How's Pulkkinen looking for the first few games?

[Henkka]

Pulkkinen is no more or less our best offensive player. His shot is dangerois and his shooting creates a great possibility for the goal or possibility for a rebound, because that shot is very tough to be catched for goalies.

And our coach who he played for +20minutes at Griffins refuses to use him only, if we are in really desperate need.

That's... interesting.

It's 99% clear we are sacrificing games for cap management. Our new coach is at same boat as Babcock was, instantly using wrong players not at their ideal positions.

 

[Run the Jewels]

This feels a lot like Hudler. 5'9ish one way forward who is a 3rd liner and PP specialist. Good offensive players, but catch flak in games when they're not on the score sheet for lack of complete game.

I'd agree with this. Two things he has in his favor is he's a better skater than Hudler and he's definitely a shoot first player. The Wings wanted Hudler to shoot more. That will never be a problem with Pulkkinen. I'm not worried about him, he should have a place on this team as a third line winger who gets heavy PP usage.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

This feels a lot like Hudler. 5'9ish one way forward who is a 3rd liner and PP specialist. Good offensive players, but catch flak in games when they're not on the score sheet for lack of complete game.

And then we send him to Calgary and he explodes with production some how.

 

[Sadekuuro]

And then we send him to Calgary and he explodes with production some how.

Because he gets top line ice time with their best players?

He could have scored more here too, but the question is whether a top line like that hold its own against the top lines of a legit contender, head to head.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Because he gets top line ice time with their best players?

He could have scored more here too, but the question is whether a top line like that hold its own against the top lines of a legit contender, head to head.

More ice time and playing with a team's best players doesn't mean first line production....

 

[Sadekuuro]

When you have offensive skills like Hudler's it typically does.

 

[DanZ]

Pulkkinen is no more or less our best offensive player. His shot is dangerois and his shooting creates a great possibility for the goal or possibility for a rebound, because that shot is very tough to be catched for goalies.

And our coach who he played for +20minutes at Griffins refuses to use him only, if we are in really desperate need.

That's... interesting.

It's 99% clear we are sacrificing games for cap management. Our new coach is at same boat as Babcock was, instantly using wrong players not at their ideal positions.

What do you suggest is the right position for Pulkkinen? I think a middle 6 PP guy is exactly where he should be right now. He needs to work on his all around game. He has a good shot and good offensive instincts when he has time with the puck but he isn't the best under pressure. Too many turnovers. He doesn't deserve more than he's getting right now.

 

[DanZ]

It's amazing what a couple of goals can make people forget about. Especially a nice goal like the one against Vancouver. If he was at 0 goals right now, very few would be happy about his play. To me he's the weak link on the Tatar-Larkin line and one of many reasons we have been chasing the puck so much.

He's 4th on the team in scoring and has 4 goals and 6 points in 11 games. Not bad. If he had 0 goals people would be unhappy with him? I think that's fairly obvious.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

It's amazing what a couple of goals can make people forget about. Especially a nice goal like the one against Vancouver. If he was at 0 goals right now, very few would be happy about his play. To me he's the weak link on the Tatar-Larkin line and one of many reasons we have been chasing the puck so much.

If literally any player on the team that was expected to score did not score, very few would be happy about their play.

 

[Pavels Dog]

He's 4th on the team in scoring and has 4 goals and 6 points in 11 games. Not bad. If he had 0 goals people would be unhappy with him? I think that's fairly obvious.

If literally any player on the team that was expected to score did not score, very few would be happy about their play.

Way to oversimplify things. Where have these posts been during all the years Franzen has been scoring 25-30 goals while being the biggest whipping boy on the team? Now all of a sudden the only thing that matter is putting up some points?

I think Pulkks is getting a little better. But he's still someone that I almost never notice in a positive way unless he's involved in a scoring play.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Way to oversimplify things. Where have these posts been during all the years Franzen has been scoring 25-30 goals while being the biggest whipping boy on the team? Now all of a sudden the only thing that matter is putting up some points?

I think Pulkks is getting a little better. But he's still someone that I almost never notice in a positive way unless he's involved in a scoring play.

The Franzen whipping boy posts were always bad and while there were always people using him as a whipping boy, there were always tons of people defending him. That was literally how it always was. The only thing bad about Franzen is his albatross of a contract.(duration wise.)

