Mathew Barzal

According to a Utica fan who attended the game on reddit Juolevi is not looking great. Says he would not be on the roster if not for his draft position.

He'd probably have a decent year on the third line but I think our depth gives us the unique opportunity to let him marinate in the AHL for a bit. Let him learn to dominate the pro game at that level playing 20+ minutes a night and then bring him up around January/February when the inevitable injury train rolls around.

The problem is Jake is just as content to wait for his own confidence and consistency to kick in since he's been gifted a roster spot for the last three years.

Easily.

Benn giggling at Gaudette's celly made me giggle.

And on the other hand you have the Jets ... Pionk, Niku, Poolman.

So much to love about this team, but Virtanen is genuinely pissing me off now. The kid clearly hasn't worked on any of his deficiencies in the past two years. His on ice awareness and vision is god awful and the few times he does by some miracle attempt a pass it's either too hard or off the mark. Wouldn't be surprised if Ferland and Podkolzin were brought in because they saw the writing on the wall. Sad stuff, Virt literally fills the role of what this team needs the most if he could just find it in him to WORK HARD.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Sportsnet650/status/1176153903630389250?s=09 Virtanen's hanging on his last threads. Not sure he figures it out with us. He's too comfortable here.

Another game, another invisible night for Goldobin and Virtanen. Gaudette would do well to marinate On Utica's top line, he has the instincts but just needs to refine his game a bit. On the plus side, we never have to see those goaltenders in the regular season.

A change in playing mentality, from what I've seen they've just gotten better at what they were already good at. Hard to put into words because I'm trying to describe my eye test for each one. Jake's finished plays off the rush using his speed, which he was already good at. But he still tends to go invisible without the puck. Goldobin, while more active defensively is still a marshmallow in the board scrums. I don't see him willing to do the major grunt work required to win puck battles consistently. You don't have to be Chris Pronger to be physical. Again, maybe they're letting up because it's pre-season but I don't think they're in a position to not be putting their foot on the gas pedal.

Neither Goldobin nor Virtanen have shown any glimpses of progressing their overall game this preseason thus far, it's a bit disappointing but I'll reserve final judgement for the regalar season. Both still need to find a way to be putting in effort and getting themselves engaged without the puck. If we were able to ship them for picks at this point they wouldn't be sorely missed.

Anymore updates on the Rooster since training camp started?

I don't understand what the 'new thing' you're talking about is.

Considering Zegras was our guy this year I wouldn't put too much stock in trying to forecast a player type Benning is keying in on.

- Baertschi is a better fit than Pearson on Bo's left and most people will realize it this year. - Goldobin gets traded mid-November. - Podkolzin stagnate offensively in his draft +1.

There have been quite a few cases popping up of respiratory failure in vaper's. No one has pinpointed the exact cause yet. Best to just stay away.

There's no way Pettersson is 6'4" unless he had the growth spurt of his life over the summer. I'm 6'5" and he was definitely 6'1"/6'2" at the start of last season.

Hopefully he can give Juolevi some competition for the other top four slot beside Quinn.

Islander's have a really intriguing set of young forwards. Beauvillier, Bellows, Dal Colle, Wahlstrom. It'll be interesting to see which of them pan out.

Sounds like the same complaints Jackets fans have about Wennberg.

Lot of assumptions going on in this thread. Jeez.

We would have been a bubble team already last year had we been healthy. Jim Benning essentially went all in for a playoff push this offseason. We are a cap team that sacrificed a future first rounder and dropped about 15 mill on new assets. If Bennings investments don't push us into the playoffs and he isn't fired it'll be because the man is an oversized sock puppet who the Aquilinis shake every once in a while to make him say and do what they want.

Can Myers be exposed for the expansion draft?

Fine with me. If we don't make the playoffs he'll be fired at the end of this season anyways, management has no problem cutting lose ends. This way we ensure he makes no hasty decisions to save his neck mid season.