The Roster – Grier Style
September 24th, 2007, 2:29 pm
Well, great minds think alike Mikey. I happen to agree with almost all your roster predictions with a few possible exceptions.
I think Torrey Mitchell makes the big club this year. He is this seasons Vlasic story, the kid who came out of nowhere to grab a spot on the big club. Even if he only plays 50 games, Roenick and Brown will both need several nights off, especially on back to backs. He is an impact player, Mark Smith with much more skill and I see him as a staple in Teal for the next few years.
Bernier should be traded. His value is still high now but we currently have no roster spot for him and the Sharks are not in a position to wait and see if a player is going to pan out. Clowe, Pavelski, Setoguchi, Goc and, in my opinion, Torrey Mitchell, have all passed him on the depth chart. He is the odd man out and Doug Wilson could still get some value for him. If we let him sit as a healthy scratch, his value declines and the Sharks leverage declines. He is our best trading piece to get a potential impact veteran D-man to upgrade the #6 spot. I like Murray, but he is a #7 guy in my opinion.
Let me preface this by saying, I’m not a fan of Semenov, as you already know but I think the Sharks go with Semenov and cut ties with Ozolinsh….for now. If Sandis doesn’t catch on with another team, or if he is willing to start the year at Worcester against live competition, he could be in a Sharks uniform sometime this Fall if someone gets hurt.
Here is my opening night roster and projected lines.
Clowe-Thornton-Cheechoo
Michalek-Marleau-Setoguchi
Grier-Roenick-Pavelski
Rismiller-Brown-Goc
McLaren, Rivet, Carle, Vlasic, Ehrhoff, Murray (unless Bernier is traded for D-man)
SCRATCHES: Rob Davison (wing/D), Semenov (D), Mitchell (F/C)
TRADED: Bernier for defensemen or goaltending depth.
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Considering the fact that Bernier has played so poorly yet they have made no move to trade him do date, do you think he could be playing with a nagging injury? It almost makes no sense that he has put in such a piss poor effort this offseason, especially if he is watching the younger guys kick ass every night. My prediction to start the season (being good friends with Doug Wilson): Bernier gets Guch’s starting spot (Guch is a scratch), Oz is in the 6th D spot (w/ Murray and Davison scratch), and Patz backs up Nabby. Second prediction: blockbuster move by DW before the break for a monster defenseman (we lose a young gun and a prospect.) 3rd prediction: Cheech gets 35+ goals on a line with Joe/Clowe, with Clowe watching his back. By the way, Grier, you suck at Fantasy Football.
I fully agree that Bernier has to prove he belongs on a scoring line, and do so consistently. The kids are breathing down his neck.
But let’s not get too carried away by the new puppies in the room. Bernier has, at times, looked unstoppable, like Jarome Igninla. He’s also looked like Igninla before he put all the tools together in Calgary: ineffective and soft.
Setoguchi and Mitchell haven’t proven they can play 82 games against NHL competition yet, and have less experience doing so than Bernier. Simply put, we don’t know if they will be able to consistently perform any better right now.
But, the point remains. Bernier has to rise to the challenge.