Injury Report: Rielly to IR

Randy Randerson

Registered User
Jul 28, 2016
10,637
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Hamilton
I am a little bit irritated at the fact that Polak has a permanent spot.
outside of the old school "we need a guy to bust heads and block shots" type fans, I don't think anyone is good with Polak's permanent spot in the lineup, both because he's not as good as guys that are being sat and it sends a very mixed message about the "steal a job" mantra that Babcock keeps spouting
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
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outside of the old school "we need a guy to bust heads and block shots" type fans, I don't think anyone is good with Polak's permanent spot in the lineup, both because he's not as good as guys that are being sat and it sends a very mixed message about the "steal a job" mantra that Babcock keeps spouting
Sends a mixed message to who? I'm sure the players fully expect Polak to dress every night.
 

Marshy

Behind Enemy Lines
Oct 3, 2007
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Ottawa
Might be naive here but could Polak's spot be in jeapordy only if Zaitsev was healthy and logging big PK minutes?

CyBorg and Dermott aren't relied on heavily to PK so one of them comes out if Rielly is healthy unless Zaitsev is healthy Polak is in.
 

HogTown06

Registered User
Jul 20, 2012
1,073
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Hammonds Plains
Might be naive here but could Polak's spot be in jeapordy only if Zaitsev was healthy and logging big PK minutes?

CyBorg and Dermott aren't relied on heavily to PK so one of them comes out if Rielly is healthy unless Zaitsev is healthy Polak is in.

That's my hope as well, that with Zaitsev back Polak's PK will become redundant.
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
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having Polak in every night directly contradicts what Babcock spouts about the team running on a meritocracy. He's not as good as the guys that are sitting in place of him
It only contradicts if the Coach feels the same way about Polak as you do. IMO, he doesn't feel that way.
 

54thecup

keep on rockin the free world!
Aug 3, 2017
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Muskoka
I am a little bit irritated at the fact that Polak has a permanent spot.


Until Zaits is back to take some pk load, Polak will stay in.

I'm starting to think we don't need a top 4 D, especially if its a rental. Remember that we are trying to build a long term SUSTAINABLE playoff team which will compete every year. Our team is far from perfect and sure we could use another steady stay at home top 4 rhd, a power forward or center. But our forwards are competitive (Naz line needs to get going but it will happen!!) and we can see a decent D core developing, especially in this salary cap era.

Reilly Hainsey ( for 2 - 3 yrs, we may sign him to an extension depending on his play next yr)

Dermott Zaits

Gards Carrick / Borgman

With the Russian coming in and a few Marlies with upside, I think we have the makings of a decent to above average D for the next couple of years. Of course, I would make a trade including Gards and a prospect if we could get that RHD but its easier said than done. We have enuf LHD without Gards.
 

Randy Randerson

Registered User
Jul 28, 2016
10,637
3,445
Hamilton
It only contradicts if the Coach feels the same way about Polak as you do. IMO, he doesn't feel that way.
there's things that could rationalize it away, like for example Babcock telling the team that veterans will play to shelter the development of younger players or some internal set of evaluation metrics that don't act like the ones that we have publicly (and in that case, only if Babcock is communicating those metrics to the team, if he's not it would still do nothing but confuse them)

by what we have publicly, Polak has been really bad for a really long time - a major drag on an already sub-par set of linemates in mildly defensive 5v5 usage (but not heavily defensive usage) by Fenwick/Corsi - Roman Polak Stats | Hockey-Reference.com

it's hard to frame it in a way that Polak is helpful to the team, but that's not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about stunting the development of younger players by telling them that they can win a job if they're better than the alternative, then not giving them a job when they're better than the alternative - generally not a good environment for improved performance when people don't know what the boss wants of them and tends to poison the well when they think they're doing well and not getting the rewards. And yes, I'm speculating that Babcock isn't communicating the reasons that Polak remains as a permanent fixture to the kids, but the way it looks from the outside is that he's beating the meritocracy drum publicly and not practicing what he's preaching
 
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rimshot

Registered User
Jan 10, 2010
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North of South Mtn.
having Polak in every night directly contradicts what Babcock spouts about the team running on a meritocracy. He's not as good as the guys that are sitting in place of him
Is there merit in having excellent special teams play? Special teams refers to PK as well as PP. Is there a difference between a goal scored on the PP and a goal saved on the PK? Why is it that PP specialists(Marner for example) are fan faves and an effective PKer(Polak) is detested by so many? Marner's play without the puck is as cringeworthy as Polaks play with it. Polak's miscues are exaggerated while Marner's(see the own goal against Philly) ignored.
 

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