I'm still very happy about the start, but as I predicted would come the skid down to the basement has begun. The young new players are playing like under-age rookies now, the defense other than Werenski and Gavrikov are playing awful, and Laine's injury is really damaging, though he might be back in the lineup soon.
You can't get too upset about it, everyone figured it would happen sooner or later. Let's just hope other teams that handed us 1st round picks sink to the abyss with the CBJ, though obviously Tampa won't.
Maybe there will be another good run or two of play, but this year of experience will eventually lead to goods things in the future.
Exit Question: Will Sillinger and Chinakhov be on the Monsters by Christmas?
- jkumpire
I'm also happy/surprised about the start, and was also expecting the drop-off from the 12-7 record. Although Sillinger & Chinakhov haven't been completely lost, I believe the reality of playing in the WHL (Sillinger) and KHL(Chinakhov) vs. the NHL has set in, and some time in the AHL for both wouldn't be bad.
I agree we will have a couple of 8-3 or 10-4 streaks left, but at the end of the season we'll be closer to 80 pts, than 90 pts.
Considering the players coming on board in the next 2-3 years, if Laine can become more of a 2-way player, signing him to a contract with a 4-5 yr term would be good for both him and the team. He's only 23 and can grow with, and help lead, this team, and obviously can get 30-40 goals and 70-80+ pts. The big question is what Laine would want for an AAV. He's an RFA with arbitration rights, so a qualifier would have to be $8.25MM (he's at $7.5 now). I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable going too much more for term - maybe up to $9MM for 5 yrs. He seems to be a good fit - both on the ice, and in the lockerroom.
May have to do some roster juggling for the next couple of years - but Harrington & Korpisalo, maybe Domi, dropping off will help the bottom line. Nyquist drops off after next season. We have the prospects to replace them - and in the next couple of years those prospects will be ready.
We also should have 2 x 1st rnd picks in 2022 - so that extends the pipeline even farther along.
