Will we be average for years to come? How about mediocre?

[Agent Zub]

What bugs me is that it's clear that we don't have elite forwards who can carry the team. As a result, we should obviously be following the NYR model, who fill all 4 lines with scoring threats to make a formidable attack.

Instead, we target guys like Burrows, Pyatt, Kelly, Wingels instead of Grabner's and Vrbata's.

 

[swiftwin]

This is now officially the 3rd furthest this franchise has gone in the playoffs, after 2007 and 2003. And it's still not over. Are we still average?

 

[Agent Zub]

This is now officially the 3rd furthest this franchise has gone in the playoffs, after 2007 and 2003. And it's still not over. Are we still average?

yea, we're being carried by a generational talent, solid coaching and have faced some relatively easy competition so far.

Our roster is average.

 

[JD1]

holy glass is half empty

how many generational talents are in the league? 25 or so teams don't have one

coaching. consensus seems to be that we like our coach. half the fan bases don't like their coach

for even the best teams in this league things have to go well to make the finals. look at Chicago. gone in 4.

enjoy the ride. hopefully we can pull off another win in this series and guarantee another series / more playoff revenue.

I'm not a huge fan of the euge but he has always said the money will be there when needed and frankly it has been. hopefully this run leads to am uptick in payroll and we continue to creep a bit closer.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

What bugs me is that it's clear that we don't have elite forwards who can carry the team. As a result, we should obviously be following the NYR model, who fill all 4 lines with scoring threats to make a formidable attack.

Instead, we target guys like Burrows, Pyatt, Kelly, Wingels instead of Grabner's and Vrbata's.

Um, what? Pyatt was a great addition to the team.

 

[Agent Zub]

Um, what? Pyatt was a great addition to the team.

he has, but he's still a bottom 6 grinder type.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

he has, but he's still a bottom 6 grinder type.

Every team needs bottom 6 grinders.

 

[Sens Rule]

he has, but he's still a bottom 6 grinder type.

Why can't we have stars on our bottom lines like Team Canada has?

Damn reality sucks.

 

[swiftwin]

yea, we're being carried by a generational talent, solid coaching and have faced some relatively easy competition so far.

Our roster is average.

That's a stupid argument. Generational talents are what separates the great teams from the average teams.

 

[swiftwin]

he has, but he's still a bottom 6 grinder type.

Who scored a key goal yesterday. And Burrows set up both OT winners this series. Pageau had a 4 goal game. Good bottom 6 guys are the difference between a good regular season team and a good playoff team. If you want 4 lines of "skill" guys, then enjoy winning the presidents trophy and flaming out in the 2nd round like Washington.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Chabot, White and possibly Drouin/Giroux all added in one off-season could be absolutely enormous.

I wouldn't panic yet until we see how this team does next year. If we are in the same spot(performance and standings wise) then i'd start to slowly worry.

For now we have a potential top pairing defender in the wings, a solid top 9+ prospect in White and assets that could land us a big time talent this off-season.

 

[Samsquanch]

Why can't we have stars on our bottom lines like Team Canada has?

Damn reality sucks.

That's basically all I'm seeing in this thread.

 

[aragorn]

yea, we're being carried by a generational talent, solid coaching and have faced some relatively easy competition so far.

Our roster is average.

Well, how successful would Pitt have been without Crosby or Malkin? IMO both are generational talents, how about Chicago without Kane & Toews, again both are generational talents. And it took a generational talent in McDavid to get Edmonton back into the playoffs, Eberle, Hall, Yakopov & RNH couldn't do it. Montreal without Price is a mediocre team, most team need a superstar or two to advance in today's NHL but occasionally a good balanced team with a lot of very good players & some luck can go all the way.

Maybe you don't understand parity in the league, when any team on any given night can beat another team that means their is parity in the league. Chicago was suppose to beat Nashville, NY was suppose to beat Ottawa easily, if you are a fan of this team why do you think it's roster is average when they are on the verge of moving into the next round? That makes no sense, if Ottawa is one of the four remaining teams in the playoffs out of 31 teams, how is that average in your mind?

 

[Langdon Alger]

Grabner had 18 points last year. He went from scoring 9 goals last year to 27 this year. To criticize Dorion for not signing him is silly. How many teams made him an offer? If you were saying we should have signed him in July, fine, but I doubt you were. This is all just hindsight. Same with a guy like Sam Gagner. He was lucky to get a contract. He had a good year, but there's a reason teams weren't interested in him a year ago.

 

[Agent Zub]

Grabner had 18 points last year. He went from scoring 9 goals last year to 27 this year. To criticize Dorion for not signing him is silly. How many teams made him an offer? If you were saying we should have signed him in July, fine, but I doubt you were. This is all just hindsight. Same with a guy like Sam Gagner. He was lucky to get a contract. He had a good year, but there's a reason teams weren't interested in him a year ago.

the difference is those are skill guys who clearly had that type of upside.

