With the 1st overall pick... (Part 2)

[batting1k]

Isn't that why they took Barkov?

Question for cats fans: Do you think the above tweet is a smoke-screen or legitimate? Going back to last year the Avs proclaimed they would take Mack weeks before the draft, do you think the panthers are using Media to hide their true intentions or are they serious about taking Eklad 1st?

I think it's a little of both, but it's hard to say. The Panthers know a bunch of teams would love to jump up and snag Ekblad if they could and I think he may be more wanted than Bennett or Reinhart. On the other hand, I certainly think we'd take him if the right trade didn't come up. I think the Avalanche had the same idea last year with MacKinnon but the asking price was probably too high and they had no problem taking Mac.

 

[Drugs Delaney]

I have never been a Kulikov Fan. He turns the puck over too much for my liking. If he can help this team through a trade then DT should do it IMO.

 

[batting1k]

Craig Button's June rankings have Reinhart at #1 and Ekblad at #2.

http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=49649

 

[homegrizown]

I have never been a Kulikov Fan. He turns the puck over too much for my liking. If he can help this team through a trade then DT should do it IMO.

my exact feelings. turnover machine. he definitely has a ton of potential. but it's just frustrating to watch.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

Isn't that why they took Barkov?

Question for cats fans: Do you think the above tweet is a smoke-screen or legitimate? Going back to last year the Avs proclaimed they would take Mack weeks before the draft, do you think the panthers are using Media to hide their true intentions or are they serious about taking Eklad 1st?

I'm pretty sure he was talking about Edmonton.

 

[MPGA]

I have never been a Kulikov Fan. He turns the puck over too much for my liking. If he can help this team through a trade then DT should do it IMO.

Call me crazy but I like Kuli MUCH more than Gudbranson. And I think picking Ekblad makes Gudy redundant on this team. I hope we trade him while we still can instead of Kulikov.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

Call me crazy but I like Kuli MUCH more than Gudbranson. And I think picking Ekblad makes Gudy redundant on this team. I hope we trade him while we still can instead of Kulikov.

Yeah, no. Have you seen some of the defensemen in the finals play, Mitchell, Voynov, Girardi? Teams would kill to have some of our young talented defensemen, and we're trying to get rid of them.
If you think we can fill our team with Drew Doughtys, good luck. More likely we'll end up with one good defensemen and a team full of ok, so-so, and junk.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

Is it me or does Bennett's upper body look extra small (pullups?)? Will it hurt his draft slot, I don't know?

[NHL]624245[/NHL]

 

[Skead]

Is it me or does Bennett's upper body look extra small (pullups?)? Will it hurt his draft slot, I don't know?

I like Buttons half glass full approach, if he's this skilled and talented when he can't even do a single pull up, what will he be like when he bulks up? A force, imo.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Isn't that why they took Barkov?

Question for cats fans: Do you think the above tweet is a smoke-screen or legitimate? Going back to last year the Avs proclaimed they would take Mack weeks before the draft, do you think the panthers are using Media to hide their true intentions or are they serious about taking Eklad 1st?

I don't understand, Florida took barkov, Edmonton picked 7th...

 

[Dr Beinfest]

Call me crazy but I like Kuli MUCH more than Gudbranson. And I think picking Ekblad makes Gudy redundant on this team. I hope we trade him while we still can instead of Kulikov.

Crazy? Say what you want about frame and skill set but playoffs aside, Gudbranson as a Panther has been flat out terrible. Kulikov has simply been the better player.

Now, that doesn't mean a whole lot. Guds hasn't had the same amount of time in the NHL, and he plays a much more aggressive style of play... but I hardly think even a good Guds is necessarily redundant next to Ekblad. You can never have enough good defense I don't think Florida is too able to trade Guds or Kulikov. Not unless they're already packing it in for next season. They need to add 2-3 defenders without shipping off the essentials.

 

[MPGA]

Yeah, no. Have you seen some of the defensemen in the finals play, Mitchell, Voynov, Girardi? Teams would kill to have some of our young talented defensemen, and we're trying to get rid of them.
If you think we can fill our team with Drew Doughtys, good luck. More likely we'll end up with one good defensemen and a team full of ok, so-so, and junk.

I agree that it's important to have a ton of depth defensively. I just don't see it with Gudbranson. It may be a good idea to cut our losses and include him in a package to acquire more offense. We still have Olsen, Petrovic, Matheson, McCoshen, etc in the system.
I've seen the idea of drafting Ekblad and then trading Kulikov for offense floated around here a few times. In my mind, it makes more sense to trade Guds instead of Kuli if we are trying to build a deep, diverse stable of defenders. Kuli is more of an OFD whereas Guds and AE play more of a defensive game.
I'm not saying we should trade Guds if we take Ekblad, but if we do trade a defender, I believe he is the one we should move based on skill level, trade value, and playing style.

 

[Drugs Delaney]

Call me crazy but I like Kuli MUCH more than Gudbranson. And I think picking Ekblad makes Gudy redundant on this team. I hope we trade him while we still can instead of Kulikov.

Kulikov is a five year vet. I'd get rid of him before Gudbranson.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

I agree that it's important to have a ton of depth defensively. I just don't see it with Gudbranson. It may be a good idea to cut our losses and include him in a package to acquire more offense. We still have Olsen, Petrovic, Matheson, McCoshen, etc in the system.
I've seen the idea of drafting Ekblad and then trading Kulikov for offense floated around here a few times. In my mind, it makes more sense to trade Guds instead of Kuli if we are trying to build a deep, diverse stable of defenders. Kuli is more of an OFD whereas Guds and AE play more of a defensive game.
I'm not saying we should trade Guds if we take Ekblad, but if we do trade a defender, I believe he is the one we should move based on skill level, trade value, and playing style.

