Forge Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 Also, Kuokkanen looking good from the start with Bing. 2 goals, 2 assists, 3 games. He's going to get a call up sooner rather than later. It'll be interesting to see how the team handles the young guys next year because a few guys have to go through waivers, so I wonder if those guys are actually more likely to be kept down to start the season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekay414 Posted March 2, 2020 Author Share Posted March 2, 2020 29 minutes ago, Forge said: I can't believe Zacha potted two tonight lol. He's going to hit 35 points this. Age 19 - first full season Age 20 - 1 more point in 1 fewer game than age 19 season. Age 21 - Same amount of points in 8 fewer games than age 20 season. Age 22 - Currently 5 more points in the same amount of games than his age 21 season. I mean, he's taking the tortoise approach to it, but in fairness to him, it's a steady, slight improvement every year. I like what he's showing with Bratt and Goose. Finally looks like a confident player and we all know he's an emotional rollercoaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 1 minute ago, beekay414 said: I like what he's showing with Bratt and Goose. Finally looks like a confident player and we all know he's an emotional rollercoaster. He definitely needs to develop some consistency, but I think he could find himself a 40 point player in the nhl, which certainly isn't bad. Last year he couldn't buy an assist, this year he can't buy an even strength goal (3 in 61 is just not really going to work for a top 6 center if that is what he wants to be lol). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekay414 Posted March 2, 2020 Author Share Posted March 2, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Forge said: Also, Kuokkanen looking good from the start with Bing. 2 goals, 2 assists, 3 games. He's going to get a call up sooner rather than later. It'll be interesting to see how the team handles the young guys next year because a few guys have to go through waivers, so I wonder if those guys are actually more likely to be kept down to start the season Assuming no major signings at forward, give me... Bratt-Nico-Gusev Boqvist/Kuokkanen-Hughes-Palmieri Zacha-Zajac-Merkley Wood-McLeod-Anderson I really don't want to break up the Bratt-Zacha-Gusev line but, if we're going to play Hughes at C, I don't know what we do with Zacha other than put him at wing. He'd be wasted as the 4th line C and I don't think we'd move Zajac there, though he probably should be. Edited March 2, 2020 by beekay414 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekay414 Posted March 2, 2020 Author Share Posted March 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, Forge said: He definitely needs to develop some consistency, but I think he could find himself a 40 point player in the nhl, which certainly isn't bad. Last year he couldn't buy an assist, this year he can't buy an even strength goal (3 in 61 is just not really going to work for a top 6 center if that is what he wants to be lol). I think he's fine tbh. He's definitely the one that could use consistent structure from a NHL quality coaching staff. Hynes and co. did him absolutely no favors in regards to his development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 Just now, beekay414 said: Assuming no major signings at forward, give me... Bratt-Nico-Gusev Kuokkanen-Hughes-Palmieri Zacha-Zajac-Merkley Wood-McLeod-Anderson I really don't want to break up the Bratt-Zacha-Gusev line but, if we're going to play Hughes at C, I don't know what we do with Zacha other than put him at wing. He'd be wasted as the 4th line C and I don't think we'd move Zajac there, though he probably should be. I've been clamoring for the Bratt / Nico / Goose line. I already know that Bratt / Nico have great chemistry, and Goose / Bratt have been showing it as well. But we need to get Nico going, and this has been a disaster with Hughes. Tonight was the first point for Nico in 7 games, I believe. That's just insane. I do like this set up, though I like Joey and Merkley playing together. They showed nice chemistry together. But honestly, I really hope that we make a move or two to sign a potential top 6 bridge guy that we can maybe even flip. I still feel like you have to trade someone like Zacha or Wood (obviously, leaning the latter as much as I like him). If we are going to be running out a lot of the youngsters. We have a lot of bottom 6 types in the immediate future, no guys I think are potential real top 6 players, so like our LHD situation, we have a lot of back depth and nothing up top. We need to clear some of the bottom 6 clutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 2 minutes ago, beekay414 said: I think he's fine tbh. He's definitely the one that could use consistent structure from a NHL quality coaching staff. Hynes and co. did him absolutely no favors in regards to his development. I think he's okay. The HF boards have a weird structure where everyone things he's either way better than he is, or that he's horrific. I mean, why can't the answer be in the middle? LOL. Isn't it just fine if he's a natural Zajac replacement as a 3c (or 3lw...really depends on what we do roster building wise. For the time being though, I would assume he sticks in the middle). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekay414 Posted March 2, 2020 Author Share Posted March 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, Forge said: I've been clamoring for the Bratt / Nico / Goose line. I already know that Bratt / Nico have great chemistry, and Goose / Bratt have been showing it as well. But we need to get Nico going, and this has been a disaster with Hughes. Tonight was the first point for Nico in 7 games, I believe. That's just insane. I do like this set up, though I like Joey and Merkley playing together. They showed nice chemistry together. But honestly, I really hope that we make a move or two to sign a potential top 6 bridge guy that we can maybe even flip. I still feel like you have to trade someone like Zacha or Wood (obviously, leaning the latter as much as I like him). If we are going to be running out a lot of the youngsters. We have a lot of bottom 6 types in the immediate future, no guys I think are potential real top 6 players, so like our LHD situation, we have a lot of back depth and nothing up top. We need to clear some of the bottom 6 clutter. I think we keep Wood around one more year and he ends up being the Seattle pick. By then, the younger guys should be ready to go for a full-time role, which we're still not sure what they are at this point so it doesn't hurt to keep Wood around. I don't think I trade Zacha yet. I forgot Boqvist in the original post. Tho, I would give the edge to Kuokkanen just because he already has the AHL seasoning while it wouldn't hurt Boqvist to play a full season down there. I'm fine with either getting a role, should they earn it in camp. I want Joey and Merkley on their natural sides though and I don't see a way to keep them together unless we bump Wood up and play him on the right side or with Hughes and Palms and have a different 3rd line RW (FA/Trade?). