Bik Nizar

And...

The thing that we've talked about a lot is you want to create an environment so Zeev William, Tom Villander, and DPD, we can throw Victor Mancini in that conversation, can thrive.

And there's the veteran presence and all that.

But last year was not really a condition for those guys to consistently have success.

There may have been four or five game flashes, but it would recede.

And part of that is being a rookie.

But the environment of the defensive zone work was...

mess constantly and guys looked confused veterans looked confused Marcus Patterson especially and he's the guy I kind of want to focus on because if there is a conventional like output to the defense this year I'm not even saying they got to be top 15 or anything like that just don't just don't be a tire fire in your own end yeah don't run a fire drill

You know, that's the guy that I look at.

It's like, you looked like a 5'6 D-man last year.

But he's not.

Realistically, talent history has shown that he's not a number 5'6 D-man.

But last year, it was a very, very big struggle.

If there is just average defensive play, and he just looks back to normal Marcus Pedersen, that's the one where you start saying, okay, another veteran asset comes into the fold.

D-men always retain some value.

And that doesn't mean that a trade has to happen next year, but just to show a certain level of defensive competency again.

A, that's going to, in theory, help Philip Roenick, who's probably near the peak of his assumed value.

But Carson Soucy last year was traded for a third-round pick.

Expiring deal, different circumstances.

But just to...