JP51

Quite honestly, D- is as close as you can get to F... but in all seriousness if any team ever got an F how is it not the team with the longest period of abject failure in the history of the league... I believe someone mentioned grade inflation... I am having visions of Smithers cutting this article out of TP's NYT...

Honestly being in the conversation reasonably in 2026 I think is unlikely... I see us really out or on a miracle fringe after the New Year....

I mean I dont disagree with either, Dahlin comes out and wins the Norris trophy then hey... maybe... but if not, then I am looking for an off or offish the radar player to either come in or take his game to a new level... but of all the players in the front 5 Dahlin is the most capable of doing it.

LOL I am also imagining myself dunking on a 10 foot net with Jennifer Lawrence cheering me on... so there is that LOL...

I mean if I had to rank the most problematic position Goalie would be pretty high up there...

Good for them.. good to be with talent and some winners.

I waffled between him and Doan... I think my Doan is wishful thinking to an extent, but he does have the size to make the difference in the fight... but Benson may be the more likely candidate.

If he could take that role and make people question why he isnt that Captain over Dahlin and not Tuch, that would be a great problem to have.

Me as well he is one of the people that are more likely to be a solution than contribute to the problem... IMO

We could sure use him to get back to Pre Achilles form and then progress... if he becomes a producer like Peterka with a bit better 2 way game... that would be huge.

So, we are in the dog days... nothing going on... so.. if this team were to be turned around, who is your one guy that you think will either inject new life and skill, or show a massive production and leadership leap that propels us... So I didnt include established core guys Tuch, Thompson, Dahlin, Power, Byram etc... but really a newer person with maybe major upside... that said there is an "other" category if you feel one of the core players will up their game significantly and ride in on a white horse and save us... interested in your thoughts.

I agree here, I was at least grateful that KA acknowledged that play between the dots and the crease were actually a part of the game... failure yes... wrong idea no.

we are not at all... in fact, pretty much we are in total agreement... @dudacek also made a good point... does the fact they have size not necessarily physicality, matter... longer reach, more difficult to move, etc... I was focusing on physicality

this is fair... longer poke check reach, harder to move... Tage's span is an asset for sure... fair very fair point, I was looking more at physicality.. I got you.

Yes thats fine but I was responding to the question of does the size of this unit matter... and in my opinion, the size is nice but if you are looking for this unit to be physical they are going to need to change their modus operandi... aka spots... and we all know how often a leopard changes those... lastly that size in itself doesnt mean you are that type of temprament.. citing smaller players that were hellions to play against... so I dont disagree with what you are saying, but I was responding to the does size matter question... so while it may or may not be a respectable unit, I am not anticipating hard nosed physical play out of this unit.. they will just be able to see over a lot of players looking up ice LOL...

I am going way back... Stan Johnathan, Danny Gare, Wendall Clark, even Marchant, Brad May, Barnaby, Ray, etc... not sure any of these guys were over 6 feet, but they brought the nasty... So I love the size, but will they use it... or do we have Mike Wilson, Tyler Myers, Richard Smell Ick, Ken Sutton, etc ... I am not seeing anyone on that list that has anywhere near the nasty of a Samulesson (Ulfy) , Pronger, Chara, Stevens, Robinson, Kasparitis, Hatcher, Zadorov, etc... (just randomly naming nasty players, not even fighting, just nasty) Kesslring I honestly have not seen him play... maybe he is one... but if we are going to get that level of physicality to me a bunch of those guys need to change their spots...

NOV/DEC when we are out of it... at least now no one is enjoying hockey Nov rolls into December we are out of it hope is gone and THEN we get to watch everyone else have fun and look forward to the playoffs while we research draft prospects

I agree 100% but I cant get past the "that pick hit an iceberg" lol.... I remember being a kid being so hyped for Dudacek he was the next Statsny or something like that... and poor Morris never could come back from the back injury... and yeah, Nylander and Grigorenko were horrid picks.

Centering a line of Jiri Dudecek and Morris Titanic... I mean how did we ever draft someone with the last name of Titanic... just sayin...

See John Gurtler... lol

Oh heck yeah its a horrible sell especially when the perception is that you are pinching pennies... people tend to not give you theirs... they dont turn it around this year I see a real attendance issue as well as a player exodus issue... I hate the doom and gloom, but If we thought last year was it... the anger was high and the apathy was starting... this year... I think the apathy ends up being very high and people just wont go....

I agree, I do not think the league is coming to save us, the only thing I see the league doing is looking to force a move or a sale if the attendance gets atrocious and the environment becomes untenable... players wanting out other refusing to come here fans with Billboards and signs etc... the only thing to me is, have another crappy year, dont resign Tuch, have Dahlin looking to get out, attendance consistently below 50% maybe worse... that is a real possibility to me...

1, Goal Levi or UPL 2. Power does he emerge as a dominate 2 pairing with Kesslring 3. Jack Quinn.... does he fill the JJP role

I fear JohnC is right, is that is what it will take internally, but I am with you, I just dont believe that will happen... the league took over once... I dont think they will do it again, they would likely force a move before that... I will be interested if we again flounder to another playoffless season... what will the attendance be like will it look like NBA arenas pre Bird and Magic... or like the Altanta Thrashers or Cleveland Barrons... will it be acrimonious, home team getting booed every night... Palm trees.. Fire Adams, Sell the team Terry signs all over the place, players wanting out demanding trades... if it does and it might... there is likely gonna be pressure... and there we sit.

Truth, NMCs may be a competitive disadvantage, but they are not the problem... you can change whatever you want about them, until the FO drastically reforms and changes there is nothing gonna save them... they will continually flap in the top 5-10 pick range and operate like a row bow set adrift until there are fundamental changes.