Would giving vets nights off help down the road?

[Hammettf2b]

I'm talking about guys like Zetterberg, Kronwall, Big E ect... Is it out of the question to give these guys games off just so they don't burn out? We definitely have the depth to be able to do it. Or do we need these guys to play everyday in order to stay competitive game in and game out?

Click to read more...

 

[njx9]

I think it would be more effective to just give them lower minutes. The Zetterberg with Nyquist/Tatar-level minutes would probably last longer and be a more effective player than the Zetterberg being played 22+ minutes a night. Ditto Kronwall. I don't expect anything would make Ericsson more mobile, more physical, or an ECHL-level passer, though.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I'm talking about guys like Zetterberg, Kronwall, Big E ect... Is it out of the question to give these guys games off just so they don't burn out? We definitely have the depth to be able to do it. Or do we need these guys to play everyday in order to stay competitive game in and game out?

Eh, I always worry about giving guys games off just to give them games off. I feel like their usage in games should be altered moreso than giving them whole nights off. I never like forcefully sitting guys who are among your best players to "save them". Every game is important and I want Z playing in every game.

 

[Mount Suribachi]

Its something that's always surprised me how NHL teams don't utilize the full 23 man roster.

Soccer, a sport that is way less physically demanding, and plays way less games, and has way less travel, has pretty much universally accepted the concept of squad rotation. It baffles me why, especially on back to backs, whats the harm in swapping out a couple of 3rd or 4th liners for a game to help keep them fresh?

To make it happen, its going to have to take a bold and successful coach to start doing squad rotation, and then go deep in the playoffs with it because his players are "fresher". Once Sir Alex Ferguson introduced it at Man Utd, and they were winning trophies galore that way, other teams followed suit.

But I also agree with those who say we need to stop playing Z and Kronner for 20 mins a night.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Its something that's always surprised me how NHL teams don't utilize the full 23 man roster.

Soccer, a sport that is way less physically demanding, and plays way less games, and has way less travel, has pretty much universally accepted the concept of squad rotation. It baffles me why, especially on back to backs, whats the harm in swapping out a couple of 3rd or 4th liners for a game to help keep them fresh?

To make it happen, its going to have to take a bold and successful coach to start doing squad rotation, and then go deep in the playoffs with it because his players are "fresher". Once Sir Alex Ferguson introduced it at Man Utd, and they were winning trophies galore that way, other teams followed suit.

But I also agree with those who say we need to stop playing Z and Kronner for 20 mins a night.

For lower lines, I get it and I like the idea of squad rotation.
If you flop Jurco and Pulkkinen for instance, that could be very helpful.

But you might run into issues if you want to rotate out a Nyquist or Larkin or Nielsen. I'm in favor of squad rotation when the difference between the players you are rotating is negligible. But if you sit a guy like Larkin or Nyquist (and they're not hurt), you are icing a suboptimal lineup. And seriously, as much as you want to complain about their play last year... there is no player in GR that will come up and outplay Zetterberg or Kronwall.

 

[Oddbob]

Why do you need to keep 3rd and 4th liners fresh, they play like 5-12 minutes a night?

Playing the vets under 20 will help keep them fresher. Them being out of the lineup entirely is usually bad, because what if someone gets hurt in game, or someone gets a misconduct or in a fight? If someone important is out just for sake of being out, now the team has to finish the game with an inferior lineup.

 

[Pavels Dog]

It would help and I thought this was one of Blashill's major mis-steps last season. He just didn't utilize the full roster. He should have rested Richards, Ericsson, possibly even Kronwall and Z/Dats every now and then. To not switch in 2-3 fresh players for the second leg of a back-to-back is just a bad strategy.

We're going to have some solid NHLers as our #13-14 forwards and #7D, I hope Blashill uses that to his advantage this season. Depth is one of the few things we really have going for us.

 

[Hammettf2b]

For lower lines, I get it and I like the idea of squad rotation.
If you flop Jurco and Pulkkinen for instance, that could be very helpful.

But you might run into issues if you want to rotate out a Nyquist or Larkin or Nielsen. I'm in favor of squad rotation when the difference between the players you are rotating is negligible. But if you sit a guy like Larkin or Nyquist (and they're not hurt), you are icing a suboptimal lineup. And seriously, as much as you want to complain about their play last year... there is no player in GR that will come up and outplay Zetterberg or Kronwall.

I think Mantha would be a good replacement for Zetterberg for a game or two. I don't know, I just thought if Blashill insists on giving the vets big minutes, that they might need a day off or two. Don't think its a good idea to use a rotation with guys like Larkin or Nyquist though.

 

[Datsyukian Deke]

We did that in 02 in mid March when the Presidents Trophy was all wrapped up, and everyone's game and the team went to hell because of it the last few weeks of the season.

Granted, different time & team....

 

[Hammettf2b]

We did that in 02 in mid March when the Presidents Trophy was all wrapped up, and everyone's game and the team went to hell because of it the last few weeks of the season.

Granted, different time & team....

I think it would be a little different this time around. We will be fighting for a playoff spot so I don't see the team getting complacent. Who knows though really.

 

[Bench]

Is the team comfortably in the playoffs? They should get days off.

Otherwise, look at it from Blashill's perspective. So he rests his star veterans. And if they miss the playoffs? Whoops. My bad. Playing your veterans is the safest play, and obviously one Holland is endorsing, but filling out the roster with more vets this off-season.

 

[Hammettf2b]

Is the team comfortably in the playoffs? They should get days off.

Otherwise, look at it from Blashill's perspective. So he rests his star veterans. And if they miss the playoffs? Whoops. My bad. Playing your veterans is the safest play, and obviously one Holland is endorsing, but filling out the roster with more vets this off-season.

