How has this team completely reverted back to the worst team in the NHL again???

[Weave]

It's kind of fascinating in a way to read some of the posters here demand an overhaul of an awful defence, and then read others who view defence as an area of relative depth that can be used as trade fodder.

[GASabresIUFAN]

I’m going to try to take this thread in a different direction.  

I think the better question now is how far is this team really from being competitive?  

I think the answer is 3 players; a 2nd line C and 2 defensive defensemen.  That’s it.  Better goaltending would help, but this would improve with better defensive play as Lehner helped prove in NY.

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

18 hours ago, Weave said:

It's kind of fascinating in a way to read some of the posters here demand an overhaul of an awful defence, and then read others who view defence as an area of relative depth that can be used as trade fodder.

It’s a quantity over quality argument.  

We have a pile of NHL D or near NHL D.  We just don’t have the right ones for the style we are trying to play and to many who are defensively challenged.

We have Dahlin, Montour, Risto, Scandella, McCabe and Bogo who are legit NHL D, but IMHO, 3 of those 6 have significant in our zone issues, but if slotted correctly, they can be effective players.  We also have Hunwick and Nelson who can play depth roles under contract, and 2 near ready prospects in Borgen and Pilut as well as 2 possibly significant prospects, Samuelsson and Laaksonen coming up behind them.  On paper that is a lot of D. 

i have advocated moving on from 2 of Bogo, Scandella and Risto and replacing them with defensively responsible players.  Risto, because of his physical game, offensive skills, youth and reasonable contract should be an enticing trade piece to a good defensive team that needs more offense from the backend.  I think Jbot acquired Montour so that he could move Risto this off-season to help him get the 2nd line center we need.

If we end up with Hughes or Kappo in the draft this strategy might change.

Edited April 5, 2019 by GASabresIUFAN