[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Don’t listen to Rider fans.

I’m not arguing about the top-5 pick thing either, I’ve been beating that drum for years.

I’m saying they’re not going to make the playoffs anyway, so there’s no sense worrying over whatever fleeting moments of success they do have.

Look, they’re already the lowest cap team in the league, or they were at one point this summer.

They can’t do anything but trade their UFAs and put their best foot forward on the ice.

They’re starting Vladar half the time. Do you want them to start him more? Because we can’t trade him if everyone knows he sucks. He has to look good in limited action and convince some desperate schmuck he’s worth a 2nd round pick at the deadline.

Conroy says a lot of things. Don’t listen to what he says. Look at what he does.

You can disagree with the value of his returns, but in every opportunity he’s maximized the return on his assets, or he’s extended players to team friendly deals.

The “best” players on the team probably have this year, and this year only, to be reasonably effective first line NHLers. And they’re still 26th in goals for.

They’re middle of the pack defensively. 16th in goals against.

Basically, when they get lights out goaltending, they win.

Them and everyone else.

If it’s league average, or straight bad, as it has been for most of December, they can’t win.

That’s not a playoff team. It’s not close to a playoff team.

It might not be a bottom-5 team, but from what I’ve seen, this group finishing outside the bottom-10 would constitute a massive overachievement.

Short of sending down the waiver eligible guys (Coronato, Wolf and I believe Zary is also eligible) I am not sure what more Conroy could do to ice a lineup that should be competing for a top 5 pick.