Biggest NHL Turkey of the 2014-15 Season Thus Far

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 

 

 

Yea, yea, I know.....season is still pretty early and many, many things can change, but I thought this not only could be fun, but could also generate some serious discussion regarding certain situations teams and individual players find themselves in.

 

Given the time of year it is, with American Thanksgiving just this week, then having the Hanukkah and Christmas seasons right after that, many households consume, among other things, large birds, perfectly seasoned, roasted and decorated.

Soooo, with that theme, who would you say is the turkey of the NHL so far this season?

 

This player could be someone who was brought in to "fix" a team problem, but has been woefully inept at it.

Or it could be a guy who has regressed TREMENDOUSLY from what was expected of him, and his probably costing his team wins.

 

Maybe it's a coach who can't quite get his team to 'buy in' due to his own inept methods....or maybe, its a player that has been around a while, people have given him passes in the hopes of "he will figure it out", but to date, has not, and people's patience is now worn thin.

 

Hell, it could even be an entire team.....but I won't mention any team names......I will leave that up to creative minds on HF.net.....

 

 

I will start...

 

My Big Turkey pick so far this season, HAS to be none other than Mr. Thomas Vanek of the Minnesota Wild.

Here is a guy who had been a consistent 30'ish type goal scorer and a spark plug for an offense (at least in the regular season), and a guy who generally got his team's overall goals for avg to bump up a bit due to his sniping skills.

 

Well, one big problem the Wild have had year in, year out for quite a while is generating quality scoring chances and finishing on said chances.....and they STILL do....especially on the PP.

 

Enter Mr. Vanek, and putting aside his post season from last year (I don't think it was overall as terrible as many made it out to be, it just wasn't the kind of performance that would have helped put his team over the top....and he DID disappear in the series against the Rangers), he was brought in to help make the Wild a better "finishing" team.

 

Minnesota generates chances left and right, but for whatever reason, they can't finish off plays and be successful when they are up a man on a consistent basis.

Vanek, a veteran sniper, was supposed to help this.

Sure, fingers can be pointed at others such as Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, and Mikko Koivu...but really, with the first two, they are still young guys who the team can afford to give a pass to (at least for now), and Mikko, well, I think even the most diehard Mikko fan realizes by now, the man is a good solid two way player, but is NOT the kind of player you bet the offense and goal scoring will increase because of.

 

Jason Pominville...meh....he is doing ok, and he is another player that, I think, the Wild and their fanbase know what to expect...he will have his ups and downs, will create chances, finish on some, not so much on others....

But Mr. Vanek came in with MUCH fanfare...even Vanek himself said it was good to be in a place he felt "very comfortable", "closer to home", and "in a good winning situation".

 

So, what happened Mr. Turkey??

His contract is just three years, but it is still a pretty stiff cap hit for those three years especially given what he has done so far for his team... I.E. not a whole lot...and the PP looks worse than ever, DESPITE having better overall front line talent than they had in years.

 

Is if fair to burden Thomas Vanek with ALL the Wild's finishing and PP issues? Probably not....but him coming to the Wild, even though some said Minnesota should NOT have brought him in, was viewed as a game changing signing and a guy who would help propel this nice mixture of young talent and veterans to the next level where scoring would marry well with the solid overall team defense.

 

NO one certainly expected this team's PP to be as woeful as it is given the personnel.

And while other players besides Vanek can certainly stand to step up their offensive games (Jason Zucker got the memo, and has been getting better and better, as an example), there is no doubt that Thomas Vanek, with his fanfare, big contract, track record, etc is one of the big reasons this team is struggling on offense.

 

At any given moment, one can see Vanek missing one timers, mishandling pucks in the offensive zone, not being where teammates think he will be, not being able to enter the zone consistently while on the PP....and on top of all that, showing his frustrations CLEARLY with mini outbursts ON the ice....where the opposition can see it, and then plot to further his problems.

 

Not good Vanek...not good....you sir, get my Turkey of the Year award after 20+ games.

Here is hoping you can turn things around....not so sure the fanbase ( I certainly won't) will tolerate two more years of Vanek mishaps and on-ice tantrums...

 

Who else ya got, HF.net? 

[hf101]

LOL,  Great topic.  Nothing like  "Wild Turkey".

 

I'll add Umberger to the list at 1 goal and 1 assist with a -7.

[yave1964]

My all bust team:

JEROME IGINLA Winger

3 goals in 22 games, showing signs of his age.

VANEK Winger

Is he playing this year? As much as he was moved around last year, his luggage, and his game must have got lost at the airport.

PAUL STASTNY center

3 goals, -6 looks out of sorts in Hitchcocks system

MIKA KOIVU center

2 goals 20 games. Wretched start

JACK JOHNSON defense

1 goal, a -16. game looks bankrupt. Sorry, too easy.

RADKO GUDAS defense

1 goal, seems to have taken a step back at both ends of the ice this year.

SEMYON VARLAMOV goalie

4-9 record, 2.95 goals against way off from last year.

DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN rover

3 goals, no set position looks like he is going through the motions awaiting a trade

That is my list, honorable mention to Moulson and Hodgson in Buffalo, Steve Mason and T.J. Oshie.

[fishbulb]

How can the Oilers not be in the mix for the turkey so far.... Yes, they have a recent history of bad play, but really... they were at least supposed to take a small step this year no?? 

