Filip Hronek | #17 | D

[DownUndaCanuck]

Liked what I saw from Hronek in the last game, a very easy starting game although the D went down to 5 guys, but he was very steady. Nothing flashy. I think management and our coaches have some options with what we do with Hronek.

 

1) We could get him a stable LD like Graves, Gavrikov or someone via a trade and let him roam around more and try to develop his offensive game more. He's a great two-way guy but could explode offensively if he's got a safety net behind him. The concern might be that he racks up points and asks for a massive extension.

 

2) We could play him with Hughes and he becomes the safety net, his numbers take a beating, likely resigns to a 4-5M deal, but we have a real top pairing comparable around the league as one of the best. Obviously this leaves our bottom-4 quite weak.

 

3) We play Hronek with OEL next year as a second pairing, almost a shutdown-type pairing a bit the way Myers and OEL were used last year. Hronek gets a bit of freedom to roam offensively but for the most part his job is to shutdown opposing team's top lines, giving Hughes a lot more freedom offensively. Play Hughes with whoever you want (he'll probably just get lumped with an AHLer or some other team's scrap 7th defenceman for the 3rd time in a row anyway...), he'll rack up a point per game playing less defence against top units and more time feasting on lower lines.

 

[Diamonds]

4 hours ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

Liked what I saw from Hronek in the last game, a very easy starting game although the D went down to 5 guys, but he was very steady. Nothing flashy. I think management and our coaches have some options with what we do with Hronek.

 

1) We could get him a stable LD like Graves, Gavrikov or someone via a trade and let him roam around more and try to develop his offensive game more. He's a great two-way guy but could explode offensively if he's got a safety net behind him. The concern might be that he racks up points and asks for a massive extension.

 

2) We could play him with Hughes and he becomes the safety net, his numbers take a beating, likely resigns to a 4-5M deal, but we have a real top pairing comparable around the league as one of the best. Obviously this leaves our bottom-4 quite weak.

 

3) We play Hronek with OEL next year as a second pairing, almost a shutdown-type pairing a bit the way Myers and OEL were used last year. Hronek gets a bit of freedom to roam offensively but for the most part his job is to shutdown opposing team's top lines, giving Hughes a lot more freedom offensively. Play Hughes with whoever you want (he'll probably just get lumped with an AHLer or some other team's scrap 7th defenceman for the 3rd time in a row anyway...), he'll rack up a point per game playing less defence against top units and more time feasting on lower lines.

 

I definitely appreciated Hronek's game against SJ. As you said, just a steady presence with nice quick passes and not being out of position. It's too bad OEL isn't healthy right now to see if he and Hronek might have chemistry. If they did, if would allow management to go hard after Mayfield to partner with Hughes. It would make a really well balanced top 4. Then when you want more offense put Hronek with Hughes and create a true shutdown pairing with OEL and Mayfield. Mayfield might only have 3 or 4 good years left, but since management says they want to start competing next season he could make a lot of sense and would give really good options as a counterpart to Hronek.

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, Diamonds said:

I definitely appreciated Hronek's game against SJ. As you said, just a steady presence with nice quick passes and not being out of position. It's too bad OEL isn't healthy right now to see if he and Hronek might have chemistry. If they did, if would allow management to go hard after Mayfield to partner with Hughes. It would make a really well balanced top 4. Then when you want more offense put Hronek with Hughes and create a true shutdown pairing with OEL and Mayfield. Mayfield might only have 3 or 4 good years left, but since management says they want to start competing next season he could make a lot of sense and would give really good options as a counterpart to Hronek.

Yup. Hronek is really good. Skilled, smart, high compete. He’s an ideal 2D for us. 

[DownUndaCanuck]

14 hours ago, Diamonds said:

I definitely appreciated Hronek's game against SJ. As you said, just a steady presence with nice quick passes and not being out of position. It's too bad OEL isn't healthy right now to see if he and Hronek might have chemistry. If they did, if would allow management to go hard after Mayfield to partner with Hughes. It would make a really well balanced top 4. Then when you want more offense put Hronek with Hughes and create a true shutdown pairing with OEL and Mayfield. Mayfield might only have 3 or 4 good years left, but since management says they want to start competing next season he could make a lot of sense and would give really good options as a counterpart to Hronek.

