Player Discussion Alexander Khokhlachev

[PlayMakers]

I don't disagree with you. But in his position, he is only going to get a chance if he is better than Bergeron, Krejci, and now Spooner.

Not impossible, but if being asked truthfully, his answer is he'd rather go to a team where he has a legitimate chance to make it. In this scenario, his only real chance is injuries to the right players. Which no one really wants. Yes, he's being impatient, but can't fault him for worrying about his future, too. He's not built for 4th line duty, and he doesn't play wing well. (same could have been said about Spooner). But now Spooner is in that role.

I don't know, according to Fluto they wanted him to win the 4th line C job last year but he wasn't good in camp. That job is wide open again. And things happen, changes. Everyone thought Spooner would never get a shot with Seguin here, then it was Soderberg. Now it's his spot. What if they create an opening on LW and move Spooner there? I get that Koko's worried about his career but popping off to the media and demanding out is immature and shortsighted. The league isn't going to let a "great" player languish in the minors. Market demand. Teams would want him and make offers for him, plus the rules and waivers force their hand. He's either in the NHL by the end of next season or every team in the league has a shot at him.



I do think you raise an interesting point though. Now that our prospect pool is getting fuller, there are probably going to be players that are developing well but have no future here. Take Seth Griffith. I think he's a legit NHL talent who's NHL ready, but there isn't a fan on this board that wants him to fill that one vacant spot on RW. Why? He's young, smart and talented. But he's not what they're looking for. They want to add some size and snarl back into the mix and Seth is average size and average speed. So a year from now, when Griffith is playing well, is everyone that couldn't give two ***** about adding him to the team going to freak out?

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Well, according to Fluto they wanted him to win the 4th line C job last year. That job is wide open again. And things happen, changes. Everyone thought Spooner would never get a shot with Seguin here, then it was Soderberg. Now it's his spot. What if they create an opening on LW and move Spooner there? I get that Koko's worried about his career but popping off to the media and demanding out only makes it harder to trade a player.

Did Kempainen win that job definitively? Khoko wasn't even an option by the time they decided Kempainen just wasn't good enough.

I agree, I think both sides didn't do a whole lot to help out the situation. Between Koko talking to the media and lackluster play during his 9 game stint; the Bruins opting to go with vets that didn't get the job done either, as someone else said, the damage is done, and it's not really going to get repaired here.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

Claude is a genius
Claude is awesome
Claude is great
Claude never makes mistakes
Its never Claude's fault
I named my first born after Claude
In Claude we trust
My hairline is just like Claude's
What would Claude do?
Claude loves younger players
Last thing Claude wants is old veteran 4th liner types taking ice time away from his kids
Claude let the dogs out
Claude is tolerant and patient
Claude thinks his system is out of date and loves when his kids freelance up and down the ice and express themselves
Claude loves Puppies, who doesn't!

All true.

Since it's a Koko thread and not a Claude is awesome thread, I'll add this to be on topic:

I like the Dom idea to submit RFA offers each year. Keep him as an asset, hope he ups his value in the KHL and then find a team willing to offer something for his rights. Hopefully, the Bruins get something for Koko when all is said and done. Wasted asset if not.

 

[LouJersey]

He does hate the kids you know. Look at how he held back Marchand, Krejci, Krug, Krejci, Lucic, McQuaid, Boychuk and now Pastrnak, Vatrano and Acciari. Nefarious.

And of course thinking he's a very good coach means you think he's perfect. That's obvious.

Only Krug has been in the past five years. Jury is out on the three others. Also IIRC wasn't #55 given the job only because #41 and #25 got sent down?

 

[LSCII]

Only Krug has been in the past five years. Jury is out on the three others. Also IIRC wasn't #55 given the job only because #41 and #25 got sent down?

And don't forget that before Claude let Krug play, he chose a washed up and out of the NHL Wade Redden for the playoffs. Krug only got in because they had so many injuries and he went on that ridiculous goal scoring run, basically taking the decision out of Claude's hands.

