Player Discussion Mika 'DJ Z-Bad' Zibanejad, Part 4: Untz Untz, it's all about the hi-hat (trick)

[SixthSens]

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[Pierre from Orleans]

Don't you go missing again Zibanejad

 

[topshelf15]

Don't you go missing again Zibanejad

I expect hattricks every 2 mins from this guy now

 

[Xspyrit]

Zibanejad's breakout is very important for the team and being able to reach the next level.

Next year :

Hoffman-Zibanejad-Ryan
MacArthur-Turris-Stone
Dzingel-Pageau-Lazar
Paul-Smith-Neil
Puempel/McCormick

Chiasson and Prince traded?

 

[topshelf15]

Zibanejad's breakout is very important for the team and being able to reach the next level.

Next year :

Hoffman-Zibanejad-Ryan
MacArthur-Turris-Stone
Dzingel-Pageau-Lazar
Paul-Smith-Neil
Puempel/McCormick

Chiasson and Prince traded?

Now that the left side of our top 4 has been adressed ,i agree.Big year for Zibby next season ,or we need to move on

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Zibby had his hat trick at the exact right time. He's walks into the 1C position with a nice confidence boost.

 

[topshelf15]

Zibby had his hat trick at the exact right time. He's walks into the 1C position with a nice confidence boost.

Fingers crossed ,a power center with his skillset .Could make or break us depending on how he goes over this season and the next

 

[Neiler]

Turris going down (finally) for the year is going to tell a real story for Mika. He should see more ice time, tons of PP time, and the (suspected) leash which has been on him should vanish. I hate being overly optimistic but I think things are about to change for Zib.

This is going to be great to watch.

 

[WaitingInVain]

The biggest problem with this roster moving forward is that there is a looming logjam at LW and C. Some difficult choices are going to have to be made sooner than later because the prospects are panning out. It makes it less puzzling to see the team try to get Lazar to stick as the third line RW even though he clearly has performed at a much higher level since switching to centre.

Hoffman - Zibanejad - Ryan
MacArthur - Turris - Stone
Puempel - Pageau - Lazar
Dzingle - Paul - Chiasson
Neil

Phaneuf - Karlsson
Methot - Ceci
Borowiecki - Wideman
Claesson

I firmly believe that provided Zibanejad exits the off-season in playing shape, it will spell the eventual end for Turris in Ottawa. Fast-forward to this time next year, and Turris will be a very attractive piece to trade with plenty of options to fill his spot. Smith, Pageau, Paul, Lazar, Dzingle can play centre right now, and your highest potential forward (White) is a natural centreman.

My hope is that they use Turris (and a couple other players/prospects/picks) to give Karlsson a marquee partner, unless they feel super confident that Englund can be that guy in 2-3 years.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Beauty title.

 

[Lenny the Lynx]

Needs more snare

Hand claps

 

[OgieO]

I think we'll see that he's not quite there to be the #1 C. Extra attention will be tough on him, but it will make him an even better #2 C next year. If he can become a top 10 #2 C I think we should be happy. I think this opportunity will help him get there.

 

[pm88]

How many games left do we have? About 20 or so? It's going to be interesting to see how he does. We're probably asking too much out of him but let's see how it plays out.

 

[Jaromir Jagrbombs]

The biggest problem with this roster moving forward is that there is a looming logjam at LW and C. Some difficult choices are going to have to be made sooner than later because the prospects are panning out. It makes it less puzzling to see the team try to get Lazar to stick as the third line RW even though he clearly has performed at a much higher level since switching to centre.

Hoffman - Zibanejad - Ryan
MacArthur - Turris - Stone
Puempel - Pageau - Lazar
Dzingle - Paul - Chiasson
Neil

Phaneuf - Karlsson
Methot - Ceci
Borowiecki - Wideman
Claesson

I firmly believe that provided Zibanejad exits the off-season in playing shape, it will spell the eventual end for Turris in Ottawa. Fast-forward to this time next year, and Turris will be a very attractive piece to trade with plenty of options to fill his spot. Smith, Pageau, Paul, Lazar, Dzingle can play centre right now, and your highest potential forward (White) is a natural centreman.

My hope is that they use Turris (and a couple other players/prospects/picks) to give Karlsson a marquee partner, unless they feel super confident that Englund can be that guy in 2-3 years.

I really like the look of that forward lineup, but you're forgetting Smith and I highly doubt we bring Chiasson back. I disagree with your prediction of Zib causing Turris to become expendable though. White is still another full season away and we will need Turris for next season (at the very least).

 

[WaitingInVain]

I really like the look of that forward lineup, but you're forgetting Smith and I highly doubt we bring Chiasson back. I disagree with your prediction of Zib causing Turris to become expendable though. White is still another full season away and we will need Turris for next season (at the very least).

I am assuming that Puempel sticks and they'll be looking to move Smith as he will have surplus value with his positional versatility and contract. I believe Chiasson will be back largely because Buddy Robinson does not seem to be a good bet to be rotating with Neil for the 4RW next season, and you cannot have Neil taking that spot full-time. Neil/Chiasson as the 12 and 13th guys for one more year is better than Wiercoch and Cowen in the top 4 - I could live with it.

