Then there was another pinch then that ended up in the back of the net.

I do think Phillips will be with another organization next year.
- LAHawk

Am I wrong thinking the organIzation won't really have any Dmen coming in from Jrs or the NCAA next yr? And if so they will need Phillips if nothing else than just being a body to fill a slot at RKF next yr.

Unless of course KD uses Phillips as an asset to move for something he needs.

Am I wrong thinking the organIzation won't really have any Dmen coming in from Jrs or the NCAA next yr? And if so they will need Phillips if nothing else than just being a body to fill a slot at RKF next yr.

Unless of course KD uses Phillips as an asset to move for something he needs.
- Mr Ricochet

Maybe Harding and Kelley? Just think they want to balance out the D with right shot prospects, Right now I think the organization has Vlasic, KK, Kaiser, probably del Maestro and Allen ahead of Phillips on the left side.

Of course KD didn't care the shooting hand when he traded both Mitchell and Regula to Boston. Actually KD can bring them both back if he wanted too, I doubt Boston qualifies either one of them next year.

Maybe Harding and Kelley? Just think they want to balance out the D with right shot prospects, Right now I think the organization has Vlasic, KK, Kaiser, probably del Maestro and Allen ahead of Phillips on the left side.

Of course KD didn't care the shooting hand when he traded both Mitchell and Regula to Boston. Actually KD can bring them both back if he wanted too, I doubt Boston qualifies either one of them next year.
- LAHawk

Kelley is a righty for what it's worth. I'm also pretty sure that they will push Allan to play his off side. From what I've read, they like him a lot, but don't think he can supplant those in front of him.

Maybe Harding and Kelley? Just think they want to balance out the D with right shot prospects, Right now I think the organization has Vlasic, KK, Kaiser, probably del Maestro and Allen ahead of Phillips on the left side.

Of course KD didn't care the shooting hand when he traded both Mitchell and Regula to Boston. Actually KD can bring them both back if he wanted too, I doubt Boston qualifies either one of them next year.
- LAHawk

Harding, Kelley, and the goalie Basse are available right now as they are not in the tournament, will be interesting to see who is signed. They could bring in both Harding and Kelley, return all the rest of the dmen, and they would still have plenty of spots next year.

Guess you have to watch the total number of contracts, but I wouldn't mind Harding and Kelley getting signed. Kelley has played with both Kaiser and Harding in college.

Board favorite and Cat In The Hat, Cayden Lindstrom, is still not playing. The link below is sort of implying that he and others might return for the playoffs:

https://medicinehatnews.c...tchup-with-stingy-rebels/

“We’re hoping we can get guys back,” head coach Willie Desjardins said. “We might have had guys who could have played if it had been playoffs last weekend, we might have got guys back but that extra week off certainly has helped us.”

Harding, Kelley, and the goalie Basse are available right now as they are not in the tournament, will be interesting to see who is signed. They could bring in both Harding and Kelley, return all the rest of the dmen, and they would still have plenty of spots next year.

Guess you have to watch the total number of contracts, but I wouldn't mind Harding and Kelley getting signed. Kelley has played with both Kaiser and Harding in college.
- totem

Also will depend on how they want to replace (or resign) Megna, Tinordi, Zaitsev, According to Powers, the Hawks are looking to sign/obtain at least one d man in the offseason.

Board favorite and Cat In The Hat, Cayden Lindstrom, is still not playing. The link below is sort of implying that he and others might return for the playoffs:

https://medicinehatnews.c...tchup-with-stingy-rebels/

“We’re hoping we can get guys back,” head coach Willie Desjardins said. “We might have had guys who could have played if it had been playoffs last weekend, we might have got guys back but that extra week off certainly has helped us.”
- totem

So now CHL teams are circumventing the salary cap.

Hair on fire physical 1st period, U of DEN (highest scoring club in the NCAA) v My Guy Hrabal (UMass). ...... If you're able a helluva game to start the tournament. On ESPN 2 I believe.

Board favorite and Cat In The Hat, Cayden Lindstrom, is still not playing. The link below is sort of implying that he and others might return for the playoffs:

https://medicinehatnews.c...tchup-with-stingy-rebels/

“We’re hoping we can get guys back,” head coach Willie Desjardins said. “We might have had guys who could have played if it had been playoffs last weekend, we might have got guys back but that extra week off certainly has helped us.”
- totem

I'd be fine with Lindstrom, but I would select Levshunov, Eiserman, Demidov, D!ickinson and Catton above him.

