2026 Pre-TDL Thread

[Madcombinepilot]

However, if I were to make a devil’s advocate argument, it would be that the new budding star we draft will be jettisoned into something he may not be prepared for. He will all of a sudden be THE guy in an inferno-like market with nothing to shield him from scrutiny. Petey, having taken more brunt of hate than anybody since the Sedins’ sisters years, might be the perfect guy to have around to deflect/absorb the heat and let the kid focus solely on his game. Did you see Bedard’s demeanour his first couple years? Not sure about Stenberg, but McKenna looks to me like a kid who might crumble in that kind of environment. That’s not to say we won’t scrutinize anyway, we will like we do with all players, but with Petey there I think it might help more than we realize. Plus, a player with defensive awareness and ‘some’ offensive chops to play with can only help (another bonus if he in turn helps get Petey back on track). Drafting the right guy is critical, so is optimizing his development.

Right idea. First off, we need to get rid of Petey, but it’s a matter of when. We have a couple off seasons before it becomes critical. We have a chance to get a decent fair market value from him.

But we will need a decent center back. What if we drafted an all star winger this year, who is NHL ready, and he has NOBODY to play with? Can’t play a scoring winger with a defensive specialist like Kämpf. That would kill his confidence. A kid could at least play with Petey for a year.

During the next 3-4 years, we need a top center, top pairing D man and a decent goalie. A couple of second line guys with heart and grit, and then a couple characters who work thier balls off and who are a couple knuckle draggers to keep fans entertained and protect the kids. Can’t be like Chicago was a few years ago that only had 4 NHLrs.. that leads to a 7-10 year rebuild (3-4 yers of picks and 3-4 years of development)

I would much rather change the culture of this team (meaning Myers, Brock, Petey at the least are gone) get our #3 pick this year (we could end up last, but the league lottery will fuck us) sign some western canadians this off season (or get them back in the trades). Get our top 15 picks next year, and add 3-5 quality [Canadian] players to the young group we already have.

To the fans/media who want to move everyone this year and draft 7 times in the first round, and 20 times total in 2026 will simply ensure we suck forever. Gotta stagger those top picks. Blobbie called it with 20+ picks over next 2 drafts.

Finish last this year, finish bottom 10 next year, bottom 16 year 3, start competing to win again in 2030. Start winning in 2032. Every other plan is going to have us in playoffs in 2040, because that’s how long it will take to cut the rot of losing out of the team culture that will have set in.

Mods, save this post.

[rockalt]

However, if I were to make a devil’s advocate argument, it would be that the new budding star we draft will be jettisoned into something he may not be prepared for. He will all of a sudden be THE guy in an inferno-like market with nothing to shield him from scrutiny. Petey, having taken more brunt of hate than anybody since the Sedins’ sisters years, might be the perfect guy to have around to deflect/absorb the heat and let the kid focus solely on his game. Did you see Bedard’s demeanour his first couple years? Not sure about Stenberg, but McKenna looks to me like a kid who might crumble in that kind of environment. That’s not to say we won’t scrutinize anyway, we will like we do with all players, but with Petey there I think it might help more than we realize. Plus, a player with defensive awareness and ‘some’ offensive chops to play with can only help (another bonus if he in turn helps get Petey back on track). Drafting the right guy is critical, so is optimizing his development.

Right idea. First off, we need to get rid of Petey, but it’s a matter of when. We have a couple off seasons before it becomes critical. We have a chance to get a decent fair market value from him.

But we will need a decent center back. What if we drafted an all star winger this year, who is NHL ready, and he has NOBODY to play with? Can’t play a scoring winger with a defensive specialist like Kämpf. That would kill his confidence. A kid could at least play with Petey for a year.

During the next 3-4 years, we need a top center, top pairing D man and a decent goalie. A couple of second line guys with heart and grit, and then a couple characters who work thier balls off and who are a couple knuckle draggers to keep fans entertained and protect the kids. Can’t be like Chicago was a few years ago that only had 4 NHLrs.. that leads to a 7-10 year rebuild (3-4 yers of picks and 3-4 years of development)

I would much rather change the culture of this team (meaning Myers, Brock, Petey at the least are gone) get our #3 pick this year (we could end up last, but the league lottery will fuck us) sign some western canadians this off season (or get them back in the trades). Get our top 15 picks next year, and add 3-5 quality [Canadian] players to the young group we already have.

