Player Discussion: Hickey

[TheWhiteWhale30]

Guy is getting it done. 3 GP 2A +4 rating. He has yet to be on the ice for a goal against. Noticed him getting more comfortable tonight than he was in his first two. He is pinching in more and has made some real smart plays.

Unless there becomes cap issues down the stretch, due to trade etc... I would not be surprised at all if he comes in from time to time after Dobson returns. Wether it be injury, Mayfield has some bad games or if Greene needs a rest with the condensed schedule.

All I know is if he keeps playing this way, he is the best #7 you are going to find. If he plays well enough he may be on someone’s 3rd pair next year, wether he is traded or Greene retires. Maybe Lou and Barry decide to keep him on for the last year of his contract and then let him walk to allow Bolduc, Aho etc to move up. Time will tell. For now I am just happy we have him, Aho looked fine but Hickey has been much better.

 

[buud]

meh. i'm happy with his play, but not quite sold. yet.

keep him as a 7th, sure, but remember that he's still $2.5

let the trial run for a while.

 

[MJF]

meh. i'm happy with his play, but not quite sold. yet.

keep him as a 7th, sure, but remember that he's still $2.5

let the trial run for a while.

The trial runs longer because we have nobody else available for 7D. I'm in agreement with you, I think meh and he's been good overall. Last night he had some rough shifts in the 3rd period where he was fishing for the puck with his stick instead of getting in front of a body.

I still think the more Hickey plays the more the returns diminish on him.

 

[crasherino]

meh. i'm happy with his play, but not quite sold. yet.

keep him as a 7th, sure, but remember that he's still $2.5

let the trial run for a while.

What does $2.5m have anything to do with it at this point? We're beyond debating his contract. Right now, its a matter of whether he's competent enough to be our 7th defenseman, whether he's able to step into the lineup and have the team not miss a beat, more or less.

In his 3rd game back from a 2 year hiatus, he played 14+ minutes and, for the most part, held his own and then some. As he continues to get comfortable (for however long he's in the lineup, I expect his TOI to go north of 15 min.).He's far from flawless (else he'd be starting) but you're not white knuckling it when he's out there. For my money, I'd rather roll with Hickey as a 7th Dman than (over) pay for a guy who would serve in the same role. If we were to trade for a defenseman, it would be for a backup spot. So, who would we want that we wouldn't pay too much for that would be appropriate to sit on the bench? Hickey - and Aho - are fine in what they are right now. We are lucky that Greene, Leddy and Hickey can be somewhat versatile as to which side they play as we really have no depth as far as right-handed shots go.

 

[MJF]

He's far from flawless (else he'd be starting) but you're not white knuckling it when he's out there.

I am.

 

[crasherino]

I am.

more so than with Aho out there?

At this point, I think I'd almost rather have the puck on Hickey's stick than on Mayfield's. Mayfield looks like a drunk giraffe out there way too often.

 

[buud]

What does $2.5m have anything to do with it

value.

value is why some people love Mayfield, and some wanted to turf our captain.

even though i think Hickey is playing better than Mayfield right now, we have to consider bang-for-buck. always.

 

[MJF]

more so than with Aho out there?

At this point, I think I'd almost rather have the puck on Hickey's stick than on Mayfield's. Mayfield looks like a drunk giraffe out there way too often.

I’ve made it clear neither one should be our 7th defenseman. If Hickey has to go every game in the playoffs because someone got hurt I believe we’re f***ed.

 

[Tres Peleches]

value.

value is why some people love Mayfield, and some wanted to turf our captain.

even though i think Hickey is playing better than Mayfield right now, we have to consider bang-for-buck. always.

In terms of roster decisions, yes. But in terms of who is playing game to game it should be whoever is playing best. If a roster move needs to be made, unfortunately he’s likely out of the picture

 

[crasherino]

value.

value is why some people love Mayfield, and some wanted to turf our captain.

even though i think Hickey is playing better than Mayfield right now, we have to consider bang-for-buck. always.

Not in season we don't. Salary cap is for the offseason. Right now, its irrelevant. We already know that Hickey was signed to a shitty deal. That's past news.

I’ve made it clear neither one should be our 7th defenseman. If Hickey has to go every game in the playoffs because someone got hurt I believe we’re f***ed.

I think we're less f***ed than you think, but that's mostly irrelevant - hopefully we won't have to confront that issue, and its conjecture on both our ends.

My main point here is that it doesn't make sense to trade for a defenseman at this point. Hickey will soon be relegated back to the bench after likely holding the fort for his short time in the rotation and anyone we trade for would simply be a reserve Dman. There may be a 7th Dman out there that is marginally better than Hickey, but I don't think its worth the cost it would take to get them. If we are going to trade a pick for Brandon Davidson, I'd just as soon roll with what we've got.

Bottom line, 7th defensemen aren't very good. In the pantheon of "not very good defenseman" ours is perfectly fine.

