This is a good way to look at it if its from the player's perspective, but think of it in terms of the coach or the team. How much do you shift your lineup around just so that a rookie can better succeed? Remember every 'opportunity' you give him with Plekanec, on the PP, etc. is a spot taken away from someone else. If/when he gets that opportunity, he has to show what he's capable of, or risk losing that spot to a veteran, or another rookie that will get his shot.
In my mind, a rookie/young player should be thrilled to be dressed at all and do whatever he can to help the team, which doesn't always mean putting up points. Last year Palushaj was starting to come on at the end of the season, and it wasn't because he was scoring tons of goals. He was on the lower lines, and contributing some hard work, good tough shifts, and not getting scored against too often. I take that as success.
Well, that all depends on how this organization wants to operate.
Right now we have Eller playing with Moen and one of Armstrong/Prust. Do I really care if Prust/Armstrong are both dropped to the 4th line in order to make room for Palushaj? Absolutely not.
If both Leblanc and Palushaj both do a good job in camp, I have no problem at all with dropping Moen as well on the 4th, scratching Armstrong and making both youngsters play next to Eller.
Do you want your kids to develop? Or do you want them to have some seemingly slow progress, get little opportunities to prove themselves, give their spots to established grinders, eventually move them away to see them flourish on their new team? Like it has happened so many times now.
As for the PP, Palushaj doesn't have to get ice time on it right away. But if our PP fails, like it did last year, then I don't see why he shouldn't get a shot on it, especially if he's playing well on the 3rd. We were absolutely garbage last year and RC wasted an opportunity to try new things with our line up. He stuck with the same damn lines, made pure pluggers play on the 2nd line, and barely changed a thing with a poor PP. Wasted opportunity.
Palushaj, as you said, finish the year looking somewhat decent. As decent as he could look playing with the quality of linemates and amount of ice time he had.
So, if ever he gets a chance to play on the Habs again this year, using him as a 4th line plug is absolutely useless. If he doesn't become a top 6 or 9 player in the NHL, he will have a career in the minors. Start him off as a top 9, with favorable match ups and offensive zone starts, give him the chance to produce and build up his confidence at the NHL level. That's what he needs.
A young player should be thrilled, and has to prove himself. But you also have to manage your asset, and if they can't understand that the skilled kid needs to play with other skilled players if you want him to progress, then they can't expect him to develop well.
The problem with Palushaj is that he is a tweener. Not skilled enough to be a legitimate top six forward but not defensively strong or physical enough to play in the bottom six.
If he can gain some strength and play a more physical game there could be a spot for him. Unfortunately these type of players often envision themselves as offensive players and won't embrace the role of a bottom six player. Hopefully Palushaj sees the light because he does have some interesting ability.
Not true. 2-way contracts only determine how much money you make in the AHL vs. how much money you make in the NHL. A player's age and the number of NHL games played determines his waiver eligibility.
I blame EA Sports for misinforming millions of people about the nature of 1-way vs. 2-way contracts...
Timing matters, though. Out of camp, I don't think there's much chance he'd be claimed. Sooooooo many players on waivers at the same time, and teams have just spent months crafting their lineup and assembling their internal depth options... that's not the time anybody is going to claim Palushaj. Mid-season is a different story, however.
very true...
although isn't that how we lost Beauchemin (and hainsey?).
Put it this way, if you were working for a front office, and knew that every season teams will have 1-2 players that are/might be ready for NHL duty, but lose out in the numbers game for that particular team, wouldn't you have a board with all of the borderline players league-wide that may hit waivers, ranked based on both team needs/player assessment?
I'm sure that some, if not all, teams in the league have something of this nature set up, question is how highly does Palushaj rank on any of these lists...
I can think of 3-4 teams where, as of today, he could quite easily end up being a full-time fit for the coming season (assuming he came into camp in great shape and having had another quality summer of training under his belt... which all indications about palushaj point to).
It will be interesting to see how it all shapes up with him... but unless we make 1-2 significant top-9 additions btw now and camp, I won't be surprised to see him earn an opening day roster spot with us.
even if guys like Leblanc/Gallagher are slightly better than him at camp, as long as the gap is minimal, it would make sense to start him with the big club and let the younger, waiver-elligible guys get more seasoning in Hamilton.
One full game would be a start, he didn't even get that last season. I would rather have seen Palushaj play with Eller than Blunden or Staubitz considering Palushaj has some potential worth exploiting rather than the previous two clowns.
Werent you a supporter of Jacques Martin?
It was Martin who believed that Palushaj was a 4th liner and placed him in a role that he had zero chance in succeeding and improving his game.
HFBoard members dont fill out the lineup cards. Martin did. Just like he did with Pacioretty on the 4th line. We are fortunate that Pacioretty had the balls to tell Martin what he thought and then had the skills to back it up.
....
even if guys like Leblanc/Gallagher are slightly better than him at camp, as long as the gap is minimal, it would make sense to start him with the big club and let the younger, waiver-elligible guys get more seasoning in Hamilton.
This is the way I look at it, its called managing your assets. I agree also with what others have said above, Im not suggesting you drop Patches or Gionta to the 4th line to give him a shot, but why wouldnt you try him out with Eller or give him a shot at the top 6 if a player is injured as opposed to putting Moen up there ?
Actually very impressed with the quality of discussion on this thread, lots of people have had alot of interesting things to say, really liked the post on giving a youngster the chance to succeed.
