Checkers IV: Insert Witty Title Here

[GoldiFox]

Necas is a lock and out goes Wallmark. Warren and Brock are not going anywhere, out goes Mana and out goes McKegg. Hello Gauthier and Saarela/Geekie.

Rod loves Wallmark's defense and he is locked into a $675k deal next year. Little chance he goes IMO.

McKegg out and Necas in. I doubt there is much roster turnover and the company line will be "look at the 2nd half record". If Ferland isn't re-signed then he is replaced in a deal.

 

[MinJaBen]

I’d like to see a 3rd line of Svechnikov-Necas-TT next year.

That's the 3rd line? What's the 2nd line?

 

[MinJaBen]

Rod loves Wallmark's defense and he is locked into a $675k deal next year. Little chance he goes IMO.

McKegg out and Necas in. I doubt there is much roster turnover and the company line will be "look at the 2nd half record". If Ferland isn't re-signed then he is replaced in a deal.

I'd prefer to keep McKegg over Walmark. I still question Walmark's foot speed and McKegg brings more as a 4th liner than I think Walmark would. But I agree, with the contract and Rod's loyalty, I don't see him not on the team next year.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Williams will probably re-sign, but it would be nice to have 1 more top 6 RW so that he wouldn't need to be our 1st line RW at 38 years old, particularly if Ferland isn't re-signed. I realized we have too many bottom sixers so some other moves would have to be made

 

[spockBokk]

That's the 3rd line? What's the 2nd line?

2nd or 3rd I guess...maybe 2nd scoring line would be more apt.

I see it this way...Aho and Niederreiter make up 2/3 of a top line. Svechnikov and TT make up a pair of defensively responsible wingers with some chemistry. That’s 4 guys for your top 6, with 2 Cs left over in Staal and Necas. I think Necas will need help on the defensive side so TT and Svechnikov definitely help there. Staal can play with anyone and hopefully he has Ferland or Zucker-like replacement to play with as a matchup line.

Plug in the remaining RWs for the Aho and Staal lines from Williams or add-a-Checker. At least that’s how I’d do it in NHL ‘20.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

I’ve been noticing that they keep moving the goal posts when reporting on our prospects, using all kinds of different age cut offs

I'm one of the best O48 players in the league!

 

[My Special Purpose]

Discussion about Saarela at this point sounds a lot like discussion about Zykov at this time last season. Just sayin'. There's a reason he's not up. I don't know what it is, but there's a reason.

 

[Unsustainable]

Saarela looked great yesterday, Necas is stupid fast. Both of the set up well in the Ovi spot.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Discussion about Saarela at this point sounds a lot like discussion about Zykov at this time last season. Just sayin'. There's a reason he's not up. I don't know what it is, but there's a reason.

Yeah, I can understand why he didn't get called up since all of our callups were basically 4th liners, but being 1 of the 1st sent down during training camp is a sign. Either it was Rod sending a message about how you need to prepare and work, hoping the guy would get the message and put in the work going forward, or it was Rod not liking something about his game in general (which may not be fixable).

Unlike Zykov, Saarela seems to be a much better skater, has a more lethal shot, wasn't just a PP specialist in Charlotte and doesnt' have a horrible +/- (yeah, I know, bad stat but still). Will be interesting to see what happens this off-season and training camp.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

Then you’re going to lose players on the waiver wire... Saarela will have three years of pro experience after this season so he’d have to clear waivers next season to be sent down... no way he clears

saarela doesn't have to clear waivers until the 2020-2021 season according to capfriendly

Aleksi Saarela Waivers Calculator - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

 

[Anton Babchuk]

I’ve been noticing that they keep moving the goal posts when reporting on our prospects, using all kinds of different age cut offs

my favorite thing is the "most X in checkers franchise history", in reference to a team that has existed for fewer than 9 seasons and has missed the playoffs half the time. like when people were making a big deal that nedeljkovic became the all time checkers wins leader when the previous leaders were john muse followed by justin peters, or trevor carrick putting up the most points for a defenseman in a season behind bobby sanguinetti and bryan rodney . I swear one of the homer beat writers brings up one of these stats every other week like they mean something.

people actually buy this stuff unfortunately. the homer checkers writers who won't criticize any player ever and are constantly making up obscure stats are absolutely the reason why our prospects get so overrated, and why our fans do stuff like freak out because they think trevor carrick is going to get claimed off waivers.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

My thought is that we just got 99 points in the standings with one of the youngest teams in the league, with practically our entire forward group filled with young or otherwise controllable assets. We have 3 UFAs (Ferland, Williams, and McKegg), and will probably re-sign at least Williams.

I don't think we need to pencil in a single Checker next year except Necas (maybe Fleury if you consider him a Checker, but only if a RHD is moved). If Necas is a Ferland replacement, the only possible "hole" is McKegg, and if we move a RHD it will like fill that hole.

If the rest (Gauthier, Kuokkanen, Saarela, Bishop, Roy) are good enough they'll make the team. We have passed the point of having to rely on unripened prospects. Foegele your way onto the team or play in Charlotte. Simple as that. If you're not better than Saku Maenalanen I don't see why we'd want to pencil you in anyway.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

my favorite thing is the "most X in checkers franchise history", in reference to a team that has existed for fewer than 9 seasons and has missed the playoffs half the time. like when people were making a big deal that nedeljkovic became the all time checkers wins leader when the previous leaders were john muse followed by justin peters, or trevor carrick putting up the most points for a defenseman in a season behind bobby sanguinetti and bryan rodney . I swear one of the homer beat writers brings up one of these stats every other week like they mean something.

