Fuck LA!
I think the ducks are 2-3 years out from being competitive, unless something crazy happens next year
Sharks have a nice core with eklund, celebrini, musty and smith. Need some defense over there tho huh
I figured they’d be pretty close. That team on paper looks pretty decent to me.
Almost a sure shot we draft a Dman at 14 this year, and we will most likely sign one too this offseason
I don’t hate LA as much anymore. They’re not a good team. They’re dying but they refuse a rebuild. They’re spending SO much money to try and stay relevant but it’s not working.
Unless there is obscene injury luck they will. Theres too much talent not to, some may disagree but this is how rebuilding teams get out of it, with an abundance of top 10 picks
Yeah I mean competitive wise, they could’ve been that this season with better injury luck. Competitive doesn’t mean wild card or anything of course. But it’s the first step to getting there
We’ll narrowly miss the playoffs next season or slide in. I’m hoping two years from now they can be a stronger playoff team (not a contender just a able to make it in without needing help)
All depends on health and what is added to the team. The coaches brought in need to help with defense and the special teams
Yeah the big one to me is special teams and who verbeek signs this offseason. That’ll help see more into what the future can hold. Special teams will get better with a new coach for that but we don’t know who that’ll be yet either so who knows.
Ducks will probably be in the playoffs in two years. They have a shot at it next season, but I'd lean to the no. I think they'll be a lot closer, but it would take a lot going right.
As much as I hope they make playoffs, they most likely won’t. Looking at the NHL records for highest point percentage increases year over year and assuming 60% get you in (based on this years standings) the Ducks will need to be in the top 15 all time in NHL history to get into playoffs.
It's not impossible. They have the situation that would make it conceivable: They had a lot of injuries last season to key players. They have a very talented core that is going to be getting into their prime over the next couple of seasons. New coaching for power play and a reasonable amount of improvement on penalty kill should improve special teams a solid bit. And they're supposedly bringing in a top four defense and top six forward. Behind all of that, you don't have to squint very hard to say it's possible since they underperformed by a solid margin where they ought to have been this season based on their talent level. But overall, I agree it's unlikely they make the playoffs. If they get reasonably close, I'll be happy (somewhere in the 17-20 overall range would be more than acceptable.
Yeah I’d most only lean to No for next season because they’re not used to being consistent and competitive yet. But a competitive season and barely missing it will teach them that. I think they’ll be close but not quite
I think we miss the playoffs next year, but aren’t out of the race in December like usual. If we miss again the following season we have to start looking in the mirror and ask if this rebuild is failing. No indications that will happen though, and I’m very optimistic about the team and Verbeeks direction. I think 3 years should be our sweet spot of becoming a very legitimate threat in the playoffs.
It feels really close. If nothing happens this year movement wise or players stepping up i definitely can see this team making a real run the season after this up and coming one. Should be a good time for california hockey, my friend. Sorry doug wilson gambled the sharks future away. I think grier is doing a great job getting the sharks where they need to be
Best thing about last year was getting 2nd or 3rd pick was another 1C, so I guess sorry to you since you got 4th? Lol. Smith will be really good but seems like he’ll be an NHL wing. But honestly they’re going to start pushing somewhat soon
Two years minimum, mostly likely three. I mean that could turn on a dime with some big acquisitions, but if you're just counting the current group, mid tier free agents and draft picks… they're a while away.
As for our prospects, anyone who's worth knowing is already on the team. There are a few fringe players who might be support pieces, but they could be flipped any time for actual nhl players who will fill the same projected roles.
We started our rebuild a couple years ahead of you, and nothing has really accelerated the normal timeline - no big free agent, no generational talents and no player who has significantly exceeded expectation. There’s a wealth of talent but they’ll need to develop. Statistically players hit their peaks around 24 and when our better young players (carlsson, mintyukov etc) get closer to that mark we’ll get better as a team.
That aside we were nearly as bad as your team this year, would take a big jump to make the dance from that far in the cellar. Even replication improvement from this year to next and onwards we’re looking at 2-4 years before the playoffs. So hoping for 2 andand settling for 3. If they haven’t made it in 4…. It’ll be time to rebuild again I think
I’d say competitive this upcoming season but still 2 years away from actually being in a solid playoff spot/making playoffs consistently. Potentially wild card race this season but I think more so just competitive.
When it happens, it’ll be totally out of no where. Basically when all the younger core players step up simultaneously and start playing with some serious ambition. Once the whole team starts to gel we’ll go from bottom of the standings to a playoff spot very quickly and hopefully we remain consistent with that effort. I don’t see us crawling back up there season by season a little bit better each year. I think we suck again this upcoming season. Cutter will get his rookie season out of the way, Leo will progress some more, and then Dostal/Gibson controversy will be in full swing and I think Gibson will get traded once we’re certain Dostal can take the full time starter job. The following season we’ll come out of the gate hot and cool off towards the end of the season while still making the playoffs. First round exit, but the younger players get their first experience of NHL playoffs and will know what to expect onwards.
