Season player recap (my optimist post)

[triggrman]

Ok, so here's my review of the season.

Rookie of the team for this season goes to Jones but man, Ekholm made it tougher than some might have thought.

Jones might be the smoothest skating 6'4" skater I've seen in awhile. I was skeptical of the "generational talent" label we heard before the draft but after watching this kid, I was impressed. When the game slows down for him, he could be great.

Ekholm got better and better each game out there. Last night might have been his best. He's a big guy but not overly physical. If he takes that next step, he could be a legit top 3 defenseman.

Most improved player: I mean right off the bat my first thought is Craig Smith, but wait, I'm might switch directions, Ryan Ellis has really turned the corner and has me believing long term, he might be the answer. And then, Roman Josi, wow, did he have a great year. I mean our defense has 5 guys now that I really want us to keep long term. Still though, it's tough to beat Smith, the strides he made were impressive.

Team MVP: Weber. Easily. Should win the Norris but won't.

Biggest disappointment: Well, I can't go Hutton since he did turn it around. I guess Stahlberg should be up there as well. Though the head scratching roster and line decisions forces me to go with Trotz.

Mr. Overrated: Eric Nystrom. He had a great game against Calgary where his line-mates bounced a lot of pucks off him. He played physical at times and provided some energy. He was the least effective backchecker on the team by far.


Overall, we were fighting for a spot at game 80, that's not as bad as most thought it would be. Losing Rinne hurt, and we still need more offense. Jarnkrok, Smith and Forsberg give me hope for this team.

Next year, will be interesting.

Click to read more...

 

[RCola88]

Ok, so here's my review of the season.

Rookie of the team for this season goes to Jones but man, Ekholm made it tougher than some might have thought.

Jones might be the smoothest skating 6'4" skater I've seen in awhile. I was skeptical of the "generational talent" label we heard before the draft but after watching this kid, I was impressed. When the game slows down for him, he could be great.

Ekholm got better and better each game out there. Last night might have been his best. He's a big guy but not overly physical. If he takes that next step, he could be a legit top 3 defenseman.

Most improved player: I mean right off the bat my first thought is Craig Smith, but wait, I'm might switch directions, Ryan Ellis has really turned the corner and has me believing long term, he might be the answer. And then, Roman Josi, wow, did he have a great year. I mean our defense has 5 guys now that I really want us to keep long term. Still though, it's tough to beat Smith, the strides he made were impressive.

Team MVP: Weber. Easily. Should win the Norris but won't.

Biggest disappointment: Well, I can't go Hutton since he did turn it around. I guess Stahlberg should be up there as well. Though the head scratching roster and line decisions forces me to go with Trotz.

Mr. Overrated: Eric Nystrom. He had a great game against Calgary where his line-mates bounced a lot of pucks off him. He played physical at times and provided some energy. He was the least effective backchecker on the team by far.


Overall, we were fighting for a spot at game 80, that's not as bad as most thought it would be. Losing Rinne hurt, and we still need more offense. Jarnkrok, Smith and Forsberg give me hope for this team.

Next year, will be interesting.

I think Smith, Ellis, and Ekholm are most improved. They will provide us with amazing depth going forward.

Biggest disappointment is Wilson or Bourque. I wasn't expecting much from Stalberg, and I was expecting a lot from the two mentioned above. At times, they look to have potential and majority of the other times I don't even know they are on the team.

I don't know what to expect next year, it really depends on the coaching situation and the draft.

By far MVP goes to Weber, honestly he's a top 5 best player in the whole NHL. Speed, Size, the shot, physicality. Nobody can top him, besides Crosby Malkin and Stamkos.

 

[PFL615]

Rookie of the team is an easy one since there is only two: Jones

Most improved player: Craig Smith +12 and over 20 goals. He shut up so many people this year. I hope he can keep improving and have a chance to gel with other players who have skill and can compliment him.

Team MVP: Shea Weber.

Biggest bed crap. Colin Wilson

Trotz Favorite (overated) Tie between Nystrom and Clune. My choice of the two if i had to keep one. Nystrom playing on the 4th line ONLY.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

The only two I'd switch:


Biggest disappointment for me was Bourque. At least Wilson had to get used to being a center again. I was really hoping that Bork! would take the next step towards being a solid 2nd liner and he was completely irrelevant in almost every game this season.

Most overrated goes to Goose. For what he gets paid and what his reputation is, he really should be a solid anchor to the bottom six. Outside of a few games, he was a non factor. Injured a lot too.

Most optimism to me is our D. Looks like it's going to be insanely good next year.

