Welcome to GM For A Day, the first in a pair of articles in which the founders of SinBin.vegas will take control of the Vegas Golden Knights and reshape the team in a way we each believe will bring the Stanley Cup to Las Vegas.
These articles are NOT meant to be taken as a prediction as to what we believe is going to happen this offseason. This is what we would do, not what we think the Golden Knights will do (that article is coming later in the week).
Today, I (Ken) am on the hot seat. I’ve been given the keys to the car and I’m ready to start wheeling and dealing. For me, the team isn’t in need of a lot of changes, especially at the top of the roster, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be active in this unique offseason.
Here we go…
*TRADE: Ryan Reaves + 5th Round Pick to New York Rangers for 3rd Round Pick*
First up on my list of moves would be trading Ryan Reaves to free up some cap space and eliminate any possibility my head coach would ever put him in the lineup. My thoughts have been well documented on the player and I believe we could find a team willing to take him off our hands for almost nothing. The Rangers’ season ended with continuous line brawls against the Washington Capitals after Tom Wilson injured Artemi Panarin. Their new coach, Gerard Gallant, is familiar with Reaves and actually was able to pull a bit of offense out of him. We move up two rounds in the draft and relieve ourselves of $1.75 million against the cap.
Next, we’re making the big move of the offseason.
*TRADE: Robin Lehner to Carolina Hurricanes for Warren Foegele + 3rd Round Pick*
Simply put, if I were in charge of the Golden Knights, there’s absolutely no way we’d head into another season with $12 million tied up in goalies. I believe Lehner is a valuable piece and will continue to be one of the better goalies in the NHL, but there’s no way I’m moving on from the guy who is the face of the franchise, was just awarded the Vezina, and carried this team through a couple of playoff rounds. So Lehner must go.
Carolina seems like the perfect fit. They are a team that has been on the cusp of breaking through, but they just haven’t ever had reliable enough goaltending to get there. On the other side, Foegele is a perfect bottom-six option for the Golden Knights and there’s a chance he could be lost to Seattle in the Expansion Draft. Everyone wins in this deal and it’ll make for one heck of a storyline when these two teams face off in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.
Now it’s time to have some fun with the expansion team.
*TRADE: Cody Glass to Seattle Kraken for Chris Tierney*
Under the current rules, it’s very difficult for the league’s newest team to acquire players between the age of 20-24. They’ll have a bunch of younger guys through the Entry Draft and the Expansion Draft will stock their team with middle-six players over the age of 25. So, Cody Glass will look like a steal as a former 1st Round pick who still hasn’t gotten a full season in the NHL. Plus, he played his Junior hockey in the Pacific Northwest which will give him an instant connection to the area. Tierney will be the kingpin of our rebuilt 4th line as a shutdown defense option who can add some offense if needed. (Read more about him here.)
That’s it for trades, now we just need to round the roster out with a pair of under-the-radar free-agent signings.
*SIGN: Alexander Wennberg for 4 years at $3.8 million AAV*
We’ve already added Tierney to help with center depth, but this one really takes the Golden Knights from a bottom-10 team at the position to somewhere in the middle of the pack. A group of Karlsson, Stephenson, Tierney, and Wennberg, supplemented by Roy, gives us adequate center depth to go along with our dominant wingers and blue line which we have not touched. The hope would be for Wennberg to take over Stephenson’s role on the 1st line, but there’d be plenty of time for him to fit in either in Karlsson’s spot, or down the lineup with Tuch.
*SIGN: Michael Bunting for 2 years at $1 million AAV*
Bunting is a player who has a chance to really thrive on a better team. He’s shown flashes, especially in a few games against Vegas, and there’s certainly enough talent there for him to become the next “misfit” who just fits here better than where he was before.
And that’s it. Here’s how the Opening Night roster looks.
Pacioretty-Wennberg-Stone
Marchessault-Karlsson-Smith
Foegele-Stephenson-Tuch
Bunting-Tierney-Roy
(Carrier/Krebs)
McNabb-Pietrangelo
Holden-Theodore
Hague-Whitecloud
Fleury
Thompson
This is a 22-man roster with a salary cap a number pretty much right on the $81.5 million limit.
