kipwinger

I like Wahlstrom, Hughes, Kupari, or Dobson with our pick, and I like Bernard Docker, Groulx, or Kotkaniemi with Las Vegas' pick. I also really like McBain with Ottawa's second rounder. Given how bunched together guys are I have a feeling some really good players are going to fall to us. Boom or bust picks for me are McLeod and Wilde.

I'm intrigued by Ryan Merkley as a later round steal. Seems to have all the same pros and cons as guys like Boquist and Hughes, but will go later because of "attitude issues" which too often in Canadian hockey is what a kid get labeled if he isn't a robot.

This is kind of a silly debate. Two defenseman draftedhigher than Cholowski are also still playing in Juniors and are having worse seasons. There's nothing really unusual about his being in juniors this year, not in his having a good but not spectacular season. It's pretty typical. All it really tells you about Cholowski is that he's probably not better, right now, than Charlie McAvoy is. He's not behind many of his peers at all.

In that scenario I'd shop the pick to someone who REALLY wanted Svech, and take whatever futures they're willing to give. If we don't draft #1 then I'd be fine with drafting somewhere 5-10. Especially if that meant we'd get another 1st round pick. Like I said elsewhere, I'd rather draft the best available defenseman at 5-10, and then a center at 15-25, than anything other than Dahlin. Drafting someone like Dobson, Bouchard (who Buppy turned me on to) or Hughes early in the first, and Veleno or McBain later, plus getting additional picks for trading back from 2nd would be much better than taking a winger with the 2nd pick. As deep as this draft is, I want as many picks in the top two rounds as possible and at least two in the first. If I were the GM I'd trade Green AND one of Nyquist/Tatar and draft in the first three times. Can you imagine how far along it would move our rebuild with three first rounders? Take Larkin/Mantha/AA, plus Rasmussen, Cholowski, and Sarijaarvi/Hronek/Sambrook, plus three first rounders this year and your rebuild is very nearly done.

Because A) Wingers are less important to team success than centers and defensemen, B) This year's draft is heavy on offensive defensemen, C) Winger is a position of strength for us, D) There's the potential to get good centers later in the first round given that the top of the draft is full of defensemen. We need another good center, and a really good defenseman going forward. We'll likely have two picks in the first round. We can get two things that we need if only we don't use one of those picks on a winger.

I don't.

I think Veleno could be a steal. He's got the skill, but because he's never lived up to the "exceptional status" tag people are down on him. I'm always a big fan of drafting on guys with dynamic skill sets and he's got one. I literally cringe when I watch the World Juniors and see Casey Mittelstadt eating up his peers while remembering how he got s*** on for being too weak at the combine and not playing good enough competition. I know less about Wilde and McIsaac, but I really like Dobson too. And like I said above, McBain as a mid-rounder would be a nice choice as well. Given the talent that will be available mid-round, I think it would go along way toward our rebuild if we could somehow get multiple first round picks. I hope Green will land us one, but if not I would certainly dangle one of Nyquist/Tatar if that would get us a 1st.

Outside of the top two picks, which are boring to talk about, I'd like to see us take a high offensive defenseman, and a lower ranked center (with the pick we'll hopefully get from Mike Green). I'm thinking Boqvist, Hughes, or Dobson on defense, and Veleno or McBain at center. I'd be pumped.

I'm actually not as worried about our defensive prospects as I was a year ago. Saarijarvi and Hronek are playing well in the AHL. Cholowski and Sambrook are playing well in juniors. Hicketts is still a "maybe" to me, despite the feel good story. If we hit high in the lottery this year and take another standout defender I'll feel really good about our puck moving defensemen going forward.

Just curious what folks around here think is the PRIMARY reason for the teams' apparent improvement, if any.

It's honestly hard to pick one thing, which is why I asked the question. This far, probably goaltending. Much is also being made right now of some systems changes that has us playing faster and attacking more. The team seems to like it. So that might be a big factor but I'm not smart enough with systems analysis to say if it's b.s. or not.

While I don't think it's even close to a primary reason, I'm also really glad that's Frk is on the team. Had Nosek not been claimed by Vegas, and Bertuzzi not hurt, there's no way Frk gets a shot and proves he can play NHL. I really think he helps make our PP a little more effective, and his 5 on 5 play has been a pleasant surprise.

I'd trade Nyquist+ for Matt Dumba, then keep two of Cholowski, Hronek, Saarijarvi, or Hicketts. Trade the other two. Sign veteran partners to play alongside them, provided the partners have excellent possession numbers (whomever the 2020 version of Jason Demers or Trevor Daley is).

Glad to see Frk scoring again. Keeps this up he might play his way off the fourth line one of these days. We're actually a fairly decent team. Give us a coach who isn't a complete dips***, and a defense that's serviceable (after watching this game I really wish we'd got Poulliot instead of Wilson in the Sheahan trade) and we might make a little noise. Our forward corps is actually better than advertised. Get those lines sorted out (I actually like Helm-Neilsen-Abby though) and I think we're pretty good.

Since Blashill recently said that Helm-Neilsen-Abby are his "matchup line", I'm not really sure what the 4th line does? So ideally I'd go with something like this, for now. Nyq-Z-Mantha Tatar-Larkin-Svech Frk-AA-Bert Helm-Neilsen-Abby Glendening Dekeyser-Green Daley-Hicketts Ouellet-Jensen Ericsson

If only we had a guy on our team with game breaking goal scoring ability. But where would we find such a player? And how could we possibly justify paying him more than Luke Glendening?

Listlessness implies that they CAN make plays, but just aren't putting in the effort. I'd counter that many of our players have no idea what to do with the puck when they find themselves with it.

But our "good in the locker room"/60 is off the charts.

Watching us try to pass is excruciating. 50% of our team has essentially no chance of making a play at any given time. Tends to happen when you value things like grit and hustle more than you do skill.

Mrazek's rebound control is abysmal tonight. Jesus.

I hate when teams hire home town heroes to coach and GM, it's always received well by the fans and almost never works out. Usually sets bad teams back even further. Of the people currently available I'd take Lombardi, but I'm not even crazy about that. The only GM I like absolutely is Tallon, and I don't see him going anywhere. So I guess I'm no help on this. I'd be fine with Martin I guess. Seems to do a good job with player acquisition in his role as Griffin's GM.

Don't get too excited, we will waste it on a guy that projects as a 3rd line, two way, forward with tons of intangibles.

Mike Green is trying to play his way off this team.

HEY BLASHILL, STOP DEFERRING TO VETERANS!

Geoffrey Fieger is a badass, just look at how he's posturing in that commercial. Also, hes clearly ride or die if there commercial has taught me anything. He's probably good friends with Gucci Mane.