PerreaultForever

Yes, he can be, but all I'm wondering is will he be as motivated after signing a big deal? I know it's not popular with many here but I question his character and motivation.

Ceci is playing surprisingly well for Pittsburgh but that might be a contract year illusion. Maybe Oleksiak. Don't know who this Montour guy is. Don't think I've ever heard of him. So no thanks.

Is it possible that he's simply skinnering us? If it max's his trade value (and I hope it does) I think it's the moment to trade him. I do not think it's a good idea to long term anybody with max value from the loser core. One Skinner albatross is more than enough.

Zemgus will set him straight (or they'll both hit the vodka, either way) 🙂

Too much for Reinhart, not enough for Dahlin. With you on Foligno. Those trades would never happen. Seattle won't give us a 3rd for Thompson. More likely they demand a 3rd for taking Miller. They will take Bjork or Borgen depending on how we protect. I'd snap up Merzlikins for a 2nd, but I doubt they'd do that.

lol, totally forgot about Boston's 2nd rounder. Such incredible value for Taylor Hall how could I? anyway, I will spin the wheel on Conner Roulette.

Why? He's shown a little offensive prowess late this season but he's not been all that. Don't see how he deserves any more money than say Zemgus.

Sucks is maybe the wrong word but it's not a rich draft at the top and it's definitely a roll the dice year more than most. I still think Owen Power is the best top pick and not picking a D man because he's a D man etc. would be a mistake. So if you don't want to trade down, 1. Owen Power 2. Zachary L'Heureux (trade up to late first to get him if necessary) 3. Red Savage cause, well, that's just the coolest hockey name ever. after that no idea. Grab a goalie and then some size grit and raw skill from who knows where (hopefully the Sabres management does) That's my wish fulfillment draft.

I'm well aware it's not like the NFL. I just think the top prospects this year are not all that special and I don't want to Nylander this draft. If it wasn't for the expansion draft I'd be saying trade the pick away for a player or maybe even a multi deal. This lottery simply doesn't hold the kind of promise we had with Eichel, Dahlin, or even Reinhart. I generally am against trading firsts away but I'm sick of losing and this draft sucks. Yes. this.

jets.

meh. Nobody screams typical top pick to me. I still think this is the right time to trade down. Give somebody else that so called top pick in exchange for their lower 1st and whatever the going rate is for their desire. Multiple lower picks this year could yield really good results. It's a very non typical year.

Exactly. Which is why it's time for radical change. You do not ditch anybody drafted in the last 3 years but you clean house from all the players that have been mired in this nonsense for years. Create a whole new culture and a whole new team attitude that no longer pampers anybody. No longer tolerates failure. No longer makes excuses. No longer apologizes for failures, just strives for excellence where hard work and effort is rewarded and the opposite is not tolerated. I'm not suggesting Risto is the goat for any of this and no one player is, but this team needs to be about team and the past has to go.

@lLGR4GM lol, this thread and then another one for "time to trade Risto", man, you really really hate Risto. Pretty much agree with this though.

Yes, and faceoffs don't matter. (They especially didn't matter when there was one second on a penalty 5 on 3 in our own zone) Yes indeed, hits don't matter. Let's make this team even softer. Let's skate and concentrate on our edges. maybe we need to draft guys who can do triple salcows only? It's been time to trade Risto for years and I'm not against it (especially if it's before the expansion draft and we can protect Borgen) but I am very against taking any toughness or push back from this soft team. We need to add to it, not take it away. If I were management I'd offer him a contract extension that pays him to be a second pairing D man and if he doesn't want it, ya, trade him, cause he will walk in a year anyway.

If they want to keep Borgen badly enough they can toss the Kraken a bucket of squid to take Bjork and they will. If not traded (my preferred option) Risto should be protected and then likely traded before the deadline. As mentioned, for all his flaws he has value.

I'm not. It's simply impossible to project trades when you don't even know which teams might be seriously interested. The old offer sheet signing penalty was 4 first round picks. That's the trade but I'd be taking top notch already drafted prospects and not waiting for 4 years. The details depend on which team. I do not believe we will get a better deal for Eichel after this off season. This is the moment. Now or never or worse with him in control and a NMC and a Taylor Hall return. I simply do not believe we can build a winner following this superstar focused model we've been following so far. Insanity is doing the same thing and hoping for a different result. I think it's time to do something different.

Yes, but I guess I meant they have a solid foundation to build off of and there is an expectation here (among some) that now that we have Kreuger gone all we need is a goalie and a healthy Jack and we will be fine. That's the point of disagreement. I still believe we've been trying to build this team the wrong way since Pegula bought it and I'm not sure that idea has changed.

Careful or I will have to stuff you in a locker.

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.