Where do I start here?
I don't think Andersson was given a fair shot on the big club. That is on DQ.
Has to be called for total bs, evident on the eye test.
b'c he was not just a 1st put a high 1st, they gave him way more opportunity than he deserved.
They had nothing else ranked high, but instead of peddling this for another pick +, they gambled and lost. He was ranked closer to 12-17ish and they reached because ho ho ho, he was supposedly a safer pick.
Last year his skating was an abortion.
It was better this year, but that is not saying much.
Most egregiously, the entirely political decision to give this kid more than he deserved in terms of opportunity, including with the likes of Kreider, Zib, etc, just to save face and only b'c he was a 1st/7OA, cost others who deserved a fair shot, including Nieves.
Good riddance to Lias.
He has zip talent, and they figured this guy could be a Charley Hustle/Pete Rose NHL type, best case scenario another Gallagher like on Mon.
They figured wrong.
HCDQ was entirely correct to not give him more than he already got, none of which he earned, was way too much.
Howden has never been sent down and he isn't really any better than Lias.
Not sure he was NEVER sent down, but I'll take your word for it.
However, he really IS way, WAY better than Lias.
Setting aside passing skills, hockey sense and other variables, what is NIGHT AND DAY indisputable, is that Howden can actually skate and skate well and skate circles around Lias any time, any place.
I also realize there wasn't much room for him on the team.
Lias got 6 to 7 minutes on the 4th line with Haley or someone equally as offensively devoid.
I don't mind moving Lias, someone isn't going to be playing out of the previously mentioned.
Yes, he has had bottom 6 and plenty of 4th line mins w/offensive black holes. But he also got legit shot w/Kreider and Zib mins.
At this pt we have no choice but to move him, only ? is now or later.
Bern, this is a similar situation to your infatuation with Nieves. You have a player here that really isn't all that good and isn't deserving of some assignment that projects to be above his skill level.
No, it is you who have the compulsion here b'c you CONSTANTLY refuse to admit I am entitled to conduct this experiment as I theorize.
You insist that unless Nieves is a Chytil level of talent, or something similar, there is no basis to conduct the test.
But you are wrong.
Nieves does NOT have to reach Chytil standards. He only has to be an effective facilitator. [And again, the idea is not that Chytil can't be a good facilitator, the pt is Chytil can better anchor another line, strengthening it and deepening our lineup, since he does have sufficient talent.]
It is beyond credible how you continuously cling to this no talent charge and get away with it, when as a facilitator, who only has to make it easier for Kreider and Zib, the threshold of what Boo needs to do is less than full service.
It is already obvious passing the eye test that Nieves
- is solid defensively and his Ws can take comfort he has their back
- has size, reach, speed
He is not a scorer, but neither is most of the rest of the team, and again he does not have to be. He only has to make it easier for his Ws to score.
So this really boils down to his ability as a pivot to stickhandle and pass the puck. That is really all this is.
My view of the eye test is he is skilled enough to do this, and unlike Stepan, can do so at high speed w/a fast enough W.
You want to disagree fine, but that is what the experiment is for.
And no bs about Boo never producing etc etc. He's never had any quality scoring Ws to work with.
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I always felt Lias had a ceiling of a defensive 3C......not everyone can be a top line offensive player. Andersson really never deserved to play above the 3rd line or with better players.....
correct, but only to the extent he demonstrated epic fail after being given the chance.
Teams need to try, including outside the box, to find combos that work, because chemistry is a unique and fragile thing.
'Deserve[] to play' yields to give everyone a fair shot, first.
THEN you cut the wheat from the chaff, and so on.
But you give everyone a look in equal conditions [same linemates] so you can compare players with adequately identical or similar enough variables.
just like Nieves.
wrong.
NEVER got a fair shot to date.
When you have Zib/Chytil and Strome ahead of you........Lias only gets 4th line minutes.
Agreed, and that is best case scenario for Lias who has not even earned that.
Either the Boo experiment works or it doesn't.
If it does, he is a C and Zib is RW on that line.
If not Nieves is 4C and Zib is a pivot
Chytil, Strome and I argue around the corner Krav will show up and eventually pivot as well.
Howden 3C or 4C if pushed down.
No room for Lias.
buh-bye
