yave1964 Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 Team four from the West I doubt that many people have ever referred to Evander Kane as 'Vannie' very often but you do what you gotta do to make a bad pun.... Mediocre club. Frustrating club. So much talent that doesn't mesh into a team. Big holes in a half dozen places. Good enough to hang on the fringe until March then fade away. Good enough to almost contend not bad enough to get a lottery pick. It starts with Kane, a solid power forward who keeps upping his game every year. He is going to be the heart and soul of this club. The problem with this club is a nice collection of complimentary forwards such as Little, Ladd and Wheeler are being counted on to carry the club, they all could be Nathan Horton types, nice players who step up but not the stars of the club. Kane has to step up and be the man which is difficult for a winger, but could happen. The trade for Setoguchi and the rumored move of big Buff to forward could help make this a soli top six and even three lines deep, Frolik coming from Chicago as a PK and fourth line guy is a under the radar signing with dividends. Defensively, Enstrom, Bogosian are both ifs and butts who should be carrying the club, frankly I love Enstrom, I see him as a poor mans Karlsson, capable of 60 plus points and dangerous as can be. Bogosian is quickly becoming a bust. Nobody else on the blue line is anywhere worth mentioning. That is what keeps Byfuglien may have to stay on defense, too many waiver wire pickups like Clitsome, Stuart and Pardy. Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec is a good bad team goalie, he can stop 45 shots from all angles and keep his team in games, acrobatic as all get out (with this blue line he has to be) but gives up softies. Think Kari Lehtonen, the man he essentially replaced. Lots of jumbled up talent, a team in search of an identity. Kane stepping up would be a huge first step. Grabovski might be a nice fit as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 (edited) @yave1964 I'm one of the guys who thinks Bogo is not a bust, a few unlucky seasons where he got injured etc....this is a make or break year for the guy though, you can only show potential for so long, then it has to turn into something. Clitsome could have been a useful wire pick up, we shall see. I think Kane reachs stardom this year. Overall, they do seem to struggle with an identity. Losing Berms to the KHL may have been a blessing in disguise, he always seemed like a round peg in a square hole, no real job on the team, not good enough for top 6 (yet) but not a checker. I wonder if signing Olli Jokinen blocked the kids way.Agree on Enstrom, he has this quiet calm to his game....very unrated. Perhaps Scheifele and Trouba additions this year will help them find the identity they need. Bryan Little is quickly becoming a mainstay, he does all the little things right and plays big minutes. Edited July 15, 2013 by jammer2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted July 15, 2013 Author Share Posted July 15, 2013 @yave1964 I'm one of the guys who thinks Bogo is not a bust, a few unlucky seasons where he got injured etc....this is a make or break year for the guy though, you can only show potential for so long, then it has to turn into something. Clitsome could have been a useful wire pick up, we shall see. I think Kane reachs stardom this year. Overall, they do seem to struggle with an identity. Losing Berms to the KHL may have been a blessing in disguise, he always seemed like a round peg in a square hole, no real job on the team, not good enough for top 6 (yet) but not a checker. I wonder if signing Olli Jokinen blocked the kids way. Agree on Enstrom, he has this quiet calm to his game....very unrated. Perhaps Scheifele and Trouba additions this year will help them find the identify they need. Bryan Little is quickly becoming a mainstay, he does all the little things right and plays big minutes. Agree completely with the comment about Little, solid player. As is Ladd and a bunch more. Problem is, as see it they have a team of complimentary players and until two or three step up they will be running in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Hawkie Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 Blackhawks--Jets tomorrow afternoon!! This is going to be a great game, and with the former Hawks on the Jets, it will make for an interesting "game within a game". I can't wait ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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