The rising NHL powerhouse that Jim Benning constructed

[aGENT]

7 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said:

Perhaps. I have am pretty open-minded to whether or not things pan out. Just considering all options. I don't consider myself like others who say 'I don't see a future core here' It's a closed-minded approach. I just try to see areas where we need bolstering and improvement to the current lineup compared to the prospects coming up. I've said before we have a lot of 'what ifs' which isn't a bad thing. I just want a couple more who are more 'sure fire' like Hughes and Pod are. We'd be in a lot better of a position for it.

 

 

Time will eventually tell though. 

Yup. My point was we had even more 'what-ifs' a few years ago. Nothing is 'sure fire' until it is. That includes the likes of Podkolzin who could just as easily evaporate as arrive in two years and be a Russian Tkachuck-like player for us (with less douchy-ness).

 

As I said, a few years ago Boeser was a promising college scorer with skating issues and questions on whether he could translate that to the NHL (and some injury/wrist issues).

 

Pettersson was a skinny 'reach' of a pick that was certainly skilled but HUGE question marks on whether he, his frame or his skill would translate.

 

Hughes hadn't even been drafted.

 

And again, I think given those players, what they've turned in to, the supporting cast that management has drafted, traded and signed around them....that this management deserves both the benefit if the doubt and the faith in some of these up and coming guys, and the current development trajectories they appear to be on.

 

The proof will indeed eventually be in the pudding (or not). But right now we've got the pillars of a pretty solid core in place and a TONNE of up and coming complimentary guys coming in behind them (as well as a nice sprinkling of VERY solid support players/vets). We're not there yet, but we appear to be headed in a very nice direction. It's on the horizon

 

 

[spur1]

7 hours ago, aGENT said:

It doesn't look like Zad's foot/leg even particularly contact him. That's all just a large mass vs small mass with the shoulder/chest are being the primary point of contact (and pivot point as JK loses his balance and feet).

 

Unfortunate and likely painful as it was, that's nothing like the dirty choke-slam EP40 got.

Watch the right leg. Not really a slew foot in the sense that he didn’t take his foot out. He did however take his leg out with his knee just above the knee.