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 Completely random note, but it's kind of insane how swedish hockey players can seriously just adjust their speech to sound so american with little hint of an accent. I actually noticed it in a poker related video for Martin Jacobson, but then listing to some swedish hockey players, I swear, you'd never be able to guess that they weren't from America in a lot of cases. Have you ever heard Lundqvist speak? I swear, like no hint of an accent lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekay414 Posted March 2, 2020 Author Share Posted March 2, 2020 Just now, Forge said: Completely random note, but it's kind of insane how swedish hockey players can seriously just adjust their speech to sound so american with little hint of an accent. I actually noticed it in a poker related video for Martin Jacobson, but then listing to some swedish hockey players, I swear, you'd never be able to guess that they weren't from America in a lot of cases. Have you ever heard Lundqvist speak? I swear, like no hint of an accent lol If I didn't know Hank's last name was Lundqvist, I'd swear he was American lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekay414 Posted March 2, 2020 Author Share Posted March 2, 2020 I really don't want Wood with Hughes though. Think about how pissy we're getting with Nico and Palms blowing beauties from Hughes and now picture Wood fumbling the puck off a beaut lol. Would make me want to jump off a bridge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, beekay414 said: I think we keep Wood around one more year and he ends up being the Seattle pick. By then, the younger guys should be ready to go for a full-time role, which we're still not sure what they are at this point so it doesn't hurt to keep Wood around. I don't think I trade Zacha yet. I forgot Boqvist in the original post. Tho, I would give the edge to Kuokkanen just because he already has the AHL seasoning while it wouldn't hurt Boqvist to play a full season down there. I'm fine with either getting a role, should they earn it in camp. I want Joey and Merkley on their natural sides though and I don't see a way to keep them together unless we bump Wood up and play him on the right side or with Hughes and Palms and have a different 3rd line RW (FA/Trade?). Honestly, what we really need is just for a couple of the young kids to come out and just show that they can be more than a bottom sixer. Just come out next season and show that they are long term, high value assets with middle to top 6 potential . Because we are banking on a lot of growth at this point, particularly if we aren't signing guys. We just need a few of these guys (really, just like 2), to separate themselves. That would be really nice. That's really what gums up the works. You look at them all and it's like, damn guys, we only have so many bottom six roles lol. So we need some guys to just make it known that they can play a second line winger role. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekay414 Posted March 2, 2020 Author Share Posted March 2, 2020 Just now, Forge said: Honestly, what we really need is just for a couple of the young kids to come out and just show that they can be more than a bottom sixer. Just come out next season and show that they are long term, high value assets with middle to top 6 potential . Because we are banking on a lot of growth at this point, particularly if we aren't signing guys. We just need a few of these guys (really, just like 2), to separate themselves. That would be really nice. That's really what gums up the works. You look at them all and it's like, damn guys, we only have so many bottom six roles lol. So we need some guys to just make it known that they can play a second line winger role. Absolutely. It's gonna take quality coaching so we absolutely need to nail this offseason hire. These kids have talent, they just have clueless coaches that have ingrained some piss poor habits/strategies. With real structure and a gameplan that's not catered for pee wee hockey, they'll grow. I mean, they already look much better with Nas than they did with Hynes so that's a start. Now, imagine what they'd look like with a Gallant or Laviolette? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 Just now, beekay414 said: I really don't want Wood with Hughes though. Think about how pissy we're getting with Nico and Palms blowing beauties from Hughes and now picture Wood fumbling the puck off a beaut lol. Would make me want to jump off a bridge. Nobody wants Wood with Hughes LOL. In a perfect world, I ship Wood and Butcher to someone for an upgrade. What do I have to add to them or take in salary cap dump to get Hanafin back? lolol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekay414 Posted March 2, 2020 Author Share Posted March 2, 2020 Just now, Forge said: Nobody wants Wood with Hughes LOL. In a perfect world, I ship Wood and Butcher to someone for an upgrade. What do I have to add to them or take in salary cap dump to get Hanafin back? lolol If it was feasible, sure, but I don't see anyone jumping on that pair. I think we're more likely to expose both to the Seattle expansion than trade them. Though I do like Butcher on the bottom pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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