Richdg

Blashill knows that coaches that done win get fired. We can only hope. I don't watch the RW's because I want to see the wins atm. I know we are a sub .500 team. I watch to see how the young players are performing. The coach is holding them back trying to win. Yes he is stuck with the roster that Holland put together. We are short on talent. Yet Blashill is trying to win. it goes in circles. Looking at the talent on this team what would I do? AA-Larkin-Mantha for 20+ mins per game. NEVER BREAK THIS LINE UP! Abby-Z-Tatar for 15 mins+ per game. Nyquist-Neilsson-Helm 15 mins per game Rotate the group of Booth, Witkowski, Glendening, Wilson and when healthy Bertuzzi as needed for matchups each game. This group plays 10 mins or less per game. After the first of the year bring up Svechnikov. By the start of next season make sure we have room for Svechnikov and Rasmussen FULL TIME! They are our future. Not Helm, Nyquist, Frk, Booth, Witkowski, Glendening, etc.....

In a ideal-not perfect world we have a top 10 pick, a bottom 10 pick after trading Green, 2 2nds and 2 or more 3rds..... How would I draft? top 10 pick: Wilde 6-2/195 RH shooting Dman known for his booming shot and physical play. Bottom 10 pick: Matty Samuelsson 6-4/215 LH shooting Dman. Think a poor mans Hedman from TB. These 2 need to play every minute of every shift together for the next 20 years. They should become a legit top pair at the next level. In the second round now I go for a couple of F's. 2 guys I like are: Jachym Kondelik 6-6/220 LH shooting C. Think Martan Hanzel. Conner Roberts 6-4/215 RH shooting RW/C. In the 3rd I would go with: Alexis Gravel 6-2/210 G. Philippe Lapointe 6-0/195 RH shooting RW-Martys kid. Just because I like to be ahead. 2 guys for 2019: Tag Bertuzzi 6-2/200 LH shooting LW-Todds kid should be a 1st rounder. Mason Primeau 6-4/190 LH shooting C. late 1st/2nd rounder.

Tough players get PIM's. You want a tough team you are going to have PIM's. We lack toughness as a team and have for 10+ years. We are finally starting to fix that. Rasmussen is part of that fix. I would rather have a team of Howe's than a team of Z's. Now back to rasmussen, he is doing what we want him to do. He is performing at a high level. That is what I expect. I am not making any huge predictions other than I stated. Lets see how it plays out. Now his actual numbers show some positives. He is averaging 1.22 pts per game. More assists than goals-he did that 2 years ago as well. He is out performing Vilardi again-to be far Gab is hurt; and Tippett who can't get off of the Panthers bench. Now I hate comparing players in a draft vs each other. They all go to different teams with different enviroments/strengths/weaknesses..... My point is and remains: Rasmussen is good! He was a good pick!

So you don't like Gordie Howe? A tough physical player? You get PIM's. Far to many soft fall on the ice types on our team. As for his points we are 8 games in. Lets wait till half way before we jump to any major conclusions. He is off to a good start-which was my point. Considering he is coming off a broken wrist, a very good start. As for how he scores why do so many care? Scoring 30 goals is scoring 30 goals. Be it even, short handed, or on the PP. Its the total that matters. If we beat a team 3 to 1 with all 3 coming on the PP did we not still win? If we lose 5 to 4 and all 4 came even strength did we not still lose? yes!

Update on stats. 8 games played, 4 goals, 5 assists, 10 Pims. Not a bad start at all. Over a full season thats what? 40+ goals 50+ assists 100+ PIMs. I will take that.

We have a very good group of F based on potential. Mantha, Larkin, AA, Rasmussen, and Svechnikov are all potential top 6 guys. Smith isn't far behind-3rd line type. Nyquist and Tatar are good secondary scorers. Abby, Helm, Sheahan, Witkowski, B=Lil Bert, and Glendening are all good muckers and grinders. Add 1 or 2 more over the next 2 drafts and we should be well stocked with high end talent for the next 12-15 years. as good as this group looks on paper, that is how bad the BL corp looks on paper. But that is another topic for another time....

