Confirmed with Link: CBJ re-sign Roslovic, 2 years 4 million per season

[Cowumbus]

Maybe I'm over simplifying but being hard to play against and being soft arent' necessarily the same thing. If you (not you, but a general term) go back and watch his last 3 months you'll see he became more responsible and was harder to play against. He backchecked and made plays in the areas he typically wasn't. Still needs work but he did that through effort, not knocking someone's teeth in. I'd love more snarl but a player can be just as effective with effort. The defensive effort was severely lacking with Roslovic and that changed in the 2nd half. It's a show me contract to see if improvements continue and if he can keep playing in all situations.

I still just don’t see the defense getting better, and the play he got beat on last night was a perfect example.

The only thing I notice with 96, is that he plays some PK now, but playing PK is note equivalent to being good defensively.

Sometimes people say that when player X is on the ice defending and empty net, it shows the coach has trust in player X’s defensive game. So for the people who believe that (I do not) at this point in the season why does Kent Johnson have more TOI against the empty net then “Jack 2-way” Roslovic?

 

[Doggy]

To expand on @Cowumbus comments...

A couple years ago in Dylan's Pipeline Podcast interview with Carson Meyer, Dylan asked Meyer what Chris Clark was telling him. Meyer said he was an offensive minded guy and that Clark told him that he would not score in the NHL the way he scored in college or even the AHL and it was going to be what he did away from the puck that determined his future. That he needed to learn to make a positive impact on the game when not scoring.

It seems like Jack has never grasped this concept.

Jack has negative value defensively...honestly I think he's a menace to the CBJ much of the time in the defensive zone and a disaster as far as puck possession/giveaways. IMO there is a reason coaches don't give him more playing time/responsibility. He cannot be trusted.

For those who claim he's still young and growing...he's 26 and this is his sixth year in the league and I am not sure he looks any more a complete hockey player now than when he arrived two years ago.

As far as him being like Domi...bingo. Two skilled guys who (from what I understand) basically forced trades from their previous teams because they wanted to be centers and their previous teams recognized their limitations and saw them as wingers. Maybe Rosy could play wing for us but that's not what he wants to be (he doesn't really have the traits I'd want in a winger either). The difference between Rosy and Max is that it feels like Max plays at 200 MPH all the time...tenacious (even if he is mistake-prone) and intense. Rosy to me never shows any intensity...no sense of urgency. We fans complain about this team being soft, easy to play against, lacking intensity, mistake prone. Rosy is a poster child for that kind of play.

Jarmo gave him two years but I don't see it ending well. If we could move him at the TDL I would have no issues with it.

 

[Viqsi]

I reflexively want to argue against the Domi comparison, but honestly, it's pretty apropos. I feel like guys who have local connections get Extra Bonus Resentment around here (out of some perception that those local connections mean they get away with more than they ought) and so the hatred towards Roz defensively has always struck me as far out of proportion to what he actually does on ice. But Domi as a comparable is a fair one. He's not terrible, but at this point it's fairly established that he can't or won't keep up with Doing The Right Thing consistently enough to be worthwhile at the center position.

Which sucks, 'cause I was really hoping that would work out.

 

[Doggy]

I reflexively want to argue against the Domi comparison, but honestly, it's pretty apropos. I feel like guys who have local connections get Extra Bonus Resentment around here (out of some perception that those local connections mean they get away with more than they ought) and so the hatred towards Roz defensively has always struck me as far out of proportion to what he actually does on ice. But Domi as a comparable is a fair one. He's not terrible, but at this point it's fairly established that he can't or won't keep up with Doing The Right Thing consistently enough to be worthwhile at the center position.

Which sucks, 'cause I was really hoping that would work out.

Wait, are you suggesting local guys get judged more harshly? I would expect it to be the opposite. Personally I really want it to work out (I want it to work out with all the players but know it's not realistic). But at some point you have to take the Rosy Colored Glasses off (see what I did there) and recognize the trajectory is going in the wrong direction. He could still change it but I ain't holding my breath.

