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Gorbachav55

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Everything posted by Gorbachav55

  1. Gorbachav55
    There's no reason not to include Zegras in the lineup. If he doesn't sign, none of what we're talking about matters anyway.
  2. Gorbachav55
    Ideally, I think your lines would be this: LW - Zegras - Terry Killorn - McTavish - Strome Henrique - Carlsson - Vatrano Jones/Regenda - Carrick/Groulx - McGinn We just don't have another top-6 LW to plug in there. Long-term, you hope for this: Zegras - Carlsson - Terry Killorn - Mctavish - Strome LW (Regenda?) - Gaucher - RW (Pastujov?) Jones - Groulx - RW I dropped in a couple of current prospects on the third line, but at least one of those spots will probably be filled externally.
  3. Gorbachav55
    I don't think they proved that. Vatrano scored 20 goals. That's second line production. But I'm ok with him moving down to the third line. I think he'd work well as a veteran trigger man alongside Carlsson, but he can also play on your second line and be ok. Strome is a different story. Strome was on the top line with Panarin in New York and was very productive there. I think the problem last year was that he didn't have much support around him and he's not a good defensive player. Putting Strome on the third line doesn't get the most out of his gifts, in my opinion. He's a distributor who is best used as a complementary player to an offensive stud. I'd love to see him alongside McTavish and see what he can do there. I like dts's lines above. I think those get the most out of what the Ducks have currently. I'm not a huge fan of McGinn above the 4th line, but he's going to be in the lineup, and having him there makes as much sense as anywhere until the Ducks get another top six wing and move everyone down a spot.
  4. Gorbachav55
    A few stats for you, all of which are relative to the Ducks at 5-on-5 for 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 (i.e. the last two seasons of Getzlaf's career): He was 4th among forwards in both Fenwick % (total shots taken) and Corsi % (unblocked shots taken). Both of these numbers are above 50%, which is above average, and moreso on a putrid team He was 4th in shots against per 60 He was 6th in expected goal % (49% - not great, but again, they're bad teams, so that's not terrible). He's mostly behind Milano, Zegras, and Terry in those stats, with Rakell and Henrique sneaking in front of him as well. But here's the kicker. Let's look at the percentage of time each of those guys started in the offensive zone: Milano: 74.19% Zegras: 80.65% Terry: 55.59% Rakell: 66.81% Henrique: 51.91% GETZLAF: 44.54% So Getzlaf is putting up decent possession stats, and both offense and defense are solid. And he's doing it while starting only 45% of the time in the offensive zone. Comparing his stats to the rest of the league, in raw stats, he grades out as a solid second line center. In stats relative to his teammates (in other words, factoring in that the Ducks were garbage), he grades out as a good 2nd line forward/fringe 1st line forward. He was still a solid contributor at the end of the year. Ryan Strome, meanwhile, just put up the worst defensive season for a forward...like ever. I think he's better than that, but he is not great in the defensive zone.
  5. Gorbachav55
    It's not. The earliest it would possibly be an albatross is in two offseasons when McTavish needs to be extended. And at that point there will be two years left on the deal, so it shouldn't be that difficult to move if the Ducks really need to. And that's assuming Gibson regains none of his previous form.
  6. Gorbachav55
    But it seems like that's what people wanted. I think Verbeek played it well. He built a roster with enough talent, theoretically, to get to .500. And if that happened, it would have been a step forward, and maybe Eakins would have shown some actual coaching acumen. As it was, when the season went off the rails, Verbeek leaned into it and earned a higher pick. I don't think it was a master plan, but I think Verbeek did what he could to ensure putridity once it was clear that mediocrity was out of reach.
  7. Gorbachav55
    I think Verbeek said the .500 thing as a way to hold Eakins accountable. That roster could have gotten to .500 if everything had gone right and the coaching was top notch. It did not and it was not. I don't think .500 was really an expectation. I think it was something Verbeek said to keep fans engaged and publicly give the team a goal. I don't think it's useful to take that statement at face value as a way of judging Verbeek's performance last year. Why do you feel that's a certainty? I think it's a probability at the trade deadline, but that's just a smart move for an expiring contract.
  8. Gorbachav55
    That team was surviving on smoke and mirrors. They were getting outshot every night. It was a bad team. And a bad coach.
