Great Season Boys

[Panthers Fan 69]

I know it’s not our outcome we wanted. I’m pretty pissed off that we STILL don’t have a cup under Rod.   But we played some pretty good games the first 2 rounds. We played well these last 4 games. Just didn’t go our way. This was a still a hell of a year. Tons of last min goals to win. Tons of hat tricks. Tons of good memories at PNC.  The outdoor game. 
 

Thank you boys for being the best pro team in the Carolina’s these past 5 years. Thank you for a great post Covid year.   Glad Tripp came back from recovery to deliver some fun calls with Mike. 
 

we need to solve the power play and get a true HEALTHY goal scorer. 
 

With some tears in my eyes. see you boys next year…

[lightsout]

I'm getting poo faced. Will return to this tomorrow 

[SmokinwithWilly]

Too many injuries. Too few scorers. Ran into a hot playoff team that everyone had written off heading into the playoffs. The only good part of all of this is the Bruins got knocked out early. I hate the fuggin Bruins. 

[cookinbrak]

Thank you for 3 extra weeks of hockey. See you in October.

[lightsout]

So after a night of sleep, I have clarity.

We don't drop a game to Florida with Svech and Patches playing. 

We don't struggle scoring when our skilled wingers + Aho aren't having to set each other up because Svech and Patches are feeding them instead.

We need to add a threat offensively, get healthy, then see where we stand. If you overreact and start throwing the baby out with the bathwater, you're just gonna set yourself back.

[Harbingers]

15 minutes ago, lightsout said:

So after a night of sleep, I have clarity.

We don't drop a game to Florida with Svech and Patches playing. 

We don't struggle scoring when our skilled wingers + Aho aren't having to set each other up because Svech and Patches are feeding them instead.

We need to add a threat offensively, get healthy, then see where we stand. If you overreact and start throwing the baby out with the bathwater, you're just gonna set yourself back.

Agreed. The only thing I will say is we need to use our depth better when someone goes down next year around the same time. It’s inevitable. Especially with it potentially being rods last year as coach, a number of key core players last year here. I know people want to be down on our guys and claim they won’t get anything in a trade, etc but that’s just the cloudy, we have one of if not the deepest roster in the NHL currently year after year. And they will be in high demand and will pull big fuging money elsewhere, IF they so choose. 
 

Which leads to me Waddell. I’m on the fence on him. I love how he structures and builds contracts. He gets a lot of hate for not making big splashes but that’s not for lack of trying, and he will not give away the farm for that big splash, which I love. But either him or Daniel’s needs to go. We need a change to give Rod every advantage in possibly his last year here. I don’t want the farm to be sold, but we should probably mortgage it. 

[Harbingers]

I will say we faced adversity head on. We fought the battle our way to the end. It was a good run and for those saying we wouldn’t even make it out the of first or second round. Our boys proved you wrong. We hit a wall, and that wall wasn’t even the panthers. We hit ourselves in the nuts. 
 

Pick up the pieces. Do what we have to do. And under no circumstance do not, not resign Fasty. Nobody. I mean nobody works harder on this team than he does. Even if it means overpaying. We won’t be able to get his production from 99.999999999999999999999999999999 percent of the players that would be brought in or promoted in his stead. The dude grinds night after night after night for 82+ games. Season after season after season and hasn’t once made a single complaint. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Harbingers

[USDepartmentOfSavagery]

Tulsky needs to be promoted to GM and Waddell can remain President.

No more “we almost signed this guy” or “we made them a generous offer for that player” and striking out. This team could look very different after next year with the UFA/RFAs we have coming up. Time to nut up in the off-season and if that means making some tough decisions, so be it. 
 

Re-sign Freddy. Give Aho the C.

I’m hopeful this off-season transforms our top-6. It’s needed to take the next step. 

[Harbingers]

6 minutes ago, USDepartmentOfSavagery said:

Tulsky needs to be promoted to GM and Waddell can remain President.

No more “we almost signed this guy” or “we made them a generous offer for that player” and striking out. This team could look very different after next year with the UFA/RFAs we have coming up. Time to nut up in the off-season and if that means making some tough decisions, so be it. 
 

Re-sign Freddy. Give Aho the C.

