Rumor: Richards-Tallon Plans to Make Changes

[GrumpyKelly]

The point is to be a playoff team...ohh boo hoo if we had Hasek he would've gotten us 1 or 2 more points ..woooow..this team needs to fix a crap load of things before fixing goaltending ..the fixing needs to be for adding 10 more points instead of 1 or 2 that's by going to change anything . Philly went to the finals with abysmal goaltenders...In pretty sure Markstrom will be just fine if we had a good team, his confidence will be back and be needs to just mature give the kid a break...he's only 23

On the contrary. When goaltending is bad it is the single biggest fix that you can have on a team. Bad goaltending literally loses games when good goaltending can steal them for you despite of having bad defense or offense. Obviously there are other things that need to be fixed also but the biggest single fix at the moment is needed at the goalie position.

 

[CHGoalie27]

On the contrary. When goaltending is bad it is the single biggest fix that you can have on a team. Bad goaltending literally loses games when good goaltending can steal them for you despite of having bad defense or offense. Obviously there are other things that need to be fixed also but the biggest single fix at the moment is needed at the goalie position.

Luongo calls BS

 

[FlaPanthers11]

On the contrary. When goaltending is bad it is the single biggest fix that you can have on a team. Bad goaltending literally loses games when good goaltending can steal them for you despite of having bad defense or offense. Obviously there are other things that need to be fixed also but the biggest single fix at the moment is needed at the goalie position.

True, however, we need to stop looking at the short term. Will a good, proven goalie win us a few more games? Definitely. Will a good, proven goalie get this team to the playoffs? No, not a chance. This team has too many other problems and a short, two year, fix is not the answer.

We need to keep our prospects up front for the most part with the exception of a few open for trading. Long term, the best option is to keep the prospects and let them develop. Make offseason acquisitions and build prospects. A couple of trades will help but with these prospects and obviously some additions we could be cracking the playoffs in two years.

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

I think we should be open to trade our first rounder and/or some talent to get a game changer back around the deadline. I don't know who or from where, but we need player(s) that have already been contributing at the NHL level. I'd love to have a guy like Nicklas Backstrom, but I doubt Washington would be willing to give him up.

 

[flomarilius]

The problem is that for your game changer it will cost more than a first round pick. I think we're stacked at defense in the A and we need a RW pretty badly. I would be open to trading out first rounder for a guy under a good lengthy contract who has proven to be an answer for one of our problems over picking another 18 year old kid that might need another 2-3 years.

 

[GrumpyKelly]

Luongo calls BS

I bet if you ask Luongo he would think he stole a couple of games for the Panthers while he was here.

True, however, we need to stop looking at the short term. Will a good, proven goalie win us a few more games? Definitely. Will a good, proven goalie get this team to the playoffs? No, not a chance. This team has too many other problems and a short, two year, fix is not the answer.

I agree. Having a good goalie would probably make this team look like Calgary the last couple of years with Kiprusoff. He made that team look decent although they should have started rebuilding couple years back. My point was simply that having a solid goalie would be the single biggest fix at the moment but not enough obviously to make it to the playoffs, a lot of other stuff needs to be fixed additionally.

 

[FrolikFan67]

being as bad as we are i wouldn't deal our 1st rounder unless it was a really spectacular player coming back. washington wouldn't trade backstrom. i can't think of any big/game changing players would be available anyways, even with our 1st pick +.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

UMMM DEL ZOTTO??? More infraction worthy comments from me to you here my friend~!~

Why the hate on MDZ? He's a RFA at season's end and will have played 300 games by then and has decent numbers. I don't expect an overpyament on the new contract by the Rangers or another team that may trade for him.

Tallon won't be re-signing all the UFA defensemen (Weaver, Gilbert, Whitney and Gilroy). I see Weaver being the only guy guaranteed to stay a Panther next year unless traded later this year.

