Madcombinepilot wrote: ↑Mon Dec 28, 2020 8:15 am
I think they saw what we have last year, and realize we are a better team now than last year.
Management doesn’t listen to the media and is still capable of critical thinking. I think that our owners want to win so bad, there is no internal cap like has been speculated.
They know the following:
Losing Toffoli doesn’t hurt us. We lost some draft picks, but he was never in the lineup when Boesser was, so he was a bonus, not a fixture.
We are going to get better with internal growth of players, but we had a decent top 9 last year, and if Ferland comes back (and is healthy) we are better this year, if he doesn’t we have cap flexibility for potential moves as the season progresses. Looking at our top 9, they can play with any other Canadian team.
Our top 4 defence is better now than last year. Addition of Schmidt, and the second year of Hughes..if they hit the chemistry, arguably the top pairing of defence in our division. Our bottom 4 players on defence (Benn, Joulevi, & whomever else makes the team out of camp) are exactly that: bottom 4. If one of those guys has a breakout year, we can be surprised. But in the end, if your bottom pairing plays better than 3 million dollars combined of players, it’s a win. I would like some depth here, but I want depth that can fill a bottom pairing role in the playoffs. Stetcher wasn’t that guy. I am not sure if we have that guy on the team yet, but mgt have seen the Rathbones and Raffertys play way more than we have, so perhaps we do and don’t know it.
Goaltending is a lateral move. Marky had a career year with us last year. Getting Holtby in (on the correct contract) is a great move on a lot of levels. He is a fucking winner and knows how to get it done. He had an off year last year, but will rebound with a change of scenery and working with Ian Clark. Demko is potentially the guy we have been waiting for, and this is his year to prove it. We have as good a tandem as anyone in our division this year, Behind Montreal.
[edit] - I wouldn’t mind a depth signing for the taxi squad here, just to let DiPetro play in the AHL all season. If we lose Holtby and Demko for any stretch, we are cooked anyway, so just sign a zamboni driver to fill this slot.
As to the ‘shitty contracts’.. I think we only have one, and that’s Loui. Yes, we have a couple that are a year too long, or 500k too much, but when you were at the place we were at 2-3 years ago, the extra year or 500k is the price you pay to attract they players you need to build the culture, identity and character you want for your team. That’s the business. JB shred away from all of Toffoli, Marky, and Taney because of contract length. He decided to let Troy from Richmond walk because Troy is the wrong guy for the #6-7role (and I like Troy! - but facts are facts)
I think we are in a better place right now than most (especially in the media) think, and we will be fine going into the season. As to injuries, every team is gonna have the same problem in our division. No team in Canada has the depth they want, but at least we have a good prospect pool in case the injury bug gets us. This is a level playing field this year.
I've actually been going light lately ESQ. I find it waxes and wanes.
