Mustard and Blue

Duh. EVERY year is a struggle for this team. 2005 and 2006 were anomalies.

Time to bump this thread up it's nearly training camp time.

Rumors and innuendos are flying. Rumors about what the roster will look like and innuedos about Adzy's bra size.

Let's stick with the rumors:

Sully-Arnott-Dumont We all know this is solid and pretty unmovable.

Erat-Legwand/Wilson-Legwand/Santorelli/Jones/Ward

I know, I know. WILSON IS TOO YOUNG. But he would be perfect for Erat and Legwand. A power forward who will feed the puck to Erat and Legwand. Is it going to happen? Only if he buys Fiddler's old goat photos. OR he blows the doors off in camp. I'm betting on Erat-Legwand-Ward or Jones.

Ward/Jones loser-O'Reilly-Santorelli.

Trotz has been talking up Santorelli and and the loser of Ward/Jones goes here. Could be a nice balanced line if O'Reilly signs or Wilson centers this line. There isn't any smoke about O'Reilly signing with the KHL or Europe so it looks like he will sign. But if he doesn't it might be time for Nick Spaling to get a job with the big club.

Goc-Guite-Tootoo-Smithson-Olvecky-Spaling-Jessiman

Four spots left and nothing should surprise us with this group. Tootoo and Smithson are on one ways, Goc's basicallty is because he has to go on waivers if he's to be called up. Spaling has been raved about in the developmental camps but I still think he's a long shot. Olvecky is another long shot who I think will be a Milwaukee mainstay. Jessiman is one you got to feel for. He's got the size but not the skills and he's the only one of the first rounders of his class not to make the big show.


Weber-Suter Duh. Unless Poile has a stroke or the ownership implodes this is the first pairing.

Hamhuis-Klein/Franson

I think I just heard Worst's head explode. If Franson makes the club he could possibly just to the second pairing. Klein hasn't exactly be tearing up the the NHL and Hamhuis plays well with an offensive defenseman. Klein and Franson fit the bill.

Klein/Franson/Laakso/Blum/(Sissy)-Sulzer -Belak

Ok, we know Sulzer has a one way and will play with someone. The question becomes who steps up. Part of me thinks Blum and Laakso are the ones fighting for the last spot or to keep a cheap vet from signing on. (Chelios is a sis.....wha?????) If Blum makes the team I would be surprised. I would rather see him develop in Milwaukee. If he wins Laakso is the depth coming down on the charter. If neither of them truly win the spot the Preds sign Chelios or Klee for cheap.

Rinne
Ellis/Dekanich.

I think this team is going to go in with Rinne and Ellis. The only reason Dekanich is on the roster is if either him of Ellis catch of fire in the Preseason and Ellis gains trade value. Which actually would be a best case for Nashville.

Cat, it look as if the pairings on d will be Weber/Suter, Hamhuis/Klein and Franson/Sulzer. If Blum has an amazing camp and Franson sucks, that could change but my guess is those are the pairings, we'll sign a veteran for the perma scratch position and Laakso and Blum will make up the first pairing in Milwaukee with whoever is playing better at the time the first call up but my guess would be Laakso regardless as to let Blum get a full season in at Milwaukee.

fcm69 wrote:Cat, it look as if the pairings on d will be Weber/Suter, Hamhuis/Klein and Franson/Sulzer. If Blum has an amazing camp and Franson sucks, that could change but my guess is those are the pairings, we'll sign a veteran for the perma scratch position and Laakso and Blum will make up the first pairing in Milwaukee with whoever is playing better at the time the first call up but my guess would be Laakso regardless as to let Blum get a full season in at Milwaukee.

Could be. It would be better for the development of the players and the depth of the defense as a whole if a vet was signed for the doormat defenseman spot. Blum and Laasko would be on the first pairing in Milwaukee and the kiddie corp in Nashville would have a vet to help guide them.

I know...lol.

Lot's and lot's and lot's of rumbling that Nashville is making the deal for Kessel.

Any trade for Kessel would be for his rights .... assuming we make it conditional upon his signing within a specified time we should be ok. The offer sheet route is so anti-Poile I can't see him doing it.

Boston's cap situation makes a trade difficult. They've got about one mil in space after the bonus cushion so anything we send that was has to be relatively low impact cap-wise. Bringing on a four million dollar hit without sending some salary elsewhere is problematic.

Kessel would be a great addition, but, making it work with the cap constraints of both teams would be tough.

It's so unlike Poile to say anything about what he's trying to do, that i'm really not buying into anything on the Kessel front. In fact I would be very surprised if this wasn't Poile just trying to make it look like the Preds are relevant and pursuing star players when in reality we all know we can't sign him, but it keeps the team in the news and keeps the casual fans thinking that they are trying to improve the roster. In the end it also takes some of the heat off of Poile and the owners when the season starts and ends and they haven't made any roster moves, they can say "We tried to get players X, Y and Z but it just didn't work out".

I could see it. Nashville is well below the $45 million limit they set for themselves and the 48.8 for the cap. Dan Ellis can be traded to make more room and push Dekanich up to Nashville. (And the possible signing of Sissy to fill the 7th D-man role.)

Dekanich isn't ready for the NHL, BFC, we both know that.

I just hope Poile doesn't make some kind of Mad Mike offer to try to land a shiny new goal scorer when we can just as easily sign Petr Sykora.