I really like this idea too. Who knows if it will work out, but it's worth trying, he definitely has the skillset to fit that role. And as another poster said, this 'experiment' could be done in the AHL too.
I really like this idea too. Who knows if it will work out, but it's worth trying, he definitely has the skillset to fit that role. And as another poster said, this 'experiment' could be done in the AHL too.
I think he's more suited to center than Hall for sure.
I think he's more suited to center than Hall for sure.
I don't believe the discussion of who should be converted to centre is an either/or scenario. Both may be better placed in the centre position. Problem that exists is there is no room for both to shift.
This idea has been floated around before, but maybe the Oilers should seriously consider it going forward, especially if Gagner is shipped out for defensive help.
I think it could work -- MPS doesn't do much on the wing but shoot that floater shot that doesn't work anyway.
This way he'd have to go into the middle of the ice, which is where it seems like he scores most of his goals and he's defensively responsible, can keep up with any one of our wingers.
I don't know about the face off thing but I do remember him being forced to take a draw and winning it cleanly.
And he's more of a pass first player.
A Hall-MPS-Yakupov/Eberle line could work well IMO. MPS could get a lot of tap in goals with the D collapsing on their last legs trying to contain our wingers.
This would be similar to how Horcoff started off with the Oilers as LW and then was converted to C, I see a lot of similarities in their games actually, except MPS is more talented naturally.
I think it's worth a try. The logic is there for experimenting, especially with Paajarvi being a big guy at 6"3 playing the wing but doesn't hit and doesn't win any board battle.
I can see him, as a winger, improving his physical play a little bit as he matures, but most likely to the effect of just not getting push off or knock down as easily, or being able to absorb a few more hits keeping keeping possession a bit longer. However, that is not enough for a 6"3 player playing the wing.
Playing center will be less physical and he just needs to have good positioning. He does have good defensive awareness to help his cause, where the learning curve will be hard but not impossible. We all see how effective RNH is defensively winning pucks with good positioning and stick lift.
Who knows if it'll work or not. At the worst, he wasted 15-20 games playing center and lose out on using those games that he could have used to polish his wing plays.
Even that, i thought it's not a bad thing for a winger to gain some knowledge and actual experience of what his fellow centerman faces during the game. That may help the winger improve at connecting better with the centerman on both end of the ice.
Paajarvi will never be that physical. That's just not his game. All he needs to do to be effective is use his body to protect the puck and battle in the dirty areas.
i think hall is a better fit at centre... magnus still needs to find his way in the pro game, he reminds me a bit of voracek on philly right now, i think he will get there eventually but i dont see him at centre...
curious to see if they finally give hall a real shot at centre, his career might be a lot longer if he wasnt going down the boards so often...
My take as well, move Hall to C and play Paajarvi on the wing.
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Paajarvi will never be that physical. That's just not his game. All he needs to do to be effective is use his body to protect the puck and battle in the dirty areas.
Agreed, Penner was a good example of what a big body can do even if you don't play all that physical.
I could see Paajarvi being the defensive conscience on a line with RNH and Eberle or Yakupov.
I could also see Lander eventually being the defensive conscience for Hall and Eberle/Yakupov.
I would sign Parros this summer as he can take a regular shift.
MPS. RNH Eberle. - MPS could be he defensive conscience (can interchange with Harski)
Hall. Lander Yakupov. - Lander as the defensive conscience
Hartikainen. Gagner. Hemsky.
Parros. Horcoff. Petrell. - I would have no problem changing Lander and Horcoff as needed
Eager. Belanger
Smyth - no need
Jones - I would trade as part of a package for a d.
Paajarvi will never be that physical. That's just not his game. All he needs to do to be effective is use his body to protect the puck and battle in the dirty areas.
6"3 but "never be that physical and that's just not his game", i agree with it, and that's exactly why you try him at center.
This team needs a winger or two that has decent skill, is strong on the puck and able to win puck battle at the board and in dirty areas at both end of the ice. Which means Paajarvi has to raise his stick and elbow when someone try to hit him and try to separate him from the puck. It also means he has to go hard into the corners to knock someone down that has the puck near the board to win possession.
Even if he makes small improvements, he's still going to be relatively easy to push off the puck and may be one of the softest 6"3 wingers in the league. You need that winger to "win" puck battles more than "lose" puck battles, especially if we want to be a playoff team and has success in the playoffs.
Look at how much tougher and rougher playoffs games are compare to regular season games. He won't stand a chance in the playoffs.
