2014-2015 Hartford Wolf Pack/Greenville Road Warriors Thread Part IV

[cwede]

I've seen very little of Staal on the right side over the years, but I wonder if I wouldn't prefer him there. McD-Girardi, Yandle-Staal.

especially this time of year, and with caps as opponent,
i have visions of Staal's right-point OT winner vs Caps,
[after the J.Ward late 3rd double minor, and B.Richards' last second tying goal ]
at right point, after (J.Mitchell) FO win in O-zone, Staal drifts away from the wall and fires the winner

yeah it was the PP but Staal seems comfortable on either side

and Stall-Yandle would let the top 4 be the top 4

 

[Miamipuck]

I've seen very little of Staal on the right side over the years, but I wonder if I wouldn't prefer him there. McD-Girardi, Yandle-Staal.

Wouldn't Staal's injury make it very tricky for him, depending on the side that helps his better eye? I think it would be easier on McD.

 

[Ola]

Wouldn't Staal's injury make it very tricky for him, depending on the side that helps his better eye? I think it would be easier on McD.

Yeah possibly.

But I mean, neither Yandle nor McD should play on the right side either. It hurts their game all over and especially their offensive game. If I want anyone of these guys held back offensively, I would prefer it to be Staal. Another thing is that I think Staal handles most things real well, but he never seem to expand his register. Maybe he could be pushed into changing things up a bit if he changed sides.

Btw didn't Staal play RD with McD late in a game quite recently. I have a vague memory of making a mental note of it but I am not 100%.

 

[pld459666]

Granted, but all 3 left defensemen in front of him are crucial players in their prime. The oldest is still only 28. Next year Skjei will be on the first pairing in Hartford. But what about he year after? Maybe he moves to the RD?

If the plan is to have Brady slide to the RD, then he should spend the full year in Hartford next season learning the nuances of that side.

 

[Matz03]

Long time lurker and now poster. Thanks to Beacon and some of the other guys providing updates on the guys and following them closely, we don't hear enough about them from the media or the big team.

regarding Skjei and his spot with the big club, he probably needs to continue to be groomed in on the left side. If he does make a push early or mid season to the big club McDonagh is probably the best candidate to switch to the right, he played really well there in the olympics.

something like this could work:

Staal-McDonagh
Yandle-Girardi
Skjei-Klein

I'm also pulling for McIlrath, it's likely his last chance before moving onto another organization. We could really use a stay at home d man now to play with someone like Yandle now. We really have no depth on the right side.

 

[eco's bones]

Long time lurker and now poster. Thanks to Beacon and some of the other guys providing updates on the guys and following them closely, we don't hear enough about them from the media or the big team.

regarding Skjei and his spot with the big club, he probably needs to continue to be groomed in on the left side. If he does make a push early or mid season to the big club McDonagh is probably the best candidate to switch to the right, he played really well there in the olympics.

something like this could work:

Staal-McDonagh
Yandle-Girardi
Skjei-Klein

I'm also pulling for McIlrath, it's likely his last chance before moving onto another organization. We could really use a stay at home d man now to play with someone like Yandle now. We really have no depth on the right side.

mcdonagh is such a good skater that he can move over to the right and for the most part get away with it but there are a couple caveats. 1) he's not quite going to be as good on the right side--he's turning against the play more and looking over the other shoulder doing it and 2) he's more susceptible to getting drilled like he did (by evander kane) earlier this year when av moved him to the right side because of an injury situation. that hit put him out of the lineup for a while.

not sure where that leaves skjei in the meantime but the rangers moving either staal or yandle in the future when skjei is deemed ready would probably bring back a very very good return. as for mcilrath i don't see him making the team as a 7th d--for the following two reasons 1) he's not shown himself to be a particularly good puck mover and 2) he has no real experience switching sides to the left--he could only fill in on the right side for a missing d-man. for him to make the team next year--an opening will have to appear on the right side and again imo that would be boyle who has an nmc for next year--so how that would come to happen i don't know but imo he's the weakest and oldest by far d-man on the team. more likely than that (since mcilrath will have to clear waivers to play in hartford next year) is dylan gets moved though what we get in return is probably not going to be as much as we'd like.

