Mustard and Blue

[Dave is a Killer]

Dumont - Arnott - (FA/Radulov)
Legwand - Wilson - Erat
Ward - Santorelli/FA - Jones
Belak - Smithson - Tootoo

Suter - Weber
Hamhuis - Klein
Sulzer - Franson

Rinne
Ellis

[pred303]

Dumont - Arnott - (FA/Radulov)
Legwand - Wilson - Erat
Ward - Santorelli/FA - Jones
Belak - Smithson - Tootoo

Suter - Weber
Hamhuis - Klein
Sulzer - Franson

Rinne
Ellis

not a bad looking lineup.. but just personal thoughts..
..i just don't think we see rads back next year. would be hard to unburn bridges.
..i do think they is an excellent chance we take a short term, incentive laden contract out with sully and that he decides to stay here if we do.
..so sully might well be the one you plug in where you have rad/fa
..i just cann't see wilson really being ready to step right into our lineup next year. he's only 19, still expect we see him start the year in milwaukee
..would be great if we have enough up front depth to have ward and jones as third line wingers. would involve us finding or signing two top 2 line type guys (sully/rads/free agent(s) if wilson starts in milwaukee to do this most likely.
..not terribly opposed to jones being one of the top two line guys if push comes to shove and we only fill one of those two top line spots from somewhere else.
..not sure santorelli 'fits' as a checking/grinding type line center. in fact i just don't think he would. probably need another answer if we go with a traditional checking line.
..if jones has to play up a line, then you have to find a true third line type forward to fill out this line. pihlstrom a possiblity of course, as i suppose hornqvist could possilby be, though not sure he could be effective in a checking line type role even at forward.
...don't have a problem with the fourth line, would prefer fiddler (or someone else) over smithson, but know the contract status of both. and that smithson is signed while fids isn't.
...have a hard time believing we don't make fiddler some type of offer as much as they love the guy.i won't agree with them if they do, but think they well could.

i tend to agree with the proposed defense top 6. and the goalie situation.

..of course we have to have a 7th dman, and since you don't want a youngster in that role, we might look somewhere else for a veteran. or maybe we slide belak into that type role i guess.

lots of questions and possibilities here.

[Bigfatcat999]

lots of questions and possibilities here.

Big understatement. Alot could happen to improve this team next year but it depends on the owners. If they go in with a mindset that they are willing to lose SOME money next year you could have a few surprises next year. Colin Wilson is 3rd in the NCAA's based on points and has the 2nd best point per game average. But he needs to put on weight. I agree with you that Wilson is going to spend time in Milwaukee but I think he's on the Ryan Jones plan. Ryan Jones had age on his side when he basically came straight from college, with a quick trip to the AHL and then the Preds, but I think Wilson's skill will be his edge. Another thing is that I think this team is going to e having trouble next year getting to the cap floor. The cap is going to get a slight raise and even with a $1.7 million dollar contract from Wilson and what ever Sullivan signs for.....if he signs, the Preds will still be under the new cap slightly. I know most are resigned to thinking this team will have Smithson next year but his is a movable contract, it's not like it would be like trying to move a multi-year multimillion dollar contract.

FA not named Sullivan-Arnott-Dumont
Jones-Legwand-Erat
Player traded for Radulov-Wilson-Tootoo
Pihlstrom-Nichol (If he can fully recover from his concussion)-Ward
Belak-Smithson

Weber-Suter
Hamhuis-Klein
Sulzer-Franson
Cheap FA to be named later

Rinne
Ellis

I'm willing to gamble that the team is going to keep the same level of payroll as they do this year. Even with the bad economic times ahead, the team can't possibly lose 20 Million in one year. (Unless they did a Toronto like splurge). At $45 million the team will be about $3.7 million over the cap floor.

