their season I expect the young guys to hit their stride and look good in big roles.

I'm not sure Cole will be a contributor of note from now on. He wasn't consistently good as it is and double hip surgery is scary. Like the deep thinker Shakira sang. Hips don't lie.

 

[MarkT]

At times one or the other will struggle. Girard had bad stretches last season. Makar is still a rookie.

If EJ comes back and is his steady old self that will help. He can move up to the top pair as required.

Exactly. I think if all of Zadorov, EJ, Girard and Makar struggle at the same time, then we'd be screwed no matter what other moves we'd made this offseason. I think we can be pretty confident that we'll always have at least four defensemen capable of giving us good minutes every night. And in this I'm including whoever wins the bottom pair roles, who expect to be able to jump up to the 2nd pair in a pinch.

 

[henchman21]

EJ was playing hurt. He's still a D-man everyone would want on their teams. He's still our number one guy. Absolute legend, and an absolute must competitor in our team. Love him on and off the ice.

I know, I know... I need to be positive!

Legitimate question though... when isn't EJ hurt?

 

[Sea Eagles]

I know, I know... I need to be positive!

Legitimate question though... when isn't EJ hurt?

We got 80 games out of him this season,mate. Not bad. Also think he'll get even better next season, productively. Back to 30-40 points.

 

[Raucherhusten]

We got 80 games out of him this season,mate. Not bad. Also think he'll get even better next season, productively. Back to 30-40 points.

God i missed you

 

[henchman21]

We got 80 games out of him this season,mate. Not bad. Also think he'll get even better next season, productively. Back to 30-40 points.

But as you said yourself, he was playing hurt and needed surgery. If this year's decline is on injury, and we go by EJ's history... I'd say odds are high EJ's gonna have health issues consistently.

 

[flyfysher]

I frankly have more confidence in Girard and Makar than I do EJ... that's not good though.

Yes it is good for the long but not, perhaps, the team's short-term future.

 

[cgf]

I agree.

I don't know because I haven't watched but my understanding from the stats is that Bura is quite good at zone exits and entries.

Kadri is as well. Plus maybe with being better on faceoffs as a team they won't have to spend so much time on puck retrieval.

I'm keeping an open mind with Bura, but BDK was really good at exits & entries as well; I dunno the #s but I kinda figure that that swap will be wash for us. Kadri, OTOH, should definitely be a very welcome addition since MacK, JTC, BDK & Mikko were our only forwards who regularly carried the puck in transition for us, once we got it. IIRC Donskoi is also good with the exits/entries, but I'm not a big stats guy so that may be absolutely wrong

...but puck retrieval is still hugely dependant on your blueliners to win those puck races and move things forward under pressure. Which just is not what the EJ's, Cole's, Connauton's, etc. are going to give us, and it's one of the most inconsistent/unreliable parts of Zads' game...despite his great ability to cover ground & win races, a little pressure + his lackadaisicalness turn Zads-retrievals into an adventure way too often.

 

[Freudian]

Even with EJ healthy I expect him to slow down a bit so he can't cover for his other flaws with athleticism like he used to.

 

[flyfysher]

I know, I know... I need to be positive!

Legitimate question though... when isn't EJ hurt?

Oooooh, you are brutal. I don't see you throwing your body in front of shots to block pucks.

 

[Raucherhusten]

But as you said yourself, he was playing hurt and needed surgery. If this year's decline is on injury, and we go by EJ's history... I'd say odds are high EJ's gonna have health issues consistently.

Zip it. EJ WILL BE FINE!

Sorry, it's really hot where i live.

 

[Sea Eagles]

God i missed you

We'll see, mate. The whole team will step up now they realise they can beat anyone. I'm not afraid of any team next season. Bring them ALL on.

 

[henchman21]

Oooooh, you are brutal. I don't see you throwing your body in front of shots to block pucks.

Pay me $6m and I'll do a lot more than block pucks for ya!

 

[cgf]

We got 80 games out of him this season,mate. Not bad. Also think he'll get even better next season, productively. Back to 30-40 points.

Yeah but look at how poorly he played for the majority of those 80; first few months of the season and from around the TDL onwards. Is that really the guy whose workload we should be increasing with 4 more years & 24M more dollars owed to him? Or is he a guy that needs some load management to keep that contract from turning ugly, fast?

 

[Sea Eagles]

Yeah but look at how poorly he played for the majority of those 80; first few months of the season and from around the TDL onwards. Is that really the guy whose workload we should be increasing with 4 more years & 24M more dollars owed to him? Or is he a guy that needs some load management to keep that contract from turning ugly, fast?

Statistically, not TOO different from previous years, but I won't fib, he did look a step slower this season.
That being said ,he's just 31. I think he'll throw it to another gear (for the better next season). These guys will all come out hungry as.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Tyson's reaction to "slightly".

I'm not a Gardiner fan ... not at all.

Funny how Gardiner=Barrie to Leaf fans not long ago. Now all a sudden Barrie contender for Norris and Kerfoot going to be a Selke finalist.

 

[cgf]

Statistically, not TOO different from previous years, but I won't fib, he did look a step slower this season.
That being said ,he's just 31. I think he'll throw it to another gear (for the better next season). These guys will all come out hungry as.

Wouldn't his being 31 be a reason to expect him to be more banged moving forward, not less?

 

[flyfysher]

I'm keeping an open mind with Bura, but BDK was really good at exits & entries as well; I dunno the #s but I kinda figure that that swap will be wash for us. Kadri, OTOH, should definitely be a very welcome addition since MacK, JTC, BDK & Mikko were our only forwards who regularly carried the puck in transition for us, once we got it. IIRC Donskoi is also good with the exits/entries, but I'm not a big stats guy so that may be absolutely wrong

...but puck retrieval is still hugely dependant on your blueliners to win those puck races and move things forward under pressure. Which just is not what the EJ's, Cole's, Connauton's, etc. are going to give us, and it's one of the most inconsistent/unreliable parts of Zads' game...despite his great ability to cover ground & win races, a little pressure + his lackadaisicalness turn Zads-retrievals into an adventure way too often.

I recall a recent discussion with Cobra about his observation that FO losses weren't as much of an issue with JB's coaching style because the team is almost better at counterpunching and attacking on the transition. My question is how will that translate with the change in personnel? I hope the Avs ability to win the FO will noticeably improve.

 

[cgf]

I recall a recent discussion with Cobra about his observation that FO losses weren't as much of an issue with JB's coaching style because the team is almost better at counterpunching and attacking on the transition. My question is how will that translate with the change in personnel? I hope the Avs ability to win the FO will noticeably improve.

That's an interesting theory. Not sure I buy it since we're probably better when we're buzzing around the ozone & causing turnovers there, but I am very curious to find out the answer to the bolded.

 

[shadow1]

Definitely think so.

The concern comes from Ian Cole being out until December, but Barberio, Connauton, and Graves are all fine in small doses - not to mention the wild card Rosen.

Those four will do a serviceable job on the bottom pairing, in a worst case scenario. Best case, Byram shows he belongs and makes the team out of camp; and/or Conor Timmins remains healthy and joins the big club in the first half of the season.