You are forgetting the improvement of their young players: Strome, Nelson, Lee, Hamonic, De Haan, etc.

Islanders could be playoff bound if they play a good defensive system.
- rangerdanger94

I'll give you 4 good reasons they won't, the 4 defensemen not named Hamonic or De Haan. You're also glossing over the fact that the teams he listed include Buffalo and Florida. Like I said, he comes here to troll, you're in here enough to know that.

You are forgetting the improvement of their young players: Strome, Nelson, Lee, Hamonic, De Haan, etc.

Islanders could be playoff bound if they play a good defensive system.
- rangerdanger94

Everyone is forgetting Larsson Gelinas merril who where better then most of those players last year and don't have a new system to learn people are picking and choosing which rookies will trend up de Haan finally had a decent season and that now means he is a great defence man in the nhl ? No one is saying that about our young defence

Difference being the amount of players under 25 I would rather have going into this season the amount of vets then that amount of kids who might not be able to handle the load their is just as good of chance of sophomore slumps or rookies not being ready as there is for decline in our vets
- blizzzard

Yea there could be some sophomore slumps there but it's hard to argue you'd rather have a declining team than one full of young potential.

I'll give you 4 good reasons they won't, the 4 defensemen not named Hamonic or De Haan. You're also glossing over the fact that the teams he listed include Buffalo and Florida. Like I said, he comes here to troll, you're in here enough to know that.
- smellmyfinger

I already explained that Florida will challenege for the playoffs this year.

Florida is in a good spot. They have Luongo in net who gets a lot of poop but is still a good goalie. And a pretty great defense: Gudbranson, Mitchell, Ekblad, Campbell, Olsen, Kulikov. They have better younger offensive players than the Devils and signed similar depth that you guys brought in only younger.
- rangerdanger94

The Devils finished 22 points ahead of them. I'm not worried about Florida, this year anyway.

I already explained that Florida will challenege for the playoffs this year.
- rangerdanger94

And I believe you are wrong.

Yea there could be some sophomore slumps there but it's hard to argue you'd rather have a declining team than one full of young potential.
- rangerdanger94

Not if I was starting a franchise off but I think it's more likely a team with young players or filled with then stumbles then a veteran team it's more of a in this point of time maybe next year depending on what those kids show I take that team over the old ass devils but there is to much room for errors over q long season with a young team

Not if I was starting a franchise off but I think it's more likely a team with young players or filled with then stumbles then a veteran team it's more of a in this point of time maybe next year depending on what those kids show I take that team over the old ass devils but there is to much room for errors over q long season with a young team
- blizzzard

Everyone always overhypes young talent, thinking potential=ability. In terms of actual play the devils are better in pretty much every way than the panthers, except they have more blue chip youngsters contributing already.

Everyone always overhypes young talent, thinking potential=ability. In terms of actual play the devils are better in pretty much every way than the panthers, except they have more blue chip youngsters contributing already.
- rmdevil313

Those teams start strong band as soon as they hit a bump it's a downward spiral I mean I would love to have a Barkov/ huberdeau and ekblad on out team and in our org but it's pretty unrealistic to expect ekblad to make the panthers that much better considering many people say and I have watched him play being twenty minutes from Barrie that he is a step or two behind Seth jones and he didn't do much to improve the preds as good as he was so ekblad won't turn around the panthers IMO they are much improved from last season but mostly due to internal growth but I think they are just below the group of bubble teams they miss IMO but I wouldn't say it's impossible for them to make it gudbranson hasn't shown to be more then a 5-6 guy from what I have been told and he has been in the league for like 5 years now when does he stop getting considered a future star having Lou for a full season helps to but they don't have the players or systems for me to safely bet anything on them getting in but I won't say they miss by a truck load like last season

Those teams start strong band as soon as they hit a bump it's a downward spiral I mean I would love to have a Barkov/ huberdeau and ekblad on out team and in our org but it's pretty unrealistic to expect ekblad to make the panthers that much better considering many people say and I have watched him play being twenty minutes from Barrie that he is a step or two behind Seth jones and he didn't do much to improve the preds as good as he was so ekblad won't turn around the panthers IMO they are much improved from last season but mostly due to internal growth but I think they are just below the group of bubble teams they miss IMO but I wouldn't say it's impossible for them to make it gudbranson hasn't shown to be more then a 5-6 guy from what I have been told and he has been in the league for like 5 years now when does he stop getting considered a future star having Lou for a full season helps to but they don't have the players or systems for me to safely bet anything on them getting in but I won't say they miss by a truck load like last season
- blizzzard

Gudbranson is a top pairing dman already.

Gudbranson is a top pairing dman already.
- RAGSareDANGERus

Uh huh his atoi last season was down a full minute from the season before and he has never averaged 20 minutes in his three season so I was wrong about him being in the nhl for three years he is exactly like Luke schenn a super hyped defensive defense man

Gudbranson is a top pairing dman already.
- RAGSareDANGERus

Since when?

