I really thought we could have made a play for JVR, I heard somewhere they like Hayes. Unfortunately he broke his foot the other day and will be no help. Would Edmonton ever retain salary on Eberle? They still have crap defense, would Klein entice them at all? Who knows. Need a top 6 guy in the worst way and we've needed it since MSL left.
Let me break it down for you assgoblins. As far as this team contending for a cup. This team fucking sucks. No further analysis needed. Glad to see Hank finally yelling at his dumb bastard defenseman for leaving guys wide open in front of him. Agree on Miller. He's getting better and better. Unlike Kreider, he's not dumb hockey sense wise. Stepan still has his head up his ass half the game. Staal has found most of his game again. He's settled down. Maybe the coaching staff finally started insulting Stepan about his shit faceoff skills because he's been on a tear lately. About the only thing his overpaid ass is doing well the past few games.
I also think overall this core group is too comfortable. They need somebody to drop a bomb in that dressing room. When a well known face suddenly isn't around anymore it can send a wake up call to everyone else.
I think Yandle would go before Klein. I still holdout hope we can move Staal, but I don't feel good about it. I think Yandle and Hayes could get us a proven scoring top 6 forward. That should be a package we look at maybe.
It's awful. The frustrating thing is that it didnt used to be like that. He used to frequently drop his shoulder, protect the puck and just motor to the net. I've rarely seen him do that since he came back, and when he does he's on his ass sliding across the ice into the goalie. 100% mental.
You don't trade Klein. He's one of the only tools back there who is solid on a cheap contract. Eberle makes 6 million a season.
Holy fucking shit you're thick headed chuck. NO GOALIE IS PERFECT. Hank has to stand on his head to keep this team in a game allowing only one goal because of the offense being awful, but he has been way too often left out to dry by a BAD defense. You can't say Hank is worth 8.5 million and then complain that we try to win 2-1. If you pay a goalie that much, you should win games 2-1. If your defense as a whole (7 players including Hank) basically make more than all of the forwards combined, then you are built to win games 2-1. We consistently in years past won games 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2. This team isn't all of a sudden going to be some offensive juggernaut. We were always built to be a defensive team. Problem is, AV outs defense second and offense first and these dmen don't fit his system. He needs quick decision making, good puck handling defensemen. We lack that outside of Yandle really. So that is why our defense struggles in the dzone because the forwards don't want to pinch in and make the board plays they need to, they are constantly looking to fly out of the zone before we have the puck and don't commit to board battles to win them, but rather to simply tie up. I think you're missing what I'm saying with the defense. I'm not simply saying defensemen. Im saying the team's defensive effort as a whole is awful. And that leads to those offensive struggles where we can't score because after we start getting pinned in we start dumping the puck and then changing and we never get any sustained offensive pressure.
And that's why Hank has an 8.5 mill cap hit, by far the highest in the NHL. he needs to be great or we go nowhere. Is what it is...how we are built. We need to score more, hopefully we deal for a badly needed top 6 forward.
The defense has sucked moose dick almost all season. I've never seen so many forwards wide open in front of a goalie. That being said, when you look at what this team pays Nash and Stepan and look at their goals and assists, it freakin sucks ass.
Truth is we have needed more O for a long time. It is why we never score in big spots. You could also argue the team has too much money spent on the D when you factor in we have Hank in goal. It is why we cannot resign Yandle unless Staal is gone. It is why he will get dealt for O if we cannot deal Staal...is what it is.
We can argue all day long but the same problem that cost this team the last two years still exists. They simply don't score enough. It might've cost them the cup against LA and it cost them a trip back last year. It's the same rinse and repeat cycle.
I 100% would put Nash on the market and get picks and a good young player back. He's worthless here to us. Might as well trade him for something to someone who thinks they can get more out of him.
I think the D has turned the corner the past 8 games or so, which is what I expected to happen as the season went along. The O on the other hand...yeah it needs work.
Yandle and Staal will both be here through the year if they remain playoff position. They wont take the one offense mind on D out of the equation. They need to use Hayes pick/prospect to get the best forward they can.
I wouldn't have an issue dealing Nash, I agree with you, I just don't see it happening though. A move like that would be waiving a white flag big time. We wouldn't get the same level of talent/value back, and we'd have to take some salary back also. Moving Nash is a summer deal not a trade DL deal. If we fall in the 1st round this season, I could see Gorton exploring that this summer.
We will agree to disagree there 71. I will put money on the table right now Yandle is dealt before the trade DL. Not saying I agree or disagree, just offering my opinion...I think he is gone for sure. We'll see.
Nash this summer for Shattenkirk STL can't resign him. One expiring contract for another. Hitchcock over there loves Nash. Then you can find someone to take on Girardi and it'll take the sting out of losing Yandle. EDIT: forgot Nash has 2 more years, not one. Oh well Hitch may still want him. Never know.
Imagine a McDonagh-Shattenkirk pairing? Local kid. His name getting thrown around because of the long term money tied up in Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester. Makes too much sense so it'll probably never happen.
If the Blues don't make the WCF at least, Hitch is gone this summer, so he may not be there to want him...LOL. I do think a Nash deal could be explored if we don't go far in the playoffs. That wouldn't shock me.
