Player Discussion: Travis Hamonic

[A Pointed Stick]

“He really took a step forward for me,” Head Coach Jack Capuano said. “He didn’t have to play 28/29 minutes the way him and Andrew MacDonald were doing that one year. It was a defense-first mentality where it always needs to be with our hockey club, but he gained more confidence with the offense. He always knew what the system was, but he executed it much better.”

He also **** the bed with more offense, and he also broke something with more offense.

The team is much worse off with Hamonic rushing than with him staying at home, playing his best game. Jack is clinically blind to this fact, or possibly out of his mind. I am just happy he isn't fighting the Bridge Hampton windmill on the nights he escapes Snow's dungeon.

 

[seafoam]

He also **** the bed with more offense, and he also broke something with more offense.

The team is much worse off with Hamonic rushing than with him staying at home, playing his best game. Jack is clinically blind to this fact, or possibly out of his mind. I am just happy he isn't fighting the Bridge Hampton windmill on the nights he escapes Snow's dungeon.

I kind of agree. Hamonic needs to find a happy medium this year, especially since his shot is brutally bad.

 

[Lame Lambert]

He's not going to tone down the Bobby Orr rushes when Crappy is praising him for it.

 

[Sheva7]

I'm OK with the rushes. They're unorthodox and ugly as heck, but hey, it's better than just banging it off the glass and icing the puck.

I'm just hoping the team can manage his minutes a bit better this season. Imo there's really no need to have him out there more than 2 & 55.

 

[Lame Lambert]

I'm OK with the rushes. They're unorthodox and ugly as heck, but hey, it's better than just banging it off the glass and icing the puck.

I'm just hoping the team can manage his minutes a bit better this season. Imo there's really no need to have him out there more than 2 & 55.

If he just dumped the puck in we would've probably won our first playoff series in 20+ years.

 

[rikker]

If he just dumped the puck in we would've probably won our first playoff series in 20+ years.

?? you mean, back in 2012/3?

 

[A Pointed Stick]

I kind of agree. Hamonic needs to find a happy medium this year, especially since his shot is brutally bad.

LoL. A happy medium is good. I've noticed these streak of offensive magic seem to come in clumps, as if Jack the Cap is ending the last practice of every month by saying, "Ok, and Travis, this week I want to see you get at least two solid rushes up ice. I want you to focus on that over all that other defensive stuff." Yeah, I know it isn't happening exactly like that but it sure does seem like he gets a fortune cookie every so often that says, "This week, go long for hidden treasure."

I'm OK with the rushes. They're unorthodox and ugly as heck, but hey, it's better than just banging it off the glass and icing the puck.

I'm just hoping the team can manage his minutes a bit better this season. Imo there's really no need to have him out there more than 2 & 55.

That's about all I am asking for. Pronger slowly developed his offensive game, over time, and it feels to me like that approach would play better to Travis' strengths. It feels like they push the offense button on him a little too hard sometimes, then we get bad defensive shifts from the one guy I expect solid shifts every single shift. Well, two guys now that we have the Chuk.

 

[rikker]

I'm OK with the rushes. They're unorthodox and ugly as heck, but hey, it's better than just banging it off the glass and icing the puck.

I'm just hoping the team can manage his minutes a bit better this season. Imo there's really no need to have him out there more than 2 & 55.

last year, all 3 had about equal TOI, and i think it really helped Hamonic. took some pressure off of him.

 

[PK Cronin]

?? you mean, back in 2012/3?

He means instead of trying to dance around the Penguins defender who injured him and prevented him from playing in the playoffs.

 

[YearlyLottery]

If he just dumped the puck in we would've probably won our first playoff series in 20+ years.

Now in his defense he was playing hahd hockey.

 

[hockeygoon15]

He means instead of trying to dance around the Penguins defender who injured him and prevented him from playing in the playoffs.

Ah, common. It's not like he made some sort of suicide move or anything. The last thing you want to do is start telling a a guy that he needs to alter his style of play to avoid inevitable "hockey-play" related injuries.

 

[TheWhiteWhale30]

Ah, common. It's not like he made some sort of suicide move or anything. The last thing you want to do is start telling a a guy that he needs to alter his style of play to avoid inevitable "hockey-play" related injuries.

