You're the GM, it time to make changes Part II

[EnglishDevil]

Cammalleri-Zajac-Ruutu
Elias-Henrique-Boucher
Clowe-Josefson-Matteau
Bernier-Gionta-Zubrus

Greene-Severson
Merrill-Larsson
Gelinas-Hegleson

That what you are looking at?

Assuming Clowe LTIR; Zubrus, Ryder, Brunner, Jagr, Havlat, Zidlicky, Salvador all traded away. Maybe give Gomez a contract for the rest of the season just for numbers purposes.

Boucher - Zajac - Cammalleri
Elias - Henrique - Ruutu
Matteau - Josefson - Gionta
Sislo - Gomez - Tootoo
Bernier

Greene - Severson
Merrill - Larsson
Gelinas - Harrold
Helgeson/Hrabrenka

Schneider
Kinkaid

Can still easily ice a team, we have so much AHL depth, could even call up guys like Timmins/Whitney/Sesito if we needed numbers. We'd only be doing this if we gave up on the season.

 

[Devilsfan992]

I do think this is the year I'd like to see some playing time from Matteau and Boucher if we seem out of it towards the end of the year. Also give Helgesen his first call up sometime this season. Next year, I want these three players in the starting roster and I want them to at least be somewhat NHL comfortable by the start. I also want to see Josefson start seeing consistent 3rd line center minutes. When our cupboard is this slim, the most important thing is to develop the prospects we already have and give them as much opportunity as possible.

 

[Tundra]

The organization needs an entire makeover. Frankly, I'm tired of saying it. They need to focus on drafting and developing fleet wingers who aren't necessarily defensively responsible. Follow the Chicago and Anaheim model. This is a 3 goal 'results oriented' league now. Score 3 goals and win. You can't grind out wins like Lou wants to. It's asinine.

 

[Emperoreddy]

The organization needs an entire makeover. Frankly, I'm tired of saying it. They need to focus on drafting and developing fleet wingers who aren't necessarily defensively responsible. Follow the Chicago and Anaheim model. This is a 3 goal 'results oriented' league now. Score 3 goals and win. You can't grind out wins like Lou wants to. It's asinine.

Makes more sense to follow the LA/Boston model since it fits our identity and is the path the team is going down.

 

[Eggtimer]

They need to focus on drafting and developing fleet wingers who aren't necessarily defensively responsible. Follow the Chicago and Anaheim model.

Agree 100%
No more drafting the "safe" pick , a defensively minded average skilled robot that tops out as a 2nd/3rd line tweener.

Go out on a limb and draft someone with the highest skill level , speed who may be lacking in two way play. You can teach those players defensive responsibility after, you cannot teach pure skill and speed.


We have no dynamic game changer type forwards at all anywhere in our entire system.
Every one of the top teams in the league have at least one or two game breaker type stars on their roster :
Getzlaf/Perry
Benn/ Seg
Dats/Zetter
Crosby/Malkin
Ovy/Backstrom
Thorton/marleau
Duchane/McKinnon
Taveres/ Okposo
Sedin sisters
Terasenko/Steen/Backes/


Etc etc.

We have...... Cam/42 year old Jagr

 

[Sascha Goc]

Makes more sense to follow the LA/Boston model since it fits our identity and is the path the team is going down.

This. Boston and LA won cups on the backs of great goaltending, excellent defenseman who provide offense and defense, and a mix of fowards with size, speed, skill , and grit. Boston especially did it without tanking hard and on the backs of very defensively responsible players like Bergeron and Kreijci who have skill to boot. We have the goaltending, the makings of the defense, it's time for a restructure of the fowards but that doesn't mean blow everything up like some people want.

 

[Tundra]

Agree 100%
No more drafting the "safe" pick , a defensively minded average skilled robot that tops out as a 2nd/3rd line tweener.

Go out on a limb and draft someone with the highest skill level , speed who may be lacking in two way play. You can teach those players defensive responsibility after, you cannot teach pure skill and speed.


We have no dynamic game changer type forwards at all anywhere in our entire system.
Every one of the top teams in the league have at least one or two game breaker type stars on their roster :
Getzlaf/Perry
Benn/ Seg
Dats/Zetter
Crosby/Malkin
Ovy/Backstrom
Thorton/marleau
Duchane/McKinnon
Taveres/ Okposo
Sedin sisters
Terasenko/Steen/Backes/


Etc etc.

