Cam just doesnt have the size to be consistent in the NHL. When he's in open space he can be dangerous, but in traffic or around the net he's not very effective. Its nice to try and dream about finding the next St Louis, but theyre few and far between. You can only have 1 smurf in your lineup, and right now the more valuable smurf to us is Calvert. Gibbons should not see NHL ice, i dont care what speed he has, he has no hands at all.
Cam Atkinson
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Not true that you can have only one smurf in the lineup. Last year Calvert and Atkinson were dynamite playing together. They were like little bees swarming over the opponents, poke checking away pucks. Converting them into 20+ goals by Cam. But not this year. No question about it. I am not sure why but Cam is definitely not as aggressive as he was last year. Maybe that slash near his eye has made him hesitate. I don't know. But his drop in performance is one item, beyond the injuries, that has hurt the team this year. I would not be surprised to see him get moved.
WannabeFinn
Beloved One
Tampa Bay has 6 players on their roster under 6 feet tall, 5 of those being forwards. Some of those forward? Callahan, Drouin, Tyler Johnson, Kucherov.
Johnson is above a PPG, Kucherov is slightly below PPG, Callahan has something like 35 pts in 43 games and Drouin is about 0.5 PPG as a rookie.
Don't let the NHL's size fetish blind you of real talent.
If you need more proof look at Calgary with Gaudreau/Hudler/Granlund, NYR with Hags/Marty/Zuccs, Detroit with Datsyuk/Nyquist/Tatar
a decent amount of talented players with long careers will be a couple inches below 6 feet tall
Let's not forget that Cam was our whipping boy for much of the last half last year. Look at his game-by-game numbers each year and you'll see a pattern emerge. He starts off red-hot, usually near a 30 goal pace, and then fades entirely down the stretch. By the eye-test it appears that he loses explosiveness that he starts the year with and slows down: The Cam that starts the year as one of the fastest players in the league becomes slower than Calvert and often Dubinsky by mid-season.
I was thinking going into the year that Cam would have it figured out by now and be more mature physically and better able to maintain strength, but instead he's lost his speed and his scoring touch. Cam has little trade value so I'm not in favor of dealing him so much as getting a RW who has more consistency (Anderson and Rychel might be enough, but we need an established consistent scorer). Then let the competition begin. If Cam isn't better than those players, scratch him. He'll be plenty cheap.
I was thinking going into the year that Cam would have it figured out by now and be more mature physically and better able to maintain strength, but instead he's lost his speed and his scoring touch. Cam has little trade value so I'm not in favor of dealing him so much as getting a RW who has more consistency (Anderson and Rychel might be enough, but we need an established consistent scorer). Then let the competition begin. If Cam isn't better than those players, scratch him. He'll be plenty cheap.
CBJWerenski8
Formerly CBJWennberg10 (RIP Kivi)
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Cyclones Rock
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Given the lack of scorers on the roster, as frustrating as it's been to watch him over the past few months (no goals in last 17 games, 1 goal and 4 assists in past 25 games.....and this is with PP time), I think that it would be prudent to sign him to a 2 year bridge. He can probably be had for about $2 million per year.
There's a fairly reasonable chance that he has 25 goal potential. Great speed, good shot......too early to throw in the towel on him given his age and cost, imo.
I think Cam Atkinson is worth a $4 million investment by the team. They've invested $3.4 million over the next 2 years in a guy who may never score another goal in the NHL.........
There's a fairly reasonable chance that he has 25 goal potential. Great speed, good shot......too early to throw in the towel on him given his age and cost, imo.
I think Cam Atkinson is worth a $4 million investment by the team. They've invested $3.4 million over the next 2 years in a guy who may never score another goal in the NHL.........
JKinCLE
killing time @ work
IMO the only value Cam has is sentimental value. A top 6 forward should be scoring above a .36 ppg pace.
I think the Jackets should look to move on from Cam, or maybe just qualify him for next year.
I think the Jackets should look to move on from Cam, or maybe just qualify him for next year.
Ok, poorly thought out , if your smurfs are average skill, you can only have 1 of them. They need elite level skill to make up for their lack of size. All the guys mentioned from Tampa have more skill then Cam
EspenK
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- Sep 25, 2011
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I think it is our system that ails Atkinson. I think he would flourish on a team that skated and passed the puck into the zone and attacked the net from in front rather than from behind. As a matter of fact i think our system stifles a lot of guys' offensive talent.
I'll also repeat what I said in my earlier post that I think to some extent his issues this year are playing against the oppositions better lines. Last year the Calvert-Dubinski-Cam line was our third line. This year he has been more of a second line guy not to mention Dubinsky is not as effective due to his injury related late start.
