JohnC

Where KA and I are aligned is that there is an expectation for internal improvement by the young group. Is it too much of an expectation? I would say that although leaning toward a conservative approach, it is a reasonable approach assuming some of the other liabilities are addressed.

My heart is aflutter. Are you toying with me? There is a reasonableness and balance/equity to your proposals for all the parties involved.

I contend that fortifying the goalie position and adding a couple of defensive and more physical blue line players will make a big difference. The most consequential decision will be bringing in a goalie who will fortify that essential position. That's the biggest challenge for the front office. My expectation/hope is that Quinn, JJP, Power, Benson, Kulich and Samuelsson will be better. Am I being unreasonable? I don't think so. All these young players have enough experience where they should be a lot more comfortable in manly league.

I didn't bother watching the clip. What do you want him to say? I'm more concerned about what he does and not what he says. You're wasting your irritation energy on a vapid PR appearance. I expect some action on draft day. Jarma wasn't added to the payroll to sit on his arse and argue for the status quo. That's what my focus is on. What my desires are: I don't want JJP traded. I don't want Quin traded. I don't want Kulich traded. I don't want Benson traded. I don't want Power traded. I don't want Samuelsson traded. (I'm not giving up on him.) I want Byram traded. I want UPL traded. I want a couple of rugged defensemen added to the unit. I want an experienced goalie brought in. I want a second line forward added. Nothing extravagant. These desires are all doable. No excuses.

A once congenial fellow has been radicalized. Welcome aboard to the train whose destination is revolt-ville. 😀

Watching his play last year, I thought he lacked the caliber of shot to be a first line player. As you point out, Evan Rodriques played most of the season as a top six player. That doesn't mean that he is a top six player. E Rod is an earnest and consistent player who played a lot on the top two lines. However, that doesn't mean that he is a top two-line caliber player and is paid commensurately so. Because of the cap teams are constructed differently. There is a distinction between being on a top line and being a top line player. The pay scale tells how he is ranked as a player.

It is understood that @dudacek is a quick draw. Everyone knows that. 😀

Right now, his shot is so weak that I don't see him as a first or second line forward. If he came into camp more physically developed and more capable from an offensive standpoint, I would be ecstatic to be proven wrong. The more important issue for me regarding his individual stats is not what his production is right now but rather whether can it be surpassed by another player. We'll have to see who the front office brings in to determine what his role will be. Although he played a lot on the first line last year, he was in my estimation not a first line caliber of player. The criticism for his elevated role should be directed to the front office.

If he's bringing you 45 pts in a top six role then in my opinion he's not a top six player. I have extolled the virtues of Benson as a player as much as most people here. However, because of his current lack of physical development I don't see him being a top two caliber of player. Will he eventually do so? I'm confident that he will. But right now, I would say no. I have never felt that he was a liability playing on the top line. But that is not to say that I felt that he was providing the team first line production. If he comes into camp more physically developed than in his prior years, then good for him and the team. I will be open minded about where he should be slotted. But what I have seen so far that type of leap forward is a lot faster than I expect.

I admire Bennett as a player. It took a little time for him and teams to recognize his role and a how he best fits. Whether he scores a lot of goals or not his ferocity is what defines him as a player, and adds value to a team. I would love to have a Bennett type player to this languid team.

The hope is that by the trade deadline this team will be in the playoff mix. And with him on the roster the odds go up. In general, will the Sabre franchise have to pay salary premiums to entice and keep players. Yes. That shouldn’t be a surprise for a franchise with a reputation for its cartoonish operation.

If it takes you a 7-8 year deal to get him for an 7-8 M per deal, you do it. The pay system is the pay system. If you don’t want to work within the framework that everyone else is working under, then get out of the business. The lesson to be learned is that third rate behavior leads to bush league results.

JJP is a different type of player compared to Sam Bennett. There was an expectation in his draft evaluation that he was going to be a goal scorer. It didn't materialize in the NHL. That can be contrasted to JJP who already has shown an ability to score goals. I would love to have a Sam Bennett type player on this team. JJP is no Sam Bennett and will never be, and Sam Bennett will never be JJP goal producing player. Different players with different skill sets.

