Another Second Time Around - Jeff O'Neill in Town Early

It’s kind of sad when you read it. Rather fair article from that guy.

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Another guy you didn’t mention who is at Camp Brind’amour already:

Drayson Bowman!

link:Drayson Bowman in Carolina?

A fair assessment. Training camp will be interesting.

spector is pretty good. He is like the anti Eklund. Also cites a source and doe snot report a bunch of BS or opinionated garbage.

 I think O Neil is doing right by the opportunity afforded to him. If he can come back with the right attitude and drive, this could work out for everyone……..

I’m really pulling for O’neill to make something. I know there is roster space issues or whatever but, I don’t care any team can use a fellow returned to all-star/40+ goals status. We all know this guy can bury the puck. Plus I can bust out the old #92 jersey. Also, I was thinking about Cullen the other day. I hope his noggin is back to normal because I think that guy is as important to this team as anybody else. He’s a major cog in the works. I think anyway. Can’t wait for the season though. I miss the sounds of a hockey game, know what I mean? Metal on ice, pucks hitting glass, slapahots and all that. I’m ready.

Count me as an O’Neill anti-fan. He is an awesome goal scorer and can put up points, but liked to take shifts off many a night. With this run and gun team, I do believe that type of effort will sink us again this year. IF he makes the team outright, which is REALLY hard to believe, then here’s hoping he is up to the task and can keep himself out of trouble (and bars). The only worse thing that could happen is if JR takes another look as Sandi Oh!

Ivy-
You just managed to give me nightmares! No Ozo! Please!

If Jeff O does make the team, and injuries stay down for once, JR has quite a bit for trade bait for either mid season adjustments, or fine tuning for the playoffs. If he doesn’t then we go into the season with a solid lineup – and still room for JR to work!

I dunno Marc. If Sutter is in, Rod and Cullen are healthy, we are gonna put a guy or two out of a job. We already got too much D.

Big sigh, here I go again.

What are the chances all these guys, Samsinov, Ruutu, Eaves, Cullen, Sutter, O’Neil plus a couple others not only make the team, but play like the best they ever have?

No offence gang, but not a prayer in hell. With luck JR/PK/Lavi will have enough carbon units that really want and can play. Not to mention this is something of a team sport. How are these guys gonna adapt and work together? Lavi’s got his work cut out for him. I hate saying nice things about Lavi, but the guys got big brass nads and an understanding of the game I wish I had. I think he will approach this year and rotate the lines and players. Just like a good coach should. That’s gonna lead to losses. It’s the name of the game and it’s how you play it. If he doesn’t hit the magic by Oct. and has to go on that dam sabatical road trip, jeezuz, that’s tough. So let’s kick the dead horse again. If I’m JR/PK I gotta be looking at what’s going on. The Detroit home game I think is a line in the sand. The next game is LA I think and number 10 (correct me if I’m wrong). I think going into the Detroit game JR/PK are looking at the rest of the season. The team has to be sorted out and working, we have to give Detroit the game of thier lives.

Example we are 4 and 4 going into the Wings game, we get crushed 6 zip. If I’m the big guys I’m feeling ugly about being at 50mill and getting killed again and now have a month of road game to try and regroup.

Uber ugly.

On the otherside, say the Wings come to town we are 6 and 2 and we play them well, win or lose don’t matter, but we play very good solid hockey.

The boys are looking at a whole different ball game there.

So Lavi having to do what he does and he has what, 60 days?

I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

Then back to the original point, who’s gonna show up every night? If it does go like the first example, what do you do? Fire sale, sell and trade to build, whack Lavi and bring in one of the couple coaches still floating?

To me it looks like the franchise is grasping all the carbon units it can, just in case we are looking at ping pong ball lottery next spring. A third non PO year is not acceptable and heads and cash will roll. For just the $50 mill in salary, there ain’t no friends THAT good in there.

Remember this is a fickle crowd, too. A team pulls out 3 goals ahead and you can hear a cricket fart.

Look for Lavi to put it all on the line and see who stands up. Lot of young guys and new guys and the system is going to be fluid. Look for Rod, Staal and Cullen up front and throwing big plays and numbers. On the back end Corvo, Pitkanen and Gleason have to shine. With just that small amount of core working and I think those are the guys that are gonna show up, along with either net minder. Then it’s time to get a system and the rest of the roster in the mix. You got 60 days, go.

I think we may wind up like the craps last year or the Pens. They started out hit and miss and had to find the stride and tweak a few things.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to see them come out of the gate like ice puking bloodthirsty puck hounds from hell and hit the 100 pt mark this year, screw 90.

It’s just alot to ask and even harder to expect all these pieces to fall into place that quick.

I don’t remember a team under more pressure. Carolina Hurricanes team, I mean.

Good luck to them all, I expect we are going to be treated to some players having banner years, I think we are gonna see a few whither on the vine, too.

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Paladin, again I can’t disagree with you – I’m just more of an optimist. I also haven’t looked too deeply at this – just scratching the surface. If they have the extra bodies, and some of them are playing well enough to unload yet they can’t crack the line up – why not try to get something after camp or even later on? The one I’m really worried about is Cullen. Integral part of the team, but if he STILL can’t skate after all this recovery time… I like your analysis of Lavi.

Which schedule are you looking at? The Wing’s game is the 3rd game not the 9th game unless you are mistaking that Blues’ note for a chicken wing.

n one can say, paladin, who will step up and who will shrink back, but I can say this, having an extra body at camp, willing to compete hard for a spot, will only raise everyone else’s game. Plus, who is to say that if Jeff does not make the team outright out of camp, that he does not end up accepting that 2 way contract he earlier refused. Just because he would not accept one outright to begin with, does not mean he wont soften his stance if a better opportunity can’t be found.
Plus, as spector mentioned, we have some serious question marks as far as health goes. Patty and Tuomo have injury history, and Hot Rod may look good now, but you never know how that knee will hold up, given his age. Maybe he doesn’t get a contract to start the year, and we pick him up 10 or 12 games in when one of our top 6 blows out an ACL or gets a wicked case of Post Concussion Syndrome. I for one am happy with the current situation with O, we are not committed to him, but we have at least given him a show of good faith.

By the way, Bubba, the Goo Goo Dolls are from Buffalo – and huge Sabres fans!

Salsa, 6 pre season and Wings are 3 rd up in reg., that’s 9.

The other guy we haven’t mentioned is Williams. I think Cullen when on is in our top 5 players. If he can’t come back, man that’s gonna hurt. I’ll also be interested in what Williams brings this year.

Hell, you could say that about most of the roster. It’s gonna be neat how it shakes out.

I think we will be batting about 500 when we meet the Wings, then it will be interesting on what happens. JR knows alot of people in this league and the ‘Canes will be doing a ton of traveling. I wouldn’t be at all surprised at a road trade early in the year, say early November. Particularly if everyone is healthy. I can’t see PK carrying 50 mill and having guys sitting around.

BTW, heads up on the Staal contract, I figure that’s due very soon and will be a juicy bugger.

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Marc, like i needed ANOTHER reason to hate the goo goo dolls! =)