And I'm sorry, it's just silly to say, "if player x wasn't producing, than he'd be getting criticized from more people!" Well, obviously. That is applicable to literally all offensive players, including Zetterberg(re: last third of the season last year.)

If Pulkkinen produces, most people are not going to criticize him, especially because of his contract. Simple as that.

 

[DanZ]

Way to oversimplify things. Where have these posts been during all the years Franzen has been scoring 25-30 goals while being the biggest whipping boy on the team? Now all of a sudden the only thing that matter is putting up some points?

I think Pulkks is getting a little better. But he's still someone that I almost never notice in a positive way unless he's involved in a scoring play.

I also thought the Franzen criticisms weren't a criticism of what he was, but what he could have been. He had all the physical tools and abilities to be a dominant power forward if he could have ever found a semblance of consistency. That's what frustrated people about him. But for $3.9 million per year Franzen more than earned his paychecks other than his injury-proneness, which isn't really something you can fault him for.

Pulkkinen isn't blessed with the physical abilities that Franzen was, other than his slapshot. I think he can be better, but I wasn't expecting much more than what he has provided thus far.

 

[Pavels Dog]

And I'm sorry, it's just silly to say, "if player x wasn't producing, than he'd be getting criticized from more people!" Well, obviously. That is applicable to literally all offensive players, including Zetterberg(re: last third of the season last year.)

If Pulkkinen produces, most people are not going to criticize him, especially because of his contract. Simple as that.

Some players are more than only their production. I'm fine with Pulkks as long as he produces at this rate but I hope he learns to take better care of the puck and increases his shot accuracy a bit because right now he is where a lot of plays go to die. You can't only look at the record the team has when determining if they've been good or not, and you can't only look at the production of a player.

 

[Satrebil]

I also thought the Franzen criticisms weren't a criticism of what he was, but what he could have been. He had all the physical tools and abilities to be a dominant power forward if he could have ever found a semblance of consistency. That's what frustrated people about him. But for $3.9 million per year Franzen more than earned his paychecks other than his injury-proneness, which isn't really something you can fault him for.

Pulkkinen isn't blessed with the physical abilities that Franzen was, other than his slapshot. I think he can be better, but I wasn't expecting much more than what he has provided thus far.

This isn't a Franzen thread, but there's more than meets the eye than his $3.9M per cap hit. As Cyborg Yzerberg mentions.

Back to Pulkkinen; if he just keeps producing (ugly or not), it really doesn't matter.

 

[Mister Ed]

He's getting better and better every game. He's impressing me more than Jurco this year so far.

 

[korrowan]

He's getting better and better every game. He's impressing me more than Jurco this year so far.

Not hard to do. Jurco is a useless plug. He is really no better than a Cleary or Anderson.

 

[BinCookin]

Not hard to do. Jurco is a useless plug. He is really no better than a Cleary or Anderson.

Useless Plug seems a bit harsh.

But I have NEVER seen the "skilled" Jurco which many posters here think he is. Now I never watched him in the AHL, so there is that, but IMO he is the one prospect we brought up too early. To me its a lesson about fast tracking guys, and pigeon holing them into 4th line roles. We cant even send him back to the AHL to play top 6 minutes anymore. He is stuck on the 4th line here. (Edit: And too be honest, I think we have 3 better 4th liners)

 

[14ari13]

I am fine with his production. We just need to find 4 lines that click.

 

[Frk It]

Useless Plug seems a bit harsh.

But I have NEVER seen the "skilled" Jurco which many posters here think he is. Now I never watched him in the AHL, so there is that, but IMO he is the one prospect we brought up too early. To me its a lesson about fast tracking guys, and pigeon holing them into 4th line roles. We cant even send him back to the AHL to play top 6 minutes anymore. He is stuck on the 4th line here. (Edit: And too be honest, I think we have 3 better 4th liners)

Never? Did you miss the 13-14 season?

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Even as a big skeptic of his game, I am happy with Pulks' play and production this season. He is clearly moving forward off of last season's call up and has reason to continue his improvement.

 

[MMANumminen]

Why do you think that?

Maybe he could get bigger role in another team.

 

[Flowah]

It's 99% clear we are sacrificing games for cap management. Our new coach is at same boat as Babcock was, instantly using wrong players not at their ideal positions.

Wait, are you saying that Blash is throwing games by putting players in bad spots to lower their next contract?