Things That Concern You About Your Team(s) for 2015-16

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 

We all know:

Hope springs eternal in EVERY training camp and pre-season.

With good reason.  If our team was bad, we know we can look back and correct mistakes and put out a better product.

If our team was a fringe team, we know we can improve to make the post season next go round.

If our team WAS a playoff team, we know we can get better and win it all the following year.

 

That is all the hope anyways.

But reality sets in at some points.

Maybe some of that reality creeps in during training camps and pre-season amongst all the good things we THINK our team is going to do during the upcoming season.

 

So, with that in mind, while it is nice to be positive about our teams, what is it about yours that without a DOUBT concerns you going into the 15-16 season?

It can be anything from performance, to managerial, to health...anything.

 

You think you got a winner....BUT, the fly in the ointment is.......................

I will start.

 

Tampa Bay Lightning

 

The dreaded "Stanley Cup Hangover".

Sure, the team didn't win it, but they made the Finals, and it made for just as long a season as it was for the Hawks, with the same short turnaround to the beginning of this season.....difference obviously is, the Hawks can say, "Well, we won"...Bolts have unfinished business.......and must ramp up their emotions and play level once again to return.

A tall order for even the best of teams.

 

Also, the Steven Stamkos contract situation.

I am pretty confident GM Stevie Y is handling it, but as a fan, it does worry me a bit that the longer Stamkos goes without being signed, the more of a distraction it will become, not only for Stamkos, but for the team in general.

And if the Bolts are looking to return to the Finals (and win), then distractions is the LAST thing they need.

 

Finally, the goalie situation.

Ben Bishop is clearly The Man.

But for how long?  At almost $6M per with this season and next left on his contract, will he be the long term solution in goal...and if he ISN'T the long term solution, then who is? Vasilevskiy?  Andrei V is currently out of action....but will he return in full form after missing training camps and the pre-season?

 

What if they decide to go big bucks and keep Bishop and he has an injury riddled tenure once he signs that big contract to stay? He DOES have a bit of history with injury after all...

 

Believe it or not, if the Bolts are not going to pay Bishop big dollars after next season, then they need to sorta decide NOW, if they have an alternative who can be The Man longterm for this group of talented young players.

Maybe the Bolts have this all figured out...but it does worry me.

 

 

 

Minnesota Wild.

 

Performance. Plain n simple.

No doubt the Wild have talent, but that talent has to SHOW UP when it matters most....... I.E. when facing down elite teams in the post season.

 

Whether that is their nemesis Blackhawks, the Kings, or the early season favorite Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota has to create plays and FINISH plays...and do it when the pressure is on.

I know guys like Granlund, Dumba, Scandella, Coyle, Dubnyk are talented....but are they "money"?  This concerns me.

 

Thomas Vanek.

This sorta plays into performance. I gave this guy all sorts of crap last season (rightly so I believe), but at the same time, I attributed his lackluster performance as a producer to still acclimating himself to NOT being a top line guy on the team.

But he is still, or at least should be, a top six forward....and the Wild are paying him as such.

 

Therefore, now that he has had ample time to play alongside his mates for a full season, and a post season, I expect Vanek to PLAY like a top six guy.

He is eating up an awful lot of cap space (something the Wild are wrestling with), so having him as a very expensive 3rd or 4th liner simply isn't going to cut it.

 

And finally, with regards to performance, Devon Dubnyk.

I REALLY don't expect him to go on the kind of run he had last season....and in all honesty, if the Wild HAVE to run this guy out for 30 starts in a row, then something is seriously wrong in the State of Hockey!

 

I expect Darcy Kuemper to perform better with the less stress of being the back up, and expect Dubnyk to be able to get his days off, yet still perform like a number one when he is in there.

Dubynk doesn't have to be a Vezina candidate (although that would be nice!), but he does have to put up solid numbers, with Kuemper putting up just as solid numbers right behind him.

So this has me concerned goalie-wise.

 

Team Wild: Performance across the board!!

 

So...what are your team concerns going into the new season?

[FD19372]

For the Flyers: 1) Still having Vinny on the roster by the end of the season. 2) Still having MacDonald on this roster by the end of the season. 3) Mason getting frustrated because he's facing 40+ shots a night, every night. 4) Rushing the kids up, especially on defense, because of our D is still too slow and inconsistent. (Although I have stated often, starting last season, that I can't wait to see Morin and Ghost play on the NHL level. I don't think they got a good enough look last season. 5) The offensive leaders on the team starting off slow, and blaming it on the coach. 6) Being within 5 points of a playoff spot by the trade deadline, and Snider losing his mind (again) and trading one or more of our utes for a 39 year-old veteran thinking we have a team that can compete for a Cup this season.