To the fans/media who want to move everyone this year and draft 7 times in the first round, and 20 times total in 2026 will simply ensure we suck forever. Gotta stagger those top picks. Blobbie called it with 20+ picks over next 2 drafts.

Finish last this year, finish bottom 10 next year, bottom 16 year 3, start competing to win again in 2030. Start winning in 2032. Every other plan is going to have us in playoffs in 2040, because that’s how long it will take to cut the rot of losing out of the team culture that will have set in.

Mods, save this post.

I've been looking for Nuckertuzzi's post but couldn't find the right thread.

Couldn't have said it better myself MCP! Agree with you both 100% and indeed please save this post!

I think the best outcome is to keep Petey, draft one of Stenberg or Mckenna and then let them play on the same line. You allow Petey to shelter the criticism, give the young players a talented centre to play with and likely prop up Petey's value while doing so. Then you can offload him. The alternative is to unload Petey for below market value and feed the high end draft picks to the wolves by placing them with... a miscast Marco Rossi at best? No thanks!

Of course knowing our luck, we finish 3rd last and draft 6 or 7!

[Madcombinepilot]

Oh yeah, as to the criticism, (especially when losing), keep Petey. After that, the media will direct the angst of the fans at someone - just like always.

Media here never met a bad storeyline they didn’t like.

[Nuckertuzzi]

To the fans/media who want to move everyone this year and draft 7 times in the first round, and 20 times total in 2026 will simply ensure we suck forever. Gotta stagger those top picks. Blobbie called it with 20+ picks over next 2 drafts.

Agreed. I mentioned the staggering process in another post. Not a good idea to extract vets and collect picks to draft all on one year. It's gotta be a multi year process. Which is no problem because we are going to suck and pick in the bottom 5 for at least the next three years, regardless of how we play it (I think you might be optimistic about picking mid round by year 3).

[Megaterio Llamas]

If you recall, we waited a year to bring the Sedins over; they were twenty-year-old rookies. Stenberg, McKenna and Verhoef all look like guys who would be much better served by spending another year right where they are, especially considering the market here. McKenna in particular doesn't seem to have mastered the college game yet. Of course, this is provided that Mr Aquilini is willing to delay gratification on the added jersey and ticket sales revenue (doubtful).

[Nuckertuzzi]

I've been looking for Nuckertuzzi's post but couldn't find the right thread.

Couldn't have said it better myself MCP! Agree with you both 100% and indeed please save this post!

I think the best outcome is to keep Petey, draft one of Stenberg or Mckenna and then let them play on the same line. You allow Petey to shelter the criticism, give the young players a talented centre to play with and likely prop up Petey's value while doing so. Then you can offload him. The alternative is to unload Petey for below market value and feed the high end draft picks to the wolves by placing them with... a miscast Marco Rossi at best? No thanks!

To be clear, Rockalt, I didn't exactly call for this. Was just presenting some food for thought whether I made a compelling point or not.

If it was actually up to me, I would definitely look to move Petey asap if possible. I don't hate the guy as much as a lot of people in this market do, but fact is he had a major hand in just how badly this team has fallen the past couple years and much of the blowback is warranted. While he's here he'll always be a lightning rod, the whipping boy tied to the collapse and I just don't see how the relationship between he and the fanbase can be repaired, especially during what will inevitably be a long and painful rebuild.

If you can erase the toxicity for one year while we see if and how his presence can help McKenna/Stenberg (if it is one of them), then maybe. Just not sure you can.

[Nuckertuzzi]

If you recall, we waited a year to bring the Sedins over; they were twenty-year-old rookies. Stenberg, McKenna and Verhoef all look like guys who would be much better served by spending another year right where they are, especially considering the market here. McKenna in particular doesn't seem to have mastered the college game yet.

This is a good point, too. There's no guarantees we will see our 1st rounder suit up in Nucks' colours next year.

Of course, this is provided that Mr Aquilini is willing to delay gratification on the added jersey and ticket sales revenue (doubtful).

But he's going to have to sell something, so of course you know who's big nose is going to get in the way of what might be best, as usual.

