Speculation: Roster Building Thread LXXXVII: Lot’s of Fools in April

[haohmaru]

Amazing the amount of consternation around here over which six-minutes-a-night guy is sitting out on game night. It’s consistent, though, I’ll give it that.

 

[pld459666]

I don't think to highly of Gauthier.

But PDG clearly does not stand for pretty damn good

I am fast approaching the point at which I start to lose faith in JD and JG.

If this is the vision that they both share, then its not gonna get better any time soon.

Howden will be back soon.

Anyone taking bets that Kravtsov sits when bitch boy Brett is back??

SMH

 

[fm]

I think they'd like to get him to a point where they trust what he's doing out there.

Without getting into a debate as to whether one agrees or disagrees with the approach to Gauthier, he's definitely a player they are pumping a lot of time and resources into. So there's definitely a desire for him to be part of that "solution" as it were.

What kind of time? Clearly not ice-time. Clearly not PP time.

How are any of these young kids going to produce at the NHL level if they're not seeing decent time?

 

[jay from jersey]

I don't think to highly of Gauthier.

But PDG clearly does not stand for pretty damn good

I am fast approaching the point at which I start to lose faith in JD and JG.

If this is the vision that they both share, then its not gonna get better any time soon.

Howden will be back soon.

Anyone taking bets that Kravtsov sits when bitch boy Brett is back??

SMH

I wish draft kings would let you bet on that. Cause with diamond dave at the helm that’s what’s known in betting circles as a lead pipe lock.

 

[DudMan28]

I don't think to highly of Gauthier.

But PDG clearly does not stand for pretty damn good

I am fast approaching the point at which I start to lose faith in JD and JG.

If this is the vision that they both share, then its not gonna get better any time soon.

Howden will be back soon.

Anyone taking bets that Kravtsov sits when bitch boy Brett is back??

SMH

It's fine to not be high on Gauthier, but I want to give him some games and see what he can do. Is he really worse than PDG at this point? Like you said for 6-10 mins a night the difference is minimal, but I'd rather see what we have in a kid with perceived upside than PDG.

He's shown some flashes here and there, then Quinn pulls the rug out and benches him again.

 

[Edge]

More experience is interesting. I feel like there’s already maybe too much experience for the young players to fit in once they get up to speed more. For example, once Laf gets going, there’s still Kreider and Panarin on that side. There’s just Buch on the right but there’s Kakko, Kravstov and Gauthier who should be top 9 players. I almost wonder where more experience could even fit up front.

I think it's where the experience is located. For example, potentially at LD, potentially in the bottom six. For example, if your fourth line wings are Gauthier and Barron, there might be a desire to go with a more experienced center there. Things of that nature.

 

[Edge]

What kind of time? Clearly not ice-time. Clearly not PP time.

How are any of these young kids going to produce at the NHL level if they're not seeing decent time?

They've spent quite a bit of time with in practices and behind the scenes, focusing on very specific things and examples. I think they have a vision of what they'd like him to be. Now the question is whether both sides can get there.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Not to be that guy but if the team has devoted so much time to helping Gauthier, you’d think they would allow him time and reps to actually apply what they’re teaching in game

as opposed to him playing scared of being ripped out of the lineup. Which happens regardless if he’s playing well or not

 

[CLW]

I think it's where the experience is located. For example, potentially at LD, potentially in the bottom six. For example, if your fourth line wings are Gauthier and Barron, there might be a desire to go with a more experienced center there. Things of that nature.

This is the logic of win now FO's and coaches. Ask Montreal how it worked out for them losing out on a decade's worth of prospects because the prospects got ragdolled in favor of "vets & experience". There are interesting threads in the Habs forums about this exact issue.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

I say trade Gauthier and force Seattle to take Howden

 

[CLW]

They've spent quite a bit of time with in practices and behind the scenes, focusing on very specific things and examples. I think they have a vision of what they'd like him to be. Now the question is whether both sides can get there.

I don't trust their "vision" (not only for Gauthier); based on their actions and style I feel they are stuck in the past and the template is outdated. I look at other teams and I am much more impressed by the intelligence and thought behind their vision. For example, Quinn hasn't impressed me in any particular way, as coaches go he is basically just a guy. The problem is that sticking with him will have consequences down the road. It also looks to me as if the FO have painted themselves into a corner headhunting him.

I hope they prove me wrong, but I doubt they will.

 

[Nickmo82]

i’d love to see Quinn give these lines a chance.

Kreider - Chytil - Buchnevich
Lafreniere - Zibanejad - Kakko
Panarin - Strome - Kravtsov

So unrealistic. At least try.

Where is the career AHLer shoehorned into the top 6?

