Injury Report: Zaitzev injured?

[mianjo]

TSN 1200 reporting he might be injured, maybe a call up for tomorrows game. He apparently did not play the last 7 mins of the Toronto game.

Click to read more...

 

[jbeck5]

TSN 1200 reporting he might be injured, maybe a call up for tomorrows game. He apparently did not play the last 7 mins of the Toronto game.

Wait. What happened to Holden for zaitsev to play in the first place? Is Holden not good to go?

 

[bert]

Wait. What happened to Holden for zaitsev to play in the first place? Is Holden not good to go?

Was away this weekend so I wasnt very dialed in. That was what I was wondering too.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Hoping for a speedy recovery straight to the press box

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Diesn’t look like it.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Zaitsev in the lineup over Holden is madness. Incomprehensible madness.

Is Holden great? No. But Zaitsev has a 3 year track record of being an absolute tire fire.

Every year DJ tries to force guys into the lineup who shouldn't be there. Anisimov, J.Brown, Zaitsev... I don't get it.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

Diesn’t look like it.

Zaitsev in the lineup over Holden is madness. Incomprehensible madness.

Is Holden great? No. But Zaitsev has a 3 year track record of being an absolute tire fire.

Every year DJ tries to force guys into the lineup who shouldn't be there. Anisimov, J.Brown, Zaitsev... I don't get it.

 

[Micklebot]

Zaitsev in the lineup over Holden is madness. Incomprehensible madness.

Is Holden great? No. But Zaitsev has a 3 year track record of being an absolute tire fire.

Every year DJ tries to force guys into the lineup who shouldn't be there. Anisimov, J.Brown, Zaitsev... I don't get it.

It's possible Holden isn't 100% and has something nagging him, he wasn't good in Buffalo. I'm no fan of Zaitsev but he had a better game the other night than Holden did.

Ideally, we'd have a better option that either, Holden is ok on his offside, but he doesn't have the skillset I usually associate with guys that play their offside well, he can get away with it thanks to his experience but he's slowimg down.

 

[DaveMatthew]

It's possible Holden isn't 100% and has something nagging him, he wasn't good in Buffalo. I'm no fan of Zaitsev but he had a better game the other night than Holden did.

Ideally, we'd have a better option that either, Holden is ok on his offside, but he doesn't have the skillset I usually associate with guys that play their offside well, he can get away with it thanks to his experience but he's slowimg down.

The team is usually pretty up front when a guy is questionable our out because of an injury. Considering Holden hasn't missed practice but has just been skating as the extra guy, I'd venture to guess it's not that.

No, Holden wasn't great in Buffalo. But there's a much bigger sample size that can be considered when evaluating who should play between him and Zaitsev. Holden has earned much more benefit of doubt than Zaitsev, IMO.

Methot says it best. When you evaluate Zaitsev based on his individual skills and profile, it's not bad. You think there might be something there, or should be something there. Decent size. Good enough skater. Gives an effort. But whenever he gets on the ice, it's chaos. And it's been like that for several years.

 

[Bileur]

The team is usually pretty up front when a guy is questionable our out because of an injury. Considering Holden hasn't missed practice but has just been skating as the extra guy, I'd venture to guess it's not that.

No, Holden wasn't great in Buffalo. But there's a much bigger sample size that can be considered when evaluating who should play between him and Zaitsev. Holden has earned much more benefit of doubt than Zaitsev, IMO.

Methot says it best. When you evaluate Zaitsev based on his individual skills and profile, it's not bad. You think there might be something there, or should be something there. But whenever he gets on the ice, it's chaos. And it's been like that for several years.

Holden was also significantly better in the preseason and last season.

Zaitsev is the classic « all the tools no toolbox » guy.

 

[Ice-Tray]

The team is usually pretty up front when a guy is questionable our out because of an injury. Considering Holden hasn't missed practice but has just been skating as the extra guy, I'd venture to guess it's not that.

No, Holden wasn't great in Buffalo. But there's a much bigger sample size that can be considered when evaluating who should play between him and Zaitsev. Holden has earned much more benefit of doubt than Zaitsev, IMO.

Methot says it best. When you evaluate Zaitsev based on his individual skills and profile, it's not bad. You think there might be something there, or should be something there. But whenever he gets on the ice, it's chaos. And it's been like that for several years.

DJ doesn’t usually volunteer information about players. Someone will have to ask at the next scrum to get an honestish answer.