My understanding is that he can play wing. His versatility is something to appreciate. Tage has played center and wing. And has been successful playing both positions. Considering the factor of injuries, versatility is something that should be considered a valuable asset. I'm so tired of seeing our former players thriving wearing other uniforms. I'm not against making deals. Trading a player like Byram (I like a lot), prospects and draft assets for immediate help makes a lot of sense. But dealing off young players who can contribute now and have the potential to even get better doesn't resonate with me.

You are right that Kulich is a top two line center in the making. That’s why I wouldn’t deal him. Aren’t you tired of being a farm team for other teams? If he were in an early stage of development, I would be receptive to trading him for a return that was immediate help. But based on what I saw last year he is ready to contribute right now as a second line player.

Peterka is already a top 6 forward with plenty more upside. So why give him up? To see him thrive somewhere else and see his name etched on the SC for another team?

I’m not saying that JJP won’t be a better player than Zucker. But as a player he will never be as rugged a player as Zucher is. Just simply two different styles of play.

Would you be so confident in the bet if it was for July 6, 2027?

The teacher’s insensitivity wasn’t too damaging to me because I was voted the class president and gave a short speech on stage to the audience at the graduation ceremony. It ended well.

I want to keep JJP and have often stated so. But from a stylistic standpoint they are very different. Zucker plays a more rugged and physical game. Zucker is also a much more responsible two-way player than JJP. He is also arguably our best player at the net. JJP is a faster north/south skater with a better shot. From an offensive standpoint JJP is more potent. These players have different skill sets and both are needed.

I don't say this with an abundance of confidence but I do see the addition of Jarmo, and to a lesser extent Stall, to the staff as positive indicators that there will be some transactions that at the minimum change the dynamic in this roster. They are outside eyes brought into a provincially run franchise. Jarmo is not known for his timidity. He has had a history of making deals and not looking back. He, more than the cautious GM, is not afraid to rework a roster that is coasting along. The draft is approaching where many deals are transacted. There are many reports that the GM has been communicating with a lot of "interested" trading parties. So the signs are that there will be some deals. How beneficial will they turn out to be? I can't say. We shall see.

You are having a good time mocking me. It’s apparent to all that I’m out of step and out of tune. True story: In grammar school at graduation my malicious music teacher told me not to sing at the ceremony but to just mouth the words and fake singing. 😀

My problem with the Ruff selection as HC isn't directed toward Ruff being selected as it is to the nonexistent/fraudulent process used to hire him. It was another Pegula whimsical hire. Is he a good HC at this stage of his respectable career? I don't know. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt right now. He inherited a team that wasn't smartly assembled and was required to take on the coaches already on staff. It was a third-rate hiring process by a third-rate Pegula organization. I look at the members of the blueline unit that you listed. If you are able to parlay Byram plus assets to add another good second pairing caliber blueliner, you have a respectable group that will be even better if the forwards learn to play a more responsible two-way game. In my assessment, I'm expecting Power and Samuelsson to be better. Also, the Docker acquisition is a credible lower pairing add on to that unit. Few people would rate it as a high-end group but it can be a better than respectable unit. Some smart tweaking can better round out that unit.

If you are getting Lyubushkin to play on either of your top two pairings, you are excessively reaching. That's not appealing to me. However, getting him as a third pair player and helping to reorient how our unit plays (tougher and more basic defensively), then I'm all for it. My hope is that dealing off Byram with added inducements will bring in a defender who will be a good fit for either of the top two pairings. My priorities are to bring in an experienced goalie and to recompose the blue line unit with a couple of new faces. I know I am going to attract a lot of howls here but I haven't given up on Sameulsson as the secondary/support player on either of the top two pairings.

When it comes to music I'm a dullard. The era I'm still musically attached to is MoTown. Don't mock me because I deserve empathy for being so far out of touch.