np, except im sure a few of our boards finest will be convinced I posted it to fuel the fire of Teemu back to the Winnipeg Jets.
back to the topic of Vatanen coming to North America...
I really think the AHL is overrated as a development league... It's the best development league out there to prepare players for the North American game... but it's far from necessary for all prospects to go through the AHL first, an idea that many, many posters promote on HF.
In the old days, guys like Börje Salming went straight to the NHL. Same with the great soviet players, most of them just went straight to the NHL, and learned to adapt.
Also, the AHL is far from an experience similar to the NHL, it's just played with the exact same rules. There's so many players who have great success in the AHL, which translate to absolutely nothing in the NHL. Good players are good players, and sticking them in the AHL can often be worse for their development. ie: Filatov.
(top end talents like Filatov have no business in the AHL, Columbus made a horrible mistake sending him to the AHL, KHL or the NHL are the only two leagues that make any sense for him to play in... at least Ottawa figured that out. Best way to make a russian "lazy" ? Send him to the AHL.
Man you guys have some special D core for the future with Vatanen/Schultz/Fowler
Sbisa deserves his name among them. He's not the most talented of the trio, but he brings a good toolbox to the table, as well as an edge to his game that the other three lack at this point.
I've been a fan of Sami since he came to FEL so I might be a bit homer here, but I think Sami can really make an impact right away in NHL. He has basically no nerves, is really down to earth, humble and talented. And the way he plays probably won't change a bit in NA, and I hope BB is the right coach for him,whenever he gets to Ducks roster.
I honestly think that if he continues to play that same play than here with all that unperdictability, many opposing players will have huge difficulties facing him. I just hope his size, speed and love for puck don't result to huge open ice hits..But anyway I think his reactions and sense of game will help help him avoid that. All the Ducks fans: you'll get a hell of a pair of legs here
question out there for the people familiar with Vatenen.
would he work as a 2 way forward with offensive upside? Or will he be much more effective as a defensemen in the NHL?
I don't think he has ever played as a forward, and IMO he's much more useful as a D-man.
Puck moving, skating and bombs from the blueline are his biggest assets, and those are good skills for an offensive D to have.
His puck moving ability would be a little bit wasted as a forward, I'm not sure if he would be that good.
He is at his best when handled like Ottawa handles Erik Karlsson. Play him as a D-man, but give him a little more freedom in the offensive zone than for normal/traditional defensemen. And I know his size might make some people question his defensive ability in the NHL, but at least on SM-Liiga level he is solid defensively. So it wouldn't make much sense to convert him to forward at this point.
This should be the year when Vatanen will finally come (go ) to camp right?
Correct me if he`s not. But if he will - i think it will be really interesting to see what he can do.
This should be the year. He's finishing school and army during Spring and Summer so there shouldn't be anything holding him here. I wonder if he moves to Niedermayers' house, he and Schultz should . They'll have to fight, which one gets the top bed.
This should be the year. He's finishing school and army during Spring and Summer so there shouldn't be anything holding him here. I wonder if he moves to Niedermayers' house, he and Schultz should . They'll have to fight, which one gets the top bed.
And added an assist early in the second period. Sami is red hot right now.
Edit. Vatanen said after the game that he wasn't completely happy with his game. He said he still needs to improve his defensive game. True, but after scoring 1+1 and being the first star of the game, the fact that he still ain't happy seems funny. Maybe it just shows how driven and competitive he is.
And added an assist early in the second period. Sami is red hot right now.
The first goal was not-so-beautiful-one, but the second with an assist in a beautiful Vatanen™-style. The opponent just can't predict the way Sami plays, he's always a dangerous guy at opponent's end. Once again he's dominating the game on the ice. Obviously I'm a homer too, but still... Duuude.
I can imagine all four (Fowler, Vatanen, Schultz, Sbisa) in our lineup, but the other two guys should be experienced,defensively responsible players like Beauchemin and Brad Stuart ...just sign Stuart for two or three years and from 13/14 our d-corps should be:
Beauchemin - Fowler
Schultz - Sbisa
Stuart - Vatanen
Clark
I can imagine all four (Fowler, Vatanen, Schultz, Sbisa) in our lineup, but the other two guys should be experienced,defensively responsible players like Beauchemin and Brad Stuart ...just sign Stuart for two or three years and from 13/14 our d-corps should be:
Beauchemin - Fowler
Schultz - Sbisa
Stuart - Vatanen
Clark
It's for 13/14, not 12/13...Fowler will have three full years of experience...Sbisa too and hopefully Schultz and Vatnen will see some NHL action in 12/13...Stuart and Beauch as a veteran guys...
All we gotta do is score more points than the opponent hahah
No, no, no, no, no. Cumiskey does not belong in any discussions of our blue line moving ahead; especially if his D partner is an offensive defenseman. That would be all kinds of ugly. If he's on our blue line, we've got serious problems. There's a reason the Ducks were one of the worst teams in the first half, and Cumiskey still never got a look.
) to camp right?
Maybe it just shows how driven and competitive he is.
...just sign Stuart for two or three years and from 13/14 our d-corps should be: 
