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Some players are improving, others very stale... need to sit


*Buzzsaw*

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36 minutes ago, 1-d said:

If an AHLer has played like Higgins, Weber, Burr etc. for 3-4 games, any sane head coach will yank him from the lineup for quite some time. Yet Willie keeps giving them all the TOI they don't deserve in spite of their numerous indifferent/boneheaded plays. I'm even starting to suspect if there's any hidden agenda among the coaches and the front office.

Things can be more complicated in the NHL with contracts, trades, NTCs, agents and so forth, but still...

Playing Higgins, Weber, Cracknall, Dorsett, Prust, Sbisa (when he's healthy), and Burrows is a great way to get a higher draft pick.  Of course, if those guys would play better, they'd be tradable and we could get more picks.  Of course if Burr was tradd to an original six team, he would no longer get picked on by the refs and would be a great vale for somebody.

 

But for right now - keep Shinkaruk , Gaunce, Subban, Sautner, etc. in the minors, they are developing nicely.  I've been watching the last dozen games of  Utica, and Gaunce is their best forward (playing at centre) - much better centre than winger - very good positionally, dominates the boards in the offensive zone, goes to the net well, very clever with the short pass, not bad in the faceoffs, good coverage in hei s own zone, heavy shot, and skates very well.  At this point, he might be a better centre for us than either of Horvat or McCann - good reason to keep him down till next year.  He is gonna be a beaut.

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3 minutes ago, Ray_Cathode said:

Playing Higgins, Weber, Cracknall, Dorsett, Prust, Sbisa (when he's healthy), and Burrows is a great way to get a higher draft pick.  Of course, if those guys would play better, they'd be tradable and we could get more picks.  Of course if Burr was tradd to an original six team, he would no longer get picked on by the refs and would be a great vale for somebody.

 

But for right now - keep Shinkaruk , Gaunce, Subban, Sautner, etc. in the minors, they are developing nicely.  I've been watching the last dozen games of  Utica, and Gaunce is their best forward (playing at centre) - much better centre than winger - very good positionally, dominates the boards in the offensive zone, goes to the net well, very clever with the short pass, not bad in the faceoffs, good coverage in hei s own zone, heavy shot, and skates very well.  At this point, he might be a better centre for us than either of Horvat or McCann - good reason to keep him down till next year.  He is gonna be a beaut.

real good to hear about Gaunce back at C

 

 

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Axe Higgins, prust, vrbata and vey at the deadline or waivers for vey's sake

Sedin-sedin-hansen

Bearschi-horvat-dorsett

burrows-sutter-Virtanen 

Grenier-McCann-cracknell

Shinkaruk/kenins/gaunce

edler-tanev

hutton-sbisa

pedan-bartkowski

biega-weber

can all fight for postioning 

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Well if you take into account we have played more games, we are currently sitting at 4th worst record in the league.

With how terrible the Pacific is, it is entirely conceivable that 2 point at the end of the season will mean the difference between making the playoffs or getting a top 5 lottery pick.... that is crazy.

It is doubtful we are making the playoffs so it will be interesting to see if we are far enough out of it to become sellers at the deadline, and if any of our players can manage to look good enough to warrant a return from another team.

(that isn't tanking by the way... it is just asset management when your season has already been lost)

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46 minutes ago, Ray_Cathode said:

Playing Higgins, Weber, Cracknall, Dorsett, Prust, Sbisa (when he's healthy), and Burrows is a great way to get a higher draft pick.  Of course, if those guys would play better, they'd be tradable and we could get more picks.  Of course if Burr was tradd to an original six team, he would no longer get picked on by the refs and would be a great vale for somebody.

 

But for right now - keep Shinkaruk , Gaunce, Subban, Sautner, etc. in the minors, they are developing nicely.  I've been watching the last dozen games of  Utica, and Gaunce is their best forward (playing at centre) - much better centre than winger - very good positionally, dominates the boards in the offensive zone, goes to the net well, very clever with the short pass, not bad in the faceoffs, good coverage in hei s own zone, heavy shot, and skates very well.  At this point, he might be a better centre for us than either of Horvat or McCann - good reason to keep him down till next year.  He is gonna be a beaut.

Always really like Gaunce, and like him better at centre.  Maybe the wing, help his game develop the way it has.  Can't wait to see him make the team next year.

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4 minutes ago, Stormriders said:

Always really like Gaunce, and like him better at centre.  Maybe the wing, help his game develop the way it has.  Can't wait to see him make the team next year.

Liking that Gaunce is versatile. Can play either Centre or Wing. He's going to be a beauty for this club.

Hoping for Gaunce to get some more call ups this season, but seems like the club has taken a liking to Grenier as well. I see Grenier as a bottom six player (4th line probably, maybe third line duties from time to time). But I can't see enough offense from Grenier for him to be a top six player, let alone in a top 9 role. 