 

@Yave... Mason??  Really?...   His save % is .923  and while his GAA is 2.61, MANY of those goals were gimmes and tap-ins during the first few games where the Flyers' defense completely hung him out to dry.

 

Without his play, this team could easily be 4-13 or 5-12.

[Podein25]

I'll add Aleksander Barkov: 2G, 1A, -7 in 16 GP

[yave1964]

How can the Oilers not be in the mix for the turkey so far.... Yes, they have a recent history of bad play, but really... they were at least supposed to take a small step this year no?? 

 

@yave1964... Mason??  Really?...   His save % is .923  and while his GAA is 2.61, MANY of those goals were gimmes and tap-ins during the first few games where the Flyers' defense completely hung him out to dry.

 

Without his play, this team could easily be 4-13 or 5-12.

Mason was really lousy earlier, granted he has turned it around lately. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, I thought Columbus damn near ruined him and I am glad he has turned it back around, but the first part of the year he was pretty bad up until his last few games.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

LOL,  Great topic.  Nothing like  "Wild Turkey".

 

I'll add Umberger to the list at 1 goal and 1 assist with a -7.

 

I would agree on Umberger being turkey  material.

Granted, I don't think anyone expected him to be a goal scoring machine, so I am not condemning him to fowl status based on his low goal totals (although just 2 pts IS rather putrid...even for him), but rather, his -7.

 

I don't put a ton of stock on the +/- stat, but there are a sect of players in the NHL where that stat is quite telling.

Since Umberger was supposed to be a more disciplined, more defensively responsible version of what Scott Hartnell did for the Flyers, then I will say that sporting a -7, while doing nothing ELSE noteworthy of a solid defensive forward is simply unacceptable.

 

If any of you remember, I thought the Umberger for Hartnell trade was a positive for the Flyers, albeit a 'low level' type fix....but thus far, he has looked slow, not particularly good defensively, and not even chipping in the helpful occasional goal as he normally is apt to do....all the while, Hartnell, while not exactly lighting things up himself (and sporting a -10 himself) at LEAST has provided the Jackets with attitude, toughness, and 14 pts over 21 games.....and his 31 PIMs over those 21 games isn't half bad given the style of game he plays.

[J0e Th0rnton]

How can the Oilers not be in the mix for the turkey so far.... Yes, they have a recent history of bad play, but really... they were at least supposed to take a small step this year no?? 

 

@yave1964... Mason??  Really?...   His save % is .923  and while his GAA is 2.61, MANY of those goals were gimmes and tap-ins during the first few games where the Flyers' defense completely hung him out to dry.

 

Without his play, this team could easily be 4-13 or 5-12.

I was going to say Kevin Lowe and the Oilers management

[ihabs1993]

Great post! Gotta be Milan Lucic. Once a perennial tough guy, now just a washed up baby. On pace for 11 goals this year and embarrassing himself along the way. Greg Wyshynski puts it quite nicely here: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fblogs%2Fnhl-puck-daddy%2Fmilan-lucic-has-become-a-punchline-211119715.html&ei=kaV2VPvsHeWIsQTI-YCIDw&usg=AFQjCNHVFEbdMJBDDB_vIPWcdkvpASR8Mw&sig2=sPM10ZptWbHVXQLY-T_j5g

 

His team is struggling (by their standards anyway) due to injury and he has just floated through the opening portion of the season.

 

Gobble. Gobble. Gobble.

[RamsFan]

Please stay on topic. 

[jammer2]

  By far, the biggest turkey in the NHL is Alexander Semin. On pace for 0 goals and 20 assists, all for 7 mill a year...for the next 4 years!!  This is easily the most immoveable NHL contract that exists!  No goals....are you kidding me?  His play away from the puck is dreadful also.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

  By far, the biggest turkey in the NHL is Alexander Semin. On pace for 0 goals and 20 assists, all for 7 mill a year...for the next 4 years!!  This is easily the most immoveable NHL contract that exists!  No goals....are you kidding me?  His play away from the puck is dreadful also.

 

Hmmm...Mr. Semin sounds like Mr. Vanek....only worse...lol...

My nominee, Vanek, coming into today's action, has just 2 goals to go with his 12 assists.

 

He is doing 'ok' away from the puck however...

 

Of course, Minnesota didn't sign him to just be 'ok'....he was hired to snipe, and well, he hasn't been sniping so good..

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Great post! Gotta be Milan Lucic. Once a perennial tough guy, now just a washed up baby. On pace for 11 goals this year and embarrassing himself along the way. Greg Wyshynski puts it quite nicely here: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fblogs%2Fnhl-puck-daddy%2Fmilan-lucic-has-become-a-punchline-211119715.html&ei=kaV2VPvsHeWIsQTI-YCIDw&usg=AFQjCNHVFEbdMJBDDB_vIPWcdkvpASR8Mw&sig2=sPM10ZptWbHVXQLY-T_j5g

 

His team is struggling (by their standards anyway) due to injury and he has just floated through the opening portion of the season.

 

Gobble. Gobble. Gobble.

 

I also like this guy for big turkey this year...especially in light of what has gone on with the crying about cheap shots.

 

If Milan were lighting it up on the scoresheet or being a big impact player regularly like he used to be, the cheap shot by Prout would have been shrugged off and he would have moved on with life, plotted revenge, and not missed a beat.

[jammer2]

@TropicalFruitGirl26  Vanek's 14pts look a lot better than Semin's 5 assists!