Prospect Info: D Ty Smith

[devilsblood]

I don't think it is way too early to be concerned about this at all...In fact, I think it went into the decison to send Smith back to junior.

It is almost impossible to put together 3 stable pairs with Mueller, Butcher and Smith in the lineup and I think it is partially why he didn't get that look this year.

Show me how you make Vatanen, Severson Butcher Right side work with Greene, Mueller and Smith Left Side? Or any combo for that matter.

You can't put Butcher and Smith together...Smith's intro to the NHL is going to be with Butcher? You go Smith-Butcher you are looking at a 12/13 minute a night 5v5 pair. Truth is we probably don't have a reasonable RHD for Smith....Vatanen? Maybe?

Smith - Vatanen
Greene - Severson
Mueller - Butcher

Maybe that works for a short period? But there doesn't seem to be any wiggle room for where to put Smith and giving him the best opportunity to succeed.

Another thing, you are looking at Severson forced to be a top 4 PKer with Smith in the lineup - I don't think that is ideal at all either.

I liked your post, but no chance Smith is on the top pair with Vat's next year.

 

[devilsblood]

wait why will having butcher and smith in the lineup next year make us a worse team?

Because you need guys to defend against top opposition. You need guys to play the PK.

We can say Butcher could do it, but we don't know that he can. And asking a smallish 19 year old to play against top comp is just not something I'd expect to see.

And people would gladly give Lovejoy the boot, but he was by far our best PK'r last year, and was very good vet partner to Butcher, people don't want to admit this, they ignore that there #'s together were way better then Butch with Sev's, but it's true, unless Santini finds his stride some time soon, I'm thinking Lovejoy is brought back.

 

[devilsblood]

Switch Butcher to the right and play him with Greene, let Severson man up and mentor Smith.

Which combo there is getting the tougher 2nd pair minutes?

 

[Sheros expletives]

Which combo there is getting the tougher 2nd pair minutes?

Greene - Butcher.
So far this year Greene had played well in lesser minutes and I would expect him to not do off completely next year. Butcher has dominated his opposition in his limited minutes and I think he is up for a promotion. Severson has somewhat redeemed himself this year and if he keeps it up all year I think he could carry and support Smith in a third pairing role.

 

[JimEIV]

I liked your post, but no chance Smith is on the top pair with Vat's next year.

That is sort of the point... Vatanen and Smith don't really work because one needs to play against the toughest competition, Butcher and Smith don't really work because you'd like to have a much more stable partner for a rookie. Severson and Smith? I don't know. Maybe? It might be the only possibility. It does seem like a conflict of styles.

But there is no place to go if it doesn't click...It was like Severson bouncing from partner to partner every other month for his first 3 years in the league after his injury. Greene was the ONLY stable Dman on the team and we needed to get Larsson's value up more than groom Severson

 

[MartyOwns]

i agree with most of that, except i don’t think these assumptions:

We can say Butcher could do it, but we don't know that he can. And asking a smallish 19 year old to play against top comp is just not something I'd expect to see.

warrant a trade of, quite frankly, one of our best defenseman. smith doesn’t have to be a top pairing defenseman next year (although he might wind up there anyway) and butcher could very well continue improving...he’s playing much better this year vs. last year IMO. he’s not that old

 

[devilsblood]

Greene - Butcher.
So far this year Greene had played well in lesser minutes and I would expect him to not do off completely next year. Butcher has dominated his opposition in his limited minutes and I think he is up for a promotion. Severson has somewhat redeemed himself this year and if he keeps it up all year I think he could carry and support Smith in a third pairing role.

I'm skeptical about Butcher's ability to do so, even more so if he is on his off hand.

We would also most likely be decreasing Sev's minutes in this scenario.

Right now Greene Sev's looks like a good 2nd pair. If Mueller can grow into his role, and he and Vat's prove serviceable top pair that makes our top 4 pretty decent imo, though not very sexy. But I don't think I'd mess with that.

The sexy comes in that bottom pair, that is what we have gotten with Butcher over the last year. But even then you need a stable partner to anchor the pairing.

 

[mtnet]

Switch Butcher to the right and play him with Greene, let Severson man up and mentor Smith.

Not really a dig at Sevs but couldn't resist using this

 

[JimEIV]

Not really a dig at Sevs but couldn't resist using this

I like the dogs more.

 

[devilsblood]

That vid is hilarious.

What are these dogs you speak of.

 

[mtnet]

That vid is hilarious.

What are these dogs you speak of.

Occasionally I've used dog (fail) gifs to represent questionable play and such rather than actual player footage

 

[BenedictGomez]

Lovejoy is probably gone after this season due to his contract ending.

Drew Stafford is skeptical.

 

[Scorcho]

I'm not overthinking it. I assume we hope to be good next year. I don't think you can have Butcher and Smith as 2/3's of your left D if you hope to be good.

Like I said, on the one hand it's redundant, on the other it leaves some gaping hole's.

Mueller/Replacement-Vatanen
Butcher-Severson
Smith-Santini/Other

 

[TrufleShufle]

I think Smith will be a better version of Butcher and make him redundant, but at the same time I can't see trading, for reasons already posted but more so(whether people put stock into or not,) the fact that he could have went anywhere after college and they convinced him to come here. I know it's not hard to come up with examples of recently signed FAs being traded, but they convinced him we needed a D man like him, and he has not only NOT sucked, but has actually been better than advertised.

So to trade him off just because we don't need him anymore even though he is playing the exact way we want, is not a good look for FAs in the future.

 

[AfroThunder396]

In an ideal situation we could ease these young guys in early and give them steady, reliable partners. We don't have a good situation though. Some of these guys will be put into situations they shouldn't be put into. It sucks, but it's an unavoidable fact.

Sitting around and talking about "well this guy shouldn't be playing with this guy", while yes he shouldn't, is the situation we have to deal with until something changes.

Who knows how things could change, at this point last year we didn't have Vatanen. Shero is full of tricks.

 

[Davegarri]

I can't wait for Ryan Gosling to come up next year

 

[My3Sons]

Mueller/Replacement-Vatanen
Butcher-Severson
Smith-Santini/Other

Not enough Lovejoy

 

[Stephen Gionta]

Mueller/Replacement-Vatanen
Butcher-Severson
Smith-Santini/Other

I like this!

 

[MadDevil]

Not enough Lovejoy

Lovejoy - Vatanen
Lovejoy - Severson
Butcher - Lovejoy
Lovejoy

 

[Ripshot 43]

Mueller/Replacement-Vatanen
Butcher-Severson
Smith-Santini/Other

I’m not sure it will be much different from what you posted but that D corps is charmin soft.

Lovejoy - Vatanen
Lovejoy - Severson
Butcher - Lovejoy
Lovejoy

Why can’t that bum Lovejoy play left and right D on the same pairing? I swear, that good for nothing ***** is such a slacker.