I'm not sure what adding Fishel would do for us tbh. Do we need a 4th (5th? 6th? based on Galeyball) 9 on the roster? Esp if Soph is back next season? Fishel isn't super tested at the pro level either, imo....beat up on small teams in Liga MX, and was kinda middling in Chelsea and then got injured. Just watched her play 2 games after being pushed back down to the U23 level and she looked almost invisible. Granted, I didn't watch *super* closely, but she was the least effective forward I saw. I don't know a whole lot about her play, but she doesn't seem to have an amazing shot/eye for goal, isn't particularly quick, and needs service. Just came off an ACL tear. Not sure if she's suited to this league or our other players. And she will cost more money than I think she's worth imo. She IS good in the air. I mean, if you can get her for a good deal, sure....but ya gotta dump some other players for that to make sense. But it just creates way more mess up top, when our coach already has no idea how to fit our pieces together now. We already have young talented projects....play Tordin or Turner. If you're gonna spend the money, get a GD high level winger! Please! And a RB! And then shed some attackers in the offseason (Deyna/Spaanstra.)
Maybe I haven't seen enough but anyone else here love Fishel and wanna tell me why?
If they did bring in Fishel, in my mind it would mean that Soph isn't coming back. And also that they are just throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks.
Totally agree. Fishel is pretty much injured Reilyn Turner with Emma Hayes propaganda. She might have been a little more dynamic pre-injury, but I've never been a huge fan.
And yes, no idea why we'd bring in another striker, even if Soph does leave.
"Injured Reilyn Turner with Emma Hayes propaganda" is exactly the best way to describe how I feel about her lmao. And her workrate sucks, iirc. Let another team absorb an overhyped expensive player plz. The biggest areas for upgrade (not including the coaching staff) imo would be RW, RB, and prob CB too since Daiane is obv a dud and Obaze is kinda hard to count on. But, getting a high-level RW would be contingent on Galeyball tactics actually utilizing wingers, so...another attacking midfielder it'll be!
I think it would be a failure to not at least get a FB loan situation or something for the rest of the season. Doesn't have to be Emily Fox, but Mallie and Torpey are not starting material. Feel like we're kinda limping into summer already with just them. Esp given Reyna has been sitting on 4 yellows lol.
Just a note to everyone to keep their fingers crossed - if Reyes can make it through this next game without a yellow, she gets one removed for good behavior.
Lets hope the news about Hanks is better than they think. She has been a real bright spot on this team, with the elite ability to get to the endline. If they ever put a striker next to her there would be some goals getting scored!
Yeah, I've seen tons of players play with wrist splints. I'm not sure why a hand/wrist injury would keep her out tbh, unless I'm just missing something. I've played with a wrist splint before.
Apparently Tordin and Turner can score goals. Who knew?!
There's a problem with having all of Moultrie, Hina, Fleming, and Deyna all vying for those 8/10 slots. In a league with different salary and roster cap rules, this might not be as much of an issue. Having that kind of depth is great. Deyna is apparently better statistically in terms of chance creation than my eyeball test would indicate but she's not lighting up the scoreboard. In my mind, Moultrie and Hina are the clear 10 and 8 above Coffey at 6 in our midfield, if they are present and healthy. I'd rather play Fleming or Hina on the wing than Moultrie if we're going to force 3 of 4 of them onto the pitch at the same time but, if everyone is present and healthy, the top 3 should be Hanks, Tordin, and Alidou, with Linnehan and Turner off the bench on the left and up top. It isn't as obvious to me who should be first off the bench on the left. Fleming and maybe Deyna could play for Moultrie and Hina if they aren't available or in desperate rotation. I don't know why we're still fiddling with the line-up at this point.
I hope Hanks isn't too injured. Perhaps this would be an opportunity to play a 4-2-2 diamond to get more of those midfielders on the pitch and play Turner up top with Tordin or maybe Alidou.
That right back spot and lack of depth at fullback overall is a problem. I don't know how much we should invest there if we assume Müller is coming back. Maybe a loan with an option to buy? Torpey is only under contract through the end of this season so we could make a longer-term signing. It isn't clear to me what the plans for McKenzie are. I suppose it's unknown whether Obaze and Payne return. Daiane continues to be a mystery and we haven't seen much of Kelly. Hiatt has had some big blunders but I suspect that's more organizational and systemic than entirely on her. Perry has looked pretty complete for a rookie but I assume she's got a higher ceiling, which is exciting. As much as I've liked most of the signings since Agoos, I'm still nervous about whether we'll make the right moves or Rob will muck things up.