The new-look Golden Knights are a team with very few holes and plenty of options up and down the lineup. The additions are flexible pieces that have all shown the ability to score in the NHL.
This team can win the Cup as is, but with one more upgrade at the deadline, the Stanley Cup will finally be ours.
Cindy
I’m sure you can do better!
Simon
I love it! 4 lines that can score seems to be key in playoffs success.
ulf
I like many of the moves – Carolina doesn’t really need a goalie though. The way they play and with March’s rookie of the month in Alex Nedeljkovic (who was their starter for most of the year due to Mrazek’s injury), they will be just fine in goal for some time. Mrazek got hurt badly last year but he was providing stellar numbers before that.
If NYR can take Reaves, I’d give THEM the better pick just to be rid of him!
Cassandra
And it doesn’t involve tearing up the team to get an Eichel or Tarasenko. I would’ve liked to see a spot for Jordan Greenway on your “team” but the Wennberg acquisition I would get behind.
Larry
Probably missed it in another article, Ken, but where’s Martinez? I’m hoping for the best for him and if it’s not with Vegas, let it allow him the best ever!
Ken Boehlke
I just think he’s going to be too expensive. Awesome player but I think VGK can survive without him if they add offense.
Hdbiker7851
Probably the best defenseman they had – make the necessary adjustments to keep him Martinez that is.
Gary
I like the moves but I would add Brendan Saad and move Reilly Smith. This helps the PP and he’s a proven playoff performer.
JoeAnn
I was thinking the same thing. We have to have Martinez back
THE hockey GOD
good luck
now list the probability of any of these trades happening
Tim
Ken since some of your picks I’m not that familiar with but it looks like you did your homework so I’ll trust your judgement. I’ve watched these guys play causally a few times a year but never got into there stats. Your good news is no high priced overrated under achieving trades. I’ll wait for Jason’s day at the GM’s desk to see which lineup makes more sense.
THE hockey GOD
Jason will trade for DOC as his assistant GM
everyone knows DOC is JASON’s anointed one
one bite
everyone knows the rules
Vic
Agree on Reaves, Lehner and Glass, and lukewarm on the rest.
Ken, while you have the GM hat on, just for fun, can you list the 7 forwards, 3 d-men and 1 goalie you would protect if the VGK were in the expansion draft pool. The list may be obvious, but the rules for which players are exempt can be tricky (1st and 2nd year pros, etc).
My list…..Line 1, Line 2, Tuch, Shea, Petro, Whitecloud and Fleury. If Whitecloud is exempt, then Martinez.
Pauly
Dumbest of the dumb here, yet again
knights fan in minny
pauly it was sure funny when the blm lady took the money and ran and bought spendy houses in white neighborhoode even she knows her race is stupid she fleeced your people boy
ulf
OK I know folks criticize Pauly, justifiably, for the comments. But can we please get a ban on this “knights fan in minny”? Racist comments should not be welcome on this site.
knights fan in minny
calm down ulf i am sticking up for vegas fans get a spine clown
THE hockey GOD
paulie’s commments are just as racsist, but a neo socialist would not recognize that
Pauly
Trailer park dumb
DOC (Go Knights Go)
AGREE!
DOC (Go Knights Go)
That was AGREED with what ulf said
ulf
can’t reply to that second reply for some reason. How is spouting racist commentary “sticking up for Vegas fans”?
knights fan in minny
worry about your self not me
DOC (Go Knights Go)
Come on minny! Where’s all this hate coming from. You’re better than this!
Ken Boehlke
F – Stone, Pacioretty, Stephenson, Karlsson, Smith, Marchessault, Tuch
D – Pietrangelo, Theodore, Whitecloud
G – Fleury
sb
No need to protect Fleury. Seattle wouldn’t take him and pay that $7 million salary. But they sure as heck would select Lehner at $5 mil as their starter.
