GDT - Montreal @ Ottawa - Friday, Sep. 23, 7:30PM 456 (Rogers), 22 at 10pm (tape delay)

Da Costa has really surprised me... hopefully there's a lot more to come... if he doesn't make the club, you know he'll be at the top of the call-up list.

Haha I just realized this was the wrong thread too.

I think Da Costa has earned his spot (so far).

shabbs wrote:So, let's get back to reality, Kuba's not going anywhere. So, case closed.

Boo reality!

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

dennycrane wrote:The team has to be cap compliant and they are not compliant if they dump Kuba in the minors unless they sign someone else. I think they start the year with 8 D, Carkner and Kuba watching.

BTW - 2nd line center prediction is Regin.

My brain hurts.

rooneypoo wrote:

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

I think people need to go back and look at some video of Karlsson's first games in the NHL for a little perspective.

shabbs wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

I think people need to go back and look at some video of Karlsson's first games in the NHL for a little perspective.

Why, did they try playing Karlsson on the left side and it was a complete disaster? 'Cause that's the point RP was trying to make -- you don't take a 20-year-old defenseman who only plays left-side on the PP, has never played a shift in the NHL (regular season) and stick him on that side full-time.

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

I think people need to go back and look at some video of Karlsson's first games in the NHL for a little perspective.

Why, did they try playing Karlsson on the left side and it was a complete disaster? 'Cause that's the point RP was trying to make -- you don't take a 20-year-old defenseman who only plays left-side on the PP, has never played a shift in the NHL (regular season) and stick him on that side full-time.

The point I was making was that people shouldn't expect Rundblad to be awesome right out of the gate. Karlsson struggled a lot when he started too.

shabbs wrote:

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

I think people need to go back and look at some video of Karlsson's first games in the NHL for a little perspective.

Why, did they try playing Karlsson on the left side and it was a complete disaster? 'Cause that's the point RP was trying to make -- you don't take a 20-year-old defenseman who only plays left-side on the PP, has never played a shift in the NHL (regular season) and stick him on that side full-time.

The point I was making was that people shouldn't expect Rundblad to be awesome right out of the gate. Karlsson struggled a lot when he started too.

Of course, we all know that. But you said that in reply to RP's "I'm having an aneurysm" post.

rooneypoo wrote:

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

Just out of curiosity,

a) did you read the rest of my post at all, where I acknowledge that perhaps its a harsh decision to replace Kuba with a rookie?
b) have you actually seen kuba this pre-season?
c) have u compared the play of rundblad versus kuba? cuz as much as rundblad has been sucking noodles, his play is still better than kuba
d) would you like to back up your facepalms and you're 'my brain hurts' comments with some actual commentary? Must be difficult sitting on a higher than usual horse I guess.

I"m well aware of the cap and contract situation and just because I think kuba sucks ass doesn't mean I 100% believe he'll be waived...but that doesn't change the realit¥. Right now a rookie karlsson in his first 9 games is better than a veteran Kuba who has zero confidence in himself.

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

I think people need to go back and look at some video of Karlsson's first games in the NHL for a little perspective.

Why, did they try playing Karlsson on the left side and it was a complete disaster? 'Cause that's the point RP was trying to make -- you don't take a 20-year-old defenseman who only plays left-side on the PP, has never played a shift in the NHL (regular season) and stick him on that side full-time.

This.

shabbs wrote:

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

I think people need to go back and look at some video of Karlsson's first games in the NHL for a little perspective.

Why, did they try playing Karlsson on the left side and it was a complete disaster? 'Cause that's the point RP was trying to make -- you don't take a 20-year-old defenseman who only plays left-side on the PP, has never played a shift in the NHL (regular season) and stick him on that side full-time.

The point I was making was that people shouldn't expect Rundblad to be awesome right out of the gate. Karlsson struggled a lot when he started too.

