News and Notes Part 12: Malone scored enough to win us Hanifin

[Carolinas Identity*]

Last one at 999.

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[Boom Boom Apathy]

Vagrant wrote in the last thread:

Ryan Murphy has one exceptional end of the ice, which is more than I can say for Danny Biega. I'm a fan of Biega. I think an organization needs depth like him. But he's certainly a jack-of-all-trades type.... which in scouting vernacular means he's mediocre at everything. It's a tough truth. NHL clubs want players to be exceptional at one end of the ice. Offense from the defense position is crucial and it's why almost every top prospect is expected to have it.

Murphy needs sink or swim NHL time, and I think he'll get it. Some players can only do so much in the AHL to improve themselves. He's such a talented skater that it's a walk in the park for him down there.

That's kinda my view on both of these guys as well Vagrant. I'm not quite as strong on the sink or swim aspect with regards to Murphy but do think this is a big year for him. Biega does a lot of things ok-good, but doesn't excel at anything and will never stand out. If he makes it to the NHL as a regular, down the road he could be the kinda guy that is a steady partner for a young, up and coming guy who needs someone like that. He's a righty though and the Canes have (I think) Faulk, Wisnewski, Murphy, McKeown, and Pesce all as right handed defensemen. He's probably ahead of McKeown and Pesce in terms of NHL readiness though, so if there are injuries on the right side, he might be in line for a callup, but I believe Liles can play on his off side as well so who knows.

If (and it's still an if), even a few of these guys (Pesce, Slavin, Carrick, Biega, Jordan, McKeown, etc...) pan out, I would think one or two of them could be moved for more forward depth. I know I shouldn't count chickens before they are hatched, but I have to think Faulk, Hanifin, Fleury and "hopefully" Murphy nail down 4 of the 7 defenseman slots for years to come.

Imagine the logjam if the Canes still had Alt and Dumoulin, although admittedly, they may not have drafted all these D if those guys were still in the system.

 

[NotOpie]

Vagrant wrote in the last thread:



That's kinda my view on both of these guys as well Vagrant. I'm not quite as strong on the sink or swim aspect with regards to Murphy but do think this is a big year for him. Biega does a lot of things ok-good, but doesn't excel at anything and will never stand out. If he makes it to the NHL as a regular, down the road he could be the kinda guy that is a steady partner for a young, up and coming guy who needs someone like that. He's a righty though and the Canes have (I think) Faulk, Wisnewski, Murphy, McKeown, and Pesce all as right handed defensemen. He's probably ahead of McKeown and Pesce in terms of NHL readiness though, so if there are injuries on the right side, he might be in line for a callup, but I believe Liles can play on his off side as well so who knows.

If (and it's still an if), even a few of these guys (Pesce, Slavin, Carrick, Biega, Jordan, McKeown, etc...) pan out, I would think one or two of them could be moved for more forward depth. I know I shouldn't count chickens before they are hatched, but I have to think Faulk, Hanifin, Fleury and "hopefully" Murphy nail down 4 of the 7 defenseman slots for years to come.

Imagine the logjam if the Canes still had Alt and Dumoulin, although admittedly, they may not have drafted all these D if those guys were still in the system.

Guys - I see your points and agree with many. I do find it interesting when you have a guy who is pretty good at all aspects of a game (and that's how I would characterize Biega) that is viewed somewhat as a negative. I don't share that particular view but I do respect your characterizations and justifications. I do believe that his ultimate upside is likely a 3 pairing guy, a very good third pairing guy who gets significant minutes on the PK.

Somebody had characterized Biega as awkward on his skates, which took me a bit by surprise as I've always felt skating was his forte. So does Hockey's Future:

"...but he has good foot speed and acceleration. Biega is very effective using his his edges and transitions well on his skates. He has tremendous poise with the puck and makes simple, smart outlet passes with excellent vision."

So while Biega may be safe and workmanlike, I'd be more inclined to characterize him as effective.

By the way, I'm a Murphy fan and do agree that he's got a tremendous ceiling. I'm less a believer that he'll realize that potential, but as a Canes fan I'm hopeful.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Guys - I see your points and agree with many. I do find it interesting when you have a guy who is pretty good at all aspects of a game (and that's how I would characterize Biega) that is viewed somewhat as a negative.

I can't speak for Vagrant, but I think you may have misinterpreted what I was trying to say. I don't think it's a bad thing at all. Not having any 1 thing he excels at may (not will, may) limit his chances to get to the NHL, but being well rounded is by no means bad.

I also didn't think he was poor on his skates. Granted, it was a limited sample size and I didn't see much, if any of him in Charlotte.

 

[What the Faulk]

I think the disconnect here is the level in which everyone is viewing his well-roundedness. Vagrant says "okay-good" in the Brett Carson mold. NotOpie is saying "pretty good", which sounds more like an Andrej Sekera lite. Personally, I didn't watch much of him, but I'd lean towards a more conservative approach.

