Willie's point of view

[Ronning4center]

Heres one for B-mac, Donnie and the Moj.

Is it just me or is Willie Desjardins attitude towards young players surprisingly negative for a guy who only recently made the Jump from Jr to the NHL?

Not sure how I feel about this......

Willie on Jake Virtanen : "He played well for a young guy at this time of the year. He has stuff to work on."

Willie on Bo Horvat

“I didn’t expect an awful lot from Bo. I didn’t know if he’d make the team,” head coach Willie Desjardins confessed Monday.

“If he did make the team, I didn’t know how good it would say our team was....

Willie admittedly was "Not excited" about having a teenager join his team.

[Mongrel]

It's too early to start drinking.

I don't think though WD has a negative attitude at all regarding young players. I'm not sure where that assertion even comes from.

[Wilbur]

It's too early to start drinking.

I don't think though WD has a negative attitude at all regarding young players. I'm not sure where that assertion even comes from.

Where does it come from? Fans wanting to see Linden, Benning, and Desjardins ice a team half filled with rookies. So clearly, if that doesn't happen, Linden, Benning, and Desjardins don't like young players.

[Maniwaki Canuck]

I do think there's a bit of an issue here, but that we have to keep it in perspective. WD was a rookie coach in an organization that expected the club to make the playoffs while also developing younger players. That is a potentially contradictory mandate, and you can't entirely blame him for thinking that the short term results might be more important, hence the apparent attitude about younger players. Then there is management's oft-voiced view that younger players have to earn their spot on the roster. This kind of talk from Willie fits with that, and can also be seen as a motivational tool for younger players. But at another level he is perfectly sincere when he says this stuff, as (what many of us perceive as) his stubbornness and seniority system shows. Yes, he has proven he can develop young players in the minors, but perhaps for that very reason tends to over-value vets, even when they aren't playing particularly well.

[YEGCanuck]

Even Willie as a rookie NHL coach takes time to learn the nuances of a new league. From another perspective we have to appreciate the fact WD has worked with young men throughout his career. His preference for veteran players may mean he sets high standards for the team and experience tells him the odds do not normally favour rookies.

[Mongrel]

Where does it come from? Fans wanting to see Linden, Benning, and Desjardins ice a team half filled with rookies. So clearly, if that doesn't happen, Linden, Benning, and Desjardins don't like young players.

My bad. wtf was I thinking.

[Outsiders]

I thought Willie would love younger players. after all he did coach in the AHL

[Nuxfanabroad]

Conversely, how do the vets feel if WD seems overly enthused about an influx of youth? Alienating a vet core, probably ensures a short stay.

He might even wind up hunting down opposing coaches in the hallways?

[Scorvat]

U cant just say hes great and hes on the team. Even if his game is perfect u have to say he has things to work on. Especially young players. Or they feel comfortable and tend to play with less intensity

[VanGnome]

Here's the problem.

Benning and Linden understand the importance of young players performing at a high level, above what their contracts are paying. They will also get at least 5 years to put their plan into motion and be given any chance to succeed.

WD on the other hand, is 69/70 and doesn't have a lot of years left as an NHL coach before hitting retirement. I really believe that WD was a short term stop gap hire to keep the team competitive while the Sedins are still around. Once the succession plan is enacted, coach Green will make the jump from the AHL to the NHL after having developed the players that will play on his team in the NHL for a very long time.

WD's take on young players is justified. Every decision he has to make, has to be about self preservation. If he wants to keep his job, he has to produce results. Young rookies despite what they've shown in other leagues, are an unknown. They've never played in the NHL, so therefore there's no basis for comparison as to what they can do relative to a known quantity like a veteran.

WD can watch tape, look back at past history of Veterans to know what they can do at the NHL level, and thus give him the best chance at success. Horvat by comparison, over achieved. There was no way anyone could have predicted how well he would have adapted to the NHL game so quickly.

Not every player is Bo Horvat, so rookies, if they are ready and want to make the team absolutely have to have outstanding off season training, and beyond exceptional training camp to even be given any consideration for their "9 game tryouts" in the NHL. Those 9 games even if they are at the beginning of the season are just as important as 9 games at the end of the season, as we've witnessed with the tight standings in the Western Conference the past few seasons.

