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The Official 2026 Off-Season Thread: Revenge of the Nerds

Anyone we draft next month won't be here until 2029 at the earliest. This is the problem with hollowing out your development system by starving it of drafted players, not giving opportunities to young guys to see what you have, etc.

In theory when it was clear we were cooked for the year, Villeneuve and even Chadwick would have gotten 30 games to see what level they're really at. The bottom of your blueline being able to competently exit their zone under control isn't as important as the top of your blueline being elite puck movers, but it's still fucking important.

But yeah, this is why I want us to swing on both Raddysh and Andersson if they both make free agency. It's the fastest way to meaningfully change the composition and skill level of our blueline. Turning around after that and trying to find a Fox or similar #1 available in trade is important, but it's outside of your control as to when they come available, if you have the assets the other team wants for them, etc.
 
Tommy Bleyl was a guy to look at but he's been getting 1st round hype lately. 20gl/140pt type pace with sexy highlights in his first year in the Q. dec 2007 baby like McKenna.

He'll probably go late 1st early 2nd, but maybe he'll drop.
 
zeke said:
Tommy Bleyl was a guy to look at but he's been getting 1st round hype lately. 20gl/140pt type pace with sexy highlights in his first year in the Q. dec 2007 baby like McKenna.

He'll probably go late 1st early 2nd, but maybe he'll drop.
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A 17 yr old swedish kid is currently breaking J-20 records for a defender. Axel Elofsson. But he's 5'11 175 so fuck him, right?
 
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CH1 said:
I doubt he survives the 2nd round, no?
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We pick 59th, and no one seems to have him ranked much higher than that. Central Scouting has him ranked 29th among EU skaters, which usually suggests 3rd round. McKeen's has him 63rd. A few services have him in the 50's.

Also, one thing Chayka has done frequently in his drafts is trade up. Our lack of picks might make him think twice on that, but who knows. He's not afraid of making decisions.
 
Feyd said:
Bunch of softball questions for the worst GM this team has had since JFJ. Waste of time.
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All of this is much easier to come to grips with when you realize that they all fucking love him. He's exactly what they think a hockey front office exec is suppose to be like. He believes the things they think makes a successful hockey team.
 
MindzEye said:
All of this is much easier to come to grips with when you realize that they all fucking love him. He's exactly what they think a hockey front office exec is suppose to be like. He believes the things they think makes a successful hockey team.
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Outside of Mike Johnson, every one of these guys is basically a moron who hates the new data driven way of building, but they are just smart enough to either pretend to like and understand it or at least not outright tear it apart
 
Chayka likely isn't fully comfortable with his scouting staff enough to trade up (I hope). It was mostly all hand picked by Treliving. I don't expect much in the draft till Chayka hires his guys. Obviously can't replace them a couple months before the draft.
 
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