Ryan Wilson: Sid puts on show as Avs dig out of hole Sid puts on show as Avs dig out of hole

Just because the season isn't going well does not mean it's "fake."

Now, when teams were intentionally putting a bad team on the ice to try to land the 1OA pick, that is when a season becomes "fake."

I’d take a good team win over Crosby putting up 4pts and ending up even on the game. So would he.

Just because the season isn't going well does not mean it's "fake."

Now, when teams were intentionally putting a bad team on the ice to try to land the 1OA pick, that is when a season becomes "fake."
- jmatchett383

No dude. When you don’t like something just pretend it’s fake.

I agree the season is lost. Let's play the guys who got you the 4-0 lead and not the 'trusty old vets' who gave up four goals in 24 minutes.

I agree the season is lost. Let's play the guys who got you the 4-0 lead and not the 'trusty old vets' who gave up four goals in 24 minutes.
- Thunderbolt

Mostly the same people lol.

Just because the season isn't going well does not mean it's "fake."

Now, when teams were intentionally putting a bad team on the ice to try to land the 1OA pick, that is when a season becomes "fake."
- jmatchett383

Around here, we dont recognize the Stanley Cup champion if the Penguins werent in the thick of the race.

The only thing of value the rest of the season besides getting Crosby his points is give some younger guys a chance to see if you have anything from them going into the summer. Lots of this roster needs to be turned over and if we can have even 1 or 2 spots filled from within, that'd make a big difference.

Things I am hopeful for the rest of the season:

1. Crosby keeps his PPG average again this year.
2. We fall behind he Kraken and into 8th in the lottery.
3. Not going to happen because of the WBS playoffs but I'd love a look at Poulin & Blomqvist for the rest of the season.
4. Vegas Knights miss the playoffs, preferable with Fleury carrying the Wild in.

The only thing of value the rest of the season besides getting Crosby his points is give some younger guys a chance to see if you have anything from them going into the summer. Lots of this roster needs to be turned over and if we can have even 1 or 2 spots filled from within, that'd make a big difference.
- SuperHenderson13

I'll be curious how they can turn over the roster. So many vets with seemingly untradable contracts. A bunch of cheap young talent that might not be locks.

F
Locks- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC (DOC is cheap and the coach likes him regardless of some posters don't)
Hard to trade locks- Rackell, Acciari
Likely- Eller, Puustinen
Cheap bubble- Nieto, Puljujarvi, Gruden, Poulin, Ponomarev
Likely trade- Smith
Potential FAs- Carter, Bennstrom, Harkins
Wild card- Yager

Analysis- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC, Rackell, Eller, and Puustinen could fill 8 of 9 top 3 line spots. Doesn't leave much room for needed improvement unless you spend big on one player. Plenty of options for a fourth line. Can hope someone like Yager or Poulin forces a spot in the top nine.

I'll be curious how they can turn over the roster. So many vets with seemingly untradable contracts. A bunch of cheap young talent that might not be locks.

F
Locks- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC (DOC is cheap and the coach likes him regardless of some posters don't)
Hard to trade locks- Rackell, Acciari
Likely- Eller, Puustinen
Cheap bubble- Nieto, Puljujarvi, Gruden, Poulin, Ponomarev
Likely trade- Smith
Potential FAs- Carter, Bennstrom, Harkins
Wild card- Yager

Analysis- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC, Rackell, Eller, and Puustinen could fill 8 of 9 top 3 line spots. Doesn't leave much room for needed improvement unless you spend big on one player. Plenty of options for a fourth line.
- Tojo.

Yeah good chance the forwards/lines will all look very similar to this season again....they'll have another year of familiarity/continuity/built synergy and be all the better for it...we hope

I'll be curious how they can turn over the roster. So many vets with seemingly untradable contracts. A bunch of cheap young talent that might not be locks.

F
Locks- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC (DOC is cheap and the coach likes him regardless of some posters don't)
Hard to trade locks- Rackell, Acciari
Likely- Eller, Puustinen
Cheap bubble- Nieto, Puljujarvi, Gruden, Poulin, Ponomarev
Likely trade- Smith
Potential FAs- Carter, Bennstrom, Harkins
Wild card- Yager

Analysis- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC, Rackell, Eller, and Puustinen could fill 8 of 9 top 3 line spots. Doesn't leave much room for needed improvement unless you spend big on one player. Plenty of options for a fourth line.
- Tojo.

