Not that I don't doubt you, Robert. Howson has never actually improved the goalie corps in Columbus outside of two average backup years from Garon. Can that even be considered improving, anyway?
Yes.... I watched the Vancouver feed last, after Luongo was pulled the TV hosts referred to Schnieder has a starter, as in, they consider both Luongo and Schnieder a starter. I wish we could get him I simply don't think the offer sheet is the way it would happen.
While this particular netminder is still playing in the NHL, there’s a chance that he might go the way of McCartan, Carey, Lacher and Craig if he continues to play the way he has over the past two and a half seasons.
Back in the 2008-09 season, Columbus Blue Jackets’ prized netminding prospect Steve Mason burst onto the NHL scene and was one of the league’s top netminders. In 61 games, Mason went 33-20-7 with a 2.29 GAA, a .916 save percentage and 10 shutouts.
Mason’s strong performance that season helped the Blue Jackets to their first and only playoff berth in their 12-year existence. His terrific season helped him earn the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year while also getting serious consideration for the Vezina and Hart Memorial Trophies.
After his fine rookie season, however, Mason has been nowhere near the same goaltender. Since that season, Mason has played in 136 games and won just 49 of them. His goals-against average has gone up each season as he posted 3.06 (2009-10), 3.03 (2010-11) and is currently at 3.46 this season, while his save percentage has also gone down.
While Mason is just 23 years of age, one has to wonder what goaltending path he will down. Will he get his career back on track, or will he take the road of the one-save wonders?
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"Every game, every point is a necessity." -- Ty Conklin, January 2007
"I'll have a chance to compete for the post of first issue. This is the most important thing." -- Sergei Bobrovsky, June 2012
Glad that we've established that offer sheeting Schneider is the smart thing to do.
I don't believe we have established anything. I posted some facts (I think) and an opinion about Howson. I said I would do it. What would you do ? Also wondered what others thought about the idea given the second round pick that would have to be given up.
“There were times with the old stuff when I was getting hit in the ribs and was full of bruises,” Mason said. “You almost become scared of getting hit with the puck so you’re turning your body, and … that’s not the right way to play. With the new stuff you have confidence that pucks aren’t going to hurt you, and because it is larger, some pucks that might have squeaked through before are now hitting a piece of equipment.”
Why didn’t he make the switch sooner?
“I never knew I could,” Mason said. “If I knew, I would have done it three years ago. I guess I was a little out of the loop on that kind of stuff. But we’ll make it work now.”
Well, that certainly says alot about the team's awareness of current NHL rules, as well as Mason's interest in his trade. I've also thought he often flinched or ducked his head from oncoming pucks. If he was afraid of the pain, that might explain it.
Below is just more evidence of Mase's obstinacy and resistance to coaching:
Plastic and padding will help, but so will a continued embrace of the technical tweaks Mason and Clark have worked on since last summer. Clark acknowledged that Mason’s game was erratic for most of the season and didn’t always reflect the changes they made. But he has seen better depth, stance and positioning in Mason’s game in recent weeks.
“He’s heard the boos and he’s been through a lot,” Clark said. “But I do believe there were some lessons learned along the way.”
Mason may have an NHL future, but it should not include another chance to start for the CBJ, next season. It would be best if he were moved; otherwise, a stint in Springfield should be in his immediate future. If a legitimate starting tender is brought in, I could see Howson keeping Mase as his backup for a few seasons, since Scott seems to be the only hockey man on the planet who still has confidence in the current version of #1. Other than, apparently, the Dispatch, which writes a "Mase is Back" article about once a month.
“There were times with the old stuff when I was getting hit in the ribs and was full of bruises,” Mason said. “You almost become scared of getting hit with the puck so you’re turning your body, and … that’s not the right way to play. With the new stuff you have confidence that pucks aren’t going to hurt you, and because it is larger, some pucks that might have squeaked through before are now hitting a piece of equipment.”
Why didn’t he make the switch sooner?
“I never knew I could,” Mason said. “If I knew, I would have done it three years ago. I guess I was a little out of the loop on that kind of stuff. But we’ll make it work now.”
Well, that certainly says alot about the team's awareness of current NHL rules, as well as Mason's interest in his trade. I've also thought he often flinched or ducked his head from oncoming pucks. If he was afraid of the pain, that might explain it.
