Speculation: 2018 Off-Season: We fell short again... now what do we do?

[ViD]

Stammer, Killer, Palat all have a NTC

Miller can go, trade his rights, RFA. Enough with this Rangers south crap. Trade McDonough too.

TJ may be the odd guy out. NTC kicks in, I think June or July.

I don’t think you can deal Kuch. But I wouldn’t pay him yet either after that playoff performance.

Are you freaking serious?

Kuch took a huge discount for you guys, scored on a highest pace in the league, led the Bolts in scoring in this play offs and you judge him over one series where Tampa simply faced a better team?

He deserves to be paid more than anyone.

 

[Stammertime91]

Gee, look what two Bolts defensemen had the best overall exit with possession and entry defense stats among the Conference finalists. Sergachev was really good in his limited exposure to his first ECF. Coburn might not be able to exit the zone well, but he was excellent as defending against entry into our zone. McDonagh was a disappointment.

Doesn't even take the number crunching to see that. It was plain as day to see how bad McDonagh was. Girardi has it rough when we play a fast team. He's got the foot speed of Jason Garrison. I liked McDonagh and tried defending him the first few weeks he was here but he was pretty much the same from beginning to end. He just looked out of his element. He had 10 to 15 feet on forecheckers last night to make a play and instead, coasts into the corners, looks around and ends up giving it away in his own zone. Braydon Coburn had a better postseason than Ryan McDonagh. I'm glad his contract is up after the following season. Let Sergachev take his minutes.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Just curious, you guys definitely have to change things up, I'm wondering if you would be interested in a Martinez type dman....I know you are up against the cap, or will be after a few years with signings etc, but would Johnson for Martinez be of interest? Basis of a deal etc?

 

[Maelmoor]

Johnson or Palat or Killorn (likely Johnson. Palat is more valuable and I don't think Killorn is valuable enough)

Unless you mean the contract structure I don't agree that Palat is more valueable than TyJo. I'm a bit disappointed in Palat but for some reason he dodges criticism, while TyJo gets a fair share of it.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Doesn't even take the number crunching to see that. It was plain as day to see how bad McDonagh was. Girardi has it rough when we play a fast team. He's got the foot speed of Jason Garrison. I liked McDonagh and tried defending him the first few weeks he was here but he was pretty much the same from beginning to end. He just looked out of his element. He had 10 to 15 feet on forecheckers last night to make a play and instead, coasts into the corners, looks around and ends up giving it away in his own zone. Braydon Coburn had a better postseason than Ryan McDonagh. I'm glad his contract is up after the following season. Let Sergachev take his minutes.

I wanted to see the numbers so I could tell if I was just being biased against McD because, during the regular season after the TDL, the pairing of him and Girardi didn't work out so Hedman/Strålman had to be broken up AGAIN. I was actually beginning to think that I'd misjudged him but now...nope. And, yeah, Coburn actually had a pretty decent postseason!

I am curious to know which Bolts were playing injured. If McD was still havin problems with his broken hand, I'd cut him more slack. Strålman definitely looked like he was playing injured after he left the first game of the Caps series after a nasty Wilson hit and was gone for 9 minutes. He'd have a good game after that, then a sucky one then a good one then... Kucherov got slammed hard a bunch of times by the Caps during this series. They were definitely hunting him down.

 

[berlin]

Add a few playoff tested players and hope to see better results. There is no slam dunk blue print.

 

[ElectricDreamMachine]

I never ever want to see Girardi playing with Hedman again. He's fine as a bottom pairing pk specialist playing <15 mins but for the love of god get him out of the top 4. Martinez would be perfect if he was a righty.

 

[God King Fudge]

Unless you mean the contract structure I don't agree that Palat is more valueable than TyJo. I'm a bit disappointed in Palat but for some reason he dodges criticism, while TyJo gets a fair share of it.

I think Palat isn't as good offensively, but is miles better defensively. I don't think anyone on this team is without criticism for what we saw in round 3. Everyone shares the blame. Mayyyyyyyyyyyyyybe you give Vasy a pass for even making it possible to reach game 7, but he didn't stand nearly as tall in 7 as he did in 3-6. Not saying it was on him last night, but you need a next level performance in every game and he was just OK last night.

