Late Summer Canes Roster Talk

[jeffbear]

Yeah ... goal scoring is never about the individual parts and always about how the 5 man units work together. The other thing to consider in the big picture is that we've moved out 3 of our 4 worst performers in terms of plus/minus last year (Skinner, Hannifin, Ryan) ... and the other one (Faulk) is probably on the trading block regardless of what they've said out loud of late. I know that stat is trending out these days thanks to advanced metrics, but it's still a useful shorthand tool to express how you stand defensively versus the rest of your team.

I do worry about how an even younger lineup will fair defensively, but if they're both willing and able then they're got the edge on a couple of the guys who have been dealt.

 

[Elsker]

Just going to throw out some numbers in order to get a feeling about how close we are to breaking out of the seasons of malaise we've been experiencing.

Looking at last season, we are interestingly #23 in the league in both goals-for (GF) and goals-against (GA) for the '17-'18 season with 228 GF and 256 GA.

But it only takes a couple of dozen goals swung each way to get to #12 for on the GF list (Sharks w/252 GF) and tied for #11 on the GA list (Wild/Leafs w/232 GA).

And suddenly you're hanging with the playoff team crowd.

With new offensive firepower added to the forward ranks (and perhaps to the defensive ranks, as well) and hopefully less turnovers/breakaways and improved goalie'ing (plus added D-man horsepower), this kind of incremental GF/GA season-long differential could easily occur.

Find just one more GF and one less GA every 3 or 4 games and you are there.

It could happen.

 

[jeffbear]

On a positive note, if the Canes can simply replicate the 228 goals they scored last season while getting their goals against down to the average they allowed in Peters' first three seasons (230) then ... they'll still probably miss the playoffs.