News Article: The Players' Tribune: Mike Fisher - One-Way Ticket

[NSH615]

Fisher has an article up at The Players Tribune'

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/mike-fisher-nashville-predators-one-way-ticket/

Click to read more...

 

[Drake744]

Really good stuff.

 

[KurtAngle]

Very nice article. I am now a part time Senators fan because of their owner, Eugene Melnyk.

The Preds somehow need to get Mike Fisher's name and face out in the public, more. That is a guy you want to represent your team and organization.

 

[thecloser]

Great read.

Great insight into Eugene Melnyk.

Also never knew Chris Neil could have any friends

Honestly, I've always been a fan of Chris Neil and wish he would come here for our 4th line. But that's a discussion for another day.

Fisher has a really good article here. Fun to read.

 

[King Weber]

Great read from Fish. Don't really care much for Sens as a team but their management seem like really nice people.

and honestly, I too would love to have Chris Neil on the team. Would bring some much needed grit and leadership for sure. Plus he's about to be an UFA, so if the Sens aren't in a playoff spot and we are around trade deadline, perhaps a deal could be done there.

 

[Drake744]

Great read from Fish. Don't really care much for Sens as a team but their management seem like really nice people.

and honestly, I too would love to have Chris Neil on the team. Would bring some much needed grit and leadership for sure. Plus he's about to be an UFA, so if the Sens aren't in a playoff spot and we are around trade deadline, perhaps a deal could be done there.

 

[gratefulpred]

What a great read and I agree with the earlier post, we need to promote this guy more. He is a good Christian man with solid values who anyone can get behind.

 

[triggrman]

He seems like a wonderful guy but his best hockey is done. Now, he seems unmotivated.

Rinne was ran often against Dallas, many times with him on the ice and he did nothing.

 

[Drake744]

He seems like a wonderful guy but his best hockey is done. Now, he seems unmotivated.

Rinne was ran often against Dallas, many times with him on the ice and he did nothing.

I disagree.

I think it's easy for some of us to lose perspective on how physically grueling it is to play in the NHL....at the age of 36 for a 17th season. Is he older and is it tougher and tougher for him to keep his legs throughout the seasons at this point? Sure, I assume so (on the second part), but I wouldn't say unmotivated. Plus I know he missed a few games but statistically he's on pace for like 50 points over an 82 game span. There's more than points but that's nothing to scoff at.

 

[Byrddog]

I disagree.

I think it's easy for some of us to lose perspective on how physically grueling it is to play in the NHL....at the age of 36 for a 17th season. Is he older and is it tougher and tougher for him to keep his legs throughout the seasons at this point? Sure, I assume so (on the second part), but I wouldn't say unmotivated. Plus I know he missed a few games but statistically he's on pace for like 50 points over an 82 game span. There's more than points but that's nothing to scoff at.

His 50 point season is more important than the ability to motivate guys like Forsberg er Johanson into stepping up there game and bringing young players along?????? Thats a recipe for disaster for a team. I was not a fan of Weber being the C but thus far he was twice the C that Fish has been. Fish needs to bring the players around him up because he is not able to be a Jamie Benn and take the team on his back and put up 90 points. He has to contribute and elevate others he has not. He can do this so theres no reason to give up on him but to expect a 36 year old guy to be a go to guy in points is an exercise in futility in most every case.

 

[Drake744]

His 50 point season is more important than the ability to motivate guys like Forsberg er Johanson into stepping up there game and bringing young players along?????? Thats a recipe for disaster for a team. I was not a fan of Weber being the C but thus far he was twice the C that Fish has been. Fish needs to bring the players around him up because he is not able to be a Jamie Benn and take the team on his back and put up 90 points. He has to contribute and elevate others he has not. He can do this so theres no reason to give up on him but to expect a 36 year old guy to be a go to guy in points is an exercise in futility in most every case.

No I agree with you. I wasn't correlating his point total to his effectiveness as a captain, I think that's absurd as well. I was just throwing that in as a response to the suggestion that he'll never again be the player he was in the past.

 

[Legionnaire11]

I liked the article, it wasn't one that pulled at your heart strings the way the Jed Ortmeyer piece did. But it's still nice to see another Predator featured in TPT.

 

[Gh24]

I'm a little curious. What makes you guys think Fisher is a bad captain? Team effort on ice?

Unless there has been any comments from players or anyone associated with the team that indicates anything like that, I'm not gonna buy it.

Team captain is someone you can look up to for his work ethic. Someone with enough authority (not just on ice or locker room type) to have his voice heard. Someone you trust to stay clear headed in a frustrating situation. From what I've read and heard about it, Fish seems to be that guy. I mean I'm pretty sure Lavy, just like any coach, can tell who of his players are respected in that manner by the rest of the team. If you have ever played any team sports you know what I mean.

 

[gratefulpred]

2 goals, including the game winner, and the first star of the game.

#karma

 

[drwpreds]

2 goals, including the game winner, and the first star of the game.

#karma

But, but- if he wasn't such a lousy leader we would be having a great season!!

 

[klt2001]

But, but- if he wasn't such a lousy leader we would be having a great season!!

If anything has more of an impact this season it would be Weber leaving more so than Fisher being captain. Just look at the standings where Montreal is at and you can see what an impact Weber has on a team as a player. Weber is a franchise player and played a big role for our team and when you take a player like that out, it will affect your team. Not saying Subban isn't great, a nice replacement, or a big role player himself as he is but just not compared to Weber imo. As of right now Weber imo is the better player especially defensively and when you compare their stats this year it seems to reflect that. In the future though as Weber ages that may change. Right now for the short term though Montreal got the better deal imo but long term we got the better deal as Weber ages and his production begins to decrease.

