Moving one of our Top 4 defenseman for a Top 6 Forward

[dbr]

What's particularly funny about that projection is that not even twelve hours later four of the five guys you projected for (not counting Burrows for obvious reasons) are now on pace for 22 goal seasons, which is more than enough depth since clearly this team will be led offensively by 30 goal scorers Ryan Kesler, Mike Santorelli and Brad Richardson.

Can't think of too many times with three thirty goal scorers and four more twenty goal scorers, not that it matters because of how insanely premature it is to draw conclusions like this......

[JonT21]

I think seeing how the past 10 games are crucial that we know for a fact that Mike Smith will now score more goals then Kopitar, Giroux, Stepan, and Nash combined....

[Uncle dans leg]

I think seeing how the past 10 games are crucial that we know for a fact that Mike Smith will now score more goals then Kopitar, Giroux, Stepan, and Nash combined....

Why Johnny...I do believe that's the funniest thing you've ever posted!

There IS an Easter bunny, Santa Claus, Sasquatch and hope

[KeyserSoze]

Can't think of too many times with three thirty goal scorers and four more twenty goal scorers

Sweet!

not that it matters because of how insanely premature it is to draw conclusions like this......

Dammit!

I can't handle the swings of these 1/8th of a season point projections!

[Strangelove]

I guess my point wasn't to raise the ire of all the resident homers

This is a Canucks message board.

Ummm... we're supposed to be "homers".

Now, if you're trying to infer some of us are blinded by optimism, how bout you point out specific examples

... instead of these blanket "Ah you're all blind fools other than a few folks like my hero RD" posts.

Did you ever consider the possibility that YOU are blindly pessimistic?

Consider the fact you made an ass of your-insanely-premature-self in this thread over the course of a single day.

Kinda ironic considering the way you try to pass yourself off as the realist among fools, no?

Blind leading "the blind"?

No offense but for what it's worth I see you as a simple stinky disciple of the Royal Urinator.

[Strangelove]

Actually I don't really care what you think SL.

Then again, you seem to respond to all of my posts.

You're so obsessed with me.

OR... you're delusional.

[Strangelove]

The team is 10 games into the season, and they have

Daniel 2
Henrik 2
Kesler 3
Hansen 2
Higgins 2

That's a lot of top six guys on pace for 16 goal seasons.

The team is 14 games into the season, and they have

Daniel 5 = 29 goal pace
Henrik 3 = 18 goal pace (though 17 points in 14 games = 100-point pace)
Kesler 8 = 47 goal pace
Higgins 4 = 23 goal pace
Santorelli 4 = 23 goal pace
Richardson 4 = 23 goal pace

My oh my, that's a more offensive group than the Corner's Urinator Crew.

I would look at trading anyone on this team for offensive help, today. No one is untouchable. Nor should they be.

However, I'd be careful asking GMMG to make any trades as his track record suggests we'd probably do something like Shinkaruk and a first for Tomas Fleischmann!

Well at least Mikey doesn't... PANIC... like some folks wot?

LOFL but yeah let's fire Mikey and hire Mondi!

[Hockey Widow]

Stanton must be on pace for what like 50 points? Maybe we should trade him to Chicago for Saad?

How about Moulson with two tonight. Look for him to get Buffalo anther 1 st rounder near the deadline.

[Meds]

Stanton must be on pace for what like 50 points? Maybe we should trade him to Chicago for Saad?

How about Moulson with two tonight. Look for him to get Buffalo anther 1 st rounder near the deadline.

Speaking of Buffalo.....

It would appear that the Sabers are about to enter a full rebuild mode, or very near to that at least, so would it be worth it to approach them about Ehrhoff? We know he fit in with the core of this team, and we have seen the difference he made to our breakout and PP, just a thought, but given his age, if Buffalo is going the rebuild route, do you think Booth + 2nd rounder + _______ would be enough to get him back? Booth's cap hit and Ehrhoffs pretty much cancel.

Hamhuis - Bieksa
Edler - Ehrhoff
Garrison - Tanev
Stanton
Corrado

Waive Alberts.

I'd like that.

[The Brown Knight]

After thinking about it a little more, I have come to the realization that suggesting an Erhoff for Shinkark/Booth deal would be extremely ill-advised.

