Prospect Info: Grand Rapids Griffins 2014/15 Part I

[obey86]

Why is Mantha so deserving of this special coaching?
Sproul is an offensive defense man with huge potential (like Mantha) who is a team leading -11, yet plays constantly. Why isn't this reinforcing bad habits? Why doesn't Sproul deserve the same attention?
As far as floating defensively, Pulks is a 0 in +/-. Even with all the points. Why wouldn't he benefit from the same coaching?

Coaches don't judge their players on their +/-.......they judge them on film review and watching them play.

 

[waltdetroit]

IMHO, Blash is the best developmental coach the wings have ever had. I trust his method explicitly no matter who the player is

 

[loudernow*]

Coaches don't judge their players on their +/-.......they judge them on film review and watching them play.

I don't believe any reasonable person would argue those players don't need to work on things.
Why is the coaching philosophy different for Mantha?

 

[loudernow*]

IMHO, Blash is the best developmental coach the wings have ever had. I trust his method explicitly no matter who the player is

He's positioned himself well, hasn't he?

 

[TimoneX]

I don't believe any reasonable person would argue those players don't need to work on things.
Why is the coaching philosophy different for Mantha?

Perhaps he believes Mantha isn't giving 100% percent and the other guys are and he's trying to stomp out a bad habit in a young player before it becomes a fixture. Blash has handled a bunch of DRW prospects really well. I'd tend to give him the benefit of the doubt and I'm sure if Wings management had a big problem with what the coach was doing it would stop.

 

[detredWINgs]

Blashill isn't going to allow Mantha his growing pains if it's going to hurt the team. This is the same situation with Tatar/Nyquist and Cleary two years ago, for example. At the time, Cleary actually WAS better than Tatar and Nyquist in a vacuum. But everyone could also see that with decent linemates and minutes at the NHL level, Tatar/Nyquist would quickly leapfrog Cleary (or Bert. Or Sammy). The thing is, was Babs going to allow less effective shifts on a nightly basis for the sake of expediting Tatar/Nyquist's development? Nope.

This is the same thing. People disgruntled with Mantha's treatment are forgetting that Blashill is trying out for an NHL job right now. If Babs leaves, he wants to make his case for being the successor. If Babs stays, Holland will let him have his talks with other teams. This guy wants to win games and series. His primary goal is not development. Is he going to sacrifice a stretch of games by putting Mantha on the top line for 20 minutes with Miele? Well it could potentially do wonders for Mantha's development but it could also cost him points while Mantha adapts. He just isn't going to do that right now.

Unfortunately, Mantha is going to have to make his case for promotion with questionable linemates and little time. We all know how difficult that is for guys who have faced adversity. It's undoubtedly tougher for a guy who has been his team's go-to guy a few years.

 

[waltdetroit]

He's positioned himself well, hasn't he?

I don't see what Blash has "positioned"?

 

[waltdetroit]

We don't know what the wing mgt asked of Mantha, what he should work, on nor how successful mgt thinks he has been at it. He didn't blow away the Q until his 3rd year (the 2nd was pretty good). So I think this is a period of adjustment for him. Hope to see more of him in the playoffs

 

[Shaman464]

Why is Mantha so deserving of this special coaching?
Sproul is an offensive defense man with huge potential (like Mantha) who is a team leading -11, yet plays constantly. Why isn't this reinforcing bad habits? Why doesn't Sproul deserve the same attention?
As far as floating defensively, Pulks is a 0 in +/-. Even with all the points. Why wouldn't he benefit from the same coaching?

Because +/- is like wins or RBIs in baseball, okay 50 years ago, pretty much useless as a stat today. Mantha also hasn't proven what Pulu has. Again Pulu, Sproul, Miele, etc all do things other than score to have their presence felt. Mantha has been invisible a lot.

 

[loudernow*]

Because +/- is like wins or RBIs in baseball, okay 50 years ago, pretty much useless as a stat today. Mantha also hasn't proven what Pulu has. Again Pulu, Sproul, Miele, etc all do things other than score to have their presence felt. Mantha has been invisible a lot.

Where does your mocking of Mantha come from? The repeated use of "the chosen one" was pure resentment

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Mantha needs to make his presence felt even when he's not scoring. He's got a big body and needs to be more of a force, that's what will get him eternal love from Wings brass.

I think he does this far more often than he is getting credit for. His game is evolving and he is often quite impressive. It is putting it together for full games, but the idea that he doesn't impose himself on the game is a mistake. He does it quite often, there are entire periods where you can say he was our best forward that period and that is even with Teemu in the lineup who looks like he is a shoe-in to win league MVP.

I do agree with how Blashill is developing him though, Mantha is learning a lot right now in terms of what he needs to do in assignment hockey. It is an extremely important part of his development, people can be too tied into numbers at the AHL level.

 

[mindfly]

Blashill isn't going to allow Mantha his growing pains if it's going to hurt the team. This is the same situation with Tatar/Nyquist and Cleary two years ago, for example. At the time, Cleary actually WAS better than Tatar and Nyquist in a vacuum. But everyone could also see that with decent linemates and minutes at the NHL level, Tatar/Nyquist would quickly leapfrog Cleary (or Bert. Or Sammy). The thing is, was Babs going to allow less effective shifts on a nightly basis for the sake of expediting Tatar/Nyquist's development? Nope.

