Pats Off Season - draft, trades, moves etc?

[chopper]

Chandler Stephenson is poised to sign with the Capitals. He's agreed to terms (decent contract too) as per Greg Harder.

http://blogs.leaderpost.com/2014/04/...gns-with-caps/

All in all this is very good for both Chandler and the Pats. Based on their financial commitment I agree that they will be looking to find him a spot in the pro ranks. It also serves notice that the Pats still produce a lot of good pros. I read on Phil's blog that Dyson was close to signing a contract. If someone takes him and works with him he will play in the NHL. I hope his gets done soon as well.

[chopper]

Now that Stephenson's deal is done the likelihood of him returning as an overage has all but evaporated. I think a lot of folks including myself, felt there might be a reasonable chance of that. With the money paid on this deal I think we can put that thought to bed.

It now means that Sinitsyn is the most impact 20 year old coming from our roster. Hopefully he's back this season. We're losing 40% of our goals by graduation and we need to find a way to get some back. Having Sinitsyn back is important since I believe we need to have a stronger focus on defence this season over last. Good teams are built from the goal outward, so having a strong defence will be crucial. A few less goals scored but seriously cut down goals allowed. Just look at the defences of the final four this playoff year.

This development has in my mind shifted the focus back to going with a pretty young lineup this season. Steel, Kroeker, Cole, Smith and L. Shoiler are are reported as being big pieces so maybe it's time to inject them, and start working towards the 2-3 year goal.

[Shooter]

Chopper yes all top WHL teams that contend and are built to WIN have one thing in common: They can skate and manage the puck at the same time with their hockey IQ and their line mates and chemistry built. Todays goals are hard to come by and chemistry is the factor and building lines that compliment each other = RESULTS. The top teams in the league play a fast brand of hockey with dump and chase last resort but manage the puck and GAME.

Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL built their team on speed and are teaching defence and are a team that is exciting to watch and improving!

[chopper]

Chopper yes all top WHL teams that contend and are built to WIN have one thing in common: They can skate and manage the puck at the same time with their hockey IQ and their line mates and chemistry built. Todays goals are hard to come by and chemistry is the factor and building lines that compliment each other = RESULTS. The top teams in the league play a fast brand of hockey with dump and chase last resort but manage the puck and GAME.

Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL built their team on speed and are teaching defence and are a team that is exciting to watch and improving!

I think we're on the same page or at least I hope so I have studied winning teams and how they play. I include Portland, Kelowna, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Halifax, Windsor and London. The forwards all skate well either fast or quick and they play a puck possession game. Defence is usually big, tough, mobile and make a great first pass. All these teams focus on defence first which makes them terribly difficult to play against. It's not hard to see. Just look at who's still standing in the WHL.

The Portland players are very aware of their goals against and take great pride in their defence. I read an article a few years back where Kelly McCrimmon said that having speedy forwards helps more on defence than offence. Fast skaters can stay with their checks to prevent plays and never allow outnumbered situations. When turnovers happen and they do, the quick players bring the fast offence and constantly put pressure on the other team.

IMO we need to inject our young talent into the lineup and become a quick strike and possession offence. Guys like Wagner and Zimmer are very fast and could become very dangerous wingers with their speed. Hopefully our GM is looking at the final four and taking notes. In order to get where they are, we need to be what they are!

We need to start in goal where we are pretty good, out to defence where we need to re-work it with both size and puck movers, then hand it to a bunch of young but talented forwards who learn to be special. It seems over the last decade we have never had enough special players at any one single time. Lets put something in place where we have four or five. We need kids who are smart, have high hockey IQ's, and have great speed or quickness. Time to follow the template of championship clubs.

[RWAH]

The other point is the elite teams build from within. They scout well, draft well and develop the young players. They also, and we missed the boat more than once on this, they trade assets in the years that they are not top 4 or 5 and stock up for the years they will be top 4 or 5. when you need to shop for that one piece to put you in the top 1 or 2 you need something in the cupboard to barter with.
IMO we are headed that direction. our scouting is better, our drafts have been better and our player development is better. I do think we should have been more pro-active to trade Leier, Stevenson and Stephenson this year and recovered some young guns and picks. hopefully we will be trading this season.

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL YOU POSTERS

[chopper]

The other point is the elite teams build from within. They scout well, draft well and develop the young players. They also, and we missed the boat more than once on this, they trade assets in the years that they are not top 4 or 5 and stock up for the years they will be top 4 or 5. when you need to shop for that one piece to put you in the top 1 or 2 you need something in the cupboard to barter with.
IMO we are headed that direction. our scouting is better, our drafts have been better and our player development is better. I do think we should have been more pro-active to trade Leier, Stevenson and Stephenson this year and recovered some young guns and picks. hopefully we will be trading this season.

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL YOU POSTERS

Pretty much agree with all of the this. The scouting has to be top drawer which it wasn't always in the past. When you look at the final four in the WHL, and the likes of Colorado, Detroit, Columbus and Montreal you see what speed is doing. Speed and quickness in our lineup is long overdue.

