Responsibility

[Topper]

NV

[donlever]

Another solid post in our new and hopefully high-traffic, sensibly used domain.

I would like to react to it more fully as time permits but.....

Zadorov - 100% agree, should have re-signed him, we can debate the 5 million for a 4/5 until EP's nuts drop but this guys intangibles were enough to demand a re-up....the hardball tactic BS here is as tactile and optically negative as the ran out of time with Toffoli

Lindholm - still an argument remains in place to have made more effort to re-sign him as well (cue the affronted, indignation with the ever present 7x7 omg replies) and in lieu of JD

Miller - whichever side you land on tough to forgive Management for the Royal fuck-handling (sic) of this situation...minor league Jerry Jones like Bullshit

Soft "ball" players - the lack of a deterrent (see point 1) to deter the Dubois' and Wilson's (et al) of the World bagning on Hughes reeks of AV & the Sedin failures

Your last paragraph reeks of 1970 - 2025 Canuck mis-management and duty dereliction

Edit...and oh, yeah, Lankinen is not such a steal anymore, that's a hefty deal for what amounts to a mid level goalie. The ease with which they paid him 4.5 and fucked over Big Z for a few dollars more appears fairly glaring.

[Meds]

In response to a few points in the OP.....

On Podkolzin.....23 points in 76 games is not thriving. He had 26 points in 79 games in his rookie season in Vancouver. His subsequent 2 looks wearing the stinky whale were even more underwhelming. Deployment obviously a factor, as is for most young players, that being said, he hasn't thrived enough to earn time with McDavid, and if he has been deployed with the guy who turned Hyman into a 50 goal scorer he certainly has not made the most of that opportunity.

Hoglander has surprised me this year, not in a good way. When he was productive as a rookie (and even last season) the knock on him was fitness and the way he faded in games and also during the year. When he showed up in the top 3 for fitness at training camp I definitely had some 2nd line aspirations for him. Not sure what happened, but this drop is odd.

The player exchange of DeBrusk/Lindholm is a win only because o Lindholm's ask. I would hope that had Lindholm been willing to return for the same cost as Jake that management would have taken that deal.

Considering that Hughes is the only one whose creativity is not being stifled, how much of that is Tocchet recognizing an inability of players to actually be creative without getting themselves into trouble? I don't recall Miller and Boeser being stifled, nor the Lotto line when it was a thing. The only forward I can think of with the wheels and hands to be creative is Garland, however his linemates are not always similarly minded. Pettersson has the smarts to be creative, but I don't see the footwork to execute.

Your "question" regarding where one might guess he stood on Miller/Scooter.....I think Tocchet made that clear when, in a post trade interview, he referred to JT as a "heart and soul guy" and that it sucked to lose him. He has not said anything that endorses Scooter's character like that.

I think you are a somewhat under-appreciative of Sherwood. $1.5M for nearly 20G and 40P, also has speed and is aggressive on the forecheck and pursuit of dump-ins. His hits, while not thunderous, are undeniable. For a hit to be registered as a statistic the contact must be made on the puck carrier and cause him to lose possession of the puck. No matter which way you spin it Sherwood is getting attacking the puck carrier more often than anyone else in the league. I won't lie and say I have scrutinized his play, but I have not heard much talk of him being a guy that gets caught out of position chasing a hit, that also is a point in his favour.

Our game in Washington where PLD abused Hughes and nobody responded. That told everyone the level of heart this team possessed and how piss poor a job management has done constructing the roster and building a good room. The answer was to ship out one of the few remaining players who at least played "pissed off" in favour of the tin-metal two wheeler.

I' have never before wanted to be so wrong about a player I dislike. I loathe the idea of keeping him under the mantra of "he should bounce back" when doing so could mean having a player holding a full NMC that makes Loui Eriksson look like a great point per dollar spent contract.

Point of clarification.....

Topper, were you referring to Zadorov or Cole? I initially thought Cole, but Donny mentioned Zadorov.....I had not heard that Z was a locker room leader, though I had heard that about Cole.

[donlever]

And what’s notable is how that differs from last year’s squad, which had a couple other cultural focal points in the dressing room: Ian Cole, first, and then Nikita Zadorov.

Both were alpha male types. Outspoken. Pointed. They had that way of talking that captures the attention of their peers. There weren’t the team captains but they were social leaders, the guys who helped build the team’s cultural atmosphere.

