We have seen Weber and Suter prove they are true number 1 defensemen in their own right...
We have seen a healthy first line producing...
We have seen offensive production out of Legwand AND Erat (finally)..
We have even seen production out of depth players in Hornqvist, etc...
The question is two-fold:
Are we legitimate?
Are we in win now mode?
I think when you analyze where this team is at, our window is the next 2-3 years with this core group. IF you believe Weber/Suter/Rinne are the backbone of this team and can carry us and IF you believe our top line is a legitimate scoring line night in and night out, then we have what it takes to win the Stanley cup. So where does that put Poile.....
Acquiring Kessel would have been an amazing coup for this team right now, and I would easily have sacrificed the picks it took to do so. Unfortunately, the price-tag was a bit high on the salary end. However, I think there is the ability as a team to go out and take on a contract/player of that nature.
It is an interesting position we are in. We really have only had a true contending team twice in our franchise. After a down year last year, it appears we are right on that precipice again.
What will Poile do/should he do? Will he do anything? Does this team need anything to go forward? I am of the opinion that IF Poile feels this is a legit contending team, it is his duty to acquire the piece he feels puts the team over the top.....even if it is pricey.....but I also believe that piece must be one that will be here for several years/i.e. throughout the current core group (Dumont/Sullivan/Arnott/etc.)
I think most people would say that this team is in win mode. Alot of top-talent players have been on the block per say. If picks are dont matter then we could always do something like
Horton for 1st 3rd
Ponikarovski for a 2nd 5th
That hurts the picks this year but brings in kinda young guys who can score. Poni is a annual 20-20 player while Horton still hasn`t hit potential. The lines would end up being
The trade deadline is March 3rd. I want to be patient with the salary and team first. Let's see if this streak turns into a winning up turn. YES, Detroit is on the down swing and St. Louis is underachiving. BUT Columbus and Chicago are good and I want to see where this team can go. If this team is still in the same position by Jan 1st then I think a move should be made. Problem is that this team is a chemistry team. Always has been. Do you really want to screw with the chemistry is everything is clicking? Also, I want to know how Wilson is healing. Would he qualify as a deadline deal if he comes up and starts tearing it up? If the Preds want to make a move it should come BEFORE the Olympic games. First week of February at most. Pleanty of time to workout the kinks and adjust the roster.
IF, the team is in the 4-6 range of a playoff spot AND there is a chance to win the division, most of Chicago's trade talk is to make a move to dump salary, then do it. It's time for Nashville to get a banner.
It's still early and most fans are in the "NOW! NOW! NOW!" mode but patience is the key both financially and development for younger players. The later you get a player the more of his salary the other team pays. After the Olympic break the Preds will have 21 games left which means you only have to pay 1/4th the salary of the player you are bringing in. The way the team is playing they can afford to wait out the season. Stay in playoff position till game 50 then assess. It's still too early.
I have read some other threads related to Kovys future. A few posters think we have a shot due to our "defensive depth" and our self imposed cap. If Poile pulled that off... I've been trying to ponder what it would take and would Poile even consider going for it. If he was intent on signing Kessel who compares nowhere near Kovlachuk, I'd have to think there would be some interest if not alot.
Heard a lot of talk that he will only leave ATL if he feels they aren't doing enough to be a winning team. Like Enoch stated, I'd say we are definately entering if not already in that catagory (winning team). Underrated, yes. Contenders, possibly. With Kovy, absolutely.
I would pay ANY price to get Kovalchuk. Depth can be replaced. Poile has always done a decent job with that. Not gonna get my hopes up though.
Kovalchuk's value is immense. He is easily worth the package that we gave up for Forsberg, and that was a 1st, 3rd, Parent/Upshall.....So your looking at 1st, 3rd, Sulzer/Franson and A guy like Spaling/Beck/etc.....and that package is probably less than the above package. I'm not saying the Predators should or shouldn't trade the above - just pointing out that his value is a minimum of the above.
Now, the purpose of my thread was simply to point out that the Predators current core group is really in a win-now mode. Sullivan/Arnott/Dumont all on the down-swing of their careers.....final or close to final contracts.....We have very little room to tweak, but it could happen. I think if Poile judges this team to be a contender, then he needs to pony up and make the move that needs to be made....which should be a move that is for more than a half-season.....and more like a 2-3 year acquisition to go along with the core group. If we traded for Kovalchuk, then I think you have to sign him to a long-term deal, and it would probably be in the 7-8 million dollar range. Therefore a guy like Erat would have to be traded to make it work......I'm not sure if that could/would happen.
