2014-15 Lake Erie Monsters (AHL) & Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL) l Part 2

[CB Joe]

Honestly for defensemen points are largely situational. Stuart goes pointless in his first 17 games with almost no PP time. Roy puts him on the PP and he somehow has 4 points in his last 4.

Give Duncan a chance to create offense and he may surprise you. But if the team as a whole doesn't score and he doesn't get any PP minutes then he's not exactly gonna be able to impress with stats.

My guess. He becomes a 2nd pairing shutdown guy who plays with Barrie giving him all the freedom in the world. He averages around 20 points a season. I've always said this. You want a comparison? Hjalmarsson is a good one. A lot of similarities in their games imo.

Seimens only managed 4 points all off last season. This season I assume he's playing with Noreau or Elliott, who are both point per game defensemen, and he's only managed 3 assists. I'd have to see more than just the occasional highlight to get a better insight, but it seems like he's offensively challenged. I think the days of stay-at-home defensemen not needing to have puck skills are over. I'd be surprised if he ever becomes more than a third pair defensemen.

 

[tigervixxxen]

He never plays with Noreau. Elliott sometimes but Gervais a lot. He gets some PP time. But the monsters don't score a lot, mostly from D pinching up and transition. Siemens has puck skills, he can pass and move the puck well. He doesn't shoot a lot, which is probably most of the problem. I really don't care about points one way or the other with him. Corbett has like 2 points and he's a good puck moving D and is playing well.

 

[AvsRobin]

Hishon should try out Europe.

 

[Foppa2118]

You read that too, huh?

I'll say it again--Dater getting fired was the worst thing to happen to the Denver Post hockey/Avs coverage as it currently is because Mike Chambers is infinitely worse.

 

[Pokecheque]

Probably gonna do what they did with Gaunce and get what they can for him before the deadline.

 

[SuperJoe]

I think it's still too early to call him a bust, but it's truth he doesn't progress in the way we all wanted. I remember most people here thought he would be our 2nd Adam Foote, he still can but right now IMHO it's more possible he ends up as a bust rather than next Foote.

Yeah I'm willing to give him more time to keep developing, but honestly I don't think he has everything "upstairs" to become a top 4 defender.

 

[AvsRobin]

Yeah I'm willing to give him more time to keep developing, but honestly I don't think he has everything "upstairs" to become a top 4 defender.

Right now I'd take him being a good #5 who can form a 3rd pairing with Redmond for a few years.

 

[Pokecheque]

Ehhhhhhh...he reminds me a lot of Seabrook from what I've seen. I'm not saying he'll be as good, just saying they appear to have similar types of games. A physical, mostly stay-at-home guy who isn't terrible with the puck, but not really known for offense. So long as he's a good defensive stopper who doesn't treat the puck like a grenade, I couldn't possibly care less about how much offense he creates.

 

[dahrougem2]

Ehhhhhhh...he reminds me a lot of Seabrook from what I've seen. I'm not saying he'll be as good, just saying they appear to have similar types of games. A physical, mostly stay-at-home guy who isn't terrible with the puck, but not really known for offense. So long as he's a good defensive stopper who doesn't treat the puck like a grenade, I couldn't possibly care less about how much offense he creates.

Please don't tell me they skate the same too.... Love Seabrook but his skating style angers me, you never know if he's going fast or slow and he seems to have a very awkward style, I hate seeing it. He and Keith are the two of the most odd-skating D-men in the league and they're on the same pair

 

[Pokecheque]

Please don't tell me they skate the same too.... Love Seabrook but his skating style angers me, you never know if he's going fast or slow and he seems to have a very awkward style, I hate seeing it. He and Keith are the two of the most odd-skating D-men in the league and they're on the same pair

Honestly I've never noticed how either guy skates--I always thought Keith was one of the faster D-men around, but I dunno. But I think you can rest assured that if Duncan fails, it won't be the result of his skating, which I hear is quite good.

 

[dahrougem2]

Honestly I've never noticed how either guy skates--I always thought Keith was one of the faster D-men around, but I dunno. But I think you can rest assured that if Duncan fails, it won't be the result of his skating, which I hear is quite good.

No doubt Keith is one of the better skating d-men in the league, but he takes some of the shortest strides I've ever seen a player take

 

[Pokecheque]

No doubt Keith is one of the better skating d-men in the league, but he takes some of the shortest strides I've ever seen a player take

Weird how that works. I remember marveling at Ossi Vaananen's skating, and not in a good way. The guy took long, seemingly powerful strides and pumped like crazy, yet he barely moved. I swear it was like the guy was on an ice treadmill or something. I always got exhausted watching him "race" for a loose puck. Then you had a guy like Danny Hinote who wasn't a big guy and had one of the sloppiest skating techniques I've ever seen, and yet he could fly.

Not to derail the thread, but one of the craziest things I read a few years back was that Brooks Laich improved his skating quite a bit when he didn't lace his skates up all the way to the top. And guys like Lecavalier barely tie them at all. To me that's just nuts, but I guess it allows you to dig in a little better. I've tried my skates laced a little lower but sure as hell haven't tried leaving them loose. It's just funny all the different things that go into building an efficient skating stride.

 

[Nihiliste]

Siemens is the type of project defensive D that I don't expect to crack the NHL until 23-25 years old. He's still a work in progress but has definitely made strides this year. Most players aren't going to have a linear progression - the jury's still very much out on him and there's still a chance we could have a solid player on our hands.

 

[Nihiliste]

Maybe trade him for another struggling prospect like Luke Adam or something.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Hishon did get a goal and assist tonight so his visit to the doghouse line will probably be short lived. That said, they probably will just part ways sooner than later. Oh and Siemens had an assist, alert the media!

