Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era
You need a blend of talent on the blueline. You can't just give positions up on the back end until a player proves he's ready to step in. Inexperienced bluelines almost always guarantee missed playoffs. There is a reason why veterans get snapped up at the trade deadline, experience matters. I would prefer to have five defensemen on the team with more than a couple seasons under their belts. If the kids step up and show they are capable, you have an attractive commodity you can move. You can never have too many defensemen, especially defensemen than have proven they can be effective at the NHL level. Kylington is the only defenseman we have that we can honestly say is ready to step in and play a regular shift. Valimaki is coming back from a rebuilt knee, so we have no idea where he stands. Yelesin played four games in the NHL last season and looked every bit of that. You don't win many games with a blueline that is comprised on players with no experience. You can sit there and say you would be happy watching Yelesin and company getting walked multiple times a game, but as the losses pile up I suspect you quickly change your tune and demand change.
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We don't agree often, but we agree here!
Giordano, Andersson, Hanifin as vets is a good start, and I like Valimaki's chances of recovering, while I'm not as high on Kylington. But that's four guys on the left side which means you have defenseman 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7.
You still need three and five.
That aint coming from Stockton.
Three is pricey and five is reasonable, and the players willing to fit into those two holes come back. I'm guessing one of Brodie/Hamonic and Gustafsson.