Calvin De Haan

[ThreeLeftSkates]

What is the fascination with this guy that so many people want him brought up? He has done nothing noteworthy in Bridgeport, and he gets hurt tying his shoelaces. Is it that he is a first round pick(mistake)?
Someone please enlighten me.

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[blinkman360]

What is the fascination with this guy that so many people want him brought up? He has done nothing noteworthy in Bridgeport, and he gets hurt tying his shoelaces. Is it that he is a first round pick(mistake)?
Someone please enlighten me.

It's probably the fact that he is a reliable defenseman in his own zone, who is smart/efficient with the puck. The injuries are really the only negative with de Haan. His play on the ice has been 1st round pick caliber. With the way our defense looks, IMO calling him up would be a no-brainer. I'm assuming they haven't because they want him to prove that he can stay healthy for a longer period of time.

 

[Chardo]

Folks are clamoring for change. Any change.

 

[SI90]

top 15 pick in the Tavares draft...
Garth traded up a few times o grab him.


People expected a lot from him because he was scouted as a postionally sound offensive defenseman with a very high hockey IQ....

I think its a combo of where he was drafted and how much Garth moved up to grab"His guy" that made a fascination with CDH...


Injuries have hurt his development no doubt though...

 

[steveat]

You haven't been around here much, huh?

We spent a lot to get him...we wanna get our monies worth. He is a good player, but he has a bum shoulder. It happened early on in his prospect campaign and he's just coming out of it now.

 

[HyeDray]

CDH has played very well at every level.

He was paired with Hamonic on the Canadian WJC squad... He played with JT in juniors as well. He has the skills and ability to be a top 4 defender in the NHL.

The issue is that he has had injuries.

I think the hope was that he would be here this season, if he hadn't missed last year.

The renewed hope is that he can make it through the season, and shake off the rust which I think is still there. Right now the points are not there, and I think it will take the season to get his squared away.

Can he remain healthy and get himself back into the NHL mix? Only time will tell.

 

[enigmatic]

i dont see the need to call him up, we have carkner and donovan giving effective minutes when used properly. the problem is capuano.

nice username.....

 

[beach]

i dont see the need to call him up, we have carkner and donovan giving effective minutes when used properly. the problem is capuano.

While I agree that Cappy needs to be replaced, Carkner and Donovan have not been in the least effective. I hold my my breath when they are out there (add AMac to this list as well).

 

[beach]

amac was the isles best dman for many years, but has recently started slumping. that's on the coaching to keep a player playing at the optimal level they've played at for years.

I would say that some of it is on the coach and most of it is on the player. If the player is not motivated or continually plays badly (in a contract year, no less) I'd expect a trade in March.

 

[Hip Of Rick*]

amac was the isles best dman for many years, but has recently started slumping. that's on the coaching to keep a player playing at the optimal level they've played at for years.

Amac has been a number 4/5 dman for many years. He was never this teams best dman. People have higher expectations of him this year because we have no depth and he plays 25-28min a night, he is still the same number 4/5 dman

 

[MattMartin]

Amac has been a number 4/5 dman for many years. He was never this teams best dman. People have higher expectations of him this year because we have no depth and he plays 25-28min a night, he is still the same number 4/5 dman

If we had a better GM, Amac is a HOF'er. It's all Snow's fault he is not the next Potvin!!!!!!

 

[Hip Of Rick*]

If we had a better GM, Amac is a HOF'er. It's all Snow's fault he is not the next Potvin!!!!!!

Amac is a 4/5, always was and continues to play like one. I had to repeat because obviously you did not read the first post.

 

[bluechipbonzo]

Isles sign Subban and he forms a deadly duo on the point with de Haan...Donovan and Hamonic anchor the second unit.

 

[BigWorm]

Amac has been a number 4/5 dman for many years. He was never this teams best dman. People have higher expectations of him this year because we have no depth and he plays 25-28min a night, he is still the same number 4/5 dman

So many people here think otherwise and you will never be able too get through. Amac hasn't changed one bit over the years, he is just getting exposed more because of the minutes. He was the same crappy defenseman when he played the more sheltered minutes. Now even the Amac supporters are turning on him and I don't understand why. He is the same player, nothing has changed about his overall game.

Some say he is a 4/5 pairing. I would rather see him as 6/7 pressbox candidate, or even better, off this team. His game is flawed in every aspect.

But he does stay healthy for the most part, so he got that going for him.

 

[duster19]

no way subban signs here while capuano is coach. subban isn't getting the right ice match ups in montreal, it'll be much worse if he signs here.

He's an rfa still, I believe.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

You haven't been around here much, huh?

I am not new, but cannot understand why there is so much clamoring for another undersized non-physical defenseman. After the second shoulder injury, I gave up on him revolutionizing the position.

 

[blinkman360]

I am not new, but cannot understand why there is so much clamoring for another undersized non-physical defenseman. After the second shoulder injury, I gave up on him revolutionizing the position.

Well, he's 6'1 which is about the average height of a defenseman. Maybe an inch shy of average, not sure. Either way, physicality is of no importance to me. Being able to play reliable defense is all that should matter, and that's something de Haan does well. Not to mention his ability on the breakout, which is another huge problem for this team. Once the puck enters our zone it stays there, and when we're lucky enough to get the puck it's quickly flubbed to the blue-line and sent right back in deep. de Haan has enough skill and poise to help in that area.

I understand wanting him to shake off whatever rust remains in Bridgeport, but I don't know how anyone could be against seeing him here with the current personnel we're icing. Especially with the reasoning being "he's small".