[yave1964]

@TropicalFruitGirl26

Great topic!

Red Wings:

AGE. Datsyuk will miss at least the first month, Helm as well, Franzen is one hit from retirement, Zetterberg has faded badly in the second half for years, and new guys Richards and Green are not spring chickens. If half of these guys, throw in Kronwall as well, but if half these guys suddenly hit the wall are the kids ready? And that brings up:

THE KIDS. Lots of kids with multiple skill sets, Dylan Larkin, Athanasiou, Mantha, Pulkinen, are they ready to step into critical roles if/when the geezer squad starts breaking down? I love the kids but too much may be asked of them too soon.

NEW COACH Jeff Blashill has a great pedigree with dealing with kids, how will he translate to the NHL level? I think he will be successful but as often as not the hot AHL coach does not translate to the NHL, see Dallas Eakins in Edmonton.

GOALIE controversy between incumbent Howard and brash cocky Mrazek. I really wonder if the two of them can coexist in net, Howie waited at Grand Rapids forever for his turn, Mrazek is barely old enough to drink and does not want to share. I think this needs settled relatively soon.

THE EAST is improved, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Montreal, the Rangers and Capitals are all virtual locks leaving about six teams fighting for the final three spots. And the bottom teams such as Buffalo and Toronto will be improved, there are no gimmee games on the schedule this year. The Wings need to bring it every night and fight for every point or Columbus, Philadelphia, Ottawa, Florida and the Isles will pass them by.

[yave1964]

@TropicalFruitGirl26

Let me defend Vanek and Pomminvile and the other wingers on the team, I have stated it in here before that the Centers for the Wild are below average bordering on bad. Koivu is way past his prime and getting worse, Granlund has not lived up to expectations and Coyle is a winger playing center out of desperation. They are built funny, strong as any team in the league on the wing but sobstandard down the middle. I think Vanek is a 30 goal guy with a real center any day of the week, yes I know Parise plays with these guys and does fine but he is a different skill set, Vanek and Pom need a setup man, they do not create, they finish. Everyone hoarded their top tier centers this year so there were none to get but IMHO until the Wild add one (or two, I am not sold on Granlund, getting tired of waiting on promise) they are on the outside looking in. If they add one by the deadline truthfully they are a serious cup contender.

[J0e Th0rnton]

My concern is they will continue to ice a face punching energy guy like Brown, and fringe no offense players because they provide energy.

 

We need a skill player like Donskoi

 

I also hope Mueller gets a full year in the NHL or NHL playing top 4 minutes. Bottom pair minutes will not help him grow as much. And I hope if either Tennyson or Demelo does not step up for that right handed 6th Dman spot, they pull the trigger on a righty they can count on.

 

Right now, we have a logjam of awesome forward prospects. Enough that some could be trade bait if needs be.

 

The team can ice:

Hertl/Thornton/Pavelski

Marleau/Couture/Donskoi

Wingels/Tierney/Ward

Karlsson/Smith/Nieto

 

On the sidelines we have Torres(Who probably never plays again given his knee), Brown and Goodrow. Donskoi impresses the hell out of me with his active stick on the PK, skating and overall game. IMO, give him 9 games at LEAST because he will be better than any of the 3 sidelined guys.

 

Realistically, Hertl could center his own line, bumping Tierney to 4th line(Both play better as centers than Wingers). Smith plays better as Wing anyways(And can take faceoffs from wing like Pavelski does) and Karlsson had some good vibes with Pavelski/Jumbo last season.

 

Waiting in the weeds are Goldobin, Meier, Jevpalovs for offensively talented forwards. For well rounded forwards, Chartier, Carpenter and For defensively talented, but not much offensively, Emanuelsson and Noah Rod are both Kruger mold 4th liners who are experts defensively.

 

No excuse for playing Brown or Goodrow with this group. Goodrow is good in a pinch if you don't want to burn another ELC, but he has stone hands. It is not an accident Tierney started scoring a storm up when put with more talented players like Nieto, Wingels and Hertl, but could not do much stuck with John Scott and Brown and Goodrow on the 4th line.

 

On Defense, the Martin/Burns pairing looked STELLAR. Vlasic/Braun can shut down almost anyone. Leaving Dillon/ one of Mueller on his off side, Tennyson or Demelo.

 

In the system are Jeremy Roy and Julius Bergman and whoever above who does not make the team.

 

We don't have much in net in the system and we don't need to since Jones is going to win the Vezina and is young

 

 

This year looks like the most promising team I have ever seen the Sharks ice. My concern is they ice it properly.

