Honestly, some of my favorite moments of the rebuild have been these past 7 games. Raymond seems like such a special player. I agree on Tarasenko. He cares and wants it to go but I think he’s fighting himself a bit. Even Gustafsson has had a pick up and that’s cool to see. Kasper works so hard and I really want the best for that kid. Debrincat hasn’t smiled this much in a while. Confidence can be contagious, for sure. My biggest hope is that there are real changes sinking in. Todd is such a different coach than LaLonde. Hoping DL can get a gig and be involved somewhere. The change was needed but you still hope for good things.
- Jeremy Laura
Being a DRW fan comes with a heavy price, no doubt. I watched "The Joe..." the other night; some insane memories, names I haven't thought of in years (Danny Gare, etc...), and it really put things in a different light - this team is amazing, the organization is amazing, the fans are amazing. But it comes at a cost. We've got some really talented players, and some that are less-than desirable (trying to be nice. The A & minors are in great shape, and The Captain is working to keep the draft productive. Are we hard on the team? Yep. We're spoiled. It's going to take a few more years for us to be able to get cranky if we don't make the SCF semis. It all comes from the message coming from the staff - and I think we all can agree that the message, the drive, the intensity, etc... has completely changed w/Todd Mac.
The past 7 have been really good hockey. It shows what the team is capable of and shows some of the guys who may not be as viable assets as we may think....
From my seat; if we can unload Tank and he agrees, go for it. He's a declining vet who's decline has been precipitous. Now, full disclosure: I've ALWAYS been a Tank fan. He was a beast, but something's off and I'd have his name #1 on the trade list. If he turns it around, that's great for us. BUT.....I just don't see it in him like he's shown in the past few years..... Just sayen it's probably time for him to move on. There's a good chance that we have a name or 2 in GR that could come up post-TDL, if he's traded. Again, if not, so much the better. But again, I don't think we need to make a ton of moves right now. Tank is more of an opportunity trade, make sense?
ANYWAY, good game, some defensive lapses and I feel like we took the foot off the gas a bit in he 3d. BUT, that's been 2 games in a row. Not freakin' out, but as we play FLA, taking the foot off the gas will equal a blow-out.