I’m hopeful this off-season transforms our top-6. It’s needed to take the next step. 

Aho isn’t ready for the C. He’s too emotional. There’s a lot behind the scenes that goes into the C we don’t see but it should be made clear it’s coming. 
 

If we could get both goalies back on a 1 year deal I’d be ecstatic. I don’t think it will realistically happen though. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Harbingers

[cookinbrak]

Keep Freddie and Aanti. They got us here. 

[Anybodyhome]

Aho is not ready for the C. His emotions over-rode his skill set and put him in a lot of bad situations, not to mention an offensive drought during the Florida series.

Here's where the focus is, as of today:

 

[Rocky Davis]

Hmmmmm.....

I would like to see Fast and Staal back on reasonable deals.  I think Staal may do a year to year type thing so he can call it quits when he wants to.  Fast maybe a 2 year deal, he's been good and everyone knows he's a great teammate. 

I think Mack is a guy they should also look into signing as long as the contract is reasonable and not one way unless the plan is to keep him as an extra. 

Pool Party is a really hard call.  We traded assets for him and I think there may be a place for him on either the 3rd or 4th line, but I am sure Rod and the brain trust will have a discussion about him and whether he is worth a contract. 

Not sure Stastny will play another year, but I think it's time to move on and get younger.  Stepan will want to play...if his ask is reasonable he may be back.

Ghost will want too much to slot into the 3rd D line, and he really didn't play great in the playoffs so he's outta here.  Coghlan looked terrible when he had a chance to play, not sure if he just wasn't ready for the big leagues or if he just isn't it.  Maybe it's Lajoie time??

I think we have to choose one of Raanta and Freddie and roll with them and have Koochie as our backup unless there is/are UFA goalies we think are better.  I am not sure who is available.  I wouldn't even doubt re-signing Freddie if he wasn't injured so much.  He was great in the playoffs and has shown the ability to be lights out for long periods of time. 

Should be interesting.

[kungfoodude]

2 hours ago, lightsout said:

So after a night of sleep, I have clarity.

We don't drop a game to Florida with Svech and Patches playing. 

We don't struggle scoring when our skilled wingers + Aho aren't having to set each other up because Svech and Patches are feeding them instead.

We need to add a threat offensively, get healthy, then see where we stand. If you overreact and start throwing the baby out with the bathwater, you're just gonna set yourself back.

Well Pacioretty is likely to miss all of the regular season(or definitely should). If he is ever able to get back to 100% it is likely to be 18-24 months with that injury. IMO, you IR him until the playoffs to pull the Tampa trick.

Svech is also likely to miss about half the season or so. 

It will take some work to get back to where we were pre-injuries. A lot will depend on what Waddell does in the offseason to shore up the early season. 

I still see playoffs but it might not be like the last couple of years where we were a top point getter in the regular season.

[Anybodyhome]

58 minutes ago, Rocky Davis said:

I would like to see Fast and Staal back on reasonable deals.  I think Staal may do a year to year type thing so he can call it quits when he wants to.

Both of these guys will call their own shots and nobody will begrudge either of them. Staal is only 34, but he looks like a player considering retirement.

59 minutes ago, Rocky Davis said:

Pool Party is a really hard call.

Ya think? He was the 4th overall pick in 2016 and has 7 years in the league playing like a 6th round pick.

1 hour ago, Rocky Davis said:

Not sure Stastny will play another year, but I think it's time to move on and get younger.  Stepan will want to play...if his ask is reasonable he may be back.

Stastny is like Fast and Staal- he gets to make his own call. I think he may retire. Stepan will be replaced. Can't pay him any less and, believe it or not, he was making $7M+ just a few years ago.

1 hour ago, Rocky Davis said:

Ghost will want too much to slot into the 3rd D line, and he really didn't play great in the playoffs so he's outta here.  Coghlan looked terrible when he had a chance to play, not sure if he just wasn't ready for the big leagues or if he just isn't it.  Maybe it's Lajoie time??

Ghost will be back next year barring a stupid amount of money he asks for. Coghlan and DeHaan are replaceable. LaJoie has shown me little to be excited about. Rather underwhelming.

Fortunately, the 3 blue lines are signed, so adding depth isn't difficult.