  9. Gorbachav55
    Do you know if either of those players fits the vision of the way Verbeek wants the team to play? I think Verbeek wanted players who play hard to help develop the kids coming up. Leason and Megna are awful NHL players, but they play hard (note that hard doesn't necessarily mean physical). Kapanen has been plagued by accusations of taking nights (sometimes whole weeks) off throughout his career. I'm not as sure about Tolvanen, but I do know he's been inconsistent throughout his career. I have no idea if Verbeek's vision will work. It's hard to measure heart, but clearly that's a decent chunk of what he's going for (and is evidenced by the Gudas and Killorn signings). It appears to me that Verbeek has a plan for the way he wants the roster to play. It's a long-term plan and it's a risky plan in some ways, but after Bob Murray's "skill du jour" method of slapping different types of players onto the roster every year, I'm willing to play the long game and trust that guys Verbeek doesn't pick up don't fit the style he's looking for. That doesn't mean I think he's a good GM. The Klingberg fiasco was bad and I'm still not a huge fan of the way Terry's contract negotiations played out. But I remain a skeptic in both directions, and I think most of his moves (or non-moves) are defensible in the context of his vision and the timing of that vision.
  10. Gorbachav55
    If we have a better coach, we probably don't have Carlsson right now. It was a means to an end. We'll see if there's long-term damage.
  11. Gorbachav55
    Tolvanen and Kapanen wouldn't help this team get to the playoffs this season. And they'd be expiring assets again, ones who probably had no desire to play here and wouldn't have any value because there's no chance they put up the numbers in Anaheim that they've put up elsewhere. I have no problem with the pile of crap we saw last season. It was a means to an end, and that end was getting us a potential franchise center in the draft. Long-term vs short-term. And yes, three expiring assets entering their 30s on a terrible team constitutes a pile of crap. Murray should have traded those guys away before.
  12. Gorbachav55
    All of this is begging the question. On Lindholm - he could be a #2 d-man, for how long? Verbeek was handed an expiring asset on a team that was garbage. He didn't want to commit long years and lots of money to a guy who might not be all that good the next time the team was competitive. Trading Lindholm was a defensible action. Manson was hurt and ineffective most of the preceding three years with Anaheim. He was hurt again last year, which was completely foreseeable. Colorado is already regretting that deal. Holding up Manson as evidence of poor decision-making doesn't work. Verbeek didn't embrace Eakins. Verbeek allowed Eakins to coach one more season to facilitate an tank job that resulted in the #2 pick in the draft. In hindsight, I actually think that was a good move. I'm not saying let's wait until the 24-25 offseason. I'm saying let's see what the team looks like in January after they've had a couple months to play together under a new coach. I'm saying let's see how the kids look in San Diego by midseason. I don't need to see playoffs this year, but I'd like to see significant improvement in the style and quality of play. If it's not there, I'll question his ability to get the team to Cup contender status. But I also have to acknowledge that Verbeek, as with Yzerman, is taking the patient approach. That approach might not work, as it has not worked to this point for Yzerman, but we might have to wait a little bit longer than we wanted.
  13. Gorbachav55
    All of this is post hoc other than your comment about a rookie GM. And all of this post hoc is simply your conjecture; none of it is provable or verifiable. You're simply seeing what you want to see and then labelling it "bad." As for the one comment that supports your original premise (that rookie GMs can't handle rebuilds), Joe Sakic was a rookie GM who rebuilt the Colorado Avalanche. In 2010, when Doug Armstrong took over the Blues, they had just finished 4th in the division and would finish 4th again the next year before he turned them around and eventually into a Cup champion. I didn't bother going back further because I think this premise is supportable with facts: rookie GMs can succeed in the NHL. As for whether Verbeek is a good GM, I have my doubts as well, but it's still too early to make that call conclusively. I agree with you that his trading activity has been disappointing. But he was given a pile of crap and you're expecting him to have built a mansion with it. I think we need to see what this team looks like next season before we can begin to form the conclusion that all he's really doing is standing in the pile of crap.
  14. Gorbachav55
    I think the time for weaponizing cap space is about over. It's certainly over for anyone with a multi-year term, and it's probably over for any with a cap hit above $4 or $5 million. Actually, I would say it's over for anyone with a SALARY above that much, mostly because I don't think the Samuelis are going to push the budget for marginal players who come along with third round draft picks. If it's a player Verbeek can convince them the team genuinely needs, then maybe. But I have a feeling the team is going to be held to a budget once Zegras and Drysdale are signed. Phillippe Myers is probably doable for the Ducks at his cost, but I don't think it's worth it to Tampa to give up an asset just to move that contract. They'd probably rather just bury it and get a bit creative. What factual evidence did you have that led you to that conclusion?
  15. Gorbachav55
    Yeah, we've done the Benoit thing. I loved his effort, but he was the worst defenseman in the NHL last season. No amount of Eakins adjustment can fully undo that. I think we need someone else who can play minutes, even if it is an old, giant pylon like Tyler Myers. Gudas is an investment at this point. It would be detrimental to the future success of the team to burn him out this season. If we can get an asset for taking on a short-term contract, let's do it. If not, I'm ok giving up something irrelevant for a guy. But I don't want to see Gudas out there for 22 minutes a night. That's stupid.