 

[ReggieMoto]

I don't disagree with you. But in his position, he is only going to get a chance if he is better than Bergeron, Krejci, and now Spooner.

I would add to that list Acciari, now. I think the best Koko could hope for is a trade.

 

[ReggieMoto]

Claude is a genius
Claude is awesome
Claude is great
Claude never makes mistakes
Its never Claude's fault
I named my first born after Claude
In Claude we trust
My hairline is just like Claude's
What would Claude do?
Claude loves younger players
Last thing Claude wants is old veteran 4th liner types taking ice time away from his kids
Claude let the dogs out
Claude is tolerant and patient
Claude thinks his system is out of date and loves when his kids freelance up and down the ice and express themselves
Claude loves Puppies, who doesn't!

Ooookay....

He's probably upset that 78% disagree with his position on the matter (re: the Claude poll). Whaddaya gonna do?

 

[since76]

He's probably upset that 78% disagree with his position on the matter (re: the Claude poll). Whaddaya gonna do?

He will just wait and see clode fail again and become the first bruins coach to miss playoffs 3 years in a row, and take a beer and have so much fun watching all clode lovers find millions of excuses for him ))))

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

He will just wait and see clode fail again and become the first bruins coach to miss playoffs 3 years in a row, and take a beer and have so much fun watching all clode lovers find millions of excuses for him ))))

And what's your excuse for continually posting incorrect information?

Milt Schmidt 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66.

 

[Dr Quincy]

I think the opinions on this matter bring up an interesting (at least to me) clash of beliefs.

I think there are people who feel like ultimately, the NHL coaches, GMs, scouts "get it right" and that everyone in the NHL is a better player than everyone not in the AHL (except of course for maybe some Euros who are good enough but choose to stay home). In this view, if a guy plays in 5 or 9 or 15 or 20 games and doesn't prove anything then he just isn't good enough, move aside there's someone else who will take your place and who is better. In the end it's simply a matter of being talented (or dedicated) enough to make it or not.

Then I think there are others who think there's a little gray there. That things like luck, timing, the organization you play for and the fit with them and other factors play into things. In this view there may be players in the AHL who could perform just as good as a number of NHL players but are "stuck" in the wrong system or who got there "chance" and didn't capitalize on it.

I lean towards the latter. I believe that the talent level between the bottom (let's say) 10-15% of the NHL and the top (let's say) 5-10% of the AHL is pretty much exactly equal. Given a decent chance I think there are guys "stuck" in the AHL who could be productive NHL players on the right team.

 

[LSCII]

I think the opinions on this matter bring up an interesting (at least to me) clash of beliefs.

I think there are people who feel like ultimately, the NHL coaches, GMs, scouts "get it right" and that everyone in the NHL is a better player than everyone not in the AHL (except of course for maybe some Euros who are good enough but choose to stay home). In this view, if a guy plays in 5 or 9 or 15 or 20 games and doesn't prove anything then he just isn't good enough, move aside there's someone else who will take your place and who is better. In the end it's simply a matter of being talented (or dedicated) enough to make it or not.

Then I think there are others who think there's a little gray there. That things like luck, timing, the organization you play for and the fit with them and other factors play into things. In this view there may be players in the AHL who could perform just as good as a number of NHL players but are "stuck" in the wrong system or who got there "chance" and didn't capitalize on it.

I lean towards the latter. I believe that the talent level between the bottom (let's say) 10-15% of the NHL and the top (let's say) 5-10% of the AHL is pretty much exactly equal. Given a decent chance I think there are guys "stuck" in the AHL who could be productive NHL players on the right team.

Agreed. A guy like Shawn Thornton didn't even get a sniff until he was 25ish and didn't play in the NHL on a regular basis until he was 29. Hell, the first time he played in more than 60 games in a single season wasn't until he was 31. Writing a young player off after a 9 game sample over the span of several years is flat out absurd, IMO...

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

I would add to that list Acciari, now. I think the best Koko could hope for is a trade.

Different role, but I agree.

I think he's all but publicly asked for one.

Trade me or I'm off to Russia. Basically.

