Juggernaut27
#CatsHasCupNow?
So that eliminates the whole send him down to juniors after 9 game thing, correct?
And assume is 2 way to AHL?
tx
Nope, still back to the OHL if he doesn't stick with the big club.
So that eliminates the whole send him down to juniors after 9 game thing, correct?
And assume is 2 way to AHL?
tx
Panthers can still send him back to juniors, even after that 9 games has passed. If he plays more than that, it just burns a year off his entry level contract, regardless of how many NHL games he ends up playing after that first 10.So that eliminates the whole send him down to juniors after 9 game thing, correct?
And assume is 2 way to AHL?
tx
So that eliminates the whole send him down to juniors after 9 game thing, correct?
And assume is 2 way to AHL?
tx
So that eliminates the whole send him down to juniors after 9 game thing, correct?
And assume is 2 way to AHL?
tx
“It was a real tight window because the [Panthers] owner was really upset about the discussion about the negotiaton,†said Keenan. “But yes, Joe Thornton was offered by the Boston Bruins, and I took it to the owner and the owner said ‘No, we don’t wanna take that contract on either.â€
Ekblad interview on Marek VS Wyshynski:
http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand-3/Aaron-Ekblad-with-Greg-Wyshynski-mvw-20140904-Interview.mp3
Molls was on yesterday too. Amazing how level-headed this kid appears to be.. I hope he's destined to be great.
can't wait to see him on the ice.
Same here! Hoping they play him on the 3rd pairing to give him a chance to develop this season and get use to the faster speed in the NHL before playing top 4 minutes. Hoping to see some flashes of what he will grow into for us this season!
Hey guys. How has Ekblad looked so far?
How is he coping with NHL competition?
Hey guys. How has Ekblad looked so far?
How is he coping with NHL competition?
He's been phenomenal. Probably the best defenseman on this team. He's very calm with the puck and always makes the right pass. His positioning is great, and he always seems to make the play when it's needed. Plus, he always wants to shoot and actually gets it on net. That's something really lacking on this team. He's far exceeded my expectations so far this year, and I'm sure he's exceeded the expectations of others on these boards, too.
Hes the defensive version of Barkov
Ekblad getting a lot of love from Bobo today:
"Ekblad, of course, was the first overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft. The 18-year-old – he doesn't turn 19 until Feb. 7 – has only one assist in five games but what he's doing as a "pure" rookie blueliner is nothing short of extraordinary.
He's averaging 22:16 over five games and played 25:25 in his last outing, a 2-1 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals.
"The last game he played was the best game he's played," Florida coach Gerard Gallant said. "I keep forgetting he's an 18-year-old rookie."
The funny thing is Ekblad started slow. In the Panthers' rookie camp, he didn't look good in his first game, was just okay in his second but played well in his third. That was ROOKIE camp. In the Panthers' main camp, it was the same thing – struggled early, got better as it progressed.
But almost from the drop of the puck for the regular season, Ekblad has played with poise, maturity and confidence that belies his age and inexperience, playing alongside veteran defenceman Brian Campbell.
"I'm sure he will have some ups and downs, every young defenceman does," Gallant added, "but it's amazing how comfortable he is just playing his game. It's like he's still in junior. He's not worried. He just plays. He's not afraid to jump up (offensively) and he's defended quite well. He's not nervous or unsure of himself."
TSN analytics expert Travis Yost offered this assessment of Ekblad's numbers this season:
"Aaron Ekblad is still searching for the first five-on-five point of his career, but there are plenty of positives to take away from his first five games. Ekblad, playing almost exclusively with puck-possession wizard Brian Campbell, has enjoyed a 58.3 per cent Corsi% and +10.6 per cent RelativeCorsi%. While it's clear Florida isn't easing Ekblad into action (he's close to 16 minutes per night at even strength), it's worth noting he's being deployed in a more offence-oriented role – likely due to Campbell's puck-moving ability. The Ekblad-Campbell pairing is the only one on Florida starting more than 50 per cent of their shifts in the offensive zone. If this sort of deployment continues, expect Ekblad's point-scoring to wake up relatively quickly. Softer minutes and great underlying numbers generally lead to success – Ekblad's simply been victimized by terrible on-ice shooting percentages (4.4 per cent) in the early going. As we know, these numbers frequently regress to league averages."
For those who don't subscribe to #fancystats, Ekblad most certainly passes the eye test, too. To think he's been as cool, calm and composed as he has been, as an 18-year-old defenceman, is nothing short of extraordinary."
http://www.tsn.ca/mckenzie-rookie-race-heats-up-with-drouin-s-lightning-debut-1.111211