Fifth Avenue Forum

Coward

We're only bringing one Tkachuk...?

Oshie over Rust...I hate it.

I’m genuinely confused here. I’m not trying to start a “your list is wrong” thing, I really did want to know how you have them ranked if you were picking for team USA.

I have a brainfart, who is Miller?

oh, JT...

I’m genuinely confused here. I’m not trying to start a “your list is wrong” thing, I really did want to know how you have them ranked if you were picking for team USA.

I guess Mikey doesn't want people being like "how could you rate 3 LWs ahead of Guentzel rahrah." Which I mean... whatever...

Ok, so top 5 LWers now vs top 5 for the 2022 US Olympic team aren't the same thing...

But you're probably at like...
1. Kyle Connor

Then it gets tight...

Maybe:

2. Max Pacioretty
3. Jake Guentzel
4. J.T. Miller
5. Matthew Tkachuk
6. Johnny Gaudreau
7. Alex DeBrincat

Matt has had a bad year...Brady will be there in 2022. Gaudreau is maybe the most skilled on the board, or second to Connor, and might provide the best transition opportunities, but also is kind of soft, loser boy...so it's a little tough. It really depends on what you like, there isn't really a super wrong order to the 2-7 range right now...

I think it's real easy to move Guentzel to 5 or 6 there, too...but it's a matter of what you're trying to accomplish...what kind of line you're completing.

Guentzel and Eichel, Guentzel and Larkin, they make sense to me...Guentzel and Matthews, not so much...

I can’t explain it, but I have just never been a fan of Pacioretty. I don’t even know what it is about him that I don’t like.

We're gonna have a good team

I also probably have a spot for Anders Lee

On an Olympic sheet? Not enough open ice puck skills for me.

You're just mad he ranks higher than you on the big board

We're gonna have a good team

Hell yeah. Well rounded forward group, tremendous D, and one of the best goaltenders around

Yeah Brady Tkachuk probably better pick than Lee in 2022.

I still think both Tkachuks make it. Gaudreau as an extra likely, but depends on his form to start next season.

I don't think there's any question that both Tkachuks are in...

I didn't see it brought up, but after changing Rutherford for Hextall and Burke, all that has happened is Friedman and Carter in with two mid picks going out. Maybe Riikola being waived was something, but all the other waives would probably have happened anyway. I expected more, and bigger, changes.

Makes me wonder if Rutherford is the one that wanted to make changes, was told no, so he split.

I mean, that was the crux of it...he wanted to trade away a cornerstone, was told no, then ragequit...

Hextall is a patient guy...and it's really, really difficult to make deals out there right now...that combination creates a status quo situation...plus, you need to evaluate what you got in an entire organization, that's tough to do in a short time...

I also think they started playing better shortly after Rutherford quit, so no need to make big changes (which is hard to do with the caps across the league)

JR is a volume guy. Makes a ton of bad moves but for the majority of his time here they were outweighed by good moves. Constant tinkerer and always willing to make the big moves. He was also really good at negotiating against himself with contracts. I wouldn’t mind seeing the alternate reality where he gets the go ahead to dump a cornerstone in a huge move, but I’ve also enjoyed this stretch of something different. Not just because the team is playing significantly better, but the calmness of a GM who isn’t constantly playing his hand in public and favors internal development over constant, hectic upheaval is a nice change of pace. I feel more relaxed.

It was also very difficult for hextall to make moves right now because they are buyers and have nothing to spend. Happy with the approach - add a top 9 forward for this year and next at a bargain price for very little.

I would expect quite a bit more activity in the offseason when he has a better opportunity to build the team he wants.

I think the off-season depends on how this season ends and if the cap goes up, even if just a smidge. My primary expectation is things like Riikola out the door for picks to rebuild some draft capital, but I don’t know how appetizing he is at $1MM and change

I thought the book on Hextall was that he wasn't a big trade deadline guy. So this was expected. And it makes me happy.

By contrast, his predecessor said on Sportsnet or TSN today that "If you want the guy today, don't care about how much you spend to get him".

It's so weird now that we've gone from "**** all these assets" to "we don't really need to make a move, but here's a guy I can get cheap who might help us".

By contrast, his predecessor said on Sportsnet or TSN today that "If you want the guy today, don't care about how much you spend to get him".

It's so weird now that we've gone from "**** all these assets" to "we don't really need to make a move, but here's a guy I can get cheap who might help us".

It was admittedly his same philosophy with free agents, hence the Tanev and Johnson deals. Johnson was a disaster, Tanev has worked but the term and length are still questionable. He knew who he wanted to paid whatever for them.

Didn't Carter also play on the PK in both LA and Philly? Or am I not remembering correctly? If so, I wonder if he also helps fill the gap left by Tanev.