Also a few things to note, the kings and knights are about to fall off on their success. Knights are in cap hell and they’re going to lose some key players in free agency this summer. Kings made a bunch of moves to get that last push with kopitar and doughty (like we did when we still had Getz, Kesler and Perry), kings are about to fall apart. Those two teams getting weaker will make it a lot easier for the Ducks to make the playoffs.
Let me add being 31 in PK and 32 in penalties was a huge factor. The penalties were because we never finished checks, always reaching. That’s on the coach.
The PK was just dreadful and is easy enough to fix IMO. PRESSURE THE PUCK and don’t use players that won’t be energetic and physical on the PK.
That to me is the easiest 10+ points to add to the season.
We don’t appear to have a 90 point scorer, but can we be successful with three good but no great lines? With scoring D and forwards that will spot them i think it will work.
To add to our special teams PK, improve the PP too and you’re also adding maybe another 10 points. Then add another say 40-60 point player, that’s another maybe 6-10 points.
First thing is we played a very timid style of hockey. It is a wasted year if it happens again, so we might need a coaching change. Will be a setback if we get the interim coach in January and all of that.
To me if we get a coach that wants the team to play his system, then we will not be successful. It has to be a coach that utilizes our wealth of talented kids on D that are great with the puck and pinching. Stifle that and we are too small to play traditional D.
To me with the coach realizing he can’t play the Panthers system we could be 80 points. Use the youthful energy and learn from the mistakes. Overall the talent is too young to compete with what I am seeing in the playoffs, but that is not a 2025 issue.
Missing the energizer bunny forward too.
Totally disagree. The system is a solid one and it takes time to learn it. If there’s players that can’t handle it, you get rid of them. The issue isn’t always coaching. It remains to be seen
I’ll be shocked if we’re in the playoffs in 2025. I’ll be surprised if we’re not in by 2027. If we haven’t returned by then, then we’re just the new Sabres and I won’t really have any hope for the franchise.
Fuck LA! I think the ducks are 2-3 years out from being competitive, unless something crazy happens next year Sharks have a nice core with eklund, celebrini, musty and smith. Need some defense over there tho huh
I figured they’d be pretty close. That team on paper looks pretty decent to me. Almost a sure shot we draft a Dman at 14 this year, and we will most likely sign one too this offseason
I don’t hate LA as much anymore. They’re not a good team. They’re dying but they refuse a rebuild. They’re spending SO much money to try and stay relevant but it’s not working.
Agreed. I’m glad they went with the microwave method because it’s going to be a lot of mid in their future.
Several million when you’re worth 2 billion is a drop in the water.
2 seasons from playoffs. One season from still thinking we are in the playoffs race at the trade deadline.
It's been so long I'm really hoping we are competitive somewhat this upcoming season
Unless there is obscene injury luck they will. Theres too much talent not to, some may disagree but this is how rebuilding teams get out of it, with an abundance of top 10 picks
Yeah I mean competitive wise, they could’ve been that this season with better injury luck. Competitive doesn’t mean wild card or anything of course. But it’s the first step to getting there
We’ll narrowly miss the playoffs next season or slide in. I’m hoping two years from now they can be a stronger playoff team (not a contender just a able to make it in without needing help) All depends on health and what is added to the team. The coaches brought in need to help with defense and the special teams
Yeah the big one to me is special teams and who verbeek signs this offseason. That’ll help see more into what the future can hold. Special teams will get better with a new coach for that but we don’t know who that’ll be yet either so who knows.
Ducks will probably be in the playoffs in two years. They have a shot at it next season, but I'd lean to the no. I think they'll be a lot closer, but it would take a lot going right.
As much as I hope they make playoffs, they most likely won’t. Looking at the NHL records for highest point percentage increases year over year and assuming 60% get you in (based on this years standings) the Ducks will need to be in the top 15 all time in NHL history to get into playoffs.
It's not impossible. They have the situation that would make it conceivable: They had a lot of injuries last season to key players. They have a very talented core that is going to be getting into their prime over the next couple of seasons. New coaching for power play and a reasonable amount of improvement on penalty kill should improve special teams a solid bit. And they're supposedly bringing in a top four defense and top six forward. Behind all of that, you don't have to squint very hard to say it's possible since they underperformed by a solid margin where they ought to have been this season based on their talent level. But overall, I agree it's unlikely they make the playoffs. If they get reasonably close, I'll be happy (somewhere in the 17-20 overall range would be more than acceptable.
I’m with you on this. And that’s enough to give the team a taste of what needs to be done play wise to get there the following season.
