dm_ranger

Add a tag please

I like this team

Between the miller trade and then this extension it tells me FA is OK not making the playoffs this year but expect them to next year. If we don't make the playoffs we keep our first and our GM which could make the trade deadline period less do-or-die for Benning. Saying 'the dark days are behind us' could simply mean we expect 6-8 pt increase in standings this year and next which will keep things moving in the right direction.

Everyone puts Ferland with EP, but I wonder if Miller is a better fit. Still a big body who can fore-check -- but also really good at draws. I wonder if you have him take 1/2 the face offs for that line so they start with the puck more.

Opening night roster: To finish the season: Ferland - Petterson - Boesser Ferland -- Petterson -- Boesser Pearson - Bo - Miller Pearson - Bo -- Miller Sutter - Gaudette - Levo Roussel - Gaudette -- Virtanen Virtanen - Beagle - Motte MacEwen - Beagle - Motte Eriksson - Schaller Roussel - IR (Eriksson) Edler - Myers Edler -- Stecher Hughes - Tanev Hughes - Myers Benn - Stecher Benn - Tryamkin Fantenburg Fantenburg Markstrom Markstrom Demko: (30 games) Demko Sutter and Tanev, traded at the deadline -- Gaudette and OJ called up to replace them Tryamkin signs at the end of his season -- OJ is sent back down Results: finish 1 pt out of playoffs -- win the lottery and pick 2nd OA. PP finishes in the top 10 PK finishes in the top 10 Calder voting results in a: Hughes -- Kakko -- Hughes finish (I'll let you guess which one is ours) Petterson gets a few Hart votes Horvat named captain, leads the league in face-offs again and receives more Selke votes than Petterson gets Hart votes. That's it for now.

the whole point is that you are allowed to talk, interview and negotiate. The fact that it is leaked doesn't make it wrong.

I hope we re-sign Hutton at a 5-6 d salary. I think he's good as a bottom pair D.

That is an interesting point. Based on his draft position he is a great pick, the trouble is he got a contract he couldn't earn (not his fault) and now everyone treats him with contract level expectations not draft expectations. In a re-draft would he be a first round pick?

He checks a lot of boxes that we need checked. That comes at a cost, $6M x 5 would be great. but I expect more of both if we sign him.

Assuming: Signing Meyers -- seems like we are going to try. re-Sign Hutton Trade Tanev to TO for Zaitsev (healthier) This would be the pairing I see -- each being capable of 18-22 minutes Edler - Stecher Hughes - Meyer Hutton - Zaitsev Extra: Beiga Hope Juolevi replaces Hutton part way through the year. That is 3 new D from last year, as I count Hughes as a new player. It's replacing Pouliet, Gurbranson, Tanev with Hughes, Meyer, Zaitsev. I think that is an improvement

Right. I don't like the price, but it isn't as bad as it could be. If we just miss the playoffs, we keep the lottery pick -- Will Benning be around to make the pick? Maybe/maybe not -- but it is a high pick for him or the next GM. If we don't make the playoffs the next two year -- well then we are looking like the Oilers and we might as well start rebuilding the rebuild and it is no longer JB issue anyway. If we make the playoffs -- Benning probably keeps his job.

Hoglander is 20 lbs heavier than Gaudreau as a 17 year old. We don't know he will disappear. Boeser doesn't hit, but he is big enough to survive. Pod plays physical You seem to be starting from the point of view that they will fail until they prove otherwise. Agreed about the 2011 bottom 6 being awesome though. I would drop Madden and keep Beagle and move Gaudette up -- that bottom 6 survives.

Hoglander - Pettersson - Boeser Miller - Horvat - Podkolzin Pearson - Madden - Virtanen Leivo - Gaudette - MacEwen these players don't. not sure about Gaudette or Hoglander -

Kesler wanted to win and did everything on the ice to win. He didn't want to rebuild. Miller is coming into a top 6 of playing with Bo, Petey, Boes, joining a team on the upswing might make you want to stick around.

Remind me again how many of JBs first round picks have been Calder nominees? As a percentage? Any other GM have that ratio?

No argument about that from me, but then why did you post that Boeser is not hard to play against? As for my post: I'm simply stating we don't know how he will stand up to a playoff grind.

I think the term 'hard to play against' shouldn't be the focus -- but 'strong and able to stand up to physical play' should be. This can be either/or dishing out or resisting getting rubbed out and survive in the playoffs, and I think these all fit: Virtanen Horvat Boeser Roussel Levo Pearson Beagle Erickson Juries out on: Sutter Gaudette Motte Grandlund Pettersson

How hard do you think it is to convince people to allow management to ship them out of Edmonton?

Would they take Sutter? -- stabalize their PK and the bottom 6

If we take marleau would they take Erikson?

I don't think the deal is good enough from our end. Goldobin can't be considered much in terms of value. Tanev, Biega, Grandlund. -- shores up their RD and gives a serviceable bottom 6 forward at cheap cap hit. They get 'more' as babcock asks for and shed cap. Zaitsev plays a lot of minutes and Kapanen would be great for us.

You could also offer a conditional pick based on games played. 4th round, becomes 5th becomes 6th based on either or both players playing 60+ games.

Not defending this, but most of us tend to go on auto pilot in morning routines on the way to work. (ever found yourself driving home and suddenly realize you don't remember half the drive?) I remember a story from a number of years ago. last second morning change of plans, different parent dropping off the kid for daycare before work that usual. Kid falls asleep in the car as you are driving. Forget they are there because they are not usually there, Auto pilot to work Other parent doesn't worry because the child is with the other parent. 9 hr work day. Spend the rest of your life in horror living with the worst thing I can imagine as a parent -- you let your child die. Nothing we say here is remotely close to how that family feels.

If he has skills, good IQ and is mobile enough then it sounds great. As I said I don't claim to know any of these prospects. I just don't want someone whose success to this point is that he was 6'6 playing against 5'9 players. If he checks the other boxes great.

I won't claim to have any insight into prospects and their projections. I do however, have an immediate hesitation when 'man-child' is used. Kids that are bigger, stronger, faster, than their 15-17 year old rivals don't stay bigger, faster, stronger at the NHL level. I think you need to look at skills, IQ, and work rate of the "Man-child" prospects harder than you do with other prospects. This doesn't mean don't take them, but be aware that their physical advantage might dry up in the NHL and I want to know they have other options. Jake and Gadjovic are possible examples of this.