Richdg

Think Coraeu's size with Mrazek's agility. Watched him play 1 game last year. Very agile. Yes it was the USHL but him and Svechnikov were by far the 2 best players on the ice for the Jacks.

The teams that own the rights have the advantage because they can offer an 8th year. Get the rights.

You are funny. Nyquist will never repeat his career start. NEVER. A nearly 20% shooting % is not sustainable. By anyone. Z's is around 10% and he is twice the player Nyquist will ever be. Tatar is a sniper and that is it. He will always have more goals than assists-meaning he dosn't help those around him. We have much better players coming behind them already here. Nyquist doesn't play in the slot because he spends most of his time at the position lying on the ice after he gets knocked down. That is also Mantha and Svechnikovs best position-both are much much better than Nyquist. Bert is not nor will he ever be a top 9 F, neither is Helm btw but you have to fill the position. The cold hard trueth is we need to add top end talent. Be it a top 2 Dman or a true #1. To get guys like that you have to give up value. If the options are give up Nyquist and/or tatar to fill one of those holes or a Mantha or Svechnikov to fill one of those holes you move the expensive guys that are maxed out. Mantha is a future 30 goal man and Svechnikov may be as well. Same with rasmussen. Something that neither Nyquist or Tatar will ever be. All that being said, do I expect Nyquist and tatar on our opening night roster? Yes. Why? Becasue Holland is too afraid to make a trade.

I missed the 't after can. As in can't score 40 goals between them. They don't make others around them better. They are run of the mill average players in the league. As for your question about why not all 6? Not enough roster positions. Z, neilsson, Abby, Larkin, mantha, Rasmussen, Svechnikov, AA, and Helm as your top 9. Ok we move AA, Nyquist, and tatar and get tavaras? we can only hope. That is also the minimum it would take to get a guy like him. Yes there is risk becasue Rasmussen and Svechnikov may need another year or 2. But now your top 9 is something like this: Z-tavaras-Mantha Abby-Larkin-Svechnikov Rasmussen-Neilsson-Helm Not bad at all.

Tatar and Nyquist are secondary scorers, nothing more. Soon we will have 9+ million tied up into the 2 of them and they can produce 40 goals between them. As our major offensive threats they don't score 40. That is the problem. Would we be a better team with Nyquist, tatar, and AA or Tavaras, Svechnikov, and Rasmussen? Give me the later group. Now is that possible? Maybe.

Petruzzelli will need more than 2 years to become our starter. But to be on the roster in 2 years is very possible.

If a move is made-yes big if, for say a Dman, how bold should we be with our young talent at the F position? There are 3 old vets for the top 3 lines: Z, Neils. and Abby. There are also 3 speed guys in: Larkin, AA, and Helm. There are 3 big young F's with offensive ability: Mantha, Svechnikov, and Rasmussen. Checking line of Bert, Sheahan, and Witkowski/Glendening. That would be a big gamble but also might be the most talented F group we could ice. That of course would free up Tatar and Nyquist + some young D to get another top Dman. You could run F lines of: Z-Larkin-Mantha Helm-Neilsson-Svechnikov Abby-AA-Rasmussen Flip Helm and Abby if you want.

I said before the draft (or just after) that Rasmussen was somewhere between Daze and Primeau. Either one in their prime would make us a much better team. Is he one of our top 9 F's right now? Find out in September....

He is a checker. Nothing wrong with that. Every scouting site in the world had him as a 5th or lower. Many had him not getting drafted. Yes he plays great in the PO's. 3 years in a row. But during the regular season he hasn't been an offensive player. 25 goals in 120+ AHL games. He is a 4th liner in the NHL.

A lot of faith in a guy that isn't dominating in the AHL and has done nothing in the NHL. The problem with Bert isn't that we drafted him, its that he was a projected 5th round guy and we used a 2nd on him. We could have had Bert and another player like Fasching or Hayden, etc.....

You sure on Smith. He played with the Griffins last year. Yes there are some funny rules between the NHL and the CHL that I can't ever remember.....

This is true. Howard is a better G right now. His problem is one of health not ability. Mrazek may be better down the road, time will tell.

