Player Discussion Adam Ruzicka

[JPeeper]

Ruzicka getting scratched as the odd man out on that 4th line is total bullshit. Lucic and Lewis only survive because of "veteran leadership and toughness" and Ruzicka gets scratched because he is younger/sophomore-rookie.

Scratch Lucic and Lewis and give Ruzicka Pelletier and Duehr (or God forbid Phillips). This league is about goals, not old man toughness. Colorado didn't win their Cup because of toughness and grit, they won because of skill and speed.

4th lines having to be grinder tough guy line is such an outdated dumb concept. They should be for energy and you'll get more energy from speedy young dudes than old guys that can barely move around.

 

[Brent Burns Beard]

Why does Sutter hate this guy so much? He needs to be dealt for his own sake.

 

[MM917]

Why does Sutter hate this guy so much? He needs to be dealt for his own sake.

He doesn’t hate him, Ruzicka just isn’t that good.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Why does Sutter hate this guy so much? He needs to be dealt for his own sake.

With Sutter, I had to check the thread title to see which rookie you were talking about.

Ruzicka has been inconsistent, and when he's off he plays smaller than he is. He'll be a decent middle six player, there's some skill there. I don't know if he'll be at wing or at centre, but I'd prefer him at centre.

 

[Nanuuk]

Why does Sutter hate this guy so much? He needs to be dealt for his own sake.

Answer: He doesn't. Rosie is following a tested path towards earning a regular spot. There are aspects of his game that needs to be worked on, e.g. face-offs. And don't discount the benefit of remaining and practising with the big club.

I think that by next year, depending on his camp, he will earn a full time spot.

 

[HighLifeMan]

Ya, I don't agree. Sutter fumbled the bag massively here with Ruzicka. To demote him in the lineup (for Lucic of all people) when he did was completely unjustified in every way, and clearly shattered the kids confidence. He led the team in scoring for a full calendar month after sitting the entire first month of the season, and hasn't sniffed a role suited for his skillset since. Some of you will call it "tough love". I call it terrible coaching.

Sutter doesn't like cerebral players. He wants everyone to play with nonstop pace and intensity, and that's just not Ruzicka's game. It's similarly why he didn't like Monahan, and is vastly underutilizing Huberdeau.

It irks me watching a guy like Ritchie dog it and play lazy hockey but since he's physical those aspects of his game get overlooked by Sutter.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Ruzicka has had some massive swings in consistency. Dont forget that he was playing 1st line minutes for a few games. I dont expect him to be a physical wrecking ball, thats not his game. But you can see when hes engaged he is effective, when hes not hes replacement level.

 

[Roadrage]

With Sutter, I had to check the thread title to see which rookie you were talking about.

Ruzicka has been inconsistent, and when he's off he plays smaller than he is. He'll be a decent middle six player, there's some skill there. I don't know if he'll be at wing or at centre, but I'd prefer him at centre.

How does anyone get consistency if you don't get to play consistently? He's got 20 points playing in 44 games while averaging same amount of ice time as Lucic and Lewis (both playing 70+ games) and has a better +/- then both as well. Obviously Ruzicka doesn't play the same style if that's what Sutter is looking for but if he is looking for points production, wrong guys are being iced but that's my opinion.
Ruzicka may still finish with more points if he doesn't play another game this year then Lucic and Lewis who will probably play every game the rest of the way.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

How does anyone get consistency if you don't get to play consistently?

Correlation is not causation. Same path as Kylington, who had limited ice two years ago, and progressively increased ice time & responsibility last year. I don't necessarily agree with that tactic but I'm not the coach so it doesn't matter.

He still sees ice & takes reps during practice, so if he isn't doing things "tHE rIGhT WaY" in practice, then he won't get game time, unless someone else is playing / practicing worse.

He'll get more opportunity next season.

 

[Roadrage]

Correlation is not causation. Same path as Kylington, who had limited ice two years ago, and progressively increased ice time & responsibility last year. I don't necessarily agree with that tactic but I'm not the coach so it doesn't matter.

He still sees ice & takes reps during practice, so if he isn't doing things "tHE rIGhT WaY" in practice, then he won't get game time, unless someone else is playing / practicing worse.

He'll get more opportunity next season.

Hope he does get more opportunities next season but count me in the "O ye, of little faith" camp

 

[Nanuuk]

Ruzicka - 2017 109th overall, Age 23, 2020-21 3 games, 2021-22 28 games, 2022-23 44 games

Dube - 2019 56th overall, Age 24, 2018-19 25 games, 2019-20 45 games, 2020-21 51 games (covid year), 2021-22 79 games, 2022-23 75 games (so far)

Jankowski - 2016-17, one game, 2017-18 72 games, 2018-19 79 games

Sometimes players break in slowly and at the end of it I think you have a better player on your hands. Certainly it bodes well for the player to have a long career.

Others you rush in and they have so-so careers.

 

[Nanuuk]

Calgary is a grave yard for up and coming left wingers. Typically there is too much depth. In recent memory we had Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Frolik, and Lucic patrolling the left side while youngsters like Mangiapane, Dube, and Bennett were competing for a spot (Dube and Bennett because of ench strength at the centre spot).

Ultimately to make room either a LW switches to RW to make room, or a centre spot opens, or someone leaves the organization.