Moving Turris requires Zibanejad to take the next step (been waiting for 1.5 years for that to happen), and would require at least one of Lazar, White or Paul to prove themselves capable of being an impact middle 6 centreman. The only scenario I see Turris sticking is if they roll with a third line of Paul-Lazar-White and ditch Puempel. Even then, it will be a crowded top 9 - it's ultimately the reason that White or Lazar will be playing that 3RW for the next couple of years instead of 2C/3C even if they are playing at a high level. Without any further additions (Perron/Chlapik), they'll have a full top 9 and who knows whether Gagne, Ahl or the first rounder this year will be on the doorstep looking for time.

 

[Nordic*]

Shouldn't move Turris after this horrible and injury-ridden season.

Value has never been lower.

 

[WaitingInVain]

Shouldn't move Turris after this horrible and injury-ridden season.

Value has never been lower.

The earliest you think about moving him is next deadline if the return helps you get a standout defensive partner for Karlsson and replaces Methot, otherwise you wait until the 2017 draft or 2018 deadline. And you only do it if Zibanejad grabs the 1C emphatically, and Lazar/Paul/White/Pageau/Dzingel have proved themselves worthy of taking the remaining spots without a drop in production.

At some point you have to start making strategic upgrades. Getting Karlsson a higher quality defensive partner (Englund?) in 2017/2018 is going to be essential. Centres and top 4D are highly valued - if you can package guys to get a clear upgrade at key spots, you make the moves.

 

[Nordic*]

Englund seems like a player qho plays a game pretty similar to that of Gunnarsson (STL), but a little more physical and with better leadership skills. And at the same age, Englund was/is a lot better.

I really hope he can become a top-4 NHL:er, mostly focusing on defence.

I believe he's either captain or assistent captain in his club team, in the SHL, at age 19.

That doesn't happen very often.

 

[aragorn]

I don't understand why you would trade Turris at all, he has been one of the best players on this team for the last few seasons. I would consider moving Pageau at next yr's deadline as his contract comes to an end, if & only if both Lazar & Paul have worked out at centre by then. Pageau is a great defensive forward but offensively limited & we know Turris can be a 50 to 60 pt player, something I doubt Pageau can be. Ottawa doesn't have another centre in the organization that can replace Turris' good two way play & White certainly won't be putting up 50 to 60 pts in the next few yrs.

I also think Lazar has the potential to be as good defensively at centre as Pageau is with a little more offence than Pageau, hopefully as soon as next season but we'll have to wait & see first. And I think Paul is & can become a very good defensive centre & faceoff guy for this team to make up for the loss of Pageau & has some offensive potential as well. I prefer Zibanejad, Turris, Lazar & Paul down the middle with Dzingel, Smith & White as injury replacements when needed. Not sure why you would give up on such a good centre like Turris who is just coming into his own & becoming a very good two way 50 pt plus centre for Ottawa.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Pageau is putting up an amazing season for a 3rd line center. Basically providing us with prime Chris Kelly contribution.

He currently has 29 points in 63 games, that's elite production from a 3rd line C. Now add to that his tenacity, his heart and soul game, his work ethic, his phenomenal PK ability, his shutdown ability.

How anyone would suggest moving Pageau is beyond me. If Lazar and Paul play and produce as good as Pageau then we are in bottom 6 heaven and we shouldn't move any.

 

[Very Stable Genius]

22pts in 35 games since Jan. Not bad for a "garbage player"

 

[Do Make Say Think]

22pts in 35 games since Jan. Not bad for a "garbage player"

It seems his intensity is picking up

I caught him getting frustrated a few times

 

[OgieO]

He's firmly entrenched in "average second line C" production this year. 40th in points by C's, 48th in points per game played by C's.

For a guy that is still young, plays a sound defensive game and hasn't always had ideal linemates... that's a pretty decent season.

We don't have that elite #1 C, but we make up for it with better than average depth imo. Turris, Zibby and Pageau are a good trio. Add a scoring winger and see if we can roll 3 scoring lines next year.

Still think there is potential to up his production to 55-65 point range, and that would be awesome.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

With a healthy Turris and Mac him progressing further isn't out of the question.

Next year is going to be a very important one for this roster: it should be the one that allows management to determine if they are on the right path or not.

 

[Sentron5000]

He's firmly entrenched in "average second line C" production this year. 40th in points by C's, 48th in points per game played by C's.

For a guy that is still young, plays a sound defensive game and hasn't always had ideal linemates... that's a pretty decent season.

We don't have that elite #1 C, but we make up for it with better than average depth imo. Turris, Zibby and Pageau are a good trio. Add a scoring winger and see if we can roll 3 scoring lines next year.

Still think there is potential to up his production to 55-65 point range, and that would be awesome.

It's such quiet production, though. I don't know how many times he's gotten the second assist on a goal (looked it up..it's 12, which is also the same as last year). I mean if you want the guy who sets up the guy to set up a goal, then Mika is your guy.

Maybe there is some recency bias in that observation:

He's only had the first assist on a goal once since the start of February (23 games). He's had 6 secondary assists in the same time.