I noticed this Burke quote from the article verses battles for the center position this year..
Doesn't leave the impression that Tyler Bozak is seriously being considered for a center spot at this point entering camp..
Burke named 5 centers above and said one of those might be in the pressbox with him, implying the 4 other spots will be the remaining ones listed.
With Wallin likely the 3rd line checking center, and Primeau that big physical 4th line center in Burke's top 6 bottom 6 group build.. With Grabovski resigned to a new 3 year deal he is likely to be one of the centers in the top 6 .. That leaves Mitchell competing with Stajan for that other spot..IMO
I wonder if they are thinking of playing Bozak on the wing. Does anyone know if he has played on the wing.
I noticed this Burke quote from the article verses battles for the center position this year...
Doesn't leave the impression that Tyler Bozak is seriously being considered for a center spot at this point entering camp..
Burke named 5 centers above and said one of those might be in the pressbox with him, implying the 4 other spots will be the remaining ones listed.
With Wallin likely the 3rd line checking center, and Primeau that big physical 4th line center in Burke's top 6 bottom 6 group build.. With Grabovski resigned to a new 3 year deal he is likely to be one of the centers in the top 6 .. That leaves Mitchell competing with Stajan for that other spot..IMO
I'm not convinced Wallin wins a spot, actually -- I know what they're looking for from him, but he's really an unproven commodity for now. If he does, however, I see no problem with moving Mitchell to the wing on that line - Mitchell needs to work on his foot speed and all-around play, but he's a good, feisty guy to go into the corners and muck the puck... and it's always a good idea to have someone else who can take faceoffs on a checking line in case your pivot gets tossed.
I wonder if they are thinking of playing Bozak on the wing. Does anyone know if he has played on the wing.
I hope Mitchell makes it over Stajan.
Not happening. Stajan was our best centerman last season.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mess
Doesn't leave the impression that Tyler Bozak is seriously being considered for a center spot at this point entering camp..
Burke named 5 centers above and said one of those might be in the pressbox with him, implying the 4 other spots will be the remaining ones listed.
With Wallin likely the 3rd line checking center, and Primeau that big physical 4th line center in Burke's top 6 bottom 6 group build.. With Grabovski resigned to a new 3 year deal he is likely to be one of the centers in the top 6 .. That leaves Mitchell competing with Stajan for that other spot..IMO
Common Mess. Your looking way to far into some dumb little quote.
A couple of months ago Burke mentioned Grabovski, Mitchell, Bozak for centerman and forgot Stajan.... People thought that meant that Stajan was gone for sure ...
Your doing the exact same thing here with Bozak..... I can almost garuntee you that if you were doing an interview with 20 people right in your face, that you'd forget a player or two from time to time.
"You look at the centre position. You got Mitchell, you've got Stajan, you've got Primeau, you've got (Rickard) Wallin, you've got Grabovski. That, you're going to have to sort out. You look at the list of centres, it means someone is going to be sitting next to me (in the press box) on opening night."
I find it interesting Bozak's name wasn't mentioned in that list of centers.
I find it interesting Bozak's name wasn't mentioned in that list of centers.
Obviously the rookie is going to have to work his way on the team. Strong camp and someone ahead of him could see themselves off the roster. Nothing handed to players anymore.
I find it interesting Bozak's name wasn't mentioned in that list of centers.
My Response to Mess... would apply here.
Quote:
A couple of months ago Burke mentioned Grabovski, Mitchell, Bozak for centerman and forgot Stajan.... People thought that meant that Stajan was gone for sure ...
Your doing the exact same thing here with Bozak..... I can almost garuntee you that if you were doing an interview with 20 people right in your face, that you'd forget a player or two from time to time.
Burke didn't forget them, he mentioned the young players a few paragraphs later ..
Quote:
Burke is excited to see the new Leafs kids -- Gustavsson, 2009 first draft pick Nazem Kadri, free agent signings Christian Hanson, Tyler Bozak and Robert Slaney and big winger Viktor Stalberg, a sixth round pick in 2006 who has spent the past three years at the University of Vermont.
"That's a critical factor for us. We need that pressure from below. We need people pushing for jobs. If you don't have that, you don't have desperation. We need that to get to the next level."
Burke calls it pressure from below to bring out the best in those competing for jobs now.. He didn't however include them in the discussion for realistic jobs at center when he listed the others. "Below" implies that the kids are further down the depth chart.
Now its possible that one of the kids surprises, has a great camp and unseats a regular, but my point was that from Burke's comment earlier that is not the expectation at this point as he listed the 5 players he sees competing for the 4 center spots on the roster.
Good article... my favourite part though was this:
Quote:
He counted 28 players working out in mid-July and Burke pulled a veteran aside and asked him how many would have been in the weight room a year ago last summer. The answer: Five.
Just goes to show how the mentality has changed in our locker room and its exactly what we need. So impressed with Burkie and his team right now...