Rosie is in the same predicament. The Flames have a lot of depth at LW and C this season. For him to break in he'd have to displace someone at those two spots or convert to RW.

With Pelletier performing so well, LW could be locked up for a while (Mangi, Huby, Dube, Pelletier, maybe even Zary). Is Rosie better than any of them? Don't know. Evidence indicates that maybeso.

At centre, where the Flames miserably fail in development, a spot is open. Yes it would be 4C and maybe a misuse of Ruzicka's overall skill level, but it could be a full time gig for him next year. He just has to work on his face-offs, because if the 4C doesn't win his fair share, a whole lotta running around in the Dzone will ensue.

Rosie could convert to RW (he's played there in the AHL) and a spot is open (more or less), but he has to fight off Coronato, Dube, Coleman,and Duehr for a job. Coleman is a natural LW, but there is no room on that side.

So Rosie needs to hang in there and practice his face-offs in the offseason and come in loaded for bear. A 6'4" 220 lb. centre that wins face-offs will have a good NHL career.

 

[Yepthatsme]

How does anyone get consistency if you don't get to play consistently? He's got 20 points playing in 44 games while averaging same amount of ice time as Lucic and Lewis (both playing 70+ games) and has a better +/- then both as well. Obviously Ruzicka doesn't play the same style if that's what Sutter is looking for but if he is looking for points production, wrong guys are being iced but that's my opinion.
Ruzicka may still finish with more points if he doesn't play another game this year then Lucic and Lewis who will probably play every game the rest of the way.

For people who are wondering, consistency issues have been a long lasting Ruzicka issue that definitely pre date Sutter. It made pretty much every one of his scouting reports pre draft, but his worst offense was in 2020-21 when he scored 12 points in his first 4 games, then 9 points over his last 22. Sutter very well could be trying to send the message it’s give him your best effort or don’t play at all, which while Ruzicka could be more effective than others in his current state, could also be what’s best for us to get more of his top play than current play going forward.

 

[Evgeny Oliker]

So what do Flames fans see as Ruzickas upside when he reaches his full potential in the nhl?

3rd line player who maybe gets 30-35 points per season?


Thanks

 

[Ace Rimmer]

So what do Flames fans see as Ruzickas upside when he reaches his full potential in the nhl?

3rd line player who maybe gets 30-35 points per season?


Thanks

He was originally projected as a power forward type, 2nd line centre. I can still see that, so maybe in that 50 point range at his peak. Just needs to find some consistency.

Will be interested to see how Huska uses him.

 

[Fig]

He was originally projected as a power forward type, 2nd line centre. I can still see that, so maybe in that 50 point range at his peak. Just needs to find some consistency.

Will be interested to see how Huska uses him.

I was thinking middle 6 Kadri lite type of player, perhaps closer to 3C than 2C depending on his defensive weaknesses... but I'm not sure if I'm mentally mixing up a tiny bit of Ruzicka's prospect style with Pospisil's style.

 

[Tofveve]

He was originally projected as a power forward type, 2nd line centre. I can still see that, so maybe in that 50 point range at his peak. Just needs to find some consistency.

Will be interested to see how Huska uses him.

I see it this way too. 1st or 2nd pp unit as well. 2nd unit for sure depending what sort of 1st unit talent we keep and bring in going forward.

I think Sutter's coaching fed Ruz' insecurities fueling inconsistency more than it helped him. I'd love to see this youngish player be allowed to ride highs and lows over a full season with consistent minutes and usage rather than the hair-brained reactionary minutes he was given over the last couple of years. Makes me sick that he'd be our best offensive player over a game or two only to be sat in the press box or riding the pine with 5 min of play on the 4th line. Just bananas.

Definitely has that 50 pt potential maybe more IMO.

 

[joescores]

3 points in 3 games, not playing top mins/top PP. Remember when he was on that crazy wave last season? Of course the ugly chop had to demote him after a single error and later on completely stopped playing him- what an obnoxious turd.
This guy needs more love and a pat when he makes an odd mistake.

Been one of our best players so far- he will get 50+ pts this year providing his mins will rise, book it.

 

[TheHudlinator]

Dude is a stud more proof that Sutter and Treliving were wrong not to use our young depth over washed players like the Ritchie brothers and lucic

 

[Mobiandi]

Our best skater so far this season. Him and Huberdeau move similarly and I’d be curious to see Ruzicka center him.

 

[BobColesNasalCavity]

Ruzicka detractors MIA and presumably in SHAMBLES

 

[SaintMorose]

I find him still one of the more inconsistent guys in maintaining possession and keeping tempo up on the ice.

But you don't resolve stuff like that by playing a potential 60pt player on the 4th line then benching him for the back 3rd of a season. I think we're going to see Ruzicka pushed the right way this year a couple trips to the press box to see things hes not doing, but never pulling him out of a scoring role for long.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Ruzicka detractors MIA and presumably in SHAMBLES

I'd like to see a line of Huberdeau - Ruzicka - Coronato

 

[super6646]

He can carry the puck and actually skates well. Nice to see

 

[Lunatik]

Ruzicka detractors MIA and presumably in SHAMBLES

I didn't even know he had detractors.

I've always liked Rosie personally, but some of these posts are getting over the top, like the ones claiming he's proved he deserved more time last year... that's not how it works, you can never prove what you were in the past, just what you are now because he's improving and IMO looks better than last season.