Pre-Season Game 4 - Ottawa @ Toronto - Sept 24

NEELY wrote:They are going to have to turn someone into a winger and again, my guess is Da Costa.  He has all the makings of a Mike Comrie type player.

People use his past season or two as reasons against keeping him like you just did.  Fact is he was a very young player coming out of college, been in NA for a total of maybe 3 years, no professional experience, and still very immature like most 20-22 year olds are.  They told him what he needed to do to get to the next level and he seems to have done it thus far... he's trending upward which is what you want in a prospect.

Da Costa is a guy that might not really take off as a top 6 guy until he is 25, maybe 26.  It's a process for a guy like him because of the reasons listed before and he's undersized.  They have put 4, 5 years into Hoffman and only 2 into Da Costa, they didn't give up on Hoffman and they won't on Da Costa.

NEELY wrote:They are going to have to turn someone into a winger and again, my guess is Da Costa.  He has all the makings of a Mike Comrie type player.

People use his past season or two as reasons against keeping him like you just did.  Fact is he was a very young player coming out of college, been in NA for a total of maybe 3 years, no professional experience, and still very immature like most 20-22 year olds are.  They told him what he needed to do to get to the next level and he seems to have done it thus far... he's trending upward which is what you want in a prospect.

Da Costa is a guy that might not really take off as a top 6 guy until he is 25, maybe 26.  It's a process for a guy like him because of the reasons listed before and he's undersized.  They have put 4, 5 years into Hoffman and only 2 into Da Costa, they didn't give up on Hoffman and they won't on Da Costa.

NEELY wrote:That's what they did with Schubert a while back and fact is Kassian is there just to be there.  Hoffman and Da Costa might be the #12, 13 forwards in Ottawa and everyone knows the lineup is never 100% healthy.  This also keeps players honest knowing there is a guy that can come in at any time and play.  This is how it is right now in Ottawa and for a lot of teams in the NHL, you don't give away talent.

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:They are going to have to turn someone into a winger and again, my guess is Da Costa.  He has all the makings of a Mike Comrie type player.

People use his past season or two as reasons against keeping him like you just did.  Fact is he was a very young player coming out of college, been in NA for a total of maybe 3 years, no professional experience, and still very immature like most 20-22 year olds are.  They told him what he needed to do to get to the next level and he seems to have done it thus far... he's trending upward which is what you want in a prospect.

Da Costa is a guy that might not really take off as a top 6 guy until he is 25, maybe 26.  It's a process for a guy like him because of the reasons listed before and he's undersized.  They have put 4, 5 years into Hoffman and only 2 into Da Costa, they didn't give up on Hoffman and they won't on Da Costa.

I assume you were replying to me.  I'm not using stats to say we should get rid of him, just saying he hasn't shown anything yet that counts.  And he hasn't.  He hasn't even had pre-season success.   He is a small player and we have Pageau and Conacher and Hoffman all under 6'.  We don't have room for a "Comrie".  He needs *something* to bring to the table and skill alone isn't it.  

Anyway, not saying they need to give up on anyone, but he needs to clear waivers to be sent down, and the Oilers would grab him in a second.  But how do we make room to keep him?  

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:They are going to have to turn someone into a winger and again, my guess is Da Costa.  He has all the makings of a Mike Comrie type player.

People use his past season or two as reasons against keeping him like you just did.  Fact is he was a very young player coming out of college, been in NA for a total of maybe 3 years, no professional experience, and still very immature like most 20-22 year olds are.  They told him what he needed to do to get to the next level and he seems to have done it thus far... he's trending upward which is what you want in a prospect.

Da Costa is a guy that might not really take off as a top 6 guy until he is 25, maybe 26.  It's a process for a guy like him because of the reasons listed before and he's undersized.  They have put 4, 5 years into Hoffman and only 2 into Da Costa, they didn't give up on Hoffman and they won't on Da Costa.

I assume you were replying to me.  I'm not using stats to say we should get rid of him, just saying he hasn't shown anything yet that counts.  And he hasn't.  He hasn't even had pre-season success.   He is a small player and we have Pageau and Conacher and Hoffman all under 6'.  We don't have room for a "Comrie".  He needs *something* to bring to the table and skill alone isn't it.  

Anyway, not saying they need to give up on anyone, but he needs to clear waivers to be sent down, and the Oilers would grab him in a second.  But how do we make room to keep him?  

SeawaySensFan wrote:

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:They are going to have to turn someone into a winger and again, my guess is Da Costa.  He has all the makings of a Mike Comrie type player.

People use his past season or two as reasons against keeping him like you just did.  Fact is he was a very young player coming out of college, been in NA for a total of maybe 3 years, no professional experience, and still very immature like most 20-22 year olds are.  They told him what he needed to do to get to the next level and he seems to have done it thus far... he's trending upward which is what you want in a prospect.

Da Costa is a guy that might not really take off as a top 6 guy until he is 25, maybe 26.  It's a process for a guy like him because of the reasons listed before and he's undersized.  They have put 4, 5 years into Hoffman and only 2 into Da Costa, they didn't give up on Hoffman and they won't on Da Costa.

