Hockey's Future Prospect of the Year 2011: David Rundblad

hemlock wrote:If we are going to suck next year, we'd better suck all the way to a top 1-2 pick. That's the difference between the Oilers and Lightning and say Florida, who is never bad enough to get a franchise talent, and is always in a perpetual rebuild. Look at the Lightning, who are one game from the Finals. A huge part of that is due to being a very bad club and drafting guys like Vecavalier, Stamkos, and Hedman etc.

Plus, I can't take another season of sucking, then making a futile Leaf-esque push that results in only hurting our draft position, then getting screwing by the draft lottery.

stempniaksen wrote:
I still think Kuba for an overpaid veteran forward makes too much sense. The UFA crop is weak, so instead of committing big money and big years to a question mark like Leino, Laich, ect we can swap out Kuba for someone who can put the puck in the net while opening a spot on the blueline for Cowen.

I'm not saying it's gonna happen, but I wouldn't write the idea off so quickly based on the price of defencemen. I just think if anything it'll be a post-UFA deal where a team has missed out on their targets.

Hoags wrote:I think the Islanders will be a force, they really caught fire once they got rid of Gordon (Clouston clone). Jersey should be better, hard to tell.

Only Carolina, Atlanta and Florida will be the same or worse.

Leafs might improve as well, depending on what Jurke does over the summer.

Our standing next year will really depend on the coach.

SpezDispenser wrote:
Who's stopping pucks on the Island? DiPietro hahahaa? Or will it be Chicken or Poulin or whatever? Good luck with that!

Hoags wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:What the heck for? The guy is 40+ years old.

We need a veteran guy back there for cheap. He'd be a guy I'd like to sign for 1 year to stabilize things a bit.

We've got two, Gonchar and Philips.

Hoags wrote:
Al Montoya, way better than Rick DiInjurietro They'll have Grabner and co. scoring goals.... who's gonna score them for us ?

Carolina is tough to call, they've already said they're not spending any more on salaries than they did last year.

SpezDispenser wrote:

strachattack wrote:
Wouldn't that make an already crowded blue line that much more crowded? I think someone will be traded or bought out to make room as is. Personally, I don't think - given the state of the team overall - we need another aging vet on the blue line. Let the kids play and get experience and assess where we're at after 2-3 months. I'm not into giving an old fart a roster spot unless we know it's absolutely needed first.

In my humble opinion, the bluelines that are being offered about here is not good enough by any stretch of the imagination. Not only that, I'd LOVE to give Rundblad the reigns and have him get some experience, but the odds of both Cowen and Rundblad making the team as rookies is less than stellar IMO.

O'Donnell is just an example of the experience I would look for as a GM, possibly even a one for one swap of Kuba for a slightly cheaper veteran. Gonchar didn't prove he can play last year and that's a real issue. Phillips improved when we got a real goaltender, but again, I wouldn't put all my eggs in that basket either when the insurance of getting an old vet. would cost less than a million.

Cowen's ready from what I've seen and heard, Lee improved dramatically, Karlsson's there forever, Kuba blows, as of now Gonchar sucks, Carkner's a great 7th D-man IMO, Rundblad's got one of the most risky styles of hockey anyone can imagine, we'd be really better off with him in the AHL. So if the Dung hits the fan, we could have 2 defective older guys (Gonchar and Kuba) + Phillips + Lee, who was solid as a rock last year, but the jury's still out on + Cowen (rookie) + Carkner (reliable as a 6th/7th guy). Not too good.

Hoags wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Or we could just go with:

Cowen - Karlsson
Phillips - Gonchar
Kuba - Rundblad
Carkner

and take the pain. Anderson will have to be ludicrously good though for us not to be selecting the Nail next year.

That's probably what will happen, since Dorion thinks Rundblad can play in the NHL now.