Burrow, Kelly, Wingels don't. It just annoys me because it's us, as a budget team that should be looking to get cheap scoring depth because we do not have the luxury of the top end of the penguins and hawks.

 

[Agent Zub]

That's a stupid argument. Generational talents are what separates the great teams from the average teams.

no, the great teams surround their generational talents with speed and skill and depth. that's what makes them great.

also i love tom pyatt he's one of our best signings in a looong time. he has skill and speed, and brings more than just being a "vet".

 

[Shruggs Peterson]

What bugs me is that it's clear that we don't have elite forwards who can carry the team. As a result, we should obviously be following the NYR model, who fill all 4 lines with scoring threats to make a formidable attack.

Instead, we target guys like Burrows, Pyatt, Kelly, Wingels instead of Grabner's and Vrbata's.

One of these things is not like the others....
Vrbata needs to be top 6 to be productive and is as meticulous a player as there is. In Vancouver he scored 30 goals playing with the Sedins all year round and the year before he left he was juggled throughout the lineup and had like 11 goals. He did well in Arizona because it was familiar to him and he had consistency, don't think he'd have that in Ottawa.

I'd take Pyatt, Burrows, and even Wingels for the price the team paid over Vrbata.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

That depends on how good Chabot, White, Brown, Chlapik, Perron, and our other prospects turn out to be.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Chabot, White and possibly Drouin/Giroux all added in one off-season could be absolutely enormous.

I wouldn't panic yet until we see how this team does next year. If we are in the same spot(performance and standings wise) then i'd start to slowly worry.

For now we have a potential top pairing defender in the wings, a solid top 9+ prospect in White and assets that could land us a big time talent this off-season.

I seriously doubt we can add a big piece like a Drouin/Giroux without losing one of Chabot/White.

 

[swiftwin]

no, the great teams surround their generational talents with speed and skill and depth. that's what makes them great.

also i love tom pyatt he's one of our best signings in a looong time. he has skill and speed, and brings more than just being a "vet".

That's EXACTLY what we've been doing.

So which recent acquisition doesn't bring that? Stalberg? Brassard? Wingels?

Stalberg is one of the fastest guys on the team and our best PKer. Brassard is our top scoring forward these playoffs. Wingels only cost us a 7th and has been very useful depth. The only iffy one is Burrows, but he's also been clutch, setting up both OT winners this series. And like you said, Pyatt's been great.

What do you want instead? Grabner? He's a one trick pony that cherry picks at the opposing blue line. He fits the Rangers' system well, just like our acquisitions fit our system well. Someone like Grabner would not be as good on our team.

 

[Agent Zub]

That's EXACTLY what we've been doing.

So which recent acquisition doesn't bring that? Stalberg? Brassard? Wingels?

Stalberg is one of the fastest guys on the team and our best PKer. Brassard is our top scoring forward these playoffs. Wingels only cost us a 7th and has been very useful depth. The only iffy one is Burrows, but he's also been clutch, setting up both OT winners this series. And like you said, Pyatt's been great.

What do you want instead? Grabner? He's a one trick pony that cherry picks at the opposing blue line. He fits the Rangers' system well, just like our acquisitions fit our system well. Someone like Grabner would not be as good on our team.

we basically go from an elite team with Karlsson on to one of the worst teams in the league when he steps off.

That isn't surrounding him with great talent.

You need to get guys like Hagelin, Kessel,Hornqvist, Guentzel, Sheary, Cullen,Shultz to be great, not tommy wingels and alex burrows.

 

[The Lewler]

we basically go from an elite team with Karlsson on to one of the worst teams in the league when he steps off.

That isn't surrounding him with great talent.

You need to get guys like Hagelin, Kessel,Hornqvist, Guentzel, Sheary, Cullen,Shultz to be great, not tommy wingels and alex burrows.

Pens could get bounced tomorrow, are they still "great" then?

 

[Senscore]

we basically go from an elite team with Karlsson on to one of the worst teams in the league when he steps off.

I swear to god if Ceci ruins this for everyone . . .

 

[Real Smart Sens Fan]

we basically go from an elite team with Karlsson on to one of the worst teams in the league when he steps off.

That isn't surrounding him with great talent.

You need to get guys like Hagelin, Kessel,Hornqvist, Guentzel, Sheary, Cullen,Shultz to be great, not tommy wingels and alex burrows.

Hey ! Don't you dare slag our 2nd and 3rd best respective players!

 

[Agent Zub]

Pens could get bounced tomorrow, are they still "great" then?

Well they just won a cup and are going up against an amazing caps team without their best d-man.

Yea they are still great.