 

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The coach can be frustrating if he cannot make any lineup changes or is slow to recognize that any change is needed unless injuries force him to.   It is painstaking obvious that some guys can't do it and make the same mistakes again and again and yet the coach still play them in hope that they might snap out of the slump. Newsflash, it is called, declining, not slump.  It has been going on for few months already.   A slump would last 5 to 10 games at the most, not when you cannot get it done for more than 20 games making missed assignments time again and again.  I am not going to target players because I have said my piece from my posts in other threads.   Give young players an opportunity to show what they can do to help this team already without injuries forcing the issues.     Veterans probably won't like this but it should lit them up to play even better than what they have been doing in last few months.   Or even better, make plans with the veterans ahead of time on which game they need to take a break like McCann so you won't turn the veterans against you.   

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2 hours ago, clam linguine said:

Hahaha.....trust me, the game has not outgrown Alex Burrows.   He is old......it happens. I think he is still good enough to play bottom six is he not?.  I am not watching very carefully lately.

Yes Burrows is good enough for the bottom 6 definitely, but unfortunately not for what he's being paid.  Shame really because he IS a heart and soul player, but just looks like he's lost his scoring touch.

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It's funny how every year new players emerge as expendable. Remember when JB's credibility depended on if he could get Webber signed or not? Well it seems like everyone's kinda forgot about that. Now since  he hasn't turned out like we all hoped, he's the scapegoat. He is bad yes, but far from the only issue this team has. Others being injuries, rookies, new personnel. 

 

We should by now understand  this is a written off year, I'm getting the impression that we won't be making any improvements until the off season the earliest. Trades maybe come sooner ala Vrbatta & other players. But whatever we subtract we won't be adding anything major until the offseason. 

 

This years team isn't a contender but can certainly overachieve if they get everything in sync at the right time. So let's just see how it turns out.

 

 

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Out of all the players, Weber is the worst. He is absolutely useless and should be traded as soon as humanly possible.

Keeping him anywhere near the top 4 is a damning statement on this hockey club.

Benning must really be kicking himself for offering that empty jersey even a one year deal. Weber has failed in every possible way that an NHL defenseman can. He's poison to whomever he plays with.

With him in the lineup, this team is destined to fall out of playoff contention.

Higgins made a nice pass that set up the Horvat goal yesterday, but he needs to be traded as well. He'd be great for a contending team looking for a decent 3rd or 4th liner with some defensive awareness. Same goes for Burrows.

 

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11 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Keeping him anywhere near the top 4 is a damning statement on this hockey club.

The real problem here. Weber isn't going anywhere with our lack of right D depth. We so ridiculously, badly need a top 4 right side D it's not even funny.

Getting one also puts Weber back in his rightful 6/7 slot where I can almost guarantee all the hate he gets nearly vanishes as he'll no longer be playing too many minutes, against better opponents and generally over his head.

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14 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Out of all the players, Weber is the worst. He is absolutely useless and should be traded as soon as humanly possible.

Keeping him anywhere near the top 4 is a damning statement on this hockey club.

Benning must really be kicking himself for offering that empty jersey even a one year deal. Weber has failed in every possible way that an NHL defenseman can. He's poison to whomever he plays with.

With him in the lineup, this team is destined to fall out of playoff contention.

Higgins made a nice pass that set up the Horvat goal yesterday, but he needs to be traded as well. He'd be great for a contending team looking for a decent 3rd or 4th liner with some defensive awareness. Same goes for Burrows.

 

Blunt, not just dumping Weber into the pressbox, but go one step further....re-sign Biega. I see he's a UFA after this year; I'd offer him a 2-year, 1-way deal for $1.25/year and I bet you Biega would jump all over it. You've got a solid, third-pair guy locked-up and Weber would be back in Lucerne or Zurich. Or even better, Edmonton or Calgary.

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8 minutes ago, J.R. said:

The real problem here. Weber isn't going anywhere with our lack of right D depth. We so ridiculously, badly need a top 4 right side D it's not even funny.

Getting one also puts Weber back in his rightful 6/7 slot where I can almost guarantee all the hate he gets nearly vanishes as he'll no longer be playing too many minutes, against better opponents and generally over his head.

I think there is no need for weber. Pedan and Biega have showed more than enough, that they are capable of playing the 5-6 position. I am tired of seeing his mistakes over and over again. I can't even skate yet I feel like I can read the game better than him.

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Just now, leomessi said:

I think there is no need for weber. Pedan and Biega have showed more than enough, that they are capable of playing the 5-6 position. I am tired of seeing his mistakes over and over again. I can't even skate yet I feel like I can read the game better than him.

Right.

Side.

Depth.

We don't have any.

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2 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Right.

Side.

Depth.

We don't have any.

players can also play more than one side. It may be awkward but you do it so you don't lose because of idiots like him. 

I would play any left side defender on the right side instead of playing that bum. 

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Just now, leomessi said:

players can also play more than one side. It may be awkward but you do it so you don't lose because of idiots like him. 

I would play any left side defender on the right side instead of playing that bum. 

Well happily, you're neither coach or GM.

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What happened to making room for players on the roster who earn it? Make these veterans worried about keeping their jobs and give the rookies something to strive for. I think we can afford to sit Higgins/Weber a few games and replace them with basically ANYONE from Utica.

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