In order to get rolling last season we needed to trade for six players and had to give up picks to get them. The net result is that our position at the draft table for the next few years is somewhat compromised. We are short a lot of good picks, and you can't win that way. When you need to turn over a third of your team to be competitive you know you have a problem.

Even with our returning offence we won't be deep or terribly experienced. We have a few assets that need to be turned into needed pieces going forward. About 10 years ago we were setting up with a bunch of young guys on a rebuild. Our manager got impatient and traded most for big slow guys in the 07-08 season. We lost in the first round and started our downhill spiral. We haven't tried a rebuild since. All the trades of picks for veterans we've done since haven't netted anything worthwhile. It should have been the other way around.

IMO what we gained by keeping our assets this last season isn't worth what we would have gained by trading them. We could have received the same return Saskatoon did from PA and Swift Current. My how that would have improved our situation for this season and the ones to come. It would have been the catalyst to turn us into an elite organization. With as weak as the division was I think we could have still made the playoffs. We couldn't have done any poorer in the first round with a bunch of kids!!!! Another missed opportunity.

Owners know it's easier to sell a winning club. GM's know they need to keep the owners happy. Coaches are trying to build resumes and winning is what they need to show. We need an organization at all levels that is committed to a 2 or 3 year rebuild and stick to it come what may. The necessary people and commitment need to be in place for this process to to reach actualization.

[patsdude114]

Even with our returning offence we won't be deep or terribly experienced. We have a few assets that need to be turned into needed pieces going forward. About 10 years ago we were setting up with a bunch of young guys on a rebuild. Our manager got impatient and traded most for big slow guys in the 07-08 season. We lost in the first round and started our downhill spiral. We haven't tried a rebuild since. All the trades of picks for veterans we've done since haven't netted anything worthwhile. It should have been the other way around.

Yep I remember that season well, we went with 5 quality 16yr olds in Logan Pyett, Ian Duval, Ryan McDonald, Justin Bernhardt & Craig Schria when all was said and done only Pyett wasn't traded (also didn't play as a 20yr old) all the rest had played as 20yr olds in the league and all developed into solid players. Bernhardt was even a 104pt guy as a 20yr old where McDonald put up 99pts (101pts as 19yr old).....Had Dumbass Parker not traded those guys when they would of been all 19 we would of also had 42goal man in Eberle as a 17yr old....funny how all our problems end up with the word Parker in the convo.....

I truly feel that if Lang is serious about rebuilding this franchise properly we need another year like that where was can insert 4 or 5 16yr olds into the roster Steel, Smith, L. Schoiler, Elmer & Pouteau or Freadrich (Freadrich would be like a Pyett all offense) would fit the bill along with some 17yr olds like Cole, Kroeker, Berg, Kallis or Hilsendager & if at all possible Finlay. These types of bold moves is what this franchise needs to really rebuild into something special in a few years, all these fill in pieces that happen every year just isn't making us a special team year in & year out.

[chopper]

Yup...the fab five! If they had hung on to these guys for one more season and along with Eberle, we may have had something special. Neither Parker nor Hunt subscribed to team speed. Trading for guys like Elder, Watt, DePape and others made the team one of the slowest in the league. They didn't realize Terry Simpson hockey had disappeared years before. I hope our current management realizes it.

[Crush Kill Destroy]

Yep I remember that season well, we went with 5 quality 16yr olds in Logan Pyett, Ian Duval, Ryan McDonald, Justin Bernhardt & Craig Schria when all was said and done only Pyett wasn't traded (also didn't play as a 20yr old) all the rest had played as 20yr olds in the league and all developed into solid players. Bernhardt was even a 104pt guy as a 20yr old where McDonald put up 99pts (101pts as 19yr old).....Had Dumbass Parker not traded those guys when they would of been all 19 we would of also had 42goal man in Eberle as a 17yr old....funny how all our problems end up with the word Parker in the convo.....

I truly feel that if Lang is serious about rebuilding this franchise properly we need another year like that where was can insert 4 or 5 16yr olds into the roster Steel, Smith, L. Schoiler, Elmer & Pouteau or Freadrich (Freadrich would be like a Pyett all offense) would fit the bill along with some 17yr olds like Cole, Kroeker, Berg, Kallis or Hilsendager & if at all possible Finlay. These types of bold moves is what this franchise needs to really rebuild into something special in a few years, all these fill in pieces that happen every year just isn't making us a special team year in & year out.

The large point totals that you have included appear to be the penalty minute totals for those players for those particular seasons.

[patsdude114]

The large point totals that you have included appear to be the penalty minute totals for those players for those particular seasons.

lmao your right I did wow an honest mistake a quick correction there lol

Bernhart
92pts as 20yr old
57pts as 19yr old

McDonald
63pts as 20yr old
59pts as 19yr old


thanks for pointing that out I was using hockeydb when I got my info and looked under the wrong column