Second post for D
Locks- Letang
Hard to trade locks- Karlsson, Graves
Likely- Pettersson
Cheap bubble- POJ, Ludvig, St. Ivany
Wild card- Pickering

Unless Pettersson goes in an unlikely shake up trade, a lot of money in 4 D already. POJ has passed Graves lately, but is an RFA that could lose his spot if they go for a LHD upgrade and get stuck with Graves as an expensive 3rd pair. Are they willing to let Ludvig and St. Ivany battle for the 3RD or battle for the seventh D and add another vet. Easier to see change here.

Yeah good chance the forwards/lines will all look very similar to this season again....they'll have another year of familiarity/continuity/built synergy and be all the better for it...we hope
- MattStrat

Could easily see a new UFA to replace Guentzel, Bunting essentially replacing Smith, Puustinen holds the 3RW spot nobody claimed, and hope for a bump from youth. Which is unexciting after the past year, but player by player makes sense. Eller and Puustinen could be pushed for newer pieces, but they are fine for their price.

Things I am hopeful for the rest of the season:

1. Crosby keeps his PPG average again this year.
2. We fall behind he Kraken and into 8th in the lottery.
3. Not going to happen because of the WBS playoffs but I'd love a look at Poulin & Blomqvist for the rest of the season.
4. Vegas Knights miss the playoffs, preferable with Fleury carrying the Wild in.
- MacPatty

I don't get the Fleury love. Yes, he was the goalie who backstopped the team in 2009 (despite having a negative GSAA), but he's also the goalie who completely fell apart for the next 4 postseasons following that and ultimately lost his job to a player who didn't even play enough games to qualify for the Calder.

Around here, we dont recognize the Stanley Cup champion if the Penguins werent in the thick of the race.
- SuperHenderson13

There were no Stanley Cup champs in the 70s or 80s? And there won't be for the forseeable future?

I'll be curious how they can turn over the roster. So many vets with seemingly untradable contracts. A bunch of cheap young talent that might not be locks.

F
Locks- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC (DOC is cheap and the coach likes him regardless of some posters don't)
Hard to trade locks- Rackell, Acciari
Likely- Eller, Puustinen
Cheap bubble- Nieto, Puljujarvi, Gruden, Poulin, Ponomarev
Likely trade- Smith
Potential FAs- Carter, Bennstrom, Harkins
Wild card- Yager

Analysis- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC, Rackell, Eller, and Puustinen could fill 8 of 9 top 3 line spots. Doesn't leave much room for needed improvement unless you spend big on one player. Plenty of options for a fourth line. Can hope someone like Yager or Poulin forces a spot in the top nine.
- Tojo.

Wouldn't count out koivunen making push for lineup spot in nhl roster.

There were no Stanley Cup champs in the 70s or 80s? And there won't be for the forseeable future?
- jmatchett383

In my mind, the Cup is going to be left at the bottom of Mario's pool until we're ready to reclaim it.

Wouldn't count out koivunen making push for lineup spot in nhl roster.
- jso97

I considered him for a wild card, but honestly he struggled so much in the AHL last year I'd be shocked if he didn't spend at least some time there adjusting to the NA game.

I'll be curious how they can turn over the roster. So many vets with seemingly untradable contracts. A bunch of cheap young talent that might not be locks.

F
Locks- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC (DOC is cheap and the coach likes him regardless of some posters don't)
Hard to trade locks- Rackell, Acciari
Likely- Eller, Puustinen
Cheap bubble- Nieto, Puljujarvi, Gruden, Poulin, Ponomarev
Likely trade- Smith
Potential FAs- Carter, Bennstrom, Harkins
Wild card- Yager

Analysis- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC, Rackell, Eller, and Puustinen could fill 8 of 9 top 3 line spots. Doesn't leave much room for needed improvement unless you spend big on one player. Plenty of options for a fourth line. Can hope someone like Yager or Poulin forces a spot in the top nine.
- Tojo.

This is an accurate analysis. I do think Acciari and Rakell can be traded. I doubt it will be over the summer though. The best time to trade them would be October or November, when injuries hit some teams.