They can sign an FA to a 2-way much like Hale late in the offseason if they want a plan B but I think Rundblad will be Karlsson'd into the lineup

sandysensfan wrote:
It's a re-build.... with YOUTH. Let the young guys play... BUT Rundblad may need some time in the AHL just like Karlsson did.
No more over 30+ yr old UFA's.. thanks

hemlock wrote:

strachattack wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Or we could just go with:

Cowen - Karlsson
Phillips - Gonchar
Kuba - Rundblad
Carkner

and take the pain. Anderson will have to be ludicrously good though for us not to be selecting the Nail next year.

I'm completely happy with that line up. If it shows signs of a disaster with no marked improvement over time you can resort to plan B and bring in a cheap aging vet to help steady the ship. It would have to be craptacular for that to happen though. If we finish with a lottery pick next year I hope we get to watch a young fun team like the Oilers in the process. I'm cool with that because you know it's only a matter of time before the kids mature and become awesome.

If we are going to suck next year, we'd better suck all the way to a top 1-2 pick. That's the difference between the Oilers and Lightning and say Florida, who is never bad enough to get a franchise talent, and is always in a perpetual rebuild. Look at the Lightning, who are one game from the Finals. A huge part of that is due to being a very bad club and drafting guys like Vecavalier, Stamkos, and Hedman etc.

Plus, I can't take another season of sucking, then making a futile Leaf-esque push that results in only hurting our draft position, then getting screwing by the draft lottery.

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:Sorry but isn't that why we kept Phillips? Our d-core includes one of the best puck-moving defencement of our time and a stable shutdown defenceman; not to mention Luke Richardson on our coaching staff. In the forward ranks we've got a Senator legend in Alfredsson, a guy destined to be this team's next leader in Spezza, and Michalek and Neil. I think that's enough veterans in the right places.

Time to infuse this team with young players with potential instead of washed-up overpaid hasbeens. Rundblad will need time to adjust but he's got a good support group around him and a capable goalie to save his a$$ a few times.

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:Sorry but isn't that why we kept Phillips? Our d-core includes one of the best puck-moving defencement of our time and a stable shutdown defenceman; not to mention Luke Richardson on our coaching staff. In the forward ranks we've got a Senator legend in Alfredsson, a guy destined to be this team's next leader in Spezza, and Michalek and Neil. I think that's enough veterans in the right places.

Time to infuse this team with young players with potential instead of washed-up overpaid hasbeens. Rundblad will need time to adjust but he's got a good support group around him and a capable goalie to save his a$$ a few times.

SpezDispenser wrote:I dunno, I could be talked into just re-signing Hale to a 2-way and calling it a day.

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:I dunno, I could be talked into just re-signing Hale to a 2-way and calling it a day.

That's just it. Sign Hale to a two-way and buyout Kuba. Have Carkner/Lee rotate as our 7th defenceman and have Benoit and Hale as our injury/depth guys. Give Wiercioch (though I think we trade him), Gryba, and whoever else ample time to develop. Adding a defenceman through UFA is the worst thing this team could do right now. It sends a terrible message to all the guys who think they have a shot at making the big club.

If anything, add RFAs through trade while our prospects (Potulny, Keller, O'Brien) are on hot streaks and while we have picks at our disposal.

SpezDispenser wrote:

sandysensfan wrote:
It's a re-build.... with YOUTH. Let the young guys play... BUT Rundblad may need some time in the AHL just like Karlsson did.
No more over 30+ yr old UFA's.. thanks

Make no mistake, you can't just march out young players and cross your fingers, you're setting yourself up for a terrifyingly bad season which will trickle down the roster and affect every single player - young and veteran.

I'm not talking about another 5 million dollar 35 year old veteran, I'm talking about the seasoned veterans who have been around, been through rebuilds, been around the NHL and can provide not only stability for those times when the blueline is floundering, but also some leadership for the back end.

When I talk about a Sean O'Donnell, I talk about a guy who signs for 1 million or less to come in here and be a calming influence. Something that we SORELY missed last year and was only remedied when we called up David Hale.