Player Discussion: Josh Ho-Sang Pt II

[seabass45]

Would be interesting to see a team like Detroit take a shot on him. Nothing to lose, in the basement for awhile anyway so why not. I can't see Edmonton doing it, too much pressure to bring a potential headcase into the building.

 

[PK Cronin]

So he obviously wants out. What does he have to lose by speaking to the Post? Hell he probably invited them..

My prediction is there's a coach out there who believes in JHS and will urge his GM to acquire him.. and that coach will put the player in the best possible positions and we will once again be embarrassed as to how we mishandled yet another young man's career..

Yeah, yeah... JHS speaks to the media too much.. but not that long ago we all found it refreshing..

I still believe Ho-Sang would produce at the NHL level and that being directly under Trotz would be better for him than being with Thompson. That doesn't excuse that constant conversations with the media about the same old things.

He wasn't wrong when he criticized Weight and Snow about being sent down, because it was true that the team struggled more on defense after he was sent down. He probably shouldn't have said anything about it though, at least not publicly. Same thing applies here. He's not wrong when it comes to whether or not he was fighting an uphill battle for a roster spot this training camp, but that doesn't mean he should be mouthing off about it and questioning the decision making of his new, and more legitimate, general manager.

I'm still hoping he'll light it up and be brought up because he's better than Kuhnhackl is, even with his warts. He did decently well while up in the NHL and I don't think his AHL numbers really matter all that much given that fact.

 

[NC 1972]

So doesn't this all sound too familiar there was talk about JHS leading into his draft year, it was said he had great skills but was difficult to coach couldn't take direction right. And was shunned by Hockey Canada correct? And it wasn't just one coach who had an ax to grind this seemed the consensus from most of what I've read about this player leading up until today. But Garth took a chance and hoped this time it would work out, we saw him preform at the NHL level and that is the reason so many are willing to accept his flaws and hold onto the possibility of a return for the NYI. I'm of the belief that as a youngster he had skills that allowed him to excel against lesser talent and didn't adhere that much to coaching. I also believe he may have been encouraged by those close to him to ignore the criticism and just keep playing your game. Its the old expression its not me its everyone else. If at every turn you hear the same criticism's / observations and choose not to correct your deficiency's then that's on you. If it looks like a duck sounds like a duck.......................

 

[seabass45]

That thing about him not getting top six time in the AHL after being told he had to beat his competition to make it in the top six with the Isles... he's not wrong.

Not to mention that his competition for top six time in the NHL was Eberle and Bailey. He probably sees this and realizes he doesn't have a shot.

 

[danteipp]

This quote, from Bull Durham, comes to mind with respect to JHS -

Crash Davis:
Your shower shoes have fungus on them. You'll never make it to the bigs with fungus on your shower shoes. Think classy, you'll be classy. If you win 20 in the show, you can let the fungus grow back and the press'll think you're colorful. Until you win 20 in the show, however, it means you are a slob.

 

[IslesNorway]

Digging his own grave really.

 

[JeffNYI]

I still believe Ho-Sang would produce at the NHL level and that being directly under Trotz would be better for him than being with Thompson. That doesn't excuse that constant conversations with the media about the same old things.

He wasn't wrong when he criticized Weight and Snow about being sent down, because it was true that the team struggled more on defense after he was sent down. He probably shouldn't have said anything about it though, at least not publicly. Same thing applies here. He's not wrong when it comes to whether or not he was fighting an uphill battle for a roster spot this training camp, but that doesn't mean he should be mouthing off about it and questioning the decision making of his new, and more legitimate, general manager.

I'm still hoping he'll light it up and be brought up because he's better than Kuhnhackl is, even with his warts. He did decently well while up in the NHL and I don't think his AHL numbers really matter all that much given that fact.

Well the way I see it -- if he wants out -- he's got two choices.. make the Islanders grow tired of him so they make a move, or accept probably being buried until you're a free agent..

I don't like that he spoke to the media again... but if you're him and believe your ability to earn millions is being unfairly impacted, why not? This may simply be strategy on JHS's end..

 

[Le Grec]

Talking about this kid is more boring than talking about Tavares...

 

[danteipp]

Fine... Ho-Sang, Kühnhackl and Gionta for Nylander. Just so we can help out the Leafs bottom six and so Pajama Boy does have a meltdown beside his pool. But now they owe us one!

 

[BTrotts19]

Took a chance on this kid, and it didn't pan out--can't kill Garth on this one. Be great if we could turn this asset into something but nobody is giving anything worthwhile for him. I killed Garth/Dougie on him but if two elite hockey guys in LL/BT don't think he is an NHLer, I trust them and time to move on.

