I think its funny hali is the odd man out here. He was never supposed to carry our team. Yet he takes all the weight from management. Hopefully he is back up soon.
You guys are a hoot; you were clamoring for someone else to get on the top 2 lines and push down Fish/SK etc to displace our 4th liners - but then complain because Hals gets sent down and Spals appears to be sitting. Clune has been working his tail off - Trotz isn't gonna' penalize that when that's what he's trying to get outta' SK etal.
Sure, I'd like to see Fish sit - but not instead of our 4th liners.
You guys are a hoot; you were clamoring for someone else to get on the top 2 lines and push down Fish/SK etc to displace our 4th liners - but then complain because Hals gets sent down and Spals appears to be sitting. Clune has been working his tail off - Trotz isn't gonna' penalize that when that's what he's trying to get outta' SK etal.
Sure, I'd like to see Fish sit - but not instead of our 4th liners.
This is the classic "treat the veterans better" outlook you have. Why dont we sit who isn't producing, like Fish/Leggy/SK. I dont care who, but 1 or 2, or all of them needs to for a game or so. Sending down players like Hali doesnt open up spots on our top 2 lines. He was basically a 13th forward not on our top lines. Yeah one can argue we just push Fisher/Leggy/Sk down but thats stupid and does us no good. How has SK produced on our fourth line ever? How about Halischuk, oh yeah he had 15 goals last year playing 4th line minutes. It only creates a hole in our bottom six sending Hali down. Butler and Boychuk are the new people who can slide into the top 2 lines for Fisher/SK/Leggy while letting them sit. Either players dont belong in our bottom six they are scoring line or bust players. Hali and Spals arent like that and fit in our bottom 6. We also got Butler/Boychuk to bring in competition, so why did we send down Hali to create less competition? theres so much to be said about this I'll just stop there.
Why don't we sit who isn't producing? We are. His name is Halischuk. As bad as Fisher/Legwand/etc. are playing, they are still producing more and playing better than him.
I do disagree with Trotz's decision to sit Spaling though. I have a feeling he won't be sitting long.
Halischuk was never apart of our top 6, that is laughable to expect him to be a top scorer or producer on this team. Our top 6 guys havent been producing and are to blame not our bottom six they have been fine. This is a black and white situation.
Gaustad got a 1st. Lindback got 2 2nds. Dominic Moore got a 2nd. Grossman got a 2nd and 3rd. SK is signed cheaply, and is could be a decent top 6 winger with good enough linemates. He plays PK and PP for us. He can easily, easily fetch a 2nd, likely more.
i want to see SK produce so badly but he just hasn't. Someone has to set him for a PERFECT shot or he's not shooting. I don't know whats wrong with his trigger but he needs to learn to pull it.
With the highlight video I saw of Butler he's a pretty good shooter and a pretty nice playmaker/set up guy so maybe he can produce some opportunities for SK to feel like he has the perfect shot and will take it. Friday should be interesting.
This is the classic "treat the veterans better" outlook you have. Why dont we sit who isn't producing, like Fish/Leggy/SK. I dont care who, but 1 or 2, or all of them needs to for a game or so. Sending down players like Hali doesnt open up spots on our top 2 lines. He was basically a 13th forward not on our top lines. Yeah one can argue we just push Fisher/Leggy/Sk down but thats stupid and does us no good. How has SK produced on our fourth line ever? How about Halischuk, oh yeah he had 15 goals last year playing 4th line minutes. It only creates a hole in our bottom six sending Hali down. Butler and Boychuk are the new people who can slide into the top 2 lines for Fisher/SK/Leggy while letting them sit. Either players dont belong in our bottom six they are scoring line or bust players. Hali and Spals arent like that and fit in our bottom 6. We also got Butler/Boychuk to bring in competition, so why did we send down Hali to create less competition? theres so much to be said about this I'll just stop there.
I'm guessing it's good you stopped there....
So, Goose/Clune/SK line was our best line at home this weekend. Leggy put up a couple goals and a couple assists centering our 1st line, where unfortunately, he belongs given our other choices. Hals gets the message and comes back when he gets a chance - skating on the 3rd line where he belongs - and has a strong night. Spals - pretty much the same thing.
Butler had a nice first night, didn't play badly in Dallas. Boychuck got a tip and hopefully gets Yips minutes in VAN. (and yes, SK needs to go back down to that line).
