Yo LA, this is the 3rd straight game I see that Turcotte is slotted with Kopitar and Byfield the Beast. Is this a thing now, is someone hurt? ......

Yo LA, this is the 3rd straight game I see that Turcotte is slotted with Kopitar and Byfield the Beast. Is this a thing now, is someone hurt? ......
- Mr Ricochet

Kempe is hurt. Turcotte is playing in Kempe’s spot.

Future defensemen on Chicago blueline

For next two seasons S Jones and Korchinski, Vlasic

The next three?

Megna, Tinordi and even Murphy won’t be staying too long

So much is predicated on the improvement and incremental stages when some of the youngsters are hopefully better than their last spell

Phillips and Crevier spend half a season AHL whilst Allen and DelMaestro receive a look?

Premature move but Kaiser could stick from get go

Maybe

I do believe that Megna and yes tough guy Tinordi could be suddenly gone whether over summer or by thanksgiving or Christmas but definitely by next trade deadline

If KK and one other kid displays a step up - not going to say as much as Vlasic has this season - but two kids playing better - then I say Murphy goes

No one on the board has touched upon the fact but I really believe long term KD does not want any plodders roaming around. Murphy is average to below average skater and he better not loose any skating ability. Anyway Murohy always spends too much time injured. Take a draft choice not even a good pick and he is headlights.

Difficult as it is to project a lot of kids to break out it isn’t too much to say one or two take a step up

At least I have reasonable hope for this outcome

So the Guentzel trade is now official: he now skates on one of the top lines for Carolina

Basicly the trade emphasizes Guentzel for Bunting and a first round pick. Yeah we’ll make a good pick as the blue chip choices are most off the board by the Carolina slot. Right wiz

The trade kind of almost reeks horse manure for Guentzel in a salary cap dump and Penguins start a rebuild

Oh you can guess the prospects Penguins got are more a prayer than an expectation to turn out real sweet, Yeah but then too Ty Smith is and may never be a star even an average dman Else he wouldn’t be tossed in for sort of a reach on the prospects going to the Penguins

As far as the Penguins future and bright young stars go, actually I don’t see any stars arriving on the scene. Yeager may become a solid player but is no scoring machine. Draft well and I sort of doubt either Crosby or Karlsson is leaving. Malkin and a second for a first if you can pull it off maybe draft a quality player with the first as compared to a lesser prospect with your own second

Kempe is hurt. Turcotte is playing in Kempe’s spot.
- LAHawk

That ain't cool at all. Dobber has him out week to week as of 2-29 but expected back late March. In the Brutal West they're fighting for a playoff spot so this is big. Any idea how it happened and what part of his body is banged up?....... And when he comes back will he be 100% for the playoffs a week away?

Assuming coach (who's the coach now?) didn't wanna interrupt the lines by shuffling and moving guys around so he made one move inserting Turcotte on L1. Great to see the kid is trusted with kinda slotting. Big chance for him......... He's looked ok. Great motor, plays low with leverage and gets himself in dirty areas. Certainly skates well enough with top line players.

Was looking at the Kings over at Dobber the other day and thought after 125ish AHL he's probably as ready as he'll ever be.

So the Guentzel trade is now official: he now skates on one of the top lines for Carolina


- jhawk59

Wow!!! Waddel swings! And Guentzal is a UFA after the season so this could end up a rental, if it wasn't a sign and trade. Something that him and the owner refused to ever ever ever do. Interesting, but yea man IMO of the forwards this was the guy to add, he plays 200 ft along with his 80 pts and 35 goals.... That organIzation deserves a Finals appearance. Hope the fragile goalies don't derail the thing.

TB made a TB move. Traded for Duclair out of SJ. ...... With the right mates and TOI he's got 30 goals in him.

Woll played tonight.
- paulr

Excellent news, and he's back in enough time where he should be sharp for the playoffs. Kid can play..... I like to hope even the Leaf haters wanna see them lose with the best lineup that the roster can provide. And that's with Woll in goal.

Just another in the long list of NTDP goalies all over the NHL. https://frozenpool.dobber...s.com/players/joseph-woll

Hey JHawk, are the Hogs gonna make the playoffs? Would be really beneficial for those young Dmen, Reichel too, to get at least a round of playoff hockey. ...... From Bamford. https://www.bleachernatio...7/blackhawks-bullets-3-7/

The IceHogs are getting some help in the lineup. The Blackhawks activated Luke Philp and he has rejoined the team after suffering a torn Achilles in the offseason. Philp led Rockford with 29 goals last year and was third on the team with 53 points. Rockford can definitely use the added boost, they’re currently in fourth place in the Central Division and are two points behind the Texas Stars for third.