This is the same thing. People disgruntled with Mantha's treatment are forgetting that Blashill is trying out for an NHL job right now. If Babs leaves, he wants to make his case for being the successor. If Babs stays, Holland will let him have his talks with other teams. This guy wants to win games and series. His primary goal is not development. Is he going to sacrifice a stretch of games by putting Mantha on the top line for 20 minutes with Miele? Well it could potentially do wonders for Mantha's development but it could also cost him points while Mantha adapts. He just isn't going to do that right now.

Unfortunately, Mantha is going to have to make his case for promotion with questionable linemates and little time. We all know how difficult that is for guys who have faced adversity. It's undoubtedly tougher for a guy who has been his team's go-to guy a few years.

Isn't it the primary goal for a AHL affiliate to develope players for the NHL team?

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Isn't it the primary goal for a AHL affiliate to develope players for the NHL team?

No, their primary goal is to run a successful business and win AHL games.

The Griffins have done a phenomenal job since Blashill came on board of running a great AHL team that also develops Wings talent. However, they deploy to win games and by the way the Wings like that competition for their younger kids more than the fans. I doubt they have much of a problem with it. They can make directives, but an AHL franchise is a lot more than a NHL feeder, despite what some fans of the big club want.

 

[Chex LeMeneux]

This article seems to have some relevance to the conversation.

http://thehockeywriters.com/anthony-mantha-determined-to-have-better-second-half/

I think people just need to stay patient with Mantha. And we absolutely should not be including him in trade talks. Whether he's ever good enough to be a 1st liner or not, the guy is going to be important to us in the future.

 

[waltdetroit]

I think the idea is a misnomer that if you just play more you develop. You have to learn play the basics for the NHL correctly and consistently to earn time. I don't take it as a knock on either Mantha or Blash. It's just part of the process to become better

 

[19 for president]

I feel the same about Mantha that I do about Jurco in the NHL. Neither have put up the points everyone had hoped for, but I have a very distinct feeling both are going to have an AHA moment and start playing really well anytime now. Both guys have really high expectations because they have the size and skill to potentially dominate at a high level. I think they are both taking a little more pressure from their respective coaches to do things the right way on the back end and along the boards before they give them the reigns offensively.

Being a Red Wing is about two way play. That is our system. If Brett Hull can be taught to PK and play some defense in order to be a Wing, so can they.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I suspect some posters here don't even watch GRG games regularly. Mantha has been pretty engaged lately. He's not Dylan Larkin, but he's hitting people and he's stepping up on the forecheck.

His biggest flaw lately is he's been passing too much. We're not talking bad quality passes, either. I've always said he's a wonderful playmaker. But his linemates can't handle them, and the play dies. It happens like 4-5 times per game. It's frustrating.

But anyway, I think Mantha is getting the Tatar/Babcock treatment from Blashill. He's better than the guys ahead of him (and has played better than most of them, IMO), but coach is holding him to a higher standard. Mantha does seem like a guy who'd respond to that, so I guess we'll see.

 

[SimplySolace]

I suspect some posters here don't even watch GRG games regularly. Mantha has been pretty engaged lately. He's not Dylan Larkin, but he's hitting people and he's stepping up on the forecheck.

His biggest flaw lately is he's been passing too much. We're not talking bad quality passes, either. I've always said he's a wonderful playmaker. But his linemates can't handle them, and the play dies. It happens like 4-5 times per game. It's frustrating.

I've noticed this when I watch too, which I always found ironic in a way.. that his playmates could finish the opportunities he creates. Not worried about his production, he'll probably have a Jurco-type year that starts slow put picks up in the 2nd half. AA coming back will help a lot too.

 

[Shaman464]

Where does your mocking of Mantha come from? The repeated use of "the chosen one" was pure resentment

Im not resentful, I am just tired of people calling for him to get special treatment, like you. Players have been ruined when treated with kid gloves, and Mantha could end up in this group if he's not taught how to be a complete player.

 

[Claypool]

Isn't it the primary goal for a AHL affiliate to develope players for the NHL team?

Prospects don't develop well on teams that aren't competitive.

 

[SimplySolace]

Mantha scores, Griffs up 1-0

 

[mindfly]

Mantha scores, Griffs up 1-0

This is what I want to read everytime I visit this thread, hasn't happend often enough, that's for sure.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Mantha scores, Griffs up 1-0

But it wasn't any good, right?

Somebody always pops in and tells us it was fluky or that it somehow doesn't really count.

 

[Claypool]

This is what I want to read everytime I visit this thread, hasn't happend often enough, that's for sure.

He plays on the second or third line and on the second power play unit. You should temper your expectations.

 

[sean3250]

Griffins lose in OT, 4-3. Goals from Mantha, Athanasiou, and Ferraro.

I'm glad to see Athanasiou come back from his injury and play well. He has all the tools, he just needs to work on his IQ, and continue to progress his play in all three zones. I am hopeful that he can one day become a good Top 6C.