You're right! They should celebrate their far and away best ever season by pretending it never f***ing happened!

Gtfoh with that bullshit.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

You're right! They should celebrate their far and away best ever season by pretending it never ****ing happened!

Gtfoh with that bull****.

what are you talking about? they've been doing this stuff for years, even when the team was bad. the team hasn't existed for even a decade and most significant players don't last more than a few seasons before graduating to the NHL or moving on so there's constantly players setting records or becoming the third all-time whatever, and we have our writers promoting this stuff like it actually matters or is indicative of NHL potential.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

what are you talking about? they've been doing this stuff for years, even when the team was bad. the team hasn't existed for even a decade and most significant players don't last more than a few seasons before graduating to the NHL or moving on so there's constantly players setting records or becoming the third all-time whatever, and we have our writers promoting this stuff like it actually matters or is indicative of NHL potential.

They should hire you for marketing.

"Come watch the Charlotte Checkers. It's fine."

 

[Anton Babchuk]

They should hire you for marketing.

"Come watch the Charlotte Checkers. It's fine."

??? i'm not talking about the checkers organization, i'm talking about writers like brett finger and a few others who aren't employed by the org, yet spend all the time homering over every prospect.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Brett Finger is a literal college student.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

Brett Finger is a literal college student.

and??? he's a literal credentialed writer for the hurricanes with almost 1500 followers who regularly racks up 100+ likes on tweets. people take what he says seriously and unfortunately he homers over every prospect.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Your ability to find negatives in every positive is both boring and irritating at the same time. Impressive, really.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

and??? he's a literal credentialed writer for the hurricanes with almost 1500 followers who regularly racks up 100+ likes on tweets. people take what he says seriously and unfortunately he homers over every prospect.

That bastard.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

i'm sorry if you think the job of a credentialed writer is to homer nonstop over every player. it would be nice to have even the slightest bit of criticism of any prospect so we don't have people freaking out when someone who's not even that good in the AHL hits the waiver wire, all because some guys with a bunch of followers spent all year building him up with random arbitrary stats.

we'll hear all about how trevor carrick had the third best point total for defensemen in "franchise history" (lol) or that julien gauthier had the third best u23 (lol) goals, but never about how carrick finished a minus player on a team where philip samuelsson was a +44, or that gauthier had a total of 14 assists to bring his point total to a whopping 39. these homer writers just constantly move the goal posts and leave out relevant information to make every player look good.

when you have people freaking out and calling ron francis an idiot who should be fired because he put a mediocre ahl defenseman on waivers, maybe there's a problem.

 

[spockBokk]

What's the potential status of Bean and/or Gauthier being expansion draft exempt?

From what I understand, Necas, by remaining in the minor most of the year and not playing his 9 NHL games, will have his ELC "slide" and start next year, thus making him exempt from Seattle's grubby mitts. It would stand to reason that Bean would also potentially fit this same criteria? with Gauthier maybe not since he has basically now played 2 full years of pro hockey?

 

[Chrispy]

What's the potential status of Bean and/or Gauthier being expansion draft exempt?

From what I understand, Necas, by remaining in the minor most of the year and not playing his 9 NHL games, will have his ELC "slide" and start next year, thus making him exempt from Seattle's grubby mitts. It would stand to reason that Bean would also potentially fit this same criteria? with Gauthier maybe not since he has basically now played 2 full years of pro hockey?

Gauthier and Bean have already had their max 2 years of slide. I believe they will both be eligible for the expansion draft in 2021.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I see this as a good thing. Instead of having to bitch about the team not being in the playoffs again, the biggest criticism is what Brett Finger tweeted about the Charlotte Checkers and that Sara didn't have to ask the tough questions this season. Bizarro world in HFCanes.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

i'm sorry if you think the job of a credentialed writer is to homer nonstop over every player. it would be nice to have even the slightest bit of criticism of any prospect so we don't have people freaking out when someone who's not even that good in the AHL hits the waiver wire, all because some guys with a bunch of followers spent all year building him up with random arbitrary stats.

when you have people calling ron francis an idiot who should be fired because he put a mediocre ahl defenseman on waivers, maybe there's a problem.

Roy is no one and too slow. Basically Rask but not as skilled.

Carrick is a career tweener at this point. Fine as a 7D bc who cares but otherwise nothing special.

Bean might be a second pairing guy.

Saarela just isn’t that good he just has a good shot so people get excited.

Kuokkanen kinda sucks bc he stays on the perimeter but he’s young so maybe he’ll get better idk I’m not holding my breath.

Gauthier is a bust and it was dumb to pick him but he’s big and fast so maybe he can be a bottom 6er idk.

Ned’s ceiling is Petr Mrazek, his floor is a career AHLer, and his most likely outcome is Aaron Dell. Super exciting.

Everyone talks about how McKeown’s getting screwed by our depth as if he’s anything more than a 3rd pairing guy at most and as if he could do anything to move the needle for any NHL team.

Necas will probably be an NHLer but won’t be nearly as good as everyone thinks. Middle 6 scoring center.

Entirely possible that not a single player on the Checkers except Necas gets more than a sniff of NHL time.

Is that solid criticism?

And yet they’re the top team in the AHL, go figure.


They don’t watch the games, all they have are the stats. And the stats are useful for promoting the team. So there you go.


EDIT: oh, did I forget Bishop? How surprising. Boom roasted.