Thursday's notes: All eyes on Ryan Suter

The Preds are fairly liberal with the discounts; I brought groups of tickets (anywhere from 10-200) as well as pairs, sometimes ordering up tickets on the day of game, on ‘military’ and ‘college’ nights.
Though I was associated with Vanderbilt, you don’t have to be for the college promotion (tonight, 15/25 upper/lower), as I have gotten that deal for others….they will be lax, especially in your case as a season ticket holder.

The linked story above on ESPN, about the Sens and Preds (naturally got my attention)……
includes a quote by Ottawa’s GM

I’d be wrong if I didn’t think that some of these older guys on our team didn’t deserve a chance to be helped going into the playoffs, if that’s where we end up

I know Poile likes to save picks and prospects for a rainy day, and that’s actually the route I want Ottawa to go if possible (a trade for a young guy like Turris, I don’t mind, since he also fits into the future), but I think Poile should be thinking along ‘guys deserve a chance to win now’ lines.

Not only to give the current Pred vets a chance to win, but to give Weber and Suter a clear idea of not only wanting to make the playoffs, but wanting to make some noise when you are there. Something that ends up more like Fisher (a year left, and helps club in playoffs) than Brendan Witt. If it doesn’t work out, first round exit, Suter doesn’t resign, not the end of the world….there is little difference between 4+ quality prospects in G and on D, and 3+.

And hopefully, it works out better

contolling where he goes is only til the end of the year. after that, he’s a free man. i’m not a big suter guy, but we don’t have any defenseman to fill his defensive roll in our system. offensively, i’m ok with blum,josi,ellis.

Assuming Suter doesn’t want to sign or wants something the Preds are unwilling or unable to give, he can trade him before the deadline—which won’t net as much as some people think unless there a a deal before hand assuring the other team Suter will sign with them—but if he trades Suter and we don’t make the playoffs, or perform poorly in them, Polie’s a moron. If he keeps Suter without a new contract through the playoffs and Suter walks in July, Polie’s a moron—even if the Preds go to the 2nd or 3rd round of the playoffs.
Bottom line is we don’t know what Suter and/or Weber are asking for and what the Preds are offering but if they don’t want to stay in Nashville, no one can make them but I wish they would just man up and admit it—publicly—Poile’s comments Re: Suter a few days ago make me think he may have admitted it privately.

and both coach and GM rave about him.

JVR, on the other hand, is a premium power forward who has had his ice time cut, been relegated to the 4th line, struggled this year. If the Preds buy low on JVR, perhaps they can wiggle another high end young forward from Philly. Then you can add two guys to the lineup for the next 5 or so years that will compliment the younger nucleus (Smith, Wilson, Hornqvist) established here and optimistically to come (Watson, Beck, Bourque).

i guess certain fans don’t mind being stuck in “Groundhog Day”, so long as the team is competing. Suter and Weber leave, Ellis and Josi and prospects/picks replace em. Down the road, the young stars will leave, and prospect will replace them. Never making the team better or a championship contender, but at least the team remains competitive, year in, year out.

I see some value in that, I guess.

will be happy indefinitely.

Last year was great; it shouldn’t have taken 6 trys or 12 years to win a playoff round, though.

Depending on what happens this year, fans (like Suter/Weber) may get tired of being a contender to get into the playoffs and a real contender. Last May, the thing to do, in hindsight, was to built on all that positive momentum, bring established talent in, and try to become a legit Cup contender.

The way things have progressed, does feel like groundhog day circa ’Preds=playoff cannon fodder". That could all change, if the Preds keep their stars, resign them long-term, AND bring in a Bobby Ryan type guy! Its a possibility……..they just need to get quality players to add to there own, and that costs $$$$. The owners and Poile just have to accept that, and use that sellout crowd money and put into the on ice product.