Speculation: Mission Impossible: The search for a #1

[Pavels Dog]

I mean, an elite #1D would be ideal but beggars can't be choosers. I'll take any #1 at this point. What's concerning to me is that we just saw one go for a late 1st and Neal Pionk and we still couldn't pony up. Forget elite #1, swinging any kind of deal for a #1 is clearly an ongoing concern for this team.

Unfortunately I bet a ton of teams feel like they could have given a better offer if all things were equal. But if a player indicates he has a very small list of teams he is willing to sign for, and you're not on that list? Even if something like Cholowski+2nd might seem like an equal offer to NYR, it would look like a terrible deal if we ended up just getting a rental and in 5 years Cholowski is a top-pairing D or the 2nd round picks turns into another Hronek for example.
Imo, the time to truly hunt for those kind of trades is not quite here yet. Get the foundation through the draft, then explore trades when you start to figure out what you're missing.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

...

Anyways, I never said it was easy or common. Just not out of the reach of the likes of Brad Stuart and Adam Foote.

Brad Stuart who had two 40 point seasons very early in his career and then settled in at about 25 and Adam Foote who I don’t ever think had more then 25–30?

Those are two awful choices if you want to make out 50 points as being an easy task that many guys have done.

 

[Henkka]

	LD	RD
6'1	McIsaac -00	Seider - 01	6'4
6'2	Cholowski -98	Hronek -97	6'0
6'0	Johansson - 01	Bowey - 95	6'1
6'1	Moore -01	Kaski -95	6'3
5'9	Hicketts -96	Tuomisto -01	6'5
6'6	Setkov -99	Lindström -98	6'2
6'2	Kotkansalo -98	Regula -00	6'4

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

They are adding defence like crazy.

 

[Electric Eric]

General manager Jeff Gorton had substantive contract talks with Jacob Trouba’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, at the draft in Vancouver, The Post has learned. The parties did not reach an agreement, but the pending restricted free agent defenseman, acquired on June 17 from Winnipeg for the 20th-overall pick in the draft and Neal Pionk, is expected to sign a seven-year deal in the tony neighborhood of $7.5-8 million per season.

According to Larry Brooks
Where Rangers will draw the line on Artemi Panarin

Wait.. I thought he was coming here next year as a UFA?

 

[deca guard]

	LD	RD
6'1	McIsaac -00	Seider - 01	6'4
6'2	Cholowski -98	Hronek -97	6'0
6'0	Johansson - 01	Bowey - 95	6'1
6'1	Moore -01	Kaski -95	6'3
5'9	Hicketts -96	Tuomisto -01	6'5
6'6	Setkov -99	Lindström -98	6'2
6'2	Kotkansalo -98	Regula -00	6'4

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

They are adding defence like crazy.

my hope is we trade for a bad contract from a contender and for taking it we get back a d prospect thats about 21 . i want the d depth chart loaded

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

	LD	RD
6'1	McIsaac -00	Seider - 01	6'4
6'2	Cholowski -98	Hronek -97	6'0
6'0	Johansson - 01	Bowey - 95	6'1
6'1	Moore -01	Kaski -95	6'3
5'9	Hicketts -96	Tuomisto -01	6'5
6'6	Setkov -99	Lindström -98	6'2
6'2	Kotkansalo -98	Regula -00	6'4

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

They are adding defence like crazy.

I'm done being overly optimistic about D prospects. Smith, Kindl, Sproul, Ouelette etc burned me to my core! All these guys could end up being bottom 6 at best...

 

[NickH8]

I'm done being overly optimistic about D prospects. Smith, Kindl, Sproul, Ouelette etc burned me to my core! All these guys could end up being bottom 6 at best...

Fortunately we have more of them than we did in those previous groups. More likely we'll get at least one or two that are solid top 4 defensemen. You also have to consider Hronek has already shown way more than any of those guys at the NHL level and you could argue he's already a top 4 defenseman.

 

[HisNoodliness]

	LD	RD
6'1	McIsaac -00	Seider - 01	6'4
6'2	Cholowski -98	Hronek -97	6'0
6'0	Johansson - 01	Bowey - 95	6'1
6'1	Moore -01	Kaski -95	6'3
5'9	Hicketts -96	Tuomisto -01	6'5
6'6	Setkov -99	Lindström -98	6'2
6'2	Kotkansalo -98	Regula -00	6'4

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

They are adding defence like crazy.

