2015 Offseason & Lineup Discussion Part III

[Ducks DVM]

Changing it up a bit here... Anyone else debating whether Khudobin is good or even better than Freddie?

LA wasn't playing with many of their top guys, so take yesterday with a grain of salt.

He was swimming several times, he's very low and somewhat deep in his net (leaving a LOT of net for a sniper type to shoot at), and he's nowhere near as good with the puck. He's also quicker than Freddy, and doesn't appear to have the short side issues Freddy does (after seeing one game).

I'll say he gives me more confidence than the Gibson of last spring does at this point, but I want to see him face some breakaways, some 2v1's, and an actual NHL team before I make a final decision on him. He's clearly at least competent, though, which is a nice bonus from recent years.

 

[TheJoeMan]

Changing it up a bit here... Anyone else debating whether Khudobin is good or even better than Freddie?

I said it earlier but I think if there's one player on this entire roster that could surprise people this year it's Khudobin. Obviously I didn't watch any of the San Jose game but he was really good last night. It's still Freddie's net to lose and I'm hoping the pressure that Dobby and Gibson can take it away lights a fire under him. At the very least on any given night we should expect our goalie to make enough saves to win the game. Not crazy about how much Dobby has to battle to make a save sometimes but he's great at tracking the puck. I'm really encouraged by what he can do this year.

 

[Unholy]

With our injury luck it's just nice to not have to worry about getting another goalie should one occur.

 

[Carelton CA]

This Stewart experiment may be a quick one.

His two exhibition games he has a total of two shots. His effort on the Kings goal last night was awful and I don't see any jump.

Is anyone else seeing this differently?

 

[Ducks Nation*]

This Stewart experiment may be a quick one.

His two exhibition games he has a total of two shots. His effort on the Kings goal last night was awful and I don't see any jump.

Is anyone else seeing this differently?

He had 2 really good hits, that's it.

 

[TheJoeMan]

This Stewart experiment may be a quick one.

His two exhibition games he has a total of two shots. His effort on the Kings goal last night was awful and I don't see any jump.

Is anyone else seeing this differently?

He has not been strong in the preseason which is disconcerting. It is preseason and he is a veteran so I don't like to judge him too much based purely off of exhibition games but he's also new to the team and has something to prove. I reserve judgment ultimately for the regular season. But what he's done so far has not been encouraging. If he back-checked even a little bit Andreoff doesn't get that shot off for the goal. I'm hoping he's just coasting because it's preseason. But if he takes shifts off like that when things really matter then I'll be concerned.

 

[Nurmagomedov]

He's 27 and was only able to garner a one year deal for small money as a UFA. The writing's on the wall and he should have everything to prove from day one. It's not looking good.

 

[91Fedorov]

I also really hope Stewart improves once the season starts. If this is it though, I'd rather sit him and play Wagner.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

It's just pre-season.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

I'm not worried at all about Stewart...yet. Yes, he's a guy with something to prove, but he's also had major trouble with effort at times, and that isn't going to change overnight, and certainly not in a meaningless game. I'll reserve judgement until the regular season, I never thought he was going to give much of an effort in these games.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

This Stewart experiment may be a quick one.

His two exhibition games he has a total of two shots. His effort on the Kings goal last night was awful and I don't see any jump.

Is anyone else seeing this differently?

he's a veteran player, last year everyone overreacted about how good heatley was going to be based on pre-season....it doesn't matter until the real games start.

 

[42]

he's a veteran player, last year everyone overreacted about how good heatley was going to be based on pre-season....it doesn't matter until the real games start.

And last year Stewart was very good in the pre-season and then we all know what happened in the regular season. Many are way too quick to reach conclusions about Stewart. Give him a few regular season games before passing judgement.

 

[Sojourn]

he's a veteran player, last year everyone overreacted about how good heatley was going to be based on pre-season....it doesn't matter until the real games start.

Everyone overreacted? No, they didn't. They felt that Heatley played well enough to deserve a shot. That's pretty much it. The preseason was encouraging, but I recall everyone saying that Heatley needed to show he can get it done in the regular season. He couldn't. I mean, you're making it sound like no one understood at all that it was preseason, or that he had also had a good preseason before in Minnesota. Where was this overreaction?

Does Stewart really deserve the benefit of the doubt here? I don't think so. His future in the NHL is at risk. He should be fighting for a spot. This isn't a player who should be a lock to stay on the team. So why isn't he working harder to earn his spot. The preseason may not matter as far as statistics go, but I'd certainly expect a player in Stewart's position to play like he gives a ****, because he should. He's running out of time.

 

[Paul4587]

Stewart's issue has never been talent, it's been work ethic. Hopefully he can find some motivation and put up Penner like numbers without the off ice distractions for us.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

I doubt Stewart's been told that he's fighting for a spot. He's not Heatley on some last gasp assignment.

 

[Sojourn]

I doubt Stewart's been told that he's fighting for a spot. He's not Heatley on some last gasp assignment.

Not last gasp, but he looks like he's trending his way out of the NHL. He should be motivated.

But I don't really expect him to change his spots at this point.

 

[Nurmagomedov]

I doubt Stewart's been told that he's fighting for a spot. He's not Heatley on some last gasp assignment.

Nope, he seems more like a Penner to me, quickly running out of chances due to work ethic.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Not last gasp, but he looks like he's trending his way out of the NHL. He should be motivated.

But I don't really expect him to change his spots at this point.

I've always preferred the scorpion and the frog metaphor myself.

 

[Sojourn]

I've always preferred the scorpion and the frog metaphor myself.

Hah. Funny thing, that one came to mind too.

Lucky for us, we shouldn't sink just because he's following his nature.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

Stewart almost had 40 points last year, he is not on his way out of the league. it's pre-season, it doesn't matter.

 

[Sojourn]

That must be why he's on his 4th team in 3 years, and is signed to a one year contract. Sounds like security to me.

 

[IDuck]

Changing it up a bit here... Anyone else debating whether Khudobin is good or even better than Freddie?

way way way to soon to tell but i will say there is 1 thing he did yesterday that i REALLY liked....he made that ONE big stop (i think in the 1st) to keep it a tie game...our d really does a great job of limiting shots and not giving up a lot of point blank shots....he made that one big stop after kind of a lull which turned out to be huge.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Not last gasp, but he looks like he's trending his way out of the NHL. He should be motivated.

But I don't really expect him to change his spots at this point.

Tell me how a lack of motivation manifests in a way that a lack of leadership does not? The ****-storm seems to change the direction of its spin depending on which player we're baldly speculating about.

 

[DaDucks*]

In regards to Stewart, I was surprised to see how mobile and quick he was for a bigger guy....(last week vs kings)

 

[Sojourn]

Tell me how a lack of motivation manifests in a way that a lack of leadership does not? The ****-storm seems to change the direction of its spin depending on which player we're baldly speculating about.

Simple: There are different types of leaders, and not everyone leads the same way, or in obvious fashions. There's a lot more behind the scenes stuff. That being said, I've also never pretended to know who is, and who isn't a leader. I've said we just aren't in a position to know. So, in that sense, there is no double standard from my end.

But work ethic is apparent on the ice. A player works, or he doesn't. I don't know how hard Stewart worked in the off-season, and I don't pretend to. But I have seen some of his work ethic on the ice, and I'm not impressed.