Aho vs. Bolduc

[Seph]

Do you want to bank on Pulock’s terrific playoff carrying over for another 82 games next year?

I dont think Pulock will maintain that level of physicality over 82 games (almost no dmen do, tbf), but I do think he will look notably better this year than he did for most of last if we keep the same defensive system we played for the last third of the season and playoffs, and don't try to go back to the more offensive one.

 

[MJF]

I dont think Pulock will maintain that level of physicality over 82 games (almost no dmen do, tbf), but I do think he will look notably better this year than he did for most of last if we keep the same defensive system we played for the last third of the season and playoffs, and don't try to go back to the more offensive one.

Fair comment.

 

[Disgraced Cosmonaut]

So in the end, many people aren’t keen on either guy being in the bottom pair. Aho feels like a solid and cheap 7 and Bolduc plays one more in CT.

In that case…

Orlov and Pulock
Pelech and Dobson
Romanov and Mayfield
Aho
This leaves Salo and Bolduc together one more season after which Lou needs to make a decision on Romanov (cost benefit keep vs. trade with one year on his deal).

Bailey and Pageau are gone.
Casey is your new 3C between Parise and Fasching, and the 4th line gets a cheap C and is used more sparingly, like an actual 4th line with at least 2 guys in their mid thirties.

Net - status quo

 

[steveat]

I still don't see what the team sees in Bolduc to sign him to a one-way? I am not saying he's bad or sucks or will never make it. He definitely will, but after those errors and lackluster skating, you'd think the team would do what they've done to EVERY other player and thats "go back down, work on stuff and at some point in the future, we'll call you up again".

I mean...we saw it just this past season. Salo messes up and gets sidelined for a year. JHS farts around and everybody moved to the other side of the dance floor.

The team seems very confident that he will be ready OR maybe they think he has nothing more to learn in the AHL and will spend next season like Dobson spent his first season? Mostly scratched? Sitting in the press box trying to learn the game?

 

[Strummergas]

I still don't see what the team sees in Bolduc to sign him to a one-way? I am not saying he's bad or sucks or will never make it. He definitely will, but after those errors and lackluster skating, you'd think the team would do what they've done to EVERY other player and thats "go back down, work on stuff and at some point in the future, we'll call you up again".

I mean...we saw it just this past season. Salo messes up and gets sidelined for a year. JHS farts around and everybody moved to the other side of the dance floor.

The team seems very confident that he will be ready OR maybe they think he has nothing more to learn in the AHL and will spend next season like Dobson spent his first season? Mostly scratched? Sitting in the press box trying to learn the game?

Don't forget that "one-way contracts" do not guarantee spending the year in the NHL. It merely means that the player earns the same salary at both the NHL and AHL level.

 

[CupHolders]

I still don't see what the team sees in Bolduc to sign him to a one-way? I am not saying he's bad or sucks or will never make it. He definitely will, but after those errors and lackluster skating, you'd think the team would do what they've done to EVERY other player and thats "go back down, work on stuff and at some point in the future, we'll call you up again".

I mean...we saw it just this past season. Salo messes up and gets sidelined for a year. JHS farts around and everybody moved to the other side of the dance floor.

The team seems very confident that he will be ready OR maybe they think he has nothing more to learn in the AHL and will spend next season like Dobson spent his first season? Mostly scratched? Sitting in the press box trying to learn the game?

What was already said... it doesn't guarantee an NHL spot, just salary. If he has waiver exemptions, he will be a likely choice to be demoted. But organizationally, I think they see a big player with more raw talent and younger than Salo.

 

[Disgraced Cosmonaut]

He skates well, is big and has a shot you can project as useful in the NHL. He’ll probably be a regular in the next three years, whether here or elsewhere.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

He skates well, is big and has a shot you can project as useful in the NHL. He’ll probably be a regular in the next three years, whether here or elsewhere.

Bolduc does not skate well IMO.

 

[MarsTBOW]

Interesting look at Aho's numbers from last year....

 

[The Wahligator]

Interesting look at Aho's numbers from last year....

He’s projected as like a $7M player in the Athletic’s model. Pretty funny.

 

[PK Cronin]

He’s projected as like a $7M player in the Athletic’s model. Pretty funny.

