GMTM: Problem solver or Problem creator?

[pi2000]

He and McCabe have been the go-to's for big exciting collisions, that's for sure.

 

And most of his penalties are of the physical variety that most fans are okay with (and several have been terrible calls - that "cross check" on Vesey? Yeah, right)

 

 

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On Monday Schopp and the Bulldog were referencing a Tim Murray interview, one of his radio appearances, that was done recently. They said he was waffling on whether or not this team was going to be a buyer or a seller, that he sounded like he didn't want to commit either way yet because he wasn't sure what we are.

 

Tim, this board has a lot of disagreements on why, but if there is one thing that everyone here can agree is correct, your team has been garbage this year and is not going anywhere. You need to do something, at some point soon. Whether it's a big trade, a firing, a commitment to becoming a seller, you should damn well know that this team is not good enough, injuries or not.

 

This team has spent FOUR out of FOURTY FOUR games this year above .400 winning percentage. That's all I have to even say. 

 

Fix this mess.

 

I agree that we're not looking at the finished product, however, I don't want him to panic in this situation.

 

They are what they are, and trading away aging, slow vets for picks at this point in time won't help anything.    Trading away goal scoring, ie Kane and extra for a top 4 defenseman probably isn't the right move either... I'd consider that pushing the panic button when we have guys like Guhle and Borgen in the system who might fill that role as soon as next season... so why trade away a 25 y/o 30 goal scorer for a stop gap on the back-end?    Doesn't make sense.

 

That said, I'm fully on board the fire Bylsma train now.   If Julien becomes available you need to pounce.

 

This team has accepted losing and that to me starts with the coach, if Bylsma can't snap them out of this losing culture, then try somebody else.

Edited January 19, 2017 by pi2000

[Randall Flagg]

I agree that we're not looking at the finished product, however, I don't want him to panic in this situation.

 

They are what they are, and trading away aging, slow vets for picks at this point in time won't help anything.    Trading away goal scoring, ie Kane and extra for a top 4 defenseman probably isn't the right move either... I'd consider that pushing the panic button when we have guys like Guhle and Borgen in the system who might fill that role as soon as next season... so why trade away a 25 y/o 30 goal scorer for a stop gap on the back-end?    Doesn't make sense.

 

That said, I'm fully on board the fire Bylsma train now.   If Julien becomes available you need to pounce.

 

This team has accepted losing and that to me starts with the coach, if Bylsma can't snap them out of this losing culture, then try somebody else.

The bold is just asset management, though. I'm not saying he should have made trades by now or anything, and I'm not saying that he's going to hold his cards out for everyone to see on the radio, but I'm uncomfortable by, well, how comfortable he sounds with where we are right now. I worry that he really thinks we just need to get healthy and try again next year and hope we don't get injured or something. If that's the plan, the playoffs aren't coming next year either.

 

What he's saying just puts me off. He himself expected 95 points from this season and we aren't going to even come close, and every single team deals with injuries. I thought he was all about not making excuses for losing. I'm just uncomfortable with how he's reacted (or hasn't) to everything, especially since we were all screaming for those cheap depth signings during the offseason.

 

I'd love Julien too.

[TrueBlueGED]

The bold is just asset management, though. I'm not saying he should have made trades by now or anything, and I'm not saying that he's going to hold his cards out for everyone to see on the radio, but I'm uncomfortable by, well, how comfortable he sounds with where we are right now. I worry that he really thinks we just need to get healthy and try again next year and hope we don't get injured or something. If that's the plan, the playoffs aren't coming next year either.

 

What he's saying just puts me off. He himself expected 95 points from this season and we aren't going to even come close, and every single team deals with injuries. I thought he was all about not making excuses for losing. I'm just uncomfortable with how he's reacted (or hasn't) to everything, especially since we were all screaming for those cheap depth signings during the offseason.

 

I'd love Julien too.

I have two thoughts on Murray at the moment. One is that what he brought in, well, there his guys, so he's naturally going to be more patient with them as he believes in what he assembled. The other thing floating through my head is that maybe he now feels trying to push the rebuild ahead was the wrong move, so he's moved more to letting things happen naturally (would also lend credence to why he wasn't willing to part with the Nylander pick for Fowler). I tend to think it's more the former than the latter, but who knows.

[Taro T]

When he doesn't get into a foot race, Franson is an effective player. He is good on the PK (doesn't need speed for that) and power play. He just has no wheels and if another team attacks with speed and he gets caught up ice... done. He at least brings a little bit of offensive instinct, unlike Bogo, Gorges, etc.

Yep. Which is why he's effective on the 3rd pairing & not so much on the 2nd.

 

Unfortunately, until Kulikov is healthy/ready, they only have 3 top 4 guys available. But, they've got 3 5-6 guys available now & when/if Gorges gets healthy, they'll have 4 of those guys.

[Randall Flagg]

IMO Gorges is no longer a 5-6 guy. He's around an 8. Falk has been better this year. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

I'm sorry but signing Franson was a panic move to get another "puck mover" on the roster.  However as a RD with Risto, Pysyk and Bogo already on the roster he was creating the in balance he flatly stated he didn't want.  

 

Furthermore, any discussion of Franson being good this year isn't exactly accurate either.  I can see an argument that he is better then last season, but he hasn't been good.  His possession numbers are still weak.  His point production is down from last year's diminished levels  He is playing more minutes because he is all we have right now with all the injuries.  Someone mentioned that he has been taking physical penalties.  That isn't true.  He has 12 penalties this season 2/3rds are because he is out of position.  He has 3 Interference, 1 hold, 1 hook, and 3 tripping.  His only "physical penalties" were dumb penalties for cross checking (2) and slashing.  He also panicked in our zone once and got a delay of game.   

 

Franson may have filled a hole for an NHL D when signed, but his signing also created some of the D problems we have right now because he isn't a 3/4 D, but really a 6/7 D.

 

I also agree that Gorges is done as an NHL D.

Edited January 19, 2017 by GASabresIUFAN

[Taro T]

IMO Gorges is no longer a 5-6 guy. He's around an 8. Falk has been better this year.

 

Hard to say that w/ certainty. He's only been on the 3rd pairing a couple of games & was playing w/ a broken foot. W/ his present health, yeah, 7 is where he slots. If the foot heals, he's a 5-6.

 

That fluke injury on Kulikov ready did mess the D up significantly. Much like last season, Gorges should NOT get top pairing minutes, but that's where they've been for the most part.

[Randall Flagg]

Hard to say that w/ certainty. He's only been on the 3rd pairing a couple of games & was playing w/ a broken foot. W/ his present health, yeah, 7 is where he slots. If the foot heals, he's a 5-6.

 

That fluke injury on Kulikov ready did mess the D up significantly. Much like last season, Gorges should NOT get top pairing minutes, but that's where they've been for the most part.

I'm not sure he is a 5/6 even with a better foot anymore. His possession stats were still bottom 3 among all NHL defensemen with non-negligible ice time before the injury, he only hits/blocks because every time the puck is on his stick it goes right back to the other team or gets iced, and there's no production to speak of. Before the foot, his teammates were still 10% worse in every possession category with him than with literally anyone else. He's just not an NHL player, now, or when he gets healed.

 

Agreed on the second point.