For sure Mess, and again it is why I was a little miffed about McD's comments after the game. It's like no one addressed the elephant in the room. After game 7 and the season ends maybe you don't need to publically and it gets addressed in private, I don't know, but I also think a vet leader with a firery personality would have called out the lack of anything publically after the game. What do I know though.
Who cares about the season. We need playoff performers. MLS hasn't won one board battle all playoffs. He kills energy of this team. I don't want him for free. He is done and won't be back. If MLS is back, I will not watch another game, because it will be season suicide if AV is the coaching MLS.
I'll take a guy who scores zero goals in the season but a plus player that clears the crease for lundqvist and knock few teeth out when needed.
And he has always been a very good playoff performer. If he is back at a very reduced rate I wouldn't go crazy. Maybe he is done, and maybe he had a bad playoffs. Don't know, but I also don't want to 100% give up on him if he says I'll play for 1.7 mill next season. I rather have Hags, but if he gets crazy and wants too much money I could live with MSL as a 3rd line winger under 2 mill. I don't think players in the crease or knocking someones teeth out was an issue...but I digress. We should fire AV, fire Sather, get Phaneuf for McDonagh, and start over. That's the best bet...LOL.
I don't doubt they played hard, they just couldn't get anything going... Don't forget that Hank did make 5-7 great saves in the 1st and 2nd so they were sucking defensively too. They tried to play the same game as Tampa and were the losers.. What they should have done was set screens and deflections, crash the net.... they didn't do that and also did not forcheck... Why? I think there's where you give stab credit. They tried to play a finese game and TB wouldn't allow it. don't forget that Garrison, Carle, Stralman, and Coburn have SCF experience.. hedman CF experience ... Chuck, I agree next year is their best year. I wouldn't be surprised if AV played the same lineup with MSL.., I'm on the fence with him. I want to believe he has one more postseason left in him but the lore I think about it, I think that playoff was last year.
In a lot of ways it is strud. Like I mentioned, the very large majority of the team is signed. You resign the RFA's, which should be straight forward with Miller, Fast, and Stepan. You decide what your max is for Hags, I say 3 mill. And you make good use of the 5.6 mill off the books from MSL. After next season though you lose the great advantage that is Yandle at 2.6 mill. You lose the great advantage that is Kreider at under 2.5 mill. And you need to give Hayes a raise as well. You have Miller and Hayes with a full year and long playoff run under their belts. You have Kreider who you hope gets it even a little more next season at 24. And maybe you can roll in guys like Lindberg and McIlrath on the 4th line and as the 7th dman. If you look at the contract situation I actually think we are in a good spot. We know the RFA's this summer as I mentioned. Next summer you lose Yandle as a UFA, but you only have Kreider and Hayes as RFA's. Everyone else locked up. That's why I say it really needs to be the next two seasons. And I think next season is the best shot because you get such a huge bargin with Yandle at 2.6 and Kreider under 2.5. The season after you have to think keeping Yandle will be tough, and Kreider will go over 4 mill easy, if not more. So the next two seasons I think is the window, and truthfully speaking I think if this team is going to win a cup it will be 2016...I really believe that. So many things are setup for next year to be the year if it is going to happen. That's why this summer is so huge. We need to be smart with Hags, and not go more than 3 mill +/-. And we need to get that top 9 firery gritty righty shot winger with some size to complete the team. And I would love to get rid of Glass and somehow keep Shepp for 1.4 or so to replace Glass. I know people have mentioned the D, but I think it is fine. Yandle a full season. McD hopefully healthy. Staal and G solid as always. Klein back to full strength playing like he did prior to the injury. And in the 6 hole keep Boyle for one more year and let McIlrath stay up here as the 7th dman playing from time to time and learning to be a pro. OR you get rid of Boyle and sign a different vet for the 6 spot for less money and still let McIlrath be the 7th guy. I am fine either way.
I like Sheppard too and also wish he could swap out for Glass contract. As for Mcilrath maybe they can keep him by the gate and have him skate out whenever someone starts a fight then back off when play resumes. How come we aren't talking more about Skjei who's far more of a prospect and could compete for a spot this Sept? He could really make Boyle expendable.
um skjei is ld and boyle is rd and av does not deviate as to ld on left side and rd on right side so if you want to see ski up here yandle gets traded big mac is boyles replacement on the right side