As I originally said, they did exactly what everyone wanted (ok, they didn't acquire a stud to do it) - got some competition for the lines, pushed some of the underperforming vets down to lesser roles, gave a kick-in-the-pants to the 3rd and 4th liners who wanted to be top 6ers - and it gets pooh-poohed.
It's worked for 3 games - we'll see if it continues.
My question is what dman needs to go? We have plenty and with Eckholm in Milwaukee. I think we can use Blum as trade bait. I really like Bartley so far and even Trotz said they probably should've given him a shot out of camp. I like our future to look something like
My question is what dman needs to go? We have plenty and with Eckholm in Milwaukee. I think we can use Blum as trade bait. I really like Bartley so far and even Trotz said they probably should've given him a shot out of camp. I like our future to look something like
Weber-Josi
Bartley-Klein
Ellis-Gill then Eckholm
The problem is that Blum has essentially played his trade value down. He's not a prospect anymore, and he's already 24...at this point, he should be giving a pretty good idea of the type of player he'll be.
The problem is that Blum has essentially played his trade value down. He's not a prospect anymore, and he's already 24...at this point, he should be giving a pretty good idea of the type of player he'll be.
Blum has played it down, or Trotz/Poile has played him down? He's not given a consistent chance at the NHL level. Plays a game or 2 then sits 5, then plays a game or two, then sits another 5. It's not easy to develop like that
Blum has some trade value. Other GMs get it that we are flush with an embarassment of riches on defense.
That said, by himself he won't land us anything big. And poile just doesn't throw away assets. So as I have said elsewhere, I only see Blum traded if its part of a package for a scoring forward. Otherwise he gets the Kevin Klein treatment and hopefully he responds just like Klein did
Blum has played it down, or Trotz/Poile has played him down? He's not given a consistent chance at the NHL level. Plays a game or 2 then sits 5, then plays a game or two, then sits another 5. It's not easy to develop like that
He's not played well in his last several games that he was in. I don't think he's getting sat in favor of a 26 year old rookie for nothing.
He's not played well in his last several games that he was in. I don't think he's getting sat in favor of a 26 year old rookie for nothing.
Trotz's inconsistency to play him isn't helping matters. Just when he looks like he gets some confidence, he gets benched. If Trotz isn't going to play him, I wish Poile would get rid of him. Trotz is only making him worse by benching him. Alot of people say he over thinks things, but because being benched every chance that Trotz gets, the next time he plays he is going to over think things even more.
Trotz's inconsistency to play him isn't helping matters. Just when he looks like he gets some confidence, he gets benched. If Trotz isn't going to play him, I wish Poile would get rid of him. Trotz is only making him worse by benching him. Alot of people say he over thinks things, but because being benched every chance that Trotz gets, the next time he plays he is going to over think things even more.
Blum still loses his man too often and absolutely overthinks. He has poor chemistry with Klein, too, which isn't helpful for the pairs we end up with. Wouldn't mind seeing him in place of Hannan, but if Trotz were gonna' do that it wouldn't happen until we're home and he can control the match-ups with the last change. He's got way too much upside to just "get rid"; and I honestly believe, if we were dealing, it might be Ellis going and Blum playing that 3rd pair, depending on who needs to be in a deal to bring the right scorer.
Blum still loses his man too often and absolutely overthinks. He has poor chemistry with Klein, too, which isn't helpful for the pairs we end up with. Wouldn't mind seeing him in place of Hannan, but if Trotz were gonna' do that it wouldn't happen until we're home and he can control the match-ups with the last change. He's got way too much upside to just "get rid"; and I honestly believe, if we were dealing, it might be Ellis going and Blum playing that 3rd pair, depending on who needs to be in a deal to bring the right scorer.
I don't want anyone to get rid of him, I would just like to see him be able to play have some consistency. He will not get any better sitting him every 5 out of 6 games. I personally don't see why he isn't paired with Ellis but to let him just sit there does no good to his development. Should have left him in Milwaukee where he was last year if that was the case. Trotz praised him for his hard work and rewards him with no play. Yet he rewards Hannan for absolute crap.
I think a big part of the issue is tha Trotz's "core" forwards--the one he trusts with icetime in all situations, the ones that are supposed to be the bulk of the production--are all on the downside of their careers. Legwand, Erat, Fisher---they've always been somewhat complementary players, but they've fallen down a notch even doing that. My fear is that any of these guys will receive another contract that's even close to what they're making now. On a team where every shekel counts, Martin Erat can't make 4.5 million dollars. The "core" needs to shift before any chance of real success is realized.