 

[Cowumbus]

I reflexively want to argue against the Domi comparison, but honestly, it's pretty apropos. I feel like guys who have local connections get Extra Bonus Resentment around here (out of some perception that those local connections mean they get away with more than they ought) and so the hatred towards Roz defensively has always struck me as far out of proportion to what he actually does on ice. But Domi as a comparable is a fair one. He's not terrible, but at this point it's fairly established that he can't or won't keep up with Doing The Right Thing consistently enough to be worthwhile at the center position.

Which sucks, 'cause I was really hoping that would work out.

I think Roslovic can still work out here, just as a winger.

 

[Columbus Jack]

Jack isn't a center and if they dont change this experiment he's going to be another extremely overpaid Jarmo contract.

 

[Columbus Jack]

Wait, are you suggesting local guys get judged more harshly? I would expect it to be the opposite. Personally I really want it to work out (I want it to work out with all the players but know it's not realistic). But at some point you have to take the Rosy Colored Glasses off (see what I did there) and recognize the trajectory is going in the wrong direction. He could still change it but I ain't holding my breath.

Let's not forget he didn't work out in WPG either. It's not like he's consistent, this is the third year of this shit. At some point you can't just play well at the end of the season and say "look at my stats". The turnovers are horrendous and the defense isnt much better.

 

[Doggy]

I think Roslovic can still work out here, just as a winger.

Jack isn't a center and if they dont change this experiment he's going to be another extremely overpaid Jarmo contract.

Again, I distinctly remember the stories were Jack wanted out of Winterpeg because he wanted more PT and especially wanted to play center. I don't know if he has changed his stance on this but seeing how the CBJ continue to play him at center me thinks he might be reluctant to make the change.

Sadly there have been athletes who refuse to recognize their own limitations and are willing to sink their career on principle of playing the game the way they want. Maybe if Tim Tebow had been willing to try playing TE when he was 24 rather than insisting he was a QB and waiting until he was 30 to try and make the switch he might have had an NFL career. I hope Rosy is not the same but not getting the vibe he is open to playing wing...and he's not a good center.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Jack isn't a center and if they dont change this experiment he's going to be another extremely overpaid Jarmo contract.

He has 6 points in 14 games making 4m AAV. He’s worth his contract right now, and he’s not even playing well.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Wait, are you suggesting local guys get judged more harshly? I would expect it to be the opposite. Personally I really want it to work out (I want it to work out with all the players but know it's not realistic). But at some point you have to take the Rosy Colored Glasses off (see what I did there) and recognize the trajectory is going in the wrong direction. He could still change it but I ain't holding my breath.

Indeed local guys get judged harshly by some because of the perception that others give local guys the benefit of the doubt. Truth is probably neither is the case but it happens.

I admit I might want local guys to work out more but I don’t feel like that impacts my opinions of their play.

 

[majormajor]

He has 6 points in 14 games making 4m AAV. He’s worth his contract right now, and he’s not even playing well.

6 pts is about what you'd expect for a 2C that is off to a poor start.

That kind of scoring pace with a poor defensive game is not something you want in your lineup.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

6 pts is about what you'd expect for a 2C that is off to a poor start.

That kind of scoring pace with a poor defensive game is not something you want in your lineup.

The thing is, I don’t think his defensive game is awful. His puck decisions are what cost him. He blows some coverages and he’s not a good defender, but I think he’s passable if he took care of the puck more.

 

[Cowumbus]

The thing is, I don’t think his defensive game is awful. His puck decisions are what cost him. He blows some coverages and he’s not a good defender, but I think he’s passable if he took care of the puck more.

This was last year when people thought he looked good



Bad defensive metrics even with sheltered minutes.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

This was last year when people thought he looked good



Bad defensive metrics even with sheltered minutes.

I stand by what I said.

 

[Cowumbus]

I stand by what I said.

Well I’m a bit confused by what you said.

The thing is, I don’t think his defensive game is awful.

So on a scale of 1 to 10 is it fair to say you would rate his defensive game as not ‘awful’ (1 or 2) but maybe ‘poor’ (4 to 6)?

His puck decisions are what cost him.

Yeah his decisions are bad.

He blows some coverages and he’s not a good defender,

Doesn’t this kind of contradict your first sentence?

but I think he’s passable if he took care of the puck more.

