Agreed. The one thing that makes sense to me is to start looking for those players who have that next level for the playoffs. Every Cup winner seems to have those clutch guys.
We saw it with LD, Kassian and Larsson.
- Larsson_fan

It's kinda why I hope a guy like Pitlick doesn't leave. He's been a bandaid thus far but showed some real promise last year. He won't get protected though and I'm not sure if they re-up him even if he doesn't get claimed.

Yeah that's fair.
- Larsson_fan

Yup. Khaira?

Side note- where's my boy iggy after his thoughts that there's no way pakarinen would sign to allow us to protect letestu?

He actually chirped young jb hard for that idea...

You're not alone ole boy, if I had to think back to some of my missed predictions/thoughts over the years, id probably quit posting
- HB77

You already addressed the key part of it. He said minimum two way deal. No way anyone goes for that.
He signed a one way 750k deal and is now guaranteed to get it all next season no matter where.

I just think this fanbase has an never ending hunger for a scapegoat. The Eakins hate was a bit justified, just not when clowns were suggesting Ralphie Boy would have gotten us to the playoffs. The Schultz hate was just as bad, as it was the lack of depth and subsequent pressure/expectations that were the issue. Now all i hear is our 3rd leading scorer suddenly sucks poop thread after thread? Brutal.and stupid.
- Larsson_fan

I recall you and I being the only ones saying we basically gave him away for nothing and that he would thrive simewhere else. Todd should take a lot of flack for not using him well. But that won't happen. I also pooped on Chia for getting nothing for him when Russell got a haul for Calgary. And Shultz has proven he is far far better than Russell.

I recall you and I being the only ones saying we basically gave him away for nothing and that he would thrive simewhere else. Todd should take a lot of flack for not using him well. But that won't happen. I also pooped on Chia for getting nothing for him when Russell got a haul for Calgary. And Shultz has proven he is far far better than Russell.
- Iggysbff

All true, but Jultz was rattled here. He was playing scared, his confidence was zero, he was put into a role he wasn't ready for and sometimes a player is simply just done on a particular team, no matter how good they are.

I recall you and I being the only ones saying we basically gave him away for nothing and that he would thrive simewhere else. Todd should take a lot of flack for not using him well. But that won't happen. I also pooped on Chia for getting nothing for him when Russell got a haul for Calgary. And Shultz has proven he is far far better than Russell.
- Iggysbff

I didn't really understand why they ditched him at the deadline. Why not wait until the off season when prices go up? He was an RfA , no? Anyway, he could have done better here after the addition of Larsson pushing him down the depth chart.

All true, but Jultz was rattled here. He was playing scared, his confidence was zero, he was put into a role he wasn't ready for and sometimes a player is simply just done on a particular team, no matter how good they are.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

Still....they didn't exactly make every effort aside from pushing out there for big minutes hoping he'll snap out of it. Face it. They gave up on a fantastic talent.

Still....they didn't exactly make every effort aside from pushing out there for big minutes hoping he'll snap out of it. Face it. They gave up on a fantastic talent.
- Larsson_fan

Sad but true. What he really needed was sheltered minutes or even some AHL time but they pushed him for too much too fast. I was afraid Nurse was going to have the same happen to him, but thankfully they acquired some depth so he could play lower in the lineup.

Sad but true. What he really needed was sheltered minutes or even some AHL time but they pushed him for too much too fast. I was afraid Nurse was going to have the same happen to him, but thankfully they acquired some depth so he could play lower in the lineup.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

He didn't need AHL time. He proved he could dominate that league, remember? What he needed was two or 3 team mates that were better than him and Healthy on the blue line. People forget he was shoved in the #1 spot for a couple years because he was the best blue liner on the roster. That's the sad part.

He didn't need AHL time. He proved he could dominate that league, remember? What he needed was two or 3 team mates that were better than him and Healthy on the blue line. People forget he was shoved in the #1 spot for a couple years because he was the best blue liner on the roster. That's the sad part.
- Larsson_fan

I did say that sheltered minutes would have been better. If you go back a little further, unforeseen circumstances with Souray, Whitney and even Visnovsky to a certain extent kind of pooched their blueline depth and then they couldn't entice any decent FA dmen to come here. Pretty sad when signing Mark Fayne and Andrew Ferrence are considered a big win on July 1.

I did say that sheltered minutes would have been better. If you go back a little further, unforeseen circumstances with Souray, Whitney and even Visnovsky to a certain extent kind of pooched their blueline depth and then they couldn't entice any decent FA dmen to come here. Pretty sad when signing Mark Fayne and Andrew Ferrence are considered a big win on July 1.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

Really, the Ryan Whitney thing really (frank)ed up our core. He was a legit #1 D man before his foot fungus got out of control.

Really, the Ryan Whitney thing really (frank)ed up our core. He was a legit #1 D man before his foot fungus got out of control.
- Larsson_fan

Yup.

I mean then again, it was really a whole chain of events from 2006 on that eventually led to them drafting Mcdavid and Draisaitl. Having a legit #1 dman the entire time almost certainly would have meant Jesus would be a Leaf or a Sabre right now. Maybe it was all for the best?

I recall you and I being the only ones saying we basically gave him away for nothing and that he would thrive simewhere else. Todd should take a lot of flack for not using him well. But that won't happen. I also pooped on Chia for getting nothing for him when Russell got a haul for Calgary. And Shultz has proven he is far far better than Russell.
- Iggysbff

Plenty of people said that but we also said that he wasn't going to find that success here. I don't disagree that Todd could've used him differently, but only having one capable veteran to pair with either him or Nurse didn't exactly make it easy for him.

