Yeah, but Richards earned more in the last two years alone than Soderberg has in his entire life. So I guess CHI will let Saad go to bring in Soderberg? Cause they can't afford both without moving someone else like Seabrook or Crawford.
- jfkst1

I think Sharp and Seabrook will be moved. Hjarmlasson (sp) will be fine for them. Bickel will also be moved. That should be enough for Saad and an upgrade for a 2C. Point is Soderberg will have better options as the Pens. I see the Pens as a team that's stuck. They aren't good enough to be a contender and they aren't bad enough to just blow it up and I dont think management has the balls to make the tough decisions. Instead they will pay next years first and Dumo for Sharp. The idiots will think its great!

Yeah but your packaging a lot of pieces for a marginal guy (Boedker). Plus AZ will have the cash to spend on Boedker anyway. Hell get 4.5+. Skinner would help but thats 5+ and having Kuni and Dupes just kills the cap for 2 old 3rd liners. The 4th line will be Sundquist, Wilson and Kuhnackel at that point.
- sammy87

see, part of this is that i actually dont think boedker is that marginal, especially if he got to play with malkin.

however, for that reason, i agree with you in that AZ has the cash and will spend it to retain him.

i do agree that right now, on paper, having both kuni and dupuis is tough. but with the way the market is, imagine they were both FA right now. i dont think theyd fetch significantly lower than what theyre on.

Yeah, but Richards earned more in the last two years alone than Soderberg has in his entire life. So I guess CHI will let Saad go to bring in Soderberg? Cause they can't afford both without moving someone else like Seabrook or Crawford.
- jfkst1

Chicago could move Crawford without it being a huge deal. Goalies are overvalued. Both Anti and Darling had better statistical seasons than Crawford. Regardless, if Chicago wanted to, they could make a four mil contract fit by moving Sharp and Bickell along with Richards coming off the books. Maybe you trade Crawford maybe you don't. You can also move Shaw

well to be fair, there is more than one way to win the cup. they also had kane, who isnt technically a center, but is the driving force on his line. toews also gets to be out there with hossa, sharp, ect.

i dont necessarily think youre wrong, i just viewed the three center model as sort of synonymous with great depth. depth to me is okay, you just had a wave of 87, then a wave of 71, guess what, now youre not even going to get a shot off in our zone because 11 and crew are out there playing keepaway. rinse, repeat. it allowed 87 and 71 to focus largely on what they need to do.

far too many times, the coaching staff needs to resort to crosby as a matchup center anymore. and thats a problem in my opinion.
- stayinthefnnet

You hit on something big in your first remark. The driving force of a possession line doesn't have to be a center. Instead of realizing that we just went after a center. If a serviceable center comes in cheap for the third line getting flanked by Duper and Beau then you have quality depth.
Isolating match ups strictly by the centereans ignoring two other puck possession forwards.

If Scuds is on this team he will be the 7th best D, but will play over a guy like Dumoulin. That's bull crap and shouldn't happen. Keeping him for any reason is not worth it. What's bunk is the notion that he isn't hurting anything, when all of the numbers show he sucks and is in fact hurting us. Chorney and Dumo outplayed him. A prospect and a career AHL guy! That says plenty. Now whether you choose to see that is a different story.
- usethe1-2-2

wrong

I think Sharp and Seabrook will be moved. Hjarmlasson (sp) will be fine for them. Bickel will also be moved. That should be enough for Saad and an upgrade for a 2C. Point is Soderberg will have better options as the Pens. I see the Pens as a team that's stuck. They aren't good enough to be a contender and they aren't bad enough to just blow it up and I dont think management has the balls to make the tough decisions. Instead they will pay next years first and Dumo for Sharp. The idiots will think its great!
- sammy87

The point is that there is zero chance CHI is going to be going after top UFAs like Soderberg.

see, part of this is that i actually dont think boedker is that marginal, especially if he got to play with malkin.

however, for that reason, i agree with you in that AZ has the cash and will spend it to retain him.

i do agree that right now, on paper, having both kuni and dupuis is tough. but with the way the market is, imagine they were both FA right now. i dont think theyd fetch significantly lower than what theyre on.
- stayinthefnnet

Malkin will make most players better, Comeau will be sending him a Christmas present the rest of his life and JR will probably be writing the check unfortunately.

