Traded Christian Wolanin (D)

[cudi]

I feel like Reilly's 'highs' have been higher and 'lows' have been lower than Wolanin.

Reilly stands out all the time for different reasons. Sometimes its for a great pass, sometimes it's for a brutalllll turnover.

I've found Wolanin to be just consistently not great. Very meh to bad.

Maybe Wolly will turn it around with more games, I'm losing hope tho. I dont think either guy is in our future.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

I feel like Reilly's 'highs' have been higher and 'lows' have been lower than Wolanin.

Reilly stands out all the time for different reasons. Sometimes its for a great pass, sometimes it's for a brutalllll turnover.

I've found Wolanin to be just consistently not great. Very meh to bad.

Maybe Wolly will turn it around with more games, I'm losing hope tho. I dont think either guy is in our future.

Reilly has somehow put together a decent string of games.

 

[cudi]

Reilly has somehow put together a decent string of games.

He's a solid PKer which kinda blows my mind lol

 

[Ouroboros]

So we're Nick Paul, Mike Hoffman, JG Pageau, Mark Stone, Ryan Dzingel. Works both ways, that's why people want to see these players have a chance. I have seen you personally write off Nick Paul many times. Don't hurt yourself falling off that horse.

You are correct that I wrote off Nick Paul and that I was wrong about him. I've got nothing but respect for what Nick Paul was able to do. He totally changed his mindset and his approach to the game and accomplished something amazing. I don't think many people are capable of that kind of honest self-assessment. It's an inspiring story and it makes him an easy guy to cheer for.

...but even in that case Paul established himself at age 24. Wolanin is 26 in two weeks time. I understand the argument that he hasn't played much, but eventually there is a point where age and inexperience intersect and you have to move on. I think we are very, very close to that point now.

Opportunities in life are conditional and sometimes you lose them through no fault of your own. That's probably what happened with Wolanin suffering that shoulder injury last fall.

 

[Ouroboros]

I guess more generally I'm interested to know when people are comfortable closing the book on a 'prospect'.

Hypothetically, if Wolanin were to suffer another major injury this season would you still want to bring him back next year. Closing in on 27 years old, a pending UFA and still with only 60 or so NHL games under his belt. Another chance in this case?

 

[Micklebot]

I guess more generally I'm interested to know when people are comfortable closing the book on a 'prospect'.

Hypothetically, if Wolanin were to suffer another major injury this season would you still want to bring him back next year. Closing in on 27 years old, a pending UFA and still with only 60 or so NHL games under his belt. Another chance in this case?

There's going to be a myriad of factors, but the biggest one is alternative options; if Wolanin were to go down to injury again, it's likely that Sanderson will be challenging for a spot by the time he's back. That likely shuts the door pretty firmly for him, then there's the simple fact that you're of little use if you can't stay healthy, and two major injuries so close together likely means the development will be permanently affected.

Personally, my rule of thumb is give the guy a reasonable shot at the NHL level once he his waiver eligibility, and make the call based on his play after a dozen games where he's put in a position to succeed (meaning the right role, scorers on scoring lines, energy guys on energy lines). I think Wolanin's injury combined with the uniqueness of a pandemic season that is lacking in practice time gives him a bit longer of a rope in terms of how long we allow him to get up to speed, but he's running out of road.

I would have liked us to take this approach with Balcers and Chlapik too, though it's a bit tough when we have so many fresh faces being worked into the lineup.

 

[JD1]

I'll give you that you were right about Brannstrom over Wolanin. However to say they weren't competing is not correct Wolanin started the year in the lineup. He struggled and his leash was very short. Branntsrom once given an opportunity played very well and made the most of it.

When comparing Wolanin to Reilly the two players were handled completely differently this year.

Reilly was afforded the opportunity to work through his struggles and got to play with multiple partners until there was a fit. That didn't happen for Wolanin and he got hurt. Now staying healthy is certainly a skill Reilly did it and managed to gain trust in the coaching staff. Who knows if Wolanin stays healthy? The game he got hurt in was his best.