Look at what Sakic does in Colorado though.

That guy is ruthless. Removed Duchene and let Statsny walk. Let Kadri walk (and he was a huge part of the cup run). Just launched Byram who was playing a fairly important role and seen as "the future" by some people.

If Bowman had moved on from Sharp and Seabrook sooner and been more ruthless, maybe there is a better opportunity to extend the window.

Guys winning cups isn't an acceptable reason to tolerate mediocre play or decision making.
- fattybeef

Torrey said the same thing of the cup winners on the Islanders in the 80s

Hey JHawk, are the Hogs gonna make the playoffs? Would be really beneficial for those young Dmen, Reichel too, to get at least a round of playoff hockey. ...... From Bamford. https://www.bleachernatio...7/blackhawks-bullets-3-7/

The IceHogs are getting some help in the lineup. The Blackhawks activated Luke Philp and he has rejoined the team after suffering a torn Achilles in the offseason. Philp led Rockford with 29 goals last year and was third on the team with 53 points. Rockford can definitely use the added boost, they’re currently in fourth place in the Central Division and are two points behind the Texas Stars for third.
- Mr Ricochet

They certainly have a lot of scoring capability with many veteran forwards, the blueline crew is pretty good and the goaltending is descent. They have some snarl too although I have not heard when Dach would return. They are playing well lately and I would say that they can stand tall against anyone in the AHl. I am going to the Icehogs at Wolves game Saturday. I plan to focus on the quick decision making and positioning from the dmen and I am curious about some rookie prospects who play but haven’t been getting points. I will watch Reichel’s total effort too

I thought you cant trade a player on ir

I thought you cant trade a player on ir
- LFS

you can as long as it's disclosed to the trading team

you can as long as it's disclosed to the trading team
- wizardofi

I do not expect the injured Murphy is traded

I thought you cant trade a player on ir
- LFS

2+2=Jello eh bud

Look at what Sakic does in Colorado though.

That guy is ruthless. Removed Duchene and let Statsny walk. Let Kadri walk (and he was a huge part of the cup run). Just launched Byram who was playing a fairly important role and seen as "the future" by some people.

If Bowman had moved on from Sharp and Seabrook sooner and been more ruthless, maybe there is a better opportunity to extend the window.

Guys winning cups isn't an acceptable reason to tolerate mediocre play or decision making.
- fattybeef

Was he ruthless, or was he up against the cap and had no choice.

Guess we could say Stan was ruthless after '10 and '13 because he let guys walk or traded them and still won again in '15..........

So long as Davidson gets his contracts in order when it matters, these contracts over paying Foligno and D!ckinson don’t matter at all. Personally I think it’s a non issue.
- paulr

Gotta have something to female dog about, this is the thing this week. Other issue is he has to hit a floor.

So now we can get back into complaining if he is or isn't signing good players to long term contracts so that there are bad contracts on the books when they get good and Bedard needs a new deal............

Its a vicious circle of debate, and sadly, its all we got for a year or two more.

Thru 2 Byram with BUF's only goal, 3 shots......... great point in the last thread Rick, BUF didn't want to pay Mittlestadt and got a nice return for him.

Dot's, I'm with you 100%, I like the BUF style of rebuild as oppossed to say the LVG approach. I'll take my chances with young players like Cozens, Dahilin, Power (I'm lower on him than most though), Thompson-Byram (acquired in trades), Peterka all locked up long term (in only a couple yrs these 8 yr deals will be bargains) and are under 25!! You do not get these kinds, or as many, without doing it thru the draft.

Add Rosen, Kulich, Savoie, Bensons in the system and you got a Ted Nugent "look out", kinda roster that only the cap can derail..... BUT, IMO it's time for Adams to go get a Tkachuk, Meir type, a Hellybuyck in goal and put the needle on the record.
- Mr Ricochet

If KD's rebuild takes as long as Buffalo's he'll never survive, whats it been 10 years since they started over?

Thru 2 Byram with BUF's only goal, 3 shots......... great point in the last thread Rick, BUF didn't want to pay Mittlestadt and got a nice return for him.

Dot's, I'm with you 100%, I like the BUF style of rebuild as oppossed to say the LVG approach. I'll take my chances with young players like Cozens, Dahilin, Power (I'm lower on him than most though), Thompson-Byram (acquired in trades), Peterka all locked up long term (in only a couple yrs these 8 yr deals will be bargains) and are under 25!! You do not get these kinds, or as many, without doing it thru the draft.