Who you plan on having on D next year? More PTO fill ins? Petro/Robak have a shot at training camp. McCoshen and Matheson are still two years away minimum from cracking this roster.

 

[zeroG]

I bet if you ask Luongo he would think he stole a couple of games for the Panthers while he was here.

yeah, and they still didn't sniff the playoffs, which was CH's point.

I agree. Having a good goalie would probably make this team look like Calgary the last couple of years with Kiprusoff. He made that team look decent although they should have started rebuilding couple years back. My point was simply that having a solid goalie would be the single biggest fix at the moment but not enough obviously to make it to the playoffs, a lot of other stuff needs to be fixed additionally.

sure, a kiprusoff in his prime might stop a few more pucks. so what? we've got a couple of guys who ought to be able to keep us in games if the team was playing hockey in front of them.

this happens every year. teams underachieve and GMs do the least risky thing they can do to shake things up - fire the coach. the coach is never fully to blame and i don't think dineen is *fully* to blame. i mean, this is not a great roster.

still say he's got another week or two max before he's gone. rammer is a competent hockey guy - can certainly finish out the year.

 

[adam graves]

Whats the vegas line on who goes first, dineen or deboer?

 

[Egblad]

Dineen goes before Tallon, for sure.

 

[GrumpyKelly]

sure, a kiprusoff in his prime might stop a few more pucks. so what? we've got a couple of guys who ought to be able to keep us in games if the team was playing hockey in front of them.

Sorry but no, this team doesn´t have couple of goalies who can keep them in games. Not even debatable at the moment. TT if healthy is the only one.

Or ok sure, if you replace three defenders and three forwards and get an awesome team in front that rarely makes mistakes defensively and scores 3 goals per game. Then below average goaltending is enough. But isn´t it easier to fix one position i.e. goaltending and start from there?

 

[zeroG]

Sorry but no, this team doesn´t have couple of goalies who can keep them in games. Not even debatable at the moment. TT if healthy is the only one.

Or ok sure, if you replace three defenders and three forwards and get an awesome team in front that rarely makes mistakes defensively and scores 3 goals per game. Then below average goaltending is enough. But isn´t it easier to fix one position i.e. goaltending and start from there?

"in games" is perhaps not the right way to put it. they are in games now. they're losing for a variety of reasons, as bad teams do (including the odd soft goal).

i don't think anyone is saying we don't want better goaltending. some other posters who are knowledgable in this area have pointed out that there really isn't anyone we can get that fits your description.

you don't have to give up 2 #1 picks and a top prospect to fire your coach. we've got craig ramsay on the bench who's got umpteen years experience and could not do any worse than dineen at this point. that's the easiest thing to "fix".

 

[RogerRoger]

I bet if you ask Luongo he would think he stole a couple of games for the Panthers while he was here.

He did, but what did it accomplish?

 

[CHGoalie27]

Why the hate on MDZ? He's a RFA at season's end and will have played 300 games by then and has decent numbers. I don't expect an overpyament on the new contract by the Rangers or another team that may trade for him.

Tallon won't be re-signing all the UFA defensemen (Weaver, Gilbert, Whitney and Gilroy). I see Weaver being the only guy guaranteed to stay a Panther next year unless traded later this year.

Who you plan on having on D next year? More PTO fill ins? Petro/Robak have a shot at training camp. McCoshen and Matheson are still two years away minimum from cracking this roster.

Because he couldn't care less about the front of the net 99% of the time. We don't need that, at all.
I wouldn't take any of the Rangers defense here. Any of them.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Because he couldn't care less about the front of the net 99% of the time. We don't need that, at all.
I wouldn't take any of the Rangers defense here. Any of them.

Racine.. terribly underrated, good with the puck, plays with edge. Again, I'll take he and Petro (as a pair even) over Gilbert, Girlroy, and Whitney.

 

[GrumpyKelly]

He did, but what did it accomplish?

Nothing, just like no player alone can accomplish anything in this league.