Those teams start strong band as soon as they hit a bump it's a downward spiral I mean I would love to have a Barkov/ huberdeau and ekblad on out team and in our org but it's pretty unrealistic to expect ekblad to make the panthers that much better considering many people say and I have watched him play being twenty minutes from Barrie that he is a step or two behind Seth jones and he didn't do much to improve the preds as good as he was so ekblad won't turn around the panthers IMO they are much improved from last season but mostly due to internal growth but I think they are just below the group of bubble teams they miss IMO but I wouldn't say it's impossible for them to make it gudbranson hasn't shown to be more then a 5-6 guy from what I have been told and he has been in the league for like 5 years now when does he stop getting considered a future star having Lou for a full season helps to but they don't have the players or systems for me to safely bet anything on them getting in but I won't say they miss by a truck load like last season
- blizzzard

Exactly. Most 18 year olds don't have a big impact their first years, and even with top picks it can take a few years before they really hit their stride.

Since when?
- rmdevil313

Never

Exactly. Most 18 year olds don't have a big impact their first years, and even with top picks it can take a few years before they really hit their stride.
- rmdevil313

Especially a Dman

Since when?
- rmdevil313

Last year. He's pretty underrated. He's hedman-like in terms of development. I would expect this coming season will be his coming out party.

Last year. He's pretty underrated. He's hedman-like in terms of development. I would expect this coming season will be his coming out party.
- rangerdanger94

That's bad even for you the guy has never posted 10 points the offence just isn't there I love him but because he is mean and big he will be a top four guy but I don't think he will be half they player they hoped when taking him that high. Merril averaged more minutes last year then him and put up more points and I didn't think Merrill brought that much offence last season

That's bad even for you the guy has never posted 10 points the offence just isn't there I love him but because he is mean and big he will be a top four guy but I don't think he will be half they player they hoped when taking him that high. Merril averaged more minutes last year then him and put up more points and I didn't think Merrill brought that much offence last season
- blizzzard

He's pretty damn solid defensively. They dont need offense from him with Campbell, ekblad, and kulikov.

He's pretty damn solid defensively. They dont need offense from him with Campbell, ekblad, and kulikov.
- rangerdanger94

I think he fights to much and takes to many penalties but at the same time that's exactly what we need on our back end kind of why I wouldn't mind Macquaid

He's pretty damn solid defensively. They dont need offense from him with Campbell, ekblad, and kulikov.
- rangerdanger94

You could say the same thing about Salvador or Volchenkov(granted not this past year) but I don't think anyone would have ever called them top pairing Dmen

You could say the same thing about Salvador or Volchenkov(granted not this past year) but I don't think anyone would have ever called them top pairing Dmen
- bobert836

Only because they are old and slow. When you guys signed volchenkov, you signed him to play top minutes. One summer ago people were calling hedman and fowler busts and now theyre bonafide top pairing defenseman. I think gudbranson is a similar case.

Only because they are old and slow. When you guys signed volchenkov, you signed him to play top minutes. One summer ago people were calling hedman and fowler busts and now theyre bonafide top pairing defenseman. I think gudbranson is a similar case.
- rangerdanger94

Who were calling them busts? And both of those guys have something in their games that separates them from Gudbranson by a wide margin. Offense

I like that they stuck with the same forward lines for more than 1 day.

Seems Ruutu-Josefson-Brunner and Carter-Gionta-Tootoo could both be 4th lines.

The question is, do we want support scoring.. or do we want "identity"?

Not for nothing, but Ruutu is no wimp, and he does have some offensive ability. That line could be useful, especially with Josefson and Brunner seeing weaker competition.

But, I could also see Ruutu lined up with Carter and Tootoo (assuming Tootoo out-performs Bernier), and that would be a very difficult line to play against, theoretically.

Boucher-Gomez-Bernier is cute, but I don't think Gomez or Boucher stick, and Bernier is fighting with Fedotenko and Tootoo.. so this line doesn't mean much.

Clowe-Henrique-Ryder is the most intriguing for me. Yes we used it last year and it was OK, but lots of question marks. How long will that line actually be together? How long can Clowe stay healthy? Will Ryder be traded? Will Henrique and Zubrus switch spots?.. and if they do, will that line just not work and get owned defensively with slow Clowe next to slow Zubrus that has to be good defensively, and then lazy Ryder. yikes. so question marks there.

Last year. He's pretty underrated. He's hedman-like in terms of development. I would expect this coming season will be his coming out party.
- rangerdanger94

He must be the most underused 1st pairing dman only getting 17 minutes a game. Which is weird because you'd think a team like florida could use a #1 dman.

Especially a Dman
- bobert836

Agreed.