We have...... Cam/42 year old Jagr

We have the defense set in place to eventually play an up-tempo transitional style. The problem being that we don't have the collection of speedy, dynamic forwards to receive passes from the likes of Severson, Gelinas and Larsson. The league is locked in an arms race and it's all based on transitional play.

 

[tailfins]

This. Boston and LA won cups on the backs of great goaltending, excellent defenseman who provide offense and defense, and a mix of fowards with size, speed, skill , and grit. Boston especially did it without tanking hard and on the backs of very defensively responsible players like Bergeron and Kreijci who have skill to boot.

Thanks.

 

[MadDevil]

Chicago/Anaheim/Boston/LA all have elite forwards on their rosters (many of them as a result of years of futility). To truly follow their model we probably need a top 10 pick or two to get those kind of elite players. Or manage to pull out some magic like Boston did in the 2nd/3rd round with Bergeron/Lucic/Krejci.

 

[Sascha Goc]

Chicago/Anaheim/Boston/LA all have elite forwards on their rosters (many of them as a result of years of futility). To truly follow their model we probably need a top 10 pick or two to get those kind of elite players. Or manage to pull out some magic like Boston did in the 2nd/3rd round with Bergeron/Lucic/Krejci.

Considering like all our defenseman are second rounders and Henrique was a third rounder, let's hope theres more fowards to steal in the second round in future drafts.

 

[MadDevil]

Considering like all our defenseman are second rounders and Henrique was a third rounder, let's hope theres more fowards to steal in the second round in future drafts.

Yeah. I think at the very least we'll have Boucher and Matteau up next year (probably sooner with our forwards dropping like flies). If we can add one or two potential top six forwards in the next couple drafts, and maybe get lucky with a later pick or two, we'll be in much better shape.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Chicago/Anaheim/Boston/LA all have elite forwards on their rosters (many of them as a result of years of futility). To truly follow their model we probably need a top 10 pick or two to get those kind of elite players. Or manage to pull out some magic like Boston did in the 2nd/3rd round with Bergeron/Lucic/Krejci.

IT isn't going to happen over night. Odds are we pulled some magic out of the 2nd and 3rd rounds on defense already (and Henrique). Jury is still out on how far Boucher can go.

We have elite goaltending now, we are in the process of building a fabulous blueline. Something people continue to forget. We also have enough in the system that some are going to become expendable, and could be the parts of a package that gets us a big time forward.

The other thing easily forgotten in we picked 29th and 30th the past three years, with one pick traded away (for an excellent goaltender BTW). There is little there at that point (and they weren't deep drafts really either), but there is definitely NHL potential.

This idea Quenneville isn't going to work because he has a two-way game is garbage pigeon holeing. Parise is a two-way player. You can score and be a top forward and still be responsible in your own end.

Let's see what we do with the next two drafts with a full compliment of picks and normal first rounders. See what is on the market, and what becomes available via trade.

Also not writing JJ off as a failure yet. Kid is starting to pick up his game a bit.

 

[Tundra]

Yeah. I think at the very least we'll have Boucher and Matteau up next year (probably sooner with our forwards dropping like flies). If we can add one or two potential top six forwards in the next couple drafts, and maybe get lucky with a later pick or two, we'll be in much better shape.

at minimum, we're probably looking at a 3 year plan.

 

[Bcap88]

The organization needs an entire makeover. Frankly, I'm tired of saying it. They need to focus on drafting and developing fleet wingers who aren't necessarily defensively responsible. Follow the Chicago and Anaheim model. This is a 3 goal 'results oriented' league now. Score 3 goals and win. You can't grind out wins like Lou wants to. It's asinine.

Lucky for Chicago they tanked twice and got handed kane and toews. Lou wont ever tank that's the thing

 

[MadDevil]

at minimum, we're probably looking at a 3 year plan.

