Rookie camp 2019 in Irvine, CA (Ducks hosting)

[Vegan Knight]

Why be in such a hurry to bury Holden unless he's just clearly getting outplayed? The cap game has come and gone, now its just a matter of keeping the best players on the squad. Holden isn't impressive and isn't worth $2.2m, but he's probably a better option than most of the potential rookies. Lets hope I'm wrong and he's outplayed by a couple of them, but I'm not expecting that. And while his salary might have hurt the team's ability to put together the squad they wanted, I'm sure some team will send over a lower pick or two at the deadline for him so might as well keep him engaged and find him a new home later this year. Some playoff team is inevitably going to have injuries or a hole in their third pairing and be willing to give up something small for him.

He only needs to be beaten by one of the rookies to be the seventh, in which case sending him to the AHL and saving some cap for a few games matters little. Especially if we want to give our rookies ice time regardless because they are the future and Holden isn't even really the present.

If we lose a few games early while they acclimate but prepare them better for a playoff run after a regular season of experience then that's alright. But I think they will be better than the trainwreck Holden was.

It's also only 3-5 games we are talking about here. There's options for the team to fit in everyone they want.

 

[willy702]

Holden wasn't a train wreck, just nothing special. He's way overpaid but a legitimate #5/6 D in the NHL. He's good to have in case Engo or McNabb go down to be the responsible one.

If he had a few more years left I would say find a way to move him, but one year left isn't going to impact the rookies. One of those rooks is going to be sitting in the press box, better get them ice time in Chicago. I'd rather have Holden doing that. He can be professional and be effective going many scratches in between games. A rookie would kind of scare me going 5 inactives and then skating.

 

[theslatcher]

Do you honestly believe Holden is a 5/6D?if so then wow. There's a reason the Rags, & Avs dropped him like a hot potato and it's entirely on his play. He's a train wreck. Thank god Merrill improved halfway through the season last year so playing him(and to an extent Miller) wasn't something that would have you in a constant state of clenching your butt. Holden still made stupid plays Merrill couldn't cover up, though.