GDT: Sharks vs Wild 7:30pm, We can finally settle who is the better team (it was the Wild)

[Doctor Soraluce]

You ain't wrong. That game was winnable and back and forth all night. The wild just have an actual goalie on their roster and not a clown.

They really need to address it before the players tune out. People have scoffed when I've said it before but having played for over 3 decades and on some high level teams and tourney's, nothing is more disheartening to a team than a goalie who sucks. It's one thing if your team is just outclassed but if you're playing equal with a team or god for bid, outplaying them, and every shot against is a goal...? you lose interest pretty quick. Granted there are still a number of instances where the defensive play isn't helping even a very good goalie. But every 3 or 4 games you can't give up this many goals on so many easy plays.

 

[seroes]

They really need to address it before the players tune out. People have scoffed when I've said it before but having played for over 3 decades and on some high level teams and tourney's, nothing is more disheartening to a team than a goalie who sucks. It's one thing if your team is just outclassed but if you're playing equal with a team or god for bid, outplaying them, and every shot against is a goal...? you lose interest pretty quick. Granted there are still a number of instances where the defensive play isn't helping even a very good goalie. But every 3 or 4 games you can't give up this many goals on so many easy plays.

The only easy option they have is to play Dubnyk. Melnichuk likely needs at least a season down in the AHL to acclimate to the NA game. We can't buy Jones out until the offseason. I know you think Wilson can get Seattle to take Jones without too much pain, but that option again isn't until the offseason. I doubt anyone would even be willing to consider taking on Jones until the offseason either.

The only other option is to trade for a cheap stopgap. Not even sure who they would trade for. But I am extremely wary about trading away any significant futures to help this years team. We need better goaltending to have a chance to make the playoffs but that's all it would give us. A chance.

 

[TheBeard]

They kind of need to adopt the post-bread/Bob Blue Jackets game plan of winning by committee and buying into a set philosophy

God what I would do to see Torts behind the bench of this lazy loser squad.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I watched that leafs-Canadiens game last week and he looked pretty damn good with Matthews and Marner. Granted those 2 can probably make anyone look good, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that he wasn't a complete boat anchor there and was actually producing. 9 points in 9 games is pretty damn good for a 41 year old who just had 2 major surgeries on both knees.

I know the grass is always greener and everything but man, I miss Joe Thornton so much. We have a 3C shaped hole that he’d be absolutely perfect for.... ugh....

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

The only easy option they have is to play Dubnyk. Melnichuk likely needs at least a season down in the AHL to acclimate to the NA game. We can't buy Jones out until the offseason. I know you think Wilson can get Seattle to take Jones without too much pain, but that option again isn't until the offseason. I doubt anyone would even be willing to consider taking on Jones until the offseason either.

The only other option is to trade for a cheap stopgap. Not even sure who they would trade for. But I am extremely wary about trading away any significant futures to help this years team. We need better goaltending to have a chance to make the playoffs but that's all it would give us. A chance.

Agreed about Dubnyk. I would at least like to see him get a few games to see if he can get in a groove or if he's just been lucky somehow.

Never said it wouldn't be painful to get Seattle to take Jones or Vlasic. Just don't think it costs Timo. Don't think it takes a 1st either. DW is pretty great at quantity over quality when he gives back. Doubting is unimaginative. I've read here how it was doubtful that all kinds of stuff would happen and yet it did. GM's find a way and DW has found a way better than most. Not saying he will for sure do it but if it was going to happen he would do it at the expansion draft for at least one. That of course is only if they really want to make the playoffs next season. If they're rebuilding they should just eat the contracts until they're more reasonable to buy out or trade. It all hinges on what direction they want to go.

 

[Solmors]

I know the grass is always greener and everything but man, I miss Joe Thornton so much. We have a 3C shaped hole that he’d be absolutely perfect for.... ugh....

This is all I could think of when I read this.

 

[stator]

Darn, I thought the Sharks would be back in the hunt for the 1st pick of the draft, but the Ducks did it to them again!

 

[Pinkfloyd]

What makes it worse, is the coverage doesn't even acknowledge what's going on. Minnesota just scored lucky goals, whilst the Sharks had no luck. Or continuing with this idea it's too early to tell what kind of team the Sharks have. It'd be nice to have broadcasters actually call the reality of the situation, instead of offering platitudes or concluding a player 'just needs to shoot more' to be better.

I don't agree entirely that Minnesota scored lucky goals. 4 and 5 seemed lucky but the first three were pretty good skilled passing plays that the Sharks blew defensive assignments on in pretty critical areas. This team has a great mix of poor goaltending, poor defense, and bad luck going on. I don't have faith in them ever really fixing the goaltending problems. We've been going with external options since Nabokov retired. They have no earthly idea what to look for, how to develop, or what they should do in the interim. They seem okay with drafting quality forwards outside the elite and depth forwards and d-men but that's it so far.