That is the feeling and has been mine. But there is always hope!

For once I do expect a trade or 2 to happen this summer. Not sure who is heading out or coming in but this is not a playoff roster and Holland has stated he wants us to make the playoffs this year. That means major changes will happen. This is also scary. For us to get major pieces we have to give up major pieces, something we don't have. This also means that some guys may end up on our roster before they are ready. Guys like Svechnikov, Smith and Rasmussen.

You are correct in saying we don't shoot enough, we don't. But the guys you listed and I bolded are not natural goal scorers. Nyquist has always been a better play maker than shooter, Sheehan has always been a good defensive C not a goal scorer, and Helm couldn't score in a womens prison with a handful of pardons! But its not just the number of shots, its the quality of shots and front of net guys to band home the rebounds. Most of our shots are from 25 feet away, not in the hot scoring areas on the ice. We have lacked any true front of net guy since Homer retired. The only true snipers on our team are Mantha and Tatar. That is it. AA scores on breakaways, Z and Nyquist are play makers, same with Neilsson. Abby gives everything he has but is a very average offensive player. But players have to be able to skate. Look at Frk. Guy has a great shot. Yet both the RW's and the Canes have let him go. Why? He can't skate. Same for Pulk when we had him.

Kronwall will hopefully be LTIRed! His knees are gone. I would resign Vanek if I could. RHed shot and played well for us last year. Gives the kids more time to develop. I was reading WIIM and they were hoping we could move 1 of Tatar or Nyquist for a 1st. I LOLed! neither will get you a 1st. We now have about 20 Demn either signed or own the rigts to. Move some for a proven vet or 2. Could say a Nyquist, Cholowski and another get you Fowler or trouba? Don't know till we ask. Please dont go out and throw a 7 year 49 million contract offer at shattenkirk. yes he is a good player and I would love to have him. But not at those numbers. 5 years and 40 makes much more sense.

Just think about the guys that should be the core of our team for the next 12-15 years. Mantha-a sniper, pure goal scorer. Svechnikov-sniper and play maker. Larkin-very good speed, good shooter and passer. AA-very good speed, good shooter average play maker, G Smith-big physical puck retriever with some offensive skill. These are the guys that will become our top 6. They will also fill out of top 2 PP units. What is missing? Front of net. No one else in the entire system can play that role. Adding Tippett doesn't solve that. He is another sniper, which is fine. But then we have to do something dumb like this year when we had to use Mantha and Vanek as the front of net guy, roles that they are not suited for. After Vanek it got worse and we had to use Sheahan! We also used helm and Nyquist in that role. This is why Rasmussen fits our team and the team needs so well. On paper anyway. Look at potential PP units down the road: Unit 1, using a 1-3-1: net front: rasmussen slot: Mantha RH wing: Larkin LH wing: Sproul/Russo Point: DD Unit 2, using a 1-3-1: net front: Smith Slot: Svechnikov RH wing: AA LH wing: Jensen/Cholowski Point: Lindstrom Those are not bad units based on potential. Now if Tippett was our choice we lack a net from guy and we take one of the wings out of the lineup. With him being a RHed shot it would be one of the Sproul/Russo or Jensen/Cholowski pairs.

again 1 was ranked 4th the other 5th. 1 can skate the other cant. Not a big difference at all here. Thing we all have to remember is every guy picked in the 1st round this year could be a bust. Every last one of them. On the flip side every one of them has enough potential to be a star. For anyone to say they know for sure who will do what is flat out lying to everyone.

There is a reason, we just have no idea what it is. Maybe it is as simple as his poor skating. Maybe more... who knows.

That we agree on. His drafting or the organizations drafting has been pretty good the last 5 years. The 10 years before that was terrible. Kindl, McCollum, Sheahan, etc.... vs. Mantha, larkin, Svechnikov, Cholowski, and rasmussen. Much rather have the later group!

It does play into things. Generally teams in all sports stay away from drafting drunks, drug users, women beaters, people that cant spell the sport they play, those that are overly entitled, etc...

