Season is well underway and a fuller assessment of the Alvin/Rutherford moves, to date, are more in perspective. Going into the season, I gave them a B. That now appears to be wildly off the mark and those giving them a lower grade, and even an “F”, now appear a lot more perceptive. More time will be needed to evaluate fully their moves but based on what happened so far, would give the following analysis. Note this also include deals made during the season.
1. Signing Boeser – did mention this signing had every chance of being a mistake and, given Boeser’s play, that now appears the case. Might well be, league wise, the worse off season signing. Boeser’s play has not improved and, at his point, he is not NHL caliber. Ericksson, as dreadful as he was, might be his equal. Likely the team would have had a more effective player if they had resigned Chaisson and this could have been done fifth the price and with very little term. As it is, the team is stuck with a player they can’t unload unless they are willing to significantly add or a player that needs to bought out.
Grade F-
2. Miller signed – those advocating moving him for what they could get, now look correct. The points are there but anyone following the team knows his play has been far too erratic and the effort too sporadic. His gaffes have been critical in many of the losses. The fear, looking to the future, is that as he ages his play will continue to fall off and he will not come close to being worth his cap hit. Maybe the most troubling aspect of the contract is that it indicates the present regime is following the same forlorn strategy of the Benning years - trying to compete now with a team that can’t compete and screwing up any future.
Grade C-
3. Signing Kuzmenko – most notable move management is given credit for. To date, Kuzmenko has justified the effort to sign him. He’s shown he can score at this level and has fitted in well with the team. Might be some need to improve his play defensively but he has looked top 6 material offensively. One move, present management can point to with some pride. However, also has be recognized that we'll have an issue keeping him and that, in part, results from signing people like Boeser.
Grade A
4. Signing Mikheyev – whether this player is worth his price tag is debatable. We were warned that he had trouble putting away his chances and there has been evidence of this. Also, the hope that he would improve the PK has not been realized. But there have been enough periods of good play to give hope he can live up to his contract and he was important in getting Kuzmenko signed. Likely, team did overspend a bit here, but not so grievously as previous regime often did. (although they should be not be seen as legit means of comparison given how horrible they were)
Grade C
5. Signing Lazar – was brought in to play 4th line center but early on outplayed by Aman and shifted to the wing. Overall, has not lived up to promise. Might say he is an adequate 4th liner but, once again, has shown he cannot score and is mostly a low skill plumber at this level. Mostly flies under the radar. Doubt he has lived up to the promise, some have him. Not usuallynoticeably bad, but not noticeably good either
Grade C
6. Signing of Joshua – play has justified move. However, it is not like he couldn’t be replaced by dozens of other players. Brought in for toughness and has shown some of this. Also looks decent in play along the boards.
Should be noted here, that Joshua and Lazar were players brought in to improve the 4th line. Yet, at this point, the 4th line of last year was clearly better – especially in shutting down top lines and offensively. Plus players on that line were keys to a successful PK. If anything , Allvin’ s moves have led to a less effective 4th line
7. Signing Aman – Probably one of the better moves. But, in the end, not that significant. Aman is a good skater and stays in the play. However, it’s doubtful he is upgrade on Lammikko. One thing for sure is Aman is not an offensive threat. Even when he gets into a position where he should shoot, he defers and passes the puck away. Similar acquisition of Johansson also can be seen as positive given his play in Sweden.
8. Signing of Delia – I guess they’re lucky they have got someone given the situation with Demko but he has not shown well in Abbotsford . Likely could have done better had they waited for other teams to make their cuts and just kept DiPietro around till those cuts were made.
Grade D
8. AHL signings – Only the signing of Dries has had any effect on the parent club and that has been of negligible value. Good that they’re still trying to make Abby competitive and, with so few real prospects, can’t really say these vets are getting in the way of younger players. Bains has shown some and seems worth the flyer taken on him.
