For a guy who was top 5 in faceoffs last year. I think he could be a very realistic replacement for Nichol. He would sign for cheap, most likely around 1mill or less.
He could also provide that sandpaper type edge we need with Eager signing in Edmonton.
Come on DW bring in Z!
Thoughts?
Well that's true, but I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with? The guy fights anyone and everyone he skates against. and he's not great at it either. As his Shelley-like face exhibits.
Gilles just took the heat off Konopka, because he's even more crazy.
The Isles were the Charleston Chiefs of 10-11.
this post is great. I lol'd. I would love konopka but i didnt know he had a couple screws loose. If he can fix his act i think he would be a great addition.
He takes a lot of dumb penalties like Eager and isn't that great a player. The faceoff ability isn't worth the drawbacks.
Before we signed Nichol, he was also known to pick up dumb penalties. Having that faceoff role player is important, and you can't just assume a Konopka signing is going to end up hurting the Sharks.
Eager's impact was foreseeable, because he was brought in here to hit people. If Konopka is leaned on for a more specific defensive role, I don't see a problem.
Been saying for weeks now that I expect DW to sign him, and I still stick to that (unless he signed already).
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2011: Outcoached by Vigneault. 2012: Outcoached all season and postseason by Hitch.
2013: Outcoached by most coaches in the NHL. Who's left? 12 year olds on Xbox Live? SACK T-MAC NOW
I support the addition of some more grit, someone to take the fighting duties off of Clowe's shoulders, he's too skilled to be risking injury. Only time I want to see him drop the gloves next year is against #16 when we play the Wild
I posted this in the other thread too, I say no because he had 29 minor penalties last season(or 58 pims), compare that to 23 by eager( 12 minor pims less than konopka is actually a pretty steep difference) and 17 by mayers. Minor penalties almost always put your team shorthanded unless they're matching roughing calls or something.
The point is konopka is even more undisciplined than eager, and I thought eager was pretty undisciplined last season even before the playoff drama. There's no way konopka could even think about playing a game in the playoffs, so why bother? Just get guys who can help you win a cup, **** the rest this isn't slapshot we're watching.
At least 10 of those minor penalties were off-setting and 2 more of them were instigators. So in 82 games he took 19 minor penalties that left the team shorthanded. That's not too bad and it shouldn't detract from everything else he would bring to the team.
He's exactly the sort of guy who isn't going to see any playoff ice time, so what's the appeal?
A guy who was FOURTH in the entire NHL in faceoffs (how many times must this stat be raised, look it up if you don't believe us, he took plenty of faceoffs too, it's not a deceiving stat) wouldn't get any playoff time? Are you kidding me? On what basis?
Because Konopka will do nothing to help us in the playoffs (and let's face it, we're gonna be in the playoffs, the season is a formality) I have no interest in Konopka. I WAS intersted but after thinking about it I don't like the idea of signing someone who will be useless in the playoffs.
A guy who was FOURTH in the entire NHL in faceoffs (how many times must this stat be raised, look it up if you don't believe us, he took plenty of faceoffs too, it's not a deceiving stat) wouldn't get any playoff time? Are you kidding me? On what basis?
He just finished a season with 307 penalty minutes. That's double Nichol's career high, and over 4 times higher than what he had in PIM's the year before the Sharks signed him. That makes him FIRST in penalty minutes by almost 100 minutes. He'd have to take the faceoff and be ordered directly to the bench in the hopes that someone didn't skate across his eyesight and he lunges at him with his gloves dropping.
McLellan will put up with that about as long as he put with Eager's idiocy after game 2.
Because Konopka will do nothing to help us in the playoffs (and let's face it, we're gonna be in the playoffs, the season is a formality) I have no interest in Konopka. I WAS intersted but after thinking about it I don't like the idea of signing someone who will be useless in the playoffs.
Yeah, who needs one of top faceoff men in the playoffs? No need for that guy to win a critical draw in the offensive or defensive end in playoff games, of course that makes perfect sense. Just like that Game 5 vs. VAN in the remaining seconds of the third with a 2-1 lead. No need for Konopka there to win the draw, clear the puck, and win the game.
He just finished a season with 307 penalty minutes. That's double Nichol's career high, and over 4 times higher than what he had in PIM's the year before the Sharks signed him. He'd have to take the faceoff and be ordered directly to the bench in the hopes that someone didn't skate across his eyesight and he lunges at him with his gloves dropping.
McLellan will put up with that about as long as he put with Eager's idiocy after game 2.
He can be groomed for the Sharks system. Just takes a few meetings with coaches. If you've actually seen him play, you'd see that he doesn't play like Eager (IMHO).
He's Jody Shelley (but can be groomed for less of that role) + Manny Malhotra. Shelley alone was worthless, but Shelley with Manny-like faceoff skills and can be groomed not to take such ridiculous PIMs? Tons of value, including the playoffs. IMHO.
