Tbh too much is made of one UFA as in LE.
Jury is out on him but i've no worries @8% of our cap space.
Vrbata worked out well til he turned into a flake.
Miller was a very good stabilizer.
- Nighthawk

You are right in logic. The detractors are against because it sends the wrong message. They want the rebuild to be a flat line for several years of drafting high picks.

IMO the "something to it" is as simple as it was dubbed "The Patrick Draft" when he missed last year's age cutoff despite being good enough to be picked Top 10. Since then though, he hasn't separated himself from the pack like an elite talent would - injuries aside. Got worse in primary ppg, didn't improve his play away from the puck which I've seen described as lazy/indifferent... All pretty concerning. He's viewed from a much different perspective as one of the oldest of the class vs how people saw him as last year's "just missed the cut" stud.
- DrChristianTroy

So all the scouts that make up reports are colluding with journalists to make a story? I don't buy it, everything that I've read from scouts is that he is dominant. A clear edge of hockey IQ, size and shooting ability over Nico. People are so quick to turn on these young guys, just like everyone on this board flipped on Chych even though he is quietly having a very impressive campaign for a 18 year old d-man.

The great debate until draft day will be:

Who is BPA. What should JB choose: either skill or size?
- Nuck4U

The great thing about BPA is everyone's list is different because it depends on how you weight the criteria... People who think BPA is about picking the next available guy on consensus rankings are totally missing the boat.

So all the scouts that make up reports are colluding with journalists to make a story? I don't buy it, everything that I've read from scouts is that he is dominant. A clear edge of hockey IQ, size and shooting ability over Nico. People are so quick to turn on these young guys, just like everyone on this board flipped on Chych even though he is quietly having a very impressive campaign for a 18 year old d-man.
- neem55

It's not collusion, it's regurgitation. That's all journalists do. It's also what lazy scouts do...

The great thing about BPA is everyone's list is different because it depends on how you weight the criteria... People who think BPA is about picking the next available guy on consensus rankings are totally missing the boat.
- DrChristianTroy

For my BPA its one thing for JB its another. I'm fine with JB's talent assessment.

Will Benning have the balls to step outside the box again this year. He was greeted to oohs and awws last year at the draft and had everyone saying WTF Benning all year.

Can he put up with another year of Gordo's Benning is an idiot chant ?
- VANTEL

Are you advocating JB take Foote in a top 5 pick?

Tbh too much is made of one UFA as in LE.
Jury is out on him but i've no worries @8% of our cap space.
Vrbata worked out well til he turned into a flake.
Miller was a very good stabilizer.
- Nighthawk

I agree. It's all the days he's allowed to trade that have me more concerned.

You are right in logic. The detractors are against because it sends the wrong message. They want the rebuild to be a flat line for several years of drafting high picks.
- Nuck4U

I personally don't at all think the jury is out on LE whatsover. How you find "logic' in such a comment is classic NUck4U material.

It's bad term, bad first season-bad signing at 32 years old for a team trending down.

So far we have flatlined for two picks, if this year's turns into a stud 1C (like we all hope) the need to tank is relieved and it's time to start thinking of other methods of building around Bo, 1C, OJ, Tree.

This is exactly what successful teams have done and continue to do. I've got 100 on Oilers winning at 12-1, because they tanked until they got their pony and then put pieces around him. I'd put 100 on the Oilers or Toronto being the next canadian teams to win the stanley cup if anyone has the sack to put their money where their mouth is in terms of this anti-tank horsepoop.

I agree. It's all the days he's allowed to trade that have me more concerned.
- golfingsince

Not having much in the cupboard & the cap makes it difficult.
We r doin ok but much work yet to do. Previous contracts hampered JB.

Not having much in the cupboard & the cap makes it difficult.
We r doin ok but much work yet to do. Previous contracts hampered JB.
- Nighthawk

So did trying to win now.

It's not collusion, it's regurgitation. That's all journalists do. It's also what lazy scouts do...
- DrChristianTroy

Are all 23 of the scouts at central scouting lazy? Regujitating? I think not. Bob Mack and the scouts have been reliable for years. they say Patrick is #1, you seem like a nice enough guy but that's whose word I'll be taking

For my BPA its one thing for JB its another. I'm fine with JB's talent assessment.
- Nighthawk

Mehhh, I won't open that can of worms again...

The great thing about BPA is everyone's list is different because it depends on how you weight the criteria... People who think BPA is about picking the next available guy on consensus rankings are totally missing the boat.
- DrChristianTroy

Exactly. Why I get so nauseated how that term gets bantied about when a different pick is made. You are dead on about how teams will pick. Their BPA is all on what they value. How they see that player. Someone's BPA is another's not for us.

Mehhh, I won't open that can of worms again...
- DrChristianTroy

I have been in Bennings corner but I am sitting on the fence of is he genius or lunatic

I have been in Bennings corner but I am sitting on the fence of is he genius or lunatic
- VANTEL

they should hire another guy for contracts IMO. his drafting has been spot on so far IMO. trades I've liked for the most part too.