I see what you are saying but we're not that hurting for forwards. And we are not that deep with defensemen. You can never have enough good defensemen.

 

[spacemanatee]

However kuli and guds are both RFAs, keep that in mind...

haha so?

 

[ShootIt]

I would only want themto move Kulikov if his asking price is high, when it comesto re-signing him.
It's not like we have a glutton of quality defenders so trading K or Guds seems premature if we did draft Ekblad.

With all the high praise, I can't see our Gm trading Guds, until a new one takes over.

 

[EnforceTheLaus]

Kuli and Guds are two different types of D-men. Ideally the future should be:

Matheson-Ekblad
Kuli-Guds
Weegar-Petrovic

 

[CoolburnIsGone]

I agree that it's important to have a ton of depth defensively. I just don't see it with Gudbranson. It may be a good idea to cut our losses and include him in a package to acquire more offense. We still have Olsen, Petrovic, Matheson, McCoshen, etc in the system.
I've seen the idea of drafting Ekblad and then trading Kulikov for offense floated around here a few times. In my mind, it makes more sense to trade Guds instead of Kuli if we are trying to build a deep, diverse stable of defenders. Kuli is more of an OFD whereas Guds and AE play more of a defensive game.
I'm not saying we should trade Guds if we take Ekblad, but if we do trade a defender, I believe he is the one we should move based on skill level, trade value, and playing style.

I disagree with your assessment of things. First and foremost, Tallon has said he wants to add 2 veteran d-men this summer (that doesnt necessarily mean both will be free agents). That will ensure we address our depth on defense that if we do move d-men, we'll still have depth.

My guess is that we target someone like Johnny Boychuk via trade (who its been rumored that Boston will be active in trading and he's probably available) and then sign a free agent OFD, like Meszaros. Kulikov would become redundant with Meszaros here IMO, whereas Boychuk doesnt make Guds redundant. To get Boychuk, I think we probably have to give up Petrovic in the deal so that would make Guds more valuable to keep around (Boston needs to shed salary so they wouldnt have interest in Guds or Kulikov in exchange due to their cap hits).

Second thing I think should be address is that Ekblad and Guds do NOT play the same type of game. Ekblad is a 2-way d-man, he's not a defensive d-man like Guds. Kuli was suppose to be an OFD that developed into a 2-way guy but he's struggled so much with consistency that he's become good at neither style. Our defense long term would be fine without Kulikov, but thats not true without Guds IMHO.

Short term, I would see it (if we stay at #1 and draft Ekblad):

Campbell - Boychuk
Meszaros - Gudbranson
Olsen - Ekblad
Extra: Jovo/Robak

Long term, I would see it like this:

Matheson - Ekblad
McCoshen - Gudbranson
Olsen - Weegar
Extra: Racine

 

[batting1k]

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 2m
Tallon added "we have a lot of good young defensemen" so there's his rebuttal to yesterdays source who said Ekblad was target. #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 4m
Tallon said he'll take best player available and then get into needs #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 17m
Tallon agreed that best free agents available are defensemen. #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 19m
Tallon believes that Ekblad is not only NHL-ready draft prospect in first round #flapanthers

 

[MintyFresh88]

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 2m
Tallon added "we have a lot of good young defensemen" so there's his rebuttal to yesterdays source who said Ekblad was target. #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 4m
Tallon said he'll take best player available and then get into needs #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 17m
Tallon agreed that best free agents available are defensemen. #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 19m
Tallon believes that Ekblad is not only NHL-ready draft prospect in first round #flapanthers

Is it Reinhart or Ekblad? I think as of right now, if the pick is retained(which it probably will be), Reinhart is the guy.

 

[EnforceTheLaus]

Actually I think Harv's source was on the money. Enough to get Tallon to come out and refute it.

 

[Android 16]

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 2m
Tallon added "we have a lot of good young defensemen" so there's his rebuttal to yesterdays source who said Ekblad was target. #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 4m
Tallon said he'll take best player available and then get into needs #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 17m
Tallon agreed that best free agents available are defensemen. #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 19m
Tallon believes that Ekblad is not only NHL-ready draft prospect in first round #flapanthers

 

[Cats2TheCup]

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 2m
Tallon added "we have a lot of good young defensemen" so there's his rebuttal to yesterdays source who said Ekblad was target. #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 4m
Tallon said he'll take best player available and then get into needs #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 17m
Tallon agreed that best free agents available are defensemen. #flapanthers

Harvey Fialkov ‏@hfialkov 19m
Tallon believes that Ekblad is not only NHL-ready draft prospect in first round #flapanthers

For entertainment purposes and all the smoke and mirrors, if today was opposite day...

1) We don't have a lot of good young defenseman
2) We'll pick based on need and then choose best player available
3) The best free agents are offenseman
4) Ekblad is the only NHL-ready prospect in the first round

Closer or further from the truth?

 

[batting1k]

For entertainment purposes and all the smoke and mirrors, if today was opposite day...

1) We don't have a lot of good young defenseman
2) We'll pick based on need and then choose best player available
3) The best free agents are offenseman
4) Ekblad is the only NHL-ready prospect in the first round

Closer or further from the truth?

Not gonna lie...sounds closer...

 

[Dread Clawz]

Yeah all that equates to them thinking Ekblad is their guy to me.