While I appreciate the optics of injuries and the youth of the squad, I don't like the narrative that this is a "rebuilding" year. This is a squad that, despite those things, should be more competitive than we've been based on personnel. The rebuilding should be the front office and some of the coaching staff.
I assume Wilson will leave for Colorado. Maybe that's just managing expectations. "She wouldn't have to go there right away." Why wouldn't she? Inaugural season is symbolic and Colorado would also want to factor her into their salary cap ASAP. Thorns aren't making a compelling case for her to stay and the supporters can only do so much. I'm mentally and emotionally prepared for her departure and wouldn't blame her at all. As well as Tordin has been playing and with Turner and Alidou as options for two up top, I don't see a lot of urgency to spend big on a 9, especially if Sophia ends up staying (which we should know before we pull the trigger on another forward). This is to say nothing of Rob's efforts to make Deyna a forward.
Again, the problems are mostly Gale and probably Norris. The players are saving their jobs so far. They deserve better.
Roster construction in the midfield has been baffling. Add in the problem of international play and the team gets hamstrung during absences. To me the odd person out is Castellanos, as she isn't producing nor is the team notably better when she is on the pitch. But I suppose the team could move on from Fleming or Moultre? Those aren't ideal choices either, but if the team really believes in Castellanos then the other two would be the choice to move.
I expect Fleming to find greener pastures. She should have better opportunities elsewhere. No hard feelings.
We’ll need to give up on Deyna if she doesn’t produce.
We kind of strung Moultrie along while Sinc was here and Rob keeps playing her out of position, so I wouldn’t begrudge her wanting to go elsewhere, but we should try to keep her.
Again, given that Gale doesn’t seem to like wingers or know how to use them, it’s baffling to me that we don’t use a 4-4-2 diamond with Hina, Moultrie, Fleming and Coffey. I’d prefer Tordin and Alidou up too but Turner and Deyna could rotate on there too. Turner’s speed and height, to say nothing if her finishing, is an asset off the bench or starting on some cases. We’d need the fullbacks to provide width though and I’m not sure Reyna and, especially, Torpey, are up for that. I’m not confident enough in Sam’s pace or the consistency of our backline to cover things defensively but Fleming and Hina are both great on both sides of the ball. If Torpey stays back, we could play something of a three back with Reyna and Fleming as wingbacks?
I don’t like how some of the newer or younger players aren’t getting many minutes. I know they have to earn it but it feels like we are wasting Spaanstra, Hirst, McKenzie, Boeckner, and others on sorry I’m not remembering right now.
It’s very frustrating how much we rest on our Laurels and lean on our infrastructure abs support to attract and retain players. Portland has great things but the coaching is a real drag. Players want to improve their skills, compete, and win. Thorns are a mess on the field and it’s mostly the talent of the players holding it together. They deserve better.
If Hanks is out for any period of time, shifting to a 4-4-2 would make sense. Get both Turner and Tordin up front and see what they can do. The problem is it is a very different formation, and while Alidou can play as a 9, that is pretty much it for the forwards. In my opinion, neither Linnehan nor Spaanstra are strikers nor are they starters, so we remove them from the equation of the formation. Not a huge loss with Spaantra as I see her as pure depth, but Linnehan is a rotation player who (at some point) could become a useful starter.
The formation does help to deal with the logjam of midfielders, as it puts a 4th on the field. The problem with that is we haven't seen four midfielders be effective in the past couple of years. Fortunately we have Chicago coming in, and then a nice long break to make some adjustments. My best approach right now would be to stick with the current formation, play Linnehan in Hanks spot and if everyone else is doing well keep the lineup from the Washington game (possibly replace Torpey with Mackenzie and get Perry in). The team needs some consistency, and we are sitting 5th in the NWSL. As fans we see the warts, especially compared to the Shield winning teams but the team isn't a train wreck right now.
Yes, the only reasons to go with a 4-4-2 is to get certain players on the pitch in their best positions. I agree with you about the limitations. It's wild to have so many wingers and central midfielders when Rob doesn't know what to do with them. We definitely need to settle on a formation and starting eleven this deep into the season.
