GDT: Canes @ Habs 12/16 7:30

Observations on the game: I only noticed E. Staal one time where he actually took a pass, turned and had some really good strides and moves breaking into the zone... other than that, not really inspiring hockey from our captain.
Really like Elias Lindholm. Looks solid out there, understand all the talk now about his improved strength over the off season. Great that he is still so young and yet already this good. Can only get better.
Skinner looked pretty good out there, he, Rask and Lindholm played together a fair amount in the game, sometimes Nash would center instead.
Nash - Nothing spectacular. Steady.
Terry - Playing on the first line with Dwyer. Funny, seeing as Eric can't seem to find anybody to play with and has been arguably on the schneid... it seems fitting that he is stuck with those two instead of say, having Skinner and Lindholm on his wings. Lord knows Tlusty and Semin worked - but then didn't. Will anyone figure out the mystery that is E. Staal?! But sorry, Terry is not exactly useless, but he's no better than a 4th line player. He'd be a decent option on a 4th line that had complimentary parts. Like the other 8 4th line caliber players on the team.
Ward - not his best game. Got schooled on the first goal.
Boychuk - Looked ok. Still, he's got to give more.

Over all - this team plays better (seems to) than last seasons, there seems to be a better or more applied system in place. We just aren't that talented.
I hope we land McDavid (or Eichel knowing our luck) but lets be honest. One player won't necessarily change the makeup and attitude of a team, not instantly anyways. No better example of that than the Edmonton Oilers. They should put a new rule in place just because of them, along the lines that no team can draft 1st overall more than 3 times in the span of 5 years. Like hold on to RNH and trade one of Eberle, Hall or Yakupov to start. How their management can be so stubborn as to not change that mix is beyond me. They are going to ruin the confidence of these players, maybe for good unless they change.
So, that being said, McDavid/Eichel sweepstakes et all.. we'll likely need more than just drafting one of those guys to actually start a meaningful, rebuild. What's going on right now is still messy due to all the JR cobwebs left around. It will take time.

Only watched about 5 minutes of the 1st. Apathy has truly set in for me. I can't find the desire to watch a game any longer. Can't even be bothered to drive to the arena for home games. I don't think I've watched a full 6 minutes yet this season. Don't really have a reason to.

I recorded the game as I was out to dinner...another one I can delete without watching...bah!

I like that we are working hard (for the most part), but am getting tired of the "core" not really contributing and often committing dumb mistakes. I'm also watching Gerbe morph into later stage LaRose. He is always working hard, or appearing to, but his primary game in the offensive zone seems to be shooting directly into the goalies chest. Not many passes and not many tough shots to stop.

But it is time for Francis to start the rebuild by moving one of the old guard.

We are officially in last place this morning. Our sixth straight loss last night combined with Edmonton's OT loss to the Coyotes, gives us 19 points on the season and Edmonton 20. We have two games in hand on EDM.

Don't worry Jordan Staal will be back soon and the Canes will make playoffs!!

I am getting completed frustrated with this team and more so the organization. I honestly don't care that they are losing, what bothers me is the direction or complete lack of direction this organization has. They are on a pace that is currently much worse than last year. That is unacceptable, mainly because they have made no moves toward rebuilding yet.

This past summer most teams directly around or below the Canes made strong off-season move to get better. The Canes brought back Gleason, Malone and McClement. Really....no need to even comment. That started my dissatisfaction as the organization then rolled out the compete and playoffs talk.

I wish they would just quit jerking fans around and come clean that it is time for a rebuild. Francis should spend 10 hours a day on the phones trying to work deals for Staal, Ward, Tlusty, Sekera and anyone that has value and is above 25 and not part of long term plans.

I appreciate Peters is getting more out of the younger guys and AHL callups but that seems to come at a cost of getting zero out of the rest of the roster. That is a net loss in productivity and the standings and point total reflect that. It is time to cut the crap talk, own up to the reality this team is no where near the playoffs and start the rebuild. It is about 2 years too late already so don't blame me for being impatient at this point.

Love the sarcasm here. Coping mechanisms is full force.

Canes should stay the course like Pittsburgh did in 1984 (the team I saw last night was plain awful, the passes they were allowing the Habs to make were criminal). Actually, Pittsburgh traded away talent to ensure they got Lemieux. Now McDavid isn't Lemieux but he will be another Crosby. Someone posted that one guy can't change the culture? That may be true usually but not when it comes to a player like McDavid. The kid is the absolute real deal and if I were Carolina I would trade both Staal's for tons of picks and especially prospects that are close to NHL ready (like a year away). You can rebuild around a guy like McDavid. Eichel will also be good but McDavid is the prize.

Too bad the Canes chances of landing McDavid are no better than 25%. While I agree with you Habsy that the Canes should be in full tank mode and stockpile picks and prospects, this isn't 1984 anymore with the lottery. Fortunately if the Canes finish dead last they have the Eichel consolation prize. They certainly can finish dead last without too much of a problem I suspect, the question will be how many players Ronnie can purge before the deadline and who is left. They can't simply flush high priced players just for picks with the cap now, so its tougher being a GM now than it was in 1984.

I absolutely love the changes to the lottery (and will love it even more when the first 3 picks are in play in 2016), but unfortunately for the Canes I fully expect them to finish dead last but miss out on McDavid. That is going to be a darn exciting draft lottery for sure for ALL of the teams that miss the playoffs now that every one of them has SOME chance at drafting a McDavid. Will be the most exciting lottery since the Crosby draft. Then it gets better starting in 2016....

