Quote:
Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald
This is going to be a really long season folks. Our only saving grace is we play in a really ####ty division with a lot of the league's weak sisters. We may make the post season with the currently configured roster, but it will be another quick and painful first round blowout. On the bright side, we are one injury to a skilled player from being one of the worst teams in the league. That, or another season of sulking from Tkachuk. We're still two players away from having a competitive team and Treliving doesn't appear to have the mojo to get any deal done that makes us better. A long and cold winter is soon to be upon us.
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Maybe.
There is just a huge difference this year though and that is a full training camp under Darryl Sutter who got a read on his roster in his 28 game stint last year.
I believe that this club vastly underachieved last year. From top to bottom.
Now that does not mean they will be world beaters because of Sutter but I have zero doubt that he instills a defense first and work your ass of mentality into the vast majority of them. That alone will show up in the standings in a significant way. People will whine and complain about it, but this team is going to see a lot of 3-2, 2-1 type games and hopefully on the right side of most of them
Also going to believe in the trend that DS has never missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons as a head coach nor a player at the NHL level. I dont think that is a coincidence.
There are holes on this club, no question but they also have a lot of really nice pieces. Sutter tends to be able to get the most out of his guys for a few years and this club isn't completely a finished product at this point. The season
might start with the existing roster but it won't stay as it is all year.
One prediction i will make is if Lindholm stays healthy and at C on that top line, Sutter turns him into a legit Selke candidate.