Richdg

Just thinking out load here. the BL is set. the one big are of need is a #2 C/big RHed winger. As of right now it is easy to see the following lineup: Z-datsyuk-Abby Nyquist-open-tatar Jurco-Sheahan-Pulks Anderson-Glendening-Miller ferraro-open Dekeyser-Green Kronwall-Ericsson Smith-marchenko Lashoff or Kindl Howard/Mrazek We could keep 8 d or move Kindl/KFQ. If Z is the #2 C then we need a top 6 winger. What we don't have is a big RHed physical guy that scores. We also have helm who is kinda without a true position. he is a checking C when used correctly, but Glendening does the same job for 1/3 the price. We also have the cap room for a big contract. Thoughts? Hopes? Dreams?

Didn't see it, but both have been resigned. If elsewhere, please move..... Good for GR and depth.

Signing Richards is not a move that will win us a Cup. Just not that type of deal. It is a low risk band aid fill in for 1 year deal. Nothing more. datsyuk just had foot surgery. Z is slowing down, Glendening and Helm are checkers. franzen is 1 hit away from serious brain injury. We have a bunch of young talent that isn't ready yet. Richards is just keeping the seat warm for Larkin. Nothing more. as I mentioned in another thread. I would bet good money that Blashill and Holland talked in depth about if larkin is ready. If Blashill who coached him in the PO's thinks he needs a year, this is a very good move. with larkin's lack of size 180 pounds or so, a full year in the minors getting bigger and stronger will only make him better.

Didn't forget him. Just not sure where he fits. He isn't a scorer. His best position is checking C, which is also Glendenings best position for 1/3 the price. In this day and age of salary caps you can't have 3.5 million cap hits as checkers-which helm will be on his next contract summer 2016. he is a GREAT trade piece. franzen cant' be counted on for anything. I doubt he makes it out of october healthy. Adding richards is fine, not great. he is just holding that psoition for 1 year untill larkin is ready. Nothing more. I would bet good money that this move is a result of Bashill and Holland chatting about if he is ready and Blashill thinks he needs time. Just a gut feeling.

This wouldn't be the worst idea. We have tons of young guys coming, but not quite ready yet. A Band aid type of move.

The kids will play. green has injuries every year and Kronwall and Ericsson are both wrong side of 30. There will be chances to get 50-75 games for the young guys that don't make the team. I think marchenko does so Oullett, Sproul, and jensen will get some road time and game time in Detroit. Baring further moves of course.

Now we can go after a Big physical scoring F or 2. Marchenko and Oullett are ready. That frees up Smith, KFQ, and Kindl for moves and maybe a guy like helm and/or Jurco.

About the perfect contract for Green. Will help our O a ton. Top 2 pairs are now Dekeyser-Green and Kronwall-Ericsson. Could do a lot worse. Still have KFQ and Smith for the 3rd pair. I see a trade coming. To many dmen.

Just creating room so we can start signing young guys to long term deals. Nyquist, tatar, abby, Dekeyser, and maybe helm all need to be locked up to from the base we build around. Song long Weiss, it didn't work. It happens. have good life!

A solid B. No second rounder hurts the overall grade. yes maybe a Dman was a bigger need, but none of the guys available are better than Svech. Pearon the C is the other guy that could make it someday. He could be a bigger version of Glendening.

Typical cya stuff. The B's screwed up and they are trying to spin it. But hey, stars never get traded and always cost more than the RW's can afford to pay......

Overall not bad. No fan is ever 100% happy with any team in any sport, picks. We fans always know better! LOL. But we had 6 picks and we drafted a complete lineup: 1 C, 2 Wings, 2 Dmen, and a G. That is a good balanced draft. I think Svech will be great in a couple of years. Pearson could be our future checking line C. yes we have a bunch of those guys today, but many of them are 30ish and UFA's over the next 2 seasons. The thing I am most excited about is the future top line: Svech-Larkin-Mantha. That is 3 guys all 6-2+ that will be 200+ and could turn into a 100+ goal per season line! that is awesome!

LA is still a model franchise atm. Yes they had a bad year and missed the PO's. So what? they also won 2 of the last 4 Cups. Which would you rather have over the last 4 years? 4 PO trips with 3 1st round exits and 1 second round exit OR two Cups a PO loss and missing the PO for 1 year? Give me the later every damn time. As for trades the flood gates just opened up. The isles pick up 2 1st round picks for nothing, Hamilton gets traded for nothing, Lucic gets traded for nothing, O'Reilly gets moved etc...... yet somehow we couldn't find a way to add a second round pick. Holland to his credit has been drafting well the past 4 or 5 years. But he has done zero in UFA and trades. if he is "committed to going with the kids" his words in Florida last night, then stop trading away picks! if that is his plan-which is fine BTW, then pick up more picks! Going with the kids and then spending draft picks on old broken down vets at the deadline are opposite actions. Pick one.

Olhaver isn't a scorer, he is actually a checker/grinder type. he uses his size and skates well.

A couple of names for the 4th round-the last 1 I am doing. rounds5-7 will all be Hakan specials anyway.... Andrew Nielsen 6-3/210 LHed D Joe Cecconi 6-3/200 RHed D Gustav Olhaver 6-6/215 LHed LW

Yes, he is the grandson of the best Russian G of all time.

Same names for the 73rd pick to watch: Jason Bell 6-2/190 LHed D Keegan Kolesar 6-2/220 Rhed RW Thomas Schemitsch 6-3/200 Rhed D Maxim Tretiak 6-3/200 LHed G

True. The only way teams feel comfortable is if they are already here playing.

Holland is sticking with the kids. he said it again tonight. I doubt any trades happen. Maybe a plug in Dman for another year. Now for the pick itself. I thought we would go with a F but thought Ek-Ericksson would be the guy. But Svechnikov is a great pick. Our future top line is Svechnikov-Larkin-Mantha. That is awesome! By the time they all make it all should be 6-2+ and 200+. The only negative is they are all LHed. This could be a 100+ goal per season line!

A 1st and 2 2nd's? That is it? But oh yeah, big name players NEVER get traded. Wasn't that the line from some of you a week or so ago? I think I remember reading that somewhere before........ The only way this makes sense for Boston is if Hamilton told them he wouldn't re-sign with them.

A goalie late is fine and needed. Most of the top G prospects are rated as second rounders, something we don't have. Now if trades are made, then everything changes. So stay tuned.......

As of today, 2 days before the draft, if I had to bet..... Joel Ek-Ericksson the 6-2/185 LH C from Sweden. Just screams RW type of pick.

Today on Spectors Rumors, lebrun is quoted saying: "The Blues are open to moving backus, oshie, and/or Berglund". Something I mentioned over a month ago and everyone said never happens...... Now do they move all of them? No. but anyone of them could be moved. In the right deal of course.....

Anyone that tries to down play Bowman is a complete fool. he wins championships. has done so his entire career. the teams that he has taken over didn't win before he arrived, and stopped winning after he left. it really is that simple. Yes his son is also a very good hockey man. Where do you think he learned that? Who helped him get the job? Who do you think he turns to for advise when deciding what players to keep vs let go? This is simple stuff.

You would be wrong. Again. Wrong. Blashill is that type of coach. In fact the griffins organization all praise him when you talk to them. But hey hate on!