Got to agree with this, I hope we're not still just hunting for young guys. We're one of the youngest teams in the league now, but also the shortest and like 2nd or 3rd lightest I believe. Mayfield would change that pretty quickly.

 

We've got a good young core to build around now - it's time to add some decent quality to the top-4 and that doesn't necessarily have to be someone under 25 or it'll cost us another couple of firsts.

 

Personally I'd rather we go after one of the sturdy LDs like Graves or Gavrikov, throw 5-6M at them and pair them with Hronek to form a strange sort of top shutdown pairing, a bit like a rich man's OEL-Myers. Imagine the damage Hughes (alongside whoever) could do as a "2nd pairing". Gavrikov-Hronek pairs up against opponent's top lines, Hughes against their 2nd lines and 2nd defensive pairings would be a nightmare for them to contain, and Hronek can let loose a bit more offensively as well.

 

I'd be all for Mayfield or acquiring any sort of veteran RD though to play with Hughes, making OEL-Hronek a sort of 2nd pairing.

[singing chef]

..... and for all those "The Sky Is Falling" posters who were ready to lynch management for trading the 1st. round draft pick the Canucks obtained in the Horvat trade which was "top 12 protected" and they thought the Islanders would fail miserably this year and defer the pick until next year when it would become a non-protected 1st. round draft pick and a potential lottery draft pick, you can all sleep easy since, mathematically, the pick will now be, at best (worst ?), 13th overall. 

[Canucks Curse]

Any news on rehab for his shoulder 

hopefully he comes back healthy +++
we didn’t get to see his slap shot which is one of his best assets- and something we have not had since salo

JB tried getting a d man with a slapper since he arrived 

Hronek not being ready for the season would be really bad news 

[-AJ-]

6 hours ago, Canucks Curse said:

Any news on rehab for his shoulder 

hopefully he comes back healthy +++
we didn’t get to see his slap shot which is one of his best assets- and something we have not had since salo

JB tried getting a d man with a slapper since he arrived 

Hronek not being ready for the season would be really bad news 

Edler had a bomb for a few years that was at least as hard as Salo's, but not as accurate. Ehrhoff's was quite amazing, but that was a short time period. Some other good shots from the blue line, but I'm not sure any really stand out.

[chon derry]

On 5/21/2023 at 1:31 AM, -AJ- said:

Edler had a bomb for a few years that was at least as hard as Salo's, but not as accurate. Ehrhoff's was quite amazing, but that was a short time period. Some other good shots from the blue line, but I'm not sure any really stand out.

Gerald Diduk had an absolute bomb of shot. Was a good skater but was a better scrapper. He never initiated fights but he did put an end to them. 

[c00kies]

On 5/21/2023 at 3:31 AM, -AJ- said:

Edler had a bomb for a few years that was at least as hard as Salo's, but not as accurate. Ehrhoff's was quite amazing, but that was a short time period. Some other good shots from the blue line, but I'm not sure any really stand out.

Ehrhoff has a nice slapper, but it was his ability to skate and make good pinches (followed by a wrist shot) that worked well for him.

 

I'd like to see Hughes skate closer and wrist it rather than just flub muffins to the net.

[canuck73_3]

On 6/6/2023 at 10:44 AM, c00kies said:

Ehrhoff has a nice slapper, but it was his ability to skate and make good pinches (followed by a wrist shot) that worked well for him.

 

I'd like to see Hughes skate closer and wrist it rather than just flub muffins to the net.

The annoying thing with Quinn is he occasionally has a bomb however there is 15-25 muffins between them. 

[kloubek]

10 hours ago, canuck73_3 said:

The annoying thing with Quinn is he occasionally has a bomb however there is 15-25 muffins between them. 

I wouldn't call his shot a "bomb". He can let it go, at times but that little body can only do so much.

 

As for the comment by Cookies for him to pinch and play deeper, I agree. That'd be made possible by a defender pairing he can trust. Which is why I think it's imperative to move Myers asap, and get that exact-fit guy to play right side of Hughes. I don't believe that's why Hronek was brought in, either.

[CRAZY_4_NAZZY]

Can't wait to see what a healthy Hronek can do for our backend.

