PerreaultForever

If you can't get Byfield and Turcotte for Eichel, then Eichel isn't that good and it doesn't matter.

churlish slander. lol. give me a f'n break.

I don't think I was, but it's about all the players not just the centers. I'm just fed up with this dumbass hockey team and I am 90% sure they think they are on to something and it's an illusion and unless they tear it down we're going to be stuck with this crap for next year and after.

You ask this knowing it's impossible. There will never be full agreement for a variety of reasons. Too many age differences, hockey knowledge differences, ideological views, fan loyalty blindness, hero worshippers, etc etc you can go on and on. And that doesn't even include having to argue with analytics above all else people! I'm trading Eichel for Byfield Turcotte and whatever draft picks you need to balance it and make it happen and then I'm using his money to sign some FAs and I'm going to have the start of a better team. I'm also trading Reinhart and Risto. and if he won't leave, I'm having Skinner clean toilets and carry equipment bags instead of playing cause I'm sick of this bs hockey team and their slacker loser ways. Happy?

Exactly. Because they tore it all down and got rid of all the slackers and prima donnas. Started a rebuild with attitude and effort as the core principle. We should follow that path. and you can't do it building around the old core.

I'm actually not talking about the defensemen, but rather team defense. I think Girardi has done a much better job with the young D than Smith ever did. If we brought in new coaches I'd actually consider retaining him. I'm looking at the horrendous defensive job our forwards do as something that's not really improving. Zone entry for the Bruins was so incredibly easy. Our forwards coming back often do nothing, except sometimes coast back to the bench (which even that they do poorly). We will never be any good without improving team D. I have to think that was Kreuger's thought/plan, he just couldn't implement it properly and then the offense struggled as a result etc vicious circle. I suppose the question is can these players be taught proper team D ? Because sometimes I think most of them can't seem to do both, play offense AND defense. This is why I like the idea of Gallant. He had both his teams playing great D when they had limited offense at their disposal.

I'm simply suggesting that our goalies are over worked and thus subject to additional physical strains and, as it has happened, more injuries. Go ahead and believe it's just bad luck if you want to.

The team defense is not progressing under Granato. Gallant would be a better coach imo and I think Boudreau's comment is correct. The foundation Ottawa is building on is far more durable. They are going to be a tough team to play against next season and as the skill gets added to that, they will be better than us.

There are numerous articles on the subject. Performance is down in back to backs and tired players (especially goalies) are more likely to get injured. Here's one I found quickly on the performance angle. https://www.nhl.com/news/super-16-analytics-say-rest-goalies-on-back-to-backs/c-734778 Now as for the injuries, it's pretty simple logic really. For one, our goalies face a lot of shots and a lot of traffic. They have to work harder than goalies on a good team that can play D. So, logically, more tired than average. Second, when you're tired your reactions are slower. As a goalie if you're a slight step behind in any movements or reactions maybe you have to reach or extend further on a play than you would have normally, moving quicker, boom, pulled groin, wrenched knee, whatever. It's pretty obvious imo. Or do you just think it's "bad luck"?

It's not bad luck, it's ridiculous management. It's hard in this league to have any goalie start night after night and this season is especially exhausting. I am sure overplaying these guys is leading to the problems. UPL should not have started this game.

It's more complicated than just that. But in the simplest short terms (it will be discussed again post season I am sure) I simply do not think psychologically or in terms of team building and team chemistry it is a good idea at this point to go back to making this team all about Eichel. Is Jack happy? Does Jack want to be here? What's wrong with Jack? etc etc etc ad infinitum. I do not think it would be good for truly trying to turn this thing around. Not trading Eichel only works if, and it's a huge if, there is instant success next year, and I'd suggest that is very very unlikely.

I said if they couldn't sign him before the deadline they should trade him then and I don't think I was alone. It was the dumbest contract in the league and being stuck with it handicaps this team for the long haul. Since Granato has taken over there's a fair bit of youthful exuberance, but they're not learning anything. This team cannot defend. Bruins zone entries were so incredibly easy, Easy easy game for them. Say what you want about Hall, but he's opened up the ice for Krejci and their second line is now so much better than it was when they had DeBrusk in there. This synergy is exactly what we were supposed to see with him and Eichel but it wasn't there at all. Eichel injured from game 1? maybe. Not engaged? maybe. The actual answer to this question (why does Krejci-Hall work but Eichel-Hall didn't?) is probably important. Lastly, this team is totally dumbass. When I saw UPL was starting again, I thought that's a dumb mistake and poor goalie management and now he's injured. Not saying that's the cause, but it might be a contributing factor, How does this team not realize you simply cannot play goalies night after night, especially with so many shots and so much traffic in their zone. This franchise is the dumbest team in hockey. Oh ya, almost forgot. I wish the refs had let Marchand and Dahlin go. I really wanted to see what kind of fight he had in him. Missed opportunity.

I don't think the Defensive Depth is "very good" just that it's gotten back to normal or average and that seems 'very good" because it was a disaster when JBot arrived. So he gets some credit for that. Lots of young players so plenty of potential upside. It COULD mean in a year or two (maybe three) our D is very good but a lot of things still have to go right. If I was in charge I would still keep adding to the pipeline every draft.

This is unknown. He may simply be doing what he is told. Adams etc. may have said play the kids so we can see what we got. We know what Irwin and Eakin are etc.

Quite the opposite imo.

no words.

This is silly. Marchand is an incredibly talented player. One of the best in the game. If he was a Sabre you'd absolutely love him and his jersey would be a best seller. So ya, you hate him cause he's one of them, but he doesn't fit in that list at all.

Good game until the last few minutes. We're definitely a better team than we were earlier in the year. It was nice to hear the Boston announcers say "Buffalo is no longer an easy 2 points" as they were laughing at us earlier in the season. A little push back on the March-antics too. Nice to see. Progress.

Exactly. Which is why he's going to be a steal for whoever gets him. Now sure, maybe he never grows up and never gets it, but with the proper development and coaching I think he will. Today's the NFL draft as I'm sure you know. There are countless examples of players who fell in the ranking for various issues and problems and then went on to great careers. Arguably you take a chance, but you have to remember these guys are young and young does stupid but also grows up. Usually.

Ya, no kidding. I've mentioned this one before when we were bitching about Sabres bad drafting. Bruins totally had the right idea loading picks in a very deep draft year but then totally blew it. I can see the DeBrusk pick. The old family lineage scouting bias strikes again, and Zoboril does play in their top 6 now but Senyshyn was a total bust. The players they passed on all so much better. Now if we hadn't picked Nylander................. 🙂

I think he gets marked down because of his lack of discipline. He's hard to rank.

I think he's the next Marchand, I really do. He lacks discipline but he's young. So a pest at first but eventually he could grow into that type of two way scorer as well. He has really good puck control skills and uses them to drive to the net. Not afraid of anything. Good passer and excellent wrist shot. Just like Marchand. Will go right to the dirty areas and would be a perfect complimentary player for some of our fast skilled guys. Exactly what we lack. At best Marchand. At worst Barnaby. That is of course another option, but we don't have all that many trade pieces. The details of any deal up or down are impossible to speculate on. I'm just saying this is my sleeper pick and a guy I'd love to get one way or the other. If we could land a top 5 guy AND him I'd certainly have no complaints.

Marchand was drafted 71st overall.

Right, agreed. Which is why I would consider moving 1 top pick for several lower and grabbing a need type player (who I think could be the steal of the draft) and several development players to stock our prospect pool full.

Nah, it depends on the details. If you think you can land the player you want lower down and add extra there's nothing wrong with that. There's no Eichel/McDavidi/etc top pick this year.