triumph_communes

I wish the run-of-the-mill stuff got cheaper and more focus was put on personalization/customization. Knowing these companies, they'll just jack up the price on both though.

Both UFA at season's end. Making 1.55/1.6 currently. Their agents likely tell them to wait to UFA and test the market. Can Botterill sign them now? Should Boterrill sign them now? For how much? For how long? And god forbid, if we had to choose, which one is the right choice?! Larsson is 27, the typical player's peak age. Girgensons is 25. What happens with these two is probably what makes/breaks our cap structure for the new few years. Reinhart will probably get around 7. Mittelstadt will get a cheap bridge. Ullmark/Montour need raises. Okposo's contract is still to be dealt with. Asplund can come up to take maybe one of their roles, but other than that we don't really have anything in our system to replace these two in the future. Many teams have gotten into binds by overpaying bottom-6 players too much. But these two make a duo that really stands out in the league. Do we fall for the same trap?

We have this last season of cap hell left before the light comes. There is no cap banking going on with the LTIR and we will not be able to acquire a high cap rental at the deadline this year. Please, set your expectations lower now. A pick for a rental winger isn't possible. If the trade is not cap neutral, it won't happen. You can simply argue that Botterill saw the analytics behind the last two seasons and knew there was no reason to make a move that didn't heavily favor long-term implications. And I would've agreed with that. No one winger was salvaging last season. Montour, which he did acquire, barely made a dent. Five straight years of 2nd rounders for useless rentals, and misses on 1st rounders, is what got us into this mess in the first place. Let's not hastily run back there.

I wish Mittelstadt's line got more minutes in games like Dallas where it was locked-up by the 2nd. It's a long season, and those guys need more game pace reps.

I used to wake-up looking forward to line changes. The disco jazz brought upon endless possibilities that never came to fruition, but at least gave a daily dose of hope. That joy in my life is now gone. Krueger, you have taken my winter joy away from me. What do?

I remember when Skinner was 'terrible' for the power play. Now he just rarely sees the puck, but does great. My favorite part of the power play is that the GLO line is not involved in either group, so we always have a strong line to follow-up a failed power play. They let down too often last season after power plays, but no more!

Scandella still has been the weakest link on defense. When Montour is back, Gilmour gets waived and I bet Scandella sits some. Granted, injuries will quickly change this and a Ristolainen trade does as well, which I still believe happens at some point. Pilut will probably remain in the AHL too until injuries or a trade makes a change happen. Depth. Depth are good problems to have. I like these problems.

Thank god we don’t have to see those stupid things much anymore.

Sobotka's defensive role was even greater last season, as a full-time center. Now he's just a winger who hangs back. He's just playing that role, as face-off get-off, and play hesitant while the other two work magic. It's not like he's some world beater. Anyway, to your point, I do agree. Tage used to try to skate all the way up the ice himself, skate around the perimeter, and toe drag. In pre-season he was causing havoc in front of the net, but not bouncing around like a pinball like Reinhart does. Krueger probably isn't touching the lines really soon, but I see Tage call-up bringing him into the top line to replace Reinhart, and let Reinhart push down to be the defensively responsible primo passer for that second line: Oloffson-Eichel-Thompson Skinner-Johansson-Reinhart Vesey-Mittelstadt-Sheary/Sobotka/Rodrigues Girgensons-Larsson-Okposo And this is assuming Risto stays put, which I doubt he's still here by Thanksgiving

AA is gone

Ya'll see what Krueger did with Sobotka, but don't expect the same out of Tage?

One of my favorite parts of the GLO line is that Larsson looked injured and slow today, but the line as a unit didn't slow down. Hope it was just a sore spot and he feels better tomorrow.

Passing majorly improved from the first five games. Made a big difference tonight. We prey on weaker defenses and Dallas has one. Glad we can dominate these teams. Took a period to wear them down then the gates opened. Ive worried about Oloffson on 5v5 as a lot of cycle ends on his turn, but he made nice plays today. Even Sobotka had some good moments. No player looked bad today. Dahlin is only 19 ? Excited for this team.

Sobotka just primaried on a rush. But a lottery ticket, hell has frozen over

Thanks I needed that ?

Passing absolutely better today first really good 5v5 play by Oloffson. Helps with Eichel drawing so much attention.

Did Risto just get a penalty for a butt check? Ahahahha

Maybe he’s just being shopped to the 30+ scouts each game.

If Montour returns, Dahlin shifts to LD and Scandella is the 7D scratch until Risto gets traded.

And that’s a record

Thing was it wasn’t one move. It was multiple.

Dahlin nearly stopped my heart there.

Passing much improved this game.

Housley was system first. Krueger is pressure first. Difference is small, but huge. We do have a huge talent boost on defense that I believe has had a huge role. And we are missing two of the top six guys to boot. Botterill is a good GM

New coach figuring out his favorites. No biggie. I see a lot of Jokiharju on the ice, he appears to be one. Dahlin is getting plenty of PP time.