Observations XXIV

[Porter Stoutheart]

Good news: We have a playoff team here, basically in the wildcard hunt every year.

Bad news: The core we invested in cannot win us the cup with Lavi. I truly think they tune him out and realize that hes more of a motivational speaker than a coach.


I just hope this team doesnt tank next season but I have a terrible feeling if Lavi is still here after what we've seen after the first 16 games of the season.

I don't think Lavi is a bad coach in any way, nor even just a "motivational speaker" type. He used to give some talks for USA Hockey and I really felt like I connected with his overall philosophy and that he knew his stuff very convincingly. He seemed pretty engaged at an early-ish date with a more modern style of hockey. I think he can coach in this league and do a great job somewhere. But just as much as players eventually "tune out" a coach, a coach can get stuck in his lines of thinking, or maybe become "too familiar" with players and their various qualities and limitations - maybe even to the point that he accepts or believes in limitations that don't need to exist and he can no longer think of ways to push players beyond those supposed limitations. We're ready for a reset. Change is inevitable and should be a positive for this group. They seemed to settle into a comfort zone and need to get pushed out of it.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

I wouldn't be mad trading Granlund either.

Be terrible next year and draft high. Take a year to retool. I wouldn't be mad.

 

[FossilFndr]

also how much longer will we refer to our defenseman as the big 4? should be more like the little four.

When someone says the Preds have one of the best blue lines in the game today I'll think they are talking about the staff that paints the ice.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I wouldn't be mad trading Granlund either.

Be terrible next year and draft high. Take a year to retool. I wouldn't be mad.

Depending on how next season goes... there's a realistic chance the team could be in a seller slot at the trade deadline. Hopefully it doesn't get that bad, but the parity is such that teams will be knocking at the door and a playoff spot shouldn't be considered a lock anymore.

If that happens, then sure, any impending UFAs may need to be considered in that scenario. Smith and Granlund are the prominent ones. I don't see Josi entering that category, of course, but we'll see what the others do next season and what the cost/benefit ratio looks like. "Be terrible" is a little too extreme. Retooling these days requires going to a variety of tools, and it would still be too much of a fall to really hit that "draft high" level. But "draft well" wherever they pick, and keep building the prospect pipeline would only be sensible. And if it turns out that there are impending UFAs who can be parlayed into assets in that scenario, then of course that's just one of the tools at Poile's disposal.

 

[PredsV82]

Poile has to be kicking himself for being sentimental and giving this team another chance after last seasons playoff debacle.

Poile is generally very patient but when it was clear he was getting near the end of his time in Washington he made some drastic(and arguably regrettable) moves.

The man desperately wants a Cup. I expect a wild and very active summer.

 

[hockey diva]

"The man desperately wants a Cup. I expect a wild and very active summer"

That's what I am afraid of. His desperation will cost us. Maybe he needs to call it a day as well.

 

[Enoch]

Not addressing the second line in the off-season was a mistake.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

"The man desperately wants a Cup. I expect a wild and very active summer"

That's what I am afraid of. His desperation will cost us. Maybe he needs to call it a day as well.

Even if it does I mean, having a couple of bad seasons and getting some top end talent in the draft only doesn't seem that bad.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

i want to see us get at least a solid 6 power plays in game 6.. just so we can go 0/6 and really put the bow on this forgettable season with this underachieving roster and inept coaching staff.

 

[Armourboy]

Its definitely not gonna get any easier. St. Louis is good, Colorado is going to continue to get better, Winnipeg and Dallas will still be good, and Chicago is going to be coming back strong soon.

What looked like to be the start of a window may have closed very quickly. Frankly if we can move a couple of longer term contracts and then get something for Granlund I would consider it. Get bigger and faster and try and retool before some of these guys get old.

 

[Pred303]

we aren't magically going to fall out of a playoff spot and get high draft choices. this team is much better than that, and much, much better than they have played this year.

 

[PredsV82]

"The man desperately wants a Cup. I expect a wild and very active summer"

That's what I am afraid of. His desperation will cost us. Maybe he needs to call it a day as well.

To quote Dr Evil,

"There is no pleasing you.."