If the difference between not making the playoffs, simply MAKING the playoffs as a wildcard seed or as a Divisional leader, then the decision to play NHL rookies, especially exceptionally young players in the 18/19 age has to be handled delicately. The reason WD favored Vey over Horvat at times is simple, Vey was 3 years older, and thus had 3 years more professional development in the AHL.

Those years of development at that young of an age cannot be overstated enough, at such a young age, every year of development makes a huge difference; just look at Nicklas Jensen, that being said, every player is different.

Bottom line? The rooks need to earn it, and management and coaching needs to make it as tough as possible so as to push them to their limit and see if they can rise above that and make an impact at the NHL level. We aren't Edmonton, Carolina, Phoenix or Florida. We are not a bottom dwelling team, and won't be playing a roster full of Junior eligible players for the sake of development. We never have been, and likely never will.

[Maniwaki Canuck]

^^ Actually, Willie's 58. I'm hoping that as he gets more comfortable in the organization, he becomes more willing to hold vets to account, not just younger players.

[Canuck_in_AB]

Heres one for B-mac, Donnie and the Moj.

Is it just me or is Willie Desjardins attitude towards young players surprisingly negative for a guy who only recently made the Jump from Jr to the NHL?

Not sure how I feel about this......

Willie on Jake Virtanen : "He played well for a young guy at this time of the year. He has stuff to work on."

Willie on Bo Horvat

“I didn’t expect an awful lot from Bo. I didn’t know if he’d make the team,” head coach Willie Desjardins confessed Monday.

“If he did make the team, I didn’t know how good it would say our team was....

Willie admittedly was "Not excited" about having a teenager join his team.

WD is not a good public speaker, and it's evident in how he constantly repeats the same phrase for most players on the team, "Yeah, he's been good." Don't read too much in to what the guy says - he just wants to coach the team.

Having said that, there's a level of honesty that he brings to the table as well, and that honesty can be taken VERY much in the wrong direction by media and some fans. Maybe someone should coach him on handling certain questions?

[Crabcakes]

Willie wants players who know how to play at the NHL level. That is, how to play without the puck and how to play defensively.

These are the last things that young players tend to learn.

It's as simple as that, they need to show him that they can play and it takes time.

The AHL is the place where players learn these skills and get stronger.

[smithers joe]

like detroit, willie believes that young players should be ready for the nhl before they play in it. he knows that rushing players into the league can set their careers back...his job is to ice the best team he can..i think willie cares for his players and will do what's best for them and the team..sounds like a good coach to me.

[bluesman60]

The message to the young guys is that they have to earn their spot. His message to Horvat and any other young player is that if he wants to move up, he has to be better than the guys above him.

You cant just say that you want a younger team and throw a bunch of prospects into the lineup unless they are ready and that also means ready to take someone's position by being the best choice.

[RUPERTKBD]

We pretty much go through this conversation about every coach. The problem for them is, they can't afford to worry about things like salary caps, or developing young players at the NHL level.

They are hired to do one thing and one thing only: Win

It should come as no surprise to anyone that generally players who have been around for a while have a better understanding of what it takes to win at the NHL level. It's actually a pretty steep learning curve and coaches who are forced to let their players "learn on the job" quite often find themselves without a job themselves. (See Ted Nolan)

Guys like Aaron Ekblad and Bo Horvat are actually pretty rare, so hoping that a prospect can step in and give you the kind of quality minutes that these two have done is a big gamble for an NHL coach.

Look at Mike Babcock. Widely regarded as the NHL's best coach. (we'll see how long he keeps that title when he's coaching Dion and Kessell) Think how long it took guys like Abdelkader, Helm, Tatar and Nyquist to become full time NHLers.

I think Willie is right to be mistrustful with prospects. It's up to them to do as Bo did and prove him wrong about them.

[Monteeun]

Here's the problem.

Benning and Linden understand the importance of young players performing at a high level, above what their contracts are paying. They will also get at least 5 years to put their plan into motion and be given any chance to succeed.

