4/15 - Don't Panik And Smoke This Mari-Vrana GDT - Culture Appropriating Chicago Team @ Red Team - 7:30 PM EDT

[Gniwder 168]

 

[AtlantaHotWings 1,135]

Interesting lines to say the least.....but then again time to shine and show you belong......!!!

[Akakabuto 1,863]

Teams hottest player on the 4th line smdh

[AtlantaHotWings 1,135]

9 minutes ago, Akakabuto said:

Teams hottest player on the 4th line smdh

The Blash way to reward

[Gniwder 168]

1 hour ago, Akakabuto said:

Teams hottest player on the 4th line smdh

I think Erne is officially on Blash's PP now thou

[The 91 of Ryans 3,019]

1 hour ago, Akakabuto said:

Teams hottest player on the 4th line smdh

4th line that get's 2nd line minutes, 

[Gniwder 168]

10 minutes ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

4th line that get's 2nd line minutes, 

Erne is #12 in even strength ice time per game among forwards. Below Helm, Flip, and Gagner.

#15 in shifts per game among forwards. Below every forward not named Svech, Hirose, or Smith.

He's literally having a great season despite Blash.

[kipwinger 8,772]

16 minutes ago, Gniwder said:

Erne is #12 in even strength ice time per game among forwards. Below Helm, Flip, and Gagner.

#15 in shifts per game among forwards. Below every forward not named Svech, Hirose, or Smith.

He's literally having a great season despite Blash.

#12 in ice time, #1 in our hearts.

[Gniwder 168]

1 minute ago, kipwinger said:

#12 in ice time, #1 in our hearts.

Don't look now, but Erne is one of our most effective forward scorers per 60 minutes

1. Fabbri
2. Hirose
3. Smith
4. Filppula
5. Erne
....
10. Larkin
....
13. Zadina

[The 91 of Ryans 3,019]

5 minutes ago, Gniwder said:

Don't look now, but Erne is one of our most effective forward scorers per 60 minutes

1. Fabbri
2. Hirose
3. Smith
4. Filppula
5. Erne
....
10. Larkin
....
13. Zadina

What a great list. 

[Gniwder 168]

55 minutes ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

What a great list. 

Thank you I made it myself

[kipwinger 8,772]

Larkin's offense is abysmal for a "top line center". It's comical that anyone thinks this team is going anywhere with him as a 1C.

[LeftWinger 5,153]

Vrana Hatty tonight!

[The 91 of Ryans 3,019]

41 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

Larkin's offense is abysmal for a "top line center". It's comical that anyone thinks this team is going anywhere with him as a 1C.

This team definitely needs a highly skilled 1C. 

 

[Gniwder 168]

50 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

Larkin's offense is abysmal for a "top line center". It's comical that anyone thinks this team is going anywhere with him as a 1C.

x6 seasons in the NHL. About to turn 25. Averages 55 pts a season.

Don't worry he'll still develop into an elite 1C cause defense or better teammates or some other half witted excuse

[kipwinger 8,772]

Just now, Gniwder said:

x6 seasons in the NHL. About to turn 25. Averages 55 pts a season.

Don't worry he'll still develop into an elite 1C cause defense or better teammates or some other half witted excuse

6 minutes ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

This team definitely needs a highly skilled 1C. 

 

While there doesn't seem to be any agreement on the top of the draft this year, there are some interesting options at center. Kent Johnson is probably the most purely skilled playmaker, but he's slight and needs a lot of physical development. William Eklund is having an insane year as a draft eligible in the SHL, but I've seen mixed reviews about whether he's got dynamic offensive upside. Chaz Lucius scores is a natural center, is competitive and good in the faceoff dot, but he's a shoot first type center (a la Seguin or Zibanejad) and may end up getting moved to the wing. Sillinger is supposed to be very good offensively, but his skating needs a lot of work. And finally Beniers is basically Larkin 2.0 with a lower ceiling and a higher floor. He's also probably the surest thing. There doesn't seem to be any consensus on which of these guys will be the best in 3-5 years though.

[The 91 of Ryans 3,019]

10 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

While there doesn't seem to be any agreement on the top of the draft this year, there are some interesting options at center. Kent Johnson is probably the most purely skilled playmaker, but he's slight and needs a lot of physical development. William Eklund is having an insane year as a draft eligible in the SHL, but I've seen mixed reviews about whether he's got dynamic offensive upside. Chaz Lucius scores is a natural center, is competitive and good in the faceoff dot, but he's a shoot first type center (a la Seguin or Zibanejad) and may end up getting moved to the wing. Sillinger is supposed to be very good offensively, but his skating needs a lot of work. And finally Beniers is basically Larkin 2.0 with a lower ceiling and a higher floor. He's also probably the surest thing. There doesn't seem to be any consensus on which of these guys will be the best in 3-5 years though.

I agree with all of this. I don't think any of these guys are that #1 championship caliber center you want. 

IMO Yzerman has started to fill some important voids. Guys like Seider and hopefully Raymond will be important pieces. So now, do you start rolling the dice and take the highest ceiling centers with your early picks? Do you pass on Power, Guenther, Wallsted types (aka BPA types) to draft for need? 