Yeah...I bet you I don't care enough about you or your opinions to come back in 3 months to tell you if I was right or wrong.
Oh, I win the bet.
Yay
What's the goal to post on a forum if you don't care about other posters opinions ? Why do you even bother, unless you want to be an ******* on purpose ?
although isn't that how we lost Beauchemin (and hainsey?).
Beauchemin was a different kind of bad timing. I guess Gainey didn't know a waiver amnesty was coming 2 days later. Hainsey... I honestly don't think the Habs cared anymore... but IIRC he was taken on recall waivers?
Quote:
Put it this way, if you were working for a front office, and knew that every season teams will have 1-2 players that are/might be ready for NHL duty, but lose out in the numbers game for that particular team, wouldn't you have a board with all of the borderline players league-wide that may hit waivers, ranked based on both team needs/player assessment?
Well, I'd be aware of who every player in the league (and the AHL) is at all times, and I don't think I would need such a board as you propose. But it would be a largely moot point on October 1st, because I will have already invested my whole summer making sure I have a starting 23-man roster that I'm perfectly happy with, and no borderline players would be able to crack that roster.
Unless unexpected injuries hit in training camp. Then I can watch the waiver wire and act accordingly in real time.
Quote:
I can think of 3-4 teams where, as of today, he could quite easily end up being a full-time fit for the coming season (assuming he came into camp in great shape and having had another quality summer of training under his belt... which all indications about palushaj point to).
Well, I can't think of any teams where his chances are any better than his chances with our team. So if he doesn't make our team... I don't see any other team feeling like he could make theirs either.
It was Martin who believed that Palushaj was a 4th liner and placed him in a role that he had zero chance in succeeding and improving his game.
HFBoard members dont fill out the lineup cards. Martin did. Just like he did with Pacioretty on the 4th line. We are fortunate that Pacioretty had the balls to tell Martin what he thought and then had the skills to back it up.
Nobody ever said Martin was free of mistakes.
You did the same with me despite me repeatedly saying he made plenty of mistakes. Heck, he started his tenure here making two big mistakes imo, chasing SK and Lats away.
Calling up skilled players to put them on the 4th line is another thing I criticized him on.
He made more mistakes, but he also did good things, and our team performed decently well under him considering all the injuries and lack of star power.
You did the same with me despite me repeatedly saying he made plenty of mistakes. Heck, he started his tenure here making two big mistakes imo, chasing SK and Lats away.
Calling up skilled players to put them on the 4th line is another thing I criticized him on.
He made more mistakes, but he also did good things, and our team performed decently well under him considering all the injuries and lack of star power.
Kriss, no coach is mistake free. None. Its just that the mistakes that Martin made are now being overlooked and dismissed. Palushaj is a good example of that.
Palushaj is not a 4th line player. I am all for developing our prospects. Palushaj should have been given a chance to play on a top 9 line or be left in Hamilton to hone his game like Pacioretty. Much like Leblanc.
Palushaj and Leblanc will have to fight to replace scoring wingers in Montreal, not grinding wingers.
I do get what you are saying though and agree with it to a certain extent.
Patches was slightly over a PPG in the year he was called up to stay. I think when a player dominates the AHL at that level of production, that's the do-or-die point where the player should be making the jump to the big club. I think Aaron's best chance is this year if he keeps tearing up the A with the Dogs as the second (or possibly third) injury call-up. If not, he may well have to wait an extra year or two in frustration of our roster being too jammed for him, or he may just decide to not re-sign with us again after this contract expires.
What is this guy's potential? I mean, I'm a bit unclear to where he would fit if ever he made the team. Lacks a physical edge to be on the 4th line and I would say a waist of talent.
Having a great AHL season last year with a PPG ratio you would think he has offensive potential. Then again, did he didn't produce in the NHL.....yet!
Is game seems to be about speed, positioning and anticipation. IMO, he lacks strength for the NHL. Gets pushed around way to easy and never out powered the defender.
I just hate the mindset on this board that if a prospect doesn't have top line potential, he isn't worth spending anytime developing or increasing their trade value. You need all kinds of players to fill an nhl roster, with a lot of different roles. Palushaj has good tools to be a decent top 9 player, but we'll never know if he can if people keep writing him off and if the team doesn't give him a chance to show what he can do.
I agree with KrissE, I hope he gets a chance with Eller.
What do you see in him that we don't. Gritty, physical? No. Skilled? That's a matter of opinion. Does he have a great defensive mind like players such as Halpern? Maybe, maybe not. I think the role of a Halpern, you get better at it with age. So if Palushaj has to be that then it's only gonna in 10 years maybe? Guys have to have roles, they have to pick their chair and fill it. You cannot have "maybe" players in the NHL anymore. I thought we didn't want anymore Yan Bullis types, guys "in-between" with some talent but not offering anymore with the Habs. That era is over. So if Palushaj has to be a Hab, he has to be good at something, he has to shine in one particular domain. Hopefully he will find it but I don't know what it is.
You did the same with me despite me repeatedly saying he made plenty of mistakes. Heck, he started his tenure here making two big mistakes imo, chasing SK and Lats away.
Calling up skilled players to put them on the 4th line is another thing I criticized him on.
He made more mistakes, but he also did good things, and our team performed decently well under him considering all the injuries and lack of star power.
meh too little too late to say that after his departure. These are unforgivable mistakes.
I don't see a NHL player in Palushaj, he simply hasn't he's got the tools to be a regular in the top 9. If he ever makes it it'll be a pleasant surprise.
