Kreider/Stepan/Nash Hags/Richards/Cally Miller/Brassard/MZA Pyatt or Boyle/Moore/Dorsett I figure with Hags and Cally out to start that Fast and Lindberg get a chance. And Pyatt and Boyle maybe stick around. I think once Hags and Cally are back Pyatt or Boyle have to go down or be dealt. And of course if we can deal Pyatt or Boyle now we should do it in a second. I still fully believe we need to add another scoring winger, but as of right now this is what we have. The positives here are the depth is very solid. That is a very nice 4th line. We also have the ability to give kids like Fast/Miller/Lindberg a chance. Maybe one of them develops into a real player. I also think we are real solid down the middle. Step, BR, Brass, Moore is a nice 1-4 center grouping. Powe and Asham need to be in the minors. One of Pyatt or Boyle need to be dealt now for a pick, or sent to the minors so we can use that 925 K elsewhere, especially when Hags and Cally are ready. Kreider, Nash, Hags, Cally, MZA are 5 good wingers (I could live with Hags and MZA as my 5th and 6th wingers). But we are lacking another good professional 20 goal scoring winger. Not sure how we can add that guy, but hopefully Sather is working on something. Right now this is what it is. We'll see what we can get done over the next few days. Should be interesting to see if Sather wants to do something, or if he is content as is.
On D and in goal I am very happy. As I have said many times today, I am not sure how many teams have a better D 1-6. And add in Johnson and Falk as the 7th and 8th dmen, and we have some real good depth there. In goal we have Hank. Not much else to say. I have gone back and forth in my head so many times today on where I think this team is. I really love the depth on D and upfront, and think that is huge. It is something we have clearly lacked the past few seasons as we have played 4 and 5 dmen in the playoffs, and been killed by 4th lines the last two playoffs. On the flip side I think we are short 1 quality winger. But maybe the kids can pick up the slack. I can say this. Right now there is no doubt the goal here by Sather is depth. Depth depth depth. You can debate whether that is the right course, but that is what he believes right now. We have good top guys, but we needed depth. We'll see if that decision was smart.
Should be interesting on the development of Kreider and Miller Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Adding in Pouliot should mean a 3rd line of Pouliot/Brassard/MZA. Okay 3rd line. Pyatt/Moore/Dorsett 4th line. Very good 4th line. Maybe we deal Boyle for a pick down the line. Not terrible. I am warming to the team. I like the depth. We'll see.
The biggest problem here is that we are really, really banking on Kreider to score 25+. Not saying he can't and personally I think he will. But not going out and getting a Ryan type means that if this kid doesnt produce big numbers we are in trouble.
I would say we need at least 20 from him 223. I agree we are counting on him no doubt. If he steps up we may be okay. I like the Pouliot signing, I really do.
If Kreider doesn't score 20-30 this team is short in scoring big time....I guess its time to hope for the best
All we can do. It is pretty clear now, especially with the Pouliot signing, that depth was what Sather wanted first and foremost. If Kreider scores 20 +, maybe we'll be okay.
that is not a deep team at all. You have 3 of your top 9 players who have never done anything of significance in the NHL to be major parts of this team. Kreider couldn't even average 0.5 pts per game in Hartford during the lock out. Miller had 2 gls in 26 games and MZA is average at best. Then you have Hags who has to play in the 2nd line when he's not a top 6 forward. As is this is a team that will be very prone to long scoring droughts if the top line goes even a bit cold. It's also basically the same team that last playoffs scored 2gls or less in like 80% of their games. Adding some 4th liner who you hope can give you 8gls is nothing major. Of course we still have a lot left in the season so can't say next year is going to be another wasted year of Hanks prime, but looking that way so far
I am not quite as down as 31 but I agree this team is bottom heavy on 30-40 pt guys We are counting on a lot from Kreider. Love Hags but he is a great 3rd line winger. Not a top 6. We have very good 3rd/4th line depth but are lacking top 6 depth. I guess this is the lines right now: Kreider/Step/Nash Hags/Richards/Cally Pouliot/Brassard/MZA Pyatt/Moore/Dorsett We still have Miller and Boyle as trade chips. I would even consider trading Hagelin even though I love his speed if it can bring back a true 2nd line 25 goal guy. We don't have enough top 6 scoring but our 3rd/4th lines are very good (despite Zuc being there)
I am with you dis, and that is why I feel like we need another scoring winger. But I also do think we have depth. Our 3rd and 4th lines are real nice IMO. We need another top 6 winger, we all agree, but even without that I think we can at least get rolling and see where it takes us. The 3rd and 4th lines look nice to me. We'll see how it goes.
Actually i really like Dis' idea of Pouliot on the 3rd line while Miller develops in Hartford. Last year he seemed to get it going offensively with 20pts in 34gms while only getting 13mins a game. He could be a solid 40pt player from the 3rd line which would be amazing and 40pts is far more than what you can realistically expect out of Miller next season.
I hear you. I said that earlier. I could see 18 and 40 from Pouliot. That isn't crazy. Good 3rd line signing. Especially for 1.3 mill and one year.
Regardless of who you play on the 2nd line, Hags or Pouliot, they're going to be playing out of position as neither is a 2nd line player.
I would say yes. But again we are now right up against the cap. So we need to deal awy more money if we were to bring back a 2nd line forward. Here is how to look at it. Hags, Boyle, Pyatt, Powe, Asham. There is just no way all these guys can be here. There has to be something else planned. Either dealing some for picks OR a little larger package deal for a better scoring winger. A deal must be made, because they all won't be with the big club, and I doubt Pyatt or Asham are sent down. Plus Miller doesn't really have a home up here right now once Hags and Cally are back.
Totally agree - I like them both for different reasons but I would move Hags + DelZ for a legit scorer
No one would argue with you on that. But we could make up for some of that with good 3rd and 4th lines. And a good deep D. With a world class goalie. Just saying while we need another scoring winger, we all agree, we do have other strengths to help make up for some of that missing winger.