I personally don't at all think the jury is out on LE whatsover. How you find "logic' in such a comment is classic NUck4U material.

It's bad term, bad first season-bad signing at 32 years old for a team trending down.

So far we have flatlined for two picks, if this year's turns into a stud 1C (like we all hope) the need to tank is relieved and it's time to start thinking of other methods of building around Bo, 1C, OJ, Tree.

This is exactly what successful teams have done and continue to do. I've got 100 on Oilers winning at 12-1, because they tanked until they got their pony and then put pieces around him. I'd put 100 on the Oilers or Toronto being the next canadian teams to win the stanley cup if anyone has the sack to put their money where their mouth is in terms of this anti-tank horsepoop.
- neem55

This makes no sense to what was said. Plus typical crap shooting when you got nothing substantive to say. The subject was on quoting the confirmation of Nighthawk's point on effect to the cap. That's a logic base truth. Your opinion on direction is a preference. Which was also confirmed in the post. Again you are baseless in your response to what was said.

As for the rest there is a difference between incompetence and tanking. Two very different concepts. One a concerted effort to achieve a negative result (tanking). The other the result of an effort gone wrong (incompetence).

I do like you have optimism for next season turning a corner. Sounds like you are a draftist and not a toilet flusher. Not what most are saying and what the self proclaimed tankers want.

What do you guys think of Ratcliffe with the second pick 58 pts in 63 games. Anyone see him play live?
- VANTEL

Ive watched a couple games. Id take him with our 2nd if we draft a center with our 1st. Although, I am really hoping for Timmins to be there at 33.

If we happen to take Liljegrin or Makar, then I would like a center with our 2nd like Thomas.

JB said center or PP type offensive Dman but if nothing jumps out at him for those positions with the 2nd then yes a big LW is ideal. Any of Ratcliff, Strome etc.

With the blue jackets 2nd maybe a guy like ruzicka.

So did trying to win now.
- golfingsince

Yes the win now set us back but we r moving in the right direction now.

Yes the win now set us back but we r moving in the right direction now.
- Nighthawk

Yeah we are doing that but I'd feel much more comfortable if FA came out and said "I don't care about the money, let's build a proper winner" but billionaires are about the money.

Ive watched a couple games. Id take him with our 2nd if we draft a center with our 1st. Although, I am really hoping for Timmins to be there at 33.

If we happen to take Liljegrin or Makar, then I would like a center with our 2nd like Thomas.

JB said center or PP type offensive Dman but if nothing jumps out at him for those positions with the 2nd then yes a big LW is ideal. Any of Ratcliff, Strome etc.

With the blue jackets 2nd maybe a guy like ruzicka.
- mauryballstein

Nice synopsis. Informative too. Thanks for this objective take.

I agree. It's all the days he's allowed to trade that have me more concerned.
- golfingsince

To me he's definitely net positive on trades.
Sink for gran
2nd for baer
Kesler for sbisa and gub

All positive

Ive watched a couple games. Id take him with our 2nd if we draft a center with our 1st. Although, I am really hoping for Timmins to be there at 33.

If we happen to take Liljegrin or Makar, then I would like a center with our 2nd like Thomas.

JB said center or PP type offensive Dman but if nothing jumps out at him for those positions with the 2nd then yes a big LW is ideal. Any of Ratcliff, Strome etc.

With the blue jackets 2nd maybe a guy like ruzicka.
- mauryballstein

This makes no sense to what was said. Plus typical crap shooting when you got nothing substantive to say. The subject was on quoting the confirmation of Nighthawk's point on effect to the cap. That's a logic base truth. Your opinion on direction is a preference. Which was also confirmed in the post. Again you are baseless in your response to what was said.

As for the rest there is a difference between incompetence and tanking. Two very different concepts. One a concerted effort to achieve a negative result (tanking). The other the result of an effort gone wrong (incompetence).

I do like you have optimism for next season turning a corner. Sounds like you are a draftist and not a toilet flusher. Not what most are saying and what the self proclaimed tankers want.
- Nuck4U

i mentioned this to you yesterday, but do you ever read your posts?
Apart from trying to be so hard to be pedantic that they actually don't make sense (don't try so hard), you use words like logic without actually making inferences based on anything tangible. LE's term (6 years), age (32) and performance (brutal) this year are all tangible premises to say: that was a poopty signing on JB's part.

Of course I have optimism: we've ended up with a top5 pick for two years in a row. This is how the last 6 Stanley cup champion teams have been built. I have faith that JB will get great players in the first two rounds, hopefully someone slides out of the first that he really likes.

There is also a difference between incompetence and having a poop team. Before the season, poop before last season, the writing was on the wall. Journalists across the country have been saying this is a bottom 5 team, we finished bottom 5 last year and this year. While maybe it would be fine to dismiss a few of these opinions as bias, but when literally the entire community of professionals reach consensus... So yes, I don't want to see a team overperforming only to miss the playoffs and end up wit ha top15 instead of top5 pick.

they should hire another guy for contracts IMO. his drafting has been spot on so far IMO. trades I've liked for the most part too.
- neem55

I think the Eriksson contract so far is the only bad one