"Center ice has been really decimated, obviously with Lombardi and O’Reilly out for the season and...

"Center ice has been really decimated, obviously with Lombardi and O’Reilly out for the season and Goc out for the season," Nashville Coach Barry Trotz said. "That was an area we’re trying to strengthen all the time. It has been a challenge and guys will have to step up."

Barry Trotz quoted in Josh Cooper's blog in light of the Goc news. I guess this puts a nail in the coffin of our hopes of seeing Cal O`Reilly back this season (not that we had any about Lombardi).

over 1 year ago Dirk Hoag 28 comments 0 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Sadness

Is it really possible to expect a team to overcome losing 3/4 of your opening day centers for the season? Let’s hope the Preds defy the odds and get to the postseason despite the challenges! With our goaltending and defense, I believe we could steal a series from any team in the West.

by dnorm4 on Feb 24, 2011 3:39 PM EST reply actions

As smash put it earlier...

Shit.

"The Final Countdown" is now playing in your head. You're welcome.

by Michaeltastic on Feb 24, 2011 3:40 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

this season

it’s a train wreck. I know the preds have injury trouble every year, but this season… i would say it is ridiculous, but it has gone past that already. 3/4 of the starting centers are out for the season. People who have played wing in the past are now at center (wilson and smithson).

At what point do we sit back and say “Well, even if we made the playoffs we wouldn’t be able to do much. Is it still worth fighting for this season?”

by flyalder on Feb 24, 2011 3:46 PM EST reply actions

Always worth it...

…. you never know. Maybe Rinne wins 16 times 1-0.

by djzielin on Feb 24, 2011 3:57 PM EST up reply actions

I hope so! he’s my fantasy hockey goalie

I'm sent here by the chosen one

by Creeping Death on Feb 24, 2011 4:48 PM EST up reply actions

At NO point do we sit back and say – let’s give up now – let’s look towards next season. Yes, it’s still worth fighting for this season. We are still in the top 8. Yes, the race is tight. Yes, we have players injured. Lots of hockey left to play this season.

Case in point – if someone would have told me that an injured up Pred’s team would win TWICE at the Joe this year – I would have laughed in their face. But it did happen – didn’t it.

by XVIII on Feb 24, 2011 4:03 PM EST up reply actions

yeah on 2nd thought we don't have a choice but to go for a deep run.

we need something like that to maybe entice a discount out of weber, produce more revenue moving forward, and grow the fan base so that revenue can continue to grow.

So yeah, let’s go for it. It’s pretty much do or die time. Because if we aren’t able to sign weber then that takes our Dcorps back several years, and that just isn’t an option with our good we could be next year if weber stays

by flyalder on Feb 24, 2011 4:17 PM EST up reply actions

I'm fully expecting the Preds to come out with fire tonight

with a chip on their shoulder ready to fight.

Contributor at Music City Miracles. and On The Forecheck.

Muha.

by Aditya T (smashville) on Feb 24, 2011 3:56 PM EST reply actions

O’Reilly out for the season?!?! Since when? Last heard he was expected back by March. Geeeeeeeeeeeeeez…. I just went from depressed to hopeless. Can we get anybody? Anybody? Mueller?

"Get to the Choppa!"

by PredHead on Feb 24, 2011 4:02 PM EST reply actions

At this point

It looks like we have 3 Centers already inked for next year. Fisher/ Lombardi/Legwand. So who ends up on the short end of the stick next season. (thats figuring Lombardi comes back) Spailing, Goc, O’Reilly, etc??? I would dare to say that this will factor in to what we have planned for this season/playoffs forward. Not to mention that we have not signed Weber. Need some major $$$ somewhere. Where will he fall as far as salary goes? Any ideas? Erat will be our highest paid at 6 million next season. Here is how some of the top D-men in the league round out price wise for next season:
Visnovsky- 6 million
Lidstrom-6.2 million
Boyle-6.6 million
Bouwmeister-6.6 million
Pronger-7.6 million
Chara-8.5 million

Weber is arguably better than half of these guys. I guess we will see how much he really likes Smashville after this season. I feel like we would be getting a steal if he signed at 6 million. Because of this and the other Forward spots, this makes it pretty interesting as to what the Preds will do. I believe that we will go fourth with what we have. Unless we can get someone for cheap. We do need some help at Center. But what do we spend? Fisher at 4 million next year and 3 million for the next was a great signing! Maybe they threw Svatos a bone, knowing that we couldn’t sign him for next year. then again maybe I am thinking way too much into this.

"You tell em I'm coming....and hells coming with me!"

by SinBinPred on Feb 24, 2011 4:05 PM EST reply actions

Here's my take

This year has been really unfortunate, but management should not panic and give away too much in hopes of getting a push past the first round.

We are stacked at center for next year, so I hope we don’t sign another one for a third of the season. Same goes for at defense the next two years. Obviously Weber needs to be signed no matter what. Goalie is fine, too.