Agreed

 

[rikker]

Ah, common. It's not like he made some sort of suicide move or anything. The last thing you want to do is start telling a a guy that he needs to alter his style of play to avoid inevitable "hockey-play" related injuries.

agreed. i hope the implication wasn't that Hamonic was to blame for his own injury, and i didn't take it that way. it was just unfortunate.

hell, if we blamed people for their own injuries, then i blame KO. if he didn't get hurt, we would have finished with 9 more points, and faced a different opponent in the first round.

 

[The Underboss]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=41293

SYOSSET, N.Y. -- The moment New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic was hit by Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi in the second-to-last game of the 2014-15 regular season, he knew something was wrong.

"I hadn't felt anything like that before," Hamonic said.

Hamonic sustained a Grade 3 torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee on the play and was forced to miss the Islanders' first-round series against the Washington Capitals in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Islanders lost the physical series in seven games.

Hamonic was all smiles Friday, when the Islanders opened training camp. The 25-year-old said he trained normally during the offseason and knows he'll be expected to play a big role on the Islanders' blue line when they open the season Oct. 9 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

 

[doublechili]

I've noticed that in at least a couple of games this season TH has been the ice time leader by a good chunk of time. Maybe it was because of PKs in those games? But he was around 25 mins (with CDH in low 20s) in at least a couple of games, with Leddy/Boychuk around 19-20 mins. So I'm not sure who our #1 D pair is at this point.

 

[GTislanders]

No doubt in my mind we beat Washington with this warrior in the lineup. He is the undisputed number 1 for this d corps and a total stud. Just a complete workhorse who does everything. His offensive game and transition game are so smooth for a guy his size. He doesn't have great hands but he can definitely drive the play and create chances.

Keep it up, Hammer. STUD.

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

He's been looking great, even better than he did last year which was his best season. With deHaan playing at a high level I'm not surprised at all with how good he's been.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Called it in the who's our number one thread and I picked the Hammer.

With CDH starting off strong and Leddy weak, this is our true number one pair.

 

[enigmatic]

hes been great...looks like his skating has improved.....i really think we have 2 1b pairings, which i almost favor over having a legit number 1 and a so so second pairing....makes cappys terrible match up decisions less worrisome

 

[seafoam]

No doubt in my mind we beat Washington with this warrior in the lineup. He is the undisputed number 1 for this d corps and a total stud. Just a complete workhorse who does everything. His offensive game and transition game are so smooth for a guy his size. He doesn't have great hands but he can definitely drive the play and create chances.

Keep it up, Hammer. STUD.

His ice time and responsibility clearly shows the organization feels he is the team's top defenseman. Probably a good indicator why they didn't press to add defensemen whether via trade or free agency this offseason as well.

 

[WangMustGo]

Called it in the who's our number one thread and I picked the Hammer.

With CDH starting off strong and Leddy weak, this is our true number one pair.

100% agree with you. Hamonic is our best defensemen. He was our best defenseman last year, but was being dragged down by Dehaans mediocre play.

 

[PWJunior]

100% agree with you. Hamonic is our best defensemen. He was our best defenseman last year, but was being dragged down by Dehaans mediocre play.

de Haan's mediocre play? Hamonic has looked his best when paired with CdH. Even though CdH wasn't as good last year, he wasn't a train wreck as so many seem to believe. The deMonic pairing has been our top pair so far in the season.

Are you forgetting how many games Hammer played with Strait last year? I think you're confusing Strait with CdH.

 

[enigmatic]

de Haan's mediocre play? Hamonic has looked his best when paired with CdH. Even though CdH wasn't as good last year, he wasn't a train wreck as so many seem to believe. The deMonic pairing has been our top pair so far in the season.

Are you forgetting how many games Hammer played with Strait last year? I think you're confusing Strait with CdH.

if i get you a cdh blow up doll, will you use it?

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

de Haan's mediocre play? Hamonic has looked his best when paired with CdH. Even though CdH wasn't as good last year, he wasn't a train wreck as so many seem to believe. The deMonic pairing has been our top pair so far in the season.

Are you forgetting how many games Hammer played with Strait last year? I think you're confusing Strait with CdH.

It must be the beard.
Our best pairing at even strength.

 

[PWJunior]

if i get you a cdh blow up doll, will you use it?

Only if it's one of those really life like ones, the expensive one from Japan or something. Jerk.