Confirmed with Link: Sharks claim Rudolf Balcers

[Xspyrit]

I have a feeling Ottawa will regret losing Balcers, he doesn't look out of place whatsoever in the top 6 IMO. A bit funny to see after what Pierre Dorion said and seeing where Ottawa is in the standings.. makes losing Norris and the Stutzle pick slightly easier.

Even if wishing bad stuff against your own team sounds ridiculous, I hope Ottawa regrets it. We need to be able to highlight Dorion's incompetence as much as possible, even if that really isn't needed anymore. It was so short sighted to not find a way to have Rudolfs as one of the 14 forward spots on a REBUILDING team... seriously short sighted, particularly when you look at the whole offseason work. At some point, I knew it was going to backfire... How come as "just a fan" I could see it coming from miles but the GM doesn't?

Anyway, if Balcers was on strong team and there was no spot for him, then sure waive him. But when you realize he was waived to be sure we didn't lose any of :

- Artem Anisimov (good career but last NHL legs, final year on contract)
- Cedric Paquette (the guy DIDN'T want to play in Ottawa)
- Alex Galchenyuk (signed as UFA reclamation project, might have not been claimed)
- Derek Stepan (no one would have touched him with his 6.5 AAV and majorly declining play? Imagine we gave up a 2nd round pick to acquire him)

Heck I think I would have rather waived Chris Tierney. Another piece from the Karlsson's trade that is fading... We could have gotten a pretty good return in 2019 but our GM clearly knows what he's doing.

I think Balcers can be a long term middle 6 playmaker for us. He might not be well rounded enough or skilled enough to be a bonafide top 6 in the long run but he fills a slot in the top 9 at the very least.

I see Rudy as a Namestnikov level player, not similar but level wise.

 

[STL Shark]

I think Balcers can be a long term middle 6 playmaker for us. He might not be well rounded enough or skilled enough to be a bonafide top 6 in the long run but he fills a slot in the top 9 at the very least.

Think he falls in somewhere in the range of Donskoi to Labanc. On a great team a la 2019 SJ, he’s a third liner. On a team like we are right now he’s a second liner. Though his skating might give him a higher ceiling than Labanc as well. DW and DWjr have sneakily built up a very strong winger group organizationally.

 

[seroes]

Think he falls in somewhere in the range of Donskoi to Labanc. On a great team a la 2019 SJ, he’s a third liner. On a team like we are right now he’s a second liner. Though his skating might give him a higher ceiling than Labanc as well. DW and DWjr have sneakily built up a very strong winger group organizationally.

The only thing with them is alot of them seem to fall into that tweener category. But it's a good problem to have. At worst we can trade 1 or 2 of them to help the team somewhere else or get futures.

 

[Tw1ster]

Team is terrible cleaning up broken plays in the crease

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

Balcers hasn't disappointed imo. I hope he surpasses Donskoi's trajectory when he was in SJ.

 

[Alwalys]

He's steadily improving and making better reads and plays.

 

[PacificOceanPotion]

He's steadily improving and making better reads and plays.

The thing that REALLY sticks out to me is his defensive game, it matches his offense which is incredibly endearing and will hopefully make him a mainstay in the top 6 permanently.

 

[Barrie22]

Balcers hasn't disappointed imo. I hope he surpasses Donskoi's trajectory when he was in SJ.

He already has in my opinion.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

I have a really hard time believing Ottawa currently has at least 12 better forwards than Balcers.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

He already has in my opinion.

He actually makes plays away from the puck.

 

[seroes]

I have a really hard time believing Ottawa currently has at least 12 better forwards than Balcers.

They don't. Dorian just has less IQ points than dust bunny.

 

[STL Shark]

He already has in my opinion.

Would agree I think. Donskoi is putting up big point totals this year, but merely riding an insanely high on ice shooting percentage and great players around him (he's actually dragging linemates down). Balcers looks like a more well rounded version thus far. Will forever love Donkey for the greatest moment in my lifetime as a Sharks fan to date, but Rudy projects to be a better player right now.

 

[Lebanezer]

If Donskoi had more lower body strength and stability he’d be a superstar. Instead he’s one of the weakest players on his skates that I’ve seen in the NHL.

