I think he will get moved at the draft. I can see it happening, he sure looked horrible last year. He was atrocious, but at least Fletch is saying that a competition is in order. He's good at saying the right things, let's see if he can somehow right the ship. It will be interesting.
It appears that GMCF wants someone to hurt Sheppard. Quoted from Russo's blog (emphasis mine):
Quote:
"If somebody can come in and beat him in camp, then maybe that forces our hand if we’re offered a terrific opportunity to get a different asset and he’s the price we have to pay, we’ll look at it. We’re not saying we’re giving him anything other than for us not to qualify him would be a poor decision from a hockey management standpoint. I mean, why wouldn’t you protect that asset, why wouldn’t you give him every chance to become a hockey player? It’s up to him. If somebody can knock him out in camp, great, the more competition the better.
Not only would he like to see Shep take a beating, it would be great to see him laid out cold on the ice.
I said it last year. James Sheppard had depression last year. Not an excuse, but he totally had it. It was clearly evident from his on-ice play. Despite a lot of the posters here, he actually played very well some games, he just had no linemates to help.
You could tell when he was trying to "will" himself out of the depression, working really hard on the ice, trying to make plays himself, only to put the puck in the slot and have nobody home. Or have Nolan or Boogy lose it.
And what would happen would be that he would fall into a deep depression on the ice, kind of floating around and not really trying, because he felt like he couldn't do anything to get out of it. This would go on for a few games, and then he would try to will himself out of it again, only to have no help once again.
Another note - How much of a mind-buster would it have been to grow up idolizing Owen Nolan, only to then play with him in the NHL, on the same line, and then have him fumble 75% of your passes to him, and then have everybody tell you that you suck, and still going off like Nolan was the player he was 8 years ago? That would mess with your head a bit.
To me, it’s not about the numbers. I mean, it’s always about the numbers,
So what is it you big jerk He will play 4th line Center at this point, which is a complete waste of him anyways. So whatever, our 4th line still sucks.
Well the idea that you can tell if James Sheppard had clinical depression from his on-ice play is laughable, but I don't disagree that something was off. I'd just call it something else I guess...lost confidence, lost identity?
If I was 21 years old and in my third NHL year and struggling, I'd be down too. I mean you're drafted 9th overall and were supposed to be an amazing player, but you went from playing with friends your own age and being a superstar to being given the cold shoulder by your coach and being a fringe player. Remember three years ago the team had a LOT of stars and veterans on it (Walz, Carney, Rolston, Gaborik, Demitra, etc).
That Latendresse interview from Hockey Wilderness really did open my eyes up to a lot more of the human side of the game. Fun as it is to make fun of Sheppard, when you go from playing with 16-20 year olds who are all of the same mindset (i.e. chasing skirts, playing hockey for chump change, being kids) to playing with guys in their 30's with kids and mortgages...that's a big change. And the pressure of being a pro hockey player in the NHL on a team trying to make the playoffs...it's huge.
Living with Darby I'm sure was huge for him, a person to talk to who's been there before and a family/billet type situation. But he did move out and maybe he didn't have anyone to really talk to about his career...especially when he was struggling and looked like his hockey future was a dead end.
I'm not trying to make excuses for Shep, I'm just trying to really play devil's advocate here and look at the mental side of the game. But you could really be on to something. Look at the night and day of Lats under Montreal's spotlight versus the anonymity of Minnesota.
It's absolutely in the best interest of the Wild to try and get Sheppard back on track. I think a big part of that is strength related, and he needs to work on those first few strides and his skating agility. But maybe he does need a sports psychologist to help him get out of his own way. Or maybe he just isn't good enough to play in the NHL.
I say we throw him on a line in between Bouchard and Kobasew if he shows something in camp (and if Butch is ready to play). If they click and he can get some confidence back, we could roll three fairly productive lines.
If he fails there, waive him. If somebody picks him up, so be it. If he clears, he gets a year in the AHL to try to find his game again.
I say we throw him on a line in between Bouchard and Kobasew if he shows something in camp (and if Butch is ready to play). If they click and he can get some confidence back, we could roll three fairly productive lines.
If he fails there, waive him. If somebody picks him up, so be it. If he clears, he gets a year in the AHL to try to find his game again.
So is that our 3rd or 4th line that equates to roughly $7M
I never heard anything about depression and sheppard, but then again he probably wouldn't have wanted to make that public. With that being said i still have alot of faith sheppard can be a great player on this team, he just needs to find the confidence and roll with it. If he does bad one game he's got to let that game go and just keep playing his game all 60 mins every game and he will succeed.
He will play 4th line Center at this point, which is a complete waste of him anyways. So whatever, our 4th line still sucks.