 

[ndgolden]

When someone else is writing you a check to play hockey. You do whatever they want you to do. Period. Be professional and perform.

 

[Bronson]

I think he needs a change of scenery. I'd trade him to Minnesota for Joel Eriksson-Ek, another prospect who looks like he's about to bust.

 

[aronjudge11]

2 weeks ago I said his time is up here, it ain't happening, he will be a European league player soon, ,and a few fans explained how players take many years to be NHL ready, the same fans who think anyone over 27 shouldn't be signed long term. My bet is he's not making any $$ in the AHL and the isles, him, and his agent already came to the conclusion that no other team has NHL ice time available for him either. For instance, once a player has some NHl experience, teams don't keep them in the AHL long term unless no other teams want them. There is intense pressure from agents on the GM not to get in the way of someone's NHL career. This kids getting worse not better. His future is the German league if it's still around.

 

[mm11]

this kid is on the fast track to europe. Not a bad gig there I bet. Hope I'm wrong but it's starting to get rotten with him. Swing and miss maybe....

 

[beach]

Honestly, I'd give him one more shot in the bigs right now. See how it goes for 10-20 games under Trotz, and then decide.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Thing is, and you know this following the OHL, he's always pulled the same ****. He hasn't learned. It's time to call it -- Josh is a ****ing idiot. Kid is dumb on the ice and off of it, plain and simple. Tired of making excuses for him year after year and I was a proponent of his even prior to being drafted by the Isles. Always felt like he would eventually grow up and learn.

But really, when it comes down to it, his skill is greatly overrated. He may skate fast and stickhandle like a flashy star, but his brain is much slower to process than his hands and feet. He almost always makes bad decisions with the puck -- like his highlight from a few weeks back when he blocked a shot in front of the net for the Sound Tigers -- what they don't show in the highlights is that he created the turnover with a stupid pass that led to the chance in the first place.

He hasn't accomplished dick in the AHL, but he wants to criticize accomplished guys like Lou and Barry. **** that stupid kid.

It's time to part ways.

I've always thought Ho-Sang was the poster boy for describing the difference between a player with great talent AND vision/IQ and a player with great talent but lacking vision/IQ.

Talent, to me, is about the physical ability to make a play. Can a player make a 50 foot pass onto a teammate's stick while in stride? If yes, then he's got talent for playmaking/passing. However, vision/IQ is about a player's ability to process whether or not he SHOULD make that pass.

IMO, Ho-Sang has the physical tools to be a great playmaker, but I'm not sure he's got the mental tools to know when to make those passes and when not to. And I think that's what you see on the ice. 1 out of 5 times those passes work, it looks like a highlight reel pass that makes you go, "oh man, this guy's going to be elite". But 4 out of 5 times they don't work, and that's why he turns the puck over so much.

 

[beach]

I've always thought Ho-Sang was the poster boy for describing the difference between a player with great talent AND vision/IQ and a player with great talent but lacking vision/IQ.

Talent, to me, is about the physical ability to make a play. Can a player make a 50 foot pass onto a teammate's stick while in stride? If yes, then he's got talent for playmaking/passing. However, vision/IQ is about a player's ability to process whether or not he SHOULD make that pass.

IMO, Ho-Sang has the physical tools to be a great playmaker, but I'm not sure he's got the mental tools to know when to make those passes and when not to. And I think that's what you see on the ice. 1 out of 5 times those passes work, it looks like a highlight reel pass that makes you go, "oh man, this guy's going to be elite". But 4 out of 5 times they don't work, and that's why he turns the puck over so much.

Trotz and staff can teach this. Give him a shot. This team's not going anywhere. This season should be a Petri dish for just such an experiment.

 

[Bronson]

I've always thought Ho-Sang was the poster boy for describing the difference between a player with great talent AND vision/IQ and a player with great talent but lacking vision/IQ.

Talent, to me, is about the physical ability to make a play. Can a player make a 50 foot pass onto a teammate's stick while in stride? If yes, then he's got talent for playmaking/passing. However, vision/IQ is about a player's ability to process whether or not he SHOULD make that pass.

IMO, Ho-Sang has the physical tools to be a great playmaker, but I'm not sure he's got the mental tools to know when to make those passes and when not to. And I think that's what you see on the ice. 1 out of 5 times those passes work, it looks like a highlight reel pass that makes you go, "oh man, this guy's going to be elite". But 4 out of 5 times they don't work, and that's why he turns the puck over so much.

I think his biggest problem is that he lacks professionalism. He seems smart enough in interviews but he is also really easily distracted and seems to forget what he is getting paid for and what he is supposed to do, not just on the ice but off it as well. I know I'm sounding like an amateur shrink but I think he might have ADHD or something similar.

