I'll do you one better Jesper Bratt is at a point per game (69 pts in 69 games nice) Jack Hughes is over a point per game (56 pts in 49 games) Nico Hischier is close to a point per game (58 pts in 65 games) yet the Devils are one of the worst teams in the league because they cant get competent goaltending. Its so God damn frustrating.
I have full faith in Ned to be the guy going forward, and we have Cossa developing nicely. Wings D has mostly been incomprehensibly bad for long stretches this season. Don’t believe too many goaltenders would have put up great numbers in Detroit this year. They also just Hellberg out of Sweden, who at 31 is obviously a major question mark, but who knows. Goalies are weird like that. I can’t see any scenario where the Wings trade Larkin barring some gross overpay
Not to mention that goaltending is the most volatile position in hockey. All star goalies have been out of the league in two years. A guy that may have been in the ECHL last year could lead his team to the cup next year. Definitely not worth trading your franchise player.
Yeah I’m not concerned with goalie at all right now. More worried about getting better defenseman outside of Mo
I think Ned is a really good 30-35 game guy rather than a full-time starter ala Brian Elliott/Jake Allen, which is fine. Cossa’s probably the guy but Shesterkin/Sorokin/Swayman were all mid-round picks so Detroit can probably get someone similar if they’re patient.
Tage Thompson had 36 career points with buffalo coming into the season, he just scored his 36th goal of the year. Rasmus dahlin just passed 50 points, first sabre dman to do that since 95-96. And skinner has over 30 goals making that contract more palatable. Eichel, who?
Because he is! He's been calling games for them since 1971! Don't slander RJ I'll cut you. Also he has like 6 games left leave the man alone
I would have loved to see Eichel under Granato. Granted he's definitely more of a teaching/ development coach than a master tactician or anything but Krueger was SO RIGID to his system and Housley's staff was inept. Granato is letting the kids play to their strengths, rolling them out on PP and PK to get their feet wet, letting them make mistakes and learn from them, etc. After the last decade it's SO hard to have any hope for this franchise but I can honestly say the last dozen games or so I can actually see something. The pieces aren't all there right now. Goaltending is a huge issue and they need reliable guys to play with both Dahlin and Owen Power. I gotta say I never saw this coming from Thompson especially with the seemingly random move from wing to center. Turns out he just needed to get off the wall to have more room to shoot. Happy for the kid though. Way, way back in the before times - like right before the shutdowns - he was ripping the AHL up. Got his callup and then got hurt in his first or second game and needed shoulder surgery. I think he would have broken out then
my mistake. Yeah. Its ESPN+ so I didn't read it. Blanked on the number. I can't see the argument for letting garbage teams in, especially when no one watches the early games anyways.
I hate Wysh's expanded playoff idea almost as much as I hate how he won't shut up about his gambling picks.