He would look better if he was responsible with the puck, absolutely.

 

[Viqsi]

This was last year when people thought he looked good



Bad defensive metrics even with sheltered minutes.

Such stats by their nature have to be strictly event-based, so high-profile easily measured lapses like he gets get a tad excessively punished by those ratings. It's not good, but I don't think it's the horrible disaster those metrics suggest. Just... not measuring up to the degree necessary.

 

[Cowumbus]

Such stats by their nature have to be strictly event-based, so high-profile easily measured lapses like he gets get a tad excessively punished by those ratings. It's not good, but I don't think it's the horrible disaster those metrics suggest. Just... not measuring up to the degree necessary.

I guess my point is that the eye test says that he’s not very good at it, then the advanced stats say he’s really not so good at it so maybe he just ain’t so sold at it haha

 

[I3LI3]

The thing is, I don’t think his defensive game is awful. His puck decisions are what cost him. He blows some coverages and he’s not a good defender, but I think he’s passable if he took care of the puck more.

I respectfully disagree, roslovic is horrid when it comes to defense. “blows ‘some’ coverages” …. some? that’s being generous

 

[Columbus Jack]

He has 6 points in 14 games making 4m AAV. He’s worth his contract right now, and he’s not even playing well.

Not really sure where to start with this...

How bad does his game have to be for people to realize he's not really helping?

Who cares how many points he has if he's a turnover machine and isn't helping the team win? Not to mention 6 points isn't exactly high considering the ice time and players he's playing with.

He's easily a net loss on positives vs negatives at this point. That doesn't make him "worth his contract"

 

[cbjthrowaway]

For those who claim he's still young and growing...he's 26 and this is his sixth year in the league and I am not sure he looks any more a complete hockey player now than when he arrived two years ago.

Jack is what he is at this point: a middle six scoring winger. He's talented, but he's not good. His top-line tools (skating, shot, hands) will keep him in the NHL and allow him to put up points, but he's not actually good at the hockey part of hockey.

Remember when Portzline made such a big deal out of the turnover in CGY last year being Roslovic's turning point? Well, he's made 3-4 that were even worse than that already this year. Almost made another one on Saturday (was lucky to draw a penalty) when he got the puck in traffic in front of Korpi and just kinda stood there waiting for a wing to exit the zone.

As far as him being like Domi...bingo.

Domi's a good comp, but at least Domi can play a physical game sometimes. I've seen Jack finish two checks this season, which is two more than he finished last year. Domi's also a pretty good passer.

To me he's more of a Duclair type, or a better Sonny Milano. Skilled, good skating, good shot, but really poor hockey IQ and compete level. Duclair landed in a perfect situation to minimize those flaws and play a flashy skill game, but even then he was healthy scratched a few times in the playoffs last year.

Funny, though, how the general sentiment of these boards seems to be that Boqvist is a lost cause and Roslovic has a higher ceiling. As you said, Jack is 26. Boqvist is 22 and defensemen take way longer to develop.

I respectfully disagree, roslovic is horrid when it comes to defense. “blows ‘some’ coverages” …. some? that’s being generous

It goes beyond all of the blown coverages. Tons of lazy/selfish plays all over the ice, flashy no-look/drop passes to no one, doesn't see the ice well at all, etc.

Part of the problem is that he fancies himself a playmaker when he's really not a good passer and has sub-NHL vision. As a sniper on the wing, he'd be a much better player, but the IQ and compete would still be issues.

Jack isn't a center and if they dont change this experiment he's going to be another extremely overpaid Jarmo contract.

And here I thought it was pretty obvious that them giving him the same "two years and then UFA" kind of deal they gave Domi was a clear sign that he's not in their long-term plans.

That contract screams "stopgap until KJ/Sillinger can reliably handle top six minutes" to me.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

We keep playing him big minutes because losing is good though, right?

 

[thebus88]

Domi > Wennberg > Roslovic

About sums it up. Should have (at least attempted) kept Domi for multiple reasons. Fits the team better than Voracek and Nyquist now and moving forward. Thought he complimented many of our current younger guys well. Better passer and more “game breaking” potential than many gave him credit for. Decent scoring touch and actually played with an edge and some heart most of the time. Plenty of Domi haters around these parts last couple years, didn’t like it.