Seems like there is encouraging news on social media about Hanks but no announcement until tomorrow.
Interesting note Phuoc dropped in regarding his thoughts on if Soph re-signs, there's a decent chance that it could only be for an additional season. Not sure if that's sourced or just a gut feeling, but I'm firmly in the "thanks but no thanks" category if that's the situation. This is no shot at Soph whatsoever, but I'd like to see the team build around stars who are committed to being here long term, and the year-to-year merry go round ain't it for me.
Regarding transfers: Signing a nine --or really any other attacker-- would be an extremely strange and possibly desperate move. Unless it's a high high high level international (not Mia Fishel) figure out the Soph situation, give Tordin minutes, and figure it out in the offseason. Sign a FB so we don't need to see Torpey play any more minutes and leave it at that.
Also, a little confused on the "we don't have a dynamic player leading the charge in attack but also it's not the players' fault, we have a great squad" conversation....mostly because we *do* have that player (Hanks is already a top five winger in the league by both the eye test and the metrics) but also because it seems to imply that a Banda-level star would paper over the cracks,and we saw with Soph that a top player does not, in fact, paper over the cracks.
Yes, I want people here for the long haul. Whatever one might think about how long Sinc continued on here, she made it clear that Portland was a destination and place to build a life. So too have players like Pinoe and Fishlock in Seattle, and Marta in Orlando.
I don't think Portland can climb back to the top tier without a lot of depth of quality and versatility. That's what KC have, and that's what it will take to knock off KC. We need Soph and Coffey to return, and to make Portland be the place to be again the way that it once was.
It's absolutely a viable position to take from a team building perspective when you're spending roughly 30% of your salary cap on one player. Not only that, I'd argue that it's absolutely crucial to do that kind of advance planning if you want to be a competent front office.
I'm not saying I'll be *upset* if she triggers her option without extending --I want her here as long as possible as a fan of the team-- but having to deal with another "will she won't she" for the third year running while also having to manage Tordin and Turner's growth as young players is suboptimal, especially given we don't know when she will be able to return. I'm all for giving players grace and agree that she's earned it, but there are other important knock-on effects, including on a number of young players. Ultimately, it's not about "giving leeway," though: They gave her a player option so the ball is entirely in her court. Just saying how I'd feel if I was GM.
(Fwiw, I think that she'll either re-sign and extend for more years, or leave in the offseason. I just reference it because Phuoc spoke briefly on it in the pod)
I agree. That doesn't mean that it's not a major consideration if you're building a roster. This isn't just about you or me wanting to watch her play every week, it's about the people that have to structure a roster build around her and the players that might be here for more than one more year who could lose opportunity.
Yes, and if she re-signs for multiple years, that's great. If we get a half year of her post-pregnancy and then she heads off to Denver......less great. This is why teams typically want their best players on multi-year deals. Hard to build a championship team if you don't know where your star's head is at year to year.
(And, to be clear, it's up to the org to convince her to commit. Not her fault if she's not sure where she wants to be)
Per the availability report, Arnold still out and no questionables so Hanks presumably good to go even one-handed.
For Spirit, Hatch out with back and Wiesener with hip, also no questionalbles. Hatch has been carrying the load with no Rodman but they still have weapons galore.
ETA win and you're in 5th place. Lose and you're #7 in front of FOUR teams one point behind. LFG.
And I'm a believer that in a 16-team league (which likely means going to a 30-match regular season), with the rate of injuries, the amount of international duty, the increasing investments being made, the fact that players may want to have children during their playing careers, etc., it will be increasingly important to have depth of quality, shorten minutes, and rotate rosters. My view is that if you can keep Wilson, Turner, and Tordin happy, you keep all of them!
I'm not sure what adding Fishel would do for us tbh. Do we need a 4th (5th? 6th? based on Galeyball) 9 on the roster? Esp if Soph is back next season? Fishel isn't super tested at the pro level either, imo....beat up on small teams in Liga MX, and was kinda middling in Chelsea and then got injured. Just watched her play 2 games after being pushed back down to the U23 level and she looked almost invisible. Granted, I didn't watch *super* closely, but she was the least effective forward I saw. I don't know a whole lot about her play, but she doesn't seem to have an amazing shot/eye for goal, isn't particularly quick, and needs service. Just came off an ACL tear. Not sure if she's suited to this league or our other players. And she will cost more money than I think she's worth imo. She IS good in the air. I mean, if you can get her for a good deal, sure....but ya gotta dump some other players for that to make sense. But it just creates way more mess up top, when our coach already has no idea how to fit our pieces together now. We already have young talented projects....play Tordin or Turner. If you're gonna spend the money, get a GD high level winger! Please! And a RB! And then shed some attackers in the offseason (Deyna/Spaanstra.)
