Training Camp Surprises

CanaFan

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Feb 19, 2010
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Sure it was... he got chucked down to the AHL and left there for the remainder of the season.

True, but the flaw is now “fixed” i.e. we didn’t give up on Virtanen or conclude he was too flawed to be of any value. I mean, 1 year later he’s on the team and half this board is squealing over the great last 20 games he played.

Do we think Hutton can be similarly “fixed” or is he definitely on his way out next season?
 

M2Beezy

Objective and Neutral Hockey Commentator
May 25, 2014
45,284
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He is pretty comfortably. Probably shouldn’t be, but almost impossibly, after 4+ yrs of spending assets on dmen, our top 3 are still holdovers from previous management.

I think that ruffles some (predictable) feathers.
I think Hutton has the POTENTIAL to be better than Del Zotto but hasnt gotten there yet. Id still unfortunately rank MDZ as our third best dman
 

sting101

Registered User
Feb 8, 2012
15,707
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Rationalize all you want. Hutton was/is one of our better defenseman, Green just had a thing against him.
Decent in October

Very good in November then a tail spin to nowhere.

The thing that blew me away was how slow he looked as the season went on. He needs to tighten those skates, get extremely fit and move the puck quicker.

And i disagree that Del Zotto was a train wreck and Hutton was one of the better defenseman. Del Zotto clawed back to a very respectable -8 after a -16 start that was a lot of circumstantial bad luck and he never really had a steady RD to mesh with all season.

Del Zotto's 2nd half:

GP=41 G=5 A=5 Pts=10 +9

His giveaways p/60 was almost a full pt higher last season than anytime in his career and his CF/60 was the 3rd lowest in his career and his CA/60 was the worst he has ever had? while these numbers would on the surface look to show Del Zotto was a train wreck...my opinion is that they show what a train wreck of a team he was playing behind and that he was given heaps of icetime without a decent steady partner on a new team. His 2nd half was decent unlike Hutton who looked like the game was too fast for him.

I think MDZ with a good partner could give us positive results and i am also a believer in Hutton but he has to be way better than last year.
 
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VanJack

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Jul 11, 2014
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Your faith in MDZ is heartening, but misplaced. He was one of the worst d-men in the entire NHL in terms of d-zone exits no matter who he was playing with. He was a possession stats nightmare, with the worst plus-minus on the team. There's a reason why he was a healthy scratch in Philly for 12 straight games two seasons ago, and why they couldn't trade him at the deadline for a well-used hockey bag.

Nope, he'll probably finish the year in VanCity because in defiance of all logic, Green seems to like him. Jimbo will try to deal him at the deadline, but more likely Hutton goes first to make room for Quinn Hughes.
 
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nucksflailtogether

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Oct 15, 2017
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Your faith in MDZ is heartening, but misplaced. He was one of the worst d-men in the entire NHL in terms of d-zone exits no matter who he was playing with. He was a possession stats nightmare, with the worst plus-minus on the team. There's a reason why he was a healthy scratch in Philly for 12 straight games two seasons ago, and why they couldn't trade him at the deadline for a well-used hockey bag.

Nope, he'll probably finish the year in VanCity because in defiance of all logic, Green seems to like him. Jimbo will try to deal him at the deadline, but more likely Hutton goes first to make room for Quinn Hughes.

They should use him as a PP specialist, rack up some points and trade him for a 5th to some team with injury troubles.
 

sting101

Registered User
Feb 8, 2012
15,707
14,508
Your faith in MDZ is heartening, but misplaced. He was one of the worst d-men in the entire NHL in terms of d-zone exits no matter who he was playing with. He was a possession stats nightmare, with the worst plus-minus on the team. There's a reason why he was a healthy scratch in Philly for 12 straight games two seasons ago, and why they couldn't trade him at the deadline for a well-used hockey bag.

Nope, he'll probably finish the year in VanCity because in defiance of all logic, Green seems to like him. Jimbo will try to deal him at the deadline, but more likely Hutton goes first to make room for Quinn Hughes.
where do you get those numbers?
 

WTG

December 5th
Jan 11, 2015
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Decent in October

Very good in November then a tail spin to nowhere.

The thing that blew me away was how slow he looked as the season went on. He needs to tighten those skates, get extremely fit and move the puck quicker.

And i disagree that Del Zotto was a train wreck and Hutton was one of the better defenseman. Del Zotto clawed back to a very respectable -8 after a -16 start that was a lot of circumstantial bad luck and he never really had a steady RD to mesh with all season.

Del Zotto's 2nd half:

GP=41 G=5 A=5 Pts=10 +9

His giveaways p/60 was almost a full pt higher last season than anytime in his career and his CF/60 was the 3rd lowest in his career and his CA/60 was the worst he has ever had? while these numbers would on the surface look to show Del Zotto was a train wreck...my opinion is that they show what a train wreck of a team he was playing behind and that he was given heaps of icetime without a decent steady partner on a new team. His 2nd half was decent unlike Hutton who looked like the game was too fast for him.

I think MDZ with a good partner could give us positive results and i am also a believer in Hutton but he has to be way better than last year.

You think Del Zotto can be better if for XYZ. Well if you can do that, I'll say Huton can be better if for XYZ.

What's the point, we'd be running around in circles. The reality is, Hutton didn't have a steady partner either, was giving the shaft by the coach. Despite that, he preformed better analytically in the same system.
 

bossram

Registered User
Sep 25, 2013
15,324
14,390
Victoria
True, but the flaw is now “fixed” i.e. we didn’t give up on Virtanen or conclude he was too flawed to be of any value. I mean, 1 year later he’s on the team and half this board is squealing over the great last 20 games he played.