Balcers is impressive on the boards and at stripping pucks. He’s also got good speed, is strong on his skates and shows good creativity. He doesn’t have Donskoi’s hands, but the sum of his parts is better. Hopefully he can continue to improve.

 

[The Nemesis]

 

[Agent Zub]

Funny that on a line with Hertl and Meier he actually seems like the glue and the catalyst for it to work.

 

[The Nemesis]

Funny that on a line with Hertl and Meier he actually seems like the glue and the catalyst for it to work.

It works because I think his play style meshes well with Hert. Meanwhile Meier has seemingly regressed his hockey IQ to be equal to that of a cheese sandwich (and not even good cheese. We're talking like Kraft Singles. Straight out of the fridge too, not melted into a proper grilled cheese where they're actually edible) so he's not really contributing anything to the lineup except for the 1 game out of every 10 where his penchant for taking random ill-advised shots from everywhere ends up paying off and convincing him that he's doing alright enough to sustain that approach for the next dozen games.

I'd love to see what Hertl/Balcers could do with a better complimentary wing, or at least someone with a chance to step up. Let's see what extended run with Donato or Leonard could yield alongside them.

 

[OrrNumber4]

After year one, Donskoi apparently became allergic to contact. It was understandable in the sense that he'd lose puck battles way too frequently, but that softness prevented him from being a consistent player.

 

[Cas]

It works because I think his play style meshes well with Hert. Meanwhile Meier has seemingly regressed his hockey IQ to be equal to that of a cheese sandwich (and not even good cheese. We're talking like Kraft Singles. Straight out of the fridge too, not melted into a proper grilled cheese where they're actually edible) so he's not really contributing anything to the lineup except for the 1 game out of every 10 where his penchant for taking random ill-advised shots from everywhere ends up paying off and convincing him that he's doing alright enough to sustain that approach for the next dozen games.

I'd love to see what Hertl/Balcers could do with a better complimentary wing, or at least someone with a chance to step up. Let's see what extended run with Donato or Leonard could yield alongside them.

I wonder if there's a trade out there that could be made to turn Meier into a 3C and a good backup goalie or 3rd-line winger without giving up a 1st.

 

[CupfortheSharks]

I wonder if there's a trade out there that could be made to turn Meier into a 3C and a good backup goalie or 3rd-line winger without giving up a 1st.

A hockey trade of Meier for a young center would be a good move. This summer, there will be goalies that aren’t exempt from the expansion draft available and very few teams that can protect them from Seattle. I’d rather have a better center and get the goalie on the cheap.

 

[one2gamble]

I feel like this team is going to be inundated with rudys in two years. I like watching him, he seems to understand his role and what he needs to do to stick

 

[jMoneyBrah]

It works because I think his play style meshes well with Hert. Meanwhile Meier has seemingly regressed his hockey IQ to be equal to that of a cheese sandwich (and not even good cheese. We're talking like Kraft Singles. Straight out of the fridge too, not melted into a proper grilled cheese where they're actually edible) so he's not really contributing anything to the lineup except for the 1 game out of every 10 where his penchant for taking random ill-advised shots from everywhere ends up paying off and convincing him that he's doing alright enough to sustain that approach for the next dozen games...

Never will a more accurate simile for the current state of Meier’s hockey IQ be formed.

 

[hohosaregood]

Can the Sharks claim Rudy as a Sharks developed prospect? Or is he an Ottawa developed product now.

 

[The Nemesis]

Can the Sharks claim Rudy as a Sharks developed prospect? Or is he an Ottawa developed product now.

Yes.

 

[hohosaregood]

Yes.

Gotta settle this argument before the next time we argue about sharks prospect development.

 

[The Nemesis]

Gotta settle this argument before the next time we argue about sharks prospect development.

To be clear, I was trying to go for one of those "mathematician's answer" bits where you asked two questions and I wrote "yes" without specifying which statement was being addressed. But in hindsight it appears more like I was saying just "yes" to the "does he count as a shark prospect" part of it. So I ended up being more definitive than I intended to.