HR to Hook.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Rookie of the team is an easy one since there is only two: Jones

Most improved player: Craig Smith +12 and over 20 goals. He shut up so many people this year. I hope he can keep improving and have a chance to gel with other players who have skill and can compliment him.

Team MVP: Shea Weber.

Biggest bed crap. Colin Wilson

Trotz Favorite (overated) Tie between Nystrom and Clune. My choice of the two if i had to keep one. Nystrom playing on the 4th line ONLY.

Favoritism is all in the mind of the beholder.

Clune averaged 8:22 in TOI/g, enough for dead last on the team.

Nystrom was 8th in TOI amongst forwards while being 4th in goals scored (with Legwand that would be 9th in TOI will still being 4th in goals).

 

[PFL615]

Favoritism is all in the mind of the beholder.

Clune averaged 8:22 in TOI/g, enough for dead last on the team.

Nystrom was 8th in TOI amongst forwards while being 4th in goals scored (with Legwand that would be 9th in TOI will still being 4th in goals).

Cool toi has nothing to do with being overated or not However getting to play on top lines (Nystrom) when are clearly a 4th liner and Clune playing in place of Smith and guys like Beck and Watson bring you that title imo

 

[jwhouk]

THREE STARS OF THE GAME POINTS
through April 8, 2014

Name|Games|#1S|#2S|#3S|Pts
Weber,Shea|19|8|6|5|41
Josi,Roman|7|4|1|2|16
Smith,Craig|7|4|1|2|16
Rinne,Pekka|8|1|5|2|15
Hutton,Carter|7|2|4|1|15
Hornqvist,Patric|8|2|2|4|14
Legwand,David*|7|1|3|3|12
Wilson,Colin|5|3|1|1|12
Jones,Seth|6|2|1|3|11
Fisher,Mike|6|1|3|2|11
Mazanec,Marek|6|0|2|4|8
Cullen,Matt|4|1|2|1|8
Bourque,Gabriel|2|1|1|0|5
Ellis,Ryan|2|1|1|0|5
Stalberg,Viktor|4|0|0|4|4
Ekholm,Mattias|1|1|0|0|3
Forsberg,Filip|1|1|0|0|3
Hendricks,Matt*|1|1|0|0|3
Nystrom,Eric|1|1|0|0|3
Jarnkrok,Calle|1|0|1|0|2
Spaling,Nick|1|0|1|0|2
Clune,Rich|1|0|0|1|1
Moser,Simon|1|0|0|1|1
Sissons,Colton|1|0|0|1|1

* - No longer with team.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Cool toi has nothing to do with being overated or not However getting to play on top lines (Nystrom) when are clearly a 4th liner and Clune playing in place of Smith and guys like Beck and Watson bring you that title imo

Trotz undoubtedly has input into roster moves, but if Clune is kept up over Beck or Watson, that's ultimately a GM decision.

As for Nystrom, stats don't bear out your gripes with his use in terms of frequency of playing time. Anecdotally, he may have gotten time on the "top line," but his overall TOI and ES TOI both illustrate that he was not treated as such, regardless of who his linemates were. Despite this, he was one of the most productive goal-scoring forwards on the team (not that that is saying much). Take away his fluke 4-goal night and he's still 5th among forwards in that category. There's definitely complaints to be made about players on this roster, but Nystrom seems an odd target for that.

 

[Byrddog]

Clune is a bonifide 4th liner nothing more has a good contract for what he does thru next season.

Beck deserves a chance but at best tops out as a 3rd liner.

Watson is still not capable of 4th line on a NHL roster. If he does not improve dramatically next year hes likely a AHL'er for life. He missed his big chance this season, and has sub par numbers for a AHL centerman.

 

[PFL615]

Trotz undoubtedly has input into roster moves, but if Clune is kept up over Beck or Watson, that's ultimately a GM decision.

As for Nystrom, stats don't bear out your gripes with his use in terms of frequency of playing time. Anecdotally, he may have gotten time on the "top line," but his overall TOI and ES TOI both illustrate that he was not treated as such, regardless of who his linemates were. Despite this, he was one of the most productive goal-scoring forwards on the team (not that that is saying much). Take away his fluke 4-goal night and he's still 5th among forwards in that category. There's definitely complaints to be made about players on this roster, but Nystrom seems an odd target for that.

Not really griping but he imo was overated. 5th best on the Preds is probably near the bottom on NHL teams where the forwards actually produce?

 

[PFL615]

Clune is a bonifide 4th liner nothing more has a good contract for what he does thru next season.