 

[GoldOnGold]

I don't really think we can give Weber all the credit for Montreal's great start when they had a similarly good start last year. It's probably more because of how good a goalie Price is.

 

[Cashville]

But our fans carried us. I’ll never forget it. There’s this spot at the Bridgestone Arena where the fans can stand behind a rope and give us fist-bumps as we walk down the tunnel. They’re right there, and it’s always cool. But this time, we were walking out and triple the usual number of fans were packed into that space, and they were going absolutely nuts.

Nuts.

I mean, nuts.

I can’t even describe the passion. You had to see their faces. It was like they were collectively willing us to get that goal. It was the adrenaline shot for us. When we got to the bench, everybody just looked at each other like, Man, we gotta do this for them.

Love this.

Mike Fisher will go down as one of my all-time favorites when he hangs up his skates. Good hockey player, but an even better human being.

 

[KurtAngle]

His 50 point season is more important than the ability to motivate guys like Forsberg er Johanson into stepping up there game and bringing young players along?????? Thats a recipe for disaster for a team. I was not a fan of Weber being the C but thus far he was twice the C that Fish has been. Fish needs to bring the players around him up because he is not able to be a Jamie Benn and take the team on his back and put up 90 points. He has to contribute and elevate others he has not. He can do this so theres no reason to give up on him but to expect a 36 year old guy to be a go to guy in points is an exercise in futility in most every case.

If Fisher has to motivate Forsberg, Johansen, or most guys I think it's not a Fisher fault. This isn't little league and those guys aren't rookies or 2nd year players. I know Fisher is captain and should have influence, but these guys are supposed to be pros. And, Laviolette should be the chief motivator.

I don't fault Fisher so much for any supposed deficiency as captain. Surely nobody thought he could be the take the team on his back guy at this point in his career. if so, that's the fault of coaches who named him captain. Fisher is who he is at his age.

 

[triggrman]

I don't give a damn about motivating the teammates. Actions from your Captain speak louder than words.

Watching your goalie get ran time after time when you're supposed to be a hard nosed hockey player and the Captain, bugs the **** out of me.....

 

[klt2001]

I don't give a damn about motivating the teammates. Actions from your Captain speak louder than words.

Watching your goalie get ran time after time when you're supposed to be a hard nosed hockey player and the Captain, bugs the **** out of me.....

It's mainly the responsiblity of the defenseman to protect their goalie more so than the forwards. Sadly I feel Weber did a better job at protecting Rinne and keeping the opponents away than Subban or some of our other defenseman do. If our guys, especially our defenseman did a better job of protecting Rinne/keeping the opponents away he wouldn't even be in a position to get ran on. Weber had a way of using his big body to be a wall against guys and keep the opponents at bay/clear them away from Rinne which is lacking in Subban and some of our other guys imo. Mike could do a better job w/ staying on his guy though and protecting Rinne from being ran on too and stand up for Rinne when he is ran on especially as Captain but so could alot of the guys in front of him, especially our defenseman. Hopefully as the season goes the sense of urgency and aggressive fight/edge comes out kind of like the STL game when they were down 3-0 and ending up kicking butt after the embarrassing start. So far not alot of aggressive fights this season. Maybe we could use a couple fist fights to get the guys motivated to go kick some butt!

 

[klt2001]

I don't really think we can give Weber all the credit for Montreal's great start when they had a similarly good start last year. It's probably more because of how good a goalie Price is.

Maybe but I'm also going by the eye test and to me it seems like Weber is alot harder to get by to score on compared to Subban or Josi imo. Weber is like a wall. Subban doesn't seem as strong on his man when defending an opponent. Subban though is more dynamic on moving the puck offensively and creating offense where as Weber isn't as mobile offensively and needs to be fed the puck to create offense w/ his hard slap shot. Still feel Weber is better defensively though and does a better job at clearing the crease and not letting guys get past him especially along the wall. Also Weber is alot more intimidating on defense and w/ his slap slots than Subban is even though Subban is better at skating and moving the puck/creating offense. If Weber didn't have such as long and expensive contract w/ his age, I would have kept him over Subban.

 

[Drake744]

Maybe but I'm also going by the eye test and to me it seems like Weber is alot harder to get by to score on compared to Subban or Josi imo. Weber is like a wall. Subban doesn't seem as strong on his man when defending an opponent. Subban though is more dynamic on moving the puck offensively and creating offense where as Weber isn't as mobile offensively and needs to be fed the puck to create offense w/ his hard slap shot. Still feel Weber is better defensively though and does a better job at clearing the crease and not letting guys get past him especially along the wall. Also Weber is alot more intimidating on defense and w/ his slap slots than Subban is even though Subban is better at skating and moving the puck/creating offense. If Weber didn't have such as long and expensive contract w/ his age, I would have kept him over Subban.

And this has played out the way we thought. Subban has helped our offense quite a bit, however inconsistency by all of our d-men at some point and Rinne in very obvious stretches has overshadowed this.

About the second bolded part, I agree and I think a lot of others do too. But like it was said at the time, the trade was made for both now and to be in better shape long-term. It's hard to see now but I still think in 3 or 4 years it's looked back on as a beneficial deal. Sure I miss Weber but it is what it is now.

Anyway, not trying to get off topic.