I disagree Hdubz, my lady, see the sabres and oilers who tanked the shit away to try to get McDavid so much so they've instilled so much losing mentality their teams are fucking terrible....it's like they can't shake that losing mentality, it's why ROR was happy to leave the Sabres.Hockey Widow wrote: ↑Fri May 10, 2019 5:51 pmThats just it Skyo, you need a balance. Id still like to see Louie gone this year if we can make it happen.SKYO wrote: ↑Fri May 10, 2019 12:18 pm Beach has ZERO NHL games played? lol
Yes Eriksson, Sutter, Beagle are overpaid, but obviously more so Eriksson being dumb overpaid, but between Eriksson, Sutter and Beagle they have a combined:
2,132 NHL games played, with 152 playoff games.
These guys are pro's and are better than all the career AHLers who couldn't make it, that's the mature way to think about it anyways, they have outworked all the has-been's while Beags has won a Cup championship recently while being one of the hardest workers of the bunch with the Caps, even Ovechkin misses his work ethic and never say die attitude. Beagle is a leader and when this team reaches the playoffs - he and Roussel will be the hardest workers up front.
But it brings us back to the debate about whether this is a playoff team.
Yes, if we make the playoffs we will benefit greatly from the vets.
If we don't then the argument, I think, goes, we need to get rid of them, get more picks, let the kids play.
We saw in Utica that really don't have forwards we can call up, reliably. Im still of the opinion it was a mistake to trade Dahlen. No one else on forward really looks ready for the NHL. On D we have a few players, Sautner and Brisebois, who showed they can fill in when needed. We also sign Leves and Gifford (sp) who showed they can play at the NHL level.
But we still need vets and the cost in FA is high for those guys. I have no problem with Rousell or Beagle. Im so so on Sutter. Id love Louie gone. If Benning can trade Sutter and Louie then that's a great off season. But he will have to fill those roster spots and we don have anyone capable of filling in for them.
So welcome to another off season of free agency.
On D so much depends upon Hughes first year and the development of Juolevi. If they both show they are top four in a couple of years it makes decisions clearer. Sign Edler for two years. Sign Hutton 2 years. Deal with it all after the expansion draft.
But like everything in life, yes balance is key, can't have too many vets, can't have too little, having just sutter, beagle and roussel is probably just right. You even see Quinn Hughes really respecting Schenn and his never say die attitude, laying his life on the line to earn his way back into the NHL, that's how leaders are born seeing that 110% effort, it's infectious.
When players see the teams leaders not in it 100% and mentally not it, it seeps into em, but when everyone see's the leaders of the team laying their life on the line, busting their ass to help the team win, it seeps into the blood of everyone on the team....why Ovechkin etc love the Beagles of the world, why Spezza etc love Roussel, their 100% effort each and every game is infectious to the team. Why Bo Horvat has to work harder than Roussel and Beagle next season to earn his captaincy, he has to blood/sweat and tear that C, that's why TG had him work his tail off this past season.
I mean some of you must have played pickup hockey, you know who the hardest workers are, and who aren't, playing on a team with talented and players who give their all is really infectious to want you to play better.
Eriksson needs to be moved, his words in Sweden are unacceptable bringing down the coach Travis Green in Sweden? nah he needs to go...otherwise other players will see..."Hey if Loui can bark his mouth at the team/coach in another country...why can't I?" Loui Eriksson has said far too much shit while being paid $6M per to be staying on the team from 2019/20 onwards.
He's now a cancer, can't have that bullshit stay otherwise get a new GM to have balls to move him out.