Pens main issue is 2 players make too much but they dont have any ELC guys to fill the holes so they are paying older players too long of contracts due to lack of depth and the rest of the holes are filled with dumpster diving. 87 and 71 are great but the rest of the roster is being asked to do more than what they are capable of.

wrong
- mventres

Care to explain genius

You hi on something big in your first remark. The driving force of a possession line doesn't have to be a center. Instead of realizing that we just went after a center. If a serviceable center comes in cheap for the third line getting flanked by Duper and Beau then you have quality depth.
Isolating match ups strictly by the centereans ignoring two other puck possession forwards.
- usethe1-2-2

while yes i do agree that the driving force of a possession line doesnt have to be a center, with those two, i sort of think it will need to be.

love duper. but at this stage in his career, clots or not, if youre basically telling him that if the pucks in the corner, its always his responsibility to win the battle, thats brutally unfair.

Malkin will make most players better, Comeau will be sending him a Christmas present the rest of his life and JR will probably be writing the check unfortunately.

Pens main issue is 2 players make too much but they dont have any ELC guys to fill the holes so they are paying older players too long of contracts due to lack of depth and the rest of the holes are filled with dumpster diving. 87 and 71 are great but the rest of the roster is being asked to do more than what they are capable of.
- sammy87

youre not saying anything wrong here.

im still a believer in 87 and 71. they will make players around them better. however, they cant turn someone from a 2 into a 10. maybe a 5 into a 7? and thats passable. but the problem is, like you said, without any ELCs up front, its hard to even afford those 5s

The point is that there is zero chance CHI is going to be going after top UFAs like Soderberg.
- jfkst1

I dont think they will but if they wanted to I bet they could make it happen and you can't argue Hawks are better set up than the Pens for quite some time.

I think Sharp and Seabrook will be moved. Hjarmlasson (sp) will be fine for them. Bickel will also be moved. That should be enough for Saad and an upgrade for a 2C. Point is Soderberg will have better options as the Pens. I see the Pens as a team that's stuck. They aren't good enough to be a contender and they aren't bad enough to just blow it up and I dont think management has the balls to make the tough decisions. Instead they will pay next years first and Dumo for Sharp. The idiots will think its great!
- sammy87

Seabrook will not be leaving Chicago unless he wants to. The Chicago front office understands that defense wins championships. And they have a much better understanding of good defensemen as opposed to overrated defensemen (Brian Campbell).

Chicago could move Crawford without it being a huge deal. Goalies are overvalued. Both Anti and Darling had better statistical seasons than Crawford. Regardless, if Chicago wanted to, they could make a four mil contract fit by moving Sharp and Bickell along with Richards coming off the books. Maybe you trade Crawford maybe you don't. You can also move Shaw
- Victoro311

Sure, if CHI wants to blow up their roster to sign the best UFA center on the market they could. But it is 100% antithetical to what Bowman has done. The last thing CHI is going to do is add Soderberg when they have TT to play the same position.

Sure, if CHI wants to blow up their roster to sign the best UFA center on the market they could. But it is 100% antithetical to what Bowman has done. The last thing CHI is going to do is add Soderberg when they have TT to play the same position.
- jfkst1

Either way I think Soderberg will have better options than being a 3C on Pitt playing with Kuni/Dupes/Comeau.

Sure, if CHI wants to blow up their roster to sign the best UFA center on the market they could. But it is 100% antithetical to what Bowman has done. The last thing CHI is going to do is add Soderberg when they have TT to play the same position.
- jfkst1

Yup. Moving Sharp, Bickell, and Crawford would be blowing up their roster... All three are overpaid and Bowman has a very good track record of not allowing his team to overpay players. I agree that Chicago shouldn't move Shaw since he brings a lot to the table but moving him isn't blowing anything up. Blowing up the roster would consist of moving Towes, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Hosa, Saad, or Teravanen. That is their core now and moving forward.