 

[jgatie]

And what's your excuse for continually posting incorrect information?

Milt Schmidt 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66.

And they never fired him, he got promoted.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

And what's your excuse for continually posting incorrect information?

Milt Schmidt 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66.

Not to mention the last 56 games of the 1962-63 season, plus the 1959-60 and 1960-61 seasons.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

He does hate the kids you know. Look at how he held back Marchand, Krejci, Krug, Krejci, Lucic, McQuaid, Boychuk and now Pastrnak, Vatrano and Acciari. Nefarious.

And of course thinking he's a very good coach means you think he's perfect. That's obvious.

To be fair Arty, there are those people who can't handle one iota of criticism of the guy and hop on here to bleat pointless rhetoric in the opposite direction.

I love Julien. Genuinely. Best coach I've ever seen for any team I've cheered for in any sport.

But I have questioned many of his decisions and have serious reservations about the decision to keep him around to start next season.

 

[Serge]

Kinda sucks that hf boards sites with playoff teams have headings related to playoff strategies and match ups. While we talk about the misadventures of an AHL lifer.

 

[jgatie]

He will just wait and see clode fail again and become the first bruins coach to miss playoffs 3 years in a row, and take a beer and have so much fun watching all clode lovers find millions of excuses for him ))))

By the way, not to rub salt in a long festering "I post stuff that just isn't close to true" wound, Milt Schmidt coached the Bruins to 6 playoff misses in a row, not 3. That was in a 6 team league, where you had a 66% chance of making it. After that, they made him GM of the team.

Keep trying, though. Sightless squirrels and nuts, etc., etc.

 

[member 96824]

Brad Marchand is an example of Claude making a kid flourish. Noel Acciari is an example at all? but Khokhlachev is dead in the water after 9 career games and 91 total playing minutes? Marchand took 23 games to get his second point on the board, Acciari still has yet to do so in 19.

Noel Acciari also has two whole years of age on Kohkhlachev. This fan base has some serious issues with stockholm syndrome when it comes to young players.

Alex Khokhlachev got 51 minutes this year. 51. Many posters should seriously be getting into the scouting game if they can make a determination in 51 minutes of playing time spread over 5 games. B's could use you, as they've got a history of making poor decisions in the 20-23 age range.

For a little perspective, from 3/18 to 3/24, David Krejci played roughly 81 minutes..in those games he went scoreless and was a -6. How insane would you sound right now if you were pushing to trade Krejci because of that 4 game streak?

The last two seasons it was Spooner, this year it was Khokhlachev. I wonder who we get to have this same exact conversation about next year. Ironically, a lot of the same people fall into the same sides year in and year out. I may put my money on Czarnik, although he's a little older than the usual suspects.

Same arguments "Yeah, but ____ has looked completely out of place. AHL lifer" "Look at Brad Marchand and David Krejci's NHL starts"(We can probably add Spooner in here now too) "Yeah but those were different"

Max Talbot and Zac Rinaldo combined for 1 less game this year than Khokhlachev has total career NHL minutes. B's were sure better off for it.

 

[Pia8988]

Brad Marchand is an example of Claude making a kid flourish. Noel Acciari is an example at all? but Khokhlachev is dead in the water after 9 career games and 91 total playing minutes? Marchand took 23 games to get his second point on the board, Acciari still has yet to do so in 19.

Noel Acciari also has two whole years of age on Kohkhlachev. This fan base has some serious issues with stockholm syndrome when it comes to young players.

Alex Khokhlachev got 51 minutes this year. 51. Many posters should seriously be getting into the scouting game if they can make a determination in 51 minutes of playing time spread over 5 games. B's could use you, as they've got a history of making poor decisions in the 20-23 age range.

For a little perspective, from 3/18 to 3/24, David Krejci played roughly 81 minutes..in those games he went scoreless and was a -6. How insane would you sound right now if you were pushing to trade Krejci because of that 4 game streak?

The last two seasons it was Spooner, this year it was Khokhlachev. I wonder who we get to have this same exact conversation about next year. Ironically, a lot of the same people fall into the same sides year in and year out. I may put my money on Czarnik, although he's a little older than the usual suspects.