WD on the other hand, is 69/70 and doesn't have a lot of years left as an NHL coach before hitting retirement. I really believe that WD was a short term stop gap hire to keep the team competitive while the Sedins are still around. Once the succession plan is enacted, coach Green will make the jump from the AHL to the NHL after having developed the players that will play on his team in the NHL for a very long time.

WD's take on young players is justified. Every decision he has to make, has to be about self preservation. If he wants to keep his job, he has to produce results. Young rookies despite what they've shown in other leagues, are an unknown. They've never played in the NHL, so therefore there's no basis for comparison as to what they can do relative to a known quantity like a veteran.

WD can watch tape, look back at past history of Veterans to know what they can do at the NHL level, and thus give him the best chance at success. Horvat by comparison, over achieved. There was no way anyone could have predicted how well he would have adapted to the NHL game so quickly.

Not every player is Bo Horvat, so rookies, if they are ready and want to make the team absolutely have to have outstanding off season training, and beyond exceptional training camp to even be given any consideration for their "9 game tryouts" in the NHL. Those 9 games even if they are at the beginning of the season are just as important as 9 games at the end of the season, as we've witnessed with the tight standings in the Western Conference the past few seasons.

If the difference between not making the playoffs, simply MAKING the playoffs as a wildcard seed or as a Divisional leader, then the decision to play NHL rookies, especially exceptionally young players in the 18/19 age has to be handled delicately. The reason WD favored Vey over Horvat at times is simple, Vey was 3 years older, and thus had 3 years more professional development in the AHL.

Those years of development at that young of an age cannot be overstated enough, at such a young age, every year of development makes a huge difference; just look at Nicklas Jensen, that being said, every player is different.

Bottom line? The rooks need to earn it, and management and coaching needs to make it as tough as possible so as to push them to their limit and see if they can rise above that and make an impact at the NHL level. We aren't Edmonton, Carolina, Phoenix or Florida. We are not a bottom dwelling team, and won't be playing a roster full of Junior eligible players for the sake of development. We never have been, and likely never will.

Sorry but everything went dowhill when you got his age wrong.

[VanGnome]

Sorry but everything went dowhill when you got his age wrong.

For some reason I had on the top of my head that he was hired at 68 not 58, as much was made about his age when first getting to the NHL as a head coach. I should have double checked that fact, that said, even at 58, I can only realistically expect him to have a 5-7 year career as an NHL head coach, not many coach beyond that age (63-65).

In fact I actually did some quick checking on this, and there didn't appear to be anyone within the last 15-20 years that has coached in that age range save for Pat Quinn who was 67 in 2010 when he last coached. The next closest is Bruce Boudreau who is 60 so we'll see in the next 3-5 years if he is still coaching.

The trend seems to be that anyone born on or before 1950 (which would make them 65 this year) stopped coaching between 7-10 years or more ago. I see no reason why that trend wouldn't continue and apply to WD.

So effectively speaking, this is WD's last and only shot at coaching a team in the NHL, which make all of the points I made still valid. WD has to make the choices that give him the best chance at riding out this contract so he can walk away knowing he did everything he could to win given the quantifiable tangibles that he had to work with.

The timeline fits well actually, (5-7 years). The Sedins have at best 2-3 years left, in which time I would expect Green to come in for the 2nd last or last year of their contracts as an assistant coach, and once the Sedins retire, WD effectively acts in a transitional role handing off the reigns to Green to become the head coach; by which time the prospects we have now will be in, or entering their prime years of 23-26 which is when we are expected to become true contenders again.

[Fred65]

The comments made by shadowgoon were intended as sarcastic humour. LOL

The rest of his comment were spot on, WJ is there for the benefit of WD first and foremost ! He was a reluctant convert to Horvat and has already made his opinion clear about Virtanen. You're pushing uphill trying to get WD bi-pass his own careers for some snotty nosed kid ( sarc ). WD is not without flaws, God know that was highlighted during the play-offs. The only way to make Willy play youth is for JB to make the roster youth heavy and force Willy to play them. Think about it why, would desjardine push youth to his detrement, He may never get another chance to live HIS dream

[UFCanuck]

Example: If Willie were to leave and go to another team. This fan base would all of sudden love him and move on to finding negative things to say about the new coach.