 

[nobuddy]

If I'm rfranciso I'm sending Biega's War On Ice page to Toronto, packaging him with a mid-round pick, and grabbing one of their depth forwards since they have like 76. I don't see why TML wouldn't do that. I don't see a spot for Biega here, not now not ever.

He's not bad, but Faulk/Wiz/Murphy/McKeown/Pesce are either all ahead of him now or will be before too long.

 

[BrindAmours Army]

Re-signed #AHLSUPERSTAR Zach Boychuk to a one year deal

 

[bleedgreen]

Guys - I see your points and agree with many. I do find it interesting when you have a guy who is pretty good at all aspects of a game (and that's how I would characterize Biega) that is viewed somewhat as a negative. I don't share that particular view but I do respect your characterizations and justifications. I do believe that his ultimate upside is likely a 3 pairing guy, a very good third pairing guy who gets significant minutes on the PK.

Somebody had characterized Biega as awkward on his skates, which took me a bit by surprise as I've always felt skating was his forte. So does Hockey's Future:

"...but he has good foot speed and acceleration. Biega is very effective using his his edges and transitions well on his skates. He has tremendous poise with the puck and makes simple, smart outlet passes with excellent vision."

So while Biega may be safe and workmanlike, I'd be more inclined to characterize him as effective.

By the way, I'm a Murphy fan and do agree that he's got a tremendous ceiling. I'm less a believer that he'll realize that potential, but as a Canes fan I'm hopeful.

That was me. Biega has something in his stride that is off balance, maybe a little too upright. I was surprised that someone known to be in great shape was easily off balance in tight quarters. HF isn't a great scouting resource, imo. It's basically us. I think whoever says that about Biega is likely considering him when he is carrying the puck forward or has some space. He, like a lot of these guys, looks fine in those instances. I'm talking about down low, when people are cycling on him and there's constant small and sometimes large adjustments on angles and changes in direction. He didn't have great quick twitch reactions, he often got caught in those moments the same as a Gleason or a Bellemore - only he looked more athletic and graceful in attempting to recover then they do. In the NHL there often is no time to recover. He got caught "in between". I think Beiga is an exceptional athlete, who's trying to use that athleticism to compensate for maybe not reading the play quick enough at the highest level and also for not being the most natural skater (at the highest level). You can also be in amazing shape but not have those "quick twitch" reactions that are often needed. You can still lack fluidity that's needed to make the quick adaptations as the game flows.

We're trying to grow defenseman. Take raw material and turn them into NHL'ers. I think that's what Biega has been for us, athletic raw material that wasn't naturally a great NHL prospect but is willing to do the work. Biega has flaws, but he has promise too. He is likely stronger than Jordan, but he is not as smooth on his skates. Maybe Jordan and Biega can grow into a good third pairing? I said it in the post youre referring to, I can't see Biega over Jordan until he passes him in camp. Jordan played well enough to be our third pairing guy. Liles is in the way of some if these guys. I think RF would be going young with Liles' spot. I think Biega looks like a 6/7 guy with room to grow to a 5/6.

 

[FlyingSquirrels]

If I'm rfranciso I'm sending Biega's War On Ice page to Toronto, packaging him with a mid-round pick, and grabbing one of their depth forwards since they have like 76. I don't see why TML wouldn't do that. I don't see a spot for Biega here, not now not ever.

He's not bad, but Faulk/Wiz/Murphy/McKeown/Pesce are either all ahead of him now or will be before too long.

So....send Biega and a draft pick to Toronto for a depth forward. One that we could have just signed, or one that we can still sign?

Sounds like a plan.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I guess they weren't blowing smoke when they told Macintyre they were going to be better in Charlotte this year. Unless of course Ryan, Boychuk, and Hensick are NHL bound for any length of time.

 

[What the Faulk]

So....send Biega and a draft pick to Toronto for a depth forward. One that we could have just signed, or one that we can still sign?

Sounds like a plan.

If they could get Bozak for a modest return, I'd do it. He's overrated, but should be good for 45-50 points. He makes a lot of money though.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

i thought boychuk was good in his brief stint last year, remember being disappointed when he was sent down. he had that highlight goal against toronto(?), and looked more confident offensively than in the past. maybe our plan is to give him the top 9 spot to start, and say "here show us you're ready."

id love to see him get a half season to figure things out. again, i thought he was good in his stint last year, and its not like weve got anyone else to fill the role.

 

[FlyingSquirrels]

i thought boychuk was good in his brief stint last year, remember being disappointed when he was sent down. he had that highlight goal against toronto(?), and looked more confident offensively than in the past. maybe our plan is to give him the top 9 spot to start, and say "here show us you're ready."

id love to see him get a half season to figure things out. again, i thought he was good in his stint last year, and its not like weve got anyone else to fill the role.

Are you sure you are talking about Boychuk? He seemed invisible and completely ineffective to me. But I do hope the guy figures it out eventually, he just didn't do that last year.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I wonder of Boychuk and the Canes are kind of like a couple that really don't love each other any more, but are too comfortable with each other to call it off, so they just stay together because it's easier. I mean after seeing guys like Terry and Rask surpass him and getting scratched in the AHL last year (I think?), I would have thought this was a year where he heads over to Europe or tried something else.

