Game Thread: #66 - Oh Canada - 7:30PM

[Cbrower91]

Hey cork, I actually didnt mean it as a knock on your assessment. You are right on that he historically has been very streaky and usually does have the swoon you usually point out. This is the first year where I have seen no such swoon. He's been the most consistent player without a doubt as he carried the sharks through that super dry spell for the break.

I dont think he is a 3rd line C though. On the sharks he's kinda the swiss army knife player but he is a legit 2nd line C without a doubt even on a legit team with depth. He is a 30-30 player and possibly more. No doubt that playing with jumbo and burns given the size and puck possession skills of those two helps get pavs better looks. However, pavs has been active in that cycle... it's just a good line and he's just a really smart player and I dont see any signs of stepping back. I would guess he'll be a 30+, 30+ player for at least 3-5 more years.

Sorry its just trained response lol Id say he might peak out at about 75-80pnts this year. And most likely the same as next year and the following, but it also depends on how teams start defending him, but then that means who are they going to put out against patty, nieto and coots. Depth is a beautiful thing.

I'd like to see the scoring spread out and Pav's is better suited long term on the 3rd line as the center, but the man is red hot on fire right now, no need to stop that lol. The match up issues that creates for other teams has got to be maddening. I still thing he's a better winger then center, but his overall game has improved. Still not strong starting in his own end, but the way he's improved each year i'd imagine thats going to be the next thing that gets better with him.

In a depleted league id agree with you that he would be a #2 center, but a team legit depth down the middle he's a 3rd line center. I cant think of any team in the league right now that even comes close to the shark strength down the middle. I mean Thornton,Patty, and Pav's, who'd of thunk it?!?!?

The Pen's are the only team of the top of my head and they stop after Cindy and Gino, when they had Staal it was brutal for other teams.

This teams future looks incredibly bright with the youngsters like Neito, Braun, Wingels, Coutre, and Hertl getting better. Finally could be the year assuming Boyle's old ass can wind the clock back for the playoffs lol

 

[sjrules99]

Sorry its just trained response lol Id say he might peak out at about 75-80pnts this year. And most likely the same as next year and the following, but it also depends on how teams start defending him, but then that means who are they going to put out against patty, nieto and coots. Depth is a beautiful thing.

I'd like to see the scoring spread out and Pav's is better suited long term on the 3rd line as the center, but the man is red hot on fire right now, no need to stop that lol. The match up issues that creates for other teams has got to be maddening. I still thing he's a better winger then center, but his overall game has improved. Still not strong starting in his own end, but the way he's improved each year i'd imagine thats going to be the next thing that gets better with him.

In a depleted league id agree with you that he would be a #2 center, but a team legit depth down the middle he's a 3rd line center. I cant think of any team in the league right now that even comes close to the shark strength down the middle. I mean Thornton,Patty, and Pav's, who'd of thunk it?!?!?

The Pen's are the only team of the top of my head and they stop after Cindy and Gino, when they had Staal it was brutal for other teams.

This teams future looks incredibly bright with the youngsters like Neito, Braun, Wingels, Coutre, and Hertl getting better. Finally could be the year assuming Boyle's old ass can wind the clock back for the playoffs lol

This, to me, is the #1 threat to the sharks. They lack a real threat on D. The offense is as deep as ever, and its only getting deeper in the future as Hertl will be back, nieto will be likely even more improved, wingels will continue his metioric development, etc. However, they have noone who strikes fear in the other team from the blueline as boyle is a serviceable #4 now with minimal offensive threat. LA has Doughty, Chicago has Keith and Seabrook, Stl has a bunch. Without some O from the D, it will be tough to overcome some of the top teams in the west. This year is probably their best shot ever given the depth, but if they fall short, it will likely be the PP and the lack of contributions from the D. We'll see how it goes...

The good news is the D is also one of the best defensive D corps theyve ever had as well with the massive leaps in braun and demers' play. I suppose if the D can just keep some pucks in or get pucks through, the depth and size at forward might be sufficient.

 

[sjrules99]

Given vancouver's fall from grace faceplant, I wonder if dougie should shop for bieksa or edler, one or both of which are likely to be on the block this summer. Odbviously much depends on the PO's, but havig bieksa in teal at just 4.6M for two additional years actually sounds nice particularly if the price tag is just picks/depth prospects as it might be. hmmm....

btw, the way shep is playing, the 3rd line C position may have found a new owner. Shep-wingels-torres is a big, tough, hard hitting line with scoring punch. Not to mention kennedy and Havlat on the 4th line/depth. The sharks will make a tough matchup and I would keep pavs with jumbo and burnsie. Right now, the sharks are an impossible matchup for a top pairing D, so I wouldnt change a thing.

 

[RaiderZar]

Given vancouver's fall from grace faceplant, I wonder if dougie should shop for bieksa or edler, one or both of which are likely to be on the block this summer. Odbviously much depends on the PO's, but havig bieksa in teal at just 4.6M for two additional years actually sounds nice particularly if the price tag is just picks/depth prospects as it might be. hmmm....

btw, the way shep is playing, the 3rd line C position may have found a new owner. Shep-wingels-torres is a big, tough, hard hitting line with scoring punch. Not to mention kennedy and Havlat on the 4th line/depth. The sharks will make a tough matchup and I would keep pavs with jumbo and burnsie. Right now, the sharks are an impossible matchup for a top pairing D, so I wouldnt change a thing.

2 words: Shea. Weber.

 

[sjrules99]

you know raider, it's not impossible, but id say its extremely unlikely. nashville already lost suter to minny and has a very thin D as is. Basically Josi and Weber play half the game and the other 4 play the rest. For them to deal Weber, they would have to get a pretty extensive package that would likely include young NHL dman, NHL young forward, top prospect, and 1st rounder. Now, Im not saying that's a bad idea or that dougie should not consider pulling that trigger. however, I would figure it would be something like Demers/Braun, Nieto, Mueller, and a 1st to pry weber out of nashville. Now, one can argue that that deal actually wouldnt be that awful, but at the same time, it would be a very very risky deal given weber's massive salary and the sharks weakness on the farm.

That said, if the aforementioned salary and Weber's pretty off year got nashville interested and brought the price down, then he would surely be on dougie's short list. I just personally dont see him as likely available. I think Bieksa, Edler, Shultz, Green, Sekera, errorhoff, Wideman/giordano, Byfuglien and maybe a few others are more likely top pairing Dmen who might be on the market. Hard to say what will happen in terms of early PO bowouts that might make a few others available, but Weber seems unlikely given the role he plays in nashville and their likely inability to replace those kind of minutes and the fact that they lost suter for nothing to minny. Still, the trade market for significant defensemen will be meaningful around draft day, and there will be several teams who miss the PO's, who might be looking to offload some older more expensive players for picks and prospects. While I obvously dont want to dougie to pay through the nose for an over-the-hill player, I thnk there may be solid deals out there.

of course, if the sharks win the cup, then it might be best to sit on your hands and just go at it again with basically the same team.

 

[MrChangoT97]

......so I guess a bag of pucks wont get us Weber, huh?

....... but remember a few years back when Doug Wilson had dinner with Weber and his agent in San Jose, maybe Nashville will let Weber go so that he has a chance to win a cup. Yeah 99% it wont happen, but stranger things have and can happen.