Next Year's Finish (Poll)

Trotsky · February 15, 2013, 08:18:43 AM

Quick fan temperature check.

Trotsky · February 15, 2013, 08:20:48 AM

The idea of this poll is to get an idea of how fans are feeling about, paradoxically, *this* year. Is the losing streak and the poor performance an anomaly or the beginning of a slide?

Ben · February 15, 2013, 12:20:09 PM

I was very tempted to vote 12th, but because I'm pretty sure my optimism bucket will be full to the brim by next October, I went with 4th.

KeithK · February 15, 2013, 02:10:52 PM

Just curious why there is no way to just View Results without voting? I don't have a strong feeling right now but I was curious what everyone else thought. So I voted #1, thinking that might be an outlier, but either 5 other folks had the same idea or else I was misreading general fan opinion around here.

I will go out on a limb and predict that we will make the playoffs next year.

Trotsky · February 15, 2013, 02:20:51 PM

Quote from: KeithKJust curious why there is no way to just View Results without voting? I don't have a strong feeling right now but I was curious what everyone else thought. So I voted #1, thinking that might be an outlier, but either 5 other folks had the same idea or else I was misreading general fan opinion around here.

I will go out on a limb and predict that we will make the playoffs next year.

I wanted to force a "gut reaction" without the idea that this is actually a poll about interpreting the current season "infecting" the results.

(I also had the thought of excluding both the 1's and 12's as either Irrational Exuberance or trolling, but they seem to be canceling each other out.

)

In retrospect, I should have used a "Just Show Me The Answers" option.

French Rage · February 15, 2013, 03:17:44 PM

Quote from: KeithKJust curious why there is no way to just View Results without voting? I don't have a strong feeling right now but I was curious what everyone else thought. So I voted #1, thinking that might be an outlier, but either 5 other folks had the same idea or else I was misreading general fan opinion around here.

I will go out on a limb and predict that we will make the playoffs next year.

Hah, I did the exact same thing and was just about to ask myself. If I admit it, it doesn't count as woofing.

ftyuv · February 15, 2013, 07:35:16 PM

I don't mean to troll -- I really don't -- but what makes people so optimistic? The team is struggling this year despite a roster of raw talent that many thought would make them a top-tier team. What's going to change next year?

KeithK · February 15, 2013, 08:10:53 PM

Quote from: ftyuvI don't mean to troll -- I really don't -- but what makes people so optimistic? The team is struggling this year despite a roster of raw talent that many thought would make them a top-tier team. What's going to change next year?

The fact that we will still have a hell of a lot of talent on the squad next year. This isn't a team that should be 11th in the league. Will Schafer be able to get the team to live up to that talent? I don't know but it's certainly not unreasonable to think so. Or at least to hope so.

As noted above, I voted a fake #1 simply to see the results and post in this thread. I'm not sure what I really expect for next season. But I think fighting for a first round bye is a lot more likely than the cellar.

If we're having this discussion next season after another horrible second half then it'll be a different story for 2014-15.

ugarte · February 20, 2013, 11:19:07 AM

Quote from: ftyuvI don't mean to troll -- I really don't -- but what makes people so optimistic? The team is struggling this year despite a roster of raw talent that many thought would make them a top-tier team. What's going to change next year?

The team is near the bottom but the standings are (Q notwithstanding) pretty compact and the team isn't getting blown out much. Random variance can account for some of the difference between this team being in 11th instead of, say, 4th. Another year of hockey isn't going to hurt this squad.

Trotsky · February 20, 2013, 11:24:51 AM

So, with the poll closed:

141 responses, mean 4.11

Excluding the 1s and 12s:

119 responses, mean 4.12

underskill · February 20, 2013, 12:23:49 PM

but if there's some behind the scenes stuff going on, I wouldn't be shocked if we see some early departures either next year (Ferlin, Lowry, etc.)

MattS · February 20, 2013, 12:44:56 PM

Quote from: underskillbut if there's some behind the scenes stuff going on, I wouldn't be shocked if we see some early departures either next year (Ferlin, Lowry, etc.)

I have wondered about this also. I think there are two ways to look at it strictly from a hockey standpoint... First, nobody has shown this season that they are able to consistently compete at a high level thus making a jump to a more competitive situation unwise. On the other hand, since their on-ice performance and skill are not seemingly improving thus staying at a place where one is not better themselves at the game hockey is unwise. It's a tough call either way and then throw in the CU education factor....

My guess is that everyone stays.

Trotsky · February 20, 2013, 01:13:57 PM

From what (little) I've been able to piece together on the ETA of our prospects, we could be getting a significantly larger (11?!) incoming than outgoing (6 plus Omar) class. Whether that's because of anticipated defections or just poor information (i.e., several of those guys will be deferring) I can't speculate.

pfibiger · February 20, 2013, 02:49:43 PM

Quote from: TrotskyFrom what (little) I've been able to piece together on the ETA of our prospects, we could be getting a significantly larger (11?!) incoming than outgoing (6 plus Omar) class. Whether that's because of anticipated defections or just poor information (i.e., several of those guys will be deferring) I can't speculate.

Remember if you're saying 6 + Omar, it's really 6 + Omar and Marozzi and Brisson.

Two goalies out, two goalies in. If Cimetta defers (he seems most likely based on age), we bring in three defensemen (Sade, McCarron, Lewis) to replace three (Brisson, D'Agostino, Birch).

We bring in five (Buckles, Freschi, Weidner, Kubiak, Rauter) forwards to replace four (Esposito, Miller, Mihalek, Axell). Given that Schafer played Stoick at F when we were thin I wouldn't be surprised to see us add a forward overall.

So, it's a big class, but not outrageous.

Trotsky · February 20, 2013, 03:09:30 PM

Quote from: pfibigerRemember if you're saying 6 + Omar, it's really 6 + Omar and Marozzi and Brisson.

Not what I was getting at. I was trying to say that we may bring in 11 slots to replace 7 in the current configuration. I agree it would be more accurate to separate the goalies and say it's 9/2 for 6/1. Given that the C. Espo and Hogan band aids will presumably immediately drop from the roster, it's 9/2 for 7/2, a pick up of 2 slots.