A laundry list of things..... 1. Holland gets retired.... 2. Blashill gets fired. 3. Kronwall gets LTIRed 4. Ericsson gets bought out. 5. Bottom 10 finish and a top 10 pick in 2018. With that pick we take one of: Dahlin, Svechnikov, Tkachuck, Wilde, McIssac, McBain, McCleod. All are future stars and all fill a major need. 6. AA needs to be resigned. But then again so do Mantha, Larkin, Sheahan-maybe, Mrazek-maybe. 7. I hope that E Svechnikov gets 20+ games with the RW's this year. 8. Not only do I hope Green gets moved at the deadline but I hope Daley does as well. If possible 1 of the G's. 9. I hope and believe that Choloski, G Smith, and Rasmussen will all have big seasons this year in Junior. All are key to our future and all could be pushing for a roster spot next year. 10. I love the thought of what our F group looks like in a couple of years. Think about this group: Mantha-Larkin-Frk Svechnikov-Rasmussen-Tatar Smith-AA-???? maybe Nyquist? 2018 or 2019 1st round pick? Abby-Sheahan-Witkowski Lil Bert and Glendening That is a really good group-based on talent. 11. As much as I love our F group I hate our BL corp an equal amount. In a few years you will have something like this: Dekeyser-Jensen Cholowski-Sproul Hicketts-McIlrath Oullett-??? 2018 or 2019 1st round pick? Group needs help. Adding a John Carlsson would be awesome! If only we had some cap space..... 12. Mantha, Larkin, and Tatar will all get 25+ goals. No one else will be over 20. 13. I see a 80 point season. More O than last year but a week D again.....

We don't have room for him is a large part of it. Yes he needs another year of getting bigger and stronger.

We can talk about UFA's...... But why do that to ourselves? We have no cap space. We can't even sign our own RFA's.... Next year we need to resign Mantha and Larkin and AA isn't signed yet. Then there is Mrazek, Sheahan, etc.....

As was being discussed on the radio tonight, the RW's are going 8 D-all set if healthy and 13 F's. If AA signs we have 12. So who is the 13th? Bert is out. So is it PAP? Booth? If Sheahan gets moved we have 2 spots open depending on the return. So both PAP and Booth? Do we take a risk and give Rasmussen a shot for a while? IIRC they can play up to 12 games in the NHL and still go back to junior. So give him a nice taste until Bert is ready? Do we go with another scorer like Svechnikov? Thoughts?

Make that 4 G is 4 games....... Does Holland have the guts to keep him?

You know.... that Rasmussen kid looks pretty good out there. 3 goals in 4 games. Not bad for an 18 year old kid. Trade Sheahan, resign AA to play wing and let Rasmussen be the 3rd C? Might make sense.......

I didnt make it clear, but it was KK and PW on the radio broadcast that said we are going 13 F's and 8 Dmen. The D is set: DD, Daley, Ericsson, Kronwall, Oullett, Sproul, Jensen, and Green. Baring injury that is the BL core. The F's are were we have a couple of questions. But as of today: Z, Larkin, Mantha, Abby, Neilsson, tatar, Nyquist, Helm, Glendening, Witkowski, and Sheahan. They will be on the roster if healthy. Bert is hurt 3-4 more weeks IIRC. AA is not yet signed. That means we have 11 ready to go with 2 open spots. That is were the question comes. Go with vets? PAP and/or Booth until more youth is ready? Keep young talents that may not be ready: Frk, Svechnikov, or Rasmussen? Now Frk has to clear waivers to go down. Ras can play a few games and still go back to Junior. Svechnikov needs a little more time in the minors-would like to see him up for the second half of the season. We do need 1 more body to have 12 F's dressed. 1 can sit in the box. Let a vet sit in the box.

Ummm.... Watching the game. Why is everyone so worried about Rasmussen? He has a goal. Screened/distracted the G for Tatars goal, and has provided Nyquist and Tatar several great passes that lead to them getting off good shots on net. Where are these supposed flaws? Yes he is 18. Yes it is preseason. But tonight he is one of top 4 or 5 F's on the ice. No the Pens are not playing their stars, but it is most of their 3 and 4th lines and 3/4 D pairs. In other words NHL players. Mantha and Larkin are clearly playing better then the line of Tatar, Nyquist, and Ras are playing great. Ras is providing more O tonight than Sheahan did Saturday night while playing with Tatar and Nyquist. That being said. Yes he needs to get bigger and stronger. Just think what he will be at 20-21. 6-6/235 with skating ability, toughness, and SKILL! I love it!

That is what I was tlaking about. a point per game.

Thats what he did last year while missing 1/3 of the season. I expect him to be more productive-if healthy. Just like Mantha did his final year in junior. Either way it don't really matter because it is junior. Its what he does for the RW's in a few years that matters.