And of course you did. Answer me this: how could he expect more? An offensive Dman that had shown almost zero defensive acumen and wasn't producing (1 point in all of February, 10 on the year) isn't going to bring back much of a return. Are you also mad that he "only" got a 3rd for Yakupov?

You can hate that he moved him, but don't blame him for getting less for a player that wasn't doing his job- a job which is historically harder to do in the playoffs- than a player doing his job at the time.

Yup.

I mean then again, it was really a whole chain of events from 2006 on that eventually led to them drafting Mcdavid and Draisaitl. Having a legit #1 dman the entire time almost certainly would have meant Jesus would be a Leaf or a Sabre right now. Maybe it was all for the best?
- TheTaoOfSemenko

The Hockey world couldn't handle either of those insufferable fan bases had they got mcJesus.

The Hockey world couldn't handle either of those insufferable fan bases had they got mcJesus.
- Larsson_fan

Yeah. At least WE'RE just Richards to eachother

Plenty of people said that but we also said that he wasn't going to find that success here. I don't disagree that Todd could've used him differently, but only having one capable veteran to pair with either him or Nurse didn't exactly make it easy for him.

And of course you did. Answer me this: how could he expect more? An offensive Dman that had shown almost zero defensive acumen and wasn't producing (1 point in all of February, 10 on the year) isn't going to bring back much of a return. Are you also mad that he "only" got a 3rd for Yakupov?

You can hate that he moved him, but don't blame him for getting less for a player that wasn't doing his job- a job which is historically harder to do in the playoffs- than a player doing his job at the time.
- MaximumBone

Nah...that was a horrible move, and talent wasted by this organization....and I rarely blame an organization when a player struggles. Yak simply sucked. Schultz was truly mishandled.

Yeah. At least WE'RE just Richards to eachother
- MaximumBone

Exactly. I haven't predicted any Stanley's on this or any other thread since we drafted him.
I'm only bumholeish to you guys when you play follow the leader on here, and ostracize solid posters for having alternate views.

It's kinda like the moderate who doesn't jump all over the Trump hate and how he or she is treated by the extreme lefties. Seriously. It's that bad on here some times.

Nah...that was a horrible move, and talent wasted by this organization....and I rarely blame an organization when a player struggles. Yak simply sucked. Schultz was truly mishandled.
- Larsson_fan

So is that organizational blame really earned by Chiarelli for simply moving on from an "asset" that a.) didn't fit the style of your coach, b.) had a history of struggles that he showed next to no signs of breaking out of and c.) wasn't going to resign (as they weren't gonna qualify him at $4+ million)? No.

So is that organizational blame really earned by Chiarelli for simply moving on from an "asset" that a.) didn't fit the style of your coach, b.) had a history of struggles that he showed next to no signs of breaking out of and c.) wasn't going to resign (as they weren't gonna qualify him at $4+ million)? No.
- MaximumBone

Ahhh...that's right I forgot about the qualifying offer. Still. He's gonna make 5+ on his next deal, deservedly so.

So is that organizational blame really earned by Chiarelli for simply moving on from an "asset" that a.) didn't fit the style of your coach, b.) had a history of struggles that he showed next to no signs of breaking out of and c.) wasn't going to resign (as they weren't gonna qualify him at $4+ million)? No.
- MaximumBone

It's tough to place much blame on him when you factor all of that in.

Exactly. I haven't predicted any Stanley's on this or any other thread since we drafted him.
I'm only bumholeish to you guys when you play follow the leader on here, and ostracize solid posters for having alternate views.

It's kinda like the moderate who doesn't jump all over the Trump hate and how he or she is treated by the extreme lefties. Seriously. It's that bad on here some times.
- Larsson_fan

Considering how you and the "Warriors" would ostracize any dissenting opinion, there's a lot of irony in you saying that. Sure, it started out as fighting trolls but it got to the point where you guys would drive out those who just misunderstood and were just looking to discuss.

Let's not get into this again.

Plenty of people said that but we also said that he wasn't going to find that success here. I don't disagree that Todd could've used him differently, but only having one capable veteran to pair with either him or Nurse didn't exactly make it easy for him.

And of course you did. Answer me this: how could he expect more? An offensive Dman that had shown almost zero defensive acumen and wasn't producing (1 point in all of February, 10 on the year) isn't going to bring back much of a return. Are you also mad that he "only" got a 3rd for Yakupov?

You can hate that he moved him, but don't blame him for getting less for a player that wasn't doing his job- a job which is historically harder to do in the playoffs- than a player doing his job at the time.
- MaximumBone

You like revising history...

Ahhh...that's right I forgot about the qualifying offer. Still. He's gonna make 5+ on his next deal, deservedly so.
- Larsson_fan

Yeah, now. Detractors would've been shatting down his Chiarelli's throat if he qualified him at that number and if you're Justin Schultz do you resign with the cesspool of failure that had been your career up until then or do you look to greener pastures? Everyone knows the answer to that.

You like revising history...
- Iggysbff

Please elaborate.

Myself, HB and Schweiny were all very much in that line of thinking. He wasn't going to find his game here and he wasn't going to resign so move on and get what you can back for him.