 

[Xspyrit]

Dorion and DJ are an incredibly Elite duo of self-sabotage tankers

Me seeing the GIGANTIC hole left by Connor Brown's absence :



Maybe we should send our 1st round to Washington to get him back?

Or another idea, trade for Oliver Bjorkstrand instead of DeBrincat and get a Top-4 RHD with the 7th OA pick

This needs to cumulate 90+ points bare MINIMUM this season or you can everybody

 

[DaveMatthew]

Dorion and DJ are an incredibly Elite duo of self-sabotage tankers

Me seeing the GIGANTIC hole left by Connor Brown's absence :

View attachment 595082

Maybe we should send our 1st round to Washington to get him back?

Or another idea, trade for Oliver Bjorkstrand instead of DeBrincat and get a Top-4 RHD with the 7th OA pick

Seems like quite a leap after 2 games.

Connor Brown is hardly a gigantic hole. Tyler Motte has effectively filled it for 25% of the cost. Hopefully we get Formenton back in the fold, and Brown's departure will be felt even less (It's not like Brown or Washington have exactly lit it up. Caps are 1-2 while Brown is 0-0 in 3 games with a -2, despite playing on the top line).

Oliver Bjortstrand plays RW, not left. Is he playing above Batherson or Giroux in your scenario? And which top-4 RHD were you acquiring with the 7OA pick? John Marino?

 

[Xspyrit]

Seems like quite a leap after 2 games.

Connor Brown is hardly a gigantic hole. Tyler Motte has effectively filled it for 25% of the cost. Hopefully we get Formenton back in the fold, and Brown's departure will be felt even less (It's not like Brown or Washington have exactly lit it up. Caps are 1-2 while Brown is 0-0 in 3 games with a -2, despite playing on the top line).

Oliver Bjortstrand plays RW, not left. Is he playing above Batherson or Giroux in your scenario? And which top-4 RHD were you acquiring with the 7OA pick? John Marino?

I didn't need to see these 2 games to have these opinions. Having DeBrincat is great but considering how weak our (edited) RD is, maybe the play would have been to add Bjorkstrand and a good Top-4 RHD instead? I would have been all over that guy, particularly at that price, I would have outbid it so easily.

Tkachuk - Norris - Batherson
Giroux - Stutzle - Bjorkstrand
Joseph - Pinto - Brown
Crookshank - Kastelic - Kelly
Watson

A lot of Wingers a perfectly capable of playing the 2 sides. People make a big deal out of it, pretty sure Bjork has played LW before.

If Formenton was there, then yes no need for Brown but he is not there and probably won't all season so what I am seeing is a big hole in the Top-9. What is frustrating is we KNEW about the TC scandal at the moment Brown was traded. Just the same old same old type of move

Motte is a great guy, great 4th line energy player but I don't want him in my top-9 because I have high aspirations. I don't care how Brown does in Washington, he was clearly working out here. By the way, Caps are stupid (or are short in options) to use Brown in a top-6 role, he thrives by being a shutdown 2-way forward.

As for the RHD, I don't know but worst case scenario keep the 7th OA pick and trade for a contract like Brent Burns, with retention if necessary. And I'm sure if you put 7th OA + 2nd + 3rd on the table some nice players could be available... Could even afford to add a prospect or two.

Again, pressure is there they have to start winning a lot of hockey games. You don't want to be in a Devils/Sabres never ending rebuild.

 

[bicboi64]

If we acquired Bjorkstrand for what Seattle played, I'd be ecstatic. That'd be a prime example of Dorion taking advantage of a team who is in cap crunch and overwhelmingly won a trade.

 

[DaveMatthew]

I didn't need to see these 2 games to have these opinions. Having DeBrincat is great but considering how weak our right side is, maybe the play would have been to add Bjorkstrand and a good Top-4 RHD instead? I would have been all over that guy, particularly at that price, I would have outbid it so easily.

Tkachuk - Norris - Batherson
Giroux - Stutzle - Bjorkstrand
Joseph - Pinto - Brown
Crookshank - Kastelic - Kelly
Watson

A lot of Wingers a perfectly capable of playing the 2 sides. People make a big deal out of it, pretty sure Bjork has played LW before.

If Formenton was there, then yes no need for Brown but he is not there and probably won't all season so what I am seeing is a big hole in the Top-9. What is frustrating is we KNEW about the TC scandal at the moment Brown was traded. Just the same old same old type of move

Motte is a great guy, great 4th line energy player but I don't want him in my top-9 because I have high aspirations. I don't care how Brown does in Washington, he was clearly working out here. By the way, Caps are stupid (or are short in options) to use Brown in a top-6 role, he thrives by being a shutdown 2-way forward.