Same arguments "Yeah, but ____ has looked completely out of place. AHL lifer" "Look at Brad Marchand and David Krejci's NHL starts"(We can probably add Spooner in here now too) "Yeah but those were different"

Max Talbot and Zac Rinaldo combined for 1 less game this year than Khokhlachev has total career NHL minutes. B's were sure better off for it.

I'm not willing to write him off, but he's only 22 and wants to run off to the KHL because he hasn't been given an NHL job. He certainly hasn't earned it and has gotten leaped over by other prospects. That is on Khoko. There is a finite number of roster spots, When your'e fighting for a playoff spot and he shows actual nothing, there isn't a luxary of waiting for him to find it when there are other options.

 

[member 96824]

I'm not willing to write him off, but he's only 22 and wants to run off to the KHL because he hasn't been given an NHL job. He certainly hasn't earned it and has gotten leaped over by other prospects. That is on Khoko.

He's played 206 total games for Providence, leading them in scoring twice and coming up second this year to Griffith.

Come playoffs for Providence, he's provided 19 points in 20 total games.

All of this as a "top prospect". How hasn't a shot to prove himself more than 51 minutes and additionally, what COULD you prove in 51 minutes? Was keeping Talbot, Rinaldo, Kemp, Ferraro on the ice that important to the franchise?

 

[Pia8988]

He's played 206 total games for Providence, leading them in scoring twice and coming up second this year to Griffith.

Come playoffs for Providence, he's provided 19 points in 20 total games.

All of this as a "top prospect". How hasn't a shot to prove himself more than 51 minutes and additionally, what COULD you prove in 51 minutes? Was keeping Talbot, Rinaldo, Kemp, Ferraro on the ice that important to the franchise?

And by all accounts plays nothing like how he does in Providence. I'm not asking him to come out and score at a high rate. I'm asking for him to do anything on the ice. If he had, he'd would have stayed up. He's earned his shots, has come up and done nothing outside of 1 shoot out goal.

 

[finchster]

I do think you raise an interesting point though. Now that our prospect pool is getting fuller, there are probably going to be players that are developing well but have no future here. Take Seth Griffith. I think he's a legit NHL talent who's NHL ready, but there isn't a fan on this board that wants him to fill that one vacant spot on RW. Why? He's young, smart and talented. But he's not what they're looking for. They want to add some size and snarl back into the mix and Seth is average size and average speed. So a year from now, when Griffith is playing well, is everyone that couldn't give two ***** about adding him to the team going to freak out?

We should dump Hayes and put Griffith in that spot. Seth at worst will give you what Hayes did, but at best can be a top six guy

 

[PB37]

I don't think he demanded anything. Just a shot. Put yourself in his shoes, he scores and plays everywhere at Providence. What does that translate to, 9 games in two years. If this is how the Bruins give their prospects a shot, then this team is in trouble.
I'm not saying his play was great, because it wasn't, but you need to look at the kid more than that. I know he would be better than some of the drones that were continuously put out there. He probably will fizzle, but the Bruins didn't find that out first hand.

It may be what's off the ice that keeps Koko from playing more games. Maybe his game preparation isn't where it should be as a pro. He's had small sample sizes, but he doesn't seem to want to be in the NHL when he's out there.

 

[Blowfish]

It may be what's off the ice that keeps Koko from playing more games. Maybe his game preparation isn't where it should be as a pro. He's had small sample sizes, but he doesn't seem to want to be in the NHL when he's out there.

This could be the only explanation.

 

[The Special K]

And by all accounts plays nothing like how he does in Providence. I'm not asking him to come out and score at a high rate. I'm asking for him to do anything on the ice. If he had, he'd would have stayed up. He's earned his shots, has come up and done nothing outside of 1 shoot out goal.

Well that could be attributed to his first taste of CJ's wrath...when he made a mistake and wound up with a whopping sub 3 minute ice time total. I would be super cautious too if making a mistake meant that I spent just under 60 mind on the bench.