 

[PredsV82]

we aren't magically going to fall out of a playoff spot and get high draft choices. this team is much better than that, and much, much better than they have played this year.

So, coaching change rather than big roster moves?

 

[Armourboy]

we aren't magically going to fall out of a playoff spot and get high draft choices. this team is much better than that, and much, much better than they have played this year.

Oh I think we are still a playoff team, but won't be on that contender list anymore. I think we do need to move some pieces if we can, get a bit faster and a bit tougher.

I also think part of the problem is coaching and some of the guys not fitting or not liking the system. Just think we are hearing that way too much for that not to be a thing.

 

[GoldOnGold]

If we had had a league average PP we'd probably have been 2nd or 3rd in the league TBH

 

[Pred303]

So, coaching change rather than big roster moves?

assistant coaches heads need to roll. and we HAVE to find a solution to this 2nd line. whether that's thru trades, tolvanen whatever.

 

[Enoch]

This is a great roster. Something isn’t working. You can tweak and get back to a division win. What is happening now is frustrating because no one is achieving what they are capable of outside of a few individuals. The preds team as a whole is struggling and hasn’t/never found its identity.

 

[Armourboy]

If we had had a league average PP we'd probably have been 2nd or 3rd in the league TBH

I think today shows the coaches don't know what to do. When you take one of your best shooters and stick him in from of the net where he can't even use it you're getting desperate to find anything.

 

[GeauxPreds1]

I really think that lavy has to be gone. This team has talent but they lack motivation and any urgency and he doesn't provide either. We have no heart. We got punched in the mouth game 3 and 4 and came out game fight not swinging and hoping. I've seen teams play a lot better when there is a coaching change maybe that's what we need. Another thing we have to seriously push for Duchene this off-season and trade turris. That has to be poile number 2 priority after firing the coach and hiring a new one. That 2nd line has to be fixed. Granlund has to be moved to the right side a position he played his best at. Turris has to be traded for a pick or an asset if we get Duchene. I think we need to give fabbro a top 4 spot next year so Ellis has to go. I think it has to be ellis. He just doesnt look like the same player he has been in the past and I don't wanna get stuck with a horrible contract for 8 Damn years. Maybe Ellis for Larsson and Yamamoto. If we dump Ellis and turris get Larsson that saves 8.25 million . You sign Duchene for 8.5. I wouldn't even be totally against getting rid of subban and Ellis. . I'm so sick of playing through our defenseman and relying on them to make plays because our forwards disappear. So trade subban to Toronto for nylander and Liljegren. I'd love for our line up to look like that so

Forsberg Duchene Granlund
Arvi joey nylander
Tolvanen bones smith
Watson jarnkrok Grimaldi

Josi fabbro
Ekholm Larsson
Hammer Liljegren

Wishful thinking and maybe some upset thinking because I'm so upset with this team

 

[PredsV82]

I'll call it right now. Muse gets canned even though its McCarthy who clearly is 10 years out of date on his coaching.

And there really isnt a "name" coach a available like Lavy was when they let Ttotz go. Unless Poile wants to roll the dice with Housley or Boughner, I'm guessing Lavy gets another chance.

 

[hockey diva]

Lavy and McCarthy are joined at the hip. They both need to go.

No retreads. Get an assistant from Pittsburgh or Boston or somewhere. We need a new voice and more importantly a different offensive philosophy.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Lavy and McCarthy are joined at the hip. They both need to go.

No retreads. Get an assistant from Pittsburgh or Boston or somewhere. We need a new voice and more importantly a different offensive philosophy.

I'm with you. I don't understand keeping Lavy and just gutting the assistants. They take care of the Xs and Os and have failed to address problems plaguing us all season (and some of that is still on Lavy as the guy in charge) but the mental fragility, lack of accountability, and lack of discipline are not tactical issues and should lay squarely at Lavy's feet.

 

[Armourboy]

I think McCarthy is why Lavi will be gone, I don't think he will let him go, unless he is just ready to retire.

 

[GeauxPreds1]

Watch us come back and win this series and somehow beat the blues too lmao. I'd season my crow and eat it happily lol

 

[NoNecksCurse]

Watch us come back and win this series and somehow beat the blues too lmao. I'd season my crow and eat it happily lol

zero chance.