Hdbiker7851
What makes you think the walrus will be a starter anywhere assuming vegas is lucky enough to find a buyer period
Tyler Durden
“but there’s no way I’m moving on from the guy who is the face of the franchise, was just awarded the Vezina, and carried this team through a couple of playoff rounds.”
This is why teams fail, waxing nostalgic with certain players when the objective is to win. Teams have done this and it damages the team longer term.
It’s a buisness, keep the feelings out of it.
That being said, the Knights don’t trade a goalie and roll with fluery and panda for one more year, especially with this being fluerys last year of his contract.
THE hockey GOD
^^^^^what he said x 100 ^^^^
sb
Loyalty does not mesh with “winning a Stanley Cup.” Not in the world of the salary cap. You can do one, but not both. Live on with loyalty and forget winning the Cup, or ignore loyalty and focus on winning the Cup. Besides, I’m lost on this “we owe MAF” BS. This guy’s only been here a couple years. It’s Pitts that owes loyalty to Fleury. In fact, it is Fleury who owes loyalty to Vegas. VGK saved this guy’s career. W/o Vegas, this guy would be living in retirement land now. Vegas paid him his due by giving him that overly generous 3 yr, $7 million contract that he did not deserve. The only thing Vegas owes MAF is paying him his paycheck. This MAF ‘loyalty’ thing is nonsense.
Richard Santomauro
MAF is the best option for Vegas to win a cup. Lehner’s off ice issues make him too high of a risk factor.
Rob S.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but you are *not* winning a Stanley Cup if F-ing McNabb is a first pair D-man.
If you’re not going big game hunting, include McNabb in the Reaves trade, re-sign Martinez if it’s reasonable (e.g., $5.5 M x 2 years), and offer Stastny or Haula a cheaper, short-term contract (e.g., $2.5 M x 2 years).
sb
The refs will need to ‘slow down’ the game for Stastny to keep up. His game is way back in the rear view mirror – a decade ago. Vegas’s game is fast. Stastny is slow. Don’t turn one mistake into two.
THE hockey GOD
bad ice in June will slow him up enough @ tmobile
Pauly
No such thing as bad indoor NHL ice…
Laughable, and more proof that VGK has the dumbest fanbase in all of sports
THE hockey GOD
NHL players
NBC announcers
all said it, and anyone who has a brain knows that it
happens.
move on pauly, you have no brain.
Richard Santomauro
Pretty good work Ken. Not a single name that any of us have been talking about at all as far as acquisitions.
Jason Resnick
I dont see them let go Martinez. Going to probably trade Reavo and pop in the younger faster more points with Koelesar. I see them sign Janmark and keep Roy as the 4th line. Trade Stephenson and Lehner to get some cap relief and to get some picks or prospects to challenge Glass and Sikura down the center. But im just some dude watching from home and could be so far off, that my take is irrelevant. I did like the article.
knights fan in minny
chandler going no where
Ken
LOL ken.. your takes are wild but this one is just dumb. you really think Wennberg is the answer at 1C? come on. for a dude who shits on this team more than anyone this is one of the worst off-season takes I’ve ever read. absolute yikes.. were you drunk when you did this?
Henderson Knights
more likely that Krebs will be a regular in the top 9 this coming season.
and, Holden instead of Martinez? you gotta be kidding
Henderson Knights
Patch-Wennberg-Stone
Misfits
Krebs-Steph-Tuch
Carrier-Roy- Nosek
Martinez-Piet
3-27
14-2
Fleury
Thompson
extras- 55 and Holden
total cap hit= $80.5 M
Harriet K.
I like this a lot. I can do without Holden, but I’ll concede.
Blitz
Thanks Ken, I appreciate stuff like this. I don’t have time to look thru teams, needs, player status, salaries, etc. So it is nice to absorb the hard work that others have done, to stimulate my brain.
I agree with how you structured the team and the style of off season moves. Improve C1 and improve line 3 (give Tuch a line). Completely rebuild line 4. In addition, I need to see additions that help PK and PP. A 4th line that has no players on either seems weak (Nosek, sure, but he was barely around this year).
