How does Riley Sheahan still have a roster spot?

[TheClap]

Let alone average more ice time than nearly every other forward?
Over 18 minutes tonight. 2nd most amongst forwards.

One of the worst on the team in goals for/60 min.
One of the worst on the team in goals against/60 min.
Second worst +/-
No goals on the year.
Plays soft, no tenacity. A black hole in the offensive zone. Equally awful defensively.
Might as well be wearing his Teletubby costume while he plays.

His lone positive impact is on faceoffs, at 52%.

How does Blashill have this guy embedded in the line-up, and play him as much as he does?
Oh right... His "process" has been great.

Click to read more...

 

[Syckle78]

I don't know but I hope he goes the entire season without scoring for the lols.

 

[Dotter]

I don't know but I hope he goes the entire season without scoring for the lols.

That'll show 'em!

 

[jkutswings]

Holland is playing all of us, and he really is tanking. He just wishes he could play Sheahan at every position on every shift.

 

[Wood Stick]

Riley Sheahan isn't as bad as you guys are making him out to be. He's getting too much ice time and it's easy to hate on him right now for many reasons. His role has been okay the past few games, being that defensive guy and body for Larkin and Tats on the wings. Unfortunately he played something ridiculous like 18 minutes.

It's weird. He has a really good wrist shot. It's hard. He's going to lose that top nine spot very, very shortly with a healthy line-up up front. I think Drew Miller is a better fit on our fourth line too. He's 25 years old now. He might need a change... like a new team. but yes IMO, NHL player. Just not a great one. Kind of makes sense in Ottawa to me.

 

[jolly roger]

Riley Sheahan isn't as bad as you guys are making him out to be. He's getting too much ice time and it's easy to hate on him right now for many reasons. His role has been okay the past few games, being that defensive guy and body for Larkin and Tats on the wings. Unfortunately he played something ridiculous like 18 minutes.

It's weird. He has a really good wrist shot. It's hard. He's going to lose that top nine spot very, very shortly with a healthy line-up up front. I think Drew Miller is a better fit on our fourth line too. He's 25 years old now. He might need a change... like a new team. but yes IMO, NHL player. Just not a great one. Kind of makes sense in Ottawa to me.

The Title of this Thread really says it all.
How in the world do you keep a roster spot as a forward with no goals and how do you get that much toi if at all?

The only way he gets to Ottawa or anywhere else is to buy a ticket there.

 

[iDangleDangle]

He has Babcock's RealGudâ„¢ stamp of approval, which Trashill holds in high regard.

 

[Winger98]

Riley Sheahan isn't as bad as you guys are making him out to be. He's getting too much ice time and it's easy to hate on him right now for many reasons. His role has been okay the past few games, being that defensive guy and body for Larkin and Tats on the wings. Unfortunately he played something ridiculous like 18 minutes.

It's weird. He has a really good wrist shot. It's hard. He's going to lose that top nine spot very, very shortly with a healthy line-up up front. I think Drew Miller is a better fit on our fourth line too. He's 25 years old now. He might need a change... like a new team. but yes IMO, NHL player. Just not a great one. Kind of makes sense in Ottawa to me.

70 shots on the year. Watching him against NYR, and he's working hard out there, he's doing a lot of things right, but he doesn't put himself into position to shoot, or take that opportunity when it presents itself. He needs to start throwing the puck at the net.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Riley Sheahan isn't as bad as you guys are making him out to be. He's getting too much ice time and it's easy to hate on him right now for many reasons. His role has been okay the past few games, being that defensive guy and body for Larkin and Tats on the wings. Unfortunately he played something ridiculous like 18 minutes.

I agree with this. He's not so awful that I think he shouldn't have a roster spot. However he should have been scratched more than once, and should not be playing more than 10-14 minutes, should never touch the ice on the PP and should more often than not be on the 4th line.

Lately I do think he's been playing better and it's reached that point where him not scoring is not so much that he's being awful, but that he's getting no luck, no bounces, and obviously doesn't have any confidence.

 

[Filppula]

I don't know but I hope he goes the entire season without scoring for the lols.

Yep I've been there for a while now.

 

[Tatar Shots]

Guy really, really doesn't want to end up in Vegas next year.

 

[BinCookin]

Guy really, really doesn't want to end up in Vegas next year.

On the plus side, If Sheahan is that bad, looks like someone else from our roster will be selected.

 

[GMR]

Has anyone actually asked this question of Blashill during interviews?

Nobody on this forum can answer this question. It has to come from the coach's mouth as there is no good reason.

 

[ricky0034]

just call him an investor cause he's got a lot of stock

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Heavy on the puck. He plays a man's game. It's just that man is not very good at NHL hockey.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Has anyone actually asked this question of Blashill during interviews?

Nobody on this forum can answer this question. It has to come from the coach's mouth as there is no good reason.

Yup, it was answered during a post game or practice media scrum. I remember him stating that there are several situations where it is helpful to have two forwards out on the ice who can take draws. He also mentioned that he wanted the team to spend less time out on the perimeter and that taking one of the big bodies out of the lineup frustrated that goal. Blash also mentioned that there were a lot of other good things that he was doing even though he wasn't scoring.


Riley obviously isn't anything special as a player, but he has been working hard over the last twenty or so games and has always been a responsible, coach's player. Like it or not he is still more skilled with the puck than Ott, Glendening and Helm (probably Abby too). Sadly, he never really overcame his skating issues and it greatly limits the manner in which he can play at this level and his overall effectiveness. What we are witnessing is a player who cannot really create his own offense and really depends on his line mates for offensive production.

