I'll agree with this a bit. I think this team is learning how to be a winning team the hard way and Dougie and maybe Graves are the only ones who have been key players on a winning team.
- rmdevil313

Tonight did give me more confidence in our GM's recent extension. When Hughes signed that big extension, with his best season totalling 11 goals and just 31 points, it raised a great deal of questions and doubt. Obviously this a not based on what he has done, but the fact that the ESPN deal should see the cap exceed 100M in about 4 years time with many good players making far more $. Nico still has yet to prove he is a 7M guy as well. But, Fitz has been nothing short of great, and bringing in Tatar, Graves, Hamilton sure was solid, especially since they were our only contributes tonight. I still am weary of this extension, but hopeful.

And if there is one thing to be upset with the coaching staff about its that they did not seem to have a gameplan for Kaprisov. None of the goals were really dzone breakdowns, Graves beat 1v1, unlucky pokecheck/bad turnover by Graves, Sevs with the header.

Tonight did give me more confidence in our GM's recent extension. When Hughes signed that big extension, with his best season totalling 11 goals and just 31 points, it raised a great deal of questions and doubt. Obviously this a not based on what he has done, but the fact that the ESPN deal should see the cap exceed 100M in about 4 years time with many good players making far more $. Nico still has yet to prove he is a 7M guy as well. But, Fitz has been nothing short of great, and bringing in Tatar, Graves, Hamilton sure was solid, especially since they were our only contributes tonight. I still am weary of this extension, but hopeful.
- bikeguy99

I'm much more confident about Hughes outperforming his AAV than Hischier. Generally happy with Fitz as well but we've committed to a big chunk of our core with Hughes, Nico and Dougie taking up 25 mil alone and some young players that will need raises in the future. We probably won't have the flexibility of adding a true impact player in the future so the next couple seasons the big question is are we inexperienced and need time or just not good enough?

Graves was poop last night, and Blackwood needs to be better.

Graves was poop last night, and Blackwood needs to be better.
- FAZOOL

Yes. But every player can get some slack once in a while. I have said it before, and for a while, it is the coaching that still has shown nothing for this season (cut them slack for last Covid season). The defensive scheme, nothing. Power play, nothing. Penalty kill, better but still not acceptable. Offensive play, is pass first always and that needs to stop. Its on the coaching staff IMO.