Speculation: Training camp talk

[OldFan]

I’m really not good at evaluating players. This was what I expected; sloppy. Heard a few names that I had only read in the paper before. I did not see the next Kariya out there. Everyone seemed to think JOFA stood out; as for me I’m thinking the $8M guy, the $6M guy and the $4M guy who have been playing together forever ought to at least look pretty good against that competition. I guess it is better than looking bad against them. But without Duchene and 2 good forwards on the 2nd line JOFA can’t carry the Preds. It’s a puzzle who those 2 other forwards are so far.
I did think the B twins looked pretty good on D though.
Saros looked slow.

 

[triggrman]

Saros was off for sure.

Kunin had a shorty that he beat Josi on that was nice

 

[Caz14]

Is there anywhere to watch a replay of the scrimmage?

 

[Scoresberg]

3rd period and other notes (late, I know)

• Agreed with trig, McCarron looked solid the whole game. I thought he carried his line of Trenin and Tolvanen. He can play center, so I think we'll see him on the taxi squad. Trenin and McCarron had some nice chemistry together, Tolvanen was invisible which is not surprising on a line like that.
• Ekholm and Fabbro struggled, but I think Fabbro especially was having a rough time. Wonder if we did any good to his development spoonfeeding him the top-4 minutes right from the get-go last season. I think there's a very real possibility of Benning or someone else taking his spot next to Ekholm. Fabbro could use the time on the 3rd pair.
• Kunin with a nice goal in the 3rd period, outworked Josi and made a sweet backhand finish. I thought he looked better as the game went on.
• Borowiecki and Benning looked like a formidable pairing all night.
• Cousins looked sharp all game. Was really pleased with him.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I wouldn't say Tolvanen was completely "invisible". The puck found it's way to him several times and he was in shooting position for a few good opportunities. More often than half the other guys on the ice were. Except! He didn't really make much of those opportunities, for sure. For a guy who has been playing since August in the 2nd best league in the world, and ostensibly is supposed to be ready to step into the lineup, I would have liked to see him be ahead of just about everybody out there. But aside from mostly flubbing 4 or 5 shots, he wasn't. I don't think there's even an outside chance he could make the team, and frankly if guys like McCarron and Olivier keep going like that, I don't know how you can put him on the Taxi Squad either. I don't know if Chicago or a re-loan to the KHL would be better for him overall.

Of course that sounds way too negative for just one slow-motion sloppy ASG-like intrasquad scrimmage. Nobody would make that call just based on that alone. But if that was in any way representative... well, that's not great.

I don't think Pitlick or Davies distinguished themselves in any way either. So my idea of having those 3 locked into Taxi Squad spots is kind of going by the wayside so far. If Tomasino was still incoming, I'd probably have it as:

F - McCarron, Olivier (waiver exempt), Tomasino
D - Y.Weber signed, ???
G - Ingram

Today. Subject to change with the next meaningless sliver of observation from the armchair.

 

[Scoresberg]

I still want to see Pitlick on the wing. I thought he showed some flashes of skill but was playing with pretty bad linemates and at center where he struggled.

Based on what I saw last night, we might see Rinne on opening night.

 

[triggrman]

So hard to see defensive positioning on a tv feed. Having said that, Weber is still out of position too often. Ekholm was too though. He kills me not reading the ice and holding his point when the puck is opposite ice. He also had a few bad clears. I used to really like him but lately he thinks he’s an offensive defenseman and he’s just not. People harp on Fabbro and he also had a few bad plays last night but Ekholm gets a pass for some reason. His breakouts last season had to be the worst in the top 4 and again last night Fabbro had to defend 2-1 because Ekholm was late reading the play.
Ingram looked more in control last night than Saros. That might be a closer battle than we realize. Rinne looked the most in control.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I don't know if Ekholm and Fabbro read eachother very well. Or Ekholm isn't trying to as much as he did with Subban? I thought those two played well together, Ekholm was always ready to cover for Subban's adventures, and Subban was always a lot stronger within his own zone than the outside hockey world gave him credit for. But I don't know if Ekholm is consciously accommodating Fabbro's "inexperience" to the same extent he accommodated Subban's "adventurousness".

A few times one or the other of them cross to the other side, not deep or covering for eachother, just while still up higher in anticipation, but basically stepping on eachother's toes. And then it was funny they both jump at the same time and end up on a 2-0 break together.

But the team is clearly not going to try anything different on the D pairs, and I think that makes sense in this short season. The B-B pair can maybe play 15-17 mins some games, and stick as a PK pair too, and that would be a nice break from the keystone cops routines of our recent 3rd pairs. And they're clearly going to ride Josi-Ellis as part of a big 5-man unit with JoFA. If they keep the 4-1 PP groups, though, that'll be interesting. Either way, though, it leaves Ekholm and Fabbro together, and it would be nice if those guys figured out how to play with eachother better.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I'm assuming they can get them all through waivers. Carrier having that 3-year deal probably makes him less likely to be claimed than we might imagine. But it at least suggests it's Taxi Squad at best to start with for him and McCarron.

I swear if they sign Yannick Weber and don't waive him too...