But that wasn´t my point. Point was that solid goaltending would have the biggest impact on this team at the moment. Even with the atrocious defense and bad offense the games against Edmonton, Nashville and Tampa would have probably been won with solid goaltending. It´s the only aspect of the game you can improve with a single move and has a profound impact on the outcome of the game.

Anyway, moving on...

 

[CHGoalie27]

I agree with all 0g says above.

Markstrom is competent with help. Even with one softee, which every goalie should be allowed per game. It happens for more reasons than "goalie sucks".

Again, to use myself (when I'm on my game) as an example...lunchtime pickup hockey I'll stop Kasparaitis and the rest of the skill...then a not so skilled friend played comes with a 30 mph change up and i'll wave at it twice before it goes in anyway...looks soft, everyone laughs. Goaltending is tough folks, believe me-I'd be the first to say Markstrom isn't worth the hair on anyone's ass if he wasn't...look at what "people" (lol) said about HENRIK LUNDQVIST, world's #1 goalie, after the first two weeks of this season because of the schmucks in front of him...

 

[CHGoalie27]

Yes, moving on, what's the word??? Anyone??

 

[flomarilius]

Boyes sitting tonight? We're going to giveaway our leading goal scorer (not much of a scorer) with the best contract on our roster.... man I hope we get a good return if hes gone.

 

[Acadmus]

The point is to be a playoff team...ohh boo hoo if we had Hasek he would've gotten us 1 or 2 more points ..woooow..this team needs to fix a crap load of things before fixing goaltending ..the fixing needs to be for adding 10 more points instead of 1 or 2 that's not going to change anything . Philly went to the finals with abysmal goaltenders...In pretty sure Markstrom will be just fine if we had a good team, his confidence will be back and be needs to just mature give the kid a break...he's only 23

Ditto this, and add the rest of the kids to it. If we're going to blame the players instead of the coach (I'm not there yet) we need to get rid of deadweight, guys who were brought in for certain roles and aren't fulfilling those roles. Versteeg and Flash aren't scoring? Gone. Gomez brought in for leadership? There clearly is none, gone. Blueline not contributing to offense? Campbell gone...well...okay that's wishful thinking unless we pay the bulk of his contract. But in theory...

Clemmensen's got no business being here. Any goalie who gets scored on in shootouts at the rate he does should be in the minors or the color commentary chair. Timmy's injured, fine...that wasn't completely unexpected. Markstrom's dealing with a defense that isn't covering him at all and likely it's shaken his confidence. Take care of the D, take care of the O not scoring much to speak of, and Markstrom won't feel he needs a shutout every night to win games. We've seen that before with this team about a decade ago.

And in all this I won't blame Tallon. With a restricted budget he brought in Boyes and Winchester on the cheap, and they're exceeding expectations. He brought in the other guys in prior years as stopgaps while the youth matures, but then the sale of the team forced him to ditch some salary, then left him scrambling to find cheap enough vets to stick to his plan (despite the line about "we always meant to go with youth and the time is now).

But I think the first place you start is replacing the coach who isn't getting the effort out of his team that we all know they're capable of. So there's a big mistake taking place here, and I don't understand why it's being made.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Ditto this, and add the rest of the kids to it. If we're going to blame the players instead of the coach (I'm not there yet) we need to get rid of deadweight, guys who were brought in for certain roles and aren't fulfilling those roles. Versteeg and Flash aren't scoring? Gone. Gomez brought in for leadership? There clearly is none, gone. Blueline not contributing to offense? Campbell gone...well...okay that's wishful thinking unless we pay the bulk of his contract. But in theory...

Clemmensen's got no business being here. Any goalie who gets scored on in shootouts at the rate he does should be in the minors or the color commentary chair. Timmy's injured, fine...that wasn't completely unexpected. Markstrom's dealing with a defense that isn't covering him at all and likely it's shaken his confidence. Take care of the D, take care of the O not scoring much to speak of, and Markstrom won't feel he needs a shutout every night to win games. We've seen that before with this team about a decade ago.