And once again they prove that all these models are bogus.

 

[steveat]

Interesting look at Aho's numbers from last year....

AHO wasn't sheltered He was playing with 2b players most of the time in the defensive end. If he was given Dobber's PP1 and played with the same players in front of him as Dobber, I guarantee you he would have had more points and being more effective at the same time.

AHO has been playing as an offensive Dman since he was a kid and played 4 PRO years as a PP QB. He made it to the team. The team told him that he can't play his offensive dman role because they have someone better. Now, you have to pay a defensive game. That's like quitting your job and training yourself on a second career on the fly.

As far as I'm concerned, he did a spectacular job. Sure, he wasn't the best, but lets see you do the same. He has done his job quite well and worth more than the money we are paying him. Lou rewards his players...lets see if AHO gets better minutes this year to show Lou how much more he can do.

 

[The Real JT]

While no 2 players are identical Aho reminds me of Thomas Hickey.

He admittedly has some skill but he’s an undersized offensive Dman who consistently gets exposed when facing talented, bigger and faster forwards.

He’s at best a #7 Dman who would become a liability as a starter against a playoff opponent.

 

[MJF]

While no 2 players are identical Aho reminds me of Thomas Hickey.

He admittedly has some skill but he’s an undersized offensive Dman who consistently gets exposed when facing talented, bigger and faster forwards.

He’s at best a #7 Dman who would become a liability as a starter against a playoff opponent.

I don’t think Hickey skated even this well. To me, Aho’s best quality, like Hickey, is they both go to the hard areas. Aho’s a gamer and I respect that. After that I don’t care for him as a defenseman on either side of the puck. He can get the puck out of the D zone pretty well, doesn’t have a great shot from the point, is frequently beaten back to the D zone, and easily outmuscled for position.

 

[steveat]

I don’t think Hickey skated even this well. To me, Aho’s best quality, like Hickey, is they both go to the hard areas. Aho’s a gamer and I respect that. After that I don’t care for him as a defenseman on either side of the puck. He can get the puck out of the D zone pretty well, doesn’t have a great shot from the point, is frequently beaten back to the D zone, and easily outmuscled for position.

Aho doesn't usually shoots the puck from the point with full force. If you look, he's actually aiming for something. He does have a decent one timer, but Lambert doesn't use him that way.
He's only beat back to the Dzone if he over commits, which you can see he is hesitant a lot from pinching because of this. He will get beat by bigger faster players like an Owen Tippet.

He is outmuscled by larger players...no doubt, but that's because he's trying to play a role he wasn't built to play. He's an offensive dman playing a defensive role (fairly decently I might add given his size). He's been a PP specialist for his whole pro and junior career, but the team wants Dobson to take the role. IMO, Dobson needed a year in the A before coming to the NHL, but he was too young at the time.

I think if you use a PP1 consisting of Engvall - Horvat - Barzal with Dobson and AHO...you will see magic happen.

 

[Strummergas]

I still don't see what the team sees in Bolduc to sign him to a one-way? I am not saying he's bad or sucks or will never make it. He definitely will, but after those errors and lackluster skating, you'd think the team would do what they've done to EVERY other player and thats "go back down, work on stuff and at some point in the future, we'll call you up again".

I mean...we saw it just this past season. Salo messes up and gets sidelined for a year. JHS farts around and everybody moved to the other side of the dance floor.

The team seems very confident that he will be ready OR maybe they think he has nothing more to learn in the AHL and will spend next season like Dobson spent his first season? Mostly scratched? Sitting in the press box trying to learn the game?

Again, signing a one-way deal doesn't guarantee a player a spot in the NHL line-up. It merely guarantees them an NHL salary. Bolduc can be dropped down to Bridgeport if the team deems it necessary to do so.

And you should really consider changing your screen name to "Sebastian Aho' at this point...

 

[Disgraced Cosmonaut]

Pretty good night for Aho earlier in the week. I’m thinking hell be 6D to start the season. If he takes another positive step forward, we’d be really lucky. Bolduc gets another 1/2 to whole year to marinate.

 

[seafoam]

I think he’s a better PPQB than Dobson right now, but I expect Dobson to still get that role.