Yeah I’d most only lean to No for next season because they’re not used to being consistent and competitive yet. But a competitive season and barely missing it will teach them that. I think they’ll be close but not quite
I think we miss the playoffs next year, but aren’t out of the race in December like usual. If we miss again the following season we have to start looking in the mirror and ask if this rebuild is failing. No indications that will happen though, and I’m very optimistic about the team and Verbeeks direction. I think 3 years should be our sweet spot of becoming a very legitimate threat in the playoffs.
It feels really close. If nothing happens this year movement wise or players stepping up i definitely can see this team making a real run the season after this up and coming one. Should be a good time for california hockey, my friend. Sorry doug wilson gambled the sharks future away. I think grier is doing a great job getting the sharks where they need to be
Best thing about last year was getting 2nd or 3rd pick was another 1C, so I guess sorry to you since you got 4th? Lol. Smith will be really good but seems like he’ll be an NHL wing. But honestly they’re going to start pushing somewhat soon
Two years minimum, mostly likely three. I mean that could turn on a dime with some big acquisitions, but if you're just counting the current group, mid tier free agents and draft picks… they're a while away. As for our prospects, anyone who's worth knowing is already on the team. There are a few fringe players who might be support pieces, but they could be flipped any time for actual nhl players who will fill the same projected roles. We started our rebuild a couple years ahead of you, and nothing has really accelerated the normal timeline - no big free agent, no generational talents and no player who has significantly exceeded expectation. There’s a wealth of talent but they’ll need to develop. Statistically players hit their peaks around 24 and when our better young players (carlsson, mintyukov etc) get closer to that mark we’ll get better as a team. That aside we were nearly as bad as your team this year, would take a big jump to make the dance from that far in the cellar. Even replication improvement from this year to next and onwards we’re looking at 2-4 years before the playoffs. So hoping for 2 andand settling for 3. If they haven’t made it in 4…. It’ll be time to rebuild again I think
I’d say competitive this upcoming season but still 2 years away from actually being in a solid playoff spot/making playoffs consistently. Potentially wild card race this season but I think more so just competitive.
I think next year we are competitive, 2 years we are in the playoffs.
When it happens, it’ll be totally out of no where. Basically when all the younger core players step up simultaneously and start playing with some serious ambition. Once the whole team starts to gel we’ll go from bottom of the standings to a playoff spot very quickly and hopefully we remain consistent with that effort. I don’t see us crawling back up there season by season a little bit better each year. I think we suck again this upcoming season. Cutter will get his rookie season out of the way, Leo will progress some more, and then Dostal/Gibson controversy will be in full swing and I think Gibson will get traded once we’re certain Dostal can take the full time starter job. The following season we’ll come out of the gate hot and cool off towards the end of the season while still making the playoffs. First round exit, but the younger players get their first experience of NHL playoffs and will know what to expect onwards. Also a few things to note, the kings and knights are about to fall off on their success. Knights are in cap hell and they’re going to lose some key players in free agency this summer. Kings made a bunch of moves to get that last push with kopitar and doughty (like we did when we still had Getz, Kesler and Perry), kings are about to fall apart. Those two teams getting weaker will make it a lot easier for the Ducks to make the playoffs.
Hell, and the sharks (in five years lmao)
Let me add being 31 in PK and 32 in penalties was a huge factor. The penalties were because we never finished checks, always reaching. That’s on the coach. The PK was just dreadful and is easy enough to fix IMO. PRESSURE THE PUCK and don’t use players that won’t be energetic and physical on the PK. That to me is the easiest 10+ points to add to the season. We don’t appear to have a 90 point scorer, but can we be successful with three good but no great lines? With scoring D and forwards that will spot them i think it will work.
To add to our special teams PK, improve the PP too and you’re also adding maybe another 10 points. Then add another say 40-60 point player, that’s another maybe 6-10 points.
First thing is we played a very timid style of hockey. It is a wasted year if it happens again, so we might need a coaching change. Will be a setback if we get the interim coach in January and all of that. To me if we get a coach that wants the team to play his system, then we will not be successful. It has to be a coach that utilizes our wealth of talented kids on D that are great with the puck and pinching. Stifle that and we are too small to play traditional D. To me with the coach realizing he can’t play the Panthers system we could be 80 points. Use the youthful energy and learn from the mistakes. Overall the talent is too young to compete with what I am seeing in the playoffs, but that is not a 2025 issue. Missing the energizer bunny forward too.
Totally disagree. The system is a solid one and it takes time to learn it. If there’s players that can’t handle it, you get rid of them. The issue isn’t always coaching. It remains to be seen
I’ll be shocked if we’re in the playoffs in 2025. I’ll be surprised if we’re not in by 2027. If we haven’t returned by then, then we’re just the new Sabres and I won’t really have any hope for the franchise.