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12

u/whosoulie 19h ago

I feel this iteration of the team is still 2 players short. A number 2C and a top 4 D. 

Addressing those two concerns turn this team from a bubble team to a contender. 

1

u/DialedDrawback 15h ago

There are quite a few bubble teams who could really use a top 4 D and/or a decent 2C. It's not just us.

So if the price wasn't high already, it is moreso now.

Hell, just look at what Utah paid for Trochek. A top 4 D, a red chip centre prospect, and a 3rd rounder.

And a top 4 D? We're looking at COL's 1st, and one of our centre prospects or one of the D prospects we drafted in round 2 last year. That's depending on age and term left on whoever we're acquiring.

0

u/rdawg1234 17h ago

100% top 4 two way d improves this team a lot.

2C with some two way game/speed would give this team incredible depth.

Too bad it will be tough to swing either one.

9

u/shadowpenguin29 19h ago

I think the top 4 D can be sorted out by fiddling with deployment. I think if McCabe and Raddysh are playing more time together at even strength as a minute eating pair (~20-22 mins), with Rielly and Tanev acting as the second pair (18-20 mins), they can be a fairly decent dcore.

The 2C issue just needs to be sorted out by Willy and McKenna building enough chemistry to drive the line. While he’s lost a step, JT is not as bad as his past 3 games, and is perfectly capable of playing with two play driving wingers in a more sheltered role. Actually playing Cowan’s line for more than 14 minutes a night would also help. I still believe that the team has the pieces internally to at least get them to the deadline in a decent spot, then we can evaluate for an upgrade.

3

u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander 18h ago

I might be crazy, but Rilley hasn't looked bad.

Him and Tanev might work again without Berube.

1

u/rdawg1234 17h ago

Has looked good offensively but still looks the same to me defensively, idk why everyone always just watches for his assists, he never stopped being a creative offensively strong dman, it’s his dzone play that is the negative side. Him and tanev is the only option imo, Rielly/raddysh makes zero sense to me

1

u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander 16h ago

Of Rielly and Raddysh, for the 3 games played, Rielly has been making the smarter plays with breakouts.

Raddysh hits on the back wall but it never results in getting us possession.

1

u/rdawg1234 16h ago

That’s still offence related, raddysh will adjust but again I just wanna focus on the defence with Rielly, he looks just as bad as ever and it makes him a net negative, but I think some fans can’t grasp that as he still scores a lot of points.

Reduce his minutes and pair him with tanev is the only thing that works, him and raddysh don’t work well together defensively

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u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander 16h ago

Breakouts is gaining possession in our zone and clearing it with control. It is not just offense related. It has nothing to do with the points he got.

1

u/rdawg1234 16h ago

I guess sure that’s one factor on defence, he’s also still been on ice for the majority of the goals against. I’ll give it 10-15 games but I think they gotta switch up the pairings

1

u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander 16h ago

I'm not arguing that Rielly is good at defense. He's never been that. I am seeing that Raddysh, for the last 3 games, has been worse than Rielly in our own zone.

1

u/rdawg1234 16h ago

Yeah but I’ll chalk that up to just him adjusting to a new team, there’s optimism that he can improve as he was a net defensive positive the last couple years analytically.

They don’t work as a pairing together imo. Raddysh was next to defensively responsible JJ moser before, gotta try McCabe or tanev with him

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u/Sirrebral99 Knies 18h ago

I really hope he does. I've been very vocal about wanting Rielly gone before, he had a terrible game 1 then made some great plays in games 2 & 3. If he finds his game again, that's huge. Either long term to stick around or to pump his value to make a trade, Rielly playing well again helps both scenarios

3

u/Tarquin11 18h ago

Him and Tanev worked previously, the reason Tanev was taken from Rielly is because McCabe was struggling without Tanev at the time, badly.

1

u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander 16h ago

It's because McCabe isn't great on his offside and Tanev was the only righty.

McCabe-Raddysh, Rielly-Tanev needs a seious look under Hiller.

1

u/bootygoon2 15h ago

I really don’t get why that wasn’t the go to top pairings from the start. All summer long it was assumed that was what they would roll with and all of a sudden we hear about Rielly-Raddysh and McCabe-Tanev being the top four. I just don’t get it, even if you want to keep McCabe-Tanev as a pair wouldn’t OEL be a better fit beside Raddysh than Rielly is?

3

u/Sirrebral99 Knies 19h ago

With two high end play driving wingers beside him, JT should be able to continue finding success this year. As long as he can win draws (which he's uncharacteristically struggled with so far), be in the right place at the right time - something he's built his career on - and finish the chances they create he'll be able to put up another 60+ point season. He's not a play driver anymore but still can be a strong contributor and finisher from someone else setting him up.

That line has struggled because Gavin is still adjusting to the NHL and Nylander has whiffed on some obvious tap ins. Easily could have 2 or 3 goals if Willy finished those chances, no one is complaining and they probably pick up at least another W in these first 3 games.

2

u/Tarquin11 18h ago

Willy has had some weirdly bad luck considering he has 3 pts in 3 games.

Missed open net tap in, 3 posts, a few miscues. He could easily have 6-7 pts right now.

I think he was even robbed by Dobes a few times in the game he got 2 goals.

1

u/shadowpenguin29 18h ago

Agreed, JT being bad in the dot (after being the best faceoff taker in the league for the last 3 seasons) is a big factor in the possession struggles. The second line is frequently deployed with the Raddysh-Rielly pairing, which further amplifies their defensive deficiencies. Simply having 1 of McCabe or Tanev on the ice would stabilize the ice a lot more (and actually allow 43 and 44 to jump into the rush for offense without worry).

-1

u/Admirable-Bend9989 19h ago

Agreed but unfortunately with knies gone we don’t have the assets to get either

-1

u/jimmylikes11 19h ago

ya Tavares aint the guy anymore