 

[berlin]

Fire Coop I want a coach with some backbone and one that will make guys accountable. There is no excuse for the embarrassment that was game 7.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

I never ever want to see Girardi playing with Hedman again. He's fine as a bottom pairing pk specialist playing <15 mins but for the love of god get him out of the top 4. Martinez would be perfect if he was a righty.

To be fair, since Girardi was paired with Hedman, he never truly got top 4 minutes whether during the regular season or the playoffs. Hedman played for an average 26+ TOI, Strålman and McDonagh had about 22+ each and both Girardi and Coburn averaged around 16+ minutes. But yeah, I wonder how much of Heddy's problems in the playoffs were that he often had to cover for a lesser partner.

 

[Sky04]

Girardi was god awful in game 7, I don't care if it's a single game - wouldn't want to see him back ever after that kind of performance.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Definitely need to make some changes. How could you not after that ECF performance? I know they made it to game 7 but it felt like we should have been knocked out much earlier. I dont know exactly what they should do (fire coop etc.) but they need to do something. This team is too close to not capitalize on the talent we have. Just not quite good enough. I think we need to get tougher. Speed is good unless you are going to get hurt by bigger teams. I wouldnt change too much just get tougher and probably some better coaching.

 

[MattM92]

I'd like to be in Yzerman's head right now to see what he thinks about Cooper. How much longer do you all think he can sit and wait on Cooper before it impacts his job security?

2015: Outcoached and had the life choked out of us. Blew a 2-1 lead and scored a total of 2 goals over the final 3 games.
2016: Outcoached and blew a 3-2 series lead.
2018: Outcoached and blew a 3-2 series lead. Shutout in 8 straight periods of play to end our season.

Cooper will likely go somewhere else and have success, but I think it's time for a new voice and new philosophy in the room. I was physically sick watching Hedman lose the puck behind the net to give up the empty netter because the team was just so complacent and tentative. We are the only team in the league that pulls the goalie and doesn't get sustained pressure in the offensive zone. We are the only team that can be down by multiple goals and doesn't start getting these crazy score effects.

The leadership of this team is broken and the easiest and most effective change to make is the coaching staff. Unless of course you think changing out the leadership core of the team is easier, then I'd like to hear suggestions on that.

 

[T REX]

I'd like to be in Yzerman's head right now to see what he thinks about Cooper. How much longer do you all think he can sit and wait on Cooper before it impacts his job security?

2015: Outcoached and had the life choked out of us. Blew a 2-1 lead and scored a total of 2 goals over the final 3 games.
2016: Outcoached and blew a 3-2 series lead.
2018: Outcoached and blew a 3-2 series lead. Shutout in 8 straight periods of play to end our season.

Cooper will likely go somewhere else and have success, but I think it's time for a new voice and new philosophy in the room. I was physically sick watching Hedman lose the puck behind the net to give up the empty netter because the team was just so complacent and tentative. We are the only team in the league that pulls the goalie and doesn't get sustained pressure in the offensive zone. We are the only team that can be down by multiple goals and doesn't start getting these crazy score effects.

The leadership of this team is broken and the easiest and most effective change to make is the coaching staff. Unless of course you think changing out the leadership core of the team is easier, then I'd like to hear suggestions on that.

Dump Cooper. He is just good enough to get to the ECF but not good enough to win the cup. He's just not good enough. There...it's out in the open.

 

[Todd1a]

I'd like to be in Yzerman's head right now to see what he thinks about Cooper. How much longer do you all think he can sit and wait on Cooper before it impacts his job security?

2015: Outcoached and had the life choked out of us. Blew a 2-1 lead and scored a total of 2 goals over the final 3 games.
2016: Outcoached and blew a 3-2 series lead.
2018: Outcoached and blew a 3-2 series lead. Shutout in 8 straight periods of play to end our season.