An argument can be made that the removal of one (or both) of these players exacerbated the negativity of the EP/Miller issue....

[5thhorseman]

Thinking about a heart and sole defender who stood up for his teammates and was a locker room leader, my mind went instantly to Schenn. We've had more than one kick at that can.

[Meds]

And what’s notable is how that differs from last year’s squad, which had a couple other cultural focal points in the dressing room: Ian Cole, first, and then Nikita Zadorov.

Both were alpha male types. Outspoken. Pointed. They had that way of talking that captures the attention of their peers. There weren’t the team captains but they were social leaders, the guys who helped build the team’s cultural atmosphere.

An argument can be made that the removal of one (or both) of these players exacerbated the negativity of the EP/Miller issue....

Hadn't seen that one regarding Z.

Danke.

[Meds]

Thinking about a heart and sole defender who stood up for his teammates and was a locker room leader, my mind went instantly to Schenn. We've had more than one kick at that can.

Fuck. That one pissed me off. Especially considering that Hughes was not happy to see him dealt.

[donlever]

I think the age dynamic (29 vs 35) plays a large factor there 5th (unless you mean at the time & that this is a perennial dropping of the ball issue in Van?)...

The role Zadorov played in Boston this year was sorely missed locally.

20 plus minutes per game.

200 hits.

100 blocks.

+17 on a piece of ass team.

Standing up for teammates consistently and vigorously.

[Meds]

Indeed, I meant an at the time.

At 35 years old, I wouldn't be advocating for Schenn to be brought back now unless it meant Myers exiting and us seeing an upgrade in the 4-spot.

M Pettersson has been a good addition, not sure on the cost of acquisition, but he stabilized our PK, and despite being a bone rack he plays a hard game (like Tanev) and somehow handles it (unlike Tanev).....what can one say (like Rhys Ifans), "he's wiry."

Considering their relatively similar contracts, I'm not sure if I'd rather have Pettersson or Zadorov.

[donlever]

If this Management group actually had a chance to move EP for Necas/Kotkaniemi or even Necas/Drury and they sign Lindholm we are potentially looking at (into next year):

Miller
Lindholm
Drury or Kotkaniemei or Bleuger
Bleuger or Drury

...down the middle.

Currently its:

EP ???
Chytil ???
Bleuger
Aman or Raty

Miller and Lindholm make less combined than EP and Chytil.

[Meds]

Fuck, that's depressing.

[Topper]

nv

[donlever]

Mëds, yes, I was referring to Zedorov. Reading what Donny posted, do you think he and Cole standing with Miller made Scooter comfortable?

If Management (and ownership) are making critical lineup decisions (while also emasculating the team) based on EP's feelings well, Beijing we have a problem (smells a bit like Brad Richards around here).

How to Enervate Your Hockey Team and still raise ticket prices by Francesco Aquilini.

D+ indeed.

Management's repeated mantra of bigger, faster, stronger; like Donny and Doc whispering in HW's ear, is nothing but an empty promise.

Yeah...tough to flog that Mantra while driving the bigger, stronger, faster guys to the airport.

[Meds]

Thinking about a heart and sole defender who stood up for his teammates and was a locker room leader, my mind went instantly to Schenn. We've had more than one kick at that can.

Mëds, yes, I was referring to Zedorov. Reading what Donny posted, do you think he and Cole standing with Miller made Scooter comfortable?

If this is also rhetorical well, oops. But both of those guys were on the team still when Perimettersson's play took a nose dive last year. Either way, I believe it was you or Donny who already intimated that catering to hurt feelings in this league is no way to build a winner.

How many Garland/Sherwood/Cohog can you afford to have in the lineup? Yes, Sherwood is effective, but what becomes of those turnovers? Do those hits scare anyone? Is anyone worried about going to the boards with Sherwood?

I think one of Sherwood or O'Connor have a spot, and one of Garland or Cohog. Sherwood seems to be a smarter and more skilled player than O'Connor, and Garland clearly outclasses Cohog. I think that had Hoglander continued to develop with his alleged fitness level this year, then he would replace Garland by virtue of age and cap hit. In some ways I am glad he did not as Garland and Hughes are apparently quite close and if this management intends to build back around Hughes, giving him reasons to stick around are rather important.