Few goals here: Improve Team Slightly, add leadership
- Assume Couture LTIR still
- Could Move Duclair to LW2 to play with Zetterlund again
- Not overcommitting to Any UFAs
First the Draft:
- Celebrini at 1oa no brainer
- Jiricek or best RD available at 14oa
Decisions:
- Gushchin - Time for him to prove himself in the NHL
- Bordeleau - In my opinion, he or Gush will be moved if they both stay around a 3rd line LW, no real space. (Especially if Gushchin outperforms him) So, I decided to put Bords at center, because if I think that he proves he can play center at this level, he will have a better chance of staying.
- Mukhamadullin - Same boat as Gush
- Celebrini/Smith - Celebrini elects to sign, Smith decides to join, begin to build that chemistry and transition to the pro game. Maybe will get sent down to AHL, this is just the starting lineup.
AHL/Minor/Prospects
- Graf - Give him some AHL time, call him up eventually
- Bystedt - Get a year in the AHL, if we move a FW at the deadline, maybe call up
- Edstrom - Still developing in SHL, eventually find way into AHL
- Musty - Still developing in OHL, eventually find way into AHL - had a damn good season though, could we see him get 9 games?
- Havelid - When can you come to the AHL?
- Thompson - Replace Rutta at deadline? - Next in line for callup
UFA Moves
- Duclair - Seemed to like it in SJS, younger guys liked him too, leader
- Dumba - Helps take some heat off Ferraro, can log minutes, PK, SJS gives him a chance to get back to top form
Deadline:
- Move Rutta, a goalie, Maybes: Reilly Smith, Granlund, Sturm
- Do not want to continue to disrupt culture so much
Quick Assessment:
FW Core - Super young, hopefully more fun to watch at least
D Core - Also still very young, not very good, but this is the year that Thrun, Muk, Emberson get their shot I presume, so I did not want to overcommit to any UFAs to get in their way. Thompson could also come in and replace Rutta
San Jose helps Pitt out with their retool, and San Jose gets a veteran winger who will help out their lineup, Pitt gives Zadina a chance with some Elite Defensemen.
Assuming he waives his M-NTC, more likely now that we landed the 1oa pick I would believe,
PIT doesn't have major cap restrictions and Smith could potentially be useful to flip at the deadline so not sure Dubas would make that deal unless they were trying to open cap space. Very possible, but if they are taking the long rebuild route, it doesn't add any value.
PIT doesn't have major cap restrictions and Smith could potentially be useful to flip at the deadline so not sure Dubas would make that deal unless they were trying to open cap space. Very possible, but if they are taking the long rebuild route, it doesn't add any value.
In this scenario, I had them doing a quick retool which is kind of what I expect Dubas to do
That 3rd line is fast but small and could be a defensive liability. I wouldn't put Bords and Gush on the same line.
I'd bring in another FA top 4 Dman. Replace Rutta.
I was interested in signing Dumba for a while, but the more I read it seems like he's washed up and no longer great on either offense or defense. He brings physicality abd leadership but might not actually be an upgrade.
In this scenario, I had them doing a quick retool which is kind of what I expect Dubas to do
Dubas might claim that for the core. Most don't believe any re-tool is possible with a 37 year old core four. Most likely the Guentzel trade is the start of a LONG rebuild. Glad you guys won Celebrini BTW.
Dubas might claim that for the core. Most don't believe any re-tool is possible with a 37 year old core four. Most likely the Guentzel trade is the start of a LONG rebuild. Glad you guys won Celebrini BTW.
this is some facts right here. In the handful of acgm i have built there is no real way to turn this team into a legit cup contender next year, baring some major luck on their prospects being generational level players.
Too many holes, not enough options in FA and not enough cap space.
Can they make the playoffs sure.... who wants to be the caps swept in 4. No one.
That 3rd line is fast but small and could be a defensive liability. I wouldn't put Bords and Gush on the same line.
I'd bring in another FA top 4 Dman. Replace Rutta.
I was interested in signing Dumba for a while, but the more I read it seems like he's washed up and no longer great on either offense or defense. He brings physicality abd leadership but might not actually be an upgrade.
