He got a new number, #93 same as in Liiga
KV gets his big boy #. Nice to see him stick.
He got a new number, #93 same as in Liiga
I think he will get his 9 games to see if he can stick. I've said a few times but I think the Jets are treating him like a CHL player that still has junior eligibility that can't be sent to the AHL, as they fully expect him to return to Europe over an assignment to the Moose.Not saying I quite like giving him a spot when he doesn't look ready. I hope they aren't rushing the kid.
What part of his game didn't look ready to you?Not saying I quite like giving him a spot when he doesn't look ready. I hope they aren't rushing the kid.
What part of his game didn't look ready to you?
I actually thought he won a number of races and did very well in board battles. I didn't see him behind the play much. He didn't get as many offensive chances as he would have liked, but I think he showed a lot of moxy with the puck.He was behind the play at times, wasn't winning enough races or battles nor was he really creating much in the way of offense. He had a hard time getting into position to use his shot and also had difficulty getting it off. His defensive game was solid and he made some nice plays in his own end but I would say that he still needs seasoning.
If he didn't have that out clause I would say he wouldn't be starting with the team. I would also say the org is not in a position to waste a year of his ELC trying to develop him in the NHL. I would rather have Petan or Dano in his role this year.
There is no way Maurice would keep him on the team because he doesn't want to be demoted. I think we need to take Maurice's decision at face value. He obviously thinks he's the 12th best forward coming out of camp and has earned his place in the lineup.The AHL is likely the best place for him to develop his game. It’s too bad he doesn’t see that.
To me, the team that drafts you tells you where the best place to play is, not the other way around.
Tail wagging the dog.
There is no way Maurice would keep him on the team because he doesn't want to be demoted. I think we need to take Maurice's decision at face value. He obviously thinks he's the 12th best forward coming out of camp and has earned his place in the lineup.
I'm a bit puzzled that after years of Maurice getting slagged for not giving young players opportunities, now the critique is that he's gifting a spot to a young rookie. Like every coach, he wants to win, especially when he has the pressure of expectations. He thinks that KV will help his team win. It's as simple as that, from his perspective.
Not saying I quite like giving him a spot when he doesn't look ready. I hope they aren't rushing the kid.
I'm not disputing your assessment. I'm just saying that I highly doubt that Maurice is being pressured to keep him in the lineup. In fact, it would be better for the Jets if his ELC slid this season. Maurice thinks he's been better than other bubble forwards, and that's why he's in the lineup for game 1.There’s very little that I ever disagree with you on Whileee - especially regarding the young players. But in this case I just didn’t see it in pre-season with KV. He was fine but I thought Lemieux had a better camp. I just think he needs one year in the A with a little less pressure to get used to the NA game a bit more.
Maurice thinks KV will contribute more to wins at this point. He might be wrong, but it would be a bad idea if he played Dano or Lemieux over him just because they've been around longer and waiting longer. Clearly your assessment of his preseason isn't shared by Maurice and the coaching staff. He might well be wrong, and will end up demoting him. But I don't think Dano or Lemieux showed more than in him in the preseason games.I am with you. I have always been an advocate of giving the shot to young players but unless he is blowing the doors off in practice, I didn't see enough to take that lineup spot away from Dano and even Lemieux for that matter. Kyle Connor who got sent down the last 2 seasons had much more impressive camps.
I would be absolutely livid if I was Dano and I got banished to the Press Box to start the season again after patiently waiting for his turn and having a good camp.
I'm not disputing your assessment. I'm just saying that I highly doubt that Maurice is being pressured to keep him in the lineup. In fact, it would be better for the Jets if his ELC slid this season. Maurice thinks he's been better than other bubble forwards, and that's why he's in the lineup for game 1.
Maurice thinks KV will contribute more to wins at this point. He might be wrong, but it would be a bad idea if he played Dano or Lemieux over him just because they've been around longer and waiting longer. Clearly your assessment of his preseason isn't shared by Maurice and the coaching staff. He might well be wrong, and will end up demoting him. But I don't think Dano or Lemieux showed more than in him in the preseason games.
he said he wanted to play in north America this year. not making the jets was a real possibility. so he sounds like he is willing to play in the ahl. niku had the same prevision in his contract and chose to play in the ahl. think he plays in nhl this year but will go to ahl if he has to.Once again I have to say that I will be extremely surprised if he chooses to stay in the AHL if he doesn’t get more than 9 NHL games. There’s the clearly better money through the KHL route, and definitely people here are underestimating the men’s international team’s value in the equation. He will have a damn good chance to play in the WHC, if he has a good season in Europe. Especially now that Finland has the men’s and junior’s gold medal coach Jukka Jalonen as the head coach. Jalonen is well known for giving very talented young players a good role in the national team, and he is also very good with handling young players. The appeal to play especially now for the Finnish national team is going to be huge.
On the other hand, honestly the AHL has a very bad reputation with Finnish players. The only Finnish player to do really well in the NHL after playing a full season in the AHL has been Mikko Rantanen. There are mostly horrible examples of getting buried in the AHL forever like Teemu Pulkkinen. Not saying though that he necessarily should have even been an NHL player, but it anyway shows that even when you do extremely well in the AHL, you might not get jackcrap of a shot of playing in the NHL (look at Niku for example). I think a lot of Finnish players have realized this, and the more they have the ambition to be a really good NHL player, they will not see usually the AHL as the best option for their development, even how much North American fans might believe that it would be. This is something that a lot of people here don’t seem to get at all.
I do understand that many North American fans are very much used to the AHL route being the only good way to develop a player for the NHL, but I think these fans are lacking the understanding of how Finnish players are more likely to see it.
That would make sense.
I also may be just a little paranoid after the Trouba issues of the past couple years and am looking for any signs of questionable character in players I’m not as familiar with.
I just don’t like KV’s escape clause and don’t like that he pushed for one. I’ll admit that it may have tainted my view of him.
Once again I have to say that I will be extremely surprised if he chooses to stay in the AHL if he doesn’t get more than 9 NHL games. There’s the clearly better money through the KHL route
We don't know if Niku has it for all three years. It may be that he wanted it in case it looked on year three that he won't be making it to NHL at all and didn't feel like bussing around in AHL for $70k (+ something) at that point anymore when teams in Europe would pay him more.he said he wanted to play in north America this year. not making the jets was a real possibility. so he sounds like he is willing to play in the ahl. niku had the same prevision in his contract and chose to play in the ahl. think he plays in nhl this year but will go to ahl if he has to.
He said he wanted to TRY playing North American hockey. If he plays 9 games and goes to Europe, he has done what he said.he said he wanted to play in north America this year. not making the jets was a real possibility. so he sounds like he is willing to play in the ahl. niku had the same prevision in his contract and chose to play in the ahl. think he plays in nhl this year but will go to ahl if he has to.
I actually thought he won a number of races and did very well in board battles. I didn't see him behind the play much. He didn't get as many offensive chances as he would have liked, but I think he showed a lot of moxy with the puck.
I actually thought he won a number of races and did very well in board battles. I didn't see him behind the play much. He didn't get as many offensive chances as he would have liked, but I think he showed a lot of moxy with the puck.