JohnC

That accusatory finger looks familiar! 🤡

How valuable of an asset was Bloom? In that middling deal the GM got a lower-level defensive player who will play a little on the lowest pairing. He will be taking minutes away from both Clague and Bryson. That is a good thing. On balance this was a good deal for us. Certainly, not a consequential deal, but a plus deal. With respect to the blue line unit everyone agrees with you that there needs to be some additions. Right now, our top two pairings are reasonably set. Many here would like to see a defenseman brought in that allows Joki to move down to the third pairing. I'm still hoping for a third pairing caliber player being brought in before the trade deadline expires. But if not, by next season another player on that unit will probably be signed. With respect to the long developmental game the issue is how do you define long-term development. I believe that the process has been ongoing for the past few years. I expect (hope) that by next year our roster will be better with a couple of additions and by internal development that is ongoing right now. There is no question that the improvement that the organization undergoes will be driven by internal improvement. And KA would say that is the basis of the plan.

Just because a miniscule number of people might outlandishly over-rate the abilities of blueliners such as Clague and Bryson, that doesn't come close to representing the consensus of the posters. (As @dudacekpointed out.) The comparison to NJ Devils doesn't hold water for the main reason that you don't know what the GM is going to do to address the manifest deficiencies that this roster has. Who is going to disagree that it is the GM's job to construct a roster? Most of the action taken to rework the roster is done in the offseason. The offseason hasn't started yet. Trades and wheeling and dealing is often done around the draft. That day hasn't arrived yet. Sometimes, one needs to stand back a little to get some perspective on things. Consider where this franchise was two years ago, last year and this year. It may not be at the pace you are satisfied with but the ladder is being climbed. And it should be remembered that this season is still ongoing. We're at the fringe of earning a wildcard spot. (Not saying that it is going to happen.) We are where many of us (the realistic ones) thought where we would be. Again, most of us agree that the problems you identify need to be addressed. They are glaringly obvious to most of us. But the GM has publicly stated from the beginning the approach that he was going to take to build this roster. He emphatically stated that he wasn't going to expend his young assets and draft picks for short-term gains. He's taking a bigger picture approach with a longer time frame that you would prefer. That's understood. But you can't deny that he is doing exactly what he said he was going to do and how he how he was going to go about executing his play. Your frustrations are understandable. But the course he set from the start and that he is currently on is working. If you don't believe that then consider where we were before he took over a couple of years ago.

You are correct and I am wrong. This sloppy mistake warrants a knuckle smack.

Don Granato was on WGR's morning show and said that he was familiar with Stillman from the juniors. He pointed out that he was more effective with Florida than with Vancouver because it was a better fit with his first team. As you point out he is a depth player.

How good is Rosen? Does he project to being a second-line caliber of player?

The world has changed. But what the old school discipline did is to toughen you up and make you handle criticism (fair and not) better so that it wouldn't emotionally affect you . Trust me, I got the scars to prove it. Tough love can at times be tough for the recipient. 😬 No. I run a lot faster. Avoidance is a solution to the stick.

You and I are in accord on adding another defenseman (in addition to the recent acquisition) that is a Lyubushin caliber of player and who has the same rugged style of play. Solidifying the lower pairing can take some of the minutes load off of the first two pairings. I have been more than satisfied with Lyubushkin's recent play. I think his better play is due to being healthy.

I don't accept it. It's still bulllshiiilt!

I wouldn't dare. My father who immigrated from Italy was stern about education and respecting teachers. In grammar school he would regularly go to meet with the teachers and tell them to hit me. When they asked him why because I was a good student and behaved. His response was that you haven't caught him yet, so whack him just in case. 👨‍🎓

We'll see. I think they will. Don't write off Comrie just yet. The injury he had in the beginning of the season set him back. I wouldn't be so quick to judge. Make no mistake what I'm saying here, I'm not elevating his status as a player. I just don't believe that the front office has completely written him off as many in the fandom have done.

I appreciate your advice. I'm not going to free trial it and then cancel.

Pulijujarvi traded to Carolina from Edmonton. https://www.nhl.com/news/jesse-puljujarvi-traded-to-carolina-hurricanes-from-edmonton-oilers/c-341611020?tid=278542340

I won't be able to watch the game because it isn't on Center Ice or any of the channels that that usually carry the games. I'm freaking pissed off! This bullshiiiit has got to stop!!

