I told myself last year I'd just be happy if no one got arrested and we made the playoffs, so I can't really complain about this season, but I do want to dream a little bigger now.
2) Dustin Brown has a rebound season where he at least does okay
He's been doing okay, already. His points per 60 has been almost bizarrely consistent over the last four years. Even this year when his goal-scoring went down, his assists were way up. The problem is that he's 6th/7th on the team and playing on the third line, but he's the second highest paid forward on the team. I'd love to see him be a legit top six forward again, though.
Regarding #4, I like Gravel better than Forbort. Maybe Forbort just needs to play a lot of games at the NHL level to get game up to par (it worked for McNabb, after all), but I don't see the point in trying to bring them both along when we only need one. (Well, I take that back. If — if they are planning to protect Martinez and expose McNabb, then I could see why we need both of them.) My big concern with how Sutter treats "rookies" is actually with Tanner Pearson's usage this season.
5) I hope one of them goes to the Vegas team, and not even to help our cap situation, but because I think a) Brown would be a great captain for the Vegas team and b) Gaborik would be a great mentor for the Vegas team's first draft pick. He always gets along well with the young guys whatever team he's on, and he's uniquely qualified to understand what it's like to be the rookie among a bunch of expansion rejects.
6) I've been wondering if he starts hanging out with Alec Martinez all the time in a shippy way would Martinez/Zatkoff & Wilson/Latta shippers be disappointed or just roll with it?
Re: Hopes, wishes and dreams for 16/17
2) Dustin Brown has a rebound season where he at least does okay
He's been doing okay, already. His points per 60 has been almost bizarrely consistent over the last four years. Even this year when his goal-scoring went down, his assists were way up. The problem is that he's 6th/7th on the team and playing on the third line, but he's the second highest paid forward on the team. I'd love to see him be a legit top six forward again, though.
Regarding #4, I like Gravel better than Forbort. Maybe Forbort just needs to play a lot of games at the NHL level to get game up to par (it worked for McNabb, after all), but I don't see the point in trying to bring them both along when we only need one. (Well, I take that back. If — if they are planning to protect Martinez and expose McNabb, then I could see why we need both of them.) My big concern with how Sutter treats "rookies" is actually with Tanner Pearson's usage this season.
5) I hope one of them goes to the Vegas team, and not even to help our cap situation, but because I think a) Brown would be a great captain for the Vegas team and b) Gaborik would be a great mentor for the Vegas team's first draft pick. He always gets along well with the young guys whatever team he's on, and he's uniquely qualified to understand what it's like to be the rookie among a bunch of expansion rejects.
6) I've been wondering if he starts hanging out with Alec Martinez all the time in a shippy way would Martinez/Zatkoff & Wilson/Latta shippers be disappointed or just roll with it?
7) Kopitar for Art Ross!