I start with your locks and I agree none of them are getting replaced. O'Connor should be in the bottom six, but that isn't up to me. Rust and Crosby should be set in stone along with Malkin and Bunting. Eller is your 3C to start the season. All other positions are open competition. You can trade Eller to a contender when the time comes next year.

As much as I like Puustinen he hasn't shown a scoring touch. Neither has Puljujarvi but I really like how he scored our first goal yesterday.

Ponomarev, Poulin, and Yager all need serious looks at center next training camp. Acciari can move to a wing to accommodate this.

As far as Carter, Harkins, and Bemstrom, I don't see why any of them would want t0 sign here next year. Nieto and Gruden are tweeners, they aren't in my top twelve.

Second post for D
Locks- Letang
Hard to trade locks- Karlsson, Graves
Likely- Pettersson
Cheap bubble- POJ, Ludvig, St. Ivany
Wild card- Pickering

Unless Pettersson goes in an unlikely shake up trade, a lot of money in 4 D already. POJ has passed Graves lately, but is an RFA that could lose his spot if they go for a LHD upgrade and get stuck with Graves as an expensive 3rd pair. Are they willing to let Ludvig and St. Ivany battle for the 3RD or battle for the seventh D and add another vet. Easier to see change here.
- Tojo.

I really like Ludvig and St Ivany. They're my bottom pair. The Graves situation needs resolved first. I think, just like with Rakell and Acciari, we're stuck with him until October. But hey, Dubas rid us a couple guys last summer I didn't think were tradable, so who knows.

My biggest worry is how Letang has slowed down this past year. He just doesn't look good to me anymore.

I don't get the Fleury love. Yes, he was the goalie who backstopped the team in 2009 (despite having a negative GSAA), but he's also the goalie who completely fell apart for the next 4 postseasons following that and ultimately lost his job to a player who didn't even play enough games to qualify for the Calder.
- jmatchett383

I don't know if Patrick Roy would have been able to backstop those Bylsma teams. I don't have an obsession with MAF, but the 5 skaters in front of him gave him no support. The biggest culprit of those losing teams was behind the bench. MAF would have won those cups in 16/17. He won 2 series of the 17 cup.

I think Pittsburgh loves him so much is because he handled everything with class. I saw him at the mall one time with his wife and he was swarmed. Couldn't have been nicer to those fans. Just a good person and it's easy to root for a guy like that.

I'll be curious how they can turn over the roster. So many vets with seemingly untradable contracts. A bunch of cheap young talent that might not be locks.

F
Locks- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC (DOC is cheap and the coach likes him regardless of some posters don't)
Hard to trade locks- Rackell, Acciari
Likely- Eller, Puustinen
Cheap bubble- Nieto, Puljujarvi, Gruden, Poulin, Ponomarev
Likely trade- Smith
Potential FAs- Carter, Bennstrom, Harkins
Wild card- Yager

Analysis- Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Bunting, DOC, Rackell, Eller, and Puustinen could fill 8 of 9 top 3 line spots. Doesn't leave much room for needed improvement unless you spend big on one player. Plenty of options for a fourth line. Can hope someone like Yager or Poulin forces a spot in the top nine.
- Tojo.

I'd love for them to get a more offensive 3C. I heard Ponomarev got hurt already, but I don't know how serious it is.

There were no Stanley Cup champs in the 70s or 80s? And there won't be for the forseeable future?
- jmatchett383

Forseeable future? Uncle Gary will have us a brand new generational player in the next 2-3 years. He wont leave us hanging

I'd love for them to get a more offensive 3C. I heard Ponomarev got hurt already, but I don't know how serious it is.
- madmike71

I’d start with a more offensive 2c and top six wingers. Then work down from there. This teams in the playoffs easily with a solid d core and real top six. Bottom six has not been a problem.

-Sign Collin Graf, Jacob Quillan and TJ Hughes.
-Hire GM, replace all coaches.
-Trade Karlsson, Jarry, Pickering for Pinto, Chychrun and korpisalo.
-Trade Graves, Eller, Smith, Acciari
-Sign a goalie (Ned, flower, samsonov)
-Sign Zadorov, Domi.
-Sign 1 of Bertuzzi, Debrusk, Mantha or Duclair whoever is cheapest.
-Win Stanley cup

Seems easy…