Do we think Hutton can be similarly “fixed” or is he definitely on his way out next season?

Are you really going to tell me that Hutton isn't the 2nd best LHD on this team?

Who's his competition? Del Zotto?

Del Zotto is what Travis Green thinks Hutton is.

Bang on.

Hutton doesn't need to be fixed. He just needs to be played.

I think Hutton has the POTENTIAL to be better than Del Zotto but hasnt gotten there yet. Id still unfortunately rank MDZ as our third best dman


MDZ is literally one of the most permissive defenseman in the league. His shot attempt against charts are horrific. He allows shots from everywhere, including scoring areas.

Hutton has past experience of actually being good at defending. The Hutton-Tanev pair is very good. Meanwhile MDZ has found a way to sink the stalwart Tanev.

Hutton may "surprise" and make his way into the top-four. It shouldn't be a surprise, because he is legitimately one of our four best defensemen.
 

NoShowWilly

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Apr 4, 2010
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7wjyMV7.jpg

Fridge is coming in fully stocked!
 
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VanJack

Registered User
Jul 11, 2014
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There's something about Jasek's game. I think he'll stick right to the end of training camp and eventually earn the first ticket back from Utica.
 
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bbud

Registered User
Sep 10, 2008
10,289
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BC
Gaunce, Gaudette, Dahlen, and maybe Palmu.

Gadjovich is my pick to bust, personally, and I'm not sold on Goldobin.

I think Gadjovich sticks big kid good hands and will play hard and tough if he can skate well enough he's got a place.
Hope he ends up being on Pettersons wing .
 

Bad Goalie

Registered User
Jan 2, 2014
20,005
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Gadjovich is more likely to be in the ECHL than Vancouver next year.

Do you mean 2018-19 or 2019-2020 when you say next year?
I ask this seriously since I see him having a tough time being a top 8 forward on this season's Comets team. He has to beat out some very impressive new talents, young guys who have already established themselves as AHL players, and vets who will be in the lineup: Dahlen, Jasek, MacMaster, Palmu, Lind, MacEwen, Carcone, Boucher, Archibald, and Motte. Gaunce and Goldobin could possibly end up as wings added to this number as well. Unless he is gifted a spot, he will be in a dogfight with others in this mix to be in the top 8. After that what other new players may be acquired as depth to compete with those above who are not top 8? This roster will be hard to crack for a lot of guys.
 

MS

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Mar 18, 2002
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Do you mean 2018-19 or 2019-2020 when you say next year?
I ask this seriously since I see him having a tough time being a top 8 forward on this season's Comets team. He has to beat out some very impressive new talents, young guys who have already established themselves as AHL players, and vets who will be in the lineup: Dahlen, Jasek, MacMaster, Palmu, Lind, MacEwen, Carcone, Boucher, Archibald, and Motte. Gaunce and Goldobin could possibly end up as wings added to this number as well. Unless he is gifted a spot, he will be in a dogfight with others in this mix to be in the top 8. After that what other new players may be acquired as depth to compete with those above who are not top 8? This roster will be hard to crack for a lot of guys.

18-19.

He was left behind by the pace of the games at the WJCs and I have a hard time seeing him as anything more than a 4th liner in Utica next year.
 

Bad Goalie

Registered User
Jan 2, 2014
20,005
8,593
18-19.

He was left behind by the pace of the games at the WJCs and I have a hard time seeing him as anything more than a 4th liner in Utica next year.

As I said he will be hard pressed to be on the 4th line at the start of the season. 12 better forwards who have proven they are better at this point. After that a bunch who still may be better.
He won't displace Archi, Boucher, Carcone, MacEwen,or Motte (maybe Motte is started as a center).

Dahlen, Jasek, MacMaster, Palmu, and Lind are ahead of him. That's 9/10 already. Bancks will also be in this mix as the Comets captain (11) and then Gadjovich (12). Heaven help him when Vancouver cuts the likes of Gaunce and Goldobin. Somebody who has been a Vancouver regular is going to get waived and will be in Utica if he/they get through and I am not talking about Archi, Boucher, or Kero.

Centers look like Gaudette, Kero, Darcy, and Hamilton, though I would use Motte before Hamilton. Then I'd replace Darcy with Gaunce if he is here.

Going will be tough for Gadjovich.
 

MarkusNaslund19

Registered User
Dec 28, 2005
5,410
7,638
Bang on.

Hutton doesn't need to be fixed. He just needs to be played.




MDZ is literally one of the most permissive defenseman in the league. His shot attempt against charts are horrific. He allows shots from everywhere, including scoring areas.

Hutton has past experience of actually being good at defending. The Hutton-Tanev pair is very good. Meanwhile MDZ has found a way to sink the stalwart Tanev.

Hutton may "surprise" and make his way into the top-four. It shouldn't be a surprise, because he is legitimately one of our four best defensemen.

Ben Hutton disgraced himself last season. Yeah, he seems to have the potential to be better than Del Zotto is now, but he needs to prove that he wants it. He clearly was out of shape and it made him pathetically easy to beat.
 

bossram

Registered User
Sep 25, 2013
15,324
14,390
Victoria
Ben Hutton disgraced himself last season. Yeah, he seems to have the potential to be better than Del Zotto is now, but he needs to prove that he wants it. He clearly was out of shape and it made him pathetically easy to beat.

Just like Del Zotto is. All the time.

Watching tape of Del Zotto in the defensive zone is heart attack inducing.
 

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