Fleury is the right choice. Sure some grumble about it (why teams fail etc), but when you have a fan favorite (and player favorite) that *completely* produces there is not a gamble here. If he sucked and you were keeping him that is a different story. Next year vgk can get his contract down and if he deteriorates from age so be it. This seems low risk. Flower was legit this year.
On the flip side, if you keep Lehner and he sucks, a holy war will erupt. Especially if flower moves on and still kicks ass. Lehner needs to move on and hopefully be embraced as a starter somewhere not spoiled with a HOF’er.
knights fan in minny
logan needs playing time period
THE hockey GOD
he’ll get plenty in AHL
another year of seasoning
and they have another goalie, in minors, no. 1
who won some sort of an award, Dylan Ferguson helped fort wayne komets win kelly cup this past year
so they are stocked with goalies right now
i don’t know how that isiah kid, another goalie did this year.
i would be surprised if VGK trade one of their top two goalies this year, they should, but they probably won[t do it
Blitz
He was the goalie of the year last year in the AHL. At this point, you see if his skills transition to the next level as a backup this year. Otherwise, what is the point? You are already talking about some lower level Kelly cup winner? Then why even have this guy? Your gonna season him for another year, at which point he will be a RFA and now you have to negotiate a contract with him, having never seen what he can do with real playing time? No, you give him a chance this year and get out of this stupid 12 million dollar goalie hit. He can earn his 800K with a twinkle in his eyes. Watch how a real HOF’er operates and groom him to be the next starter. If not then you move on to the next Johny Freshmeat in the system.
THE hockey GOD
you will have to negotiate a contract with him either way.
I agree they should trade a goalie,prefer to dump Billy Buckner.
But I doubt there will be any takers, and Logan Thompson will get in more than enough NHL games next year as I expect both Billy and Walrus to get injured at some point. Still think Walrus is bothered by lingering injuries. He was MIA in playoffs for a few games.
Nice to know they have goalie depth in organization.
knights fan in minny
he needs nhl seasoning
Richard Santomauro
Thompson will get plenty of seasoning as he backs up 36 yr old Fleury. It is quite obvious that Subban wasn’t that guy. Losing Thompson, like Suzuki, would be a major error for this franchise.
knights fan in minny
the wild had the ahl goalie of the year before logan he put up good numbers the rumor here he could go unprotected makes no sense
knights fan in minny
agree totally
sb
None of these suggested changes addresses the problem with the PP. And the ineffective PP is the one and only problem in Vegas. These changes amount to reaching the playoffs, but not getting close to winning the Cup. These moves are pacifiers, but not a Championship maker.
knights fan in minny
daryl if your out there what do you think of the wennberg kid have you seen him play he has good size thanks man stay safe
knights fan in minny
flower now linked to chicago
DOC (Go Knights Go)
No surprise Ken’s first move was getting rid of Revo.
Fleury will have little value after next season and he will decline in play. So, need to trade him while we can at highest value he will have.
And Jason promised me GM (not asst GM), just so we are clear!
Pauly
The hockey ignorance on display here is astonishing…dumbest fan base in sports history, and most courtesy of hard scrabble trailer parks
knights fan in minny
lets here your hockey knowledge you think your such a genuis your nothing but a malt liquor drinking thug
Pauly
“Here” and “your”
Try “hear” and “you’re” you trailer trash redneck…
Dumbest fanbase in sports history
knights fan in minny
are you out of bed already i thought thugs slept until noon
Pauly
Thank goodness you and your kind are being replaced by socialist progressive agendas all over this failing, racist nation.
Richard Santomauro
Pauly been watching way too much MSDNC. You probably also think that Biden got 81 million votes. The truth about America is that it is one of the best places on earth to live. I know because I have been all over the globe.
The truth about the far left vs far right is that both are in the minority. The large percentage of Americans, about 65-70% love America and retain fundamental family values.
THE hockey GOD
wait a minute, biden did NOT get 80 million votes ??
i saw it on CNN, it has to be true !
