From a Buffalo fan, I hated this trade when it happened, I still hate it. I'm sure Hodgson has some skill but he has done nothing here. To make matters worse, this is two straight games the opposition has scored the tying goal directly due to Cody. All he has given the Sabres so far is a minus more often than not. Hope you are enjoying Kassian. Wish we still had him.
It is what happens with young players. Kassian has been a complete no-show aswell the last two games, huge drop in play from the first 2 games. Wouldn't be surpised if Weise is back in against Montreal.
It is what happens with young players. Kassian has been a complete no-show aswell the last two games, huge drop in play from the first 2 games. Wouldn't be surpised if Weise is back in against Montreal.
Absolutely correct. Both are young players who quite frankly are going to be inconsistent. The difference is that inconsistent play on the wing is a lot easier to "hide" in an overall team performance than poor performance from a center. Ignoring the shenanigans from the Hodgson camp, that was why the deal was made to benefit not only the future (asset rebalancing) but this season.
Kassian is going to be hit or miss for the rest of the year, but being around the team as they head down the stretch and into the playoffs will do him wonders. Remember he's a first year pro that needs to learn how to be a pro in all aspects of life. Buffalo may not be the best place to learn those things especially with how they played the first 40 games.
Kassian is a first year pro who just turned 21. It is expected that his development will not be a smooth upward climb.
Exactly. Somewhere along the line Canucks fans got really impatient. The kid has been 21 since January and has like 30 NHL games under his belt. Just finding his way, relax people.
As a whole his first few games have been good, its just a frustrating arc to get there. A couple great, physical games. Then a breakout offensive game. Then two non-existant games. If the timeline was reversed and he had his bad games first and rounded into shape everyone would be fine. Sure would've liked to see a better response after his 'demotion' back to the fourth line, though. A few hits, etc.
Exactly. Somewhere along the line Canucks fans got really impatient. The kid has been 21 since January and has like 30 NHL games under his belt. Just finding his way, relax people.
Instant gratification, it's part of the newer generation of nucks fans
Barely played tonight, I must have missed what he did to deserve to get benched.
I don't mind if he does not get points, but he needs to be aggressive and hit a ton.
AV knows what to do, he will get him consistent.
Lappy and Manny also got about the same ice time, both played some PK and got about a minute more. So, was Kassian really 'benched' ? or was the 4th line benched, as I saw them having a sub par game as a whole.
Kassian wasnt noticeable, but hardly poor. IMO he was partly at fault for Wellwood's goal, but Salo was mostly as his poor clearing attempt started the whole breakdown. Where is Wellwood's check? Manny or Lappy should have been on him. Wellwood: A Man Possessed!
I dont see how Weise is any better, other than getting him some game time to keep him fresh...
Quote:
Originally Posted by zman
From a Buffalo fan, I hated this trade when it happened, I still hate it. I'm sure Hodgson has some skill but he has done nothing here. To make matters worse, this is two straight games the opposition has scored the tying goal directly due to Cody. All he has given the Sabres so far is a minus more often than not. Hope you are enjoying Kassian. Wish we still had him.
Yeah, deal with it. Cody was poor defensively with us too...one of the worst on the team in fact. Rookies...
Lappy and Manny also got about the same ice time, both played some PK and got about a minute more. So, was Kassian really 'benched' ? or was the 4th line benched, as I saw them having a sub par game as a whole.
Kassian wasnt noticeable, but hardly poor. IMO he was partly at fault for Wellwood's goal, but Salo was mostly as his poor clearing attempt started the whole breakdown. Where is Wellwood's check? Manny or Lappy should have been on him. Wellwood: A Man Possessed!
Kassian did not react quickly and he ended too far up the boards to start with. You have to anticipate that the D may not get everything on the clear when being pressed. Kassian instead of going straight to the boards begins to swing up towards the blueline looking for a quick breakout and is not braced for contact.
However there should have been an interference call on the play as Kassian was knocked to the ice by the pinching Jets Dman Mark Stuart before he played the puck.
He will learn to not turn his back to a Dman on the breakout so he can brace himself and shield the puck on the boards while chipping it out. Rookie mistake.
Interference on Stuart? Not how I saw it, I saw it as basically a battle for a loose puck...Kassian got knocked on his butt, not interfered with.
I put more of that goal on Kassian than Salo. Salo didn't get all of the puck, but iirc it was bouncing. Even if it wasn't, whiffs happen.
Kassian though has to recognize that and come back to the puck and get his body between it and the pinching dman. He did neither. Poorly played by the rookie. No big deal, just some coaching film. As long as it doesn't become a regular occurrence....
Instant gratification, it's part of the newer generation of nucks fans
The problem is, we traded a player who was playing well AT THE MOMENT for a player who we wont get "instant gratification" from... WHEN WE ARE IN WIN-NOW MODE!!
The problem is, we traded a player who was playing well AT THE MOMENT for a player who we wont get "instant gratification" from... WHEN WE ARE IN WIN-NOW MODE!!
Hodgson was not playing well when we traded him; not that I believe that was the defining reason for the trade.