  16. Gorbachav55
    Dostal is waivers exempt. If both Stalock and Gibson are healthy (and Gibson doesn't get traded), Dostal's going down to the Gulls. There's no reason to keep three goalies on the roster. I also don't think Vaakanainen or White have a guaranteed NHL roster spot. I suspect the Ducks get one more NHL D-man to eat some minutes, and we see that guy paired with Fowler. It's definitely going to be Tyler Myers. Ick.
  17. Gorbachav55
    I think it's unlikely LaCombe doesn't make the opening night roster, unless he has an awful camp. I would see him playing alongside Gudas over Vaaks. But we do still need that big minute guy on the right side (Severson? oh wait). Brett Pesce makes a ton of sense, if the Ducks can negotiate an extension with him first. But there's no indication Pesce would want to do that, and we know Verbeek isn't giving a 29-year-old anything more than five years. There really isn't a guy available through free agency. Ethan Bear is the closest, and he's never played more than 20 minutes per night in his career (season average). We're going to end up with Tyler Myers, aren't we?
  18. Gorbachav55
    Dumba was rumored to Arizona for a while. Total speculation, but maybe there's a connection there - family or a teammate or something. Otherwise I have to think some teams would have done more than that. Dumba isn't good any more, but he could eat minutes on a second pair and not kill you.
  19. Gorbachav55
    Sure, he'd build up plenty of leg strength dragging Silfverberg's carcass around the ice. Look, I love Silf for what he brought us after he came over, and while Murray became a terrible GM, that trade of Ryan for Silf worked out for us. But the guy has nothing left. I'd put him on the 4th line if someone needs a day off, but that's about it.
  20. Gorbachav55
    He certainly deserves every penny of his commission on that one. He should just retire now. It's not going to get any better.
  21. Gorbachav55
    These guys get some of the best medical care and advice in the world. I'm sure he is well aware of the risks. I don't disagree that he should probably just call it quits, but I thought that was true before I knew about the recurring blood clots.
  22. Gorbachav55
    Individual, specific faceoffs might be important. But every team has one guy they can count on to win a faceoff. In your scenario, you put that one guy out there and then he heads straight to the front of the net. You wouldn't want Zegras taking that draw anyway, you want him handling the puck. If McTavish and Carlsson also end up sucking at faceoffs, we might be in a little trouble in those scenarios. But I'm not worried about it. Data has shown that there is very little correlation between a team's faceoff winning percentage and its winning percentage or its overall puck possession.
  23. Gorbachav55
    Faceoffs aren't that important. But his ability to handle increased defensive responsibilities is, and to this point, he hasn't shown either the aptitude or desire to be relevant in the defensive zone. Hopefully Cronin can turn that around and Zegras can be viable as a center.
  24. Gorbachav55
    If Carlsson is as good as he's purported to be, I could see the Ducks running with Carlsson - Zegras - McTavish down the middle on a regular basis, with Zegras moving up to Carlsson's wing when the Ducks need some added offense. I know people bristle at the thought of a guy being "relegated" to 3C, but it's an important position, and with power play and penalty kill time, McTavish is going to be on the ice plenty. It really depends on a couple of things: 1. Can Zegras handle center responsibilities? So far, it's looking sketchy, particularly in the defensive zone (I'm not as concerned about faceoffs). He does look good in the middle with the puck on his stick, but we'll see. 2. Would Zegras thrive on the wing? I think he'd be better playing alongside McTavish than Carlsson, since I think Zegras brings a playmaking aspect that Carlsson has but McTavish doesn't to the same degree (although he's a decent playmaker himself). But perhaps he could be more of a scorer/sniper on the wing than a distributor. 3. Do the Ducks have another capable 3C? This primarily depends on whether Gaucher can find enough offense. I think he'll be fine as a 4C, but the difference between a 10-minute-per-night 4th line faceoff/PK specialist and a legitimately good 3C is large. I guess we could put Strome there if we want, but I think that would not be maximizing his strengths. I just think it's too early to say that the organization is ready to move Zegras to the wing permanently. I think it's likely to happen at some point, but I would expect to see Zegras at C to start the season, unless something unexpected happens in camp.
  25. Gorbachav55
    I think people are misinterpreting Verbeek's quote about Zegras. He didn't say he's likely to go to the wing. He said he's the more likely candidate to move there, the implication being if that's what the Ducks need. So yeah, Zegras could move to the wing, and would before McTavish or Carlsson did (long-term), but it's not a certainty or even a probability. He's just a candidate. If everything works out with Carlsson, I do think Zegras will end up on the wing, but Verbeek isn't going that far yet.
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