Burke didn't forget them, he mentioned the young players a few paragraphs later ..
Burke calls it pressure from below to bring out the best in those competing for jobs now.. He didn't however include them in the discussion for realistic jobs at center when he listed the others. "Below" implies that the kids are further down the depth chart.
Now its possible that one of the kids surprises, has a great camp and unseats a regular, but my point was that from Burke's comment earlier that is not the expectation at this point as he listed the 5 players he sees competing for the 4 center spots on the roster.
Nothing happens until camp. Likely Bozak starts with the Marlies anyways. Doesn't mean he finds his way on the team 5 games in when someone gets injured. I would probably put Mitchell on the 3rd line before Wallin. Wallin is interesting though, there is no way to tell what he is capable of contributing really. This could very well be the "breakout" year he never got the chance to have. Realistically, I don't know his game, but I prefer Mitchell based on already seeing his effort and flashes of skill.
Burke didn't forget them, he mentioned the young players a few paragraphs later ..
Burke calls it pressure from below to bring out the best in those competing for jobs now.. He didn't however include them in the discussion for realistic jobs at center when he listed the others. "Below" implies that the kids are further down the depth chart.
Now its possible that one of the kids surprises, has a great camp and unseats a regular, but my point was that from Burke's comment earlier that is not the expectation at this point as he listed the 5 players he sees competing for the 4 center spots on the roster.
Your still thinking too much..... He never quoted Bozak being part of Below... your saying that. He listed five players for four spots... He simply forgot to name Bozak in his list... an honest mistake.
Nothing happens until camp. Likely Bozak starts with the Marlies anyways. Doesn't mean he finds his way on the team 5 games in when someone gets injured. I would probably put Mitchell on the 3rd line before Wallin. Wallin is interesting though, there is no way to tell what he is capable of contributing really. This could very well be the "breakout" year he never got the chance to have. Realistically, I don't know his game, but I prefer Mitchell based on already seeing his effort and flashes of skill.
Thats just it though... Both Mitchell and Wallin can play wing... so why not:
Blake-Stajan-Tlusty
Poni-Grabo-Kulemin Mitchell-Wallin-Hagman
Mayers-Primeau-Orr
????
From what I understand, Wallin is good at faceoffs.... Mitchell... not so much.
"He counted 28 players working out in mid-July and Burke pulled a veteran aside and asked him how many would have been in the weight room a year ago last summer. The
answer: Five."
I absolutely love it. This is the difference between a winning team and an also-ran. Dedication to get better even when you've arrived.
P.S. I remember hearing that John Mitchell was one of the 5 last summer. Maybe the difference between where his career turned last season and being in the same boat as Jeremy Williams and Justin Pogge.
"He counted 28 players working out in mid-July and Burke pulled a veteran aside and asked him how many would have been in the weight room a year ago last summer. The
answer: Five."
I absolutely love it. This is the difference between a winning team and an also-ran. Dedication to get better even when you've arrived.
P.S. I remember hearing that John Mitchell was one of the 5 last summer. Maybe the difference between where his career turned last season and being in the same boat as Jeremy Williams and Justin Pogge.
That plus Williams and Pogge are apparently the epitome of carrying a sense of entitlement with them. Carrying it right to the AHL and below.
28 of 50 or so, assuming the overseas guys are home.......still really good for mid-July. Maybe more important than the actual preparation physically is the camaraderie element that will come from this. Lots of new guys on the team, good that they are getting familiar prior to camp.
One thing that I'm particularly happy with other than the obvious stuff about there being 28 players in the weight room is that Burke isn't afraid to send down players on 1 way contracts if he needs to to open up a spot for a better player on the roster, or rather someone who was earned it.
Burke didn't forget them, he mentioned the young players a few paragraphs later ..
Burke calls it pressure from below to bring out the best in those competing for jobs now.. He didn't however include them in the discussion for realistic jobs at center when he listed the others. "Below" implies that the kids are further down the depth chart.
Now its possible that one of the kids surprises, has a great camp and unseats a regular, but my point was that from Burke's comment earlier that is not the expectation at this point as he listed the 5 players he sees competing for the 4 center spots on the roster.
Could be just a reassuring pat on the back for Primeau and Wallin. I could see both these guys getting smoked in training camp by more talented players and never playing a game. Primeau hasn't been productive even by his standards for a couple of years and Wallin is a definite question mark. I think BB is trying to keep his forwards happy because he knows he might have to play with the bunch he's got. He has already called the whole team out with the remarks about sending one way guys down to the Marlies.
No such positive comments required for the kids because they know they are on the bubble already.
Poni, Blake, Kuliman, Stempniak, Hagman, Mayers and maybe Whitey. Seven guys for six spots without considering Tlusty, Stalberg, Bozak, Hanson or Orr. Who BB lists in his depth charts today might not mean very much if he seriously means to start the season with the best players out of camp.
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