Location: South Philadelphia, PA Joined: 07.23.2007
Dec 11 @ 3:03 AM ET
This will never happen but I think the team needs a bit of a shakeup and I'm not talking bag skates, a trade, or reduction in ice time for particular players here and there.
Read Giroux Simmonds
one of Cousins/Noebels/StrakaSchenn Voracek Hartnell Couturier Downie Raffl Hall one of Holmstrom/McGinn
Obviously depending on how the call ups look in their respective spots you can tweak and evolve, i.e., Raffl, McGinn & Holmstrom might be better suited on a checking unit and Cousins, Noebels & Straka might be better suited in on the 2nd unit.
I'm not ready to trade anyone yet and unless Holmgren is offers a deal that flat out makes us better, I'm in favour of rolling with what we have heading into next season. My issue is, what does this team look like without Kimono Timonen next season? Does a guy like Dion Phaneuf make us better? Is a guy like Phaneuf or any other guy better then Kimmo?
Gun to my head though, if I had to choose which player I wanted to be trade, Mark Streit without a doubt. - Schenn2shine
Outside of not being able to play, fight or skate he was fantastic - Jsaquella
My only good memory of him was getting KO'ed by Randy McKay with 1 punch. He was like a version of the early (defenseman days) Dan Kordic. Big, slow, little-to-no offensive talent, and really good at getting punched a lot. But hey, he showed up, and that counts for something, right Riley Cote?
We shouldn't be thinking about moving Timonen at all, at least not while we are in the hunt for the playoffs. I'm also not thinking about Lauridsen or Morin, neither replace what Timonen brings to the table. - Schenn2shine
If Douglass frankin Murray landed the Sharks 2 2nds last yr, I have to think Timonen would get us a 1st and another pick or prospect from a contender
I kind of agree with that. That line of thinking puts more ownership on the coaches to mix up and combine the players that they have available to maximize the results. - Pixote Andolini
Well, they changed the coach and the team definitely plays better defensively, but they still have trouble with transition and good forechecking teams. They make the same mental mistakes that lead to losses and they waste too much effort in getting out of their own end.
Well, they changed the coach and the team definitely plays better defensively, but they still have trouble with transition and good forechecking teams. They make the same mental mistakes that lead to losses and they waste too much effort in getting out of their own end. - Jsaquella
They will continue to have these problems until they add more skill and speed on D.
A quick first step would be to get Gus back in the lineup, but the key will be to replace Timonen and Mez with 2 mobile, skilled dmen next season. At least one of those will have to come via trade and I'd be willing to move anyone other than Giroux or Couturier in the right deal. Sadly they are most likely stuck with Streit for at least 1 more season, but if the cap goes north of 75 million by 15-16 I'd buy him out and live with the dead space cap hit.
They will continue to have these problems until they add more skill and speed on D.
A quick first step would be to get Gus back in the lineup, but the key will be to replace Timonen and Mez with 2 mobile, skilled dmen next season. At least one of those will have to come via trade and I'd be willing to move anyone other than Giroux or Couturier in the right deal. Sadly they are most likely stuck with Streit for at least 1 more season, but if the cap goes north of 75 million by 15-16 I'd buy him out and live with the dead space cap hit. - BiggE
If he doesn't produce more consistently on the offensive side of the puck, and they can't trade him, I think a buyout is the only responsible thing to do after 14/15, like you said. By then, you hope to have 2 of Gus, Alt, Morin, Hagg, Gostisbehere contributing. Although I think Morin might help himself with a year in the AHL, which puts him in the lineup in 16/17, and Hagg may need time to transition to the NA game after next year in Sweden.
Location: this space for rent, PA Joined: 09.19.2006
Dec 11 @ 9:32 AM ET
- Pixote Andolini
EVERY goal he drove the net, sometimes through several defenders and made slick moves.....and in the case of the SO goals, creative slick moves. I don't get where that G is these days. He is WAY too talented to be playing just average like he has been.
Location: Be nice from now on, NJ Joined: 03.17.2006
Dec 11 @ 9:35 AM ET
EVERY goal he drove the net, sometimes through several defenders and made slick moves.....and in the case of the SO goals, creative slick moves. I don't get where that G is these days. He is WAY too talented to be playing just average like he has been. - nastyflyergirl
THIS
The Giroux in these videos doesn't seem to exist any more.
Ovechkin's on pace for 72 goals (although last night helped a lot). Where do you think he'll end up? Will he break his personal best of 65 (and possibly remain on his minus-28 pace)?
Location: the lone wolf of hockeybuzz Joined: 07.31.2009
Dec 11 @ 9:43 AM ET
EVERY goal he drove the net, sometimes through several defenders and made slick moves.....and in the case of the SO goals, creative slick moves. I don't get where that G is these days. He is WAY too talented to be playing just average like he has been. - nastyflyergirl
It's kind of depressing to watch, I get that the blueline is immobile and blah blah blah, but even when he has the puck in the offensive zone G is still playing a perimeter game too often. He doesn't look dangerous, and he isn't being terribly creative.
Just making the point that our last 2 captains (outside of Pronger's short stint), for some reason, stopped playing the way that garnered them captain status as soon as they got the C.
Location: the lone wolf of hockeybuzz Joined: 07.31.2009
Dec 11 @ 9:47 AM ET
Just making the point that our last 2 captains (outside of Pronger's short stint), for some reason, stopped playing the way that garnered them captain status as soon as they got the C. - jmatchett383
I don't doubt Giroux will come around, but I worry that it's not going to happen anytime soon. He should be a catalyst for improvement, not another passenger waiting for conditions to improve.
I'm not out and out ready to throw Streit in the garbage yet, but he has been pretty damn painful to watch. - BulliesPhan87
Streit has been the worst, anyone can see that as you've pointed out. I'm not high on Meszaros either but he has improved. I'm still concerned about his health. Mez took a pretty big hit in Dallas and I assumed he was done. The faces Meszaros makes when he feels some discomfort is alwaysa bad sign.
