Post-Game Talk: Stars @ Rangers - January 5

[WesMcCauley]

I actually liked Boyle playing forward down low on the PP, wouldn't mind going 11 forwards and 7 dmen, it would get Mcilrath back in, put Boyle with Dom Moore and Stalberg and it gets Glass out...also Megna(1g 1a) played well with Nash(3a) and Stepan(2g)

I like this alot! It also gets Boyle away from alot of defensive situations down low where he really struggles! No question that keeping Boyle in the lineup gives us alot on the pp but Mcilrath is by far the better defensemen in the defensive sone of the two!

 

[The Lunatic Fridge]

I can't believe someone approved this ****ing idiotic season schedule. First we play 6000 back to backs to start the season then we got games weeks apart, then we got a few games in a "normal" fashion and now we're back to games every 4 days?

FFS.

 

[Ola]

Why complain about the GM and coach trying to see if a former first round pick can play some hockey?

Gorton gave AV some options on defense and he still decides to run the suboptimal pairs so lets not pretend AV is a genius hamstrung by the GM's roster moves.

If Etem was picked up on waivers or signed after a PTO or whatever, do you think he would have played 4 preseason games and 19 regular season games so far after only producing zero goals and 3 assists?

A big problem for us have been how those depth lines have looked.

 

[kovazub94]

If Etem was picked up on waivers or signed after a PTO or whatever, do you think he would have played 4 preseason games and 19 regular season games so far after only producing zero goals and 3 assists?

A big problem for us have been how those depth lines have looked.

But this is it - he wasn't a waiver pick up - he was a prospect that was very highly regarded less than a year ago when he was progressing quite nicely since being drafted as 1st round draft pick. It earned him a few extra games at a time when other depth players were injured or struggling.

And speaking of depth - I also disagree with you putting all the blame on GM. Prior to each of last couple of seasons GM signed a bunch of underperforming vets hoping (cause there was no guarantee) that at least one would workout or at least provide a competition for our developing prospects. It worked out with Poo two seasons ago, it also worked out with Stempniak last season but unfortunately AV essentially forced GM to trade Stemp for nothing because he couldn't find a place for him in the line up.

The problem this year is not depth per se but rather the fact that a lot of important players have simultaneously struggled so far. Who could've predicted that? Otherwise, I have no problem with our current 4th line and with the exception of his last disastarous game Ethem did not make this line much weaker (if any) in his previous outings.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

My beef with the Etem acquisition is that he looks exactly, and I mean exactly, how he's looked at every stage. Juniors, WJC, AHL, NHL. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see this coming.

When you are playing <20 year olds and AHL scrubs straight ahead speed and a wicked release is enough. You can't learn to think, skate with your head up, AND carry the puck at the NHL level.

 

[Ola]

But this is it - he wasn't a waiver pick up - he was a prospect that was very highly regarded less than a year ago when he was progressing quite nicely since being drafted as 1st round draft pick. It earned him a few extra games at a time when other depth players were injured or struggling.

And speaking of depth - I also disagree with you putting all the blame on GM. Prior to each of last couple of seasons GM signed a bunch of underperforming vets hoping (cause there was no guarantee) that at least one would workout or at least provide a competition for our developing prospects. It worked out with Poo two seasons ago, it also worked out with Stempniak last season but unfortunately AV essentially forced GM to trade Stemp for nothing because he couldn't find a place for him in the line up.

The problem this year is not depth per se but rather the fact that a lot of important players have simultaneously struggled so far. Who could've predicted that? Otherwise, I have no problem with our current 4th line and with the exception of his last disastarous game Ethem did not make this line much weaker (if any) in his previous outings.

I get what you mean, but I just don't agree.

The writing was also on the wall for this to happen. This is what I wrote this summer on July 1st:

But I recon that's what we will aim at with Gorton behind the steering wheel, boy does he seem content with icing a average team. ONE injury and these guys are playing 1-3 line hockey. ****.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=104711159&postcount=66

At times we have had both Etem and Stahlberg in the top 9. We were bound to need very good depth and new energy this season, instead Gorton went out and got two of the safest options on the market but with zero potential in Stahlberg and Stoll and made a bad call on Etem, who in all honesty has not played well at all. Not well at all.

 

[5 4 Fighting]

Yandle has played very well. 2 goals and 20 assists. Only Yandle lol.

 

[kovazub94]

I get what you mean, but I just don't agree.

The writing was also on the wall for this to happen. This is what I wrote this summer on July 1st:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=104711159&postcount=66

At times we have had both Etem and Stahlberg in the top 9. We were bound to need very good depth and new energy this season, instead Gorton went out and got two of the safest options on the market but with zero potential in Stahlberg and Stoll and made a bad call on Etem, who in all honesty has not played well at all. Not well at all.

No salary cap room at all, so by default there was no option to pick an impact player who could guarantee to step in a top 6 role. Then what remained was a pool of, let's say, 6 - 10 options to choose from, all of whom had a risk one way or another. None of them were a no-doubt top-9 players. How Gorton's choice is worse compared to other GMs without a benefit of hindsight? Stoll was a face-off and PK guy. Stalberg brought speed and board play. Etem was boom or bust. Megna, etc. There maybe one or two players out of the overall pool that proved that they would have been a better choice but then we don't know why these player were not signed. Maybe they didn't want to come here in the first place.