 

[Wolfpuck]

"Zach is a warm body with a pulse. He has done things involving hockey in the past. We like our group." - GMRF

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

in other news, mcdavid scored 5 goals yesterday in their prospect camp scrimmage.

 

[Wolfpuck]

in other news, mcdavid scored 5 goals yesterday in their prospect camp scrimmage.

Oilers defense and goalie prospects

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

in other news, mcdavid scored 5 goals yesterday in their prospect camp scrimmage.

Doesn't count, it was against the oilers.

 

[NotOpie]

That was me. Biega has something in his stride that is off balance, maybe a little too upright. I was surprised that someone known to be in great shape was easily off balance in tight quarters. HF isn't a great scouting resource, imo. It's basically us. I think whoever says that about Biega is likely considering him when he is carrying the puck forward or has some space. He, like a lot of these guys, looks fine in those instances. I'm talking about down low, when people are cycling on him and there's constant small and sometimes large adjustments on angles and changes in direction. He didn't have great quick twitch reactions, he often got caught in those moments the same as a Gleason or a Bellemore - only he looked more athletic and graceful in attempting to recover then they do. In the NHL there often is no time to recover. He got caught "in between". I think Beiga is an exceptional athlete, who's trying to use that athleticism to compensate for maybe not reading the play quick enough at the highest level and also for not being the most natural skater (at the highest level). You can also be in amazing shape but not have those "quick twitch" reactions that are often needed. You can still lack fluidity that's needed to make the quick adaptations as the game flows.

We're trying to grow defenseman. Take raw material and turn them into NHL'ers. I think that's what Biega has been for us, athletic raw material that wasn't naturally a great NHL prospect but is willing to do the work. Biega has flaws, but he has promise too. He is likely stronger than Jordan, but he is not as smooth on his skates. Maybe Jordan and Biega can grow into a good third pairing? I said it in the post youre referring to, I can't see Biega over Jordan until he passes him in camp. Jordan played well enough to be our third pairing guy. Liles is in the way of some if these guys. I think RF would be going young with Liles' spot. I think Biega looks like a 6/7 guy with room to grow to a 5/6.

Thanks Bleed for the clarification. Sometimes I do get blinded when guys exceed my expectations and my personal "eye test" probably then encroaches on confirmation bias. That being said, he looked fast and smooth to me and much more physical than I'd expected. Regardless, I need to reiterate, I don't believe he has the upside of Murphy. My point simply was that if Murphy hasn't made the strides expected of him over the Summer, then I'd let him ferment a bit more in the AHL. I think Biega will prove to be an effective #5/#6 guy.

I also agree that he could easily become more effective trade bait, but that won't happen until he has a larger body of work in the bigs.

 

[Ole Gil]

The trick with these guys who 'don't excel at anything' on defense, is that you can still be a good top 4 dman.

The Aaron Ward/Nic Wallin/Ron Hainsey types.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

The trick with these guys who 'don't excel at anything' on defense, is that you can still be a good top 4 dman.

The Aaron Ward/Nic Wallin/Ron Hainsey types.

niclas wallin was never a top 4 defenseman

even playing for this sad franchise he never averaged 19 minutes per game. averaged under 17 per minutes a game during the seasons the team made the playoffs

he was a mediocre bottom pairing d who is remembered fondly for playoff goals

also, the game has changed quite a bit since aaron ward was a top 4 d. the slow defensive defensemen who can't move the puck are almost nonexistent in good teams' top 4s.

 

[bleedgreen]

Thanks Bleed for the clarification. Sometimes I do get blinded when guys exceed my expectations and my personal "eye test" probably then encroaches on confirmation bias. That being said, he looked fast and smooth to me and much more physical than I'd expected. Regardless, I need to reiterate, I don't believe he has the upside of Murphy. My point simply was that if Murphy hasn't made the strides expected of him over the Summer, then I'd let him ferment a bit more in the AHL. I think Biega will prove to be an effective #5/#6 guy.

I also agree that he could easily become more effective trade bait, but that won't happen until he has a larger body of work in the bigs.

He may not have murphy's upside, but he may be a more sure thing to play a steady role at this point. There's a spotlight on Murphy coming into this camp. Jordan can pull regular duty. Biega turned heads and is looking like a candidate. Hanifin is loved by the coach just by showing up. Fleury and Pesce could surprise people. Things look a lot different for Murphy than they did a year ago. These big guys can skate pretty well and move the puck.

I'm not giving up on Murphy but I would definitely be gauging interest heading into camp.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

biega is this year's carson/borer/rodney/bellemore. the ahl defenseman that fans identify with because he wasn't a first round pick and had to work his way up from the ahl.

99% chance he is playing in europe four years from now

 

[What the Faulk]

Well, he'll be 24 in September (didn't realize he was that old) so it might not even take that long

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Biega probably shouldn't even be in camp tbh. Shouldn't have a contract.