Confirmed with Link: Niku re-signs 2 years $725K AAV

[voyageur]

Disagree I thought Beaulieu was better.

And Beaulieu kills penalties. Not normally with Pionk either, who is proven to be bad at it. Niku takes up no special teams minutes the way we are configured, and we don't really need him to either.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

@FireChevy
I'm not ready to hit the panic button on Niku yet. These boards have been complaining for 2 years that Maurice won't give him a chance and now so many are ready to write him off after 1 bad game?

It was not 1 bad game. It was 1 for 1 this year after 17 for 17 last year.

I hope he gets another chance, maybe playing with a stronger partner. But I think he is hanging on to the end of the rope with one hand.

 

[Atoyot]

It was not 1 bad game. It was 1 for 1 this year after 17 for 17 last year.

I hope he gets another chance, maybe playing with a stronger partner. But I think he is hanging on to the end of the rope with one hand.

It was one bad period (two bad shifts, really) this year that was no worse than Pionk and Forbort's first period, but because of the focus on Niku's defensive game it's always going to be magnified. Underlying numbers were not bad for game 1 either.

 

[Adam da bomb]

It was one bad period (two bad shifts, really) this year that was no worse than Pionk and Forbort's first period, but because of the focus on Niku's defensive game it's always going to be magnified. Underlying numbers were not bad for game 1 either.

But Pionk has already proven himself an nhler. I can give him a lot more leeway than the guy who is still trying out for a position. Forbort’s 1st period was much better. He saved a goal that would have got past Helly. In order for Niku to do something equally impressive in the offensive end he would need to score a goal which he didn’t.
In fact Niku was the only guy trying out for a position. Beaulieu supporters can point to where he was one of our best d in the play ins last year against Calgary. Niku doesn’t have that. All he can point to is his performance in the A because the most generous you can say is he was alright and alright is blowing down the doors and earning you a spot over the incumbent.

 

[WolfHouse]

But Pionk has already proven himself an nhler. I can give him a lot more leeway than the guy who is still trying out for a position. Forbort’s 1st period was much better. He saved a goal that would have got past Helly. In order for Niku to do something equally impressive in the offensive end he would need to score a goal which he didn’t.

Umm he saved a goal because him and Pionk were a tire fire in that first period who couldn't break out of their own zone - at all. A desperation highlight is not a highlight.

Give me a few games of Niku-DeMelo before we write him off... there is literally no D that looks good beside Beaulieu especially Poolman...

 

[Adam da bomb]

Umm he saved a goal because him and Pionk were a tire fire in that first period who couldn't break out of their own zone - at all. A desperation highlight is not a highlight.

Give me a few games of Niku-DeMelo before we write him off... there is literally no D that looks good beside Beaulieu especially Poolman...

A desperation highlight is totally a highlight it’s half of goalie highlights. Poolman has looked very good next to Beaulieu. Niku had his try out and didn’t make the cut.
Demelo should be on the top pairing with Morris set not babysitting the new guy.

 

[NotCommitted]

It's one game after a very long break, a game the jets won. What happened to winning line up etc.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

It was one bad period (two bad shifts, really) this year that was no worse than Pionk and Forbort's first period, but because of the focus on Niku's defensive game it's always going to be magnified. Underlying numbers were not bad for game 1 either.

Too small a sample size for numbers to mean anything. I know what I saw. Just like last year.

But I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. It was everybody's first game action. I will hope for better next game.

 

[voyageur]

But Pionk has already proven himself an nhler. I can give him a lot more leeway than the guy who is still trying out for a position. Forbort’s 1st period was much better. He saved a goal that would have got past Helly. In order for Niku to do something equally impressive in the offensive end he would need to score a goal which he didn’t.
In fact Niku was the only guy trying out for a position. Beaulieu supporters can point to where he was one of our best d in the play ins last year against Calgary. Niku doesn’t have that. All he can point to is his performance in the A because the most generous you can say is he was alright and alright is blowing down the doors and earning you a spot over the incumbent.

You don't even have to go that far back. Go to the preseason scrimmage, where Beaulieu-De Melo basically shut down our top 6 forwards. Niku got torched by Luoto, beaten back to the net by Appleton, and gave up a good scoring chance to Lewis.

He might be a good guy to kick a soccer ball around with in a pregame warmup, and a decent skating and passing defenseman, when he is on, but then his defensive metrics are worse than Mark Stuart's. It's hard to justify playing him.

I don't see a future for him here, unless he solidifies his game. Because Ville Heinola can bring just about every element to the team that Sami Niku can, and probably more.
Beaulieu naysayers can hope for Samberg to replace him.

I am not writing Niku off yet. But I am apprehensive about his ability to be a full time NHL defenseman.

 

[Trinity]

Maurice sure had some scathing comments on Niku today.

 

[Atoyot]

Maurice sure had some scathing comments on Niku today.

By saying that he had a lot of faith in him?

 

[Trinity]

By saying that he had a lot of faith in him?

I see you are a selective listener. Looks like you missed the rest of his comments.