 

[triggrman]

Surprised McCarron not surprised by Richard or Lewington

 

[BigFatCat999]

All the guys who had to go on waivers are gone, this was roster management. Guys who are on ELC's are still up. Here's how it looks to me.

 

[BigFatCat999]

A question to our Milwaukee friends.

Who pays the AHL salaries? Nashville or Milwaukee.

I'm thinking about financials and weaponizing the Taxi squad to get more cap.

Does Nashville go with a full Taxi? Full roster?

Also, congrats on Ingram making the taxi.

 

[UncMike]

Any news on when training camp in Chicago will begin?

 

[BigFatCat999]

Any news on when training camp in Chicago will begin?

No news, just a guess, week before Feb 5th, time for quarantine and a week of camp.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

A question to our Milwaukee friends.

Who pays the AHL salaries? Nashville or Milwaukee.

I'm thinking about financials and weaponizing the Taxi squad to get more cap.

Does Nashville go with a full Taxi? Full roster?

Also, congrats on Ingram making the taxi.

The Preds pay any salary to a player under contract whether they play in NHL or AHL.

 

[adsfan]

I wouldn't say Tolvanen was completely "invisible". The puck found it's way to him several times and he was in shooting position for a few good opportunities. More often than half the other guys on the ice were. Except! He didn't really make much of those opportunities, for sure. For a guy who has been playing since August in the 2nd best league in the world, and ostensibly is supposed to be ready to step into the lineup, I would have liked to see him be ahead of just about everybody out there. But aside from mostly flubbing 4 or 5 shots, he wasn't. I don't think there's even an outside chance he could make the team, and frankly if guys like McCarron and Olivier keep going like that, I don't know how you can put him on the Taxi Squad either. I don't know if Chicago or a re-loan to the KHL would be better for him overall.

Of course that sounds way too negative for just one slow-motion sloppy ASG-like intrasquad scrimmage. Nobody would make that call just based on that alone. But if that was in any way representative... well, that's not great.

I don't think Pitlick or Davies distinguished themselves in any way either. So my idea of having those 3 locked into Taxi Squad spots is kind of going by the wayside so far. If Tomasino was still incoming, I'd probably have it as:

F - McCarron, Olivier (waiver exempt), Tomasino
D - Y.Weber signed, ???
G - Ingram

Today. Subject to change with the next meaningless sliver of observation from the armchair.

The KHL is a joke! Why else do people run up big stats then get half of that in the AHL?

No defense in the KHL? Gamblers run that league? A third issue?

 

[adsfan]

A question to our Milwaukee friends.

Who pays the AHL salaries? Nashville or Milwaukee.

I'm thinking about financials and weaponizing the Taxi squad to get more cap.

Does Nashville go with a full Taxi? Full roster?

Also, congrats on Ingram making the taxi.

I think that the Admirals pay the salaries for the Milwaukee only players (non-Nashville contracts) and the ECHL call ups.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

The KHL is a joke! Why else do people run up big stats then get half of that in the AHL?

No defense in the KHL? Gamblers run that league? A third issue?

Well, there are a variety of issues that affect different players differently, of course. KHL used to have more space - not anymore - perhaps as-fast or faster players than the AHL, older players, but perhaps also smaller or less physical players. And playing different styles. So some players transition from one league to the other and find success, others don't, vice versa. It can go a variety of ways.

But one thing that should help now is with the ice surface difference being taken away, we probably start to see KHL systems and playing styles drift closer to North American hockey, and it will get a little easier to make head-to-head comparisons. The general consensus is that the KHL has been overall better than the AHL, i.e. the average KHL team would beat the average AHL team in 1972 Canada Cup style series, all factors combined. But mileage could vary for individual players in what they find easier or more challenging, of course - it's close enough for that. There aren't a lot of big stats run up in either league anymore, really, both are kind of conservative and low-scoring?

KHL does have some richer/perennial powerhouse teams that prey on the rest, whereas the AHL teams with developmental priorities tend to be more cyclical, more parity over time. So there's that difference too.

 

[OldFan]

Question: Is tonight’s scrimmage game being streamed?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

All our guys cleared, yay. I expected they would. But it's always good to have it for sure. I still hope for McCarron and Carrier on the Taxi Squad, I suspect we find out tomorrow what the final assignments are.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Question: Is tonight’s scrimmage game being streamed?

Yes. 7pm.

Official Nashville Predators Website

 

[originalpredfan]

Watched Friday on Preds site, but as an old guy I have a dumb question, is it possible to watch on a smart TV, and if so how?

 

[Predsanddead24]

Watched Friday on Preds site, but as an old guy I have a dumb question, is it possible to watch on a smart TV, and if so how?

Not any easy way via an app or something as far as I know. Most smart TVs have a way you can cast from your phone or computer directly to the TV though so you could go that route.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Good redemption game by Saros. Could easily have had a flipped score that game, him and Cousins were equally valid 1st Star options, I would have said.

Haula-Duchene-Kunin, if that's the 2nd line, that's worth a look. I guess it's just until Granlund gets back, but to me if those guys will go to the net more, maybe they'll end up working out better with Duchene. We know already that Turris and Granlund didn't work too well with Duchene last year, so maybe if that line comes out strong it will shake Granlund onto some other combination.