Maybe I haven't seen enough but anyone else here love Fishel and wanna tell me why?
If they did bring in Fishel, in my mind it would mean that Soph isn't coming back. And also that they are just throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks.
Totally agree. Fishel is pretty much injured Reilyn Turner with Emma Hayes propaganda. She might have been a little more dynamic pre-injury, but I've never been a huge fan.
And yes, no idea why we'd bring in another striker, even if Soph does leave.
"Injured Reilyn Turner with Emma Hayes propaganda" is exactly the best way to describe how I feel about her lmao. And her workrate sucks, iirc. Let another team absorb an overhyped expensive player plz. The biggest areas for upgrade (not including the coaching staff) imo would be RW, RB, and prob CB too since Daiane is obv a dud and Obaze is kinda hard to count on. But, getting a high-level RW would be contingent on Galeyball tactics actually utilizing wingers, so...another attacking midfielder it'll be!
I think it would be a failure to not at least get a FB loan situation or something for the rest of the season. Doesn't have to be Emily Fox, but Mallie and Torpey are not starting material. Feel like we're kinda limping into summer already with just them. Esp given Reyna has been sitting on 4 yellows lol.
Just a note to everyone to keep their fingers crossed - if Reyes can make it through this next game without a yellow, she gets one removed for good behavior.
Yeah, that's great news. I like that they've implemented this new system with players being able to work down their yellows.
Reyna keeping a clean sheet against the likes of Kouassi, Monday, Bethune, ect...seems difficult, but let's hope so because the alternative is rough.
I agree on Fishel, wasn’t super impressed even before her injury.
I imagine Fishel goes to Orlando now.
Lets hope the news about Hanks is better than they think. She has been a real bright spot on this team, with the elite ability to get to the endline. If they ever put a striker next to her there would be some goals getting scored!
Yeah, I've seen tons of players play with wrist splints. I'm not sure why a hand/wrist injury would keep her out tbh, unless I'm just missing something. I've played with a wrist splint before.
First, thank you for addressing the timing of Sam’s extension and calming the comment chaos ✌️
Second, Rocky said that they bet our Thorns’ lineup wins a lot of matches on FIFA (FC25). I can confirm that is true 😁
Appreciate you- SF 🌹❤️
Apparently Tordin and Turner can score goals. Who knew?!
There's a problem with having all of Moultrie, Hina, Fleming, and Deyna all vying for those 8/10 slots. In a league with different salary and roster cap rules, this might not be as much of an issue. Having that kind of depth is great. Deyna is apparently better statistically in terms of chance creation than my eyeball test would indicate but she's not lighting up the scoreboard. In my mind, Moultrie and Hina are the clear 10 and 8 above Coffey at 6 in our midfield, if they are present and healthy. I'd rather play Fleming or Hina on the wing than Moultrie if we're going to force 3 of 4 of them onto the pitch at the same time but, if everyone is present and healthy, the top 3 should be Hanks, Tordin, and Alidou, with Linnehan and Turner off the bench on the left and up top. It isn't as obvious to me who should be first off the bench on the left. Fleming and maybe Deyna could play for Moultrie and Hina if they aren't available or in desperate rotation. I don't know why we're still fiddling with the line-up at this point.
I hope Hanks isn't too injured. Perhaps this would be an opportunity to play a 4-2-2 diamond to get more of those midfielders on the pitch and play Turner up top with Tordin or maybe Alidou.
That right back spot and lack of depth at fullback overall is a problem. I don't know how much we should invest there if we assume Müller is coming back. Maybe a loan with an option to buy? Torpey is only under contract through the end of this season so we could make a longer-term signing. It isn't clear to me what the plans for McKenzie are. I suppose it's unknown whether Obaze and Payne return. Daiane continues to be a mystery and we haven't seen much of Kelly. Hiatt has had some big blunders but I suspect that's more organizational and systemic than entirely on her. Perry has looked pretty complete for a rookie but I assume she's got a higher ceiling, which is exciting. As much as I've liked most of the signings since Agoos, I'm still nervous about whether we'll make the right moves or Rob will muck things up.