Cooper will likely go somewhere else and have success, but I think it's time for a new voice and new philosophy in the room. I was physically sick watching Hedman lose the puck behind the net to give up the empty netter because the team was just so complacent and tentative. We are the only team in the league that pulls the goalie and doesn't get sustained pressure in the offensive zone. We are the only team that can be down by multiple goals and doesn't start getting these crazy score effects.

The leadership of this team is broken and the easiest and most effective change to make is the coaching staff. Unless of course you think changing out the leadership core of the team is easier, then I'd like to hear suggestions on that.

say he fires cooper and hires someone else and next season we lose in a 7 games series in the first round how would that make yzerman look then ? it would then make yzermans team take a big step backwards and all the sudden the seat starts to keep warm on steve yzerman.

 

[HoseEmDown]

PP goals

Stamkos 6
Killorn 3
Gourde 2
Kucherov 2
Sergachev 1
Miller 1
Point 1

That would be cool if 95% of the game was played on the PP instead of at ES.

 

[BoltSTH]

Next year I think Hedman - Sergachev will be the top pair, especially if Cooper is fired (he does not like D playing off side even if they prefer it). MacD-Stralman is fine for 2nd pair, so the open question is the the 3rd pair. KK-Giradi, KK-new guy, KK-Foote , X-Y ?

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[JAMES TITTLE]

Trade: Sister Sustr,Coburn,Mcdonagh,Girardi,Paquette, kunitz. Before the BIG trade we were best team, best record, most points. Great chemistry. Never should have messed with a good thing. Trading Namestnikov was a real bone head move. Mcdonagh looked lost in every game. Over payed and overrated. Don't know if they can move the players mentioned. Who would want them. Maybe a shake up at the management level.

 

[JoVel]

Trade: Sister Sustr,Coburn,Mcdonagh,Girardi,Paquette, kunitz. Before the BIG trade we were best team, best record, most points. Great chemistry. Never should have messed with a good thing. Trading Namestnikov was a real bone head move. Mcdonagh looked lost in every game. Over payed and overrated. Don't know if they can move the players mentioned. Who would want them. Maybe a shake up at the management level.

You really think Namestnikov would've been the difference maker? That guy has never been more than a product of Stamkos and Kucherov.

 

[Coopers Gum]

I don't know how we make this team better. Honestly. The biggest thing I can think of is toughness. But do you really want to add toughness at the expense of skill? I dunno. This team is f***ing STACKED on paper. For whatever reason, they just can't get it done.

This D corps, again, is probably the best in the league... on paper. Compare our D to the Caps' D. Which would you have expected to put on a f***ing clinic on defense? I'd say Bowness has to go. With the personnel we have on defense, there is absolutely ZERO reason our PK should be that bad, and the D can't play better. Hell, copy the Caps system, because holy shit, is it effective.

I'd give Coop another year. If roughly the same thing happens, then his seat gets warm. Hard to fire our winningest coach, who has brought us the most success, on the heels of a series we were basically dominated in. Realistically, that should not have gone 7. Capitals should have put us away in 5 or 6. We got pretty lucky. Used it all up before game 7, unfortunately.

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

That would be cool if 95% of the game was played on the PP instead of at ES.

Uh.. These were actual goals, you know, that went on the scoreboard just like ES goals do.

That's what we pay Stamkos for, he's a shooter. In the playoffs, when space and time are limited, the PP is the best opportunity for him and he did well at it.

 

[Sky04]

Trade: Sister Sustr,Coburn,Mcdonagh,Girardi,Paquette, kunitz. Before the BIG trade we were best team, best record, most points. Great chemistry. Never should have messed with a good thing. Trading Namestnikov was a real bone head move. Mcdonagh looked lost in every game. Over payed and overrated. Don't know if they can move the players mentioned. Who would want them. Maybe a shake up at the management level.

Yeah teams will be lining up to "trade" for pending UFA Kunitz.

Namesnitkov sucked, Miller at his worse is still an upgrade.

 

[Coopers Gum]

Who are the good free agents this year?

 

[The Macho King]

Who are the good free agents this year?

Tavares and

...

...

That's all I got. Crappy FA crop this year.