Beck deserves a chance but at best tops out as a 3rd liner.

Watson is still not capable of 4th line on a NHL roster. If he does not improve dramatically next year hes likely a AHL'er for life. He missed his big chance this season, and has sub par numbers for a AHL centerman.

I almost think if Watson still is not ready he needs to go. On the other hand with Trotz i am not sure the young guys got put into the best position to prove anything.

 

[Jonesey]

My player grades:

Goalies

Pekka Rinne (C+) - Missing a big chunk of the season didn't help, but he wasn't the game changer he has been in the past. I'm more than willing to give him a pass though.

Carter Hutton (C+) - Hard to bag on the guy, but I do believe he started to turn the corner when Rinne came back. He should be an above average backup next season

Defenseman

Shea Weber (A) - Hesitant to give him an A+ even though this has been his best season to date. He went silent for a big stretch of the season but man he turned it on.

Roman Josi (A) - What an amazing compliment to the best defender in the league. I think Josi has officially made many people forget about $uter.

Seth Jones (B) - He has had some rookie mistakes but they were to be expected. I am so excited to see him ramp up his play over the next couple seasons.

Ryan Ellis (B-) - I expected more production from him on the power play but he didn't get much help from the forwards. I think he is a solid NHL player now and not a fringe guy he was before the season started.

Mattias Ekholm (C+) - A solid 3rd pairing guy this season, and has a higher ceiling than I expected. Needs to be more physical though but didn't seem to get beat too much.

Victor Bartley (C) - I don't think Bartley was ready for the role he was placed in this season. He appeared to be over his head quite a few times, and even last night took a stupid penalty that could have buried us.

Michael Del Zotto (Incomplete) - Didn't get to see much from him, and that was disappointing. I'm not really sure what got him placed in the dog house as he seemed to be doing well. Has a great pass but needs to work on defensive positioning.

Forwards

Patric Hornqvist (B+) - One of the three forwards to hit the 20 goal mark has really turned on his play in the last couple weeks. When he plays with intensity he's a force. He doesn't have a very good shot and relies on rebounds to get on the scoresheet. Sadly we haven't had many bounces this season.

Mike Fisher (B) - Another 20 goal season for Fish, and really to expect much more would be a fools errand. He's been solid in both ends of the ice and isn't afraid to get physical.

Craig Smith (B) - By far the comeback player of the season. I don't understand how he got hated on so much since he's only 24 years old and was basically written off before his 3rd season. He has the skills to be a consistant 25+ goal scorer in this league.

Eric Nystrom (C+) - I think he was a victim of the roster we have. He should not be counted on to be a major offensive contributor but he does the little things well. Even if you take away his 4 goal game he would still be 5th amongst our forwards in goals.

Matt Cullen (C) - Points wise he's a little bit below his career average but has an outside chance at hitting the 40 point mark which was about what was expected when he signed. Not a lot of goals but is 2nd in forwards in assists. 10th in the NHL in faceoffs is a big plus too.

Nick Spaling (C) - Career highs in goals and assists and pretty good penalty killing but never really seems to stand out over anyone else. The definition of an average NHL player, IMO.

Paul Gaustad (C) - I struggled with this more than anyone else. He's not going to get many points but he's only here to win faceoffs and kill penalties. He currently sits 4th in the NHL in faceoffs which is damn good.

Rich Clune (C) - 4th line energy guy gets hated on for no reason. People, Clune is not taking a roster spot from anyone in Milwaukee. Watson, Beck, etc are not 4th line grinder players at this time.

Colin Wilson (C-) - 1 point away from his career high but didn't have the breakout season we were all hoping for. His time in Nashville may be short if he can't turn it around next season. He's got the talent but it seems sometimes his head isn't screwed all the way in.

Gabriel Bourque (C-) - I had really high hopes for Bourque this season and he's been an utter disappointment. I don't think he has the talent to be a top 6 player in the NHL but we don't have many better options.

Viktor Stalberg (D+) - If he could shoot as well as he can skate he'd be a 40 goal scorer. Yeah he got the Trotz treatment but he didn't really prove he could put it together no matter where he played in the lineup. Hopefully he comes to camp ready to go next season.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Clune is a bonifide 4th liner nothing more has a good contract for what he does thru next season.

Beck deserves a chance but at best tops out as a 3rd liner.

Watson is still not capable of 4th line on a NHL roster. If he does not improve dramatically next year hes likely a AHL'er for life. He missed his big chance this season, and has sub par numbers for a AHL centerman.