If we trade him okay, if we keep him okay. If we keep him I want him on Dubi's line with one of many options on the left side.
I'll also repeat what I said in my earlier post that I think to some extent his issues this year are playing against the oppositions better lines. Last year the Calvert-Dubinski-Cam line was our third line. This year he has been more of a second line guy not to mention Dubinsky is not as effective due to his injury related late start.
If we trade him okay, if we keep him okay. If we keep him I want him on Dubi's line with one of many options on the left side.
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Neither player is producing much at the moment, but I'd sooner bet on Atkinson breaking out down the road than Spooner. We probably would trade Atkinson for futures, but it has to be better than Spooner.
Jackets Fan
Registered User
Woah, I knew about the long goalless drought, but 5 points in last 25 games? I'm speechless
Obviously he's very streaky, but I never imagined he would go through a slump this long.
I'd like to see Cam and Morin swap spots. Maybe if Cam plays with Joey it will get him going? It can't hurt. The Foligno - Johansen - Atkinson line was really good early in the season.
Also, Cam has a way better track record, so to speak, than Morin. Yes, Morin has looked good out there, but he just can't score. At least Cam has proven in the past that he can.
EspenK
Registered User
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Woah, I knew about the long goalless drought, but 5 points in last 25 games? I'm speechless
Obviously he's very streaky, but I never imagined he would go through a slump this long.
I'd like to see Cam and Morin swap spots. Maybe if Cam plays with Joey it will get him going? It can't hurt. The Foligno - Johansen - Atkinson line was really good early in the season.
Also, Cam has a way better track record, so to speak, than Morin. Yes, Morin has looked good out there, but he just can't score. At least Cam has proven in the past that he can.
He can't get assists if the other guys can't put it in the net. Other than the Joey line our forwards are having a big time problem scoring goals.
Cam has been battling groin issues this season. When he is healthy, he is one of our best players. I agree though, he could be trade bait.
Where did you read Cam has been battling groin issues? It would not be surprising if he was because, after all, he is a Blue Jacket and "groin bacteria" are apparently endemic in the CBJ locker room. But where did you read that?
Cowumbus
Registered User
Put Cam with joey and foligno use joeys passing to help get Atkinson in space
ex.
no doubt in my mind if we trade cam he puts up good numbers on another team. I would like to see him get a chance with our best players though.
ex.
no doubt in my mind if we trade cam he puts up good numbers on another team. I would like to see him get a chance with our best players though.
It's not like Cam hasn't had shifts with Joey, though I'm not opposed to give him more opportunity there. To date he hasn't shown much regardless of who he's been skating with.
Take note of the date of the video posted above. It's the very start of the lockout year, and fulfills the pattern: Cam comes out of offseason training like he's shot out of a rocket, and then slows down over the year.
Take note of the date of the video posted above. It's the very start of the lockout year, and fulfills the pattern: Cam comes out of offseason training like he's shot out of a rocket, and then slows down over the year.
WannabeFinn
Beloved One
This is a highlight from.. the 2nd? 3rd? game of the season in the lockout year. We all know Cam is good to start the season, but it's after the first 15-20 games that we are concerned about.
Cowumbus
Registered User
was just saying joey and cam should get a chance the video shows what they could do
JKG08
Registered User
Cam was averaging a point per game when he was with Joey and Foligno at the start of the season. As soon as he was taken off that line, his production dropped. That's not a product of him slowing down 10+ games into the season, it's a product of him being a better fit chemistry wise with Joey and Nick. I have no doubt that if he was put back on that line, his production would go up again.
The "Cam Pattern" goes back a few years, it didn't start this year.
If you are slower and you aren't scoring at all with Dubinsky, who's a good playmaker, then you're not going to be a point per game guy with Joey and Foligno. People are talking like Cam is playing with scrubs. Dubinsky actually had more assists last year than Joey did.
Also am I the only one here who has seen Cam skate with Joey recently? I don't think they've started any games together, but it's been more than a couple shifts recently. And Cam has not produced.
Cyclones Rock
Registered User
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I was interested in checking this out and this is what I found:
2014-15..............first 16 games ( 7g 3a)
2013-14..............first 15 games (2g 2a)
2012-13...............first 18 games (3g 3a)
2011-12................first 15 games (2g 1a).
http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8474715&view=log&season=20132014
Other than this season, Atkinson hasn't been a quick starter.
Then I guess I have to take it back about him being a quick starter. But am I the only one who sees him get slower during the year?
Cyclones Rock
Registered User
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It wasn't my purpose to be disagreeable
It's entirely possible that he wears down physically over the course of the season at his size.
In any case, I'm with you on keeping him and just letting competition within the team determine his role. At $2 million per year for a couple of more years, if he ends up being a healthy scratch at times, then so be it.
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