khan : hronek flourishing

Frk It

Mo Seider Less Problems
Jul 27, 2010
36,201
14,683
That's true for the Wings but I've seen this story elsewhere and cited a couple examples. I just can't have my heart broken again, you know?

Niskanen and Ghost are still better players than 80% of what we have been icing on this defense for the last 5 years.

Niskanen turned into a solid minute eating guy. I can only imagine what Hronek would do on the #1 PP of Pittsburgh with Crosby and Malkin in the prime of his career. I think he would go to town.

Ghost is a very talented guy, he can still put up offense but his role has diminished on that team. I think ever since that playoff series in Pittsburgh he kind of got exposed and lost his confidence. I don't want to say he is soft, but he looked pretty soft in that particular series. I think Hronek has some jam to his game that might lead him to be less of a specialist than a guy like Ghost who can just get bullied at times.

Not sure Hronek has the stuff to be a top pairing guy on a contender just yet, but I am very comfortable projecting him as at least a 2nd pairing offensive guy that can play on your 1st PP. He can at least be a Justin Faulk, which is a guy this board has been pining over for years. With Seider in the mix, we may have the luxury of slotting him into exactly that role. I think he would absolutely shine in that role if we can add better forwards up front.
 
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ricky0034

Registered User
Jun 8, 2010
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When have we ever had a defenseman show this much this early? Never.

Hronek is 22 and has already put up more points in a season than Kindl or Smith ever did in a Red Wings jersey. When have we ever had a young defeseman producing around a .5 PPG over an extended period? Never.

People got overly excited about Dekeyser despite the fact that he had a very mediocre skill set. Can't say the same about Hronek, there is clearly more talent there.

Kindl is 32 and it's already been 3 years now since he's washed out of the league entirely,Smith is 30 and hanging on by a thread himself(he's played in all but one of the Rangers games this year but he's also only getting 10 minutes of ice time a night)

there's a whole lot of room in between being better than guys that aren't really even NHLers at all and being good enough that we should be talking about being set on defense

Hronek is promising and will probably have a long career but he could still very easily end up with his defense stagnating and being a 3rd pairing offensive specialist long term or something

as far as DeKeyser goes free assets are exciting,especially when it was a guy most other teams were reportedly interested in and he stepped in and contributed on some level pretty much right away
 

Ghost of Ethan Hunt

The Official Ghost of Space Ghosts Monkey
Jun 23, 2018
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I think Seider ends up a strong 2-way #2, 30-40+pt Dman. Possibly a #1 at his peak, Parayko type. Hronek an elite #3PMD, 50pt+, possibly a good #2. Both will PP/PK, 22-23TOI+.

Last week Dobber wrote this about Seider @ WJC, I'm reposting my OP:

Ramblngs: Laviolette fired; Shestorkin called up; Crosby return?; Kovy’s first game; World Juniors – January 7 | DobberHockey – Fantasy NHL Projections and Analysis

Dobber on Moritz @ WJC: paraphrasing (Moritz was the best D in the tourney)

"Moritz Seider is definitely as advertised. He may take some time to grow into his skills and maybe the skating needs some work, but it’s obvious what the Red Wings saw in him when they jumped on him so high. It may have been the best team that Germany has offered the WJC’s in my lifetime, but a lot of that has to be attributed to their defenceman who was regularly playing 24, 25 or more minutes. I said I wanted to see him control the play and that he most certainly did. He knew when to get the puck up to his talented forwards and when he needed to do it himself. It’s not that he was playing 25 minutes a game because he was playing for Germany; it’s hard seeing any defenceman in this tournament superseding him on the depth chart, regardless of nation. He looks like a special talent. "
 

Frk It

Mo Seider Less Problems
Jul 27, 2010
36,201
14,683
Hronek is promising and will probably have a long career but he could still very easily end up with his defense stagnating and being a 3rd pairing offensive specialist long term or something

I see that as being overly cynical, but we will see.

as far as DeKeyser goes free assets are exciting,especially when it was a guy most other teams were reportedly interested in and he stepped in and contributed on some level pretty much right away

I get that, but the tools were never really there for me.
 

Bench

3 is a good start
Aug 14, 2011
21,202
14,897
crease
Niskanen and Ghost are still better players than 80% of what we have been icing on this defense for the last 5 years.

Niskanen turned into a solid minute eating guy. I can only imagine what Hronek would do on the #1 PP of Pittsburgh with Crosby and Malkin in the prime of his career. I think he would go to town.

Ghost is a very talented guy, he can still put up offense but his role has diminished on that team. I think ever since that playoff series in Pittsburgh he kind of got exposed and lost his confidence. I don't want to say he is soft, but he looked pretty soft in that particular series. I think Hronek has some jam to his game that might lead him to be less of a specialist than a guy like Ghost who can just get bullied at times.

Not sure Hronek has the stuff to be a top pairing guy on a contender just yet, but I am very comfortable projecting him as at least a 2nd pairing offensive guy that can play on your 1st PP. He can at least be a Justin Faulk, which is a guy this board has been pining over for years. With Seider in the mix, we may have the luxury of slotting him into exactly that role. I think he would absolutely shine in that role if we can add better forwards up front.