While I appreciate the optics of injuries and the youth of the squad, I don't like the narrative that this is a "rebuilding" year. This is a squad that, despite those things, should be more competitive than we've been based on personnel. The rebuilding should be the front office and some of the coaching staff.
I assume Wilson will leave for Colorado. Maybe that's just managing expectations. "She wouldn't have to go there right away." Why wouldn't she? Inaugural season is symbolic and Colorado would also want to factor her into their salary cap ASAP. Thorns aren't making a compelling case for her to stay and the supporters can only do so much. I'm mentally and emotionally prepared for her departure and wouldn't blame her at all. As well as Tordin has been playing and with Turner and Alidou as options for two up top, I don't see a lot of urgency to spend big on a 9, especially if Sophia ends up staying (which we should know before we pull the trigger on another forward). This is to say nothing of Rob's efforts to make Deyna a forward.
Again, the problems are mostly Gale and probably Norris. The players are saving their jobs so far. They deserve better.
Roster construction in the midfield has been baffling. Add in the problem of international play and the team gets hamstrung during absences. To me the odd person out is Castellanos, as she isn't producing nor is the team notably better when she is on the pitch. But I suppose the team could move on from Fleming or Moultre? Those aren't ideal choices either, but if the team really believes in Castellanos then the other two would be the choice to move.
I expect Fleming to find greener pastures. She should have better opportunities elsewhere. No hard feelings.
We’ll need to give up on Deyna if she doesn’t produce.
We kind of strung Moultrie along while Sinc was here and Rob keeps playing her out of position, so I wouldn’t begrudge her wanting to go elsewhere, but we should try to keep her.
Again, given that Gale doesn’t seem to like wingers or know how to use them, it’s baffling to me that we don’t use a 4-4-2 diamond with Hina, Moultrie, Fleming and Coffey. I’d prefer Tordin and Alidou up too but Turner and Deyna could rotate on there too. Turner’s speed and height, to say nothing if her finishing, is an asset off the bench or starting on some cases. We’d need the fullbacks to provide width though and I’m not sure Reyna and, especially, Torpey, are up for that. I’m not confident enough in Sam’s pace or the consistency of our backline to cover things defensively but Fleming and Hina are both great on both sides of the ball. If Torpey stays back, we could play something of a three back with Reyna and Fleming as wingbacks?
I don’t like how some of the newer or younger players aren’t getting many minutes. I know they have to earn it but it feels like we are wasting Spaanstra, Hirst, McKenzie, Boeckner, and others on sorry I’m not remembering right now.
It’s very frustrating how much we rest on our Laurels and lean on our infrastructure abs support to attract and retain players. Portland has great things but the coaching is a real drag. Players want to improve their skills, compete, and win. Thorns are a mess on the field and it’s mostly the talent of the players holding it together. They deserve better.
If Hanks is out for any period of time, shifting to a 4-4-2 would make sense. Get both Turner and Tordin up front and see what they can do. The problem is it is a very different formation, and while Alidou can play as a 9, that is pretty much it for the forwards. In my opinion, neither Linnehan nor Spaanstra are strikers nor are they starters, so we remove them from the equation of the formation. Not a huge loss with Spaantra as I see her as pure depth, but Linnehan is a rotation player who (at some point) could become a useful starter.
The formation does help to deal with the logjam of midfielders, as it puts a 4th on the field. The problem with that is we haven't seen four midfielders be effective in the past couple of years. Fortunately we have Chicago coming in, and then a nice long break to make some adjustments. My best approach right now would be to stick with the current formation, play Linnehan in Hanks spot and if everyone else is doing well keep the lineup from the Washington game (possibly replace Torpey with Mackenzie and get Perry in). The team needs some consistency, and we are sitting 5th in the NWSL. As fans we see the warts, especially compared to the Shield winning teams but the team isn't a train wreck right now.
Yes, the only reasons to go with a 4-4-2 is to get certain players on the pitch in their best positions. I agree with you about the limitations. It's wild to have so many wingers and central midfielders when Rob doesn't know what to do with them. We definitely need to settle on a formation and starting eleven this deep into the season.