The problem is, we traded a player who was playing well AT THE MOMENT for a player who we wont get "instant gratification" from... WHEN WE ARE IN WIN-NOW MODE!!
Hodgson wasn't playing well when the Canucks traded him and hasn't played well in Buffalo...so...huh?
Anyway, some people need to relax a bit. Kassian could be fantastic and a couple of mediocre games at 21 isn't going to change that. I hope that we've all learned to be patient after people called the Sedins, Kesler etc busts at some point in their early development only to be proven very wrong now. Let the kid learn.
The problem is, we traded a player who was playing well AT THE MOMENT for a player who we wont get "instant gratification" from... WHEN WE ARE IN WIN-NOW MODE!!
Actually, he was NOT playing well at the moment, and he has continued to not play well since the moment, that's rookies for you
The problem is, we traded a player who was playing well AT THE MOMENT for a player who we wont get "instant gratification" from... WHEN WE ARE IN WIN-NOW MODE!!
Pahlsson's outplayed Hodgson since the trade. Kassian's better than WeiseBitz, who he replaced.
I guess I should have expanded, but that was a pseudo drunken post last night.
The Welly goal was a complete defensive breakdown starting with a slightly weak toss around the boards by Salo (who I love)... The problem was Kassian looking to take the body instead of playing the puck - had he at least gotten a stick on the puck, we'd have been able to identify the breakdown in front of the net and hopefully stopped it.
As for the Wheeler comment, just sitting so close to the rink (11 rows behind the bench), the kid is so damned big (as big as Antropov), but so fast and effective with his strides and stick work (um, complete opposite of the glass giant (Antropov)).
IMO, Wheeler is what we are hoping to have Kassian. Though Kassian should play with a bit more of an edge.
Well we know how AV treats rookies, so we should expect ZK to get minimal minutes after he was thrown out with the twins first, then the 2nd line, and now he's a 4th liner who in a tight game will see about 7 min. a game, with more minutes if we have a comfy lead in a game.
From a Buffalo fan, I hated this trade when it happened, I still hate it. I'm sure Hodgson has some skill but he has done nothing here. To make matters worse, this is two straight games the opposition has scored the tying goal directly due to Cody. All he has given the Sabres so far is a minus more often than not. Hope you are enjoying Kassian. Wish we still had him.
Well we know how AV treats rookies, so we should expect ZK to get minimal minutes after he was thrown out with the twins first, then the 2nd line, and now he's a 4th liner who in a tight game will see about 7 min. a game, with more minutes if we have a comfy lead in a game.
4th line was benched as we were chasing the game... No biggie.
That 4th line was playing chase the whole night last night. All three of them had a subpar night. I expected a 3 shift period in the 3rd after I saw how Lappy and Manny both dicked around with the puck in their own zone a couple of times.
Kass didn't help that line with that tying goal either. Still aboard the Train though because quite frankly I know he'll be better. If it's a stretch of 5 - 6 games where he's a no show than that's where we all should be a tiny bit concerned. Everyone is also forgetting that it took about Booth 15 - 20 game to really start to gel. It's like we all expect this kid to learn the system overnight. It's not going to happen. I would have liked to seen him drop the gloves against Dallas though after the 3rd goal. Give the team a spark.
Let's not forget this kid was still eligible for another year in Junior. (someone correct me if I'm wrong?)
Let's not forget this kid was still eligible for another year in Junior. (someone correct me if I'm wrong?)
Yup, this would have been his 20 year old season. He had 77 points in 56 games as a 19 year old last year.
I guess when you look at it, we didn't swap Coho for Kassian, it was Pahlsson replacing Coho, and Kassian jsut brings versatility and depth for this season. He is a project type of player.
As mentioned before, Kassian also has to get into CANUCKS game shape which is much higher than other teams. Booth made a comment about how much more in shape the Canucks players were than he was when he came over and it took him some time to catch up. He would make mental mistakes because he was gassed.... and Booth is notorious for fitness... likely moreso than Kassian.
I'm hoping Kassian can catch up on that aspect somewhat over the next 6 weeks but I don't think it will be until next season before he's really on par with everyone else.
Zack Kassian is reuniting with his family in Vancouver this week.
Kassian, a former Spitfire, will welcome his mother Shirley and Zack's younger sister Amber, who is flying in from Alberta.
Should help him settle in if his family is in town for a bit. Like any young player ups and downs in play are expected. I've been happy with him so far. I agree I'm sure he can improve his fitness.
Obviously MG will put ZK on the Bernier - new work out plan this offseason, even though it didn't help Bernier all that much, it should help this youngsta.
I am sorry but putting kassian on the fourth line with malholtra, and watching him basically play 5min a game is not going to do **** for his development.
He is getting zero opportunity right now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paean
He should demand more ice time.
from the gdt which obviously got lost in the shuffle.
This kid is a seriously tough SOB but he needs to change his fighting style if he's going to last. Trading punches with guys that big is not smart, just ask PJ Stock.
Hodgson wasn't playing well when the Canucks traded him and hasn't played well in Buffalo...so...huh? 