[MadDevil]

Everything except Cory Schneider.

[ScottM]

Quite simply, the biggest thing for the Sens is not taking a step backwards. I don't think they will, but until I see them performing well in the regular season, the thought will always be there. We had a great thing going over the last third of last season, and that needs to be the beginning of something rather than the end. Stone and Hoffman need to avoid a sophomore slump, while guys like Lazar and Pageau need to continue the development we saw beginning.

 

As far as the roster is concerned, the left side of the offense is the biggest question. They may move Chiasson over there to help, but he's a guy that needs to step it up. We certainly need more than one goal out of Greening as well. This is shape up or ship out year for him. If Puempel or Prince can step up and make the roster that helps as well, but until I see one of those guys do something, I'm going to be concerned about the left wing.

 

Then of course, there's the injury bug. Anderson and Phillips were both hurt for significant periods last season, and Phillips isn't ready to hit the ice yet. We need more games out of Phillips this year for depth purposes, and I don't want to see Hammond overworked. I think he'll be good again, but I really don't want to force him into any more than about 30 or so games..

[Polaris922]

For the Pens... I think we're vastly improved. Even in defense to some degree as youth comes up. I'm disgruntled in Lovejoy being here. Unhappy they didn't move Scuderi somehow. And slightly bothered by Gonchar coming back unless he becomes a power play specialist kind of guy. But Letang. Maatta, And Cole have my faith. Dumoulin and Pouliot look to be growing... So I'm okay with the D.

My biggest fear is health. The last few years, the real reason the Pens haven't taken another Cup is injury. And forget the tough guy " you just have to work through it as a team " lie... We all know reality hurts.

[Digityman]

For the Flyers....

 

Coach - New coach.  Not only new but new to the NHL.

 

Defense - So many good prospects on the cusp of making the team, just not this year.  They will start coming in 16/17.  So how does this make shift d-corps hold up over 82 games?  Probably better than last year but still not great. 

 

Offense - The left side is a bit of a mystery.  They are still in search of a 1LW to play with Giroux and Jake.  Rafel is slotted for the time being but there will probably be a shuffle or two throughout the year. 

 

The team on paper is a bubble playoff team with very little high hopes.  If they catch a streak here or there they might be able to grab a 6/7 seed but I'm not certain that's best for the team.  Adding another high draft pick would probably suit them better. 

 

Trades/Buyouts are coming.  There a few players that can be traded at the deadline for picks and my concern is that they will be in the 'hunt' for a playoff spot so they won't pull the trigger.  

That's my biggest concern for this year.  

[peter puck]

Flyers : My biggest concern is that they will be close to a playoff spot and do something stupid.

Verizon: My biggest concern is that they finally catch on that they have failed to bill me for several years of NHL/MLB service

[WordsOfWisdom]

That the Leafs won't get good again until the current CBA expires, and their playoff push will be cut short by the next lockout. 

 

Since that's looking ahead a bit too far.....

 

My concern for this season is that the Leafs will finish 30th but won't win the draft lottery (or will trade their #1 pick away). 

[BluPuk]

Oddly my concern is that they will do well enough to get a mediocre draft pick. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they could finish 23 or 24 in the league, and get a 6th or 7th pick...

[WordsOfWisdom]

Oddly my concern is that they will do well enough to get a mediocre draft pick. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they could finish 23 or 24 in the league, and get a 6th or 7th pick...

 

Yeah we've seen that story before... for around ten consecutive years. I don't think you have to worry about that this year. The team traded away their top scorer, they lost other key players in the leadup to the trade deadline last year, and they didn't really add anyone over the off season. It's a group of mostly unproven rookies this year. The guys that stayed (Bozak, Kadri, Phaneuf, etc.) are just placeholders until the rookies eventually surpass them and take their spot (or that's the hope anyway).

 

Last year the Leafs started well and then collapsed (which is what they've been doing the past five years). This year I think they start the season 0-6-1 or something and they're completely out of it way early on. I think they'll improve slightly as the season progresses, but they will dig themselves a comfortable hole in 30th place that they won't get out of. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

@BluPuk

@WordsOfWisdom

 

As Leafs fans, any concerns that 73 yr old Lou Lamoriello may forget WHICH front office he presides over now and makes moves thinking he is still in Newark, all the while wondering why he has 1000 cameras so interested in what he is doing?? 

[WordsOfWisdom]

@BluPuk

@WordsOfWisdom

 

As Leafs fans, any concerns that 73 yr old Lou Lamoriello may forget WHICH front office he presides over now and makes moves thinking he is still in Newark, all the while wondering why he has 1000 cameras so interested in what he is doing?? 

