Edited Sep. 10, 2023 at 1:45 p.m.
Quoting: BUF10
A Dj smith coached team with Dorion as GM will never be a playoff team.
I have said that in the past but never expected them to still be there by now, the team sale took soooooo long
It comes to a point that they have so much talent that they could offset how bad their management and coaching is, they just need to stay healthy (they probably would have made the playoffs last season if Norris was healthy and if Formenton was a "different person" (I still say this as speculation), or if Dorion didn't STUPIDLY traded Gustavsson for Talbot.
Quoting: TCMonkey
Losing Josh Norris 8 games in was too big for a young team to deal with - not that I'll expect you to acknowledge that... Pinto did what he could but as a rookie was not ready to play as a top 6 pivot. That also played a huge part in DeBrincat never finding his scoring touch in Ottawa.
I'd say the guy that missed Norris the most on the team was definitely Drake Batherson, who also had a pretty significant injury himself the season before
Quoting: MartyFakenewsman
That 4th line is not getting it done. A good 4th line helps maintain pace and momentum over the course of the game and that's why most teams have veterans floating around there.
3rd line is still too green compared to other contending teams in the east like FLA, CAR, NJ, TBL, and maybe even TOR.
But defense is starting to take shape, goaltending is upgraded, and the young core takes another step forward. Playoffs are on the horizon.
Ceiling this coming season, I can see a 2023 NJD finish for them.
Tkachuk - Stutzle - Tarasenko
Joseph - Norris - Batherson
Greig - Pinto - Giroux
Sokolov - Kastelic - Smejkal
MacEwen
Trade Kubalik instead of Joseph, improve 2-way play, keep roughly the same scoring at ES
Have Giroux mentor the 2 young guys on the 3rd line. I think that line would be dynamite both ways pretty quickly
That 4th line is not ideal but Kastelic is a good 4th line Center. Sokolov and Smejkal are 2 question marks but have credentials