Yup. Moving Sharp, Bickell, and Crawford would be blowing up their roster... All three are overpaid and Bowman has a very good track record of not allowing his team to overpay players. I agree that Chicago shouldn't move Shaw since he brings a lot to the table but moving him isn't blowing anything up. Blowing up the roster would consist of moving Towes, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Hosa, Saad, or Teravanen. That is their core now and moving forward.
- Victoro311

Seabrook has a yr left at 5mil...I think teams would pay a ton for him.

Either way I think Soderberg will have better options than being a 3C on Pitt playing with Kuni/Dupes/Comeau.
- sammy87

Yes I know. You think the Pens are the worst team in the league yet for some reason they are never on NTC lists and have been specifically targeted by high end players in successive years (Iginla in 2013 and Ehrhoff in 2014). The Pens probably aren't the most desirable destination for UFAs, but they are far from the worst.

Yes I know. You think the Pens are the worst team in the league yet for some reason they are never on NTC lists and have been specifically targeted by high end players in successive years (Iginla in 2013 and Ehrhoff in 2014). The Pens probably aren't the most desirable destination for UFAs, but they are far from the worst.
- jfkst1

Scratch Reilly from that list.

http://www.secondcityhock...ckhawks-among-final-three

while yes i do agree that the driving force of a possession line doesnt have to be a center, with those two, i sort of think it will need to be.

love duper. but at this stage in his career, clots or not, if youre basically telling him that if the pucks in the corner, its always his responsibility to win the battle, thats brutally unfair.
- stayinthefnnet

I'm saying Duper needs to be the heavey for checking 15-20-35 point player a good third liner should be. That's not too much. Place him with Beau, a good possession player, and a strong UFA center like Fehr and you have yourself a quality line that will win their possession battle more than they lose it.

Yup. Moving Sharp, Bickell, and Crawford would be blowing up their roster... All three are overpaid and Bowman has a very good track record of not allowing his team to overpay players. I agree that Chicago shouldn't move Shaw since he brings a lot to the table but moving him isn't blowing anything up. Blowing up the roster would consist of moving Towes, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Hosa, Saad, or Teravanen. That is their core now and moving forward.
- Victoro311

Sharp and Bickell get them cap compliant. Crawford would make room for Soderberg. And while he is not spectacular, he is solid and CHI would be taking a huge risk unloading him for an unknown. And if you proposed making these changes to bring in Soderberg, most Hawks fans would laugh in your face. It ain't gonna happen. CHI is one of the last places he would end up in.

I'm saying Duper needs to be the heavey for checking 15-20-35 point player a good third liner should be. That's not too much. Place him with Beau, a good possession player, and a strong UFA center like Fehr and you have yourself a quality line that will win their possession battle more than they lose it.
- usethe1-2-2

beau has a lot to go before he sells me on his ability to succeed there.

but yeah. i misunderstood. i didnt think you were bringing in a strong corner possession center from FA. thats what that line needs. i think duper can be that.

for what fehr would cost, i think its worth it to spend the extra mil and get soderberg if possible.

Anyone can have a stroke, one of my cousins five year old had a stroke. You want us to believe you are the best judge of talent on the planet, please don't try to make us believe you are God also.
- Thunderbolt

You are missing the point champ. Is it normal for a professional athlete to have a stroke at the age of 27? I think the person I responded to saw the light to where I was going. You on the other hand, don't.

beau has a lot to go before he sells me on his ability to succeed there.

but yeah. i misunderstood. i didnt think you were bringing in a strong corner possession center from FA. thats what that line needs. i think duper can be that.

for what fehr would cost, i think its worth it to spend the extra mil and get soderberg if possible.
- stayinthefnnet

I think Ferh is what you need while Soderberg is what you want. Soderberg is good, but one mill saved is almost Winnik. Two quality bottom six players are better than one IMO.
Also, I just realized the two are the same age haha

You are missing the point champ.
- Oneonta Penguin

What is the point?

beau has a lot to go before he sells me on his ability to succeed there.

but yeah. i misunderstood. i didnt think you were bringing in a strong corner possession center from FA. thats what that line needs. i think duper can be that.

for what fehr would cost, i think its worth it to spend the extra mil and get soderberg if possible.
- stayinthefnnet

Does everyone forget that BB was a healthy scratch for Tanner Glass?