Below is just more evidence of Mase's obstinacy and resistance to coaching:
Plastic and padding will help, but so will a continued embrace of the technical tweaks Mason and Clark have worked on since last summer. Clark acknowledged that Mason’s game was erratic for most of the season and didn’t always reflect the changes they made. But he has seen better depth, stance and positioning in Mason’s game in recent weeks.
“He’s heard the boos and he’s been through a lot,” Clark said. “But I do believe there were some lessons learned along the way.”
Mason may have an NHL future, but it should not include another chance to start for the CBJ, next season. It would be best if he were moved; otherwise, a stint in Springfield should be in his immediate future. If a legitimate starting tender is brought in, I could see Howson keeping Mase as his backup for a few seasons, since Scott seems to be the only hockey man on the planet who still has confidence in the current version of #1. Other than, apparently, the Dispatch, which writes a "Mase is Back" article about once a month.
Is someone positioning Mason for yet another chance???
I'm fine with keeping Mason, as long as they re-start his career down in Springfield and make him earn his place. Have a great season or two in the "A". Get called up as a back-up and see if he can win a job.
“There were times with the old stuff when I was getting hit in the ribs and was full of bruises,” Mason said. “You almost become scared of getting hit with the puck so you’re turning your body, and … that’s not the right way to play. With the new stuff you have confidence that pucks aren’t going to hurt you, and because it is larger, some pucks that might have squeaked through before are now hitting a piece of equipment.”
Why didn’t he make the switch sooner?
“I never knew I could,” Mason said. “If I knew, I would have done it three years ago. I guess I was a little out of the loop on that kind of stuff. But we’ll make it work now.”
Well, that certainly says alot about the team's awareness of current NHL rules, as well as Mason's interest in his trade. I've also thought he often flinched or ducked his head from oncoming pucks. If he was afraid of the pain, that might explain it.
Below is just more evidence of Mase's obstinacy and resistance to coaching:
Plastic and padding will help, but so will a continued embrace of the technical tweaks Mason and Clark have worked on since last summer. Clark acknowledged that Mason’s game was erratic for most of the season and didn’t always reflect the changes they made. But he has seen better depth, stance and positioning in Mason’s game in recent weeks.
“He’s heard the boos and he’s been through a lot,” Clark said. “But I do believe there were some lessons learned along the way.”
Mason may have an NHL future, but it should not include another chance to start for the CBJ, next season. It would be best if he were moved; otherwise, a stint in Springfield should be in his immediate future. If a legitimate starting tender is brought in, I could see Howson keeping Mase as his backup for a few seasons, since Scott seems to be the only hockey man on the planet who still has confidence in the current version of #1. Other than, apparently, the Dispatch, which writes a "Mase is Back" article about once a month.
This all goes back to the fact that until this season Mason has never had a real goalie coach working with him full time. The kid was more or less pulled from juniors and placed into the starting job of an NHL team with no one to mentor or coach him for the past 3 seasons. The Blue Jackets failed Steve Mason.
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“@Aportzline: RT @skeezer1212: @Aportzline are you on record about if you think they should trade Nash, *Carter? / Not my place. Reporter, not columnist.”
This all goes back to the fact that until this season Mason has never had a real goalie coach working with him full time. The kid was more or less pulled from juniors and placed into the starting job of an NHL team with no one to mentor or coach him for the past 3 seasons. The Blue Jackets failed Steve Mason.
I see this differently. Besides the first year where the goalie coach (Clint) was absent recovering from injury, I think Mase was catered to by the organization. They brought in Dave Rook at Mason's request. If I remember correctly, Mase wasn't opened to be coached and publicly (through a Porty piece) took exception to a coach's recommendation basically saying he knew better than the coach. I think Mase was given plenty of support and was too arrogant to take advantage of it. Mase has been given more than enough opportunity to excel and hasn't.
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"I don't think I'll live long enough to forgive Howson for knocking off my rose colored glasses. He's a horrible, wretched, little stinker of a man. I just hope he wakes up in the morning and can't poop." -CBJCougar (on the Klesla trade), March 23, 2011
This all goes back to the fact that until this season Mason has never had a real goalie coach working with him full time. The kid was more or less pulled from juniors and placed into the starting job of an NHL team with no one to mentor or coach him for the past 3 seasons. The Blue Jackets failed Steve Mason.
