16th Overall - Sonny Milano

[Ice9]

Neither can anyone on this board.

However, that will not halt any poster here from declaring authoritatively what is being thought and the next coaching moves that will result. Most clairvoyant group you would ever want to meet.

I would go with Torts shaking his head and thinking what might be with young Mr. Milano. At least as a former coach it would be my thoughts were I coaching him.

 

[majormajor]

Torts likes Milano, it's a guy he's been working on for a long time. My speculation is that in those moments though he's amused/dumbfounded by how ingrained the hot dog playstyle is in this guy. Milano's incorrigibility is what is so striking about this moment. Marginal NHLers don't normally play with this kind of abandon. It's frankly hilarious when he scores, and partly so because it makes a mockery of hard-ass coaches, and Torts is in on that joke.

 

[MoeBartoli]

The string of 1 goal games is part of the reason Milano is getting the ice time he is. He is pretty risky to play in the third period of a tied game or if we have a 1 goal lead.

He made 2 beautiful offensive plays last night (goal and pass to Anderson) and 1 play in the defensive zone that was brutal and led to a goal.

I think Torts is using him correctly for now. He knows what he has to do to get more ice time. I think Torts is giving him a longer leash than he used to — he didn’t get benched after the Carolina goal.

Actually he was benched for the last 7 minutes of period one.

 

[OldGoaltender]

To me it looks like the assistant has that “I told you so” expression.

 

[Monstershockey]

I really don't know what people expect if he gets more ice time. When he was sent to Cleveland last year he got more minutes here and didn't really add much. In the playoffs yeah, he played well and made a difference. Regular season he was ok. He also got plenty of pp time and it didn't really help. I don't know what the Columbus coaches can do to improve him more. Its year 5 and I think he should be developed by now. I hope I am wrong, but this may be the best he is going to get here. Maybe a change would do him good. I would rather he found success here.

 

[stevo61]

I really don't know what people expect if he gets more ice time. When he was sent to Cleveland last year he got more minutes here and didn't really add much. In the playoffs yeah, he played well and made a difference. Regular season he was ok. He also got plenty of pp time and it didn't really help. I don't know what the Columbus coaches can do to improve him more. Its year 5 and I think he should be developed by now. I hope I am wrong, but this may be the best he is going to get here. Maybe a change would do him good. I would rather he found success here.

No offense but who cares what happened in the past in Cleveland. Young players make mistakes so what? Show some faith and let him play to his strengths instead of coaching him to be afraid to make mistakes

 

[Monstershockey]

Well, his main strength is scoring a fancy goal once in a while. He is a capable passer, but after that there isn't much. If thats what you want to get more ice time, good luck. There are better players in Columbus that get his ice time and it seems to be working so far.

 

[MoeBartoli]

When Columbus rolls four lines, you can get the strong play like in the second period last night. When you roll on three you invariably get what you got in the third period - a team just holding on. Play the kids and let them grow in tight situations.

 

[majormajor]

Well, his main strength is scoring a fancy goal once in a while. He is a capable passer, but after that there isn't much. If thats what you want to get more ice time, good luck. There are better players in Columbus that get his ice time and it seems to be working so far.

I see where you're coming from. There's no guarantee that he'll continue to produce at this rate if the Jackets give him more minutes. But still, Milano has the highest scoring rate on the club. You've got to give him more than 9 minutes a night, easily a couple more minutes. And like Moe said, it's not just for Milano's sake. The team can't play this high-energy brand of hockey all season if they're on 3 lines every third period.

 

[Monstershockey]

I see where you're coming from. There's no guarantee that he'll continue to produce at this rate if the Jackets give him more minutes. But still, Milano has the highest scoring rate on the club. You've got to give him more than 9 minutes a night, easily a couple more minutes. And like Moe said, it's not just for Milano's sake. The team can't play this high-energy brand of hockey all season if they're on 3 lines every third period.

That's all true. I really don't have a problem with that, if you are willing to absorb the bumps in the road that come along with that. This is a good year to do that because expectations aren't as high. I guess I have been taking it as people think the young kids are the saviors when they are still raw and prone to dumb mistakes. Are fans and people on here prepared for what may happen? Sometimes when they play ok and lose its like the sky fell. When Elvis gave up 7 goals, they wanted him shipped to Cleveland instead of waiting to see how he would handle a bad game, which he did fine, I thought. People are going to have to accept that it may cost them some games here and there.

 

[Ice9]

Bottom line for me...he's five years into his pro career and he still went out and got himself into a scuffle for whatever reasons. That shows me hes not decided it's time to be a man yet. I REALLY hoped this would be the catalyst that woke him up and propelled him into maturity. It may still yet or maybe it did already. NOBODY in the NHL gives rats ass about your YouTube videos anymore. Kids stuff. The talent is there for the most part so I'm left to wonder about the desire and heart.. .

 

[Monstershockey]

Yep. 5 years in and he is still a project. This is a make or break year for him, Columbus has waited long enough. This should at least be his 3rd full season, CBJ has been more than patient.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Sonny Milano is an odd player to watch. He's got enough speed to blow by defensemen but he also falls down or almost falls down for no apparent reason numerous times per game. I think his lousy balance got the bogus PP that tied the game with Toronto a few games ago IIRC.

I'll say it again. He reminds me of Nail Yakopov. He plays hockey like he's being chased by a swarm of bees-someone else came up with this description awhile ago. Milano probably looks worse than he really is is due to this. Murray and Jones look better than they really are because they are very smooth skaters.