What I don't understand is the chest thumping going on in here saying 'I told you so' about a prospect not playing well. Were you guys hoping he struggled? Seems kind of strange if you are a fan of this team. Secondly why are you happy that a player like Reilly who has been pretty bad has earned a spot? That's not a good thing, it's a shame that there is no solid 3rd option on the left side for the sens. I wish one of Reilly, Coburn or Wolanin had really stepped up and solidified that side.

I think Brannstrom would have started right out of the gate but 2 separate quarantines screwed him out of that. Then he needed his own camp.

I'm not a fan of Reilly. We're not going anywhere with him. But he's a place holder and i see it for what it is.

Why the chest pumping? That's a good question. I've taken a lot of heat here for opinions that pretty consistently turn out correct. Starting with Karlsson

Why isn't this guy playing? Why isn't that guy playing? Dorion's an idiot. Smith's a cromagnon. How about this....often the guy asking the question doesn't understand the game well enough to recognize the why the guy's not playing.

This year so far is playing out pretty much exactly as i expected it, except Murray's slow start. There's just not much to be up in arms about. The young guys are driving play and getting ice time. And they look really good

 

[JD1]

They need to show a little more patience with Wolanin,, or waive him to get him games in Belleville. Wolanin losing last year or the best part of it has set him back and he has struggled to get comfortable this year. They don't practice enough to really get the kind of reps he needs. I don't think the difference between any of Reilly, Brannstrom , Wolanin, even Coburn is very wide right now.. even though a couple of them are slightly ahead. Wolanin needs reps and patience and then make a decision on him l and if need be they can turf him like they did with Lajoie and Jaros. If they think that decision has been made , waive him now. I think all of their days are numbered.. They should be moving Brannstrom to the right side to see how he does there.

How about this?

They don't see a future for Wolanin or Reilly and in the here and now they like Reilly better.

Getting Wolanin reps may not be a priority and if that's the case, ride the pine as a 7 or 8 guy and draw in occasionally. why waive him ?

 

[aragorn]

The problem with Reilly is that you never know how he is going to play from playing well to making some god awful turnovers or gaffes. Unfortunately, the same can apply to Wolanin this yr, however I think that because Reilly is a UFA he could be dealt by the trade deadline. Wolanin could get moved to or potentially even waived like Chlapik, hopefully, they give him another chance at some point.

 

[bert]

It's just garden variety prospect fetishism.

Look at how angry people got when Jaros, Lajoie, Balcers and Chlapik were waived. Over the years we've seen it with dozens of players. Kaspars Daugavins. Peter Regin. Ilya Zubov. Alex Nikulin. Mattias Karlsson. Roman Wick. Andre Petersson. Francis Perron. Shane Prince. Fred Claesson. Stephane Da Costa. Matt Puempel. Mikael Wikstrand. At one point or another all HFSens darlings.

People get too invested in these players and then they lash out when things don't go as they expected. It's always the team's fault for not giving the chosen bust-du-jour enough opportunity.

Maybe it's not 'garden variety prospect fetishism' maybe you're just wrong again?...

You are correct that I wrote off Nick Paul and that I was wrong about him. I've got nothing but respect for what Nick Paul was able to do. He totally changed his mindset and his approach to the game and accomplished something amazing. I don't think many people are capable of that kind of honest self-assessment. It's an inspiring story and it makes him an easy guy to cheer for.

...but even in that case Paul established himself at age 24. Wolanin is 26 in two weeks time. I understand the argument that he hasn't played much, but eventually there is a point where age and inexperience intersect and you have to move on. I think we are very, very close to that point now.

Opportunities in life are conditional and sometimes you lose them through no fault of your own. That's probably what happened with Wolanin suffering that shoulder injury last fall.

It's not an opportunity lost when Mike Reilly is playing ahead of you. The opportunity is certainly still there.

 

[Micklebot]

How about this?

They don't see a future for Wolanin or Reilly and in the here and now they like Reilly better.

Getting Wolanin reps may not be a priority and if that's the case, ride the pine as a 7 or 8 guy and draw in occasionally. why waive him ?