 

I really hope he can take some of the heavy load off of Hughes and create a more balanced top 4. Really need him to be a hit on the blueline, can't afford a slow start.

[Citizen Erased]

5 hours ago, CRAZY_4_NAZZY said:

Can't wait to see what a healthy Hronek can do for our backend.

 

I really hope he can take some of the heavy load off of Hughes and create a more balanced top 4. Really need him to be a hit on the blueline, can't afford a slow start.

Yeah, I think we will see that. Heck, he played good while still hurt.

[Ted Lasso]

On 8/1/2023 at 8:56 PM, Citizen Erased said:

Yeah, I think we will see that. Heck, he played good while still hurt.

Plus he’ll be motivated by a contract year, and has a couple years left before reaching the typical prime for a dman

[Warhippy]

10 minutes ago, Ted Lasso said:

Plus he’ll be motivated by a contract year, and has a couple years left before reaching the typical prime for a dman

I'd prefer to see a mediocre or average first year from him because with the contracts top 4 RHD are getting he could very well screw us if he rides Huggy's train 

[Ted Lasso]

4 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

I'd prefer to see a mediocre or average first year from him because with the contracts top 4 RHD are getting he could very well screw us if he rides Huggy's train 

Fair point, and a silver lining if he doesn’t light it up. How do you see him being deployed, and with what partner?

[Citizen Erased]

9 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

I'd prefer to see a mediocre or average first year from him because with the contracts top 4 RHD are getting he could very well screw us if he rides Huggy's train 

I hadn’t considered that, but you make a good point. Hopefully at least a couple of the bad contracts are moved by then anyway, just in case.

[Warhippy]

2 minutes ago, Ted Lasso said:

Fair point, and a silver lining if he doesn’t light it up. How do you see him being deployed, and with what partner?

There's almost no chance he doesn't start with Hughes.  After that it's hard to say because if they're a defensive nightmare  it's gonna be another year of blender matching until something sticks for more than 15 games.

[Ted Lasso]

7 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

There's almost no chance he doesn't start with Hughes.  After that it's hard to say because if they're a defensive nightmare  it's gonna be another year of blender matching until something sticks for more than 15 games.

Interesting, I haven’t read that take before. Why do you think they’ll start together?
 

Seems like the consensus has been a second pair of Soucy-Hronek 

 

edit - agree it will probably take a bit of experimenting before we see consistent pairs

Edited August 9 by Ted Lasso

[Warhippy]

Just now, Citizen Erased said:

I hadn’t considered that, but you make a good point. Hopefully at least a couple of the bad contracts are moved by then anyway, just in case.

The biggest issue comes down to the ehrhoff factor.

 

Edler in his prime allowed Ehrhoff in the regular season to be an offensive machine because he was almost the perfect rover for him.  Hughes is NOT that to Hronek and we stand to potentially see a purely offensive pairing which does not work and not a thing Tocchet would be keen to ice on the regular.  Should that change and we see a 15-30 game pairing of Hughes/Hronek we will see some solid point totals but also I expect some defensive lapses.

 

Hronek will be paid based on production as much as he will defensive acumen.  The issue is that PP time with Hughes/Petey will inflate the hell out of his totals just like the twins did Ehrhoff who left for a solid pay day and "shot at the cup" in buffalo lol

 

It's almost worth hoping we do not see a Hronek/Hughes pairing because defensively it could be a nightmare, while offensively could light it up.  But more importantly, again judging by the contracts of top 4 RHD or even fringe top 4 rhd over the last 3 seasons Hronek could easily command $7.5+ million.  Just think of what Devon toews is going to be commanding in Colorado after this season while being paired with makar.  Is he a great partner like edler/ehrhoff?  An all around solid defenseman on his own?  or a player riding an incredible top line and franchise defenseman?

 

Where does Hronek fall in with that?  because that will be the benchmark

 

That's what we don't know about with Hronek yet.  Hell, I am still on the fence until i see how that shoulder stands up to the first 30 games of the season as it stands.

 

But I have concerns about what a breakout season will be doing to his contract negotiations knowing that OELs dead cap will be around $4.7 million when him and Pettersson are renewing their contracts.