Grade C
9. Trade for Stillman – Allvin was, of course, left a number of bad situations, and getting rid of Dickinson was almost a must. But didn’t save much in getting back Stillman. In fact, buying out Dickinson would have saved more cap space and not saddled us with the useless Stillman and caused another decent draft choice to be lost. The idea that Allvin floated - that Stillman was a good 5th or 6th d-man - has proven to be a monumental miscalculation and, right now, you can only assume he meant for Abby. (and he might not even be that). Move indicates pro scouting remains abysmal.
Grade F-
Trade to Studnicka – career to date suggests he is dime a dozen, AHL-NHL tweener. Probably could have got better picking up someone off waivers and not given up anything. Also might have got damaged goods in this deal. Ultimately, appears that we gave up a promising prospect and for someone who has very suspect future. Trade has all the ear marks of one of those age gap fiascos Benning disastrously stumbled into and one we will likely rue in the future.
Grade D
Trade for Bear trade- Bear has the reputation of lacking physicality and awareness. So far, his play has ranged from okay to good. Could say the price was right. However, this might ignore the barrel the Hurricanes were over. Bear, in their system, was a non-playing salary cap problem. Canucks offered them a way out and very needed cap room. Allvin should have been able to have exacted more of a price. We should have added nothing.
Grade C+
Trade for Dermott – hard to assess other than to say he seems injury prone. One of the reasons Maple Leafs dumped him. Probably damaged good when they got him – especially concerning his shoulder. Team gave up a third rounder for a player that might have been headed for LTIR.
Grade C -
Others
Drafting Letermaki - at this point is not showing well. Drafts take much longer than this to assess but usually good players start showing quickly they are NHL material. Very rare for a player who will become a bona vide NHL player to take backward steps in their development. They may well plateau but not regress. Jury is totally out on this player but certainly cannot be pointed at by present management as an obvious success.
PR – Criticism of the coach went needlessly public. Also apparent cat fight has led to a law suit. this group needs to get a handle on this.
All in all, not a good record. Seems too much a continuation of the Benning approach. Beyond that, the poor evaluation of present players and those acquired through trade is reminiscence of the Benning era. In the end, Allvin has not improved the cap position (and in some ways made it worse) and has not addressed important problems like the defense.
1. Signing Boeser – did mention this signing had every chance of being a mistake and, given Boeser’s play, that now appears the case. Might well be, league wise, the worse off season signing. Boeser’s play has not improved and, at his point, he is not NHL caliber. Ericksson, as dreadful as he was, might be his equal. Likely the team would have had a more effective player if they had resigned Chaisson and this could have been done fifth the price and with very little term. As it is, the team is stuck with a player they can’t unload unless they are willing to significantly add or a player that needs to bought out.
Grade F-
2. Miller signed – those advocating moving him for what they could get, now look correct. The points are there but anyone following the team knows his play has been far too erratic and the effort too sporadic. His gaffes have been critical in many of the losses. The fear, looking to the future, is that as he ages his play will continue to fall off and he will not come close to being worth his cap hit. Maybe the most troubling aspect of the contract is that it indicates the present regime is following the same forlorn strategy of the Benning years - trying to compete now with a team that can’t compete and screwing up any future.
Grade C-
3. Signing Kuzmenko – most notable move management is given credit for. To date, Kuzmenko has justified the effort to sign him. He’s shown he can score at this level and has fitted in well with the team. Might be some need to improve his play defensively but he has looked top 6 material offensively. One move, present management can point to with some pride. However, also has be recognized that we'll have an issue keeping him and that, in part, results from signing people like Boeser.