Idk, why'd they unconditionally waive Chlapik, trade Jaros and Lajoie when all three would have helped Bellevile out more that what they got back will? I guess we don't care about insulating the prospects in Belleville with Quality AHL players?

We'll never know if Wolanin can re-establish his game if we don't play him, he was looking like a potential expansion draft casualty before the injury, doubt that happens now though.

Idk we currently seem to have Coburn ahead of him on the depth chart and if none of Reilly , Coburn or Wolanin are in the future plans it makes sense to either cut bait or put him somewhere he can contribute and potentially re-establish his game.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Idk, why'd they unconditionally waive Chlapik, trade Jaros and Lajoie when all three would have helped Bellevile out more that what they got back will? I guess we don't care about insulating the prospects in Belleville with Quality AHL players?

We'll never know if Wolanin can re-establish his game if we don't play him, he was looking like a potential expansion draft casualty before the injury, doubt that happens now though.

Idk we currently seem to have Coburn ahead of him on the depth chart and if none of Reilly , Coburn or Wolanin are in the future plans it makes sense to either cut bait or put him somewhere he can contribute and potentially re-establish his game.

pretty obvious

 

[Ice-Tray]

It’s not really a mystery, nor is it uncommon,

If these guys aren’t in the teams’ future plans, you do the guys a solid by giving them a chance to make the NHL elsewhere over continuing to use up their career chances.

I suspect all three players would have wanted/asked for it as well.

Wolainin hasn’t been good, it’s that simple.

 

[aragorn]

If we look at the defence of this team & who are UFAs the team defence could change a lot before next season. Reilly, Gudbranson & Coburn are all UFAs & I doubt any of them are re-signed. That leaves Ottawa with Zaitsev, Zub & J. Brown on the right side & Chabot, Brannstrom & Wolanin on the left side if Wolanin is retained. All they have left in Belleville is Thomson & they have JBD coming soon, but both are RDs. I still see all kinds of problems with this defence & IMO PD will need to make some adjustments to address it.

Chabot - Zaitsev
Brannstrom - Zub
Wolanin - J. Brown/Thomson/JBD - all three are right shots

 

[OD99]

He should definitely go to B-Sens to shake the rust off and earn some confidence by playing big minutes and being the best defender on the team.

Let him back in NHL after he has his legs under him and worked out the kinks. He has more offensive potential than anyone other than Chabot and Brann and is also the only guy other than those 2 who will skate the puck out of our end.

Yes, he has made some boneheaded plays in our end as well but he has the skating and skill to help this team or at least turn him in to a trade piece if they have decided he isn't part of the plan.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

How's he gettin ready?

 

[Alfie11]

How's he gettin ready?

The same way Zub, Brannstrom and even Reilly (first game scratch) did. Figure it out when you're sitting and play well when you get a chance.

 

[OD99]

The same way Zub, Brannstrom and even Reilly (first game scratch) did. Figure it out when you're sitting and play well when you get a chance.

Each of those players was able to actually play in order to be ready.

Injuries/Covid are obvious barriers for Wolanin but since we don't have any need to block him we should give him maybe...5 games in a row to see how he plays?

He skates the puck and handles it better than Reilly and certainly can activate and make more plays inside offensive blue line than anyone other than Chabot/Brann.

It doesn't make sense to hold him to a different standard than Reilly and it is terrible Asset Management (our new 4 letter words).

 

[Alfie11]

Each of those players was able to actually play in order to be ready.

Injuries/Covid are obvious barriers for Wolanin but since we don't have any need to block him we should give him maybe...5 games in a row to see how he plays?

He skates the puck and handles it better than Reilly and certainly can activate and make more plays inside offensive blue line than anyone other than Chabot/Brann.

It doesn't make sense to hold him to a different standard than Reilly and it is terrible Asset Management (our new 4 letter words).

Wolanin is going to get another shot. The Sens have a horrible defence and they've shown they are willing to adjust the players. Then there's always injuries to open a spot. Zub and Brannstrom waited for their shot and did well when they got in. Brannstrom even got hurt, came back and played even better after the break. They weren't just gifted ice time and I don't see why Wolanin should be any different.