And in all this I won't blame Tallon. With a restricted budget he brought in Boyes and Winchester on the cheap, and they're exceeding expectations. He brought in the other guys in prior years as stopgaps while the youth matures, but then the sale of the team forced him to ditch some salary, then left him scrambling to find cheap enough vets to stick to his plan (despite the line about "we always meant to go with youth and the time is now).

But I think the first place you start is replacing the coach who isn't getting the effort out of his team that we all know they're capable of. So there's a big mistake taking place here, and I don't understand why it's being made.

Excellent continuance to Panteras excellent post.

Sorry, wasn't ignoring your PM on purposejust keep thinking about it when I'm too busy to reply.

Which is still the case. I've only heard about 5 or 6 BR albums, so I'm sure you're better versed than I am. My favorite song though is probably Better Off Dead.

Can't reply by pm cuz of my usual lack of ability to 'deal with the schmucks' infractions!
I wouldn't say I'm more well versed I've only heard 4! My fav songs being Fertile Crescent, Against The Grain, Scrutiny, 21st Century Digital Boy. aaaand Better Off Dead

 

[Chino Oscar]

On the contrary. When goaltending is bad it is the single biggest fix that you can have on a team. Bad goaltending literally loses games when good goaltending can steal them for you despite of having bad defense or offense. Obviously there are other things that need to be fixed also but the biggest single fix at the moment is needed at the goalie position.

I honestly don't know how on earth (if you are watching the games) can you honestly say this. Our defense is crap, won't clear traffic in front of the net, have trouble getting out of the zone, pinch at the wrong time allowing odd-man rushes, and our offense has trouble scoring more than 1-2 goals a game, there is no rhyme or reason to our offensive strategy, not to mention Versteeg and his turnover prone ways that also lead to odd-man rushes.

Fix what needs to be fixed first, defense and scoring (and coaching IMO). Goaltending, IMHO, is the least of our problems.

 

[CanadianPantherFan]

Tallon was on Prime Time Sports up here in Canada. Good interview; bones of it:

-Somber depressed tone. Started off asking him how he is doing. Normal response is "fine or ok" even when it's not the truth, just typical response. He was like " could be a lot better you know"... then it took off from there. They love Tallon's honesty and passion for the game so he has been a semi regular on the show over the years.

-He said everyone is under the microscope including himself, and challenging himself to be better and making moves for the betterment of the team

-He loves working for Vinnie V. , and believes he deserves a better product

-He does not look at examining the coach: first, last or somewhere in the middle. The coach is just as important as every other piece to the puzzle

-These veterans were the ones leading the charge a couple seasons ago, and now he is dumbfounded why they are NOT leading the charge this season. Something he cannot even put his finger on right now.

-Teams are calling him about his young guys right now, trying to sell a vet off here or there... but Tallon is not playing that game. He knows how to build a team through the draft, and he is staying the course

-This team would have a couple more wins with Thomas in net. Markstrom has been good, but not making that timely save when needed has hurt this team lose close one goal games. This team has played "5 bad games, 10 decent ones". Effort is there most nights (I kind of disagree with that assessment).

 

[GrumpyKelly]

I honestly don't know how on earth (if you are watching the games) can you honestly say this. Our defense is crap, won't clear traffic in front of the net, have trouble getting out of the zone, pinch at the wrong time allowing odd-man rushes, and our offense has trouble scoring more than 1-2 goals a game, there is no rhyme or reason to our offensive strategy, not to mention Versteeg and his turnover prone ways that also lead to odd-man rushes.

I´ve been trying to clear my point up but obviously failed

One last attempt.: I don´t disagree with anything you said. I´m talking about a SINGLE fix. We have 3 defenseman who are turning the puck over on constant basis and an inept offense. It´s impossible to change all of these guys whereas having TT or another a solid goalie in the net would have the biggest impact at the moment increasing this team´s performance.