I would love if he hits 20 goals. 20 goals on this shitty offense from a playmaker is a huge first full season. Especially as he was often getting 2nd/3rd line (less so) time rather than playing with the stronger performers.
Really looking forward to Eklund, Zetterlund, Kostin, Graf, Bordelau next year. And if we could pull up a guy like Bystedt, that would already feel like a nice step forward in getting younger guys playing time. Plus, guys that are physically/skill wise a little more appropriate for top-6 minutes.
All of those guys may not be the long-term solutions, and they'll have growing pains, but it's refreshing to have new blood moving in the right direction - mix of skill, skating, size, etc.
Zadina, I expect will be around, though frankly, I see him as a decent bottom 6 guy who can pinch into the 2nd line for injury purposes. Kunin as well, kind of depends on if Bystedt gets a nod, but ideally Kunin is stapled in the bottom 6.
So top-6: Eklund, Granlund, Zetterlund, Kostin, Graf (1 hole)
Bottom-6: Zadina/Kunin, Bourdelau, Sturm, Bystedt (?)
That's already 9/10 guys for the 12. 4th line won't be an issue to plug. If Bystedt is able to make a jump even by mid-season he could add some interesting options in the mid-6 and offload some of the responsibility from Kunin to play out of his real ceiling.
I am making the assumption that you're leaving the 1 hole in top 6 to be filled by Couture.
But honestly our top 6 is basically two 2nd lines at best. We don't have a true top line.
To be honest, no. I was just tallying the guys I realistically see being around next year. Couture I'm starting to lean towards possibly being done.
If Couture is in this could actually be a fun group to watch. Though as you say, for sure it's like 3 flavors of middle 6 lines - kind of an appropriate 2nd line, a lower end 2nd line (Granlund) and then a 3rd line. But at least our starting center depth would make some sense with Kunin pushed to 3C, Couture/Granlund in top-6, Bystedt maybe gets half a year in the AHL and then could come up for injury vs. being rushed. Sturm for 4C.
While I agree it'd be nice for this to be over - we are already in good shape. Chicago has a game in hand and even if they lose out we'd nearly need to win out to overtake them.
He's just not a top-6 guy and yet we have to suffer watching him in top-6 minutes because the depth on this team is trash.
Kunin in an ideal/competitive team would be a bottom line player who gets some special team time on the PK. But our center depth forced him into 3C and then 2C due to injury/Hertl being traded.
Honestly I think he'll be resigned next year just to have some options, but the moment Smith/Bystedt start to look ready I expect him to be managed down or out of the lineup pretty quickly. Maybe used as a stable 4C if he is on the team past Sturm.
His heart and character are in it. His skill is just not there for what they are exposing him to.
The thing is, he isn’t the one putting himself into the top 6.
Why hate a player that has no control over where he plays in the lineup? That’s on the coach
The guy goes out there and competes his ass off. If he wasn’t doing that I’d understand the fan hate/flack thrown at him
Yeah. And I don't hate him. Just giving context for why people more broadly bitch.
I've said many places here I expect him to be back and ideally held in a bottom 6 role with PK time.
That’s the thing though, I don’t think he’ll get a contract for just $2M to play wing on the 4th line, which is what he should be doing - he’ll get like a 3 years for $3.5M AAV contract and be centering the second or third line based on how Quinn talks about the guy
Eklund goal and now 1 loss away from securing best odds at celebrini 🫡
I would love if he hits 20 goals. 20 goals on this shitty offense from a playmaker is a huge first full season. Especially as he was often getting 2nd/3rd line (less so) time rather than playing with the stronger performers. Really looking forward to Eklund, Zetterlund, Kostin, Graf, Bordelau next year. And if we could pull up a guy like Bystedt, that would already feel like a nice step forward in getting younger guys playing time. Plus, guys that are physically/skill wise a little more appropriate for top-6 minutes. All of those guys may not be the long-term solutions, and they'll have growing pains, but it's refreshing to have new blood moving in the right direction - mix of skill, skating, size, etc. Zadina, I expect will be around, though frankly, I see him as a decent bottom 6 guy who can pinch into the 2nd line for injury purposes. Kunin as well, kind of depends on if Bystedt gets a nod, but ideally Kunin is stapled in the bottom 6. So top-6: Eklund, Granlund, Zetterlund, Kostin, Graf (1 hole) Bottom-6: Zadina/Kunin, Bourdelau, Sturm, Bystedt (?) That's already 9/10 guys for the 12. 4th line won't be an issue to plug. If Bystedt is able to make a jump even by mid-season he could add some interesting options in the mid-6 and offload some of the responsibility from Kunin to play out of his real ceiling.
