PDA

View Full Version : Les Lazaruk's Post-Mortem on the season



BladesFan_2010
04-24-2010, 08:41 PM
If you go to SaskatoonHomePage.ca you will find Les writing his final blog on this past Blades season. What do you guys think about what he wrote?

I personally think that the trades they made were good ones. If you look at the trades he makes, like dumping that Galimore, he brings in guys like Acolatse and Boyer and Viedensky. Yes, Sena was steady on forward and defence, but we can get a young guy on defence and a forward to, to maybe have more production offensively from those spots. Boyer was inconsistent at times, but he always did things at full speed, and was very valuable in the playoffs. Here is how I see the nine players who are 20 year olds....

Viedensky - He should stay. He is a big, physical presence that we have lacked at the forward position for many years. He is a great forechecker and a force!

Patterson - I am on the fence about this one. Sure, he is a great penalty killer, but we have many good penalty killers now with the emergence of Inglis, Nicholls, and Hamilton in those roles. The only thing we would miss are his faceoff abilities.

Stanford - He has to go. I can't see how we can keep him. If he stays, then what does that say to Morrison? Adam has been here for 3 years, and the starter for only one of them? Stanford didn't do well in the playoffs and Adam would have started a few games had he not received his concussion. If Adam starts then we can have a rookie backup who can stay for a year or two so when Mo leaves, the goaltending would be in good hands.

Zahn - Chicago hasn't signed him to a contract, not sure why. If he comes back, he probably will be named the team captain. We MUST keep him.

McNaught - Hopefully he stays. I had no idea he was such a capable player, as witnessed to Lorne leaving him on the ice in critical situations in games.

Toomey - His leadership and defensive play might keep him here, but as Les pointed out, if you are a 20 year old, you're here for your offensive ability. I don't know if he has the ability to put up decent numbers on a consistent basis to stick around.

Boyer - I am on the fence about him too. He does everything at top speed, but sometimes tries a bit too much to make things happen, which leads to mistakes. He was great in the playoffs though.

Acolatse - Why does he always play with his mouthpiece hanging out of his mouth? He played up front and on the back end very well, but for him to be around we'd need more production out of him, and I am not sure if we'd get it. It's probably better to trade him for some younger assets with offensive upside.

Niemi - If he hit the net with his shot, he'd be a shoo in, but most times he misses the net. He said his time here is done, so he might as well go pro and learn to get some much needed accuracy on his shot.

I would keep Viedensky, Zahn and Boyer/Patterson

Get rid of the rest, but we need to make sure that we get some younger assets with offensive upside!

Trav
04-25-2010, 07:06 PM
Viedensky and Patterson are shoe-ins should they be sent back and I'm going to guess Zahn will be the third overager.

I'd love to keep Stanford, at first after he got here I was wondering why the team got him but man since his first game here he showed why he ended up the starting goaltender of the Blades and why the Blades went with him in the playoffs. He was pretty consistent, something that Morrison wasn't. After seeing the season Morrison had last year and then being drafted in the third round by the Flyers everyone expected Morrison to be the starter and a good one but he got to inconsistent which led to him being the backup. It's not that I don't like Morrison but if Stanford comes back I'd find a way to keep him.

I dunno what Molleken's thinking is on this but with the import draft coming up, maybe we'll see another import goaltender, Khudobin did well for the Blades a few years ago, might not hurt to try for that Benjamin Conz, the Swiss goaltender that amazed everyone during the WJC's here in Saskatoon. If he were to come over, I wouldn't mind seeing the nineteen year old goaltender in the blue and silver.

I can see Molleken trying to cut down on overagers before camp begins, I'd bring six to camp, Stanford, Viedensky, Patterson, Acolatse, Toomey and Zahn then work his way down to naming three overagers. If all are back, the Blades should be able to get something good for three of them.

Toswammi
04-25-2010, 07:57 PM
Just remember boys and girls. OA's are usually worth a lot less than you think because everyone has them, and at times can be gotten for free after a team is forced to release them.

Trav
04-25-2010, 11:25 PM
Perhaps but at the same time, Kytnar and Langkow got the Blades a third round pick each which isnt bad for a expendable 20 yr old.

wango tango
04-26-2010, 11:56 AM
best the blades will do for any of their surplus 20's is a draft pick.

agree with les, i hope the blades 20's next season will be patterson, zahn, and viedensky.

if not patterson i'd substitute stanford.

if not zahn i'd substitute acolatse.

if not viedensky i'd substitute toomey.

issue i've got is how to change the one thing that's been missing on this team for the last couple of years, scoring. and can that be done without losing the solid defense and goaltending we've had?

goaltending is the other thing i'm worried about. if stanfords not back can morrison be the guy for a whole season, and not have a mental meltdown sometime?

Trav
04-27-2010, 03:08 PM
or Patterson aren't back I'd go with Stanford and then Acolatse. Acolatse brings more to the table then Toomey does, Toomey does have his size to his advantage but its only good if he uses it properly. Trading Gallimore for Acolatse was a solid move.

Either way the Blades will have three solid overagers whether it be Viedensky, Patterson, Zahn, Acolatse, Stanford or Toomey.

lordstanley
04-27-2010, 03:41 PM
Lines i would like to see for next season would be

Hamilton Viedensky Nicholls
Dziurzynski Patterson Inglis
Gogol Benson Euro
Bews Olsen Sutter

Elliott Thrower
Siemens Zahn
Dietz Kiziuk
Vandane

Morrison
Oswald

Im sure i will be way off time the season opener rolls around but that wouldn't be to bad

twentyone
04-29-2010, 02:50 PM
I wouldn't say Bews or Sutter are locks for next year. They may have been called up for the playoffs but only because there teams were out of the layoffs. We have kids like Brett Stovin had a great year 43GP 26 27 53pts. And I think next year is when Braeden Johnson stays full time.

As much as Stanford would be nice to have back in net, next year will be somewhat of a rebuilding year. If Morrison can't win the job I would love to see the Blades give the reins to a kid like Oswald. The same way we gave it to Holtby as a 17 year old. We will still be a decent team and strong defensivley where he can get alot of experience for 2-3 years from now when i beleive the Blades will be on top again.