 

LOL.

 

By the time the trade deadline rolls around, I'm expecting four of Phaneuf/Bozak/Kadri/JVR/Bernier/Reimer to be gone as the team ditches any remaining veteran players, clears out the last of the losing cast, and ensures the tank goes full steam into the ground.

[MadDevil]

LOL.

By the time the trade deadline rolls around, I'm expecting four of Phaneuf/Bozak/Kadri/JVR/Bernier/Reimer to be gone as the team ditches any remaining veteran players, clears out the last of the losing cast, and ensures the tank goes full steam into the ground.

Or he'll trade Kadri for Zajac.

[BluPuk]

It's really not possible to count the things that I worry about when it comes to the Leafs. It's only exhibition season and already my blood was boiling as I watched those cherry pickers and floaters prancing around the corners last night. We have NO TALENT.

 

Do I think this team can finish higher than 26th? Hell no. That would be absurd and delusional.

 

All I want from the Leafs is for SOMEBODY on the team to stand up and take this group of players to task. I want someone, anyone to show some pride at the logo on their jersey!!!!

 

I want some MEN on my team!

 

 

OK, breathe, breathe.......

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Hmm....after watching last night's TB-Pit pre-season game, I will add the defense as a bit of a concern for the Bolts entering the season.

 

Maybe it was just because IT WAS pre-season, but the 'D' looked a bit disjointed last night. Just not sharp, not positionally sound.

Hopefully this is not a persistent problem once the season actually gets underway.

[WordsOfWisdom]

It's really not possible to count the things that I worry about when it comes to the Leafs. It's only exhibition season and already my blood was boiling as I watched those cherry pickers and floaters prancing around the corners last night. We have NO TALENT.

 

Do I think this team can finish higher than 26th? Hell no. That would be absurd and delusional.

 

All I want from the Leafs is for SOMEBODY on the team to stand up and take this group of players to task. I want someone, anyone to show some pride at the logo on their jersey!!!!

 

I want some MEN on my team!

 

 

OK, breathe, breathe.......

 

For years the Leafs have been a "bubble" team that was always borderline to make the playoffs and rarely or never did. This year they're going to be like the Oilers and Sabres were. This is a rare "no hope" season for the Leafs... the starting point of a proper and full rebuild. History will look back at these next few years as a sort of "modern Harold Ballard era", and fans will forget all about these teams and the players that were on them.

 

Given that the team hasn't had any prior recent success to fall back on, I'm wondering if MLSE will finally "kill the golden goose" by the time they get this mess straightened out. I'm talking about seeing something no Leafs fan has ever seen before: a half empty arena as opposed to one that is 100% sold out. That would send chills down ownership's spine and NHL executives to see a "black hole" at the core of the hockey universe.

 

We're also dealing with a 74 cent dollar that continues to plummet, so the Canadian teams (with the exception of Toronto) are going to struggle to make money this season. (They take in revenue in Canadian dollars and pay the players in American dollars.) If Toronto falls on hard times too, that would be very bad for business. Just imagine: A $300 ticket at the ACC is now worth $225 to the team.

 

In any event, things will get better.... but these next few years you might want to temporarily adopt a new team to watch. Yay Sens?  Let's go Habs? 

 

[BluPuk]

Yah, I hear you WOW.

 

But seriously "Yay Sens?" "Let's go Habs" !! That's not funny....       

[Podein25]

Jets: scoring. Up until last night the Jets have shown difficulty scoring in pre-season. Not sure if it's a worry or not, as under Maurice they play an up tempo "big" game that does generate chances and pressure. Can rookies like Petan and Ehlers make the team and make a difference on the offense? Will Burmistrov find the offensive game that he had in Atlanta?

 

Flyers: pretty much everything. Like the puck entering our zone.

 

[JackStraw]

My only concern with the Flyers is that they're just not very good. Oh, and the coach has no NHL experience.

 

Other than those two things, I'm good.

[WordsOfWisdom]

Or he'll trade Kadri for Zajac.

 

Yeah we might start collecting former Red Wings and Devils players.... hmm...... 

[WordsOfWisdom]

Yah, I hear you WOW.

 

But seriously "Yay Sens?" "Let's go Habs" !! That's not funny....       

 

I know...

[Unleashed Fury]

Basically it is one thing for the Capitals this season. Is their defense strong enough to withstand the entire grueling season? Can John Carlson handle the top defensemen job after Mike Green left? Lastly, will the others step up like Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik(already with a wrist injury)?