[Automatica37086]

Although I don't see Rads coming back anytime soon, the team is still tracking him as a prospect. So he is still on our radar, and is currently the second highest goal scorer of all the prospects. I think if the team (specifically Poile) can get him back, they/he will. And let the emotional fallout of what happen fall where it may. I wonder if Rads does want to come back, and we let him, will we be able to rewrite his contract to our advantage (less money), since he broke the original contract. The last I heard was he was over the KLH and eager to come back.
Also, I really am starting to like Belak. I think he has some good hockey skills, at least better than Hordi, and worth keeping.

[Bigfatcat999]

Ok, I have to ask. The Preds are a boatload of draft picks in the up coming draft. 12 in 7 rounds. I know that the standard rule in the NFL draft is you can have too many draft picks because not all of them can get on the roster and make the team. What about with the NHL with the process being so development dependant? Is there such a thing as TOO many picks in the NHL?

[SLake]

Ok, I have to ask. The Preds are a boatload of draft picks in the up coming draft. 12 in 7 rounds. I know that the standard rule in the NFL draft is you can have too many draft picks because not all of them can get on the roster and make the team. What about with the NHL with the process being so development dependant? Is there such a thing as TOO many picks in the NHL?

The NHL allows each team a maximum of 50 players under contract at any one time throughout the organization. Draft picks do not count against that cap until they are signed to a contract by the organization.

[jwhouk]

Yep, what SL said. They're our property until we either sign them or the two-year limit passes.

[kivaerijo]

Dumont - Arnott - Sully (i think he sticks around a little for a discount)
Erat-Legwand - Jones
Ward - Nichol/Wilson - Pihsltrom
Belak - Fiddler/Smithson - Tootoo

Suter - Weber
Hamhuis - Klein
Sulzer - Zanon
Franson

Rinne
Ellis

i dont know where that leaves us cap wise, probably need to pick up more. but i dont see us doing much. if traitorlov comes back, it changes a little, but im not getting my hopes up. if he does come back and we trade him, i dont think we get anybody that comes in right away and helps(pick or prospect).

i think wilson goes to milwaukee for a little while and him and hornqvist are first call ups. think that wilson on that third line with ward and pihlstrom would be fun to watch. hard work, size, a little speed.

if we hold on to bonk this year, and we have no huge plans this offseason, we may sign him again. and if he plays like he has this year i would be alright with that.

bet we look pretty similair next year

question about blum. what are his options next year? does he have to leave the giants? thought i read that somewhere. and i guess that means he is in milwaukee for a while, which they will need if sulzer and franson are up here

[worstfaceoffmanever]

Yep, what SL said. They're our property until we either sign them or the two-year limit passes.

In reality, there is no "two-year limit." Major-junior players typically turn pro at 20, which is when the club decides on whether or not to retain their rights. NCAA players have up to five years of amateur status, during which their NHL club retains their rights. With the lack of a standing transfer agreement with the IIHF, clubs are essentially retaining prospect rights indefinitely (which was really what a lot of clubs were doing all along).

So really, we have the rights to everyone we draft unless we just don't want them.

[worstfaceoffmanever]

As for next year's roster:

Hole1-Arnott-Dumont
Jones-Legwand-Erat
Pihlström-Hole2-Hörnqvist
Smithson-Hole3-Tootoo
Belak, Extra1

Suter-Weber
Hamhuis-Sulzer
Klein-Hole4
Extra2

Rinne
Ellis

Hole1 - Possibly Sullivan or Radulov, or another free agent, since we're going to have some extra money to spend against this year's cap number and payroll, and the cap is expected to go up very slightly this summer. I would certainly look into a guy like Brian Gionta, as I think he compliments Arnott and Dumont well (just as Sullivan does now).
Hole2 - Will likely be filled by Wilson or Santorelli, depending on how intent Trotz is on sticking with his "pay your dues in the minors" mentality. O'Reilly is a longshot possibility also.
Hole3 - I'd like to see this hole filled with Bonk, but any effective checking center will do.
Hole4 - Likely filled by Franson, Blum, or Zanon, but there are other options available on the open market if we want/need to explore them.