I assume you were replying to me.  I'm not using stats to say we should get rid of him, just saying he hasn't shown anything yet that counts.  And he hasn't.  He hasn't even had pre-season success.   He is a small player and we have Pageau and Conacher and Hoffman all under 6'.  We don't have room for a "Comrie".  He needs *something* to bring to the table and skill alone isn't it.  

Anyway, not saying they need to give up on anyone, but he needs to clear waivers to be sent down, and the Oilers would grab him in a second.  But how do we make room to keep him?  

You send down Pageau whether he's "ahead" or not. It would be silly to give away DaCosta because somebody who's eligible for the AHL without waivers "made the team." By the way, can't they send Conacher down?

tim1_2 wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:They are going to have to turn someone into a winger and again, my guess is Da Costa.  He has all the makings of a Mike Comrie type player.

People use his past season or two as reasons against keeping him like you just did.  Fact is he was a very young player coming out of college, been in NA for a total of maybe 3 years, no professional experience, and still very immature like most 20-22 year olds are.  They told him what he needed to do to get to the next level and he seems to have done it thus far... he's trending upward which is what you want in a prospect.

Da Costa is a guy that might not really take off as a top 6 guy until he is 25, maybe 26.  It's a process for a guy like him because of the reasons listed before and he's undersized.  They have put 4, 5 years into Hoffman and only 2 into Da Costa, they didn't give up on Hoffman and they won't on Da Costa.

I assume you were replying to me.  I'm not using stats to say we should get rid of him, just saying he hasn't shown anything yet that counts.  And he hasn't.  He hasn't even had pre-season success.   He is a small player and we have Pageau and Conacher and Hoffman all under 6'.  We don't have room for a "Comrie".  He needs *something* to bring to the table and skill alone isn't it.  

Anyway, not saying they need to give up on anyone, but he needs to clear waivers to be sent down, and the Oilers would grab him in a second.  But how do we make room to keep him?  

You send down Pageau whether he's "ahead" or not. It would be silly to give away DaCosta because somebody who's eligible for the AHL without waivers "made the team." By the way, can't they send Conacher down?

I double-checked a couple weeks ago, and Conacher is not waiver-exempt.  And he would undoubtedly be claimed.

tim1_2 wrote:I didn't see the game, but from the sounds of it, both Reimer and Lehner were pretty great.

Is it possible Toronto now has two #1 goalies?

SeawaySensFan wrote:

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:They are going to have to turn someone into a winger and again, my guess is Da Costa.  He has all the makings of a Mike Comrie type player.

People use his past season or two as reasons against keeping him like you just did.  Fact is he was a very young player coming out of college, been in NA for a total of maybe 3 years, no professional experience, and still very immature like most 20-22 year olds are.  They told him what he needed to do to get to the next level and he seems to have done it thus far... he's trending upward which is what you want in a prospect.

Da Costa is a guy that might not really take off as a top 6 guy until he is 25, maybe 26.  It's a process for a guy like him because of the reasons listed before and he's undersized.  They have put 4, 5 years into Hoffman and only 2 into Da Costa, they didn't give up on Hoffman and they won't on Da Costa.

I assume you were replying to me.  I'm not using stats to say we should get rid of him, just saying he hasn't shown anything yet that counts.  And he hasn't.  He hasn't even had pre-season success.   He is a small player and we have Pageau and Conacher and Hoffman all under 6'.  We don't have room for a "Comrie".  He needs *something* to bring to the table and skill alone isn't it.  

Anyway, not saying they need to give up on anyone, but he needs to clear waivers to be sent down, and the Oilers would grab him in a second.  But how do we make room to keep him?  

You send down Pageau whether he's "ahead" or not. It would be silly to give away DaCosta because somebody who's eligible for the AHL without waivers "made the team." By the way, can't they send Conacher down?

Ev wrote:Reimer will show his true colours soon enough. He'll Tebow his way out of the league.

Regardless of talent the Leafs want Bernier as their #1.

tim1_2 wrote:I didn't see the game, but from the sounds of it, both Reimer and Lehner were pretty great.

Is it possible Toronto now has two #1 goalies?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

LeKing wrote:There is no way we are losing DaCosta with the way he's playing. We wanted 3 scoring lines? We got it. Send whoever the Diddle was on the 3rd line before down to the 4th and give DaCosta a top 9 scoring role.

Ryan - Spezz - Milo
mcA - Turris - Conacher
Pageau - Zib - Greening
Condra - Smith - Neil
DaCosta

The rest in Bingo or waived, whatever

Lets try not to get too excited over pre-season excellence.  I seem to remember a few players excelling in pre-season and being a dud in the regular season.  Biggest example I can think of is Bochenski.

LeKing wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

LeKing wrote:There is no way we are losing DaCosta with the way he's playing. We wanted 3 scoring lines? We got it. Send whoever the Diddle was on the 3rd line before down to the 4th and give DaCosta a top 9 scoring role.

Ryan - Spezz - Milo
mcA - Turris - Conacher
Pageau - Zib - Greening
Condra - Smith - Neil
DaCosta

The rest in Bingo or waived, whatever

Lets try not to get too excited over pre-season excellence.  I seem to remember a few players excelling in pre-season and being a dud in the regular season.  Biggest example I can think of is Bochenski.

Thing is I don't get excited over pre-season, I've always liked DaCosta I think his skillset and hockey sense are easily top 6 material.