Again, it doesn't hurt to try him at center, if it doesn't work, let him go back to the wing and hope for the best that he'll make good strides. Maybe he can eventually improve his puck protecting skill like the Sedins. Sedins score lots of points in the regular season and produce much less than the average in the playoffs.
Last edited by AK Dandyman: 04-13-2012 at 01:54 AM.
Call me crazy, but with Yakupov I think Paajarvi expendable.
Same skillset except Yak is more physical, has a weay better shot, and has hands that Paajarvi can only dream of. I mean, I guess Paajarvi bigger, but with the way he plays the game you'd swear Yakupov was anyway.
I could see him being an excellent defenceman, actually..
Call me crazy, but with Yakupov I think Paajarvi expendable.
Same skillset except Yak is more physical, has a weay better shot, and has hands that Paajarvi can only dream of. I mean, I guess Paajarvi bigger, but with the way he plays the game you'd swear Yakupov was anyway.
I could see him being an excellent defenceman, actually..
The problem is his value is so low right now, no sense giving him away for peanuts. I think maybe if some team is high on him we could include him in a package for a good D-man, but other than that, may as well hold onto him. At this point I'm about 50/50 on whether he will turnout to be a useful player on a contending team, but its worth waiting imo.
The problem is his value is so low right now, no sense giving him away for peanuts. I think maybe if some team is high on him we could include him in a package for a good D-man, but other than that, may as well hold onto him. At this point I'm about 50/50 on whether he will turnout to be a useful player on a contending team, but its worth waiting imo.
Exactly. I'm more confident in him but that's just personal opinion and to each his own. He is not a make it or break it guy for the team right now anyway and we have others who can fill the gap. We can easily afford playing him in the AHL (if necessary) and then a decision can be made next summer based on how his overall game is and how he has developed over the season.
I mean in the it's all about how much keeping costs us vs how much trading him earns us. For me the answer to that question is easy: we obviously keep him.
I see Paajarvi moulding into a shut down 3rd line kind of guy. He's responsible in his own end and he plays a good positional game. He has great wheels, making him an effective back checker and penalty killer, just like Lander. Pitlick would also add some grit to that line and provide some scoring touch.
If not, I think Paajarvi becomes one of our best trading assets. I'd much rather have Hartikainen in the top 6 than him.
Magnus skates the puck out of our zone very well, he is almost always the first forward back and has great defensive instincts, sliding him back into his old role as a defense man would solve two problems.
1. logjam at the wing
2. need for a PMD
pair him with Nick Schultz, hes fast as **** has a great reach, could be what we have been looking for right under our noses.
Smid/Petry
Schultz/Paajarvi
Whitney/Sutton/Potter/Tuebert add in Justin Schultz if we can wrangle him and suddenly we have some nice options on D and our bottom pair no longer looks like a **** show.
We want him to be a 3rd line shutdown guy, why not a back end shutdown guy, if we can get him to block shots he would be nearly perfect for the job.
By now you should know there is a whole other definition of "succeed" for Horcoff.
Between those two he would lead the team in ice time and pp time, score 15g and 24 assists and be praised for being a shut down 3rd liner that plays all the hard minutes. It's called the "Horcoff Dimension" the laws of physics do not apply to him.
Use 2013 1st, 2012 2nd, Gagner, Omark, Peckham, Potter and Jones to do something with the D, including adding more prospects, and an upgrade in goal with Dub..Pay Khabby to sit and mentor....
Don't sign Barker...
Sign J Schultz.
Sign Petrel.
Sign Smyth but limit his icetime on the PK, etc, so he isn't wiped out by Xmas. Use MPS, Eberle, Nuge, Harti instead on PK, etc...
Sign an FA for the 4/3rd line...
Sign Hortichuk and use as needed..
By now you should know there is a whole other definition of "succeed" for Horcoff.
Between those two he would lead the team in ice time and pp time, score 15g and 24 assists and be praised for being a shut down 3rd liner that plays all the hard minutes. It's called the "Horcoff Dimension" the laws of physics do not apply to him.
Pretty well it. You may want to include a -24, playing a shut down role is tremendously difficult for the "Horcoff Dimension"
PRV does have a natural instinct to cover for his pinching defense and to get back on the defensive zone quickly. I don't think moving him to center is a bad idea, he may fit perfectly at that position. But that may take him a year at the AHL level to get used to it before coming back to the Oil.
too big of a project at this stage, unless you leave him in OKC for 2 years. If he can't help this team on the wing, package him with Gagner or 32nd or prospect to get... well you know.
Pretty well it. You may want to include a -24, playing a shut down role is tremendously difficult for the "Horcoff Dimension"