Also will depend on how they want to replace (or resign) Megna, Tinordi, Zaitsev, According to Powers, the Hawks are looking to sign/obtain at least one d man in the offseason.
- LAHawk

Don’t need to see any of the three back in a Hawks uniform……ever. All three are bad, Zaitsev caries the extra bonus of being way overpaid to go with his bad.

It was more a team thing than any one player, but the Wolves scored on a 2 on 1, del Mastro got beat on a very ill advised pinch, the Wilves 4 th goal the 2 defensemsn just stood around as the player with the puck behind the goal line had all day to find the player in front for a easy goal.

Phillips by far looked like the best player on defense last night. Del Mastro, Crevier, Allen, Roos did nothing for me to say I can’t wait to see him in training camp next year.

Stauber in net is technically better than Soderblom, none of the goals were on him at all. Interesting to see if they bring him back next year.
- LAHawk

I think the AHL is a difficult predictor at times because good play there or average play doesn't necessarily translate at the NHL level.

Keith's best year in Norfolk was 29 points in 75 games. 0 +\- his high (of course not everything but there's not a lot of other stats available). Not a whole lot on paper says wow this guy is gonna win the Norris and Conn Smythe and be a corner stone for 3 cups.

Agree with you on Leyshunov, Darth. Might be the best player at 2 even if there is uncertainty. I'm sure around May and June, some players will become more prominent. You can never have enough good D and if you have a surplus you can move one for help upfront, hopefully they won't make the mistake Ottawa did with Chara (although that was more cap related).
- Popsghostly

He could probably play in the NHL next year and if the kid in Minnesota continues to progress then Jones aging out \ slowing down \ whatever isn't as much of a problem in 4 or 5 years.

Another one of those unicorn players where getting caught up in the toolset is easy to do.

6'2 210 is big (actually big, not a bean pole like most of these "big" guys) for an 18 year old and the NHL in general. Coupled with his skating ability it seems like the total package.

Powers wrote an article about him. Their coach specifically mentioned his GPA at 3.7 and his English is excellent so probably not a moron. Also gets out into the community so doesn't seem like one of those weird former east block guys who just sits in his room by himself reading Tolstoy all day.

Looking at scouting reports you see stuff like smooth and efficient and powerful over and over again.

Thats one where you can start to do crazy poop where like maybe Ottawa is what Columbus was to Chicago during the Saad trades and do like Tampa's first + Jones for Harmonic + Ottawa's 7th and if Eiserman or Lindstrom fall that far then maybe something fun happens and the rest of the league cries again. Or some salary from Seattle for a similar thing.

Doubtful any of that actually happens but regardless of faults not a lot of other teams can offer a 25 minute 50 point guy on the right side who at least is showing some signs of life now. Maybe he's busting his ass so they can actually move him this summer and that discussion happened already.

Maybe there's a pick swap with San Jose where the Hawks move up and do a swap with SJ for that Pittsburg pick for the Toronto pick in 26 or something if theyre really hot for a guy there.

I dunno there's something interesting stuff that could happen at the draft this year. And unlike last year where it seemed like everyone had their guy they wanted - maybe there's more willingness to deal picks 8-15 rather than sit on them.

I’m sure if KD and the scouting staff feel Phillips is able to get it figured out they won’t move him, unless they feel the return is greater than they feel where Phillips can get.

So far Davidson hasn’t made any big mistakes, I think he’s been very calculating in every move or decision he’s made. That obviously will change but at the moment he’s done a good job of dismantling the team and beginning to restock the prospect pool. That said the biggest, toughest part of his job ahead of him. Until his forward progression is stopped or he starts making bad trades, bad contracts, or panic moves I’ll support him.

Same goes for Richardson, so far he’s done a great job with the team he’s been given. He has, for the most part, got the team playing hard. He’s done a great job developing the rookies, showing both patience and a tough hand. We won’t know how good a coach he is until he has a decent team and can show he’s strategic and tactical while ensuring the players buy into them.
- paulr

I think you hit the nail on the head here. Who to keep and who to move to strengthen other spots or make room or just abandon is going to be important. Won't hit them all but needs to have a decent percentage.

And definitely for the coaching staff. It will be an interesting adjustment when there are expectations other than moral victories - especially if they make any moves this summer to strengthen the roster.

New post.