 

[Edge]

This is the logic of win now FO's and coaches. Ask Montreal how it worked out for them losing out on a decade's worth of prospects because the prospects got ragdolled in favor of "vets & experience". There are interesting threads in the Habs forums about this exact issue.

I think there's a balance to be had. Do I want vets in every position? Absolutely not. Would I be comfortable with a veteran center between two young wings? Potentially.

I tend to like veteran-rookie combinations as opposed to all vets and and all younger talent.

 

[Edge]

Not to be that guy but if the team has devoted so much time to helping Gauthier, you’d think they would allow him time and reps to actually apply what they’re teaching in game

as opposed to him playing scared of being ripped out of the lineup. Which happens regardless if he’s playing well or not

And unfortunately he's in a weird spot where he's got Buch, Kakko and now Kravtsov in front of him, and journeymen the coach trusts as well.

Personally, I'd like to see Gauthier stay in the lineup in a bottom six role. I think that's where his future is.

 

[Off Sides]

If there were only some way to combine the vets with the youth on the same lines with this roster.

 

[Kocur Dill]

Gauthier is going to end up being given away and it's a shame

Knubble 2.0

 

[Dr. Ogrodnick]

If there were only some way to combine the vets with the youth on the same lines with this roster.

Get that voodoo black magic outta here. Next thing you'll be claiming Man can go to the moon or something...

 

[NYR Viper]

And unfortunately he's in a weird spot where he's got Buch, Kakko and now Kravtsov in front of him, and journeymen the coach trusts as well.

Personally, I'd like to see Gauthier stay in the lineup in a bottom six role. I think that's where his future is.

For a guy like him who is unique and what the team needs more of, I'm surprised they aren't giving him more game time. He isn't 20, he's 23.

 

[bl02]

Having a huge fast young wing who has shown nothing but a positive attitude getting scratched again...and again...and again. Neuter him!!!

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Knubble 2.0

You mean two-time 30 goal scorer Mike Knuble? I'll sign up for that right now.

 

[Guyute]

Gauthier needs to be put in the Kreider spot on the #2 PP unit with Laf, KK, Buch, and one of Miller/Trouba (neither are great but we don't have any other options)

Quinn needs to let the #2 unit have more PP time. They haven't had a chance to gel since the #1 unit gets almost all of the PP.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Gauthier has been pretty invisible lately. I don't mind him sitting a game. The season can become a mental grind for young players. It's hard to play with consistency and remain noticeable. Absolutely should not be more than one game though.

Miller is another player who I think deserves to take a seat, as blasphemous as that might sound to some here. His play has been very sluggish lately.

 

[CupSeeker]

Gauthier has been pretty invisible lately. I don't mind him sitting a game. The season can become a mental grind for young players. It's hard to play with consistency and remain noticeable. Absolutely should not be more than one game though.

Miller is another player who I think deserves to take a seat, as blasphemous as that might sound to some here. His play has been very sluggish lately.

His invisible self dug a puck out and fed Chytil for a big goal in the first Sabres game. His line is playing 8 - 9 minutes a night. He is doing pretty well with the ice time allotted to him. Quinn just doesn't like his game.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

His invisible self dug a puck out and fed Chytil for a big goal in the first Sabres game. His line is playing 8 - 9 minutes a night. He is doing pretty well with the ice time allotted to him. Quinn just doesn't like his game.

Your point? You can be playing poorly and still have a decent play here and there. I stand by what I said.

 

[Off Sides]

Get that voodoo black magic outta here. Next thing you'll be claiming Man can go to the moon or something...

NHL games played and age

DSG 196 game played, 27 years old
Chytil 167, 21
Howden 165, 23
Rooney 130, 27
Kakko 96, 20
Blackwell 61, 27
Gauthier 44, 23
Lafreniere 37, 19
Kravtsov 1, 21

Is basically two whole seasons worth of games, or age 25 and above considered experienced?

If so it kind of looks like they could use the top 3 to 4 there to add to Panarin, Kreider, Zbad, Buch and Strome, add Blackwell to have 8 to 10 forwards who could be considered experienced, and make lines that has some youth and some experience on each one.

I feel like this "experienced" thing has nothing to do with that, if has to do with the Rangers not wanting to answer to why they made themselves worse in the near future by trading Buch and whoever else. (Sam Bennett has over 400 games played, none memorable outside of one playoffs where he had 8 pts in 10 games, but experience and a ~2.5M cap hit he has)

The D?

Fox 106 games, 23 year old looks more experienced than the rest of the D

Lindgren 102 games, looks inexperienced?

Trouba, he is what he is

Miller is inexperienced, how does some vet taking some of his minutes away help that?

3rd pair, is anyone they bring in for that role really going to be that much better than Jack Johnson, Hajek, Reunanen, or are they just going to be more experienced and expensive like Smith already is?