I agree that they oversimplify with shooting more and there's an element of truth to it but they're always going to limit the criticisms since it's a team-based broadcast.

 

[stator]

Never said it wouldn't be painful to get Seattle to take Jones or Vlasic.

Seems to me that LV looked at their division drafts as what player could they select that would cause the most harm to their opponents. I suspect Seattle will take this approach to a higher level. I suspect their division rivals will have to make deals to avoid this.

This is why I've advocated the expansion draft is unfair to division rivals. They will have to undergo this twice now in recent years (except for LV whose protected in this expansion draft).

 

[NWSharkie]

Seems to me that LV looked at their division drafts as what player could they select that would cause the most harm to their opponents. I suspect Seattle will take this approach to a higher level. I suspect their division rivals will have to make deals to avoid this.

This is why I've advocated the expansion draft is unfair to division rivals. They will have to undergo this twice now in recent years (except for LV whose protected in this expansion draft).

What do you base that on? Looking at the record of players they picked, it seems like the only semi-impactful player they took in the division was McNabb from LA. I don't remember anyone here being particularly mad about them taking Schlemko from the Sharks.

 

[Levie]

What do you base that on? Looking at the record of players they picked, it seems like the only semi-impactful player they took in the division was McNabb from LA. I don't remember anyone here being particularly mad about them taking Schlemko from the Sharks.

If you want to be technical Vegas picked up Shea Theodore from the ducks. Yeah they traded him to them but only because they wanted to protect Lindholm and Fowler instead but I consider it a player they picked up in the draft since one of the 3 was gone.

 

[TheBeard]

If you want to be technical Vegas picked up Shea Theodore from the ducks. Yeah they traded him to them but only because they wanted to protect Lindholm and Fowler instead but I consider it a player they picked up in the draft since one of the 3 was gone.

It's pretty wild that at the time the team protected Ryan Carpentier and Melker Karlsson.

 

[NWSharkie]

It's pretty wild that at the time the team protected Ryan Carpentier and Melker Karlsson.

Yeah, but knowing our luck, if VGK had picked Melker, they'd have turned him into a 30-goal scorer and we'd all have been on suicide watch.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

If you want to be technical Vegas picked up Shea Theodore from the ducks. Yeah they traded him to them but only because they wanted to protect Lindholm and Fowler instead but I consider it a player they picked up in the draft since one of the 3 was gone.

Hindsight appears that they exposed the wrong guy.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

Seems to me that LV looked at their division drafts as what player could they select that would cause the most harm to their opponents. I suspect Seattle will take this approach to a higher level. I suspect their division rivals will have to make deals to avoid this.

This is why I've advocated the expansion draft is unfair to division rivals. They will have to undergo this twice now in recent years (except for LV whose protected in this expansion draft).

I don't agree they did that at all. They took who they thought would be best. They did it better than any expansion team in history going from the results.

 

[Pavelski2112]

I don't agree they did that at all. They took who they thought would be best. They did it better than any expansion team in history going from the results.

Every other NHL expansion team didn't have the luxury of being in a salary cap league, where teams had to get rid of good players to make financials work.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

Every other NHL expansion team didn't have the luxury of being in a salary cap league, where teams had to get rid of good players to make financials work.

I'm well aware of the incredibly advantageous circumstances. They still had to pick the right players to get to the finals in their first year.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Minnesota is rolling. They beat Colorado by the same 6-2 score last night.

 

[seroes]

Since we figured out Minnesota is better than us, who is next? Arizona? Anaheim? I feel they are the teams we are closest to.

 

[hohosaregood]

Since we figured out Minnesota is better than us, who is next? Arizona? Anaheim? I feel they are the teams we are closest to.

Kinda hoping for Zegras to succeed with the Ducks so that they rise above us in the standings.

 

[seroes]

Kinda hoping for Zegras to succeed with the Ducks so that they rise above us in the standings.

Better to hope Gibson has a bunch of shutouts. Watching the Ducks flail I'm their rebuild for 15 years would be extremely satisfying. Then again LA seems to be doing very well.

 

[one2gamble]

Minnesota is rolling. They beat Colorado by the same 6-2 score last night.

Are they vastly superior to the avs now?

 

[Cas]

Since we figured out Minnesota is better than us, who is next? Arizona? Anaheim? I feel they are the teams we are closest to.

Brampton.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Are they vastly superior to the avs now?

(They are)

 

[seroes]

Brampton.

What's that say about Ottawa and Detroit?