Don't give me flack for this, but I don't think they are. Win mode was a few years ago, and the Preds went all in. Unfortunately, they didn't necessarily have the best hand.
You just look at what everyone else has, and the Preds don't really match up. The thing is, going into the playoffs, hot teams can do big damage a la Carolina. If we play like this down the stretch, upsets could happen.
Don't give me flack for this, but I don't think they are. Win mode was a few years ago, and the Preds went all in. Unfortunately, they didn't necessarily have the best hand.
You just look at what everyone else has, and the Preds don't really match up. The thing is, going into the playoffs, hot teams can do big damage a la Carolina. If we play like this down the stretch, upsets could happen.
But outside of the "big three" (Chicago, SJ, and arguably Detroit as they get some bodies back,) I think we compare favorably with most teams in the West.
Kings- have gotten off to a good start, but I don't expect them to keep it up.
Phoenix and Colorado- ditto above.
Columbus- at best, reasonably equal to the Predators.
Vancouver- shaky this season, though I expect them to level off and get better.
Calgary- a lot of inner turmoil going on right now, Phaneuf trade rumors emerging...they have the talent, but will the off-ice issues hurt them?
I think this is the best Predators team in a long time...and what it misses from the 06-07 team (skill to burn), it more than makes up for in heart--which is the reason that team failed the way it did, IMO.
The question, in my mind, is can this group get it done. If you believe it can, then this is undoubtedly win-now mode...We have a 2-3 year window with this group of players, and if we want to capitalize on it, the time is now.
Looking at the struggles this team had early on the defensive end, which included the forwards not working as well as expected defensively, I think chemistry is important for a Trotz team.
It seems to take anyone time to understand everything wanted by the coaches. Many, not all, of our past attempts to bolster the team for stretch runs have failed. So if they want to add someone, I'd say the earlier the better.
With attendance down probably due to belt tightening in the recession, I've sort of assumed this team was going to lose some money thiss year. I can't see them adding a big contract. And I'd rather they not trade prospects and draft picks unless it is for someone who deserves a big long term contract.
So I guess I hope they play with what they have. We have to win close games with team goals and great defense. So far they are showing they can compete with the best in the league that way. I sort of hope he's stand pat poile this time. Maybe Santorelli, Oreilly, Wilson can be that "addition" we need. Maybe Santo, Hornqvist, someone, will start potting goals more regularly. Erat and Legwand, (who we "made our bed" with...) seem to be coming around offensively. And if the top line stays healthy...
They're showing they are a good team when healthy. If we have great luck and stay healthy, and then also enter the playoffs healthy, they could advance with solid Predator, defensive hockey. I'd be happy with that even without adding some star to push for the cup.
Our defense was supposed to be solid. I think that is one area we are as good as anyone in the west. We have to win tight games. Eveyone always wants offense to be added. I'm not as concerned about that. What I am wishing for is for our defense (including help from Leggy and the other forwards) to be all it's cracked up to be. In this streak they have been.
I notice Chicago seems to light everyone else up, but against us we can keep their offensive firepower under some semblance of control. So I think we can compete even with them, in a playoff series. I hope we have a monster season though and don't have to face them in the playoff unless we advance a couple rounds because they are sort of scary. The rest of the west we could beat, although there are some that could beat us as well.
It feels good to going from hoping we could get to .500 a few weeks ago to talking about where we fit in the playoff power rankings.
I believe Poile's plan is to have a constantly decent team with talent replace each other, Wilson has already been pegged as Arnott's replacement. While I don't think we will go for broke again, I can see us constantly in the playoffs and hoping once we get there we are lucky.
I've been told that paid attendance is up, while comps are down. If it's true, and if it continues, I don't think the team will be losing money this year. Picking up a million or two extra dollars at the deadline wouldn't be out of the question in that case.
We are, but we normally are at this point. Paid attendance is supposedly slightly up from last season, and if the trend continues we'll see bigger numbers after football ends. More businesses are buying the more expensive tickets, too.
I say we send defensive prospects to Atlanta for Kovalchuk.
Ignoring the fact that Kovalchuk is very likely to remain in Atlanta, that's extraordinarily impractical for a team with our particular circumstances.
I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but we need to show some patience. The season is still very young, and there are a lot of teams right in the thick of the playoff race. You can literally count the number of losing teams on one hand. A lot of things could still change between now and February. Let things play out a little more before we start talking realistically about who we want to pick up at the trade deadline.