What position is Tippett? Vilardi? Neither will be C's in the NHL. Yes we could have went D instead. I would have been very happy with Foote and less happy with others. I would have been happy with Tippett as well. But I don't believe he is better than Rasmussen either. Different players. They play a different game. We have snipers-like Tippett and have 0 front of net guys like Rasmussen. We all have been complaining-to include yourself about taking to many 50ft shots with no one there to bang home the rebounds. Now we have someone to do it.

He could yes. So what? Larkin and AA are supposed to be C's but are not sued as such. So do they suck? Or do we have a coaching problem? Svechnikov can play C very well-all 3 spots TBH. If he stays at wing does he suck? Or is it a coaching issue? If Rasmussen moves to wing that isn't a bad thing. Yes it leaves a hole at C but there are some options on the team. He is but 1 piece of the puzzle.

That is your opinion. Get over yourself. Again he was the 5th best NA skater. Vilardi was 4th. But at this point in time Rasmussen is a better skater than Vilardi. If Rasmussen goes out and puts up a bunch of 25+ goal seasons playing in front of the net who cares? Will he? We will only know 15 years from now. Then we can decide if he was a bust and the other guys you mentioned where better.

I understand when people have their own favs, but not sure why the hate for a guy that has yet to play a pro hockey game. Many keep talking about his lack of skill. Not sure where that comes from. I don't read every scouting report but I do read several. Not one said he sucked. I have been following the draft for 20+ years and over that time there are some specific sites/scouts that I have grown to trust. That being said here is the scouting reports for our last 5 1st round picks from the scout I trust the most. You tell me were he is wrong: Mantha Tall left winger with physicality and scoring prowess, as well as willingness to stick up for his teammates. A physical presence in the Q that has elevated himself into the first round by playing well in each outing. He missed the cut-off to the 2012 draft by one-day, and in 2011-12 has a respectable 22 goals and 51 points in the QMJHL. Increased that to reach the 50 goal plateau this season. He does come with a little concern that he can play uninvovled and unwilling to do much of the dirty work on the back check to unearth pucks. No one wants to start placing labels on junior scorer who come off lacking enthusiasm and full game commitment, but you have to wonder if it leads to his fall down the slottings. Larkin Two-way player at the centre position who displays excellent balance and jump all over the 200 foot sheet. Sees the ice well and makes plays in the offensive zone with both skill and grit. Plays strong on the puck and shows some snarl in the battle zones. Displays soft hands and sets up a whole lot of chances for his linemates. Very responsible in his defensive zone. Smart and aware on the attack, and deceptively quick. Svechnikov Big bodied Russian import who hands and feet can at times make him a dominant player in games. Has a good shot and feet. Possesses a big frame that has room for more weight. A member of his homeland’s team roster for the World Junior Under-20 at Christmas 2014. Cholowski Four way skating defender who has seemed to go from a tiny midget defenseman into a six foot elite skating offenseman. Calm, confident and aware from his end all the way up to the attack zone. Plays on both the PK and the PP where his vision and elusiveness already make him a strong competitor. He will continue to work on strengthening his shot and over all physicality in the weight room. He started at 5’ 8” and projects to be 6’ 3”. Committed to St. Cloud State University. Rasmussen Large competitive two-way centreman with skill and good feet. A gritty, naturally strong player with mobility who wins most board scrums. He is a dominant player in the front and below the goal line. A mobile skater who is difficult to contain or move; he wins puck battles and scores. Intriguing prospect with upside offensively: difficult to contain, and effective vision and passing skills. Owns the front of the net on the power play. He might look for the pass over shooting, but he protects the biscuit well. Has an upright skating stride but gets there and shows jam when he greets you. His combination of power and skill is at the high end of this draft class, even though you might hope he would show a bit more effort all sixty minutes. A raw talent who may end up being the best player out of the West. Do any of those scouting reports saw player X sucks? Or do those reports sound pretty spot on? I think those reports are pretty spot on and based on years of following and trusting this scout I tend to believe his evaluations. Now others may disagree which is fine. But rasmussen is going to be a good player for us, same as Mantha, Larkin, soon Svechnikov and Cholowski (the 1 guy I totally disagreed with at the time).