Is it just me or has Risto been awful lately? Like, the past month?
- CaptainRivet

He has. It's why I wonder just how great of a #1 he will be. It's early but it's possible we will need someone as good or better down the road

It's been since the All-Star break, you're not the only one to see it.

He's been producing offensively but defensively he's been bad
- Stripes77

Beat Crosby in the corsi battle if that means anything

He has. It's why I wonder just how great of a #1 he will be. It's early but it's possible we will need someone as good or better down the road
- sbroads24

He's 21, it'll get better. They should be aiming to get someone almost as good anyways.

He has. It's why I wonder just how great of a #1 he will be. It's early but it's possible we will need someone as good or better down the road
- sbroads24

Not really. He's a young defenceman with little to no help in terms of quality top three guys on defense. He plays top minutes against top players on opposing teams so even though he looks lost sometimes. He doesn't have the help and is still learning to be a top guy. If we have someone better than him on this D then that player will probably be an all star as I think Risto has all star capabilities in his play.

Well that's reassuring re:Risto. Thought I might be even more insane.

No ROR= top 5 pick for sure.
- sippyd

With the new lottery rules and Toronto and Edmonton's awful play I see us finishing 3rd or 4th in standings and getting screwed over in lottery and end up picking 5th or 6th. We need to be picking in the top four as there's a slight drop off after that.

With the new lottery rules and Toronto and Edmonton's awful play I see us finishing 3rd or 4th in standings and getting screwed over in lottery and end up picking 5th or 6th. We need to be picking in the top four as there's a slight drop off after that.
- bluengold12

What's the likely-hood that more than one team outside of the top 4 wins a lottery spot?

half the team played a bad game today

Not really. He's a young defenceman with little to no help in terms of quality top three guys on defense. He plays top minutes against top players on opposing teams so even though he looks lost sometimes. He doesn't have the help and is still learning to be a top guy. If we have someone better than him on this D then that player will probably be an all star as I think Risto has all star capabilities in his play.
- bluengold12

I think Risto will be really good. He already is most of the time, but is he good enough to win a cup with as a #1 D? I think he will be but who knows.

Great defensemen bring it every night. Like Letang did today

The NHL is so bad at scheduling their "big" games


Winter Classic competes with college football bowl games

Hockey day in the USA competes with Daytona 500

No wonder they can't grow the sport

I think Risto will be really good. He already is most of the time, but is he good enough to win a cup with as a #1 D? I think he will be but who knows.

Great defensemen bring it every night. Like Letang did today
- sbroads24

False. I've seen plenty of defenceman look awful. Everyone has an off night. Risto in an ideal situation is the second best defenceman but that's if you've got a guy like Mcdonagh or Keith

I think Risto will be really good. He already is most of the time, but is he good enough to win a cup with as a #1 D? I think he will be but who knows.

Great defensemen bring it every night. Like Letang did today
- sbroads24

I am so tired of the up and down play from the D

they need to get 2 more legit top 4 d men and 1 needs to be a top pair guy

I want 4 d men capable of playing 25 per night so if 1 or 2 guys suck, they can bump someone else to be the minute eater

False. I've seen plenty of defenceman look awful. Everyone has an off night. Risto in an ideal situation is the second best defenceman but that's if you've got a guy like Mcdonagh or Keith
- bluengold12

He's kind of like Doughty. If you want him at his best almost all nights they need to get him there own version Jake Muzzin.

What's the likely-hood that more than one team outside of the top 4 wins a lottery spot?
- Sabresfan-365

Say we finish 3rd which is looking like the best case scenario right now with Toronto and Columbus and Edmonton all looking worse than us. If two teams leap frog us we're in fourth which is a possibility. More likely we finish 4th and then all that needs to happen is one team leap frog us.

Is it just me or has Risto been awful lately? Like, the past month?
- CaptainRivet

He's been marc-andre Bergeron like

I am so tired of the up and down play from the D

they need to get 2 more legit top 4 d men and 1 needs to be a top pair guy

I want 4 d men capable of playing 25 per night so if 1 or 2 guys suck, they can bump someone else to be the minute eater
- homiedclown

Ha. Good luck with that. Those guys don't grow on trees.

Say we finish 3rd which is looking like the best case scenario right now with Toronto and Columbus and Edmonton all looking worse than us. If two teams leap frog us we're in fourth which is a possibility. More likely we finish 4th and then all that needs to happen is one team leap frog us.
- bluengold12

But the top 4 have a combined 54.5% chance on the first draw and it gets higher with each draw that they don't win. At best I could see one team leap frogging but odds are the top 3 features 2 of the teams that are already in the bottom 3 and maybe the 4th or 5th best.

Say we finish 3rd which is looking like the best case scenario right now with Toronto and Columbus and Edmonton all looking worse than us. If two teams leap frog us we're in fourth which is a possibility. More likely we finish 4th and then all that needs to happen is one team leap frog us.
- bluengold12

Columbus has been really good Edmonton is Edmonton and the leafs will not have the top pick

Ha. Good luck with that. Those guys don't grow on trees.
- bluengold12

2nd pairing d-man can be found. It's the top pair that will be tricky.

Ha. Good luck with that. Those guys don't grow on trees.
- bluengold12

calgary has them

2nd pairing d-man can be found. It's the top pair that will be tricky.
- Sabresfan-365

trade for Jack Johnson and sign Kris Russell

No captain just write it down for last in the nhl
- gerbe75pts

Not the same team without him for sure.

Not the same team without him for sure.
- sippyd

skunk stunk today

trade for Jack Johnson and sign Kris Russell
- homiedclown

Those two would actually be the two worst options

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=74376

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=74752

http://cdn1.bloguin.com/w...4/2015/07/JohnsonHERO.png

Gunner had an article on Johnson a while back, long story short, they are both awful.

But the top 4 have a combined 54.5% chance on the first draw and it gets higher with each draw that they don't win. At best I could see one team leap frogging but odds are the top 3 features 2 of the teams that are already in the bottom 3 and maybe the 4th or 5th best.
- Sabresfan-365

I think we finish 4th and therefor need only one team to leapfrog us