If we're going to say performance doesn't dictate ice time, there is a traditional time of year for that. The post-deadline time when bodies have been moved and teams plays kids/prospects over vets to see what they have for next year. We're not halfway through the season and the deadline isn't until April, so I don't think the Sens should be icing anything less than the lineup that gives them the best chance to win games.

 

[OD99]

Wolanin is going to get another shot. The Sens have a horrible defence and they've shown they are willing to adjust the players. Then there's always injuries to open a spot. Zub and Brannstrom waited for their shot and did well when they got in. Brannstrom even got hurt, came back and played even better after the break. They weren't just gifted ice time and I don't see why Wolanin should be any different.

If we're going to say performance doesn't dictate ice time, there is a traditional time of year for that. The post-deadline time when bodies have been moved and teams plays kids/prospects over vets to see what they have for next year. We're not halfway through the season and the deadline isn't until April, so I don't think the Sens should be icing anything less than the lineup that gives them the best chance to win games.

You completely avoided my point about playing prior.

Branny had a full season last year and played Swiss league prior to this season starting.

Zub was a full KHL season prior to this season.

Massive difference and if not obvious to you I am comfortable not explaining again.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Wolainin has looked bad in the games he’s played. He has not looked better than anyone in the line up so he isn’t playing right now; simple.

As was mentioned, he’ll get more chances as we start to see some injuries, and he’ll have to be ready. It doesn’t much matter what he did two years ago, didn’t matter for White either. What matters is what he’s able to do with the ice time he gets this year.

So far he’s been pretty bad, he has to be better to stick. I’m hoping he steps up.

 

[OD99]

Wolainin has looked bad in the games he’s played. He has not looked better than anyone in the line up so he isn’t playing right now; simple.

As was mentioned, he’ll get more chances as we start to see some injuries, and he’ll have to be ready. It doesn’t much matter what he did two years ago, didn’t matter for White either. What matters is what he’s able to do with the ice time he gets this year.

So far he’s been pretty bad, he has to be better to stick. I’m hoping he steps up.

He has had bad moments, just like the rest of the bubble D. At the same time he has shown far more puck skills and skating ability than the same bubble D.

Again, if you want dismiss his time off then go ahead. I am of the belief he needs at least 5 games in a row. If he still has major gaffes then of course put Reilly back in but lets not pretend the guys in front of him have those positions locked down.

 

[Ice-Tray]

He has had bad moments, just like the rest of the bubble D. At the same time he has shown far more puck skills and skating ability than the same bubble D.

Again, if you want dismiss his time off then go ahead. I am of the belief he needs at least 5 games in a row. If he still has major gaffes then of course put Reilly back in but lets not pretend the guys in front of him have those positions locked down.

I’m not dismissing anything, he just has to play better when he’s in is all.

He hasn’t terrible, but he hasn’t been good, or even noteworthy in my opinion. I don’t think he has shown to be better than any of the players playing right now, but I agree that not all spots are set.

He’ll get more chances to get in there I’m sure, and I hope he makes something of it.

 

[JD1]

He has had bad moments, just like the rest of the bubble D. At the same time he has shown far more puck skills and skating ability than the same bubble D.

Again, if you want dismiss his time off then go ahead. I am of the belief he needs at least 5 games in a row. If he still has major gaffes then of course put Reilly back in but lets not pretend the guys in front of him have those positions locked down.

So we've got Brannstrom getting 3 pair D minutes and they're moving him along slowly to further his development

If Wolanin slides in and Reilly comes out, then one of Brannstrom or Wolanin has to play 20+ unsheltered minutes a game. Brannstrom is not ready to do that. And Wolanin isn't at Brannstrom's level.

So how do you propose they solve that problem?

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

So we've got Brannstrom getting 3 pair D minutes and they're moving him along slowly to further his development

If Wolanin slides in and Reilly comes out, then one of Brannstrom or Wolanin has to play 20+ unsheltered minutes a game. Brannstrom is not ready to do that. And Wolanin isn't at Brannstrom's level.

So how do you propose they solve that problem?

Get him playing for the BSens