It's a lot of D, and I guess taking as many kicks at the can as possible is the best strategy we've got, but man, I still feel like there's no one on that list I feel comfortable slotting on the first pairing down the road. Hopefully Seider is a homerun.

 

[GreatGordie9]

It's a lot of D, and I guess taking as many kicks at the can as possible is the best strategy we've got, but man, I still feel like there's no one on that list I feel comfortable slotting on the first pairing down the road. Hopefully Seider is a homerun.

I watched Seider on 3 on 3 development camp through the live stream and was very impressed. It will be interesting how he does in training camp. It looks like he is worth the 6th pick.

 

[HisNoodliness]

I watched Seider on 3 on 3 development camp through the live stream and was very impressed. It will be interesting how he does in training camp. It looks like he is worth the 6th pick.

He did look pretty awesome in that 3 on 3, but due to the nature of development camps I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much because of it.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Fortunately we have more of them than we did in those previous groups. More likely we'll get at least one or two that are solid top 4 defensemen. You also have to consider Hronek has already shown way more than any of those guys at the NHL level and you could argue he's already a top 4 defenseman.

At the time we all thought Smith would be what Hronek looks like he would be and more. My point is it's a crapshoot.

 

[NickH8]

At the time we all thought Smith would be what Hronek looks like he would be and more. My point is it's a crapshoot.

Oh I agree, it's a crapshoot. We're just lucky we've got a ton of "lottery tickets". We'll see what happens.

 

[Multigrain]

	LD	RD
6'1	McIsaac -00	Seider - 01	6'4
6'2	Cholowski -98	Hronek -97	6'0
6'0	Johansson - 01	Bowey - 95	6'1
6'1	Moore -01	Kaski -95	6'3
5'9	Hicketts -96	Tuomisto -01	6'5
6'6	Setkov -99	Lindström -98	6'2
6'2	Kotkansalo -98	Regula -00	6'4

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

It's a lot of D, and I guess taking as many kicks at the can as possible is the best strategy we've got, but man, I still feel like there's no one on that list I feel comfortable slotting on the first pairing down the road. Hopefully Seider is a homerun.

It's a lot of D, and I guess taking as many kicks at the can as possible is the best strategy we've got, but man, I still feel like there's no one on that list I feel comfortable slotting on the first pairing down the road. Hopefully Seider is a homerun.

They are adding defence like crazy.

I would think they could pick up a couple of FA left and right D for a low cost contract and see if it works out.

 

[Snuggs]

I'm in the camp that maybe, we don't need to go get a perennial Norris trophy contender but just a bunch/group of guys that are considers 1b's, 2's, and 3's. No real weak player throughout.

I'd sign Jake Gardiner, or make a push to, and play him with Hronek this year. Red Wings could have something in Hronek and bringing in a guy like Gardiner, that only helps build the depth overall. Gardiner is pretty good and I think playing with Hronek, Gardiner will lift Hronke's play up and make him a better player. Vs Hronek grinding out the year playing with Dekeyser/Kronwall.

Jury is still out with Cholowski/McIsaac/Lindstrom to me. I pretty much consider Bowey/Hicketts 6th/7th D men.

 

[Shaman464]

I'm in the camp that maybe, we don't need to go get a perennial Norris trophy contender but just a bunch/group of guys that are considers 1b's, 2's, and 3's. No real weak player throughout.

I'd sign Jake Gardiner, or make a push to, and play him with Hronek this year. Red Wings could have something in Hronek and bringing in a guy like Gardiner, that only helps build the depth overall. Gardiner is pretty good and I think playing with Hronek, Gardiner will lift Hronke's play up and make him a better player. Vs Hronek grinding out the year playing with Dekeyser/Kronwall.

Jury is still out with Cholowski/McIsaac/Lindstrom to me. I pretty much consider Bowey/Hicketts 6th/7th D men.

Detroit will need elite talent in one facet of the game. Right now their forward group is the "no elite players, but some great ones, and a lot of good/very good ones" a defense of the same composition leads to a bubble team.

 

[vladdy16]

The wings are set at defense imo.

