*** Wild Prospects 2023-'24: IOWA, NCAA, EUROPEAN LEAGUES, MINOR LEAGUES ***

[IllaZilla]

I guess I look at it this way. Let Yurov sign in the KHL next season. There isn't any room for him on the current roster thanks to giving guys like Freddy Gadreau and Marcus Johansson multi-year extensions.

 

This team still has to prove it can get past the first round. I highly doubt the addition of one Russian center is going to be the catalyst that propels this team to the second round (or further) of the Playoffs.

 

The core of the team is basically the same as the last two seasons. So which team is going to show up?

 

Glass half-full says Spurgeon comes back and plays to his normal level of production, Faber doesn't have a sophomore slump, Kaprizov doesn't get off to his normal slow start, the team stays healthy, Boldy becomes more consistent, the goaltending improves, and Khusnutdinov, Ohgren and Wallstedt have meaningful production.

 

Glass half-empty says Spurgeon isn't the same after his surgeries, Faber has a sophomore slump, Kaprizov gets off to a slow start, the team continues down the injury path, Boldy is still inconsistent, the goaltending isn't improved, and the rookies are ineffective.

 

Plus there is all this nonsense being tossed around about trading Rossi. To what end? They finally develop a center who is probably going to come in top five in the Calder voting and they want to trade him the first chance they get.

[CreaseAndAssist]

21 hours ago, IllaZilla said:

I guess I look at it this way. Let Yurov sign in the KHL next season. There isn't any room for him on the current roster thanks to giving guys like Freddy Gaudreau and Marcus Johansson multi-year extensions.

 

This team still has to prove it can get past the first round. I highly doubt the addition of one Russian center is going to be the catalyst that propels this team to the second round (or further) of the Playoffs.

 

The core of the team is basically the same as the last two seasons. So which team is going to show up?

 

Glass half-full says Spurgeon comes back and plays to his normal level of production, Faber doesn't have a sophomore slump, Kaprizov doesn't get off to his normal slow start, the team stays healthy, Boldy becomes more consistent, the goaltending improves, and Khusnutdinov, Ohgren and Wallstedt have meaningful production.

 

Glass half-empty says Spurgeon isn't the same after his surgeries, Faber has a sophomore slump, Kaprizov gets off to a slow start, the team continues down the injury path, Boldy is still inconsistent, the goaltending isn't improved, and the rookies are ineffective.

 

Plus there is all this nonsense being tossed around about trading Rossi. To what end? They finally develop a center who is probably going to come in top five in the Calder voting and they want to trade him the first chance they get.

 

That's pretty fair.  Although I thought Spurgeon's game was in decline even before he got hurt this season.  He looks slower and more timid which for a pint-sized defenseman who is getting older is not a good sign.  

 

But they definitely need him to be top notch if this team is going to do anything; and by anything I mean just making the playoffs.  

 

I don't have a big issue with Danila Yurov spending one more season in the #KHL either, but I think he could make a bigger impact.  IMO, it was kind of like Eric Staal when he arrived, he was a force multiplier.  He helped the team have two dangerous lines.  I think Yurov could do that.  

 

However, next year...it's going to be the same underwhelming team needing just about everything to go right in order to make the post-season and still probably do nothing once it gets there.  My only fear is that Guerin will add another big grit guy because of the mental fragility discussed in their post-season press conference.  

[CreaseAndAssist]

Yurov re-signs with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, 1-year, $434,000 deal.  So 'Yurov Watch' comes to a quick and unceremonious end!