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[JimEIV]

Really? You're going to tell me it's IMPOSSIBLE for all of them to miss the mark? Like 0% chance?

I'm not saying it's likely. I'm saying I wouldn't bet on getting an elite defenseman out of that group to the point where I'd feel comfortable trading Severson, that's all.

I just think limiting ceilings on guys like Santini, Jacobs or White who are still juniors ( and in college) is awfully premature and a negative outlook.

And in Merrill you have a guy 23 years old with about 130 games of NHL experience who has already been in a top 4 role and has performed very well in that role. He averaged over 20 minutes a game last season and his game is progressing well. I just don't think that there is any reason for negative outlook on some of these guys right now. Sure, with players in juniors there is a possibility of not being anything (not for Santini though) but there is also a possibility that our best defender could be in that group.

Isn't it better to just take a wait and see approach?

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

"Wait and see" is exactly what I'm advocating, because we don't really know what we have in any of those guys. I just think it's important to acknowledge the POSSIBILITY that none of our current prospects are anything special, which is why I'd rather sit back and see what we have than try to forecast our team 3 years down the road and start moving our NHL defensemen for help up front.

I don't think it's limiting anyone's ceilings to discuss possibilities. All of our D prospects have as high ceilings as they ever did. But that doesn't mean I'd ship out Larsson tomorrow for forward help. Because I think Santini and Jacobs will replace him down the road.

Also, if you think Merrill's performed "very well," let alone even "acceptable," I can't agree with that. He's been a trainwreck. Looks even worse than Larsson did in his middling Deboer years, and the numbers back that up.

 

[JimEIV]

Also, if you think Merrill's performed "very well," let alone even "acceptable," I can't agree with that. He's been a trainwreck. Looks even worse than Larsson did in his middling Deboer years, and the numbers back that up.

That's just wrong.
And really there are plenty of numbers to prove he has played well in his own end. Merrill is hardly ever out of position and constantly makes the correct play, simple not flashy. When he is on the ice he gives up fewer shots angainst than Severson and Moore by quite a bit and he is not that far behind Larsson/ Greene in the shots against per 60 department.

When Larrson was struggling he was regulaly beat left standing still as players blew by him. It was a regular occurrence from the end of 2012 season to the beginning of DeBoers last season. Most of that time he had trouble with the speed of the game, its how Subban cleaned his clock, by him not knowing the time and space he had.

You have not ever seen anything of the sort from Merrill and certainly not 2+ years of it.

 

[Bleedred]

Santini has looked good to me in what I've seen.

He's even looked good at moving the puck at the NCAA level.

Don't wanna confuse him with being a ''Puck moving defenseman'' as those ones typically produce offense, which Santini does not.

If Santini could be a Volchenkov, that would be awesome.

I mean like the Ottawa Volchenkov, not the one in New Jersey that we had. And hopefully his career lasts a little longer and he doesn't start to decline at 28, like Volchenkov did for us.

He's already older than Volchenkov was when he made his NHL debut though, so it shouldn't happen quite as early.

 

[MadDevil]

I could see Santini ending up as a more physical version of Fayne.

 

[Bleedred]

I could see Santini ending up as a more physical version of Fayne.

I'm hoping he's better than Fayne.

Not that Fayne is bad.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I'm hoping he's better than Fayne.

Not that Fayne is bad.

I also hope Santini is better than Fayne for us.