If Sutter is here it has to be top 9, no sense for a 4th line role. Sutter did look decent the other night but he is still way to light in my opinion. He got knocked off the puck like a balloon in a windstorm too many times for my liking.
I don't buy it though. So what he took few bad penalties.
Agree. If thats the case make him a healthy scratch and see if that can wake him up. Veterans generally don't take too lightly to being a healthy scratch and in most cases respond well. Overall the team simply must not have been happy with him and possibly dont believe he is a good fit. Mark Recchi didn't look so good in Pittburgh a couple years ago and he moved on and is now again doing well.
I hope its the beginning of a salary dump to clear some dead weight. JR spent some $ this summer and has to justify and so far he cant. Only way to start fixing this is to start dumping some salary. Yelles salary wasnt much but you gotta start somehwere. Dmonk could be right too, its a small move that wont disrupt the core but could send a message.
I dont think yelle had much of a chance here with his minutes but he wasnt exactly lighting the ice on fire when he got them. Time to get younger and faster again!
Wow... i mean hahahah... When i wake up this morning... i expected this and i'm pretty serious... i don't know why but... Yelle is good player, every contender wants player like him but... this is Carolina. Sutter is ready but will Brindy play on 4th line for the rest of season?
so far the beginning of the season has been inexcusable. jr knows this, and he is no way about to break up a team one month ago he thought was a cup contender. the toughest choice they had this pre season sounded like sutter and what would be the best fit. they gave yelle a spot cuz they had signed him not expecting sutter to be as good as he apparently was. when yelle made no impact, and watching him close the other night - no impact at all really - then this allows jr to not only correct his one reservation about the lineup he had opening night, and sends a message to his vets about pulling heads from butts without disrupting anything really. it also takes a small step to making us not the oldest team in the nhl, giving some much needed youth/jump also without disrupting much.
question is...did they just call up sutter from being a no1 center after a year of wasted development at 19/20 just to be our no 4 center? if he is the fourth line center ill want jr's head on a wall, the kid was doing the very best thing for his development. imo being a no 1 at albany is even better than being no 3 here for the long term development of the kid. learning to be a pro at a lower level, as well as maybe softening up his wood mitts under lower expectations would likely have done wonders if left alone for a year.
i could see boychuk for a shake up more, as even though he is a bit green he would have an obvious impact on a team that cant shoot straight. sutters treatment this season has smacked of jrs obvious blind love for the kid, i hope he does whatever is best for him and not the team.
Well I kept forgetting that we even had Yelle on the team. I did find it interesting Saturday night when Sutter took his spot on the PK with TKO. Should have seen the writing on the wall then.
I'm all for keeping Sutter here, as long as its Top 9 minutes. But I have a feeling, he'll be stuck on the 4th. Although, with them moving Brind'Amour to wing, it appears Staal, Cullen and Jokinen are ahead of him as far as center positions go. Just maybe (fingers crossed), Brind'Amour gets moved to 4th. Then when all healthy we can really have a grind it out 4th (TKO-Brindy-Walker).
Oh and after Chip was seen talking to JR, he made an educated guess that Pat Dwyer is the next one up. So seems as he'll atleast be centering the 4th until Ruutu is back.
I'm hoping this means Rod moves to the 4th line. Not just for Sutter's development, but also because I can't see Maurice burying Rod. Putting him on the 4th line means the 4th line might get more use.
I'm hoping this means Rod moves to the 4th line. Not just for Sutter's development, but also because I can't see Maurice burying Rod. Putting him on the 4th line means the 4th line might get more use.
At least I hope so.
Mo doesnt seem to know what to do with Brindy at this point. At some point youd think Brindy would see the writing on the wall himself. I love the guy for what he did here but hes dead weight in that line up now. Hes scored a few points but its not outweighing his loss of speed, the turnovers or the declining faceoff wins. He doesnt look half bad because he has some points but if the rest of the team ever picks it up, he'll be left in the dust again.
Can sutter play wing? Is he worth a look up with staal or with cullen?
My two cents on Yelle(who i admittedly wanted signed), he has been terrible both in terms of play, effort, and discipline, unlike TKO who took the minimal ice time early and made the most of it everytime he was on the ice. Yelle has been totally ineffective on the PK as well, making him completley expendable. JR is defintley making an example of him to the other vets......play better or we will find a way to get the kids minutes up here. i would be shocked if Sutter isnt centering the third line and maybe PK1.
Mo doesnt seem to know what to do with Brindy at this point. At some point youd think Brindy would see the writing on the wall himself. I love the guy for what he did here but hes dead weight in that line up now. Hes scored a few points but its not outweighing his loss of speed, the turnovers or the declining faceoff wins. He doesnt look half bad because he has some points but if the rest of the team ever picks it up, he'll be left in the dust again.
Can sutter play wing? Is he worth a look up with staal or with cullen?
i think sutters future is as wing not at center. dont know about with staal, but who knows. the kid hasnt shown any signs of being a playmaker, but definitely has it in him to go deep on the forecheck and work the boards for loose pucks. thats a good winger. his game seems very similar to a less offensive trevor linden to me, and the same problem occurred much of his career. despite his obvious preference to play rw and his best play coming from there, he often got put at center because he could win draws and was a decent center. jokinen has this same problem. long term id really love to see sutter get a long look at wing.
geoff sanderson was a center through junior, and he was played there as a rookie, holmgren took one look at him and threw him on wing - he scored 46 goals up from 13. not that sutter will ever do that, but players can play their entire careers at the wrong position, if no one ever thinks to try them elsewhere. just cuz a guy is "smart" and has played center doesnt mean he wouldnt make a better winger.
I think, on the whole, we get caught up with lines far too much around here. Especially in a Paul Maurice coached system.
If he plays 4th line even strength minutes (5:00-8:00 per game), 1st or 2nd unit PK minutes (3:00-5:00 per game), and scraps on the powerplay (0:30-1:00), he may very well get to 12 or 14 minutes per game... which would do fine by his development.
Plus, I think if we had a more palatable option to contribute offensively than Yelle on the 4th line, then the coaching would trust that line more. With Cole coming back in a week or so, it's going to make our 4th line into Walker - Sutter - Kostopolous or reverse the wingers.... that line I could see taking a LOT more shifts than our current incarnation of Conboy - Yelle - Kostopoulous.
I think, on the whole, we get caught up with lines far too much around here. Especially in a Paul Maurice coached system.
If he plays 4th line even strength minutes (5:00-8:00 per game), 1st or 2nd unit PK minutes (3:00-5:00 per game), and scraps on the powerplay (0:30-1:00), he may very well get to 12 or 14 minutes per game... which would do fine by his development.
Plus, I think if we had a more palatable option to contribute offensively than Yelle on the 4th line, then the coaching would trust that line more. With Cole coming back in a week or so, it's going to make our 4th line into Walker - Sutter - Kostopolous or reverse the wingers.... that line I could see taking a LOT more shifts than our current incarnation of Conboy - Yelle - Kostopoulous.
I agree with the Sutter minutes premise, though i would prefer to see him with top 9 wingers......but i dont particularly think a Walks/Sutter/TKO line would be able to contribute any more offensively, at least in terms of scoring, than the last group. That group doesnt have a finisher or a playmaker. Though i could see them grinding in the corners and keeping possesion of the puck for 60+ seconds