Pauly
You Trump conspiracy nuts are hilarious…Trump got crushed…and this country, built on racism, is falling…
Mike Bedrock
As much as I never agree with anything you write I have to say, I still never agree with you. If Gretzky can be traded in his prime anyone can be traded. Flurey is the face of the franchise but its time to start considering the next year. Hold him until the deadline. See where we are and if he has lost it, send him somewhere as a rental.
You hate Reeves like I hated Subban so I’ll give you that. Wennberg is not worth the money he gets. Seattle won’t trade Tierney if the get him at all.
Debore is a great regular season coach but got out coached by an assistant in the playoffs this year.
Trade Glass, the 30th and 36th pick and Logan Thompson for Eichle and a 4th.
Rob S.
You can’t really believe you could get Eichel for Glass, those two draft picks, and Thompson, can you? And who else are you going to move (and how) to accommodate his TEN million dollar AAV contract? Details matter.
Blitz
So now we are keeping a 7 million dollar goalie to see if he is any good, but if he sucks we are going to send him somewhere else as a rental? Other teams are going to line up to take on a 7 million dollar goalie that shit the bed? Does that mean we kept Lenher too for another year of 12 mil worth of goalies? Or are we talking Thompson is replacing Fleury at the deadline? Is Thompson playing good in this scenario?
So we are going to trade away all future talent just for the rights to Eichle, that we then have to give away more people just so we can pay him? Who are you going to get rid of to pay this man? March, Smith, Tuch, Theo, Patch? Pick two.
Pauly
Amazing to actually read a post far less dumb than the average VGK moronic trailer park fan…this guy gets it
Blitz
I think that means I just won the “Not the dumbest fan of the dumbest fans” award.
I would like to thank the little people, especially the brewers and brew masters of the world that have helped me get to this point in my career.
Pauly
Well played…
DOC (Go Knights Go)
Looking forward to Jason’s GM writeup. Maybe HE will have something that makes sense! ha ha
THE hockey GOD
oh my, piling on the accolades !!
“And Jason promised me GM (not asst GM), just so we are clear!”
then what does that make Jason ? President of Operations? Can’t have TWO GMs at same time, now can you ?
DOC (Go Knights Go)
You just can’t get enough of me, can you Hg! Are you gay? Is that the story here?
Nothing wrong with that, but go sniff somewhere else. No interest here, son!
THE hockey GOD
no THG is not a pervert
just asking a simple question, seems you have issues answering questions that are pretty basic.
Pauly
Oh, a religious trailer trash nut too! That is the lowest of the low…and your fear of homosexuality is clear – you are closeted…
Very fitting that you and your kind are being replaced…
Keep clutching that racist book of fairy tales, you loser
This racist nation will fall, and take you nazis who hide behind virgin birth ufo style fairy tales with you
Pauly
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
superstitious moron…
Pauly
Code – this moron is gay
THE hockey GOD
code: pauly is gay and will rot in eternal damnation until he repents his evil ways
Leviticus 18:22
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
John 3 16
bible gateway, standard English version, not the “woke’ version that misrepresents the original words into modern day BS
10,000 years of history and God’s words Trump’s five years of woke cancel culture evil.
THG
THE hockey GOD
THG fears no one, you and your evil perverts friends will suffer in eternal damnation for your abominations in eyes of the true Lord, Jesus Christ and his almighty father the all knowing GOD.
so it is written
so it will be done.
Pauly
McKenna properly fired from the VGK booth…he was as dumb as the fanbase…
knights fan in minny
wild bought out suter and parise i think they will be a major player for jack
John Brown
OK, Lehner is going NOWHERE. Has NTC. He gives Knights 10 teams with NO cap space/NO need for goalies. Trade dead in the water.
Fleury is going NOWHERE. Everybody in the organization knows the OWNER told him he would retire as a VGK. Foley’s word is FINAL. Fleury stays put.
Look at his record year by year. He is at his prime. I guarantee “Walrus” aka Lehner does not put in the time and intensity on training Fleury does off season.