As for the RHD, I don't know but worst case scenario keep the 7th OA pick and trade for a contract like Brent Burns, with retention if necessary. And I'm sure if you put 7th OA + 2nd + 3rd on the table some nice players could be available... Could even afford to add a prospect or two.

Again, pressure is there they have to start winning a lot of hockey games. You don't want to be in a Devils/Sabres never ending rebuild.

Our left-side is/was much weaker than our right-side, so I'm not sure I follow the logic that Bjorkstrand was a better fit. We got the better player.

And by all reports, Ottawa was very much in on Burns but he declined to waive his NMC to come here. RD are the hardest to find commodity in the NHL, so I don't think waving the 7th OA pick around would have changed the calculus around who's available all that much. It's not like St.Louis would have said, "Oh wow, 7th OA? We'll trade you Parayko!".

 

[JD1]

The team is usually pretty up front when a guy is questionable our out because of an injury. Considering Holden hasn't missed practice but has just been skating as the extra guy, I'd venture to guess it's not that.

No, Holden wasn't great in Buffalo. But there's a much bigger sample size that can be considered when evaluating who should play between him and Zaitsev. Holden has earned much more benefit of doubt than Zaitsev, IMO.

Methot says it best. When you evaluate Zaitsev based on his individual skills and profile, it's not bad. You think there might be something there, or should be something there. Decent size. Good enough skater. Gives an effort. But whenever he gets on the ice, it's chaos. And it's been like that for several years.

Personally I think Holden is battling Zaitsev for the 3rd rd slot. I said that several times throughput the summer too.

Chabot, Sanderson and Zub are going to play. Everyone agrees there. Hamonic too.

What's asinine is removing Brannstrom. He's young. He's got pedigree. He played quite well last year with Chabot out. He's a better version of himself so far, a point I made in the weeks leading up to the season as to why our D will be better ( all of JBD, Thomson and Brannstrom should be better versions of themselves)

So what does that leave? Holden and Zaitsev battling for a 3rd pair right D slot. And is off wing Holden at 35 a better option than Zaitsev for maybe 14 minutes a night. Holden might have lost a 1/4 step. Maybe that's enough that DJ is more comfortable with Zaitsev.

We'll see how the season rolls along, but I don't expect to see Holden playing left D if Chabot, Sanderson and Brannstrom are healthy. Maybe the odd time with Brannstrom playing right.

 

[aragorn]

It's possible Holden isn't 100% and has something nagging him, he wasn't good in Buffalo. I'm no fan of Zaitsev but he had a better game the other night than Holden did.

Ideally, we'd have a better option that either, Holden is ok on his offside, but he doesn't have the skillset I usually associate with guys that play their offside well, he can get away with it thanks to his experience but he's slowimg down.

Holden is also 35 yrs old & in his UFA yr, they need to upgrade that 3rd pairing in a big way, hense, I like Mayfield RD. But since that may never come to fruition why not try JBD soon who is probably their best prospect defender in their own zone.

 

[Xspyrit]

Our left-side is/was much weaker than our right-side, so I'm not sure I follow the logic that Bjorkstrand was a better fit. We got the better player.

And by all reports, Ottawa was very much in on Burns but he declined to waive his NMC to come here. RD are the hardest to find commodity in the NHL, so I don't think waving the 7th OA pick around would have changed the calculus around who's available all that much. It's not like St.Louis would have said, "Oh wow, 7th OA? We'll trade you Parayko!".

By right side, I was talking about Defense. Didn't see the need to specify as it's been the talk for a long time but I edited so nobody else gets confused.

At forward, before the Formenton situation, our LW was totally set with ADB, Tkachuk, Formenton, Kelly then Crookshank, Greig, Jarventie, Lodin, Sokolov, etc

Like I said ADB is great to have but the worry is how much he's going to cost. OB has a 5.4 AAV for 4 years. If ADB just gets his 9.0 QO, our top-6 will cost 45 M$ next year... that's insane

ADB could almost cost twice as OB, who is still very underrated around the league.

As for the RHD, Burns was just one example. I repeat, I don't know who exactly but if you offer a nice package (which we could afford to do, and had the cap space to do, unlike other competitive teams) then many other options could suddenly appear.

 

[OgieO]

I'm not convinced JBD wasn't the best option for the 3rd pairing RD. Just hard to put him with EB, not a lot of experience there, But if Zaitsev is hurt I hope they give JBD a chance with Erik. See how they fare together.