On one hand - Erhoff would have greatly aided our team's power-play (while making us less susceptible to injuries on defense), but at the same time, I really believe that this team will have another "window" IF Shinkaruk and Horvat become impact players (sometime between 2014-2016) during a time period in which the twins and Kesler are still playing at their current levels.

[Hank]

Apparently, the Sabres have stockpiled 17 first and second rounders up to 2015. Yeah they're bad now, but if you're going to rebuild through the draft it's good to suck for a few years.

[dbr]

Apparently, the Sabres have stockpiled 17 first and second rounders up to 2015. Yeah they're bad now, but if you're going to rebuild through the draft it's good to suck for a few years.

It's 17 picks covering the first two rounds from 2012-2015 - so including Grigorenko, Girgensons, McCabe, Ristolainen, Zadorov, Compher, Hurley and Bailey.

But yeah the Sabres are traditionally pretty decent drafters so it will be interesting to see if they can do the crash and burn rebuild the right way.

That being said it is going to be a tall order trying to keep the stink of losing off of that franchise. They are already in a tough spot with guys like Pominville and Vanek being auctioned off with Miller (who has clearly checked out of the team mentally) on his way behind them, key parts of the roster like Hodgson (sorry Vader) and Stafford obviously not interested in competing in every part of the rink or every night..

My guess is they will make a token effort to stay competitive or at least "tough" while they wait all these drafts out, and hope to get a player like McDavid or someone else who can drag the rest of the young prospects out of the basement like a player like John Tavares has in Long Island. Whether they'll ever be as good as they were when they had Briere, Drury, Vanek, Miller, Campbell, etc remains to be seen of course.

Tell you what, I'd rather watch someone else's team going this route than ours.

[Hank]

It's 17 picks covering the first two rounds from 2012-2015 - so including Grigorenko, Girgensons, McCabe, Ristolainen, Zadorov, Compher, Hurley and Bailey.

But yeah the Sabres are traditionally pretty decent drafters so it will be interesting to see if they can do the crash and burn rebuild the right way.

That being said it is going to be a tall order trying to keep the stink of losing off of that franchise. They are already in a tough spot with guys like Pominville and Vanek being auctioned off with Miller (who has clearly checked out of the team mentally) on his way behind them, key parts of the roster like Hodgson (sorry Vader) and Stafford obviously not interested in competing in every part of the rink or every night..

My guess is they will make a token effort to stay competitive or at least "tough" while they wait all these drafts out, and hope to get a player like McDavid or someone else who can drag the rest of the young prospects out of the basement like a player like John Tavares has in Long Island. Whether they'll ever be as good as they were when they had Briere, Drury, Vanek, Miller, Campbell, etc remains to be seen of course.

Tell you what, I'd rather watch someone else's team going this route than ours.

Thanks Dave, I was like, what?! 17 first & second rounders to come and they want to fire the GM?!

I agree with pretty much everything you said here. When you've stunk for awhile and don't really have a long history of winning, it's not easy to lose the stench. That being said, we've had a history of being foul-smelling and if it wasn't for some serious luck in 99, we wouldn't have had this decade long success.

So for most franchises that are rebuilding this way, it just makes sense to ship off all the vets and let the kids struggle and hope the fan base is supportive until brighter days. I think the Sabres are astute enough not to try to draft like the Oilers.

While we're still competitive I prefer to watch someone else's team go through this route, but at some point by necessity or otherwise, we're going to have to suffer through this as well. It amazes me that we as a franchise have never really gone this route... either by lack of a plan, incompetent management or both.

[herb]

We have a mobile, physical, two-way top four. We have two young bottom pairing guys on affordable salaries who have shown they belong in the NHL. We have Corrado in Utica who is perhaps a year or two away.

When I look at our defense, I don't see a group that needs tinkering let along major changes. There are several other areas of concern to worry about if I'm GM, including depth at centre ice, scoring help, bottom six depth and prospect depth.

The team may be playing well now, but there still needs to be some urgency to enhance our forward prospect depth. The lack of guys pushing their way up from Utica is hurting Gillis' ability to ice a competent forward group (Sestito on the third line).

[herb]

Thanks Dave, I was like, what?! 17 first & second rounders to come and they want to fire the GM?!

I'm not so sure tanking it an acquiring a boat load of draft picks is much of an accomplishment. That incompetent bunch in Edmonton pulled that feat off, and it still hasn't gotten them out of the cellar.