Add Rosen, Kulich, Savoie, Bensons in the system and you got a Ted Nugent "look out", kinda roster that only the cap can derail..... BUT, IMO it's time for Adams to go get a Tkachuk, Meir type, a Hellybuyck in goal and put the needle on the record.
- Mr Ricochet

Well Mr. R, we are talking about a Buffalo team that hasn't sniffed a playoff spot in 13 seasons. The Sabres have great supportive fans on both sides of the border but their patience has worn very thin. Their only joy is when the team humbles the Maple Leafs a couple times a year.

When Ullmark bolted to the Bruins last season, GM Adams made the calculation that he could go with minor league goalies and it would work out somehow. Clearly it hasn't. So just another season out of the playoffs.

But gotta like some of that young talent they have amassed over the last couple of years. Couple of roster tweeks and an upgrade between the pipes and the Sabres will get noticed again.

If KD's rebuild takes as long as Buffalo's he'll never survive, whats it been 10 years since they started over?
- vabeachbear

Yeah Davidson has to move the needle on the big club. But I think we’ll see it beginning this summer. With the Winter Classic next year there’s no way the Hawks want a group of AHL players representing them, hopefully a trade or free agent signing or two or four along with a prospect promotion or two. I said it the other day but I wish KFC could figure a way to get Holloway out of Edmonton.


Buffalo is doing the polar apposite of Toronto, they look to be building one of the best defensive groups in the NHL with good but not great forwards.

That ain't cool at all. Dobber has him out week to week as of 2-29 but expected back late March. In the Brutal West they're fighting for a playoff spot so this is big. Any idea how it happened and what part of his body is banged up?....... And when he comes back will he be 100% for the playoffs a week away?

Assuming coach (who's the coach now?) didn't wanna interrupt the lines by shuffling and moving guys around so he made one move inserting Turcotte on L1. Great to see the kid is trusted with kinda slotting. Big chance for him......... He's looked ok. Great motor, plays low with leverage and gets himself in dirty areas. Certainly skates well enough with top line players.

Was looking at the Kings over at Dobber the other day and thought after 125ish AHL he's probably as ready as he'll ever be.
- Mr Ricochet

In th Edmonton game Kempe was tripped by Ceci, and went to the bench holding his arm. Supposedly week to week, but of course they aren't specific as to the exact injury, just upper body.

Coach is Jim Hillier, really a placeholder until next year. I am assuming Marco Sturm will be head coach, he has been the Coach of The Reign for the past couple of years.

In order to get Clarke playing time, LA has been going 11/7 for the skaters. Byfield is now playing over 20 minutes a game.

Doesn't really mean much at this point of the season, but sounds like a good chance that AA and Zaitsev could be back tomorrow.

If KD's rebuild takes as long as Buffalo's he'll never survive, whats it been 10 years since they started over?
- vabeachbear

I agree.
Buffalo has rebuilt their rebuild, meta-rebuild.
After last season I thought they were done with the rebuild and would be a playoff team this year and going forward. They might surprise us next season, depending on who they sign during the offseason and how better their young guys will be next year.

3-1-1-1-1

I agree.
Buffalo has rebuilt their rebuild, meta-rebuild.
After last season I thought they were done with the rebuild and would be a playoff team this year and going forward. They might surprise us next season, depending on who they sign during the offseason and how better their young guys will be next year.

3-1-1-1-1
- captainserious

3-3-2-2-3

3-3-2-2-3
- DarthKane

3-2-1-1-3

Well Mr. R, we are talking about a Buffalo team that hasn't sniffed a playoff spot in 13 seasons. The Sabres have great supportive fans on both sides of the border but their patience has worn very thin. Their only joy is when the team humbles the Maple Leafs a couple times a year.

When Ullmark bolted to the Bruins last season, GM Adams made the calculation that he could go with minor league goalies and it would work out somehow. Clearly it hasn't. So just another season out of the playoffs.

But gotta like some of that young talent they have amassed over the last couple of years. Couple of roster tweeks and an upgrade between the pipes and the Sabres will get noticed again.
- RickJ

I agree about the 13 years, they've been fumbling about but since the new gm has taken over he's been organized and patient in many of his approaches. He's built up the system by amassing higher draft picks, he's getting his young dmen valuable experience, he's signed key parts to the team to long term contracts at what i think are fair value. I want depth, looks like Buffalo is amassing depth, Habs are, Philly is being smart, Yzerman has been amassing depth in the farm system for the past 5 years, no one has been as aggressive as KD but in their plotting ways those teams have.