My opinion: I don't think that they will upgrade from what they already have. Again, this is my opinion.

Attached is a WGR link that has Don Granato on the Howard and Jeremy Show. It is a 20 minute segment. Granato is great to listen to. He answers the questions and gives as much information about his thoughts that he can reasonably do for a person in his position. There is an interesting segment within the link where he strongly believes that improvement is going to come from within more than from the outside. No question this is the front office's stance that will influence any deals or limit some deals. He made an interesting comment that he didn't want to be involve in the Jack trade talk or felt it would be appropriate to do so. However, he did talk with the GM about the players being proposed to come from a deal. He also made some glowing comments about Power and felt that he should win the rookie award. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy-show

Saros would definitely be an upgrade. What would you be willing to deal to get him? The GM has repeatedly stated and demonstrated that he is unwilling to part ways with young players and high-end prospects. The issue for me isn't whether he could do anything as it is would he. Based on how he has managed the operation for the past couple of years it seems that he is strongly inclined to build from within. The recent proposals that many are making is that he could he do this or that. That is not how I am framing the issue here. It is would he take the more aggressive course that many are arguing for. I say he will not because based on his prior actions he has a strong belief that staying the course that he set right from the outset is working well. He makes a compelling case that what he is doing is working. I'm confident that he is not going to pursue the more aggressive approach that @Thornyand @GASabresIUFANprefer.

Whether it is a cap issue or not it is unlikely (my opinion) that this organization is going to sign veer from the course of going out and signing another goalie, assuming that Levi signs with the organization. After this year, Comrie and UPL will be our goalies with Levi down in Rochester waiting in the wings. That's how I see the goalie situation playing out.

Let me add that I also agree with @Brawndothat the core has been identified and that it is a factor in KA's approach to bringing in or not bringing in players. Players such as Dahlin, Power and Quinn are going to require large expenditures. Add those prospective contracts to the contracts that have been given to Tage, Cozens, Samuelsson, Skinner, Tage and you can see a cap squeeze developing in the not-too-distant future. Because KA is very much focused on the future it is influences on how he acts in the present and near future. We are going in circles. I agree with you that everything depends. We'll just have to leave it there and see how things play out.

You have to listen to what the GM (not me) has been saying since he arrived. He does have options to make deals. That's obvious. And he does communicate with all the other GMs because that is his job. But he has made it clear how he is going to handle his responsibilities. Look at the deals he made this offseason such as acquiring Lyubushkin, Comrie and getting Yost during the season. None of them required giving up assets, most notably future assets. He's executing the plan that he has publicly stated he was going to do right from the start. If you find his plan too conservative and exasperating to live with then I don't know what to say. You asked if the GM will add another goalie in the offseason. My prediction is that he will not. If there is a deal I don't see it being anything other than a middling deal for Comrie. My guess is that he believes that he has the future goalie in the system i.e. Levi. And he will ride it out until he is ready to compete with UPL for the primary goalie spot. I'm sure you are not satisfied with that scenario playing out but that's what I see happening here. I don't believe that KA will expend significant assets for Saros when he is likely to soon have Levi in the system. It's my impression that KA is inherently cautious. I don't see that scenario materializing. Let's just wait and see what happens.

KA has made it abundantly clear that he isn't going to give up significant future assets for the present situation. I would love to have a goalie like Soros but it is unlikely to happen here.

Members of @GASabresIUFANfamily are taking CPR lessons as the trade deadline approaches. They know how he will react when the organization doesn't react at the deadline. So they are preparing themselves to help a loved one. 🤡

There's a loud campaign to upgrade our goaltending. When the advocates are asked what goalies on the market are available that our GM would be interested in, the response is the same as you gave in your post: (No one in particular.) The GM and the coach are staying with the trio that they currently have. It wouldn't be surprising that the trio will soon be shortened to a duo to finish out the season. That's where this organization is at; and that is where it is going to stay until the next season.

The Lyubushkin move was a smart and productive move, especially considering his contract and the cost (nothing) in assets. And so was the Jost pickup. I'm not categorizing either pickup as a major deal but they helped to round out the roster.

Our goalies are what we currently have on this roster. I simply don't see a change in staffing being made other than 2 of the 3 become the rotational goalies this season.