krsmith17

Chiarelli is the f***ing worst!

Like any trade, it's too early to tell who the winner is, but my bet is on Colorado here. Sakic held out on trading Duchene, and people thought his asking price was way too high. Well I'm pretty sure he did better than his asking price... They got a 1st round pick, that could potentially be a lottery pick from Ottawa (in which case, they would lose the 3rd if it's a top 10 pick). They also got a 2nd round pick from Nashville. As well as 4 decent to very good players / prospects. Hammond is probably the worst piece coming back, but he's a serviceable backup. Bowers is a high end center prospect, Kamenev is a good forward prospect, and Girard is a very good young defenseman. Three very nice pieces there. All this for a player that clearly wanted off the team for quite some time... Like has been mentioned, Ottawa seems like the clear loser in this deal, giving up a high end prospect, and either a top 10 pick or a 1st and 3rd round pick. All for a player that isn't that much better or younger than what they currently had. I think Turris is very underrated, and Duchene (while maybe slightly better) may be a little overrated after all the hoopla this past year of trade controversy.

I'm not sure, but I think Mantha may have been a healthy scratch for a game or two in his rookie season. I could be wrong there though. Overall, I'm not too concerned with Nelson trying to send him a message, but I'll be a little worried if it lasts longer than a game or two... Hopefully he gets his s*** together. I've said in the past that I'd like to trade Svech in a package for a top pair defenseman. I stand by that. However, his stock is plummeting this season. He's not going to be worth much in any trade if he doesn't get his game back on track...

Yeah, I've only been able to watch a handful of games so far this season (didn't watch the game yesterday), but he's stood out in a positive way on both sides of the puck. He's known as a defensive "shut down" center, but his offensive game has been great. He's generating a lot of scoring opportunities, and his point production has exceeded everyone's expectations. Granted, it's a very small sample size, but if he can keep up close to a point per game pace, while playing defensively sound, we could have more than a Glendening replacement, which is what I've always projected him as...

I know Svechnikov has been off to a rough start, but he was healthy scratched tonight... Hopefully he gets back on track, and soon.

I think Green could possibly get us close to that return, but more likely it's just the 1st or two 2nd's in my opinion. I'm not opposed to trading Nyquist or Tatar, but I doubt either will be traded, unless a whole new management group is brought in, which I also doubt... Nielsen is the number one player I'd like to trade, but we're not getting close to that sort of return for him. I think we'd be lucky to get a mid round pick, and that includes us retaining salary. By the way, why do you think McCarron is a career AHLer? I'd be shocked if he doesn't make the show, and wouldn't be surprised if he develops into a middle 6 winger. Not sure where you're getting that from...

Yeah, it's just the way it's set up. 31st overall in the standings gets an 18% chance to land the number one overall pick. Obviously higher than any other team, but that still leaves an 82% chance of picking anywhere between 2nd and 4th. 30th overall actually has slightly better odds of moving up to 1st overall (12.5%) than staying at 2nd overall (12.1%), but still has a 75.4% chance to drop back, picking anywhere between 3rd and 5th. 29th overall has double the odds to move in the number 1-2 slot (20.9%) than staying in the number 3 slot (10.3%), but has a 68.9% chance to drop back anywhere between 4th and 6th. As it sits right now, we're 25th overall, giving us the 7th best odds in the Dahlin sweepstakes at just 6.7%. We also have a 7 and 7.2 percent chance at the number 2 and 3 overall picks respectively. We have a 23.1% chance at staying at 7th overall (slightly higher than the 20.9% chance of us picking top 3), and a 56% chance to drop back between 8th and 10th...

Larkin seems to be all over the map as well. Mantha scores a lot in tight, but some from outside. I've seen these heat maps, but never knew where to find them. Nice find CRL.

That's what I was thinking as well...

Not sure where this is coming from? Something I've never noticed with him...

Methinks that line has a monster game tonight. 7 points between 3 of them...

Why? Jensen has been good. Not great, but good, and we can use as many good defensemen as we can get...

Thanks! I knew it was something along those lines.