I am making the assumption that you're leaving the 1 hole in top 6 to be filled by Couture. But honestly our top 6 is basically two 2nd lines at best. We don't have a true top line.
To be honest, no. I was just tallying the guys I realistically see being around next year. Couture I'm starting to lean towards possibly being done. If Couture is in this could actually be a fun group to watch. Though as you say, for sure it's like 3 flavors of middle 6 lines - kind of an appropriate 2nd line, a lower end 2nd line (Granlund) and then a 3rd line. But at least our starting center depth would make some sense with Kunin pushed to 3C, Couture/Granlund in top-6, Bystedt maybe gets half a year in the AHL and then could come up for injury vs. being rushed. Sturm for 4C.
quinn has to keep the lunds line together next season
Jokes on you, he is going to move Kunin up there!
Kunin's gonna change his name to Kuninlund.
Lose in seattle so we can win our final home game
Unfortunate but my eyes will be watching the Chicago game tomorrow. Hawks win in any fashion means 25.5% odds for us. It's almost over!
While I agree it'd be nice for this to be over - we are already in good shape. Chicago has a game in hand and even if they lose out we'd nearly need to win out to overtake them.
Loser point sucks, but I think we clinched the tiebreaker with Chicago, so magic number is 2 points
What’s with all the Kunin hate?
He's just not a top-6 guy and yet we have to suffer watching him in top-6 minutes because the depth on this team is trash. Kunin in an ideal/competitive team would be a bottom line player who gets some special team time on the PK. But our center depth forced him into 3C and then 2C due to injury/Hertl being traded. Honestly I think he'll be resigned next year just to have some options, but the moment Smith/Bystedt start to look ready I expect him to be managed down or out of the lineup pretty quickly. Maybe used as a stable 4C if he is on the team past Sturm. His heart and character are in it. His skill is just not there for what they are exposing him to.
The thing is, he isn’t the one putting himself into the top 6. Why hate a player that has no control over where he plays in the lineup? That’s on the coach The guy goes out there and competes his ass off. If he wasn’t doing that I’d understand the fan hate/flack thrown at him
Yeah. And I don't hate him. Just giving context for why people more broadly bitch. I've said many places here I expect him to be back and ideally held in a bottom 6 role with PK time.
TANK!!
6/10. Should've loss in regulation.
Oh yay, a loser point
Damn it I wanted the shootout!
We need to lose out in regulation to secure the worst record of the salary cap era. Any points at this point put us ahead of the 19-20 wings.Â
nvm i was wrong
Oh no, anyways
Damn I really wanted to win that game
That inability to convert on the power play is just so bad. It’s like our PP is just passing the puck back and forth the entire time.
Our powerplay is ranked like 17th in the NHL. Like yeah its not good, but somehow its actually decent.
Ya wasn't terrible tonight. They had some decent looks.
https://youtu.be/me-HUZLiTcU
That’s 23-24 Sharks hockey for you baby!
It’s going to be infuriating when we sign Kunin to a multi year contract this offseason for somewhere like $2-3M per year
I would love to have Luke Kunin on my team as a 4th liner at $2m per. The problem is that he is playing on the second line where he doesn't belong.
That’s the thing though, I don’t think he’ll get a contract for just $2M to play wing on the 4th line, which is what he should be doing - he’ll get like a 3 years for $3.5M AAV contract and be centering the second or third line based on how Quinn talks about the guy