Watson was moved to right wing and looks far better than he did at center.

 

[Byrddog]

I almost think if Watson still is not ready he needs to go. On the other hand with Trotz i am not sure the young guys got put into the best position to prove anything.

Trotz has had pretty much zero influence on Watson he has less than 10 games in Nashville? Yet he has failed to be they center he was drafted to be. That has been one of the issues with the draft the pipeline has become clogged with players at the center position who were drafted to develop into that 1C the team needs.

Watson was moved to right wing and looks far better than he did at center.

That is good news if he can turn it around but with his size its really disappointing.

 

[PFL615]

Trotz has had pretty much zero influence on Watson he has less than 10 games in Nashville? Yet he has failed to be they center he was drafted to be. That has been one of the issues with the draft the pipeline has become clogged with players at the center position who were drafted to develop into that 1C the team needs.




That is good news if he can turn it around but with his size its really disappointing.

What about the camps Watson has been to in the Predators organization. Is Trotz absent then and the pre season? Trotz not make the lineups anymore or run practice?

 

[triggrman]

Watson was never going to be a 1c, no one ever thought that. Read his draft evaluations. He was always a gritty big body center that could play on the 2nd or 3rd line.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Watson was never going to be a 1c, no one ever thought that. Read his draft evaluations. He was always a gritty big body center that could play on the 2nd or 3rd line.

Yup, 3rd line center. Figured he would be a Legwand replacement on the defensive side since he doesn't have the same offensive ceiling.

 

[Oan]

Pekka Rinne (C+) - Missing a big chunk of the season didn't help, but he wasn't the game changer he has been in the past. I'm more than willing to give him a pass though.

Come on dude, isn't that a bit harsh for a guy who was injured most of the season? 23 games played, 9 wins, 2 shutouts, .906 save%. And while he was playing, he was practically recovering from injuries all season along. You really couldn't expect him to be in top form this season, unfortunately. He will bounce back next season, I'm sure of it.

 

[Jonesey]

Come on dude, isn't that a bit harsh for a guy who was injured most of the season? 23 games played, 9 wins, 2 shutouts, .906 save%. And while he was playing, he was practically recovering from injuries all season along. You really couldn't expect him to be in top form this season, unfortunately. He will bounce back next season, I'm sure of it.

Sadly those are C+ stats, and I did it before his 2nd shutout.

Trust me, I love Rinne and I hold nothing of this season against him but because of injuries and such he wasn't a gamebreaker as normal. He should bounce back next season and we are all hoping that's the case.

 

[darth5]

Copying your template, sicne I wanted to do this also

My grades:

Goalies

Pekka Rinne (C) - Goalies have to play at game speed to get in their rhythm. Pekka did'nt really get that chance, so he was thrown in and predictably struggled. Now he shows closer to true form in the last 5 games. Too little, too late to save the season.

Carter Hutton (C+) - expectations were higher than he could meet. Needed time to adjust and work with Korn. I think in a return season he could be serviceable in normal backup duties.

Defenseman

Shea Weber (A) - Only average first half, Norris caliber second. In Canada or a large media market he would be a shoe in still, if you look at the other candidates. Likely runner up.

Roman Josi (A) - Made tremendous strides. If nothing else, the way Shea was able to crank it up once he returns speaks volumes to the strength of his game. He plays a more nuanced defensive game, more like a Lidstrom style. A treat to watch, hope he can stay healthy.

Seth Jones (B-) - His inexperience did show at times, but so did his hockey IQ. I think he hit the wall about a month ago as we saw a drop off in his game, but not surprising for somebody who has not been thru the 82 game grind before. He really could be a generational talent.

Ryan Ellis (B) - On Ryan, Seth, and Mattias I think we see the fingerprints of Housley on this team (plus the PP improvements). Ellis is a seriously improved player from the end of last season. Much smarter decision making, positioning, shot selection. Has not overcommitted so much. I think he turned a corner this year.

Mattias Ekholm (B-) - Really began to play with more confidence and IQ this year. Several times I thought he was our #3 D man in the game. He does need to use his body a little more, but he has a pretty wicked shot and has been using it more.

Victor Bartley (D) - I see him as a gap filler/insurance player while some of the young guys were getting sorted out. This team has better assets than him. Maybe there are other teams where he coudl make the squad.

Michael Del Zotto (Incomplete) - I used to like him as a Ranger. I am not sure he ever adapted to the system here. We will see if he gets to try next year or becomes a tradeable asset.