But is that best for the team? The mindset needs to change imo. If Zett is noticeably slowing down throughout the season, why not give him a breather? Why not give him less minutes? This loyalty crap needs to go or Blashill is going to do to our vets what the Laker coaches did to Kobe. Play him way too much when his body couldn't take that anymore. Tim Duncan didn't seem to mind when he got days off. Coach Pop was doing what was best for the team. Sorry to bring basketball in this argument but I think it makes for a good comparison.

 

[Bench]

But is that best for the team? The mindset needs to change imo. If Zett is noticeably slowing down throughout the season, why not give him a breather? Why not give him less minutes? This loyalty crap needs to go or Blashill is going to do to our vets what the Laker coaches did to Kobe. Play him way too much when his body couldn't take that anymore. Tim Duncan didn't seem to mind when he got days off. Coach Pop was doing what was best for the team. Sorry to bring basketball in this argument but I think it makes for a good comparison.

I don't disagree, but it's a pretty bold move to sit Zetterberg and Kronwall if the team might not make the playoffs.

Best strategy, as has been stated, is reduce roles and minutes.

 

[Hammettf2b]

I don't disagree, but it's a pretty bold move to sit Zetterberg and Kronwall if the team might not make the playoffs.

Best strategy, as has been stated, is reduce roles and minutes.

That I agree on. Now the question is, does Blashill have the [REDACTED] to actually do it? I don't think so tbh.

 

[Mijatovic]

Is the team comfortably in the playoffs? They should get days off.

Otherwise, look at it from Blashill's perspective. So he rests his star veterans. And if they miss the playoffs? Whoops. My bad. Playing your veterans is the safest play, and obviously one Holland is endorsing, but filling out the roster with more vets this off-season.

Big ****ing whoop. We made it to the playoffs and we would have probably been further up had Z not been dead for the last 40 games. Z might have been able to contribute instead of negatively contribute in the playoffs.

Back to backs, rest Z always. And I mean ALWAYS.
Give Kronwall the odd maintenance day off too.

Dont allow our veterans to be come victims and detrimental to this team.

 

[Mijatovic]

I don't disagree, but it's a pretty bold move to sit Zetterberg and Kronwall if the team might not make the playoffs.

Best strategy, as has been stated, is reduce roles and minutes.

Zetterberg Stats for 1st Half of Season

7G 23 A 30P +5 TOI: 19:03

Zetterberg Stats for 2nd Half of Season

6G 14 A 20P -20 TOI: 19:45

Tell me again how playing Zetterberg get 0.5PPG while playing major PP minutes and going -20 over the final stretch really helped this team make the playoffs.

Reducing his time will help. Giving him days off to recover will help far more. Not playing him two nights in a row will make him far more effective giving him time to properly rest and recover. Hes an aging veteran who already struggles with the physical rigor.

 

[Bench]

Tell me again how playing Zetterberg get 0.5PPG while playing major PP minutes and going -20 over the final stretch really helped this team make the playoffs.

I can't. You need to talk to Blashill.

Having a new, young coach can have some benefits. But a big downfall is they probably feel the need to play it safe and continue the conditions they were hired under. Blashill ran the team nearly exactly the way Babcock did. How you feel about that will determine your perspective on the situation, but ultimately with his career on the line and the playoffs 1 or 2 points away... would you really feel comfortable sitting the captains?

I wouldn't. I may want to. But I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it.

 

[Mijatovic]

People suck is the morale of this story. Emotions override common sense, and blur reality.

The reality is watching Zetterberg struggle, fail to make simple passes, be unable to hold that puck like he used to and then stagger back to defend then give up a penalty was pretty obvious.

Damn straight I would have sat Zetterberg and I would have felt perfectly comfortable realising that a 35 year old guy cant back it up like he used to. I may not have in the first half of the season, but the after the results he was putting up in the second half, I would have had all the justification neccessary.

People would be shocked and I am sure some even outraged. Even after the explanation was given that Z needs more recovery time than he used to. But that is the way people are and what is best for the team is not always what is most popular with the people.

 

[Winger98]

I don't disagree, but it's a pretty bold move to sit Zetterberg and Kronwall if the team might not make the playoffs.

Best strategy, as has been stated, is reduce roles and minutes.

In the end, yeah, this would probably be best. A day off every once in awhile would be nice but if we're still burying Zetterberg for 20 minutes a night, that day off isn't going to be a huge deal. Back him off to ~17 minutes against lesser competition and he probably has an easier time just not wearing down and maintaining himself throughout the season.

 

[Frk It]

Play them 15 minutes a night -- better than giving them a night off then 20 minutes when they do play.

3rd line and 3rd pair for Z and Kronwall.

Abby-Larkin-Nyquist
Vanek-Nielsen-Tatar
Zetterberg-Sheahan-Helm/Pulkks
Miller-Glenny-Jurco/Ott

Dekeyser-Green
Smith-Marchenko
Kronwall-Ericsson/XO/Sproul

 

[Squirrel in the Hole]

Reducing his time will help. Giving him days off to recover will help far more. Not playing him two nights in a row will make him far more effective giving him time to properly rest and recover. Hes an aging veteran who already struggles with the physical rigor.

Amen, brother!


They've had "maintenance days", we need a "maintenance process". One that combines days off with careful control of ice time and situational usage.

 

[Retire91]

I think it was pretty much agreed that one of Blash's big shortcummings was the distribution of ice time. I hope this season we don't see the vets playing those hard minutes he had them playing last season.It was really out of hand