GASabresIUFAN

Yes, but unlike here they are affiliated with a parent club in the VHL or KHL. The VHL is like the AHL except most of the teams are independent and not affiliated with a specific KHL team. The below article should help explain the leagues https://thewincolumn.ca/2020/11/02/a-comprehensive-guide-to-all-the-major-hockey-leagues-outside-north-america/

I’m going to respectfully disagree. I like Z, but he’s a winger. We’ll see what DG does, but I think he’ll play Eakin over Z in the middle. Edit: I went and looked at DG’s scrimmage lines and he had Z between Caggiula and KO and Eakin with prospects. You may be right that DG intends Z as the 4C.

I'm not, but as a 4th line center who can win draws and play PK, he has some use. He is also the only proven faceoff guy on the roster. Caggiula and Bjork are wingers and I'd rather play the 8 wingers I mentioned over either guy.

The unexpected.

Mitts, Cozens, R2, Eakin Skinner, Asplund, Murray, Girgensons Olofsson, Thompson, Hinostroza, KO Here is a full roster with only one prospect (Murray) winning a job with no Caggiula or Bjork. I don't see how either of these guys is an upgrade over the guys on my list.

I’m not sure I agree with that. We haven’t seen Levi yet, but at the World Jrs he was fantastic. We’ll have a chance to see both in college this year to see who is better. Portillo was very good at Michigan last season but in a very limited role.

I don't think Cagguila or Bjork add anything to this roster but smallish cap hits.

He got 2 games last year. He is only 23. Same draft class as Asplund. It's time.

Any camp early positives and negatives? I have a couple so far. I didn't like Cozens with Skinner and Olofsson. I don't see a matching skill set. I'm glad that Mitts is going to center them going forward. I would like to see Skinner and Olofsson on different lines. I'm glad that R2 is getting a shot at earning the 3C job. If I had to guess right now, Murray is going to steal a job in the NHL out of camp ahead of guys like MacInnis and Hayden.

Honestly the goaltending is the thing (of two things) this off-season I really don't understand. I don't understand how a GM, who is working to instill a winning professional culture can bring in 2 goalies who played 11 games last season total and have been in decline for 3 years and think that's going to work. This team was going to struggle with decent goaltending because of all the youth on the roster, but to sabotage the season with Dell and Anderson is simply wrong.

About time.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Welcome to goalie hell. One can hope.

50 pts and challenge for team lead in points and will be the leader in assists. I expect 23 minutes a night, improved all around play and more of willingness to try to assert his will on the game. This is his team now. He doesn't have to defer to Jack or Sam or Risto any longer. He also has a coach who believes in him and has stated he has the green light to spark the offense. I think he'll be one of the biggest bright spots this season. With all this freedom comes responsibility. Jokiharju's growth as a player in a more defensive role will really help Dahlin gain more freedom.

Who are you and what have you done with Buffalonill.

No idea what he is.

There back…..

I think your missing an option in the poll of an early season call up that sticks with the team.

He is unlikely to make the team out of camp. KA’s acquisitions of Hagg, Butcher and Pysyk effectively block the prospects at least initially. However Samuelsson will be an early season callup and secure the job for the rest of the year.

Yep. Where he belongs. 😁 I wouldn’t read to much into the line numbers. DG is going to match up lines as best he can.

Unless a miracle occurs and Jack is traded before the season and we get a proven center in return, R2 will center our 3rd line, get PP time and surprise with a 35-40 pt season.

Not at all. Being professional and learning how to win are completely different things. This organization needs both. Sadly KA decided to ignore trying to win. Instead he went for effort only

You seem to have ignored the bolded part of my post. However, you can’t instill a winning culture if you create a roster that can’t because of poor goaltending. In fact this delivers the opposite message.

who said anything about changing the culture. I said KO was a real leader. KO is a hard worker and a pro's pro. His work ethic is a great example for the young kids about how to be a pro. The only way to change the culture is to build a winning team. The winning brings the positive culture not the other way around. That takes more talent then we currently have. You don't change the culture by putting a C on someone's chest and you also don't change it by putting crap like Anderson and Dell in net and tanking the team. However you can instill better work ethic in the team and hopefully as more talent arrives that eventually leads to winning.

Two recent events must be taken into account, plus I neglected to mention Asplund's contract Good. 1) Asplund's contract. 2 years at 825 each is a serious bargain. He'll easily outperform that contract. The question is how far can he take his game and will he become part of the core. 2) Dahlin's contract. 3 years @ 6 is a little short on term and more $ then I expected, although I thought we'd be in the 5.5 range. 7.2 in the final year insures at least a 7.2 qualifying offer for his RFA status. Hard for me to believe that he won't outperform this contract. This is his team now. Time for him to step up and lead by example and become a Norris contender. Ugly 3) Jack saga continues, now with a failed physical and the loss of the captaincy. Hard to see a resolution happening any time soon.