I don't agree with that statement. Ribeiro only played an average of 17 minutes per games last year. Even if that total drops to 15 or 16, he should be able to match the numbers he got if he keeps the same PP ice time. Remember, he's only 24 and could be a long way from reaching is full potential. There is something to say about experience.
You could also make the case that hes easy to knock off the puck, not enough speed, and easy to cover overall.....
You could also make the case that hes easy to knock off the puck, not enough speed, and easy to cover overall.....
Not enought speed? I think that's what's keeping him from being a true superstar
Easy to cover? I don't agree with that.... he is pretty smart out there and seems to confuse players at times
Easy to cover? I guess he is once you get a hold of him..... but he does put up a good fight if someone is trying to knock the puck off of him..... that's a part of his his game that he has really improved upon compared to previous years in my opinion.
Not enought speed? I think that's what's keeping him from being a true superstar
Easy to cover? I don't agree with that.... he is pretty smart out there and seems to confuse players at times
Easy to cover? I guess he is once you get a hold of him..... but he does put up a good fight if someone is trying to knock the puck off of him..... that's a part of his his game that he has really improved upon compared to previous years in my opinion.
Well im basing that on his playoffs, but it was his first playoff experience.......so ill cut him some slack!
i don't say that Ribeiro was great during the finals but he wasn't completly shutt down in the playoffs as you said ; for a long time , Ryder was the leader for the shutts on net during the playoffs, but he was unable to put it in the net .So ,if Ryder leaded the league , it was because Ribeiro was making the play" It certainly wasn't Dagenais who was the playmaker of that line...
you're not being objective, guy...
also , Ribeiro was not the only guy of the team who played againts wide open play of some teams , he was not the only one to played on the powerplays and againts bad teams .He gets 65 points , 7 less than the best season of your '' Koivu is God ''
Sorry, Ribeiro had a fine season but he isn't a "dominant" NHL player like the poster said. Ribeiro lit up bad teams like Pittsburgh while others stepped up their game in big games, and also was insulated by Julien from playing against opposing top lines, then was invisible in the playoffs aside from TWO games, one being for all the wrong reasons. If this is the definition of a "dominant" NHL player, then I can only shake my head.
I never said Ribeiro can't improve, never said he was a bad player or had a bad season, but the fact is, he isn't a dominant player. Try to differentiate my response to the poster from taking it as a personal shot at Ribeiro.
Well im basing that on his playoffs, but it was his first playoff experience.......so ill cut him some slack!
That is basically my thinking. I think like you, I am still not 100% sold on him. One year for me simply doesn't cut it and doesn't give him reign over second line centre. Basically last year gave him another year to prove he belongs. The next season is the key especially after his poor playoffs. I say this because next season (whenever that is) he will be played like a top six forward. He won't get the fourth line assignments, he will be facing top checking units or top lines, night in and night out, and that is what will make or break him. He got a glimpse of it in the playoffs, he finally got a chance to feel what Koivu has had to deal with his whole career in Montreal.
Note - for the Ribeiro fans, this isn't a shot a Ribeiro, just a fact he hasn't had to deal with this situation yet. It doesn't mean he won't or can't overcome it, just a reason I am reserving judgement before handing over the second line centre position for the immediate future, say 2-3 years.
That is basically my thinking. I think like you, I am still not 100% sold on him. One year for me simply doesn't cut it and doesn't give him reign over second line centre. Basically last year gave him another year to prove he belongs. The next season is the key especially after his poor playoffs. I say this because next season (whenever that is) he will be played like a top six forward. He won't get the fourth line assignments, he will be facing top checking units or top lines, night in and night out, and that is what will make or break him. He got a glimpse of it in the playoffs, he finally got a chance to feel what Koivu has had to deal with his whole career in Montreal.
Note - for the Ribeiro fans, this isn't a shot a Ribeiro, just a fact he hasn't had to deal with this situation yet. It doesn't mean he won't or can't overcome it, just a reason I am reserving judgement before handing over the second line centre position for the immediate future, say 2-3 years.
I completely agree. Give him another year to prove him self, especially in the playoffs. If he performs next playoffs, ill become a believer, and like you said..this is by no means a shot at Ribs....
What I don't get is why both can't stay. Especially if you're looking at two 60-70 pts type players, then move one up on the wing like Perrault did last year. The problem with Perreault was that he wants to be a superstar centre and isn't really a team player. But if Ribs and Pleks could both play in a role assigned to them, then I don't see the problem. The only reason why I could see them NEEDING a trade is to get a player just as valuable for defense or some draft picks.
Now as far as the question, production being equal, I'd probably take Ribero just because I haven't seen or heard much of Pleks outside of this board. Gotta go with what you know in those circumstances. Although I'm looking forward to seeing more from him.
What I don't get is why both can't stay. Especially if you're looking at two 60-70 pts type players, then move one up on the wing like Perrault did last year. The problem with Perreault was that he wants to be a superstar centre and isn't really a team player. But if Ribs and Pleks could both play in a role assigned to them, then I don't see the problem. The only reason why I could see them NEEDING a trade is to get a player just as valuable for defense or some draft picks.
Now as far as the question, production being equal, I'd probably take Ribero just because I haven't seen or heard much of Pleks outside of this board. Gotta go with what you know in those circumstances. Although I'm looking forward to seeing more from him.
Unless one moves to wing or Koivu or Bonk get trade or leave via free agency, a decision will need to be made. Koivu means way too much to this franchise, on the ice, in the lockerroom and among the community and fan base. Bonk just signed I think a 3 year contract, and fills a huge void of a big two way centre.