Seems like there is encouraging news on social media about Hanks but no announcement until tomorrow.
Interesting note Phuoc dropped in regarding his thoughts on if Soph re-signs, there's a decent chance that it could only be for an additional season. Not sure if that's sourced or just a gut feeling, but I'm firmly in the "thanks but no thanks" category if that's the situation. This is no shot at Soph whatsoever, but I'd like to see the team build around stars who are committed to being here long term, and the year-to-year merry go round ain't it for me.
Regarding transfers: Signing a nine --or really any other attacker-- would be an extremely strange and possibly desperate move. Unless it's a high high high level international (not Mia Fishel) figure out the Soph situation, give Tordin minutes, and figure it out in the offseason. Sign a FB so we don't need to see Torpey play any more minutes and leave it at that.
Also, a little confused on the "we don't have a dynamic player leading the charge in attack but also it's not the players' fault, we have a great squad" conversation....mostly because we *do* have that player (Hanks is already a top five winger in the league by both the eye test and the metrics) but also because it seems to imply that a Banda-level star would paper over the cracks,and we saw with Soph that a top player does not, in fact, paper over the cracks.
Which is why I am terrified that Hanks is going to be out for a long time... and why I have no idea why she played on Sunday.
Hanks already elite and, with health, will only get better, both ways.
Well her injuries were completely unrelated tbf. She came in with a wrist injury and injured her knee.
I know. I just think maybe give her a rest. This is a rebuild year.
Yes, I want people here for the long haul. Whatever one might think about how long Sinc continued on here, she made it clear that Portland was a destination and place to build a life. So too have players like Pinoe and Fishlock in Seattle, and Marta in Orlando.
I don't think Portland can climb back to the top tier without a lot of depth of quality and versatility. That's what KC have, and that's what it will take to knock off KC. We need Soph and Coffey to return, and to make Portland be the place to be again the way that it once was.
i assume it'd be an extra year on top of the option, which I guess is fine, but if it's just converting next year's option, yeah no thanks
I think Phuoc mentioned just through '26 on the option.
I think her taking the option is quite likely, it means her return is financially covered and she doesn’t have to worry about it.
It's absolutely a viable position to take from a team building perspective when you're spending roughly 30% of your salary cap on one player. Not only that, I'd argue that it's absolutely crucial to do that kind of advance planning if you want to be a competent front office.
I'm not saying I'll be *upset* if she triggers her option without extending --I want her here as long as possible as a fan of the team-- but having to deal with another "will she won't she" for the third year running while also having to manage Tordin and Turner's growth as young players is suboptimal, especially given we don't know when she will be able to return. I'm all for giving players grace and agree that she's earned it, but there are other important knock-on effects, including on a number of young players. Ultimately, it's not about "giving leeway," though: They gave her a player option so the ball is entirely in her court. Just saying how I'd feel if I was GM.
(Fwiw, I think that she'll either re-sign and extend for more years, or leave in the offseason. I just reference it because Phuoc spoke briefly on it in the pod)
I agree. That doesn't mean that it's not a major consideration if you're building a roster. This isn't just about you or me wanting to watch her play every week, it's about the people that have to structure a roster build around her and the players that might be here for more than one more year who could lose opportunity.
Yes, and if she re-signs for multiple years, that's great. If we get a half year of her post-pregnancy and then she heads off to Denver......less great. This is why teams typically want their best players on multi-year deals. Hard to build a championship team if you don't know where your star's head is at year to year.
(And, to be clear, it's up to the org to convince her to commit. Not her fault if she's not sure where she wants to be)
Per the availability report, Arnold still out and no questionables so Hanks presumably good to go even one-handed.
For Spirit, Hatch out with back and Wiesener with hip, also no questionalbles. Hatch has been carrying the load with no Rodman but they still have weapons galore.
ETA win and you're in 5th place. Lose and you're #7 in front of FOUR teams one point behind. LFG.
Hubs has her hundredth match tonight. Bay holding Pride scoreless so maybe last week wasn't a fluke.
And I'm a believer that in a 16-team league (which likely means going to a 30-match regular season), with the rate of injuries, the amount of international duty, the increasing investments being made, the fact that players may want to have children during their playing careers, etc., it will be increasingly important to have depth of quality, shorten minutes, and rotate rosters. My view is that if you can keep Wilson, Turner, and Tordin happy, you keep all of them!