Wednesday's notes: Help Wanted

We were standing by the penalty box for the preskate last night and for the first time I’ve seen, DP came out to the Preds bench, looked over at the Stars warmup, made some notes, nodded his head, and left. I’ve never seen him do that for a game. I know Richards is out of the question, but what do you guys think about other possibilities? Seeing him was very abnormal.

What we don’t hear about much these days is the Preds payroll budget? Although constrained Poile must do something otherwise were going to easily pass the Capitals 8 game losing streak. Right now the Preds would not be favored to win against any Western Conference opponent. Unless Pekka stands on his head and steals one they’re not going to win missing the current four forwards. Suter played 27 minutes last night and Weber played 26, that’s going to take it’s toll eventually. Spaling and his minus 2 played horrible last night and couldn’t even score into a wide open net! Please Mr. Poile find some help or else were going to wind up in last place.

As fans, we shouldn’t expect O’reilly to be a legit top 6 center, Ward and SK74 to score more than the occasional goal, and Goc to be a 40-50 point guy. Yet these bargain basement reclamation projects (which have been goldmines and great value for the buck…and I would say overachieved based on their pre Pred career) were reclamation projects for a reason. Ultimately, its on the GM for not doing more and giving Trotz better players. Yeah, limited budget is a handcuff, but he still had money to toss to Legwand, Dumont, Erat, and Sullivan (and previously, Arnott). Wiser decisions (or at least, shorter term decisions) and we would be able to get a higher skill type of player.

That said, the fact that the PP is consistently poor, with no mechanism of adjustment, over several seasons, that is on the coaching staff.

Trotz/Poile have had a good run with the organization, but much like Dungy with the Bucs, or Fisher with the Titans, its time for a new voice and direction. We know, unfortunately, the ceiling with Poile/Trotz. Great tandem to develop a low budget low talent expansion team but not the guys to take THIS team to the nex level.

Not counting our 4-2 shootout record (which are 6 tie games that we ‘won’ based on a skills competition), in 30 games we have won 13. That comes after our 10 game point streak where we were on fire.

If we do make the playoffs, what makes any of you think we are good enough to get past the first round loss ceiling? Do we really want another first round flop? The new management has worked wonders for marketing and promoting this club. Cogen and Co. deserve a better on ice product to work with, and that will only come with revamping. Imagine if we let the Erat/Sully/Dumont/Legwand era end, get what picks you can for them, and make Wilson/Hornquist/Weber/Suter/Franson the centerpieces, and bring up Ellis and Blum. Guys like Ward, Boillion, and Goc surely would have value to contenders at the deadline.
Use our bevy of picks to trade up the next two years.

Making the playoffs is important to us, and I’d be disappointed obviously if we missed out on the party, but point of getting invited to the dance is to make noise when you get there, and we are built to leave early without doing anything noteworthy. Would it be so bad to be the next Pittsburgh/Chicago/LA/STL/Edmonton?

Unless there is another Atlanta-Chicago pilfering to be had (Ladd, Buff, Eager, and PK whiz Sopel for a song?), the only way to get Wilson and Hornquist some high calibre buddies is through the draft. And picking 15th-20th, and picking up SK74 and Goc and Ward and Bouillon and O’Brien from the junkyard in Aug-Sept, ain’t gonna do it.