Raz will be fine. It will take him 2-3 years to be ready but in time he will be a top 6 F for us. I expect him to go back to juniors this year and put up 50g 120 points. Then 1-2 years in GR. I have said it since we drafted him, I see a young Keith Primeau. At worst a young Eric Daze. Depending if he is a C or a LW.

He is a future 30 goal man. Can play C if we decide to move him there. TBH he can play all 3 F positions.

Nope and it has nothing to do with him or his play.

Smith again you didn't answer my questions. 1. Do we resign Nyquist in 2 years when it will cost us 5.5 to 6 mil in cap space to do so? If not move him. 2. Why move a bad contract to retain salary? Lets say we move E but have to keep 3 mill of the cap hit. You have to replace him on the roster with a player at the Dman position so at min that .75 mil in cap. That only freed up 1 mil to resign AA, not enough. We didn't gain anything. It will take 2.5 mil + to resign AA. Then next year we have the same problem with the next batch of young players needing new contracts. Yes Holland screwed up. But we need to find a way out without loosing our good young talent. As for Nyquist he just isn't that good. Once the league saw is game and it adjusted. He has struggled since. He spends more time lying on the ice than skating on it. Yes he has a role as a secondary scorer on a good line. He is not good enough to carry a line. he is worth a pick and that gives us more assets.

No GM is going to trade for Kronwall, E, I doubt nielsson, etc.... Yes we could move a greean at the deadline, but that doesn't help our cap now and help with resigning AA. Back to Nyquist. he doesn't suck and I never have said that. I said he is a 3rd line winger. Now here is the bigger question with Nyquist, what do we do with him 2 years from now? He will be a UFA. He will be 29 and currently has a 4.75 mil cap hit. By then Larkin, Mantha, Svechnikov, AA, Rasmussen, Tatar, Nielsson, and maybe even a Smith could all be ahead of him. Plus 2 more drafts, trades, UFA's-can always hope, young guys develop. Point is do we keep Nyquist at 5.5-6 mil for a 3rd line winger? Do we let him walk? Do we move him when he has value? We should move him. He has some value and his production is replaceable. He is also trending downward and disappears in the PO's. The last 3 seasons his goals were 27, 17, 12 in order. In his 28 playoff games with the RW's he has 3 goals. That is terrible. Tatar the last 3 years has scored 29, 21, 25. For his career in the PO's tatar has played 17 games and scored 3 goals. Still not very good. But in terms of scoring Tatar is the better player. Their cap hit is .5 million per year difference. Now carry things through for a minute. We keep Nyquist. AA signs with a KHL team for a year or 2 because we are cap tight. We keep the guy that scored 12 goals, lose the guy that scored 18 goals, and add nothing. Now lets try it another way. We move Nyquist for a pick. We free up 4.75 mil in cap. We resign AA and add another young F from GR like Svechnikov-who may/may not be ready. But should add 12-15 goals over the course of a full year. AA and Geno should only cost 3 mil or so we have a little cap space left over and we added a 3rd round pick. Which makes more sense?

Nyquist is overrated. Ok maybe he is finally back to his actual level. He over performed for 1.5 years. Go look at his entire career. He is a 15-20 goals per year guy with 25-30 assists. That is the type of production that can be expected. That is 3rd line production. Those type of numbers can be provided by our younger players that are coming up.

There are of course 2 ways to go about it. 1. just move salary 2. move salary to make the team better. Holland will do 1 or the other-he has no choice anymore. If AA were to sign with a KHL team it might cost Holland his job before the ink dries. Now he has missed chance after to chance to do something: buyout E for example..... trade any number of players. Right now today I try to trade Helm. He is a defensive C only. We have others that can play that role. Guys like him are valuable to PO caliber teams. I would think we could get a 3rd round pick for him without retaining any salary. He is my first move. The second is Nyquist. An offensively challenged team would take him and his contract, might get a 2nd round pick back. At the trade deadline move Green. DO NOT RESIGN HIM KENNY!!!!!!!!!!

1. Caps finally win the cup. 2. The Blackhawks miss the playoffs. 3. The RW's lead the NHL is fighting majors.

Back to the topic at hand. Playoffs? No. Might be worse. The soph slump will get some of Mantha, AA, Oullett, and Jensen. Larkin should be better. Howard is good when healthy but it at the age he will not play 50-55 games. Mrazek is unknown at this point in time. Great ability but....... Kronwall is toast, E not far behind, and Z is at an age he can't do it every night to say nothing about his bad back. Fact is we are going to get worse before we get better. On the plus side I think the getting better will be the 2018/19 season. So not far away.