NHL Expansion Draft - 2017

Ev wrote:I don't see a scenario where Ryan isn't protected

I don't know. It's a tough one. My heart says "this is a guy that can turn it on, this is a guy that gives it his all more than he's credited for, this is a guy that could still be a 25-30 goal scorer and this is a guy that is a great character and a testimonial for other players to choose Ottawa" and believe me when I say that I really would like him to stay and make it work. But then there's the fear that he can't live up to even lowered expectations and maybe his contract hurts us in 2-3 years times. Hard to tell.
This year supporting Bobby has been tougher than it previously has, ive always been a big supporter believing he can bounce back. But this year it really stretched my belief. I'm glad we are seeing the Bobby we've wanted this season. He may not be scoring the way we originallyexpected he would but he's showing up in a big way.

It just remains to be seen how the org sees him. Maybe they want to keep him but think they can expose him anyways and won't be picked up. Maybe they want him picked up (straight up) which I doubt because I think Bobby has elevated his stock right now to the point that he's actually back to being a tradeable asset or maybe like you said, he's gained the confidence of Boucher and Dorion and they won't even expose him.
I can't wait to see that protected list come out,

I was looking at he list of players we could protect for the expansion draft (on caphit)and I noticed that macarthur doesn't seem to meet the required 40/70 games played. He would still need to play 23 games. So if everything seems right, i assume we don't need to have him protected. WIN!

Flo The Action wrote:I was looking at he list of players we could protect for the expansion draft (on caphit)and I noticed that macarthur doesn't seem to meet the required 40/70 games played. He would still need to play 23 games. So if everything seems right, i assume we don't need to have him protected. WIN!

MacArthur can be selected.  He just doesn't count as one of the 2 forwards that count towards mandatory exposure.

Oglethorpe wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:I was looking at he list of players we could protect for the expansion draft (on caphit)and I noticed that macarthur doesn't seem to meet the required 40/70 games played. He would still need to play 23 games. So if everything seems right, i assume we don't need to have him protected. WIN!

MacArthur can be selected.  He just doesn't count as one of the 2 forwards that count towards mandatory exposure.

Right. That makes it clearer. I'm still iffy on so many of the rules

You can't protect Ryan.  If he gets selected that's great.  I submit Corey Perry as evidence.

If Ryan keeps producing these playoffs, I can see Dorion protecting him. I still don't think the Sens should, but it's not nearly the straight-forward decision it was a month ago.

Oglethorpe wrote:You can't protect Ryan.  If he gets selected that's great.  I submit Corey Perry as evidence.

I think we're seeing a clear turnaround and buy-in. He's been our most important forward. If he gets selected, that would be bad.

Ev wrote:

Oglethorpe wrote:You can't protect Ryan.  If he gets selected that's great.  I submit Corey Perry as evidence.

I think we're seeing a clear turnaround and buy-in. He's been our most important forward. If he gets selected, that would be bad.

So that's the debate we won't actually know the answer to until next season...is this a blip or is it a legit turn around? You've always been pro-Bobby, so you are inclined to see it as a turn around. I've been anti-Bobby for a couple seasons, so I'm more inclined to see it as a blip.

when healthy, it's all mental with Bobby. Guy Boucher is the best coach in the league when it comes to psych

I don't even see this as a turnaround. I'll say this again: In his first season here he was our best forward through November. I remember people thinking how he is typically a slow starter so imagine how much better he could get. Then he cooled off. A lot.  Then he shut it down completely late in the season,  at the end of which we found out he had a sports hernia that has been bothering him since some time in November. Full recovery from sports hernia surgery takes a lot longer than previously thought. Claude Giroux is a good recent example. It is very likely that Ryan's second season here he was still skating poorly because of the surgery (remember when he kept falling all the time). Then the last two seasons have been marred with broken fingers.

He is healthy now and,  while he's not playing his old style (float around,  get open for Getzlaf to feed you for a one timer) he is certainly effective in applying a strong forecheck,  using his size,  setting up goals with nifty passes,  screening the goalie and,  yes,  occasionally winning the game with OT goals.

It's a turn around for sure. Earlier in the season we couldn't trade Ryan for a bag of pucks. Our $7M+ was a healthy scratch for no publicized reason. Career lows across the board.

I am hoping this isn't a flash in the pan situation and he's found his motivation. But to say this isn't a turn around is false. We won't know for sure until next season, when the decision to protect/not protect him is too late. No matter what happens fans will be upset. There will be the camp that says "hey, he killed it in the playoffs. you have to protect him" and the other camp that says "hey, he makes way too much and 3 months ago we couldn't give him away"

I am not going to lie. This playoff has changed my mind and think we should keep him. I never questioned him as a person or questioned his character. He seems like a class act off the ice and someone who has had a pretty miserable life. But I certainly questioned his performance and future with this team. It will be a tough decision regardless.

Turnaround or not, he can't be protected.  5 more years at 7.5 is too much whether next year or 3 years from now. He won't be picked anyway so you need to expose him.

I want to believe that bobby has turned a corner and he'll be great next season. But will he still be good 4 years from now? That's a big question point. Whatever happens I'll probably be ok with it because there's positives in every situation.