Pre-Game Talk: 10/25/16 | Hurricanes vs Red Wings | 7:30 PM | FS-D, FS-CR

[Nut Upstrom]

Liking what Sproul brings so far. Hopefully he keeps it up.

He's playing his way right into being part of a trade package soon. He has looked good, I'm sure anaheim, Winnipeg, St. Louis etc have noticed.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Those lines look pretty good to me, adding Abbie to the 4th line would be gravy.

 

[Flowah]

If you remove the first game, his numbers are good. The defense was terrible in front of him in that first game.

.857 SV % in the first game, then .919%, .969%, and .909 % since.

Doesn't help that he faces 34-35 shots a game, and some good looks. We've played better in front of Jimmy so far, for some reason. That's not to say that Jimmy hasn't been great on top of that, because he has been IMO.

Turnabout is fair play. Last season we gave Jimmy zero goal support and looked like hot garbage in front of him.

 

[CanadaIsIrrelevant]

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Those lines look pretty good to me, adding Abbie to the 4th line would be gravy.

Loving those lines, Hopefully we give Carolina major fits tonight.

 

[izlez]

He's playing his way right into being part of a trade package soon. He has looked good, I'm sure anaheim, Winnipeg, St. Louis etc have noticed.

I STILL don't get this type of thinking of "showcasing" players or having young players turn into good players to up their trade value.

He's playing his way right onto helping THIS team win. Because that's what you do. You bring players up and hope they do good to be good on your team.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Glad that Sproul is finally getting some playing time, He's definitely looked pretty good in his first 2 games an assist per game.

 

[CanadaIsIrrelevant]

It's Dylan Larkin Bobblehead night!!!

 

[Frk It]

Good lines. Nyquist has deserved a bump up the lineup with his play so far.

3rd line is the ideal spot for AA, I like it.

 

[Dotter]

On paper the Smith Sproul pairing looks abysmal. Surprisingly it works.. thus far.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

I STILL don't get this type of thinking of "showcasing" players or having young players turn into good players to up their trade value.

He's playing his way right onto helping THIS team win. Because that's what you do. You bring players up and hope they do good to be good on your team.

I don't think he's being showcased and I hope you're right that he is going to become a player for US and helps US become a better team. But if you think other teams aren't going to want him included in a trade package I think you're being too optimistic.

 

[Kyleftlx]

I STILL don't get this type of thinking of "showcasing" players or having young players turn into good players to up their trade value.

He's playing his way right onto helping THIS team win. Because that's what you do. You bring players up and hope they do good to be good on your team.

In attempting to explain the thought process behind "showcasing" players... if a player performs well, other teams will notice and take interest in him. If a player performs well and you know he is unlikely to sustain that type of performance - maybe you value him as a bottom pairing defenseman with offensive abilities, you look to see if another team will move you the Jacob Trouba you have been looking for because he is a player that could play on your top defensive pairing potentially.

Hopefully this explains it a bit better for you!

 

[Kyleftlx]

I don't think he's being showcased and I hope you're right that he is going to become a player for US and helps US become a better team. But if you think other teams aren't going to want him included in a trade package I think you're being too optimistic.

I definitely don't think Sproul is being showcased. I think Detroit is trying to win hockey games and wants to get everyone involved to see who gives them the best chance at winning games.

Heading into the season, Oullet and Sproul were likely considered #6A and #6B to the team. They didn't have a clear cut *better* option in their minds (between the two of them), so Blash is giving both of them a chance to play. The very positive thing is that both players have played like NHL level guys so far, but they play two different styles.

One thing I would note is that Sproul probably wouldn't play 3 games in a row if he didn't perform so well, whereas Oullet played 4 in a row despite the team putting together a really bad game in Florida. I think Oullet definitely was higher on the depth chart and Sproul has closed the gap.

 

[Frk It]

I definitely don't think Sproul is being showcased. I think Detroit is trying to win hockey games and wants to get everyone involved to see who gives them the best chance at winning games.

I really don't think so either. Sproul brings a bunch of stuff our back end lacks. It's as simple as that, IMO.

 

[borisbadenough]

He's not getting big minutes.

Last 4 games he has played: 15:36, 15:20, 14:02, 13:54

15 is the lower limit of "big minutes" for a winger imo

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I STILL don't get this type of thinking of "showcasing" players or having young players turn into good players to up their trade value.

He's playing his way right onto helping THIS team win. Because that's what you do. You bring players up and hope they do good to be good on your team.

Pretty simple really. You do not know if a young player can play at the NHL level until you actually play them at the NHL level. By allowing other teams to see a player play at the NHL you remove some of the uncertainty in terms of establishing where exactly they are in their development and how their game will translate. Effectively you have given them more information on which to make a decision, which should allow them to more accurately value the player.

 

[borisbadenough]

Good lines. Nyquist has deserved a bump up the lineup with his play so far.

3rd line is the ideal spot for AA, I like it.

because of his vision, hockey sense and passing ability?

 

[ap3x]

On paper the Smith Sproul pairing looks abysmal. Surprisingly it works.. thus far.

Emphasis on "thus far". Let's hope they keep it up.

 

[SirloinUB]

I really don't think so either. Sproul brings a bunch of stuff our back end lacks. It's as simple as that, IMO.

I completely agree. However, whether he is officially being "showcased" or not, I suspect other teams will be interested in him if a defensive upgrade is brought in (assuming he continues with his recent play).

 

[Frk It]

because of his vision, hockey sense and passing ability?

Easier competition than when in top 6, better linemates than when on the 4th line.

Ideal spot for most young players trying to establish themselves, except the elite ones.

15 is the lower limit of "big minutes" for a winger imo

It's somewhere between 2nd and 3rd line. He played center in 3/4 of those games.

 

[Fear]

It's Dylan Larkin Bobblehead night!!!

Now thats just awful lol. Even after they told me it was Larkin I still don't see it. If I just saw that bobblehead without being told I would think it was Tatar or something

 

[CanadaIsIrrelevant]

 

[skate skate skate]

 

[Flowah]

The Wings Killer line. Probably....

 

[TCNorthstars]

The Wings Killer line. Probably....

They are only killing wings when they are scratched...