[Megaterio Llamas]

If you recall, we waited a year to bring the Sedins over; they were twenty-year-old rookies. Stenberg, McKenna and Verhoef all look like guys who would be much better served by spending another year right where they are, especially considering the market here. McKenna in particular doesn't seem to have mastered the college game yet.

This is a good point, too. There's no guarantees we will see our 1st rounder suit up in Nucks' colours next year.

Of course, this is provided that Mr Aquilini is willing to delay gratification on the added jersey and ticket sales revenue (doubtful).

But he's going to have to sell something, so of course you know who's big nose is going to get in the way of what might be best, as usual.

Burke had the force of personality to persuade ownership to wait a year on the twins back then, and Rutherford just might today. But you know Mr Aquikni will have trouble understanding why he can begin pocketing sweater sales revenue immediately, much like he must have felt when he realized he couldn't simply pocket last year's Abby playoff revenue and had to shell out for championship rings. The paint on the walls will surely peel.

[Madcombinepilot]

If you recall, we waited a year to bring the Sedins over; they were twenty-year-old rookies. Stenberg, McKenna and Verhoef all look like guys who would be much better served by spending another year right where they are, especially considering the market here. McKenna in particular doesn't seem to have mastered the college game yet. Of course, this is provided that Mr Aquilini is willing to delay gratification on the added jersey and ticket sales revenue (doubtful).

100% you delay bringing up kids for as long as you can. That’s why we need actual NHLrs here (they can totally be 3-4th line guys)

But if/when you draft that generational guy (bedard?) you HAVE to have NHL quality for him to play with, or they just learn to lose. (See Buffalo or Chicago for 10 years as an example)

[Madcombinepilot]

I've been looking for Nuckertuzzi's post but couldn't find the right thread.

Couldn't have said it better myself MCP! Agree with you both 100% and indeed please save this post!

I think the best outcome is to keep Petey, draft one of Stenberg or Mckenna and then let them play on the same line. You allow Petey to shelter the criticism, give the young players a talented centre to play with and likely prop up Petey's value while doing so. Then you can offload him. The alternative is to unload Petey for below market value and feed the high end draft picks to the wolves by placing them with... a miscast Marco Rossi at best? No thanks!

To be clear, Rockalt, I didn't exactly call for this. Was just presenting some food for thought whether I made a compelling point or not.

If it was actually up to me, I would definitely look to move Petey asap if possible. I don't hate the guy as much as a lot of people in this market do, but fact is he had a major hand in just how badly this team has fallen the past couple years and much of the blowback is warranted. While he's here he'll always be a lightning rod, the whipping boy tied to the collapse and I just don't see how the relationship between he and the fanbase can be repaired, especially during what will inevitably be a long and painful rebuild.

If you can erase the toxicity for one year while we see if and how his presence can help McKenna/Stenberg (if it is one of them), then maybe. Just not sure you can.

I agree that Petey has to go, just doesn’t matter when (this year or next- we can delay bringing in a rookie for a year)

I would be amazed if we don’t fall the maximum number of draft spots possible (like we do EVERY time we are in a top 5 spot)

[Nuckertuzzi]

I would be amazed if we don’t fall the maximum number of draft spots possible (like we do EVERY time we are in a top 5 spot)

Omg that'll be just the perfect topper at the end of all of this. You know it will happen.

Correction, the topper will be Blueger, Rossi, Chytil, Demko and Sherwood's injuries will last until just after the trade deadline, then all will come back completely healthy and firing on all cylinders until the end of season, fueling an epic run that takes us from last place to just outside a wildcard.

[donlever]

We are going to hit a top 3 pick this year.

You read it here first....

[theman]

We are going to hit a top 3 pick this year.

You read it here first....

Agree, my gut is telling me top 2 actually.

[Carl Yagro]

We're winning the lottery, guys.

There's gotta be a FIRST for everything

[Nuckertuzzi]

Crucial we get two top 3's in the next several years, and one of them absolutely needs to be a No. 1 overall.

2011 had a 2nd and a 3rd we selected.

1994 had a 2nd we selected in the lineup, plus another 2nd we were able to use to trade for key pieces.

1982 had none but while that run was a ton of fun, it didn't exactly have a realistic chance to end well.

Isn't the stat going around the last 20-25 Cup champs all had a 1st overall? So that's what kept us from getting it done in '11 and '94. Gotta have one to break the jinx.