 

[Matz03]

mcdonagh is such a good skater that he can move over to the right and for the most part get away with it but there are a couple caveats. 1) he's not quite going to be as good on the right side--he's turning against the play more and looking over the other shoulder doing it and 2) he's more susceptible to getting drilled like he did (by evander kane) earlier this year when av moved him to the right side because of an injury situation. that hit put him out of the lineup for a while.

not sure where that leaves skjei in the meantime but the rangers moving either staal or yandle in the future when skjei is deemed ready would probably bring back a very very good return. as for mcilrath i don't see him making the team as a 7th d--for the following two reasons 1) he's not shown himself to be a particularly good puck mover and 2) he has no real experience switching sides to the left--he could only fill in on the right side for a missing d-man. for him to make the team next year--an opening will have to appear on the right side and again imo that would be boyle who has an nmc for next year--so how that would come to happen i don't know but imo he's the weakest and oldest by far d-man on the team. more likely than that (since mcilrath will have to clear waivers to play in hartford next year) is dylan gets moved though what we get in return is probably not going to be as much as we'd like.

I think the management is smart enough to know that Boyle must go this off season, just like Richards had to go last year. Yes the circumstances aren't the same but we'll be in the same position of needing every $ cap wise we can get. I think Boyle is tradeable even with the NTC and if not you'll be forced to buy him out and still get $3m of cap savings. It would be the best thing to get McIlrath on the cheap to start the year with the big club and play all the games, if he doesn't fit in you move him or lose him on waivers.

Either way, whomever ends up on our bottom pairing next season will be a cheap $ player with 4 core players to reup.

 

[eco's bones]

I think the management is smart enough to know that Boyle must go this off season, just like Richards had to go last year. Yes the circumstances aren't the same but we'll be in the same position of needing every $ cap wise we can get. I think Boyle is tradeable even with the NTC and if not you'll be forced to buy him out and still get $3m of cap savings. It would be the best thing to get McIlrath on the cheap to start the year with the big club and play all the games, if he doesn't fit in you move him or lose him on waivers.

Either way, whomever ends up on our bottom pairing next season will be a cheap $ player with 4 core players to reup.

not sure that buyout scenario of yours applies. my understanding is the rangers would be on the hook for boyle's entire cap hit if we did buy him out or even did a wade redden with him and i believe even if he retired. richards was a different situation. he fell into a three year window of two buyouts per team after the last nhl/nhlpa agreement--that window closed last summer and in any case the rangers used both of their buyouts. boyle would have to be persuaded to leave somehow and for the rangers it would be best if this somehow/way weren't contentious because it could cause ramifications for other ufa signings in the future.

fwiw i would be very happy to see mcilrath take the last right d spot next year and boyle moved along but i just don't see it as a probability. i think the probability is more on the side that mcilrath gets moved--and yeah we do need the cap savings and dylan on next year's team would make it a lot easier for the rangers to give stepan the deal he deserves and keep hagelin as well. as for boyle being persuaded to leave--this is quite possibly his retirement contract and next year could easily be his last--he's on a team he wants to be on and a team that has a decent chance of winning a cup and he has his no movement clause. i think you'd almost have to find another contending team for him and i'm not sure he'd even accept that.

 

[KOVALEV022473]

Welp, at least the Pack can beat the Craps!