All that notwithstanding, he needs more TOI. As Monstershockey said, he's been in the organization a long time and this should be a make or break year. If he's a 10-15 goal scorer who can't play sufficient defense in the eyes of the organization, then they should cut him loose after the season. At some point, potential doesn't cut it. Sonny is there this year.

 

[majormajor]

All that notwithstanding, he needs more TOI. As Monstershockey said, he's been in the organization a long time and this should be a make or break year. If he's a 10-15 goal scorer who can't play sufficient defense in the eyes of the organization, then they should cut him loose after the season. At some point, potential doesn't cut it. Sonny is there this year.

I'd argue that he's been an effective 4th liner as is, with all the warts included. It's not like he's here just because we're hoping to develop him for some other job, though we do hope that. He's in the lineup because he scores goals from the 4th line and most 4th liners don't, and his defense isn't bad enough to cancel that out. If he's playing like this, you don't cut him loose. He'll end up elsewhere only if another team wants him more and is willing to pay up. Edmonton currently has zero goals (and zero assists) from both their third line and their fourth line. ZERO. Jackets fans are spoiled if they don't appreciate Sonny.

 

[TopC0rner]

Imo people are focussing too much on the warts and not enough on the good things he brings. At 23, he's still young and he has battled concussions in the past that slowed down his progression.

 

[NORiculous]

You can say he has played 5 years ( half empty?) or you can say he has played 80 nhl games (half full?) which is not necessarily enough; specially playing 9 mins a game.

 

[EspenK]

Back in high school I had a basketball coach who would yank you for a mistake. Even though I was the top or second leading scorer, I was always looking over my shoulder to see if what I just did was going to result in a sub coming in for me. Tough way to play. You need a bit of rope. I don't think young guys get that from Torts.

 

[majormajor]

Back in high school I had a basketball coach who would yank you for a mistake. Even though I was the top or second leading scorer, I was always looking over my shoulder to see if what I just did was going to result in a sub coming in for me. Tough way to play. You need a bit of rope. I don't think young guys get that from Torts.

I'm in agreement at least in respect to guys like Bjorkstrand. Torts was constantly toying with his minutes despite Bjorkstrand being relatively responsible for a young player.

Torts does put up with a lot of mistakes from Dubois and Werenski, who are getting top minutes and are still super young.

And then there's Milano - he gets his minutes messed with but the kid is absolutely incorrigible, he's not looking over his shoulder at Torts.

--------------------------

And I'll add that I wouldn't mind if Torts went back to hassling a veteran every now and then. Our worst guys last night were not the kids. I thought Jones was worse than Werenski, and Cam was probably the worst forward.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Sonny has the highest points/60 of anyone on the team, yet only Jakob Lilja has played fewer minutes. Seems like a very dumb strategy for a team in the bottom 10 in scoring.

He has the same number of points - 5 - as Wennberg, Foligno, and Atkinson despite those three getting >2x the minutes Milano has played.

The excuses for not playing Milano aren't holding water. He leads the team in xGF/60 and is tied with Bemstrom for best xGF%. Play him more than 9 minutes a night.

 

[Monstershockey]

Yeah, but Cam's even strength CF% rel is 3.8 and Sonny's is -0.6. I have no idea what that means but Cam's is higher so he wins, I think. Seriously though, what is the big deal aleady, its been 11 games. Sonny was on pace to get more minutes last game until he got high sticked. He earned the time. He played well. Your comparing him to proven vets. If he keeps playing well he will get more time. This isn't a conspirasy.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Yeah, but Cam's even strength CF% rel is 3.8 and Sonny's is -0.6. I have no idea what that means but Cam's is higher so he wins, I think. Seriously though, what is the big deal aleady, its been 11 games. Sonny was on pace to get more minutes last game until he got high sticked. He earned the time. He played well. Your comparing him to proven vets. If he keeps playing well he will get more time. This isn't a conspirasy.

I'm not saying it's a conspiracy. I'm saying it's poor coaching.

 

[Monstershockey]

Is it though? He has basically played the same way for 3 coaches. What is the common denominator? Bednar may have got the most out of him, but he still had his problems defensively and away from the puck.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Is it though? He has basically played the same way for 3 coaches. What is the common denominator? Bednar may have got the most out of him, but he still had his problems defensively and away from the puck.

Anderson is putting up horrendous defensive stats, with the usual caveat that there are four other players on the ice when a guy is out there. He doesn't seem to getting ~half the shifts of some of his teammates.

 

[stevo61]

Anderson is putting up horrendous defensive stats, with the usual caveat that there are four other players on the ice when a guy is out there. He doesn't seem to getting ~half the shifts of some of his teammates.

If you are physical you get a pass because somehow being physical = playing defensively or playing "the right way"

 

[Monstershockey]

Anderson is putting up horrendous defensive stats, with the usual caveat that there are four other players on the ice when a guy is out there. He doesn't seem to getting ~half the shifts of some of his teammates.

Anderson has proven more than Sonny that he can play in the NHL. He was hurt at the beginning of the year and most likely will start playing the way he is capable of. Sonny really hasn't proved anything yet, the Flyer game he played well and needs to build off that. Bottom line is he is supposed to be a playmaker so he needs to make plays more consistantly. That includes playing defense so that he can reliably force the action to offence to get things going. The play to Boone where he skated behind the net and had a guy on him and still made the play are things he has to do more often. Most of the time he would have got knocked off the puck in that situation. More of play like that and he will earn more time. Could coaching be better, probably, but niether of us, well at least me, aren't at the pratices or in the room to know how he is being coached or what he is being told. It could very well be Torts, who knows. But I will give him or any coach with that much expeience the benefit of the doubt that they know what they are doing.