Lehner is a huge body in front of the net who can stop pucks when he has a clear shot. Screen him and he does not have the athleticism/speed to rapidly look around both sides of the screen to assess WHERE the play is originating from. On his back, it’s like watching a turtle trying to right himself. His ability to find the puck rolling around in the crease is suspect due his huge mass and lack of agility. We are stuck with him.
We can win the Pacific division with what we have with “minor” changes. It is halfway through the season when you go for a “whale” if needed. More on that later.
Team resigns Fleury for 2022 and 2023 for team discount of $3,000,000 AAV and his last year is the year Patchy turns UFA right after 2023 season. Sayonara Patchy. $7,000,000 cap space becomes available.
Trade Reaves, McNabb for 2021/2022/2023 3rd, 4th or 5th round picks
That is $4,250,000 in cap space. Add the already $6,100,00 cap space according to Cap Friendly.
$10,350,000 cap space to work with
$3,000,000 AAV to Martinez for 2021,2022 and 2023. Term vs 2 @ $4,000,000 plus puts him in year with Patchy leaving. Family lives in L.A. Loves VGK/tax relief.
$2,500,000 AAV to Janmark 2021/2022/2003 and that ALSO puts him to year Patchy’s $7,000,000 disappears
$1,500,000 AAV to Nosek 2021/2022/2022 and that ALSO puts him to year Patchy’s $7,000,000 disappears
$1,000,000 AAV to Brown for 2021/2022
$8,000,000 in “new” contracts with $2,350,000 left. That will be used “later”
Your (4) forward lines and (3) defensive lines with (4) year “historic” yearly average GOALS/POINTS added together from each player in EACH line are:
Patchy, Stephy,Stone (50/130)
Marchy, Karly,Smith (68/159)
Tuch, Krebs, Roy (25/58)
Carrier, Nosek, Janmark (24/58)
Petro, Marty (19/55)
Theodore, Holden (14/50)
Hague, Whitecloud (4/20)
These are “projected” GOALS/POINTS for 2021/2022 if the #1 & /#2 forward and defense lines remember they are NHL players and NOT AHL players.
IF the coaches can get these (18) guys to play to their “historic season averages”, these numbers above give you:
204 GOALS and 734 POINTS for 2.37 goals per game.
IF you use this season’s players from the lines about, the 2021 team gave us:
175 GOALS and 511 POINTS for 2.03 goals per game.
Obviously some UNDERACHIEVED and some overachieved.
Players fighting for a spot are Kolesar, Glass, Dugan, Quinney, Brown and O’Regan for a forward spot and Coghlan and Schuldt for a defensive spot.
There is at least ONE to TWO “average” to “good” player in each group to be a “healthy” scratch that can play 3rd/4th offensive line or 3rd line defense if a starter is hurt without breaking the bank.
The “projected” lines and “this seasons” lines above wins you the very weak Pacific Division going away.
Remember that $2,350,000 of cap space remaining of cap space.
If you wait until mid season as the VGK have done in the past, then you have an opportunity to get a $4,700,000 AAV offensive or defensive player that you did NOT need for the first half of the season at HALF his AAV.
IF he pans out , trade Smith for a 2nd, a 3rd and 4th round pick and retain NO salary and use the $5,000,000 Smith departure Cap space to sign the new guy for 3-4 years at $5,000,000 AAV at end of season.
Two ways to go here. The choice above OR
At mid-season you trade Smith for at best scenario, a 2nd pick, prospect and retain $2,500,000 against the cap.
Use the remaining $2,500,000 of “freed” cap space to sign a “need” at $4,850,000 ($2,350,000 remaining cap space as mentioned (3) lines above and the $2,500,000 cap space freed with the Smith trade).
At end of season if the “need” pans out, sign 2-3 years for $5,000,000 AAV knowing that Smith is gone and your $2,500,000 retained salary is gone.
Only MAJOR change is a “possible” mid season change.
