kipwinger

I think that's probably true, and not necessarily a bad thing when you're trying to teach really young players how to play the game properly. Better to drill the fundamentals and keep the freewheeling out of their game until they've learned when/how to take the risk. But as we attempt to round the corner and start being competitive again we're going to need guys who can ratchet up the intensity a bit. Tom Wilson can definitely ratchet up the f*cking intensity.

I agree with all that, but I mostly just want someone like Wilson because he plays like he's got a pulse. Our entire team (aside from Namestnikov weirdly) plays like a bunch of robots. I've said this before, many many times, but this team needs its own version of when Rasheed Wallace came to the Pistons. A little swagger would go a long way.

I want this guy on our team sooooo f*cking bad.

I'm liking Johnson/Eklund/Lucius with our first pick, and Mackie Samoskevich with our pick from Washington.

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." - Psalms 23:5 - Kipwinger

Just sayin'...

He's got pro-average skating, probably like a Glendening actually. He can keep up no problem, but I don't think he's blazing fast or anything.

Totally agree. Love this kid. He's Glendening with a little more offense. He actually scores quite well when you consider how little TOI he gets. He's also another guy I could see playing the "Tyler Bertuzzi" role on the wing if he can't stick at center. Big fan of Pearson.

I really like how the team plays under Blashill. We are playing top teams REALLY tough. Add Larkin, Bert, Fabbri, and Seider to the lineup tonight and we probably win that game. The system is good, the guys are playing the right way. We just need talent.

Am I the only one who thinks we are going to be good next year?

I think the Pronger comparison is more accurate. Despite the fact that Seider skates much better the rest of his game is comparable. Konstantinov didn't have the offensive chops that Pronger, or Seider, have.

I didn't see the whole game, missed the first period, but I thought he played fine. Had a really nice backcheck that definitely made me take notice.

Hot take: Liam Foudy is a faster skater than McDavid.

Seth Jones is soooooo good. He does everything at such a high level. Seider reminds me of Jones, except with massive hits.

Don't worry. Veleno only Paniks when he has to play defense

I like Panik-Veleno-Gagner as a line. Should be a good safe way to break the kid into the league by putting him with some solid vets.

Missed the first part of the game. How has Joey V looked?

Let it wash over you. Let acknowledgement of your superior intelligence nourish and sustain you. Look down upon those piteous Veleno slappies as though a God looking down upon a baby duck. Know your superiority. Live your superiority. Let Man-God Rasmussen be your guide.

Yeah, he definitely isn’t going to win speed skating competitions but he keeps up with the play just fine.

I saw on Twitter that Glendening and Rasmussen work on faceoffs after every practice lately. Absolutely love the thought of Rasmussen with Glendening-esque faceoff ability.

Eklund is a natural center, he's just playing on the wing in the SHL because he's an underager in that league and they're easing him in.

Totally agree. This team looks an awful lot like how Tampa's team was built. Very good wingers, two way centers, big defensemen. Just missing the stud goalie and its pretty much the Tampa blueprint. I made fun of some dude on The Athletic the other day for suggesting that Zadina and Vrana should be on the same line. Boy was I wrong. I'd love to see those two with a center like Chaz Lucius that can win draws at a high percentage and shoot the lights out. They'd be a terror in the offensive zone. And then leave Larkin, Bert, and Raymond to eat teams alive as a matchup line.

Absolutely. I'm really liking our top wingers right now. Add those two to a pool of Bert, Raymond, Fabbri, and (possibly) Veleno and you've got some serious skill on the wings. Plus they're all pretty quick (aside from Fabbri) and gritty. We have the makings of one of the best forechecking teams in the league given that in Blashill's system the center is the third forward back.

My main takeaway from Vrana's night was that he scored four goals in four different ways, which is what you have to be able to do if you're going to reach those 35+ goal totals. He sniped the first one, tipped the second, breakaway on the third, and jumped on a loose puck for the backhand on the 4th. This guy is not a one dimensional scorer, and that kind of offensively skill has been sore missed around here.