1984Echoes Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 8 minutes ago, slothfacekilla said: ... Staal is also done after this season... PS: I'm guessing Yzerman will try to re-sign him. The one veteran actually helping out the defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothfacekilla Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 I don't mind Staal, I think if younger guys are knocking on the door they might let him go but I have a tough time predicting what Stevie is going to do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gehringer_2 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 13 hours ago, slothfacekilla said: Leddy and DeKeyser are both free agents after this season, Oesterle has another season on his deal. Staal is also done after this season. McIsaac supposedly looks solid in Grand Rapids. Hronek's been terrible - late, slow, soft and has to be the worst passer in the NHL. There was talk he has been hurt -- but whatever, he's not producing. DeKeyser not much better but does show flashes of playing a little more physical - which they need. Leddy looks like he has some decent wheels but has been an overall disappointment - worst +/- on the team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddha Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 meh on staal. he's fine but they could definitely use an upgrade. he's old and slow. the kings are fast and ran circles around this team again. every line but larkin's got left in the dust. they could barely get the puck into the kings' zone, much less do anything with it. the wings play the toughest schedule in the league in the second half. our lottery position is about to get much much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddha Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 1 minute ago, gehringer_2 said: Hronek's been terrible - late, slow, soft and has to be the worst passer in the NHL. There was talk he has been hurt -- but whatever, he's not producing. DeKeyser not much better but does show flashes of playing a little more physical - which they need. Leddy looks like he has some decent wheels but has been an overall disappointment - worst +/- on the team. they have one decent defenseman. seider. the rest are below replacement level, and that includes hronek. what happened to stetcher? is he hurt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothfacekilla Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 2 hours ago, buddha said: they have one decent defenseman. seider. the rest are below replacement level, and that includes hronek. what happened to stetcher? is he hurt? He's been out with a wrist injury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1984Echoes Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 6 hours ago, slothfacekilla said: I don't mind Staal, I think if younger guys are knocking on the door they might let him go but I have a tough time predicting what Stevie is going to do I'm taking it from a "who do you keep" perspective as we'll need 8 defenseman regardless... and we don't have enough kids coming up to take all of those spots... not yet at least. So who do you keep, or let go, in order of preference, out of these vets: Staal Leddy DeKeyser Oesterle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagnam Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Staal and Leddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1984Echoes Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 6 hours ago, buddha said: ... the rest are below replacement level, and that includes hronek... Still hold onto Hronek though, for now, as he's young enough that the "light bulb" may still turn on. Or at least I'd want a newer young guy coming up to push him out the door rather than just dumping him. Stecher is no great shakes either... I wouldn't be counting on him to give any kind of boost to the D. And the same reason that Hronek is held onto, youth and not much else, is the same reason that we hold onto Lindstrom. At least Lindstrom is breaking even on the +/-, although, I don't know if that really says anything. But maybe he can take over for Staal as the defense-first guy who has more of a positive impact on the ice than negative... we'll see. The real solution to fixing this defense is having several prospects actually make it to the NHL and be impactful, or more than impactful. That pushes guys like Hronek, Stecher and Lindstrom either lower in the pairings, or off the ice mostly, or onto another team or, maybe, into being better players through competition. We'll see... on all of this as it will take a few years for guys to come up. But what really helps is not just Edvinsson coming up and making a major impact but, Lindstrom/ Hronek improving, McIsaac coming up and being successful, and/or at least a couple of Tuomisto, Buium, Johansson, Sebrango, or Wallinder making it into the NHL and being impactful for the team We're not going to find out how this resolves itself for at least a couple years though... So.. it sucks to say this but... patience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1984Echoes Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 2 minutes ago, sagnam said: Staal and Leddy Staal is getting older and slower, and he's a free agent so we'd have to re-sign him... but he's still more of a positive than negative, and even if he's riding the bench instead of playing, or he's 3rd pairing... I'd want him as the one veteran guy used for leadership and helping out the young guys... Leddy is also going to be a free agent and is becoming more than one-dimensional, not providing the offense that we traded for, and is a major net negative on the ice. I don't think he's brought back for the 2022-23 season IMO. Oesterle with another year may end up as our 8th defenseman which I don't really care much about anyways. Unless Stevie cares and goes out and replaces him. Then I'm good with that too. DeKeyser also is a FA after this season. I don't have strong feelings one way or another. But I would say this... if a young guy takes over his spot (McIsaac?), I won't shed tears. He's on the wrong side of 30, playing the worst of his career, can't be counted on for a full schedule... I just have no compelling reason to still want him on this team. Not to be unsentimental but... I'm ready to move on. To me, I want Staal back the most, Oesterle 2nd (just due to contract and an 8th guy anyways, nothing else), and then I don't really care much about Leddy or DeKeyser anymore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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