 

[Hammettf2b]

Yup, it was answered during a post game or practice media scrum. I remember him stating that there are several situations where it is helpful to have two forwards out on the ice who can take draws. He also mentioned that he wanted the team to spend less time out on the perimeter and that taking one of the big bodies out of the lineup frustrated that goal. Blash also mentioned that there were a lot of other good things that he was doing even though he wasn't scoring.


Riley obviously isn't anything special as a player, but he has been working hard over the last twenty or so games and has always been a responsible, coach's player. Like it or not he is still more skilled with the puck than Ott, Glendening and Helm (probably Abby too). Sadly, he never really overcame his skating issues and it greatly limits the manner in which he can play at this level and his overall effectiveness. What we are witnessing is a player who cannot really create his own offense and really depends on his line mates for offensive production.

This has always boggled my mind. I've always felt Helm was decent on the puck. His quick change of directions creates space and good opportunities and draws penalties. What gives???

 

[vladdy16]

Riley Sheahan isn't as bad as you guys are making him out to be. He's getting too much ice time and it's easy to hate on him right now for many reasons. His role has been okay the past few games, being that defensive guy and body for Larkin and Tats on the wings. Unfortunately he played something ridiculous like 18 minutes.

It's weird. He has a really good wrist shot. It's hard. He's going to lose that top nine spot very, very shortly with a healthy line-up up front. I think Drew Miller is a better fit on our fourth line too. He's 25 years old now. He might need a change... like a new team. but yes IMO, NHL player. Just not a great one. Kind of makes sense in Ottawa to me.

Agree.

Watching Blashill try and steal points for a team, that granted was probably a bit drained coming off the BOS win, by leaning on a player that hasn't scored all year, while ignoring having a hot goalie, has been added to my laundry list of complaints re:the coach in training.

Unbelievable how many tv timeouts and o-zone starts we wasted on our worst line the past two games.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

This has always boggled my mind. I've always felt Helm was decent on the puck. His quick change of directions creates space and good opportunities and draws penalties. What gives???

I am not sure I am totally following your question. I think the short answer is that the plays that Helm makes with the puck are almost always a function of what his feet have allowed him to do, not because of his hands (like generating space on the cut back like you mention). I think his hands are a bit on the slower side to be honest. In my opinion there is a certain obviousness to his play with the puck (same with Abby in my opinion). Players with better hands make quicker plays with the puck (or at least have the capacity to do so).

The question to ask is why doesn't Sheahan have the puck on his stick more? To me that all goes back to skating.

 

[Hammettf2b]

I am not sure I am totally following your question. I think the short answer is that the plays that Helm makes with the puck are almost always a function of what his feet have allowed him to do, not because of his hands (like generating space on the cut back like you mention). I think his hands are a bit on the slower side to be honest. In my opinion there is a certain obviousness to his play with the puck (same with Abby in my opinion). Players with better hands make quicker plays with the puck (or at least have the capacity to do so).

The question to ask is why doesn't Sheahan have the puck on his stick more? To me that all goes back to skating.

What I'm saying is, what does it matter how its achieved? The point I'm trying to make is, that Helm creates chances and draws penalties when he has the puck. Yes that's a product of his feet but like I was saying, why does that even matter. All that matters is the results.

 

[Ezekial]

He has a roster spot because he is a proven serviceable NHL player.

Why he isn't scratched more often is because he hasn't been terrible(especially lately) other than scoring goals. You guys can call him Charmin soft and whatnot but there are times when he makes good hockey plays.

He should've been scratched earlier and more often though.

 

[Squirrel in the Hole]

What I'm saying is, what does it matter how its achieved? The point I'm trying to make is, that Helm creates chances and draws penalties when he has the puck. Yes that's a product of his feet but like I was saying, why does that even matter. All that matters is the results.

I think it matters because we can all say what's wrong with Sheahan all we want, I think this provides at least a partial answer to that question.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

What I'm saying is, what does it matter how its achieved? The point I'm trying to make is, that Helm creates chances and draws penalties when he has the puck. Yes that's a product of his feet but like I was saying, why does that even matter. All that matters is the results.

Because a player with better hands will be able to do more things with the puck (including making that very same play you are describing) which makes them more difficult to defend and allows them to generate opportunities that, all else being equal, a less skilled player cannot. Think of it this way, why was Datsyuk a more dangerous player than Helm given that Helm was a much better skater?

 

[vladdy16]

What I'm saying is, what does it matter how its achieved? The point I'm trying to make is, that Helm creates chances and draws penalties when he has the puck. Yes that's a product of his feet but like I was saying, why does that even matter. All that matters is the results.

There's a scale to the quality of the chances being created.

Helm does a great job working with what he has, and immediately started creating chances when he got back into the lineup. But think back to those chances, and you'll see that they are opportunistic chances, where Helm has a short window to convert or set up the chance, and that short window causes pucks to bounce, or scream wide or whatever, so the conversion rate ends up being pretty low.

A player with the same speed but more skill would be able to create more reliable conversion opportunities by challenging the D and moving the puck.

 

[Hammettf2b]

There's a scale to the quality of the chances being created.

Helm does a great job working with what he has, and immediately started creating chances when he got back into the lineup. But think back to those chances, and you'll see that they are opportunistic chances, where Helm has a short window to convert or set up the chance, and that short window causes pucks to bounce, or scream wide or whatever, so the conversion rate ends up being pretty low.

A player with the same speed but more skill would be able to create more reliable conversion opportunities by challenging the D and moving the puck.

We're not talking about a player with the same speed and more skill. We are talking about Sheahan.