Hmm. This is a good breakdown.

Thank you for teaching me how to love again.
 
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Henkka

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
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I think Seider ends up a strong 2-way #2, 30-40+pt Dman. Possibly a #1 at his peak, Parayko type. Hronek an elite #3PMD, 50pt+, possibly a good #2. Both will PP/PK, 22-23TOI+.

Could be that Seider will play 4-5 minutes more than Hronek in few years.

His endurance levels are already high (natural gift, tested already on combine to be the 2nd best of all guys and best of all top 2019 defencemen picks), and his play doesn't regress under huge minutes. Also ideal for Hronek to settle on the 2nd pair when Seider overtakes him on the right side depth chart.

In the future

RD Seider 25 min
RD Hronek 20-22 min
RD 3rd pair guy 13-15min, maybe less.

Left side split more equally.
 

Frk It

Mo Seider Less Problems
Jul 27, 2010
36,201
14,683
Hmm. This is a good breakdown.

Thank you for teaching me how to love again.
2f8501d977b61eb5ede793b2a9f3fc2a.gif
 
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Oddbob

Registered User
Jan 21, 2016
15,764
10,302
I love Hronek's game, he hits, engages in physical battles, isn't afraid to shoot the puck, and makes confident plays with the puck. He is of course playing too many minutes right now, for a player who is learning to play, so mistakes are going to happen. They are also going to pile up, when your d partners are Bowey, Biega, Lashoff, Ericsson or Daley as it has been most of this season. I am not 100% sold that he is a a true #1, but I do believe there will be nothing wrong with him being on the top pair when we finally start competing again. It will also be interesting to see how he looks when and if we ever get good goaltending every night, and he no longer has #12 defenders as his partners.
 

SirloinUB

Registered User
Aug 20, 2010
4,643
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So Hronek will be eligible for an extension July 1st correct? Do you extend him or take a wait and see approach? If you extend him, what kind of contract would you be looking for?
 

Henkka

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
31,077
12,078
Tampere, Finland
Hronek is at 24min in his first full year. He’s pretty darn close to that already.

And everybody is talking how he is playing over his head. Too many minutes, because there's nobody else.

This will change in the future. Less minutes, less mistakes and better effort.
 

TheOctopusKid

Registered User
Sep 24, 2010
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I don't think I'm tracking the argument on this thread very well - what exactly is the debate here?
 

Winger98

Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
22,756
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Letang has netted 7 seasons over 25 minutes TOI average, 27min as highest season. Don't think Hronek will ever be able for that.

Seider's job.

yeah, I think Hronek will be able to handle 25 minutes a night if he needs to. Unlike the Pens, where Letang has been forced to play more minutes as their blueline has slipped. But I also don't think him averaging 23 instead of 25 makes his game any less like Letang.
 

izlez

We need more toe-drags/60
Feb 28, 2012
4,576
3,462
When have we ever had a defenseman show this much this early? Never.

Hronek is 22 and has already put up more points in a season than Kindl or Smith ever did in a Red Wings jersey. When have we ever had a young defeseman producing around a .5 PPG over an extended period? Never.

People got overly excited about Dekeyser despite the fact that he had a very mediocre skill set. Can't say the same about Hronek, there is clearly more talent there.
I've just got to point out that the Red Wings organization has been around longer than 15 years and if you're looking at Kindl or Smith or Dekeyser as the best examples of defenseman in the organization, you're looking in the wrong spot
 

TheMule93

On a mule rides the swindler
May 26, 2015
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And everybody is talking how he is playing over his head. Too many minutes, because there's nobody else.

This will change in the future. Less minutes, less mistakes and better effort.

People are? Ive only seen praise for him by fans and from the coach
 

Henkka

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
31,077
12,078
Tampere, Finland
I thought you had Cholowski winning a Norris? Shouldn't he be our top dog?

Yeah, things have changed a bit.

We need minute logger on the left side, Cholowski can do that, but like we have seen, ideally he is not a shut-down pair defenceman (like McIsaac would be). But if we don't build a shut-down pair, and do build a hybrid, maybe Seider can be paired with Cholowski and he carries the whole pair.
 

Ghost of Ethan Hunt

The Official Ghost of Space Ghosts Monkey
Jun 23, 2018
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So Hronek will be eligible for an extension July 1st correct? Do you extend him or take a wait and see approach? If you extend him, what kind of contract would you be looking for?
Lock him up asap. 6-7 yrs, $4.5 seems fair for all. Kinda like Josi when he signed for cheap & long term on his prior contract.
 

Henkka

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
31,077
12,078
Tampere, Finland
You are not gonna get those long-term deals cheap anymore. The new TV deal is coming.

I predict Yzerman will go short-term with Hronek.
 

SirloinUB

Registered User
Aug 20, 2010
4,643
2,121
Canada
Lock him up asap. 6-7 yrs, $4.5 seems fair for all. Kinda like Josi when he signed for cheap & long term on his prior contract.

I'd be all for it.

Would Hronek though? Does he look at what he has accomplished so far and what happened with guys like Josi and Klingberg and demand more cash or less term?
 

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