Grand Rapids are off to a rough start once again this season, but beat Milwaukee 6-3 last night. I managed to watch most of the game, and was impressed with some of the young players, Turgeon in particular. He scored a goal and added an assist last night, and looked good at both ends of the ice. He now has 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) in 10 games so far this season. I've always thought he would be a great 4th line NHL center, but maybe he becomes a good 3rd line center; what we hoped for from Sheahan, both offensively and defensively. Holmstrom and Svechnikov looked good as well, although Svech has really struggled so far this season to find the score sheet, with only 1 goal in his first 6 games. He got into a scrap last night too. You can really tell he's getting frustrated out there. Hopefully he works through it. Holmstrom has 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) in 8 games so far this season. Bertuzzi should be back soon (possibly this weekend), so that should provide a spark to the offense. The blueline looks very mobile with Hicketts, Hronek and Saarijarvi back there. Hopefully they continue to roll here now that they're starting to get healthy / key players into the lineup.

Is there any other logical reason to waive a player at this point? Serious question. I'm not sure... I'd like to call up Hicketts if he's going to play, but that would mean another player is banged up (haven't heard anything), and they're going to play him over Witkowski... I just don't see it happening...

Karlsson / Hedman hybrid some would say... We could probably fit a player like that on this roster...

I agree completely. However Blashill logic says that you put similar player styles on the same line. Why? I have no idea. Apparently he sees Zetterberg, Nyquist, Tatar as similar players. Same goes for Larkin, Mantha, Athanasiou, and Nielsen, Helm, Abdelkader... I do like the kid line... a lot, but I'd mish-mash the other three lines. That's just me though...

"Rasmus Dahlin is not a new Lidstrom, he plays another style, but he has all the tools to become the top defenseman in the NHL"... - Hakan Andersson

Nielsen hasn't been great by any stretch, but what can we expect when he's played all season between Helm and Abdelkader (Frk for a short time)? He does have 4 goals, which is tied with Zetterberg and Nyquist for 2nd on the team. The assists aren't there because he doesn't really have anyone to pass to. He's had very little power-play time, so maybe that's exactly what he needs to get the offense going. But speaking of his line mates, that's another one of my issues with the lines. Spread out the talent and we have a much better looking forward group in my opinion. There's no reason we couldn't have a 3rd line of Tatar - Nielsen - Frk (or something similar). That could have the potential to be one of the better 3rd lines in the league in my opinion.

I'm just repeating myself at this point, but I'd use him either on the point or down low (right side), and I'd be using a wide spread with a bumper in the middle (high slot). I'm not saying that would work, all I know for sure, is that's what we're currently doing isn't working. Try something different. Anything different really. But yeah, that's what I would try...

I've already said I'd have Nielsen in over Abdelkader and Daley in over Kronwall. That idea is "stupid" and "idiotic" though, so whatever...

I do not think Abdelkader is the problem with the power-play. Nor do I think Kronwall is the problem with the power-play. However, I wouldn't have either on either unit. Neither are the reason we're only 15%. The biggest issue in my opinion, is the system being implemented, not the personnel being used. I don't think I can be any clearer than that...

What would you call a "less skilled big body"? I assumed he was referring to grit. Maybe not, but that's what I'd call it. I'm not "making up stuff now. Lol."... Abdelkader is a power forward in the same way that Brendan Smith is an offensive defenseman. It's true of both, but neither are very good at their respective roles... Stop trying to turn this into something it isn't though (like you always do). I'm arguing that the system we're using on the power-play is flawed, not the personnel we're using on it. I've said several times that Abdelkader isn't the issue with the power-play. If you want to argue Abdelkader, argue with Dickie. I only chimed in when the system was brought up. I've said my piece. That's it from me.

You know who should be "cleaning up rebounds"? Skilled players. I would set up a large spread, with two players on the points, two players down low, and a player in the middle. You don't need a guy directly in front of the net to get at a rebound. Any time there's a shot from the point (or the half boards), you have two players on each side of the net, as well as a player in the high slot that can all collapse and pounce on rebounds. Anyway, agree to disagree I guess. Personally, I'd have all the skill players on the two power-play units and the "grit" players on the penalty kill units. Teams dress 18 skaters every night. Coincidentally you need 10 players (8 forwards, 2 defensemen) for 2 power-play units, and 8 players (4 forwards, 4 defensemen) for 2 penalty kill units. I'd have Zetterberg, Nielsen, Nyquist, Tatar, Frk, Larkin, Mantha, Athanasiou, Green and Daley on the power-play, and Glendening, Abdelkader, Helm, Wilson, Kronwall, Ericsson, Ouellet, Jensen on the penalty kill units. That's just me though...