 

[Matz03]

not sure that buyout scenario of yours applies. my understanding is the rangers would be on the hook for boyle's entire cap hit if we did buy him out or even did a wade redden with him and i believe even if he retired. richards was a different situation. he fell into a three year window of two buyouts per team after the last nhl/nhlpa agreement--that window closed last summer and in any case the rangers used both of their buyouts. boyle would have to be persuaded to leave somehow and for the rangers it would be best if this somehow/way weren't contentious because it could cause ramifications for other ufa signings in the future.

fwiw i would be very happy to see mcilrath take the last right d spot next year and boyle moved along but i just don't see it as a probability. i think the probability is more on the side that mcilrath gets moved--and yeah we do need the cap savings and dylan on next year's team would make it a lot easier for the rangers to give stepan the deal he deserves and keep hagelin as well. as for boyle being persuaded to leave--this is quite possibly his retirement contract and next year could easily be his last--he's on a team he wants to be on and a team that has a decent chance of winning a cup and he has his no movement clause. i think you'd almost have to find another contending team for him and i'm not sure he'd even accept that.

After some research it looks like he can't be bought out because of the 35+ contract, there were some other reports that he could be at a cost of $1.5m over the next two years. It sounds like Sather will just have to convince him to waive his NTC. It's looking more and more like we'll be in a serious cap crunch this summer with no ability to fill any holes.

 

[CTRanger]

As far as I know you CAN buy out 35+ contracts. Everything I've read says its 2/3 over double the years for players 26 and up, including 35+ contracts. 1/3 for 25 and under.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

Wrong thread.

 

[Osminator]

Great job by the Pack in Game 2, going 3-1 into the first intermission, they now head into the second intermission down 4-5 lol

 

[Osminator]

NY Rangers style CHOKE... Pack drop Game 2, final score 4-6.

 

[Farnham4top6]

Mike Banwell just signed with my home team. Could someone tell a little about him?
How is his skating? First pass? Hockey iq? Physicality? etc..
Thanks for taking your time reading this.

 

[haohmaru]

NY Rangers style CHOKE... Pack drop Game 2, final score 4-6.

NYR are 12-3 in their last 15 elimination games. "CHOKE" isn't a word I'd use to describe them.

 

[Joey Bones]

Mike Banwell just signed with my home team. Could someone tell a little about him?
How is his skating? First pass? Hockey iq? Physicality? etc..
Thanks for taking your time reading this.

To be honest with you, I didn't even know he was on Greenville . That should be it.

 

[Ola]

Mike Banwell just signed with my home team. Could someone tell a little about him?
How is his skating? First pass? Hockey iq? Physicality? etc..
Thanks for taking your time reading this.

It won't help making Björklöven the best löven team in Sweden !!

 

[Farnham4top6]

It won't help making Björklöven the best löven team in Sweden !!

We are already the best team in the world
If we don't win every game with 10-0 or better we fans are going to get very mad.

 

[Ola]

We are already the best team in the world
If we don't win every game with 10-0 or better we fans are going to get very mad.

Asplöven = goat

 

[nyr2k2]

Mike Banwell just signed with my home team. Could someone tell a little about him?
How is his skating? First pass? Hockey iq? Physicality? etc..
Thanks for taking your time reading this.

Unfortunately we don't really have anyone here that watches Greenville. We might get one or two actual reports each season. To be completely honest, this is the first time I've heard of Mike Banwell.

 

[eco's bones]

Mike Banwell just signed with my home team. Could someone tell a little about him?
How is his skating? First pass? Hockey iq? Physicality? etc..
Thanks for taking your time reading this.

i was wondering what a poster with the user name firebylsma was doing in our ahl thread. the rangers have a few nhl contracted guys playing in greenville but it's pretty much a hopeless bunch. the rest are mainly echl/ahl free agents. i suspect not too many of us are paying very much attention to any of them.

 

[eco's bones]

it's 1-1 in the third. crabb with a shorthanded goal to tie it late in the 2nd. wolfpack outshooting bears 25-18 so far.

 

[Beacon]

Rangers hockey by the Pack: another quality PP leads to a goal... but the goal is against them so they lose on a SHG.

 

[haohmaru]

Rangers hockey by the Pack: another quality PP leads to a goal... but the goal is against them so they lose on a SHG.

Funny, the Rangers scored a PP goal tonight...