Player Discussion: Sami Niku

[pucka lucka]

I'd like to see Niku play 6-8 games --I think he has some serious upside, if he can get his defensive game to an improved level of play. I'd like to see him, and this is a perfect time with most of last year's D gone.

I've always wondered why being better at offense than defense is seen a weakness. No one pays to watch good defense. Filling up this roster with no upside garbage is a problem.

 

[ps241]

The rumours around Niku have been pretty loud, but I get the impression the organization is going the tough love approach because they have such high hopes for him.

I will be watching the org on this. Last spring when we were wheeling and dealing with Ottawa two rumoured desired commodities (Friedman said) were Niku and Roslovic. I would be pissed if we didn’t flip an asset when he was warm just to turn around and bury him “if” he is a problem?

 

[tbcwpg]

I've always wondered why being better at offense than defense is seen a weakness. No one pays to watch good defense. Filling up this roster with no upside garbage is a problem.

People pay to watch wins, including me. I'd like my defencemen to be good at defence.

We're not a Sami Niku away from turning this around. I'd like him to play more with the Jets, for sure. He's had that bad groin for a bit, so maybe get that 100% first.

As for the "other factors", we won't know anything about that so I guess your degree of belief that gets put into that is based on your degree of belief in the management of the team as a whole.

 

[John Agar]

Hearing these rumours of tough love for Niku…

Given this is Po'Mo's "I run the bench"...

Speaking of attitude...

What ever happened to "put up or shut up"...

Deploy Niku… Swim or sink...

Then bust him down to the AHL...

They have never given him his rope to hang himself...

I have known many exceptional persons...

And almost all of them could rub you the wrong way because of their confidence in themselves...

 

[AKAChip]

People pay to watch wins, including me. I'd like my defencemen to be good at defence.

We're not a Sami Niku away from turning this around. I'd like him to play more with the Jets, for sure. He's had that bad groin for a bit, so maybe get that 100% first.

As for the "other factors", we won't know anything about that so I guess your degree of belief that gets put into that is based on your degree of belief in the management of the team as a whole.

Okay... but the counter argument to that is, if this team is so far away from being a contender this season, why waste reps on bad vets that both won’t be here long term AND aren’t getting any better? If this is the rebuilding or retooling year that so many people are preaching about, maybe giving reps to the guy who they hope will be a long term contributor for this team is the logical call. It’s not like they’d be rushing him at this point. This is his fourth or fifth pro season.