I signed dumba for exactly that, leadership and physicality. I agree with your assessment of the third line, but I have no where else to put both of them. Gush has to get his NHL shot, and Bordeleau also should be in the NHL. Would you sign a center and put them both on the wing? or bring one up to the second line in this scenario? I also don't want to sign another top 4 d to get rid of the log jam because I assume it would have to be for longer term. Maybe bring one in through trade that's a short term cap casualty
I signed dumba for exactly that, leadership and physicality. I agree with your assessment of the third line, but I have no where else to put both of them. Gush has to get his NHL shot, and Bordeleau also should be in the NHL. Would you sign a center and put them both on the wing? or bring one up to the second line in this scenario? I also don't want to sign another top 4 d to get rid of the log jam because I assume it would have to be for longer term. Maybe bring one in through trade that's a short term cap casualty
Maybe
Eklund. Granlund. W. Smith
Gush Celebrini. Zetterlund
R. Smith. Bords. Duclair
Or
Eklund. Granlund. Duclair
Bords. Celebrini. R. Smith
Gush. W. Smith. Zetterlund
Or just trade either Gush or Bords. Or don't sign one of Duclair or R. Smith.
There might be some top 4 D FA's available for 1 - 5 year terms. I don't think 5 is too long for a Roy or Demelo. OEL might be good for 1 - 2 years. Like Dumba, OEL had something to prove this year. Unlike Dumba, he proved it.
Read an article about Dumba, and it sounds like he was the Ferraro or Ceci of Minnesota: Fans loved him or hated him, with lots of concern about defensive mistakes.
Eklund. Granlund. W. Smith
Gush Celebrini. Zetterlund
R. Smith. Bords. Duclair
Or
Eklund. Granlund. Duclair
Bords. Celebrini. R. Smith
Gush. W. Smith. Zetterlund
Or just trade either Gush or Bords. Or don't sign one of Duclair or R. Smith.
There might be some top 4 D FA's available for 1 - 5 year terms. I don't think 5 is too long for a Roy or Demelo. OEL might be good for 1 - 2 years. Like Dumba, OEL had something to prove this year. Unlike Dumba, he proved it.
Read an article about Dumba, and it sounds like he was the Ferraro or Ceci of Minnesota: Fans loved him or hated him, with lots of concern about defensive mistakes.
Yeah I like your line combos, and ik this won't actually be the outcome, but I actually do think the top 9 will look very similar to that next season, with maybe 2 UFAs instead of a trade made.
I want to shy away from signing an LD just because I want to see Thrun and Mukhamadullin prove themselves. Most likely 1 will and 1 won't, so we can assess that later, but I want to give both the opportunity to so if both flourish we can reap the benefits. I wouldn't be opposed to signing 2 Top 4 RD, I just doubt we do, and I really don't want to commit to too many UFAs long term, and I think we would have to there outside of maybe Dumba. I would be willing to commit to Roy for 4 years Maybe, I don't know about Demelo though.
Maybe run something like
Eklund - Granny - Smith
Gush - Celebrini - Zetterlund
Bords - UFA - UFA or Cap dump (Fabbri from DET) maybe
Yeah I like your line combos, and ik this won't actually be the outcome, but I actually do think the top 9 will look very similar to that next season, with maybe 2 UFAs instead of a trade made.
I want to shy away from signing an LD just because I want to see Thrun and Mukhamadullin prove themselves. Most likely 1 will and 1 won't, so we can assess that later, but I want to give both the opportunity to so if both flourish we can reap the benefits. I wouldn't be opposed to signing 2 Top 4 RD, I just doubt we do, and I really don't want to commit to too many UFAs long term, and I think we would have to there outside of maybe Dumba. I would be willing to commit to Roy for 4 years Maybe, I don't know about Demelo though.
Maybe run something like
Eklund - Granny - Smith
Gush - Celebrini - Zetterlund
Bords - UFA - UFA or Cap dump (Fabbri from DET) maybe
Ferraro - Roy
Thrun - Dumba
Muk - Emberson
No matter what, with Celebrini this is definitely an exciting team!