Frolik Vs Versteeg

[Marotte Marauder]

1. The Hawks have switched the PP units around. Last year, Kane and Toews were always seperated. The units were: Shaw-Toews-Hossa, Keith-Seabrook; Saad-Bolland/Handzus-Kane, Leddy-Sharp. This year, they've been together, and the units have been: Shaw-Toews-Kane, Keith-Sharp; Saad-Pirri/Versteeg-Hossa, Leddy-Seabrook.

2. The Hawks have employed an effective umbrella this year. Something they rarely, if ever, used last year. That allows for Kane to have more room to operate from the right boards, as well as more seams for him to get passes through. That obviously applies to all players. And then, when they do shoot it from the point - with one-timers no less, again, something we rarely saw last year - because opposing players have to respect Kane/Hossa/Toews on the boards, Sharp's shots have been getting through frequently and rather easily, with Shaw screening the goalie like he should.

I've seen an increase in quickly shooting from the point, an increase of actually taking it to the net off the rush if it's there -as opposed to being satisfied with a good entry and now let's set it up- and a willingness to actually pass the puck into the middle of the ice.

 

[BobbyJet]

1. The Hawks have switched the PP units around. Last year, Kane and Toews were always seperated. The units were: Shaw-Toews-Hossa, Keith-Seabrook; Saad-Bolland/Handzus-Kane, Leddy-Sharp. This year, they've been together, and the units have been: Shaw-Toews-Kane, Keith-Sharp; Saad-Pirri/Versteeg-Hossa, Leddy-Seabrook.

2. The Hawks have employed an effective umbrella this year. Something they rarely, if ever, used last year. That allows for Kane to have more room to operate from the right boards, as well as more seams for him to get passes through. That obviously applies to all players. And then, when they do shoot it from the point - with one-timers no less, again, something we rarely saw last year - because opposing players have to respect Kane/Hossa/Toews on the boards, Sharp's shots have been getting through frequently and rather easily, with Shaw screening the goalie like he should.

The bottom line is that Hawks changed their PP cause it wasn't working. The PK last season was one on the best in hockey, hence, the same system would be in place this season.... with one missing ingredient, Frolik. Of course it's not the only factor, but it is a big one in my view. It's not voodoo.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

With the PK being an absolute clown show, I got to thinking about Frolik.

Stanbo let him go because his cap hit (2.3) was too much for a 4th liner/PK specialist. He traded him to the Jets for two picks.

Stan traded two prospects for Versteeg, at a cap hit of 2.2 million. Versteeg has been a great 2nd/3rd liner, but has gotten much (any?) PK time.

Is Versteeg that much of an improvement offensively to justify loosing such a solid PKer?

Versteeg is the better and more skilled player on both ends of the ice - offensively it's no question - Versteeg also fits in better with the Hawks style of play.

Versteeg is top-6 on most teams.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Versteeg is the better and more skilled player on both ends of the ice - offensively it's no question - Versteeg also fits in better with the Hawks style of play.

Versteeg is top-6 on most teams.

He's top 6 on the Hawks.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

He's top 6 on the Hawks.

Not when everyone is healthy

 

[Hawkaholic]

Not when everyone is healthy

So Bickell is going to play with Handzus and Kane? Because looks like Q wants to keep Saad on the 3rd line.

 

[CertainAffinity*]

So Bickell is going to play with Handzus and Kane? Because looks like Q wants to keep Saad on the 3rd line.

I don't think Saad is a fixture on the 3rd line, he was only moved there when Bickell got injured to recoup some of the size/forechecking that the line lost when Bickell went out.

Bickell can move up to top six, though it would only happen with the recreation of the Kane/Toews/Bickell line IMO... and that won't happen until the top line stops dominating.

I think Saad moves back up alongside Zus and Kane (and hell, seeing Pirri again this season isn't off the table) and we get an awesome Versteeg/Shaw/Bickell third line.

Very perplexed at all the people who believe that Versteeg is a top 6 player. How many times does that experiment have to fail before people just accept that the guy is a FANTASTIC top 9 guy, but can't really handle the top 6 role. It didn't work in Toronto, it didn't work in Florida, it sure as hell isn't going to work in Chicago where there's a TON more offensive depth in line ahead of him.

Let him play where he's always succeeded most. On a great two-way 3rd line.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

So Bickell is going to play with Hand and Kxx,,xtx,, Because looks like Q wants to keep Saad on the 3rd line.

Going by that logic Brookbank is a third line winger.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Going by that logic Brookbank is a third line winger.

I'm not saying Saad isnt a top 6 player, but he isnt playing in the top 6, Versteeg is. So Versteeg is a top 6 player too, because he is excelling there.

 

[LandofLincoln*]

Regular season I'd take Bickell last, especially when factoring in his new contract. I think in a third line role Frolik gives you roughly the same 15/20 output while playing big minutes on the PK.

It all boils down to the playoffs for Bickell. If he's just lazy and gets it going for the games that matter most then hey, I'll take another a playoff beast for four million. Still to be seen if he is that guy though.

It is easy to call big guys like Bickell or Byfuglein lazy. Maybe they are to a certain degree. Mobility seems to be a problem during the regular season but not the playoffs. Does their motor change do they step up their production?

I don't think so. I see playoff hockey changing. The game becomes more physical and tighter in space which could mean less scoring. Goals are harder to come by with skill getting nullified and physicality on many occasions imposing its will over skill.

When the game changes larger players skill doesn't pop out. It just makes the game come to them. In the regular season they bring it to the game, but in the playoffs I see the game changing to nuetralize sizable players where relevance is much closer to skilled players.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Except Bickell plays a perimeter regular season game and turned into Lucic when the games mattered most. I don't think all big guys are lazy. I certainly think those two are.

 

[HockeySauce]

It hard to play the way Bickell did in the playoffs all the time.. it's why big men, that play that way, are so highly coveted. Bickell has shown to be a force when the games matter though, dating back to the Vancouver series. At that point, you're not thinking about being consistently physical for 40 games, 50 games, 60 games, etc.. you're taking it one game, one series at a time.. and if you're ever down in a series, that's when you need a guy like Bickell who can bull his way to the front of the net and create space - as he did against Detroit, being instrumental in the Hawks comeback.

 

[Bubba88]

not to mention that the Refs call the game a bit different... POs are different for sure. Thats were we have to evaluate him and his contract.

 

[jtwilda]

With the PK being an absolute clown show, I got to thinking about Frolik.

Stanbo let him go because his cap hit (2.3) was too much for a 4th liner/PK specialist. He traded him to the Jets for two picks.

Stan traded two prospects for Versteeg, at a cap hit of 2.2 million. Versteeg has been a great 2nd/3rd liner, but has gotten much (any?) PK time.

Is Versteeg that much of an improvement offensively to justify loosing such a solid PKer?

I think Versteeg fits in better with the Hawks' possession strategy and is better both in open space and on the forecheck than Frolik.

I do miss Frolik's aggressiveness on the PK, but the real problem with our PK is our goaltending, which is 29th in the league at .803 save % on the PK. Our PK Corsi Against/60 is 16th best in the NHL so we haven't been terrible at preventing scoring opportunities on the PK. I think that our PK% is largely a statistical anomaly and if we continue on the same course with just decent goaltending from Crawford/Raanta we should finish in the middle of the pack for PK%.