Btw, Monsters lost 3-2. Failure to generate offense again pretty much. They had some great chances.

 

[dahrougem2]

Weird how that works. I remember marveling at Ossi Vaananen's skating, and not in a good way. The guy took long, seemingly powerful strides and pumped like crazy, yet he barely moved. I swear it was like the guy was on an ice treadmill or something. I always got exhausted watching him "race" for a loose puck. Then you had a guy like Danny Hinote who wasn't a big guy and had one of the sloppiest skating techniques I've ever seen, and yet he could fly.

Not to derail the thread, but one of the craziest things I read a few years back was that Brooks Laich improved his skating quite a bit when he didn't lace his skates up all the way to the top. And guys like Lecavalier barely tie them at all. To me that's just nuts, but I guess it allows you to dig in a little better. I've tried my skates laced a little lower but sure as hell haven't tried leaving them loose. It's just funny all the different things that go into building an efficient skating stride.

Yup, players try all sorts of weird things all the time in order to try and improve their skating stride. I remember Mats Sundin used to change skates every month. For a piece of equipment that's supposed to be "broken in", that's an awful lot of change.

 

[Pokecheque]

BTW, read an article on Teuvo Teravainen's struggles to adjust to hockey in North America and they said one of his issues was getting used to the "dump and chase style of the AHL." Seriously, is that just a thing they all do? It's not just Deano? I find that hard to believe.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I wouldn't say all but that division is very dump and chase grind it out. Rockford and Chicago are incredibly boring.

 

[hockeymm]

I have to wonder if DC is the right person to develop a player. Read the article on Dumba. It's all about how he makes a mistake, gets put right back out there and learns from it. Siemens gets benched and scratched. Not helping to build confidence I would say. I would like to see him get pp time with Elliot and see if they can duplicate what they did in junior. He can control the line and let Elliot do what he does best offensively. Seems to me their pp was good because Siemens kept it in the zone on pp's allowing a lot more opportunities than LE generates.

 

[henchman21]

I have to wonder if DC is the right person to develop a player. Read the article on Dumba. It's all about how he makes a mistake, gets put right back out there and learns from it. Siemens gets benched and scratched. Not helping to build confidence I would say. I would like to see him get pp time with Elliot and see if they can duplicate what they did in junior. He can control the line and let Elliot do what he does best offensively. Seems to me their pp was good because Siemens kept it in the zone on pp's allowing a lot more opportunities than LE generates.

Siemens isn't benched or scratched after every mistake. It happens, but it isn't all the time. IMO that is the right way. You can't reward mistakes, but you can't kill a kid's confidence either. There are many things I fault Deaner for, Siemens development (so far) isn't one.

IMO Siemens isn't developing like the Avs hoped when they picked him. They expected him to have some offensive upside and play a more 2 way game (listen to Praceys comments on him after the draft). Still, he is still far from a bust. He just needs more time and to come through the system slower.

Hindsight being 20/20 the Avs missed out on other D who are/will be better. Happens all the time, especially on kids with 'mean streaks.' Scouts drool over that as much as they drool over power forwards. I still like Siemens as a prospect and I think he will turn out to be a solid middle pairing shutdown type, but that is a clear downgrade from what was expected when he was drafted.

 

[StayAtHomeAv]

But also he is not close of being NHL-er in a team that has one on the worst defensive line in the whole NHL. There are at least half-dozen defensmen drafted in quite similar position (around 8-15) in 2011, 2012 and 2013 who already are NHL regulars in much deeper teams in defense than we are. Maatta (drafted even further), Ceci, Trouba, Ristolainen, and also Brodin, Hamilton, Oleksiak from his draft. I don't call him bust, and agree that injuries may hamper his development, but facts are facts he is not near NHL right now. He may be in a year, but also he may not. We don't know it right now. All we know is that he didn't make great progress between his play in juniors and now. Some can say that he even regressed.

He isn't close based off of what?

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Elliott and Siemens havent played in NHL yet(this seasn for El), because I think its probably the best for their game just to play a lot. They will get their chance next training camp.

 

[bohlmeister]

Don't think they are playing a lot in the AHL.

 

[raistlin76]

He isn't close based off of what?

Base on that he is not even considered by Roy to be a call up when somebody is injured. As I said I don't call him a bust yet and I'm far from it but honestly I expect more from him at this stage of his career. he still can flourish, but it's hard to compare him to Foote right now as he was compared before and after draft. As someone said we may missed better D-man (Oleksiak taken 3 spots later, who already cracks Dallas line-up). I really hope Siemens develops into Seabrook - kind of player as other poster said. It would be something great, Seabrook is great d-man and he also putting some points. I'm also very happy if he plays Hjalmarsson, really wish that happen. It's great draft choice if something like that happen. We shall see, jury is still out of him i just wanted him to be better at the moment and have a shot on NHL over such a great d-man as "General" Guenin and Nick "doesn't do anything right" Holden.

 

[CB Joe]

Elliott and Siemens havent played in NHL yet(this seasn for El), because I think its probably the best for their game just to play a lot. They will get their chance next training camp.

I hope the Avs can flip Elliott for something else. Realistically I'd hope for a a prospect with a good shot at developing into a useful bottom six player, otherwise a similar player who can play LD. The Avs really don't need any more offence on the right side. The RD has produced 53 points while the LD has combined for only 16 points. On top of that the Avs have Noreau, who is leading the team in points in the AHL, to fill in for any injuries on the right side.