 

[Thrasymachus]

Bummer

I was really hopeful Ho-Sang would work out for us

Unfortunately it looks like he is a goner

 

[Bood12]

Player is unjustly being buried in Bridgeport and fans here are calling him out on it and calling him a bust, some team is going to take a flyer on him and give him a regular spot on a NHL team and it is going to be a great decision, one has to wonder if there is a racist element going on here.

 

[Thrasymachus]

Player is unjustly being buried in Bridgeport and fans here are calling him out on it and calling him a bust, some team is going to take a flyer on him and give him a regular spot on a NHL team and it is going to be a great decision, one has to wonder if there is a racist element going on here.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that he should be in the NHL. However his comments are very unbecoming. Racism is def. a nasty issue that has been associated with JHS in the past, but I don't think that that is the case with this situation. People are getting tired of the smart talk to reporters. Shades of Nino (another player who we unjustly jerked around)

 

[PK Cronin]

Well the way I see it -- if he wants out -- he's got two choices.. make the Islanders grow tired of him so they make a move, or accept probably being buried until you're a free agent..

I don't like that he spoke to the media again... but if you're him and believe your ability to earn millions is being unfairly impacted, why not? This may simply be strategy on JHS's end..

If this wasn't a thing he did for a long time I could see it, but he's had this label on him for a long time.

Took a chance on this kid, and it didn't pan out--can't kill Garth on this one. Be great if we could turn this asset into something but nobody is giving anything worthwhile for him. I killed Garth/Dougie on him but if two elite hockey guys in LL/BT don't think he is an NHLer, I trust them and time to move on.

I really think he just happened to get caught in a bad spot with the organization. For whatever reason he didn't stick with Capuano and Weight, neither of whom were quality NHL coaches. Lamoriello comes in and hires Trotz, but the organization is so badly organized that they are pretty much starting over. They need to establish their way of doing things and undo a lot of what the previous regime did. In an attempt to do that, they bring in a bunch of veteran bottom 6 guys and a player like Sbisa to help create the atmosphere and structure the team needs. There isn't any room for Ho-Sang in the bottom 6 or the top 6 because we have Eberle and Bailey there, and it doesn't seem like the organization wants him in the bottom 6. Having him on the team also doesn't help to cultivate the new environment that Lamoriello and Trotz want at the moment. This team isn't trying to win the cup right now, because if it were, Ho-Sang would be on the roster over Kuhnhackl, Komarov, Filppula, or Johnston. That's why I think it's too early to tell what Lamoriello and Trotz actually think about him and his ability to contribute to the team.

Whether or not he's being treated fairly in the minors, I don't know, I don't catch many of those games. I find it odd he's not in the top 6 there (if that's true) and it doesn't give him a pass to go mouthing off to the media about it. It's another bad look for him.

Player is unjustly being buried in Bridgeport and fans here are calling him out on it and calling him a bust, some team is going to take a flyer on him and give him a regular spot on a NHL team and it is going to be a great decision, one has to wonder if there is a racist element going on here.

Racist element going on here as in on HF Boards or from the Isles organization?

Definitely not on the boards and I don't think the previous regime was racist. Didn't the Isles have a decent number of minorities play for them during their tenure?

 

[13th Floor]

Player is unjustly being buried in Bridgeport and fans here are calling him out on it and calling him a bust, some team is going to take a flyer on him and give him a regular spot on a NHL team and it is going to be a great decision, one has to wonder if there is a racist element going on here.

Why would you immediately jump to racism? Where is there any evidence of that?

 

[Doshell Propivo]

Player is unjustly being buried in Bridgeport and fans here are calling him out on it and calling him a bust, some team is going to take a flyer on him and give him a regular spot on a NHL team and it is going to be a great decision, one has to wonder if there is a racist element going on here.

Why is he "unjustly" being buried in Bridgeport? Fans have called every single Islander in the history of the team a bust at one point or another.

A team may take a flyer on him but you cannot know that it will be a great decision. Based on what?? Calling him a "bust" right now or a "regular" NHLer are equally stupid conclusions to draw at this point.

 

[Bood12]

Don't get me wrong, I agree that he should be in the NHL. However his comments are very unbecoming. Racism is def. a nasty issue that has been associated with JHS in the past, but I don't think that that is the case with this situation. People are getting tired of the smart talk to reporters. Shades of Nino (another player who we unjustly jerked around)

Well maybe he is justified? The guy should have never been sent down to rot in Bridgeport after playing 42 games and averaging over a 1/2 a point a game while he was up here, I admit this season with the Islanders it is hard to fit him in with the team playing above expectations though there are still 2 or 3 mainstays who I would rather see Ho-Sang in the lineup over