Not saying both couldn't happen, it just a numbers game.
Unless one moves to wing or Koivu or Bonk get trade or leave via free agency, a decision will need to be made. Koivu means way too much to this franchise, on the ice, in the lockerroom and among the community and fan base. Bonk just signed I think a 3 year contract, and fills a huge void of a big two way centre.
Not saying both couldn't happen, it just a numbers game.
Yep then of course we got Ryder, Kostitsyn, Hossa, Perezhogan, Zednik, and Higgins all on the wings..........
Plus even if we did get rid of Bonk, i dont think we could have Ribs and Pleks as a two, three punch down the middle because pleks doesnt seem to be good enough defensively to be a third line centre, ofcourse his defensive game could develope more........
If we're making the assumption that Ribeiro plateaus at 60+ point production, which isn't bad at all in the current NHL, and that Plekanec reaches what is his maximum potential in that 60 point range as well, then the clear choice is Plekanec. He plays a better all-around game and no one's disputed that.
That's why this poll is a little silly.
An equivilent poll could be: who would you rather have between Koivu and Kostitsyn, assuming Kostitsyn reaches his maximum potential of 30 goals, 70 points (random decent number, don't distract the argument!)? That figure is roughly what you'd expect from Koivu in a healthy season, but Kostitsyn is bigger, younger, and could generate his own scoring opportunities and actually bury them!
Obviously, Kostitsyn would be the right choice.
Now if we're not to assume Plekanec reaches what would likely be his maximum offensive potential in 60-point seasons, then I'd chose Ribeiro. It's not as easy as some in this thread have claimed. Plekanec's a very intriguing talent and is NHL-ready.
But the fact that Ribeiro's done it offensively -- at least for one season -- counts for something. Plekanec hasn't done it and may never. Ribeiro may never again repeat his numbers of this past year, but there's a greater chance of him repeating than Plekanec breaking out. And the NHL is all about proving yourself.
Are you saying that the regular season games mean nothing at all or that you watched the playoff games only?
I never said the regular season meant nothing. It does, but my point is, if he cant produce in the playoffs down the road, what good is he??
The Playoffs is when it counts. For example Yashin is a great talent, he does well in the regular season, but quite simply never shows up for the playoffs. IMO, that makes him useless and thats not the type of player i would want on my team........
I never said the regular season meant nothing. It does, but my point is, if he cant produce in the playoffs down the road, what good is he??
The Playoffs is when it counts. For example Yashin is a great talent, he does well in the regular season, but quite simply never shows up for the playoffs. IMO, that makes him useless and thats not the type of player i would want on my team........
The way I see it is that if it hadn't been for Ribeiro's play during the season, the team probably wouldn't even been in the playoffs.
You can't really categorize a player as a poor playoff performer after only 11 games played. Who knows, maybe he had some king of injury bugging him or something. Well, at least you are willing to cut him some slack...
By the way, what tells you that Plekanec will be any better in the playoffs??
I never said the regular season meant nothing. It does, but my point is, if he cant produce in the playoffs down the road, what good is he??
The Playoffs is when it counts. For example Yashin is a great talent, he does well in the regular season, but quite simply never shows up for the playoffs. IMO, that makes him useless and thats not the type of player i would want on my team........
Ribeiro produced in playoffs at every level except this season.
IMO opinion the chance that plekanec improve enough to be at Ribs level offensivly are very slim. I'd prefer to have neither of them as our 2nd centre in a couple of years.
Would the HFBoards posters be rating Ribeiro so highly based on one successful season if he were playing on another team?
I'd take Patrice Bergeron any day.
I don't think that rating Ribeiro over a prospect that only played 2 NHL games, albeit a good prospect, would qualify as rating him "highly". That's what this thread is all about isn't it?
By the way, what tells you that Plekanec will be any better in the playoffs??
Well a few reasons......
1. Hes stronger on his skates and overall
2. Hes got more speed to fight off checks, shifty...
3. Hes a fiesty player, with character
4. He doesnt mind getting his nose dirty
Now this is all just simple logic, and it may mean nothing, but usually those charateristics give a player more success in the playoffs....
1. Hes stronger on his skates and overall
2. Hes got more speed to fight off checks, shifty...
3. Hes a fiesty player, with character
4. He doesnt mind getting his nose dirty
Now this is all just simple logic, and it may mean nothing, but usually those charateristics give a player more success in the playoffs....
You know Mooch, let's say that Plekanec acheives what you assume he may but probably won't in 2 years (same point total as Ribs) and that he has all the qualities you described earlier (stronger, faster, shifty, fiesty, with character, etc.). Wouldn't he be more suited to replace Koivu than Ribeiro?
You know Mooch, let's say that Plekanec acheives what you assume he may but probably won't in 2 years (same point total as Ribs) and that he has all the qualities you described earlier (stronger, faster, shifty, fiesty, with character, etc.). Wouldn't he be more suited to replace Koivu than Ribeiro?
You know, that defenately is a possiblity, but were talking 2 years down the road. Saku is only 29 years old, no way imo he leaves us that early. I can see another good 5-6 years for Saku here at a minimum. Hes established him self here, hes a leader, hes our captain, hes what i like to call the "heart of the team". He wont leave unless he wants to or we run into some major financial problems....Plus i just dont see Pleks as a number one centre, a number 2 maybe, but number 1 is stretching it imo......
So with that in mind, were back to choosing one between Pleks and Ribs......