Yeah, actually the Pens intentionally tanking for Lemieux was the impetus for change. Team owners started discussing tanking and they eventually implemented the lottery system.

And they were right to do so in reaction to that joke of a season Pittsburgh put together in 1984. Starting in 2016 it really won't make much sense for anyone to tank. This is the last year a good ole fashion tank job will pay off for certain. Canes definitely are on their way.

Some good young talent you guys have Habsy. If Price can keep playing like that and a few pieces fall into place you guys look solid, including the next few years.

I still wish the league had implemented a draft positioning system where the 17th place team drafts first, and the 30th place team drafts 14th. Reward the tams that JUST miss out, but were obviously not tanking. The team that finishes last drafts just before the playoff teams. *Not responsible for math and numbers errors!

Habsy said:

Love the sarcasm here. Coping mechanisms is full force.

Canes should stay the course like Pittsburgh did in 1984 (the team I saw last night was plain awful, the passes they were allowing the Habs to make were criminal). Actually, Pittsburgh traded away talent to ensure they got Lemieux. Now McDavid isn't Lemieux but he will be another Crosby. Someone posted that one guy can't change the culture? That may be true usually but not when it comes to a player like McDavid. The kid is the absolute real deal and if I were Carolina I would trade both Staal's for tons of picks and especially prospects that are close to NHL ready (like a year away). You can rebuild around a guy like McDavid. Eichel will also be good but McDavid is the prize.

Click to expand...

Bottom line. Tavaras is neither Lemeiux nor Crosby and just his presence as a legitimate franchise player managed to begin a culture change in the rotten, fetid swamp that is the Islanders franchise.

Stinking now for a legit shot at McDavid is a completely acceptable management strategy. Carolina's biggest problem over the last five years is that their two franchise cornerstones (Ward and E Staal) have simply and comprehensively failed to live up the responsibility ... and that management has turned a blind eye to that very fundamental problem.

It is funny I always here shots at Pittsburgh for tanking on purpose in 1984 for Lemieux, but was there ever a better business and hockey decision for a franchise? He is still paying dividends 30 years later in Pittsburgh. I guess a team like Toronto can sit on the high horse and brag about never tanking (on purpose) and having integrity, but how has that worked out for them in those 30 years? Tank away Ronnie............

Remember before the Pens had Crosby? The ribbon board around the RBC Center used to announce the next team up and their susperstar? I will never forget reading come see "the Pittsburgh Penguins and Rico Fata."

Fata put up a stellar -46 that year (03-04) for the Pens. You have to go all the way back to 93-94 to find +/-s worse than that in somewhat modern history (Ottawa players, bottomed out by Gord Dineen's -52).

So as I understand it, if we finish 30th overal, with next draft, we'll have a 25% chance of landing McDavid? With the other teams up till 16th having a percentage chance as well?? However, 30th guarantees us no worse than picking 2nd, in the event that we don't win the lottery and land McDavid.

Landing either McDavid or Eichel (althouth as stated, McDavid IS the prize. I even think he has potential to be better than Crosby is... anyway, Eichel just seems much more raw and perhaps a little too confident?) will definitely lend to a change in culture, but that complete change won't really occur until either E. Staal morphes into well, the player he should be, or he gets traded.

I do think there is a market (i.e. chance we trade) for Staal, but it is finite. Top contenders would be Toronto. After that? I would think Eric would be open to moving to the west... Edmonton would be an issue because of climate. All the Cali teams from my understanding would either have an underachiver to trade in return (see Joe Thornton) and wouldn't be able to give us picks. Not sure either if Edmonton would give us a pick for Staal... they would have to free up space to make room for Eric's salary. So, yeah it is not 1984... still, you get a chance Ron Francis - and you work it.

There's always letting a leak go that he's being shopped to generate interest in him.

Then there is C. Ward.

After that I fully expect us to get good return on Sekera. Squeeze a second round pick out for him... please!!
Tlusty, maybe I am in the minority, contract up and all, but I would still try to keep him. So he's in the situation that if we can't sign him to an extention, then we risk him signing with another team (ufa) this offseason correct? So, yeah, for the trade deadline he could be a really attractive rental to a contender.

JamesNorthern said:

So as I understand it, if we finish 30th overal, with next draft, we'll have a 25% chance of landing McDavid? With the other teams up till 16th having a percentage chance as well?? However, 30th guarantees us no worse than picking 2nd, in the event that we don't win the lottery and land McDavid.

Click to expand...

Actually, it's only 20%...

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=728795

We would, however, have a 100% chance of getting one of the top two picks, since the change that could allow the 30th team to drop as low as fourth won't be implemented until the 2016 lottery,

Ahh..your right HK...it is only 20% now...used to be 25%. Might as well be zero for the Canes, they won't hit a 1 in 5 shot.

Many like Eichel over McDavid, so coming in #2 wouldn't be that much of a loss. Plus, not sure we can really afford another uber-star, anyway. Those $9M+ players are tough to accommodate and build a decent team around, particularly for a budget team.

If we do end up out of the top 2, might be a blessing in disguise since we have pretty good center depth. The next two slots are most likely franchise defensemen.

Add one of those to a core of Faulk, Fleury, and Murphy (being optimistic that he's a future top-4 D-man) and we'd be solid for a decade with the cast of characters we have among the prospects that could vie for the third pairing.