Preseason Impressions

[SpikeDDS]

The recent silence on this forum—is it silent resignation? I can understand if it is.

 

The Prospects Tournament win was and is a reason for optimism. But that optimism does not translate to optimism for THIS season. It shows that help is coming...in time. 

 

As the preseason ramped up toward the end, you started to see opponents playing rosters with mostly NHL players, and our falloff in the last couple of games reflected our compete level against that kind of competition. If anyone has high hopes about maybe making the playoffs this season, the Toronto games should give them pause if not eradicate the idea.

 

It wasn’t just that we lost both games. It is HOW we lost them. The final

preseason game wasn’t as bad as last tear’s Montreal games, but it was reminiscent. You want your preseason to ramp up in compete and intensity, and instead we laid an egg! A goose egg!

 

And the breakdown was eerily similar to last season’s breakdowns—the PK was a problem. Toronto scores on the PP almost at will. Defensive lapses led to multiple odd-man rushes and breakaways, some of which Toronto took advantage of. But the bottom line is that last year’s problems came right back once we were pitted against solid NHL competition. These are still systemic problems, and no one should think that these are gone until we see a string of evidence that things have improved in these regards. They haven’t, at least not yet.

 

But I suppose for me, the biggest disappointment is that except for Cholo getting a second chance and Taco being allowed to continue where he left off at the end of last season, NONE of our other young talent was deemed worthy of making the starting roster. They just are not ready yet. It’s not “never!” It’s just now “now!” And it means we will have to be patient and wait.

 

My biggest hopes to make the roster were Veleno and Seider. Seider is young and does need a bit of time to adjust to the North American rink size. I get that one. But I really wondered if Veleno might be ready. He looks really god in the prospects tournament. But if he had made the roster, he would not be on the top 2 lines at center, and so it IS better that he remain in GR for now.

 

By far, the biggest disappointment for me is Zadina. I know he is young. He looks like he needs more time. A LOT more time! He had 1 point—an assist—in 6 preseason games. For a guy who is supposed to be a goal scorer, that’s not a good sign! Even though he didn’t make the roster, it wasn’t so much that he didn’t mKe it, but HOW he didn’t make it that bothered me. IF he’s gonna be great, it’s gonna be a WHILE!

 

Drat!

[yave1964]

@SpikeDDS

 

  I have been hyper critical for years with the Wings for not giving ice time to the kids, Yzerman is a God in Detroit and I believe in him turning the team around but like you I am frustrated up to a point with the kids not aiming the opening night roster. However:

 

  Up to a point I get it. Seider could use some seasoning, he would look brilliant one shirt then lost the next. Zadina was okay in the preseason, a bit snakebit the three games I watched with him in them he hit a post once and came close a couple of other times. Veleno, IMHO like Seider needs to take a bit at the next level and learn AHL hockey before playing in the NHL. Svechnikov showed promise in the preseason and seemed to get better as time went on but he needs to shake off the rust at the AHL level before he gets a shot to resume his career.  In net, Larssen looked meh, I know he is our best goalie prospect and we let Rybar go who had a very good year in the minors to make room for him to split time with Pickard and he may be something in a year or two but needs seasoning. Hicketts and Kaski are more or less AHL fodder and desperation callups- nothing more. Hicketts is too small and Kaski got turned around ridiculously easily in his first games on the smaller ice. Kuffner too, he is an AHL forward-nothing more.

 To me, the biggest disappointment was Rasmussen who they moved back to his natural center position after playing on the wing last year and looking lost. He was a beast his first two games but then kind of petered out, again however Blash screwed with his ice time and had most of his draws in the defensive zone, he has a history of misusing these kids, I gotta think that will come to a halt sooner than later.

  Hirose and Cholowski didn't get handed jobs both went out and TOOK them. I admit to being a bit skeptical of Hirose but he could be the new Nyquist, a solid middle six winger who plays soft. As a matter of fact, I read Helen Saint James say that the big reason Zadina was shipped out is because he plays soft and they didn't want a third line of three non physical players in Hirose/Filpulla/Zadina which does make a certain amount of sense.

 

  I anticipate the Wings being bad this year and big time sellers at the deadline or sooner, guys like Helm, Abdelkader, Daley, Green, Nielsen, Filpulla, of the six of them maybe one or two will still be there by years end and the kids who go to the A and sulk will stay all year. Those who bust their but will get recalled and better perform. Howard too as an UFA will probably be shipped at or near the deadline.

 

  I love the Griffins, the thought of seeing real prospects like Seider, Zadina, Veleno, Svechnikov, Larssen, Jared McIsaac, Gus Lindstrom, Givani Smith,  and Rasmussen mixed in with a bunch of AHL vets all hungry for the big time, all skilled, well it does give me hope. I think that sending the kids down nearly en mass is a sign that this year is being written off but that a definite plan is in place. I truly think by next seaaon there will be a near fifty percent turnover and most of these kids will be here permanently and more as well through the next draft. I am more hopeful now than at any point in the last seven or eight years that the slide has stopped, regardless of the final record this year and the turnaround has begun.

[SpikeDDS]

@yave1964

 

I agree on Ras and I didn't mention Svech, and I should have. Just didn't come to mind. Had a pretty darn good preseason considering the length of time he had to sit out. I was pleasantly encouraged with him, but he does need a bit of AHL to build him up for the NHL workload.

 

Ras is a conundrum. They want him to play center. He's a big boy at 6-6, and most guys his size are D-men or centers. That kind of frame is often suited for more defensive play. And I think that's what Blash sees for him. He didn't thrive at wing last year, and he may just be better at center. It kinda makes sense. Blash is going to try to build him as a defensively-minded center, and he's got the time to do it, because with our pickup of Filppula that makes one more center that he will have to outplay in the next 2 seasons to be top-6 center. It matches his frame, but does it match his game? He's gonna have to adapt, and I hope he doesn't get worse in trying. We need that net front ability he has. Can he be battling in front of the net AND play responsible D? Time will tell, but that can be a tall order.

 

But I think you and I are in agreement: this year is kinda over before it starts. To me, this year will hopefully be about Cholo regaining his confidence and learning to play a responsible D game, the development of Hirose, Hronek's continued establishment, and hopefully the continued play of our top-4 forwards. It's ALL about what that will mean for NEXT season. That's when it gets a bit more interesting. We should, as you pointed out, have quite a few openings for our youth, and it will be time to let some of them loose and see what they have learned in the AHL, and find out if their games translate to the NHL.

 

And if we suck this year, it can also mean another lottery pick. Perhaps we'll get lucky this time.

Edited October 1, 2019 by SpikeDDS