Which is why I'm not quite as hard on the team now as I used to be. The fact is we're a bubble team, and we're transitioning. Which means there are going to be good nights, bad nights, and nights that test our sanity (and livers). As bleak as it might look now, it could still get worse. If our forwards keep dropping like flies we might be in the hunt for a top 5 pick before this season is over. Which, honestly, might end up being better in the long run. I hate saying that, but we really do need young talent up front.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

This. Boston and LA won cups on the backs of great goaltending, excellent defenseman who provide offense and defense, and a mix of fowards with size, speed, skill , and grit. Boston especially did it without tanking hard and on the backs of very defensively responsible players like Bergeron and Kreijci who have skill to boot. We have the goaltending, the makings of the defense, it's time for a restructure of the fowards but that doesn't mean blow everything up like some people want.

Has Cory showed you any reason this season that he should be called an elite goaltender? IF he was one, we'd have easily 2 more Ws in our column. Cory might be the stat monster of past couple of seasons, but he sure as hell isnt a great goalie at the moment. And guess what, present matters in hockey, not your past. If stats = success, Jagr would get his weight in gold as salary.

 

[MullerBrotenVerbeek]

- LTIR Clowe
- Send Bernier back to Albany
- Trade Zubrus for literally anything
- Sell Sal for magic beans
- Hope Cammy and Havlat come back soon
- Sign Gomez
- Call up Boucher
- Try to trade for Semin or a forward with actual skill who has some issue (bad contract, etc...) that makes it possible to get him without selling the future on D or lots of picks.
- If we're done at the trade deadline sell anyone over 30 who will get us a good return.

Cammalleri-Zajac-Jagr
Elias-Henrique-Boucher
Havlat-Gomez-Ryder
Brunner-Josefson-Gionta

Extra: Ruutu

Greene-Severson
Merrill-Larsson
Gelinas-Hegleson

Schneider
Kinkaid

 

[mamfredo8]

Would rather hold Boucher in the AHL a little longer. If he steps in now, I'm pretty sure, he gets burned.

I would try to trade Zidlicky, Brunner and a Pick/Prospect (2./3. Rd.) for a younger RW or center (up to 25/26 years old) who can play to nine and has some potential.

Add - instead of Zidlicky - one stay-at-home d-men (too many rookies with Helgeson) and rotate him with Salvador and the Rookies (Merrill, Gelinas, Larsson, Severson).

If we're out of the play-off picture in February trade Jagr, Zubrus (please!) if possible, Salvador, Havlat and Ryder. Jagr should fetch a real good offensive prospect from a contender, the rest for Picks (2. to 5. Rd.)

 

[Richer's Ghost]

In the last two years Lou has signed or traded for :

Jagr: 42/43
Cammallerri - 32
Clowe - 31
Ryder - 33
Havlat -33
Brunner - 27
Ruutu - 31

Thats more than half of our starting 12 signed in the matter of two years. Average age: 33.

There's not many decent scoring forwards available as UFA at age 21-26 because they're all still under RFA contract or on their first big contract. Hard to pull that avg age down without giving up the farm in trade.

Blaming Lou for the pool makeup is lazy criticism.

 

[DenisSamson3]

Guys you are missing the point. You can't trade clowe, and Zubrus. No team would want them. Even Havlat is dicey.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Trade Zidlicky to a team in need of a PMD for a 2nd/forward prospect

 

[Chessarmy]

Trade Zidlicky to a team in need of a PMD for a 2nd/forward prospect

so, in other words - tank

 

[Zippy316]

In the last two years Lou has signed or traded for :

Jagr: 42/43
Cammallerri - 32
Clowe - 31
Ryder - 33
Havlat -33
Brunner - 27
Ruutu - 31

Thats more than half of our starting 12 signed in the matter of two years. Average age: 33.

What's the alternative?

It's not like we had any prospect forwards ready to break the NHL team or make an impact. He's signed these players out of a necessity to stay competitive. Whether it's the right choice, that's up for a matter of opinion. He's trying to fill holes the only way he can, especially when prior to this year, we had nothing of value to offer in a trade.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

so, in other words - tank

you think by trading Zids along that means we're tanking?

believe me, what I REALLY want to do is offload any and all of the following:

Zidlicky
Zubrus
Clowe
Salvador
Ryder
Brunner

but I didn't post that because I know most people would freak out. and yes I realize no one wants probably half those guys.

 

[Oneiro]

Zidlicky, Ryder and Brunner are all tradable. Zubrus, Clowe and Sal are not.

It's obvious to everybody that Brunner doesn't fit here. And I can see why Detroit felt comfortable playing hardball with him over the summer.