But outside of the "big three" (Chicago, SJ, and arguably Detroit as they get some bodies back,) I think we compare favorably with most teams in the West.
Kings- have gotten off to a good start, but I don't expect them to keep it up.
Phoenix and Colorado- ditto above.
Columbus- at best, reasonably equal to the Predators.
Vancouver- shaky this season, though I expect them to level off and get better.
Calgary- a lot of inner turmoil going on right now, Phaneuf trade rumors emerging...they have the talent, but will the off-ice issues hurt them?
I think this is the best Predators team in a long time...and what it misses from the 06-07 team (skill to burn), it more than makes up for in heart--which is the reason that team failed the way it did, IMO.
Personally, I think you're giving some teams a slight of hand.
Ducks should be a team that is able to compete. Blues look to be turning the season around, similar to what the Preds are doing. Honestly, I think the West is more congested than the East. I think the Preds will make the playoffs, but they've done it many years before, but failed to do any damage. What's different about this year? Leggy and Erat is hot now, but will they continue to be?
Quote:
Originally Posted by OpenWheel
I notice Chicago seems to light everyone else up, but against us we can keep their offensive firepower under some semblance of control. So I think we can compete even with them, in a playoff series. I hope we have a monster season though and don't have to face them in the playoff unless we advance a couple rounds because they are sort of scary. The rest of the west we could beat, although there are some that could beat us as well.
Vancouver has also managed to keep their offense at bay, and for the most part has outplayed them in both games this season. The thing is that even when they don't score, they boast a very good defense. Can the Preds break through? A guy like Radulov would have been huge in answering that question.
I don't mean to sound negative, but as a secondary fan of the Preds, I think I can postulate a more objective opinion.
Vancouver has also managed to keep their offense at bay, and for the most part has outplayed them in both games this season. The thing is that even when they don't score, they boast a very good defense. Can the Preds break through? A guy like Radulov would have been huge in answering that question.
I don't mean to sound negative, but as a secondary fan of the Preds, I think I can postulate a more objective opinion.
I never would pretend Chicago wouldn't be a solid favorite in a series. I'm just saying we've battled them well. I think they'd be bigger favorites over much of the rest of the west because some other teams would play a more open style and I think Chicago has too much offense to beat them that way. Yes, their defense also is pretty good, they are a good team. The Preds would need Rinne to outplay their goalies, that's for sure, to have a chance.
I'm also saying that our defense can be very good (Although we didn't really show it tonight against the Blues... I guess Rinne was pretty good except for one softer goal. ) that all the talk we don't have enough offense to advance in the playoffs may not be correct. We've had some tough battles with some good teams, and shown we match up just fine.
We don't have Radulov, so I won't spend time wishing.
Ignoring the fact that Kovalchuk is very likely to remain in Atlanta, that's extraordinarily impractical for a team with our particular circumstances.
I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but we need to show some patience. The season is still very young, and there are a lot of teams right in the thick of the playoff race. You can literally count the number of losing teams on one hand. A lot of things could still change between now and February. Let things play out a little more before we start talking realistically about who we want to pick up at the trade deadline.
I agree with this.
It is way too early to start talking about playoffs, let alone making a run. I don't even bother looking at the standings until at least Jan/Feb. So much can still happen.
No. We had a winning formula and we've forgotten our winning formula because everybody is trying to do too much. Return back to the winning formula and maybe...
Ignoring the fact that Kovalchuk is very likely to remain in Atlanta, that's extraordinarily impractical for a team with our particular circumstances.
I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but we need to show some patience. The season is still very young, and there are a lot of teams right in the thick of the playoff race. You can literally count the number of losing teams on one hand. A lot of things could still change between now and February. Let things play out a little more before we start talking realistically about who we want to pick up at the trade deadline.
•Both Atlanta associate general manager Rick Dudley and director of player personnel Mark Dobson were in the building on Friday.
Interesting but it sounds more like tire kicking than anything else. Nashville COULD in my mind financially take a rental like Kovy RIGHT at the trade deadline BUT I do not see that happening.
I think this has to be bumped up and seriously questioned. I know there's a long way to go but we are currently tied for 1st, I can hardly believe it.... If we could pick up a decent 2 way forward and maybe another d-man since Hamhuis sucks right now this could actually be a contending team, no?
this could actually be a contending team, no?