[kipwinger 8,772]

5 minutes ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

I agree with all of this. I don't think any of these guys are that #1 championship caliber center you want. 

IMO Yzerman has started to fill some important voids. Guys like Seider and hopefully Raymond will be important pieces. So now, do you start rolling the dice and take the highest ceiling centers with your early picks? Do you pass on Power, Guenther, Wallsted types (aka BPA types) to draft for need? 

I think you basically have to do it now, because if all goes according to plan the team should start improving every year from here on out. This might be the very last time we pick in the top five for a while. And it's going to become MUCH harder to find a top end center picking in the 6-10 range. I'd probably go center with both my first rounders this year, offensive left-shot d-man next year, and power winger the year after. Kent Johnson still intrigues me, but I'm starting to sell myself on Lucius too. A shoot-first center isn't ideal, but considering Raymond is more of a playmaker you could have a Matthews-Marner type dynamic.

[The 91 of Ryans 3,019]

9 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

I think you basically have to do it now, because if all goes according to plan the team should start improving every year from here on out. This might be the very last time we pick in the top five for a while. And it's going to become MUCH harder to find a top end center picking in the 6-10 range. I'd probably go center with both my first rounders this year, offensive left-shot d-man next year, and power winger the year after. Kent Johnson still intrigues me, but I'm starting to sell myself on Lucius too. A shoot-first center isn't ideal, but considering Raymond is more of a playmaker you could have a Matthews-Marner type dynamic.

Problem is they may end up picking in the 6-10 range this draft. As much as I hate drafting for need (see: Kotkaniemi and Hayton) I agree that Yzerman needs to start drafting the crap out of centers now. 

[F.Michael 4,590]

Looking forward to see what #27 Rasmountain can do tonight.

11 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

I think you basically have to do it now, because if all goes according to plan the team should start improving every year from here on out. This might be the very last time we pick in the top five for a while. And it's going to become MUCH harder to find a top end center picking in the 6-10 range. I'd probably go center with both my first rounders this year, offensive left-shot d-man next year, and power winger the year after. Kent Johnson still intrigues me, but I'm starting to sell myself on Lucius too. A shoot-first center isn't ideal, but considering Raymond is more of a playmaker you could have a Matthews-Marner type dynamic.

By all means what you're saying makes sense...Although my limited research makes me think the Swede netminder Jesper Wallstedt could become another King Henrik, or Carey Price...Jeez - just think of having a Vezina candidate goaltending for 10 plus years...

[Gniwder 168]

This team NEEDS at every position.

1. Wallstedt - don't be a little girl and just do it. Get our Vasi/Lundqvist rolling
2. One of the Dmen - It's a D heavy draft; draft heavy on D
3. A center - We will still suck next year, we can wait for this

[kipwinger 8,772]

Just now, The 91 of Ryans said:

Problem is they may end up picking in the 6-10 range this draft. As much as I hate drafting for need (see: Kotkaniemi and Hayton) I agree that Yzerman needs to start drafting the crap out of centers now. 

Aside from my normal arguments against drafting the "best player available", I don't mind drafting for "need" this year in particular because there doesn't seem to be any agreement on which player is "best". It's not obvious that Owen Power (for example) is going to be any better a defenseman than William Eklund will be a center. And I don't really think it's because the players aren't talented or top of the lineup caliber players. I think scouting has just been so much harder this year so there's a little more uncertainty.

[F.Michael 4,590]

1 minute ago, Gniwder said:

This team NEEDS at every position.

1. Wallstedt - don't be a little girl and just do it. Get our Vasi/Lundqvist rolling
 

+1

[kipwinger 8,772]

5 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

Looking forward to see what #27 Rasmountain can do tonight.

By all means what you're saying makes sense...Although my limited research makes me think the Swede netminder Jesper Wallstedt could become another King Henrik, or Carey Price...Jeez - just think of having a Vezina candidate goaltending for 10 plus years...

If you consider Lundquist and Price two of the top goalies of the modern era (which they pretty clearly are) then they're prime evidence that you shouldn't draft a guy like that in the top five. Neither of those guys have ever won anything. It's not like the old days were a great goalie can drag a mediocre team to success. You NEED to have a good team, and then you can win with a good(ish) but not great goalie. I'd rather be the Blackhawks with Corey Crawford than the Rangers with Lundquist every single time.

Edit: Look at the last 10 Cup Champions and only Vasilevsky is a really elite goalie. Maaaaybe Quick too. But nobody else really.

Edited April 15, 2021 by kipwinger

[The 91 of Ryans 3,019]

6 minutes ago, Gniwder said:

This team NEEDS at every position.

1. Wallstedt - don't be a little girl and just do it. Get our Vasi/Lundqvist rolling
2. One of the Dmen - It's a D heavy draft; draft heavy on D
3. A center - We will still suck next year, we can wait for this

Or as Scott would say

________ - _________ - _________

________ - _________ -  Raymond

________ - Larkin - _________

__________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Seider

____________________________________________________________

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by The 91 of Ryans