Forwards

Patric Hornqvist (B+) - Team needed more from him. But the whole forward corps suffered from goal drought at the worst times and he was in the pack. When the guy is on, he does not quit. The effort is always there, cannot question that.

Mike Fisher (B) - He is what he is. At this stage of his career this is peak performance from a guy that plays a hard game. How much more can he take???

Craig Smith (B+) - needs consistency, and to play with confidence every game. When he does, results follow. Don't get me wrong, I am pleased with this season's results from him.

Eric Nystrom (B-) -Most effective free agent signing. Gives everything on the ice.

Matt Cullen (C-) - signed to be a puck possession guy. We didn't possess the puck, and his FO stats are nothing to write home about.

Nick Spaling (C) - Good average 3rd liner, great on PK.

Paul Gaustad (C) - A good locker room guy, so we are told, and excellent in the dot. Needs to be teaching the rest how to improve.

Rich Clune (D) - energy guy. He can do it.

Colin Wilson (C+) - Flashes of brilliance and long disappearances. I said it before, I will say it again. Team needs CONSISTENCY.

Gabriel Bourque (C-) - seems to have leveled off, then dropped in development. Expected a bounce back season and this is waht we got.

Viktor Stalberg (D+) - All wheels and no finish.

Special Teams

Powerplay (B+) - Housley has resurrected the PP and it lives! Honestly it kept them in some games they should have lost this year. Hope they retain what they learned.

Penalty Kill (D) - What used to be a strength of this team was a weakness. If you looked at the roster of grinders you would expect them to excel at this (at least). I don't know whether to blame goaltending, coaching, or the scheme, but this has to improve if the team wants to win.

Shootout (F) - plenty of points on the table because this team could not execute

 

[token grinder]

My grades:


Matt Cullen (C-) - signed to be a puck possession guy. We didn't possess the puck, and his FO stats are nothing to write home about.

Matt Cullen is 10th in the league n faceoff % Just curious where you are wanting to send these letters that you can't write home about.

 

[Hockeyfever]

Clune is a bonifide 4th liner nothing more has a good contract for what he does thru next season.

Beck deserves a chance but at best tops out as a 3rd liner.

Watson is still not capable of 4th line on a NHL roster. If he does not improve dramatically next year hes likely a AHL'er for life. He missed his big chance this season, and has sub par numbers for a AHL centerman.

Just a quick Admirals update for you on Watson. Scored a goal Friday night then busted out Saturday night. Natural hat trick in the 2nd period. Game winning goal which is his 7th of the year that also puts him at #2 in the AHL in that category this year. Also his 2nd consecutive 20 and over goal season in only two years with the Ads. Only the 7th Admiral to have two or more 20 goal seasons. Guess he does have some offense even though stuck on third line for most of his time with the Ads. I think he has more offense to his game than people like to give him credit for.

 

[darth5]

Matt Cullen is 10th in the league n faceoff % Just curious where you are wanting to send these letters that you can't write home about.

I would never have guessed that. Should have checked the facts before making that observation. All I can remember are some key draws at the end of the game that he did not pull out, but I trust that the numbers don't lie. So I stand corrected on the faceoff knock.

 

[PredsV82]

as pleased as I am with the apparent improvement in scoring these last couple of weeks, this has resulted in some stat padding that will make some players numbers look better than their overall contribution to the season...

for instance, Wilson somehow got to double digits in goals but he had an outright horrible season...

same with Bourque... his nine goals look puny as it is but the truth is it felt like about a 5 goal season from him...

Matt Cullen... holy crap... he went from November 28 to the olympic break with ZERO goals.. then scored 6 goals the rest of the way to get to 10... this was the guy we supposedly signed to be our #1 C

all three of those guys get an F in my book...

 

[braindead]

as pleased as I am with the apparent improvement in scoring these last couple of weeks, this has resulted in some stat padding that will make some players numbers look better than their overall contribution to the season...

for instance, Wilson somehow got to double digits in goals but he had an outright horrible season...

same with Bourque... his nine goals look puny as it is but the truth is it felt like about a 5 goal season from him...

Matt Cullen... holy crap... he went from November 28 to the olympic break with ZERO goals.. then scored 6 goals the rest of the way to get to 10... this was the guy we supposedly signed to be our #1 C

all three of those guys get an F in my book...

+1. This isn't Davidson county private schools where even failure gets a C! Stalberg is an F also. What exactly is the plus on his D+??? He is fast while failing? Maybe I give Cullen a D because of his face offs but each of these guys abjectly failed at their role. If any of those guys had been a C in their role we would be in the playoffs.