Pimlach

He said he was out yesterday and he posted today.

Sure. They can sign Mitts for $5.5M if he will take that. Buying out Skinner after next year is plausible but a good GM would be working it now.

Way, way, way too early to say that. New contracts are going up, and salary cap is going up. I am betting these contracts look great in the next few years because I think we have not seen the best of Cozens, and not even close to the best of Power.

I get your point. My view as of today is, Tage is the 1C and he is locked up. Cozens got paid, so I call him the 2C, there is no plan to move him that we know of today. In fact, Adams was trumpeting Cozens in his recent interview. That leaves Casey as 3C. Now, the reality is Casey has proven he can plug into 1C and be effective. He has improved his all around game tremendously. He can slide to LW and be effective. He could be a 2C on many teams, including this one. Physically, he has a stout build and he works hard at both ends of the ice. Skills wise he has very good hands and passing skills. I think that today he is better than Cozens - but Cozens plays with Peterka and Quinn and they were our best line until the injury to Quinn. So in summary, I called him 3C because Adams already locked up 2 centers. Yup. Maybe he might entertain Toronto, Detroit, Ottawa or Montreal to stay close to home? Then he will haunt us the rest of his career.

Trading Skinner will be hard to do, but not impossible if they retain some of it. I think we have a better chance of success backfilling Skinner with one of our kids - Kulich/Rosen/Savoie - then we do using them to backfill Mitts. KO Z, VO and the others can go and will be replaced for little money. Mitts will actually bring us a good player back, which is the goal of the trade - to fix Goalie and/or add a top 4 RHD. To really talk to this correctly we have to know what the big picture plan is - is he planning 3 trades, 2 trades, 1 trade? Is he targeting UFAs? etc.

Interesting. I do not think Cozens struggled because he is lazy with the big contract. Just the opposite, I think he struggled because of age, maturity, and his own high expectations due to the contract. Add in injuries, his own and his line mate (Quinn). Hw was a head case for awhile but he seems to be playing a lot better and I think he will be a very good 2 way 2C. Mitts is the 3C right now and one of the better 2 way forwards that we have. In fact, he can play the 1C role and be effective and he is also pretty damm good at LW. So trading Mitts to get a goalie or a top 4 RHD is going to create a big hole at 3C. My fear is that Adams opens that position to either Savioe/Kulich/Rosen, none of them will be as good of an all around player next year as Mitts is right now. All three need time., as Mitts did. That leads me to Krebs. He is not doing the things right that show me he can move up to being a 2 way 3C, he is just ok as a 4C. So for all the depth in the center pipeline there will be a big whole to fill if they trade Mitts. Someone has to step up - Krebs/Savioe/Kulich/Rosen/Östlund - or Adams has to shop around for a veteran to bring in. Adams has a whole bunch of work to do.

Trading Mitts for Gibson is not what I would do. "Petey" seems to think this is legit.

I thought you checked out for the season, again? You posted you were out 17 hours ago. Is it the Ottawa logo that you use as an avatar. Are you checked out on Senators games?

You mean the trade all former golden knights, we got ripped off on Eichel, dump Rochester, put a Buffalo AHL affiliate in Sloan, they can build a rink in the empty lot near the VFW Hall. That Schtick?

I was not angry writing the post, do you have empathic power? I just prefer not listening to that pod cast with those two dropping f-bombs and spreading rumors.

To the bold. It was good fortune that UPL took a step. Goaltending is not our biggest problem this year, scoring is, especially the PP. That said if Adams gets a really good goalie in return right now for next season, then we have said goalie and UPL - if they are 1A and 1B then all the better, gives Levi real competition for the future. We still need a veteran (in NHL prime) RHD that can play top 4. (Dahkin, Power and R Johnson are not going anywhere so goodbye Joker) We still need, even more than before, veteran help at center and at wing. We still need, good 4th line player(s) that the other team is afraid to piss off.

And this was in my first comment, although I was thinking next season. Should we replace Mitts with either Rosen/Savoie/Kulich we are looking at a 2-3 year learning curve in the NHL. It's like we are running in place. We need to get stronger up the middle, even if we keep Mitts.

FIFY

Exactly. When people talk about Peca leaving I am always happy for him. He went to a good team, under a very good coach, that put in "the system" in one off season. Like every other NHL coach does. Good to see him learn from a cup winning and proven coach. With DG he said he put the offense in first because its harder to play offense, then add the defense later. We are seeing how that philosophy worked out this season. Maybe next season they will be juggernauts under DG and I will eat my Fedora? Or, there really is no system, as I am being told.