 

[MJF]

Not in season we don't. Salary cap is for the offseason. Right now, its irrelevant. We already know that Hickey was signed to a shitty deal. That's past news.


I think we're less f***ed than you think, but that's mostly irrelevant - hopefully we won't have to confront that issue, and its conjecture on both our ends.

My main point here is that it doesn't make sense to trade for a defenseman at this point. Hickey will soon be relegated back to the bench after likely holding the fort for his short time in the rotation and anyone we trade for would simply be a reserve Dman. There may be a 7th Dman out there that is marginally better than Hickey, but I don't think its worth the cost it would take to get them. If we are going to trade a pick for Brandon Davidson, I'd just as soon roll with what we've got.

Bottom line, 7th defensemen aren't very good. In the pantheon of "not very good defenseman" ours is perfectly fine.

My point is you absolutely make a trade for a rental 7th defenseman because they are cheap improvements over what we have now.

As we all should have learned from years of watching the NHL, you can never have enough defensemen.

 

[buud]

Not in season we don't. Salary cap is for the offseason. Right now, its irrelevant. We already know that Hickey was signed to a shitty deal. That's past news.

salary cap is always relevant. guaranteed that most every deal is made, with an eye to the future. they have to be, or most GM's would be in trouble, every off season.

i can guarantee that right now, and probably well before, LL was thinking about how to reduce salary, in order to sign Beau, Sorokin, and Pelly, next year.

 

[crasherino]

salary cap is always relevant. guaranteed that most every deal is made, with an eye to the future. they have to be, or most GM's would be in trouble, every off season.

i can guarantee that right now, and probably well before, LL was thinking about how to reduce salary, in order to sign Beau, Sorokin, and Pelly, next year.

No argument there. But how he plays now is how he plays. He's not playing well for a $2.5m guy - he's playing well for the role we need him in (or that's the question).

 

[buud]

No argument there. But how he plays now is how he plays. He's not playing well for a $2.5m guy - he's playing well for the role we need him in (or that's the question).

i'm somewhat happy, because honestly, i thought Hickey was all but washed up. good to see that he can at least contribute as a depth player.

 

[Axel574]

more so than with Aho out there?

At this point, I think I'd almost rather have the puck on Hickey's stick than on Mayfield's. Mayfield looks like a drunk giraffe out there way too often.

Drunk giraffe... Lol. So true. His clearly attempts have given me an ulcer. He's still a solid bottom paring guy, but his flaws are here to stay at this point.

 

[The Real JT]

What does $2.5m have anything to do with it at this point? We're beyond debating his contract. Right now, its a matter of whether he's competent enough to be our 7th defenseman, whether he's able to step into the lineup and have the team not miss a beat, more or less.

In his 3rd game back from a 2 year hiatus, he played 14+ minutes and, for the most part, held his own and then some. As he continues to get comfortable (for however long he's in the lineup, I expect his TOI to go north of 15 min.).He's far from flawless (else he'd be starting) but you're not white knuckling it when he's out there. For my money, I'd rather roll with Hickey as a 7th Dman than (over) pay for a guy who would serve in the same role. If we were to trade for a defenseman, it would be for a backup spot. So, who would we want that we wouldn't pay too much for that would be appropriate to sit on the bench? Hickey - and Aho - are fine in what they are right now. We are lucky that Greene, Leddy and Hickey can be somewhat versatile as to which side they play as we really have no depth as far as right-handed shots go.

I'm fine with him as the #7 getting a spot start here and there.

It's a calculated gamble that their Dmen stay healthy and they don't need him to start in the playoffs.

That's a chance I'd take rather than waste the limited assets they have for another player that ideally wouldn't even see the ice come playoff time.

 

[Seph]

My point is you absolutely make a trade for a rental 7th defenseman because they are cheap improvements over what we have now.

As we all should have learned from years of watching the NHL, you can never have enough defensemen.

What 7th dmen do you think we could get cheaply and are significant upgrades on Hickey? Usually the cost of dmen at the deadline is at a premium.

 

[MJF]

What 7th dmen do you think we could get cheaply and are significant upgrades on Hickey? Usually the cost of dmen at the deadline is at a premium.

Just off the top of my head, I'd be looking into Dimitry Kulikov, Mike Reilly, Derek Forbort. They're all on cheap expiring contracts and they're workhorses.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

Just off the top of my head, I'd be looking into Dimitry Kulikov, Mike Reilly, Derek Forbort. They're all on cheap expiring contracts and they're workhorses.

I hope they have decent size and speed. Small and slow does not work in the playoffs.

 

[Seph]

Just off the top of my head, I'd be looking into Dimitry Kulikov, Mike Reilly, Derek Forbort. They're all on cheap expiring contracts and they're workhorses.

Ah, I thought you meant cheaply like a 4th rounder or something like that. But I do agree on Kulikov and Reilly as being solid upgrades -- not a fan of Forbort, though.