10 million tied up in Roslovic/ Merzlikins is mind blowing. The roles GIVEN to these guys is a huge reason the CBJ have been what they’ve been recently.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I’m not going to go through and respond to everyone picking apart my comment, but I’ll just say I’m not calling Roslovic a good defensive player. He, like a lot of our forwards, are not good defensively. He blows coverages when hemmed into the zone for lengths of time. But I do think he is capable of playing defense. I’ve seen it. His biggest issue is when he makes puck decisions in his own zone. He either tries to be mcdavid and carry it out himself, or he gets cute with it and tries to make passes into space when our guys aren’t ready for it.

I think he gets a bit more blame than he should. But that’s not to say he’s a good defensive player. But I do think he brings a style of game we need on this team. Would he be better suited for the wing? Yeah, I think I can buy that. But he’s had such an improvement in the faceoff circle this year it’s hard to pull him out of it. I know there is more to playing center than faceoffs, but winning draws isn’t a bad thing to have. We’re in a weird spot with him. I just think people are a bit over critical on him, but not exactly wrong either.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he was traded but I think people here would be surprised on what our return would be (in a good way)

 

[cbjthrowaway]

Domi > Wennberg > Roslovic

I think Wennberg is clearly the best player among those three, just wasn't a good fit at all with what Torts wanted to do. Went to a more open system and found his game.

Buying him out was no-doubt the right financial move, but I do wonder how much better this team would look with him at 1C instead of Boone/Roslovic. Still not great, mind you, but he's got skill and a good hockey IQ and can win face-offs.

Should have (at least attempted) kept Domi for multiple reasons. Fits the team better than Voracek and Nyquist now and moving forward. Thought he complimented many of our current younger guys. Plenty of Domi haters around these parts last couple years.

He did have some nice chemistry with Sillinger last year, but he was pretty bad most nights. Also not sure what role he'd serve on a team that's already flush with wingers and can't defend at all.

Not to mention that Voracek and Nyquist were immovable this summer. The whole point of the Voracek trade was to get more size/playmaking and get the cap space back a year earlier. I've got no problem with that.

As for Gus, well, he was a significantly better player than Domi last year.

10 million tied up in Roslovic/ Merzlikins is mind blowing. The roles GIVEN to these guys is a huge reason the CBJ have been what they’ve been recently.

I'm one of the biggest Jack haters on this board, but that contract is completely fine. Its structure pretty much guarantees that he won't be here after it expires – and will be easier to move before it does. He's a stopgap who would have some value as a retained piece going to a team that can give him sheltered minutes as a depth scorer.

The Elvis deal is another one that kinda made sense at the time (was coming off of two very good years). I haven't lost hope for him – having a more structured team in front would help.

That said, his deal isn't a huge albatross, either. The absolute worst case scenario is that he doesn't turn it around and no team wants him as a reclamation project. In that case, a buyout is feasible since there are zero bonuses in his deal.

Not an ideal solution, obviously, but as a last resort it's not that bad. If they do it in 2024, it'd look like this – pretty easy to stomach, actually, especially with the cap set to go up.

 

[VT]

Domi > Wennberg > Roslovic

About sums it up. Should have (at least attempted) kept Domi for multiple reasons. Fits the team better than Voracek and Nyquist now and moving forward. Thought he complimented many of our current younger guys well. Better passer and more “game breaking” potential than many gave him credit for. Decent scoring touch and actually played with an edge and some heart most of the time. Plenty of Domi haters around these parts last couple years, didn’t like it.

10 million tied up in Roslovic/ Merzlikins is mind blowing. The roles GIVEN to these guys is a huge reason the CBJ have been what they’ve been recently.

I don't agree with Nyquist but Voracek's play now is bad. To Roslo. He improved his play after losing our chance to play in PO. Until then Nyquist -- Jenner -- Laine line led and we have a chance. I still think his origins help him. If he isn't from Columbus, he could be traded.

Btw, Wennberg is a center that's I think he would be more ideal.