Where we are lacking is at wing. Next year we can roll three legitimate two-way scoring lines and one shut down line. Preds will sign either Goc or O’Reilly (my guess is O’R). Spaling might be back in Milwaukee. It’s time to cut ties with JP and Sully and O Brien, Cube, and Klein once their contracts are up. Defense will be Weber, Suter, Franson, Blum, Josi, and Ellis. We need some good first to second line winger(s) to fill in for Sully and JP. Then this team will be stacked. Doesn’t matter to me if this happens now or in the off-season. No need to hurt what could be a true contender over the next five years for the chance at a run (unlikely imo) this year.

by Greenster29 on Feb 24, 2011 4:36 PM EST reply actions

1 problem

on your proposed Defensive corps there isn’t really a shutdown line. unless you are expecting Blum and Josi to be it, which would be a bit weak IMO and mismanagement of their skills.

by flyalder on Feb 24, 2011 4:49 PM EST up reply actions

Shut down D line

Don’t really think we have much of one right now, really. Or at least not a very effective one. I see what you’re saying though of course, so maybe keep one other D around or make another signing. What I was trying to show was our need to get some pucks in the net and how solid we are at every position except winger.

by Greenster29 on Feb 24, 2011 4:52 PM EST up reply actions

what does a puck in the net look like? I agree, we need somebody that doesn’t have a phobia of putting that little black disc into the net

I'm sent here by the chosen one

by Creeping Death on Feb 24, 2011 5:06 PM EST up reply actions

We have a scoring line?

Seriously, who are the nine players you are thinking of? Players we already have? Injured players? That’s who you think will help the team make this huge jump from 27th in goals?

The truth is neither libelous nor slanderous.
Reason and logic instead of hope and faith.

by shoot the puck on Feb 24, 2011 5:16 PM EST up reply actions

I’d say pick up two wingers in the offseason

Then at center: 15, 12, 16/9, 11
Wingers: 27 10 74 33 25 29 22(scratched as needed), plus two free agents
Defense: 6 20 4 8(for 1 more year) 7 Josi Ellis

What I am saying is we need that boost at wing. We are solid everywhere else. Remember when the whole team was together and we were averaging over 3 goals a night?… Me too. That was a good team

by Greenster29 on Feb 24, 2011 5:41 PM EST up reply actions

rising tide lifts all boats

Greenster’s right—the Predators have second and third line players, but they can’t maximize their abilities if they’re being unduly forced into 1st and second line duty, which is the status quo. Besides Weber, next year should be about building a scoring line, potentially around Matthew Lombardi.

33-15-??
74-12-27
??-11-10

The Preds need to push for an elite right winger and a good, complementary LW, like Sully and Dumont were during the Preds’ best season(s).

by Sam Page on Feb 24, 2011 6:36 PM EST up reply actions

^^^ this

i was actually contemplating writing a fanpost about what having a true 1st line could do for the preds. i was noticing that in years when players like Legwand and Erat weren’t asked to be the top line that they seemingly improved. That maybe asking 2nd line guys to provide 1st line offense was doing more to them then meets the eye.

by flyalder on Feb 25, 2011 1:23 AM EST up reply actions

I picked God for our fist goal tonight… he is our only hope

I'm sent here by the chosen one

by Creeping Death on Feb 24, 2011 5:39 PM EST reply actions

I'd say pick up two wingers in the offseason

Then at center: 15, 12, 16/9, 11
Wingers: 27 10 74 33 25 29 22(scratched as needed), plus two free agents
Defense: 6 20 4 8(for 1 more year) 7 Josi Ellis

What I am saying is we need that boost at wing. We are solid everywhere else. Remember when the whole team was together and we were averaging over 3 goals a night?… Me too. That was a good team

by Greenster29 on Feb 24, 2011 5:40 PM EST reply actions

With 2 open roster spots.......

With Goc and Svatos now gone and O’Reilly done as well, there certainly is room on the roster for some additional trades to be made. I’m thinking something with the Oilers may happen, just a hunch though. Maybe the Habs too. (Puts away crystal ball). :D

by Grizzledbear on Feb 24, 2011 6:39 PM EST via mobile reply actions

An unpopular, yet tremendously fruitful move....

… during the offseason, send the tender to Weber… and wait.

Any other team signing him to an offer sheet (easily a Group III RFA, most likely a Group II or … most fortunately would be a Group I)

Group III would be an offer up in the $4.5 to $6 mil per year range (numbers are currently for prior to 2010-11 season). Compensation? 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick.

Group II 6.0 to 7.5 mil range, 2 1sts, a 2nd and a 3rd.

Group I 7.5+ mil. 4 FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS.

A Group III signing, I believe the Preds would match. Group II. 50-50. Group I. Hello tons of first round draft picks.

by djzielin on Feb 24, 2011 6:51 PM EST reply actions

And goodbye premier defenseman. With Sully’s contract coming off the books (3.75M), Dumont likely being bougt out (2.66M savings) and certainly some other savings with a few players like O’Brien, Goc & Ward likely being replaced with less expensive talent, the worry about Weber’s contract fitting into our budget (and remember the Cap will go up by about 3M next season) is overblown. If he gets 7M a season in his new deal, that’s just 2.5M over his current deal (we should all “just” make that much, LOL), hardly a budget buster.

If Lombardi recovers for next season and we can add another good scorer via UFA/trade, we’ll have a nice set up for next season.

by Grizzledbear on Feb 24, 2011 7:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Yes goodbye premier defenseman...

…. if you don’t match the offer. Suter is an UFA after next year. It’s more than just room for Weber. (Of course Erat and Dumont are scheduled off the books then as well).

I only offer an alternative if Weber doesn’t want to stay. They can also make a deal that is better than the compensation as stated in the CBA, such as an NHL ready scorer.

by djzielin on Feb 24, 2011 7:19 PM EST up reply actions

Suter is basically another 2.5M in addidtional salary on top of his current contract, so again, when considering the increase in the cap over the next 2 seasons and current over-priced players salaries coming off the books, it’s not that bad of a situation.

by Grizzledbear on Feb 24, 2011 9:25 PM EST via mobile up reply actions