Helmethead Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 3 hours ago, Commandant said: I dont see the team loaning out kotkaniemi. Hes not struggling in the way that mete was. Just look at the pass he made to lehkonen last night. As well as the fact his line is still getting a ton of chances. (Lehkonen two goals saturday. Byron many chances vs san jose). I just dont see it. I am also not sure that its beneficial to take a player succeeding at the nhl level and put him in under 20 hockey. If hes struggling in the nhl, sure. But now.. i dont think he would benefit playing a lower level of hockey. Dont mess with the kids head. He’s been absolutely fine. That pass last night was high IQ playmaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 2 hours ago, Helmethead said: Dont mess with the kids head. He’s been absolutely fine. That pass last night was high IQ playmaking. Screw that, let him go, light it up and dominate! (How many NHL games would he miss? 6, 7?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomh009 Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 I'd be OK with sending him to WJC but I don't think he would gain much in the AHL. He needs to play with talented players, and AHL isn't really that. WJC, yes, it's other young players, but it's intense, with lots of icetime. Seven games (or less) over a period of just less than two weeks, with a clear return date after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IN THE HEARTS OF MEN Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 no thanks... he looks great in his #15 habs sweater. He's not going anywhere. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 12 hours ago, DON said: Screw that, let him go, light it up and dominate! (How many NHL games would he miss? 6, 7?) Hed miss about 7-10 depending on how deep finland goes and if the habs wanted to make him play back to back with travel from vancouver on his return from a gold medal game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 12 hours ago, tomh009 said: I'd be OK with sending him to WJC but I don't think he would gain much in the AHL. He needs to play with talented players, and AHL isn't really that. WJC, yes, it's other young players, but it's intense, with lots of icetime. Seven games (or less) over a period of just less than two weeks, with a clear return date after that. Wjc is intense. But ahl is higher calibre of hockey. An AHL team would beat the WJC teams. Just like the CIS/Usports all-star teams beat team canada almost every year during camp. Size and speed is just better at the older age. This is why i dont want him playing wjc. I dont think he will learn anything there. The NHL, even in the regular season, is faster and stronger opponents... amd he is succeeding against them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomh009 Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 3 hours ago, Commandant said: This is why i dont want him playing wjc. I dont think he will learn anything there. The NHL, even in the regular season, is faster and stronger opponents... amd he is succeeding against them. So my preference is that he should play in ... NHL WJC AHL Assat Staying with the first choice is the best, I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfredoh2009 Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 3 hours ago, Commandant said: Wjc is intense. But ahl is higher calibre of hockey. An AHL team would beat the WJC teams. Just like the CIS/Usports all-star teams beat team canada almost every year during camp. Size and speed is just better at the older age. This is why i dont want him playing wjc. I dont think he will learn anything there. The NHL, even in the regular season, is faster and stronger opponents... amd he is succeeding against them. But learning to win a medal/trophy at the WJC may boost his confidence and provide an evaluation of Kotka vs Poehling/Olafsson/Suzuki Most importantly, it would provide the CH to bring up Evans to evaluate at the NHL level along Peca like dlbalr was saying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 8 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said: But learning to win a medal/trophy at the WJC may boost his confidence and provide an evaluation of Kotka vs Poehling/Olafsson/Suzuki Most importantly, it would provide the CH to bring up Evans to evaluate at the NHL level along Peca like dlbalr was saying Kotka is best of the group right now. they can be evaluated against each other in plenty of future training camps and practices. I don't see this as a benefit worthy of sending him to the WJC. I think sending him off the NHL team could be a hit to his confidence too. Telling him, you are too valuable in the NHL to go play junior hockey, can be a boost to his confidence. it all depends how you look at it. That said, I don't think the kid has any confidence issues. Never seen it. The way he seems to get better and better as the season goes on, and learn from every mistake he makes and not compound them doesn't suggest any confidence issue. Evans is his first year of pro hockey.... let him dominate the AHL if he can... and while he's playing well, its not dominant. I've seen enough of Peca to know that Kotkaniemi is better. Keeping Kotkaniemi in the NHL is a win-win 1) Its better for Kotkaniemi's development. 2) It makes the Habs a stronger team. There is no reason to send him away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfredoh2009 Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 48 minutes ago, Commandant said: Kotka is best of the group right now. they can be evaluated against each other in plenty of future training camps and practices. I don't see this as a benefit worthy of sending him to the WJC. I think sending him off the NHL team could be a hit to his confidence too. Telling him, you are too valuable in the NHL to go play junior hockey, can be a boost to his confidence. it all depends how you look at it. That said, I don't think the kid has any confidence issues. Never seen it. The way he seems to get better and better as the season goes on, and learn from every mistake he makes and not compound them doesn't suggest any confidence issue. Evans is his first year of pro hockey.... let him dominate the AHL if he can... and while he's playing well, its not dominant. I've seen enough of Peca to know that Kotkaniemi is better. Keeping Kotkaniemi in the NHL is a win-win 1) Its better for Kotkaniemi's development. 2) It makes the Habs a stronger team. There is no reason to send him away. there is a reason: it hurts the draft position for 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 27 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said: there is a reason: it hurts the draft position for 2019 Ill worry about that when we are not fighting for a playoff spot Id rather give young players playoff experience vs a few draft positions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfredoh2009 Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 39 minutes ago, Commandant said: Ill worry about that when we are not fighting for a playoff spot Id rather give young players playoff experience vs a few draft positions. But if there is a year not to care about "fighting for a playoff spot" it is this year. The roster needs to be trimmed and choices have to be made on bottom 6-Fwds and bottom-2 Ds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 1 hour ago, alfredoh2009 said: But if there is a year not to care about "fighting for a playoff spot" it is this year. The roster needs to be trimmed and choices have to be made on bottom 6-Fwds and bottom-2 Ds 1) every year is important. The value to Kotkaniemi, Juulsen, Mete, Domi, Drouin, Danault, etc... of playing more playoff games can not be overstated. If you have the chance to get in without mortgaging the future, get in. Even the value of high pressure games down the stretch trying to get in, is there. Pressure creates diamonds. 2) There is no reason why the roster can't be trimmed of 4th liners and 6/7 D and the team can still compete. I'm also not messing with the development of a guy who we want to be a #1 C so that we can evaluate a bunch of fourth liners. The organization needs to be focused on the best way to Develop Kotkaniemi.... that is SOOOOO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than evaluating Chaput, Peca, Evans, McCarron, etc.... like not even close to the same level of importance. You don't mess with Kotkaniemi's development plan and deviate even one inch from what is best for him, in order to evaluate your fourth liners. You always make the decision based on what is best for Kotkaniemi, not what is best for Peca or Chaput or others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Commandant said: Pressure creates diamonds. Been waiting a while to slip that one in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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