3/4 GDT - Red Wings at Wild 7:00 PM EST

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

10 hours ago, BinMucker94 said:

The fact that there is currently zero 1st line talent and zero top pair defense on this team is enough to make me believe that we lack elite talent.

Everyone is currently playing above their role and struggling because of it. Add a few elite players to this team and players can start slotting into their proper roles and play a more consistent game.

Bin is right. There is no top talent on this team, including Mantha and Larkin.

We have to come to the cold truth that Mantha and Larkin may be the next coming of Tatar/Nyquist or Filppula/Hudler, and not Datsyuk/Zetterberg.

This is one of the reasons I advocate against the tank. Do you think Datsyuk or Zetterberg would be the caliber of player they were and are today without spending extended time with Yzerman/Chelios/Lidstrom etc etc. Without guidance they could have ended up down a hudler or fillpulla road as well.

Team culture is everything. It's why teams like Detroit extended playoff appearances well past their prime and why teams like Arizona cant even start one. Mantha and Larkin can learn from Zberg (thank god) but after that there's not much to look up to.

A natural talent like Dahlin is well needed

 

[ami 273]

22 hours ago, BinMucker94 said:

The fact that there is currently zero 1st line talent and zero top pair defense on this team is enough to make me believe that we lack elite talent.

Everyone is currently playing above their role and struggling because of it. Add a few elite players to this team and players can start slotting into their proper roles and play a more consistent game.

but why do you believe that "Give us elite players and there is no reason why things won't turn around."?

[BinMucker94 302]

2 hours ago, ami said:

but why do you believe that "Give us elite players and there is no reason why things won't turn around."?

I get what you are driving at and there is definitely more involved than just having elite talent but there is no way that adding top line talent would not give this team a boost.

Lets pretend that we have Winnipeg’s 1st line. I’d honestly play all 3 of these guys on the top line over anyone on our team. Currently it is

Connor - Scheifele - Wheeler

Then think about 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines We could have.

Mantha - Larkin - AA

Nyquist - Z/Nielsen - Bertuzzi/Abby/Frk

Helm - Glenny - Abby/Bertuzzi/Wit

Obviously we would be over the cap but some of these players wouldn’t be needed if we had top line talent. We could make trade if needed or whatever you gotta do to cut cap. But you would be able to decide what kind of line up you want. Give the team a sense of direction. Want a s*** down line? Great Helm - Glenny - Abby/Bert. Want 4 lines that can score? Great if you can accomplish that under the cap fine.

Do the same with the defense

Dahlin - EK

Daley- Green

DK - Jensen

Theres no way that this line up wouldn’t be a hell of a lot better and more entertaining to watch. We just need to get those Elite pieces and it’s probably going to happen thru the draft unless we magically get JT and EK on free agency.

Hopefully Larkin and Mantha can make the jump and soon

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

This franchise has been successful in the past with elite level talent. 4 cups in 11 an 11 year span. I won't speak for kliq, but i assume that that was what he was referring to. 

[krsmith17 7,191]

3 hours ago, BinMucker94 said:

I get what you are driving at and there is definitely more involved than just having elite talent but there is no way that adding top line talent would not give this team a boost.

Lets pretend that we have Winnipeg’s 1st line. I’d honestly play all 3 of these guys on the top line over anyone on our team. Currently it is

Connor - Scheifele - Wheeler

Then think about 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines We could have.

Mantha - Larkin - AA

Nyquist - Z/Nielsen - Bertuzzi/Abby/Frk

Helm - Glenny - Abby/Bertuzzi/Wit

Obviously we would be over the cap but some of these players wouldn’t be needed if we had top line talent. We could make trade if needed or whatever you gotta do to cut cap. But you would be able to decide what kind of line up you want. Give the team a sense of direction. Want a s*** down line? Great Helm - Glenny - Abby/Bert. Want 4 lines that can score? Great if you can accomplish that under the cap fine.

Do the same with the defense

Dahlin - EK

Daley- Green

DK - Jensen

Theres no way that this line up wouldn’t be a hell of a lot better and more entertaining to watch. We just need to get those Elite pieces and it’s probably going to happen thru the draft unless we magically get JT and EK on free agency.

Hopefully Larkin and Mantha can make the jump and soon

To be fair, if you gave any team in the league those 5 players, they would instantly be contenders. I don't necessarily think we need to add 5 top end players though. If we could add a top end forward, and a top end defenseman, along with the growth of the kids, we could be well on our way to becoming legit contenders within the next few seasons.

[BinMucker94 302]

9 hours ago, krsmith17 said:

To be fair, if you gave any team in the league those 5 players, they would instantly be contenders. I don't necessarily think we need to add 5 top end players though. If we could add a top end forward, and a top end defenseman, along with the growth of the kids, we could be well on our way to becoming legit contenders within the next few seasons.

I agree. I don’t think it would take 5 players to start turning this team around. Just an example that currently none of our players are capable of playing a top line role on a contender.

Larkin and Mantha seem like they could be effective top line players down the road. Not sure if they ever reach elite status but if enough of our draft picks over the next 2-4 years pan out then we shouldn’t have any problem filling out the roster with top end talent.

Edited March 8, 2018 by BinMucker94

[krsmith17 7,191]

1 hour ago, BinMucker94 said:

I agree. I don’t think it would take 5 players to start turning this team around. Just an example that currently none of our players are capable of playing a top line role on a contender.

Larkin and Mantha seem like they could be effective top line players down the road. Not sure if they ever reach elite status but if enough of our draft picks over the next 2-4 years pan out then we shouldn’t have any problem filling out the roster with top end talent.

Yeah, I don't think either will be elite, because I consider elite to be top 3-5 of their respective positions. I do think both Larkin and Mantha could / likely will be legit top line forwards though. Put Larkin in between two legit top line wingers, and he'd likely be a point per game player. Put Mantha on the wing with any legit top center, and he'd be a perennial 30+ goal scorer. Hell, he might even reach, or come close to that plateau on this team this season.

I think we give them both another year to develop, give them another legit top end winger, and they're all of a sudden a very good top line in this league.

But yeah, we definitely need to start hitting on some of these picks, especially now that we're getting more in quality and quantity of picks over the next 2-3 drafts...