Reaves, McNabb and Smith need to go. They are past their USE BY DATE. MY loyalties are to the team, NOT the player.
No one is untouchable. Ask Wayne Greasy. I am 72, I remember. I think like a GM, not a fan. Make the team better, NOT me happier.
Last, but not least,
FIRE THE EFFING SPECIAL TEAMS COACH.
Make the special teams guys (2 groups of five) come in every practice an hour EARLY and watch the power plays of the (5) best power play teams from this season until they have gone through EVERY one from this last seaso
The good ones don’t use the “umbrella” power play set up letting the other teams (4) man defense set up a “box” to stop shots from 180 degrees
See that wasn’t hard. Same or better team that just needs some motivational “tweaks”
Would you rather eat a Ribeye steak that you used a sharp carving knife to cut away only the necessary fat or a round steak that you use beat constantly with a steel mallet until you ended up with Swiss steak.
THE hockey GOD
welcome to jungle John Brown, I was saying they would end up with two goalies, but I was hoping they would trade Fleury. And said FO has blinders on and would not do it. This means, as I stated before that Logan Thompson gets one more year of playing time in AHL and will get opportunity to play when one of two gets hurt.
I would give the PP more time to work out kinks. The last two year have been brutal on playing time and practice time being limited. Plus no 20 was hurt this year which impacts the idea of five player units (like the Russians do). I like the idea but you have to be flexible.
Smith is unlikely to be moved, moving 81 who is weak on the puck, and gives it up in the O zone more often than not. His only move is to dump it in or shoot it. Trading 81 will bring more value to team.
Rest of your post in line with another year older, another step slower.
They need SC winners on this team, patches and stone – first time in semi finals for each played with deer in head lights look on their faces. Stone forgot to body check.
knights fan in minny
the ahl goalie of the year needs no more time in the ahl
John Brown
Agree. Playoffs is where our forecheck, pinch along the boards. PP, crash the net and neutral zone transition went to die.
Aves, Habs and Wild capitalized on our inability to transition through the neutral zone by maximum pressure at the blue line causing too many dump and runs and their forwards were quicker than ours to get to the puck behind the goal line.
I still like Patchy’s 65 pts a game yearly average over Smith’s 53.
Like the idea of renting Parise for a year at $866,000 and he is a Patchy/Stone “slower” speed player and move Stephy down with “fast” Tuch.
Not a Lehner fan but it is what it is.
Fleury wasn’t a full time goalie until age 22. Thompson is about two years behind where Fleury was at 24.
Another year with the HSK and then in the 2022 season we have to see were we are at with goalies.
If Fleury doesn’t sign a 2yr/$3,000,000 AAV extension, then Thompson is ready as back up to Lehner.
If Fleury does extend, I play Thompson against LA/Anaheim every game I can that doesn’t conflict with HSK schedule. Lehner/Fleury cover the rest of the games and any LA/Anaheim back to backs.
After the first year of Fleury’s extension it is time for Lehner/Thompson rotation and Fleury with him doing the back to backs with Lehner or Thompson and he becomes the LA/Anaheim/SanJose on his goodwill tour in his last year
THE hockey GOD
LA is leaving Quick unprotected, he’s one year older than Fleury. They have a young goal tender than often gives VGK fits. I expect LA to do better next year with their youngsters. Between the San Jose schmucks, the LA KINGS, and Anaslime ducks; I think the KINGS will do the best. SJ is trying to dump some of their veterans. Will PDB bite ?? I hope not.
John Brown
Always liked Quick. Wish he was about (5) years younger. IF Fleury was to be traded, Peterson would be a nice “back-up” for (3yrs) at $3,000,000 AAV that ends one year BEFORE Lehner’s contract.
Then you decide whether to renew him in 2023 for (3) and IF you do then you have to decide whether to renew Lehner for (3)
Peterson has some “decent” numbers for the (55) NHL games over three years with 2.75 GAA and .93 SV%..
No to the “veterans” dump need to keep getting “younger” concerning average age of players.
THE hockey GOD
nice post, a bit long though (like mine)