Grade A
4. Signing Mikheyev – whether this player is worth his price tag is debatable. We were warned that he had trouble putting away his chances and there has been evidence of this. Also, the hope that he would improve the PK has not been realized. But there have been enough periods of good play to give hope he can live up to his contract and he was important in getting Kuzmenko signed. Likely, team did overspend a bit here, but not so grievously as previous regime often did. (although they should be not be seen as legit means of comparison given how horrible they were)
Grade C
5. Signing Lazar – was brought in to play 4th line center but early on outplayed by Aman and shifted to the wing. Overall, has not lived up to promise. Might say he is an adequate 4th liner but, once again, has shown he cannot score and is mostly a low skill plumber at this level. Mostly flies under the radar. Doubt he has lived up to the promise, some have him. Not usuallynoticeably bad, but not noticeably good either
Grade C
6. Signing of Joshua – play has justified move. However, it is not like he couldn’t be replaced by dozens of other players. Brought in for toughness and has shown some of this. Also looks decent in play along the boards.
Should be noted here, that Joshua and Lazar were players brought in to improve the 4th line. Yet, at this point, the 4th line of last year was clearly better – especially in shutting down top lines and offensively. Plus players on that line were keys to a successful PK. If anything , Allvin’ s moves have led to a less effective 4th line
7. Signing Aman – Probably one of the better moves. But, in the end, not that significant. Aman is a good skater and stays in the play. However, it’s doubtful he is upgrade on Lammikko. One thing for sure is Aman is not an offensive threat. Even when he gets into a position where he should shoot, he defers and passes the puck away. Similar acquisition of Johansson also can be seen as positive given his play in Sweden.
8. Signing of Delia – I guess they’re lucky they have got someone given the situation with Demko but he has not shown well in Abbotsford . Likely could have done better had they waited for other teams to make their cuts and just kept DiPietro around till those cuts were made.
Grade D
8. AHL signings – Only the signing of Dries has had any effect on the parent club and that has been of negligible value. Good that they’re still trying to make Abby competitive and, with so few real prospects, can’t really say these vets are getting in the way of younger players. Bains has shown some and seems worth the flyer taken on him.
Grade C
9. Trade for Stillman – Allvin was, of course, left a number of bad situations, and getting rid of Dickinson was almost a must. But didn’t save much in getting back Stillman. In fact, buying out Dickinson would have saved more cap space and not saddled us with the useless Stillman and caused another decent draft choice to be lost. The idea that Allvin floated - that Stillman was a good 5th or 6th d-man - has proven to be a monumental miscalculation and, right now, you can only assume he meant for Abby. (and he might not even be that). Move indicates pro scouting remains abysmal.
Grade F-
Trade to Studnicka – career to date suggests he is dime a dozen, AHL-NHL tweener. Probably could have got better picking up someone off waivers and not given up anything. Also might have got damaged goods in this deal. Ultimately, appears that we gave up a promising prospect and for someone who has very suspect future. Trade has all the ear marks of one of those age gap fiascos Benning disastrously stumbled into and one we will likely rue in the future.
Grade D
Trade for Bear trade- Bear has the reputation of lacking physicality and awareness. So far, his play has ranged from okay to good. Could say the price was right. However, this might ignore the barrel the Hurricanes were over. Bear, in their system, was a non-playing salary cap problem. Canucks offered them a way out and very needed cap room. Allvin should have been able to have exacted more of a price. We should have added nothing.
Grade C+
Trade for Dermott – hard to assess other than to say he seems injury prone. One of the reasons Maple Leafs dumped him. Probably damaged good when they got him – especially concerning his shoulder. Team gave up a third rounder for a player that might have been headed for LTIR.
Grade C -
Others
Drafting Letermaki - at this point is not showing well. Drafts take much longer than this to assess but usually good players start showing quickly they are NHL material. Very rare for a player who will become a bona vide NHL player to take backward steps in their development. They may well plateau but not regress. Jury is totally out on this player but certainly cannot be pointed at by present management as an obvious success.
PR – Criticism of the coach went needlessly public. Also apparent cat fight has led to a law suit. this group needs to get a handle on this.
All in all, not a good record. Seems too much a continuation of the Benning approach. Beyond that, the poor evaluation of present players and those acquired through trade is reminiscence of the Benning era. In the end, Allvin has not improved the cap position (and in some ways made it worse) and has not addressed important problems like the defense.