WHO GIVES A FLYING Diddle? Rundblad or Karlsson rookie struggling out of the gates is better than what we're seeing from Kuba. It's not even funny anymore. I've been backing up Kuba all off-season, re-iterating how important having another veteran d-man will be considering cowen and rundblad may shuffle between bingo and Ottawa. But if you think Kuba deserves any kind of a shot over these kids so far, you are sadly mistaken. I don't even care if its just preseason, the guy is brutal and lacks whatever confidence he needs.

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

I think people need to go back and look at some video of Karlsson's first games in the NHL for a little perspective.

Why, did they try playing Karlsson on the left side and it was a complete disaster? 'Cause that's the point RP was trying to make -- you don't take a 20-year-old defenseman who only plays left-side on the PP, has never played a shift in the NHL (regular season) and stick him on that side full-time.

The point I was making was that people shouldn't expect Rundblad to be awesome right out of the gate. Karlsson struggled a lot when he started too.

Of course, we all know that. But you said that in reply to RP's "I'm having an aneurysm" post.

It was more like a "My brain is melting" post. Or a "I can't believe that this obvious point still hasn't sunk in with everyone here" kind of post.

Rundblad has to secure for himself a spot on the right side of a D pairing, and that means displacing Lee (because Karlsson and Gonchar aren't going anywhere). Kuba's fate and Rundblad's fate are in no way interconnected.

I'm looking for Boro to take Kuba's spot by mid-winter, actually. Like what I'm seeing from that guy. Liked Hoffman in the Friday game, too.

(I caught up on the Wed & Fri games last night, and am watching the Sun game tonight, so nobody spoil that for me!)

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

I think people need to go back and look at some video of Karlsson's first games in the NHL for a little perspective.

Why, did they try playing Karlsson on the left side and it was a complete disaster? 'Cause that's the point RP was trying to make -- you don't take a 20-year-old defenseman who only plays left-side on the PP, has never played a shift in the NHL (regular season) and stick him on that side full-time.

The point I was making was that people shouldn't expect Rundblad to be awesome right out of the gate. Karlsson struggled a lot when he started too.

Of course, we all know that. But you said that in reply to RP's "I'm having an aneurysm" post.

It was more of a reply to Rundblad needing to make improvements FAST!

Since when can't Rundblad play alongside Gonchar or Cowen? I'm not saying that's what should be done, but it's not impossible either. We've already seen him play with Gonchar this preseason and Cowen in rookie camp.

shabbs wrote:
It was more of a reply to Rundblad needing to make improvements FAST!

I was talking about Kuba actually

Michallica wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Michallica wrote:Unless the sens secretly want to tank, he really shouldn't make it out of pre-season. That'll open up a spot for Rundblad too. I don't know, maybe we're being too harsh but he's got to make some improvements FAST!

Just out of curiosity,

a) did you read the rest of my post at all, where I acknowledge that perhaps its a harsh decision to replace Kuba with a rookie?
b) have you actually seen kuba this pre-season?
c) have u compared the play of rundblad versus kuba? cuz as much as rundblad has been sucking noodles, his play is still better than kuba
d) would you like to back up your facepalms and you're 'my brain hurts' comments with some actual commentary? Must be difficult sitting on a higher than usual horse I guess.

I"m well aware of the cap and contract situation and just because I think kuba sucks ass doesn't mean I 100% believe he'll be waived...but that doesn't change the realit¥. Right now a rookie karlsson in his first 9 games is better than a veteran Kuba who has zero confidence in himself.

I've said this point so many times, but here goes:

You DO NOT start a rookie D who plays the right hand side of his ice and slot him into his offside and just hope that everything works out. Ds play one side of the ice or the other. Asking them to play their offside is like asking a forward to play D or a D to play goal. Boro and Wiercioch are more likely candidates to take Kuba's spot, because they play the same side of the ice; Rundblad is not, because he plays the right side.

(For evidence that Rundblad plays the right side of the ice, see [a] every 5-on-5 shift he's taken in the rookie and regular camps so far, and [b] his career in the SEL, where he was paired for quite some time with Tim Erixon, a lefty who played the left side of the ice.)

Michallica wrote:

shabbs wrote:
It was more of a reply to Rundblad needing to make improvements FAST!

I was talking about Kuba actually

HA! Now that's funny...