Future Ducks legend
Rejoint: juin 2022
Messages: 10,131
Mentions "j'aime": 6,900
Your overall premise is right, get tougher to play against, that is what Verbeek wants as well. However, there are some issues with what you've done here.
Mantha is a negative asset, he is not a power forward, he is the Cam Fowler of wingers. He has the size to play the body, but he doesn't he just happens to be a very large skill player. Sure, we can send Comtois and Leason back for him, but a fairly sizeable pick would need to come with Mantha to get it done.
I don't really know much about Nishkinin, but apparently he is all that AND the bag of chips. however, I am always cautious about players who have not played the North American game before. There is always an adjustment required, and sometimes players don't adapt well. I question why after being drafted three years ago he hasn't played stateside yet. I also question if this season was a coming out party or if he is a one season wonder, time will tell.
Goodrow is tough to play against, his contract reflects that, but he is old and in decline, and there is a lot of term left on that deal. We need significant assets to park him through the end of his deal or potential buyout. Sending Silf back with retention isn't an option here, he is one of our respected veterans, and while he isn't worth much in trade value, he's also not a player we are going to just toss into a cap dump situation, we would rather just ride out the deal.
Minnesota trade is whatever, Vaaks is probably done in Anaheim, which is a shame, he was really starting to show some flashes of talent on the ice.
Tampa trade is just brutal. We need good defensemen, Meyers just isn't that's part of why he is taking a salary cut in his 20s. He is big, and he hits, and if he keeps his game simple while playing with a good defensive partner, he doesn't get burned too badly, but that's about it. Lundestrom on the otherside is a defensive middle 6 center who has shown to produce points when he is on a scoring line. He is far more valuable than what you have shipped him off for, and while he can be traded, it will be as part of a package for a top 6 RW or a top 4 RHD.
Lastly, you brought in Wheeler, a massive malcontent who had the captains C stripped from him for trying to turn the locker room against the coaching staff. This guy is a locker room cancer. Winnipeg can keep him or buy him out, but he is not donning the orange and gold.
Mayfield is a smart pickup. Benoit is a 6/7 D man, asking him to play 2nd pairing just doesn't work, as we saw this season. Yeah, some of his stats were artificially inflated by having to try and cover for Klingberg, but still, lets leave him as the 7th man and cycle him in when we need more grit on the third pairing. Contracts for the stars are a bit light.
I agree with your sentiment on our goaltending, it is actually quite good, we just need to not give up a league record amount of shots against.