I think the only year that Mason hasn't had a coach was his rookie year. I also think that it's more common around the league to have a "goalie consultant" as opposed to a full-time goalie coach.
Whether that's a good idea or not is a matter of debate. I still remember the pioneers in the field, who were among the first actual goalie coaches...Mitch Korn in Buffalo (now Nashville), Francois Allaire in Montreal, and the late Warren Strelow. I don't know their actual roles, whether they strictly stay with the NHL team or whether it's a full-system type of job that includes heavy work with the prospects in the preseason or not.
None the less, I do not believe Mason was given the help he needed to become an NHL goalie, also from what I remember Rook was part time and did very little in person with Mason. Most goalies spend time in the AHL and learn how to be a pro and Mason did not get that. There should have been someone to mentor him from day one.
Mason may have an NHL future, but it should not include another chance to start for the CBJ, next season. It would be best if he were moved; otherwise, a stint in Springfield should be in his immediate future. If a legitimate starting tender is brought in, I could see Howson keeping Mase as his backup for a few seasons, since Scott seems to be the only hockey man on the planet who still has confidence in the current version of #1. Other than, apparently, the Dispatch, which writes a "Mase is Back" article about once a month.
I'm agreeing with you on almost a daily basis lately... That said I agree Pete, Mason might be good enough to be a backup on the CBJ but if so that means he will play 20 times to many for me.. I wonder how much of his Calder is directly related to Ken Hitchcock, I ask this after reviewing the productivity of the SL goal tenders under Hitch.
re: the debate over "did he" or "did he not" have good goalie coaching, and "when"...
Seems to me his Calder Trophy indicates how good he was without a full time coach.
What happened AFTER that season is probably attributable to his EGO, and the lack of a veteran Canadian backup goalie to raise him (or smack him down). We also don't know how well (or poorly) Hitch and his staff handled him.
On second thought, we saw how many other young players screwed up and weren't handled right, so once again I'm back to the same conclusion: Fire Howson!
re: the debate over "did he" or "did he not" have good goalie coaching, and "when"...
Seems to me his Calder Trophy indicates how good he was without a full time coach.
What happened AFTER that season is probably attributable to his EGO, and the lack of a veteran Canadian backup goalie to raise him (or smack him down). We also don't know how well (or poorly) Hitch and his staff handled him.
On second thought, we saw how many other young players screwed up and weren't handled right, so once again I'm back to the same conclusion: Fire Howson!
Like who? If we're pinning blame on GMs....
MacLean refused to let Brule go anywhere out of the NHL except back to the WHL for the playoffs. Howson sent him to the AHL. Howson made sure that Brassard had AHL experience before bringing him up. Howson kept Voracek in the QMJHL for an extra year. Howson kept Moore in the OHL for his post-draft year, then an entire season in the AHL.
Remember the fate of the last person who suggested that a defenseman who was a first-round pick needed some AHL time? Here's a hint: his name rhymes with Blave Ding. How about the fact that around 40% of the Howson draft picks have been players who either went to or continued to play in college after being drafted, with a side benefit being that a player in that situation simply is unable to be "mishandled"?
If you want to argue for "mishandling", the case is no stronger than whatever happened with Filatov. And there are a thousand different stories about "what really happened", but I think that the circumstantial evidence of Filatov fighting with every coach he's had since he was drafted points toward him and not whoever the other side happens to be. Who else can you name?
While I doubt Howson has the cojones or brains to offer Scheider, here is some food for thought:
offer him up to $3.134 mill and the cost is A Second Round Pick! (might have to increase dollars a bit for inflation these are last years numbers)
offer him up to 4.7 mill and the cost is a 1st and a 3rd.
I don't know how much Vancouver is willing to pay for a back-up goalie but would you gamble on a $3 mill 3-4 year deal to get him?
I think I would.
I am trying to remember but I think this is how SJ got Niemi from CHI. They made an offer for Niklas Hjalmarsson that CHI matched then they made an offer for Niemi and CHI didn't have the cap to match. I wonder if VAN has any other RFA this season
With goalies, I think the mishandling becomes a necessity when it comes to injuries. Allen York's season has been destroyed. He's played 18 games and spends most of his time traveling between teams. But there's only so many goalies. The Jackets had been counting on Dex getting healthy and so forth. So, York gets to be the traveling guy who rides the pine all season.
