Article: The Wild Would Be Wise To Keep Liam Öhgren At the Trade Deadline

[Tony Abbott]

View full article

[Citizen Strife]

Ohgren has years to figure out his shit.  Giving him up better be for someone who is effective right now, not another project like a Cozens or someone too old like a Gourde or Laughton.

Rossi didn't figure out his spot right away.  Here's hoping Ohgren manages to find a similar path to success.

[Up North Guy]

14 minutes ago, Citizen Strife said:

Rossi didn't figure out his spot right away.  Here's hoping Ohgren manages to find a similar path to success.

Neither did Ekker. It takes time and experience.

[Pewterschmidt]

I don't love or hate Ogz.  Too early to write him off but too late to call him a savior & top 6 lock.  Does he project to be just a guy?  A uninspiring middle sixer?  So far yes, and that's why he's potential trade bait at 21.

I'll say this, if he doesn't start to play a more physical game he won't even have a chance to become Nino light.  More like a slightly more skilled Greenway.

You're not 18 year old anymore young man.  Time to play a big man's NHL game or your going to get passed around the league like a joint at Burning Man. (I wanted to go with a Stillwater penetentiary joke here but it's a family show after all)

Edited 1 hour ago by Pewterschmidt

[mnfaninnc]

I agree with Tony on this, don't trade the guy. We have plenty of talent problems right now, but a 2nd problem of cap space. Anyone worth trading OgZ for is to expensive to fit into the room.

Plus, if I'm reading it right, I believe that Shooter is focusing on bringing in the '20-22 drafted players as much as possible. Trading OgZ from the "22 class would mean an upgrade in that group would be needed. 

I believe there is one more add, and that's Sturm. Big center, they know him, he can fill out that large 3rd line. He's not worth an OgZ. Shooter has been good not to trade out these guys. He traded out Hunt ('20) but got Jiricek ('22). 

I believe this is the direction we're headed.

[hydguy75]

To Owner CL:  Bring GMBG  in your office, and tell him man to man, eye to eye, that he gets a report card this year somewhere between above average and great.  Because of his success, he gets a Hall Pass for this season's playoffs.  

Let your injuries heal.  Let your young'ens develop.  Allow your team to gel.  Focus on next season.  Don't mortgage your pipeline and picks for a long shot now.  

This season is over.  It's no one's fault, pure fluke of the injury run this season.  Whether we are in or miss Round 1, don't force it.  Right now there are so many moving puzzle pieces, it's difficult to follow the daily roster let alone figure out what lines mesh well.  There isn't any shining stars carrying the load while EK and KK recover, so that is indicative of your depth.  You've had to bench a veteran, and send a few players down to Iowa.  Your team is not strong, is not well.  

Sure, when EK/KK return, as ODC says "drags you into success" the rest of the team either is not ready, or is not the right team.  We have virtually zero leverage for adding rentals to bolster a shot for playoffs.  Even if you did find the diamond in the rough, and the team starts seeing success, at what cost is giving up your '25-'30 seasons in order for a hope of a marginal '24-'25 playoff run?  Realistically, how deep do you think you can go with adding a couple of minor changes in the roster with what we have to work with right now?

After reading and participating here this season in all of this commentary and analysis, with all of the conflicting positions, reasons, and odd things this season, I am now convinced a few of our $1.7M-$7.575M players need to move out of the way and make space the roster that will win.  KK can't do it alone all season, but he dang sure tried.  He carried the team for half of a season.  With him out, it exposed what was really going on.