I heard him say something to the effect of "all in" for the playoffs and "not all about development". I also heard him say he could not get a goalie better than the 3 he had, which may be true. Adams is probably learning that the rest of the league GMs are also pretty savvy. I remind myself that he initially was not really qualified to be a GM, other than having the trust of the big boss that is. No doubt he has brought in some good help and he has learned a ton. I pick on him, but I must add that I think he is a smart guy overall. I understand why TP likes him.

I respectfully submit that this thread gets closed and deleted.

I think of it as he was 67% wrong. It just amazes me that he made that bet on Levi, while saying that they are "all in" and going for the playoffs. Levi will spend next year in the AHL if we get a real NHL goalie. No surprise. It also amazes me because everyone in the league knew that Comrie was, at best a backup that gets a limited number of games (he played only 19 games the year before we signed him). We needed a 1A/1B to have a shot at the playoffs, Comrie is not a 1B, and has not proven to be a reliable 2. UPL is trending up as an NHL goalie. That is the remaining 33% thankfully. We have one piece finally.

I am ok with trading Skinner now, and even eating some salary. I would get rid of the legacy of losing - KO, Girgs, Skinner - move on from them. Muel is a guy I have been unhappy with for most of the season. Still, given his age and inexperience, I think he might someday be a very good player and worthy of his contract - I say this because I have ZERO confidence in DG and his staff to coach team defense. Because of this, all of our defenders have to deal with a liability. My internal source tells me there is no "DG system" and that the next coach is going to have his work cut out for him.

Sure it makes sense. Timing - I wanted this BEFORE the season when we were trying to make the playoffs.

We do. Those are the only substantial trades he has made.

First, what are you angry about? Second, why do you like it before you even see the trade? Sure, Mitts is tradeable if you can make a deal to improve the team. I want to see the trade before I decide I like it. Third, What exactly is Adams banking on? He rushed to pay Muel (after 54 NHL games), then rushed to sign Cozens when he had time (literally causing Cozens to become a head case), then he rushed to sign Power who not surprisingly is struggling in his sophomore season. Is Kevyn all of a sudden learning on the job? What about his neglect of the goaltending in the off season, our PLAYOFF off season? UPL is emerging, we are almost eliminated from the playoffs and now all of a sudden he needs a better goalie? Adams is confusing me with his logic, but I can't wait to see him make a trade of substance (not counting trading the very good players that wanted to leave).

Rivet and Peters are clowns. But you never know. Hey, even experts on SabresSpace said Mitts could be traded. So trade a center when we need a center. Trade a guy just entering his prime to bring up a prospect and live through 2-3 years of growing pains. Sounds right. As for what goalie, don’t make me play their podcast to find out.

Nah. Co captains is not a problem. Think Drury and Briere. Pegula destroyed this franchise one season at a time.

Thanks for clarifying. I think the only way this team will be different next year is with changes in the coaching staff - they can be 90% the same players but bring in a Gallant/Berube type, upgrade the assistants, and they will be different, and probably much better. The question of “Rasmus is dumb” has been a talking point for you, and yes, there is a thread dedicated to it, and beyond that you still point out his errors and comments. So it’s no secret you don’t see him as the guy to build on. I have been complaining about the lack of “in their prime” veteran defenseman on this team, especially the big tough stay at home type. Failure to bring in players like this, still in their prime, to support Dahlin and Power, is tragic and slowing the development of both players - these guys carry a huge load. They brought in Eric Johnson, way past his prime, and he is helping in a limited 3rd pairing way. They brought in Clifton who is playing well in a 3rd pairing role. They kept Joker who should absolutely be replaced by the guy I’m clamoring for They paid Mule to be the guy I’m clamoring for, and so far he is not. Add to this that Granato does not have a legitimate system and the forwards don’t play 2way hockey. Dahlin is not the problem. Captain - there will likely be a new one next year. Who are the candidates? Tuch? Dahlin? Who? I think you and I both know the root cause of the chronic losing and failures - it’s the ownership, which I like to point out is the common denominator of it all. Adam’s should be on thin ice, but he isn’t.

Yet, you single out Tage and Rasmus. When I don’t like a team it’s typically because I don’t like some of the players. You don’t like Dahlin. You refer to him as dumb quite often. I’m thinking you cannot like this team if Dahlin is on it. Is this a correct assumption? What will you think when he gets the C?