When Mason started playing so well his rookie season, it would have been crazy to sign someone else so he could stay in the AHL.
With Filatov, it was similar since he was doing so well in the AHL and was unable to be assigned to the OHL until mid-November as Sudbury hashed out a transfer.
The problem is that immediate success in the AHL or NHL doesn't guarantee future success. But no one likes to assume the worse.
I am trying to remember but I think this is how SJ got Niemi from CHI. They made an offer for Niklas Hjalmarsson that CHI matched then they made an offer for Niemi and CHI didn't have the cap to match. I wonder if VAN has any other RFA this season
Niemi part isn't correct. He went to arbitration and was awarded almost $3 mil. a year. Chicago walked away and San Jose signed him as an UFA.
MacLean refused to let Brule go anywhere out of the NHL except back to the WHL for the playoffs. Howson sent him to the AHL. Howson made sure that Brassard had AHL experience before bringing him up. Howson kept Voracek in the QMJHL for an extra year. Howson kept Moore in the OHL for his post-draft year, then an entire season in the AHL.
Remember the fate of the last person who suggested that a defenseman who was a first-round pick needed some AHL time? Here's a hint: his name rhymes with Blave Ding. How about the fact that around 40% of the Howson draft picks have been players who either went to or continued to play in college after being drafted, with a side benefit being that a player in that situation simply is unable to be "mishandled"?
If you want to argue for "mishandling", the case is no stronger than whatever happened with Filatov. And there are a thousand different stories about "what really happened", but I think that the circumstantial evidence of Filatov fighting with every coach he's had since he was drafted points toward him and not whoever the other side happens to be. Who else can you name?
Bee, you're kidding, right? Name one young player who is consistently flourishing under Howson.
Filatov as you mentioned. Brass has struggled. Mason. And now Johansen. And name one unexpected success from the second tier guys on his watch.
Bee, you're kidding, right? Name one young player who is consistently flourishing under Howson.
Filatov as you mentioned. Brass has struggled. Jakub. And now Johansen. And name one unexpected success from the second tier guys on his watch.
Brassard right now is far from struggling. Sure he's had a rough first few years but I think he has turned the corner. Way too early to call anything on Johan but he also looks a lot better at his natural position. Btw, Johnny Moore has been extremely solid on the blueline.
Brassard right now is far from struggling. Sure he's had a rough first few years but I think he has turned the corner. Way too early to call anything on Johan but he also looks a lot better at his natural position. Btw, Johnny Moore has been extremely solid on the blueline.
Off topic here but what the heck, what is this love affair with Johnny Moore? Yeah, he's ok but if I had to pick between him and Nikitin it's Nikitin all the way, why is that?
Off topic here but what the heck, what is this love affair with Johnny Moore? Yeah, he's ok but if I had to pick between him and Nikitin it's Nikitin all the way, why is that?
Why do you have to pick? Isn't it ok to have two guys playing well?
Off topic here but what the heck, what is this love affair with Johnny Moore? Yeah, he's ok but if I had to pick between him and Nikitin it's Nikitin all the way, why is that?
Why is it that you'd pick Nikitin over Moore? I don't know. Last in? Lack of expectation? Flavor of the month?
Talk about piling on... jeepers, add Sam and we have a hat trick!
I have read all the stuff about Johnny for weeks and simply don't see (games I have seen him play) any reason to get overly excited yet, as I said he's ok but the guy is only 21 compared to Nikitin who is 25...
I agree with the following:
FLAWS: Is still learning the nuances of the pro game. Needs to add more strength in order to better handle big forwards. Needs to keep working on his defensive consistency with regard to his decision-making.
Off topic here but what the heck, what is this love affair with Johnny Moore? Yeah, he's ok but if I had to pick between him and Nikitin it's Nikitin all the way, why is that?
John Moore is quietly developing during this mess. I don't know if I'd describe him as solid yet, but I do like what I've seen. I like him.
That said I agree Pete, Mason might be good enough to be a backup on the CBJ but if so that means he will play 20 times to many for me.. I wonder how much of his Calder is directly related to Ken Hitchcock, I ask this after reviewing the productivity of the SL goal tenders under Hitch.