Cholowski, Hronek and Seider are in the group with Lidstrom, Konstantinov, Fischer and Kronwall as far as the best defense prospects i've seen for us. Light years ahead of Smith, Kindl, Sproul, Wallin etc

If none of those 3 turn into no.1's, then I guess you have to go shopping with our 40 mil of cap space at some point.

Beyond that we have guys like Johansson, Tuomisto, Kotkansalo, Setkov and Lindstrom. There's a depth and age variety issue there, but also some high ceilings for a secondary group.

I love that we are all well versed in how seriously sophmore slumps affect d-men, but I think people will be singing a different tune as the preseason heats up, and then again in 3 months and 3 years.

Cholowski is the first on the chopping block though. Needs to have another monster preseason to keep pace. It is partly our job as fans to root for that to happen though.

 

[GreatGordie9]

At the time we all thought Smith would be what Hronek looks like he would be and more. My point is it's a crapshoot.

I know it is much to early to see how this kid will be going forward but what I did see was a mature 18 year old that has the skills and composure to make a damn good defenseman and is beyond his years.

 

[lilidk]

It's great that we have possible great defensive core, but they need someone to get them there were we like them to be. We don't know if Kronwall and Green still can play. If not we should get one, even overpay , for that role. If Kronwall plays for another year or two, I like to see him with Seider this year. It's doesn't matter how many minutes a game they play , as long as Seider learn from him.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

I think with regard to goalies and defensemen, you have to draft a lot of them, because it's a difficult position to chart the development of when the kid is 16-18 years old.

 

[Henkka]

I would think they could pick up a couple of FA left and right D for a low cost contract and see if it works out.

Yeha, those left-side prospects seem to be much weaker overall, but maybe the ideology is to grow the right-handed guys on your own, because they cost too much to acquire. And left-handed defencemen are easily found from market.

 

[obey86]

It's great that we have possible great defensive core, but they need someone to get them there were we like them to be. We don't know if Kronwall and Green still can play. If not we should get one, even overpay , for that role. If Kronwall plays for another year or two, I like to see him with Seider this year. It's doesn't matter how many minutes a game they play , as long as Seider learn from him.

Seider isn’t making the NHL as an 18 year old nor should he

 

[Pavels Dog]

I'm done being overly optimistic about D prospects. Smith, Kindl, Sproul, Ouelette etc burned me to my core! All these guys could end up being bottom 6 at best...

The problem back then is obvious when you realize you're talking about 4 guys drafted over the course of 7 drafts. We have a lot more quantity in the pipeline to go along with more quality. The question of whether we have a legit #1D still needs to be answered but I don't think it's going out on a limb to say we have some top 4 D in the system. Hronek, Seider and Cholo are all fairly safe bets at this point.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

The problem back then is obvious when you realize you're talking about 4 guys drafted over the course of 7 drafts. We have a lot more quantity in the pipeline to go along with more quality. The question of whether we have a legit #1D still needs to be answered but I don't think it's going out on a limb to say we have some top 4 D in the system. Hronek, Seider and Cholo are all fairly safe bets at this point.

Kindl and Smith felt like safe bets when they were 18 and 20 too...

 

[Frk It]

The wings are set at defense imo.

Cholowski, Hronek and Seider are in the group with Lidstrom, Konstantinov, Fischer and Kronwall as far as the best defense prospects i've seen for us. Light years ahead of Smith, Kindl, Sproul, Wallin etc

If none of those 3 turn into no.1's, then I guess you have to go shopping with our 40 mil of cap space at some point.

Beyond that we have guys like Johansson, Tuomisto, Kotkansalo, Setkov and Lindstrom. There's a depth and age variety issue there, but also some high ceilings for a secondary group.

I love that we are all well versed in how seriously sophmore slumps affect d-men, but I think people will be singing a different tune as the preseason heats up, and then again in 3 months and 3 years.

Cholowski is the first on the chopping block though. Needs to have another monster preseason to keep pace. It is partly our job as fans to root for that to happen though.

Don’t forget about Jared McIsaac.

 

[Henkka]

Don’t forget about Jared McIsaac.

yeah, when seider was drafted, Gustav Lindström dropped out from our MOST POTENTIAL Top4 defence.

It's now clearly:

Cholowski - Seider
McIsaac - Hronek

And others are behind.