 

[Classic16]

Alot of hate on Niku. I know were weak on d and hope he could make the jump by now but he was a 7th round pick. Him having any nhl games is a win in my books. Even if he can improve a bit and be consistent bottom pairing guy I wont be upset. I think hes close to that just needs some games under his belt. He is 24 so hopefully that matures soon.

 

[Whileee]

Maurice sure had some scathing comments on Niku today.

Not really. He was asked a few times why he was taken out of the lineup. He said that his performance wasn't good enough. That seems pretty straightforward. He also had several positive comments for Niku's strengths.

 

[Atoyot]

I see you are a selective listener. Looks like you missed the rest of his comments.

He said he liked Stanley's game better, not really scathing. Are you talking about the "it's what he does for a living" comment that was misinterpreted by some in the media?

 

[Trinity]

"I liked Stanley's game better."
Paul Maurice on the decision to pull Niku out.
"I still have lots of faith in the young man but he's a puck mover." Says Niku wasn't at the top of his game on that front, though.

 

[DRW204]

i thought he had ripped Niku, but reading the full quote it aint as bad



Billeck initially tweeted this - but sorta did a mea culpa

 

[Whileee]

i thought he had ripped Niku, but reading the full quote it aint as bad

It was misinterpreted by some media and social media commentators, I think.

By the way, about 62% of HF Jets posters agree with Maurice's decision to pull Niku from the lineup (based on the poll), so it's not really all that controversial. Listening to coaches for other NHL teams, multiple questions about pulling Niku would have elicited a much more blunt and negative assessment from his coach than Maurice offered. Maurice has plenty of flaws, but throwing players under the bus publicly isn't one of them. Unfortunately, some media members like to manufacture drama, as do many fans / pundits.

 

[papasan]

Finally Niku gets into a game. I thought he played well enough to play in the next game Saturday against Montreal.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Finally Nike gets into a game. I thought he played well enough to play in the next game Saturday against Montreal.

He played his best game in two seasons, but to put things in perspective, that was an average "Stanley" game, and as I said in another thread, I'd rather have Stanley dropping the gloves against Perry than Ehlers.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

He played his best game in two seasons, but to put things in perspective, that was an average "Stanley" game, and as I said in another thread, I'd rather have Stanley dropping the gloves against Perry than Ehlers.

Its not like Ehlers was the next fighter on the list after Stanley.
He and Perry had something going on the whole game. Ehlers stood up for himself.

Would have been better if someone else had stepped in earlier but no reason to believe it would have been Stanley if he had been in the lineup.

I actually liked Niku last night. I noticed a couple of times he had just a momentary indecision but he made good choices. He was playing offense quite nicely but didn't abandon his job in the D zone. Earned another game IMO. Beaulieu is the one who needs to sit.

 

[LMFAO]

He played his best game in two seasons, but to put things in perspective, that was an average "Stanley" game, and as I said in another thread, I'd rather have Stanley dropping the gloves against Perry than Ehlers.

Lol

Perry is a piece of shit weasel, the only guy in the Organisation he is willing to fight is Ehlers and the 64 year old equipment manager.

He would never have drop them with Stanley.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Lol

Perry is a piece of shit weasel, the only guy in the Organisation he is willing to fight is Ehlers and the 64 year old equipment manager.

He would never have drop them with Stanley.

Can't disagree with you.

 

[DannyGallivan]

actually liked Niku last night. I noticed a couple of times he had just a momentary indecision but he made good choices. He was playing offense quite nicely but didn't abandon his job in the D zone. Earned another game IMO. Beaulieu is the one who needs to sit.

I agree that Beaulieu is the most expendable. However, the reason Niku gets another game may be why Beaulieu is playing... as a "reward" by the coaching staff. Beaulieu is a good company man who took a few fists in the face early in the season and he does work hard. Niku just played his most solid game in recent memory.

However, I don't see any long-term future for either of those players with the Jets. I also don't see how playing either of them ahead of Stanley or Heinola helps us win more. Therefore, unless it has to do with some complicated salary cap equation or something to do with the Seattle expansion draft, put in the two rookies.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I agree that Beaulieu is the most expendable. However, the reason Niku gets another game may be why Beaulieu is playing... as a "reward" by the coaching staff. Beaulieu is a good company man who took a few fists in the face early in the season and he does work hard. Niku just played his most solid game in recent memory.

However, I don't see any long-term future for either of those players with the Jets. I also don't see how playing either of them ahead of Stanley or Heinola helps us win more. Therefore, unless it has to do with some complicated salary cap equation or something to do with the Seattle expansion draft, put in the two rookies.

You mean rookie Niku and rookie Stanley or rookies Samberg and Heinola?

All 4 of those guys (and Beaulieu too) are LHS. All but Stanley play the right side to varying degrees.

Barring injuries, I doubt we see Samberg or Heinola any time soon.

Niku could play 3RD and Stanley 3LD but I can't see Maurice playing 2 rookies together. I doubt he would play those 2 at the same time even with different partners.

I'm not going to get carried away with Niku love based on him finally playing 1 decent game in the NHL. I would give him another game though. Beaulieu out, Poolman in. Otherwise same lineup as last night. Rotate Niku and Stanley at 3LD as long as they continue to play well. That plan changes with injuries.