 

[fnfelon]

My Nephew has season tickets for the Hershey Bears and as he knows I'm an Isles fan he gives me his take on how Bridgeport plays when they play. He told me that de Haan did nothing special, but played what seemed to him every other shift. My Nephew thought de Haan was very steady and, in that game, played alot of minutes,and made few mistakes. This kid has had some bad breaks, hopefully that is in the past.

 

[blinkman360]

My Nephew has season tickets for the Hershey Bears and as he knows I'm an Isles fan he gives me his take on how Bridgeport plays when they play. He told me that de Haan did nothing special, but played what seemed to him every other shift. My Nephew thought de Haan was very steady and, in that game, played alot of minutes,and made few mistakes. This kid has had some bad breaks, hopefully that is in the past.

I honestly feel bad for him. The fact that he's been hurt so much has translated to him not being a talented prospect in some eyes, which is completely false. If he can stay on the ice and get past his shoulder issues, I don't see why he couldn't become a key part of our future blue-line(maybe even our present blue-line).

 

[Quicklime]

I am not new, but cannot understand why there is so much clamoring for another undersized non-physical defenseman. After the second shoulder injury, I gave up on him revolutionizing the position.

The deHaan pick underlines how I feel there may be a need for attention to the NYI conditioning & physical therapy department. I'll never knock his evasion of pressure and skating, but dude's got shoulders made by Jenga.

I've pretty much given up on him too....I think the obsessions is from Kulikov and Rundblad being on the board at the time he was picked when Snow obviously seems to only venture outside of keeping with New Englanders & North Americans on what look to be higher-reward-than-risk picks (Petrov & Kabanov), intangibles (Grabner) or vets (Nabokov & Visnovsky.)

I was expecting the "velvet glove in the iron fist" and seeing Kassian picked after Tavares, TBH.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

Well, he's 6'1 which is about the average height of a defenseman. Maybe an inch shy of average, not sure. Either way, physicality is of no importance to me. Being able to play reliable defense is all that should matter, and that's something de Haan does well. Not to mention his ability on the breakout, which is another huge problem for this team. Once the puck enters our zone it stays there, and when we're lucky enough to get the puck it's quickly flubbed to the blue-line and sent right back in deep. de Haan has enough skill and poise to help in that area.

I understand wanting him to shake off whatever rust remains in Bridgeport, but I don't know how anyone could be against seeing him here with the current personnel we're icing. Especially with the reasoning being "he's small".

Watch a Flyer Islander game, then tell me physicality does not matter. Garth LOVES small puck moving defenseman. I would be more excited about him if he was not one hit away from retirement at age 22.

 

[blinkman360]

Watch a Flyer Islander game, then tell me physicality does not matter. Garth LOVES small puck moving defenseman. I would be more excited about him if he was not one hit away from retirement at age 22.

So if we had a defenseman in Bridgeport who is a clear upgrade over what is currently in our lineup, however that defenseman is also not physical at all, you would pass on him?

At this point I don't think we have the depth to be picky when it comes to our blue-line, and I really don't see why the 3rd worst team in our conference should be influencing our personnel decisions.

 

[Quicklime]

Watch a Flyer Islander game, then tell me physicality does not matter. Garth LOVES small puck moving defenseman. I would be more excited about him if he was not one hit away from retirement at age 22.

I don't think he's obsessed with them as much as he discovered the curve too late. He went "mid-size SUV" and needed something with a hemi (I have lived in Texas way too long....) and tried to maximize utility by going with guys that should have been able to move the puck (and have....I'm looking at you, Andy...) and they either go through slumps or get their heads removed.

The problem with this is the timing's off. The team likely won't be reay to punch it's way into the next weight class until a few of Reinhart, Mayfield, Pedan, Pelech, Pokka, etc. hit their stride and they won't be Norris Trophy winners or anything immediately.

There's little that could be done on D right now short of killing and already half-dead-looking Bridgeport and hoping that someone can pull a Hamonic squared. Defensive depth is going to be a problem until defense is a strength in Bridgeport, even.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

So if we had a defenseman in Bridgeport who is a clear upgrade over what is currently in our lineup, however that defenseman is also not physical at all, you would pass on him?

At this point I don't think we have the depth to be picky when it comes to our blue-line, and I really don't see why the 3rd worst team in our conference should be influencing our personnel decisions.

They can bring him up as far as I am concerned, although a clear upgrade seems like wishful thinking(Donovan was the best of the prospects on the Bridge last year). I hope I get surprised in a good way. Ness has been better than advertised.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

So if we had a defenseman in Bridgeport who is a clear upgrade over what is currently in our lineup, however that defenseman is also not physical at all, you would pass on him?

How can you be so sure of that, though? You don't even seem to be speculating, but stating it as fact. The problem is a lot of defensemen look good at the AHL level, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're upgrades over anyone currently playing at the NHL level.

Shouldn't Matt Donovan be a perfect example of this? Last season, he could basically replace de Haan in your post. I read quite a few posts about how the Isles should bring up Donovan because he was a clear upgrade over some of the guys on the Isles' roster. Yet now that he's in the NHL, all I read about in your GDTs is how much of a liability he is in his own zone.

Note, my post isn't to take a shot at Donovan or anything. Or to even say that it's impossible that de Haan wouldn't be an upgrade. Rather, it just seems too often when a team struggles, fans start to automatically assume that the player playing in the farm/junior is no doubt about it better than what's currently playing. And 9 times out of 10, that's simply not the case.