conundrumed
-
Posts
16,300 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
373
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Videos
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by conundrumed
-
-
1 minute ago, robrob74 said:
I was just thinking, they need to run with one and if they proved they belong, it’s why they ran with him.
I doubt it's that easy.
Gillies was gifted the spot, Rittich has barged in. Give both the reps, see who comes out the other end.
My guess would be Rittich.
Unless Gillies feels like realizing that he's being pushed and picks up his socks.
Rittich>Gillies
-
4 minutes ago, robrob74 said:
Is them doing 1A/1B working? After they tired out in the NHL after a stint of being starters, I wonder if getting them regular work helps their development more?
I think it's the way to go. You've had your sniff, every goal you let in at the next level is an important one. Work hard and treat it the same way in the A.
Get your feeling hurt and take offense, well...it's not going to work out for you.
I'm not a fan of kid gloves. Hard work = $millions in your bank account.
Too hard? Okay, there's 100 guys that want your shot.
-
1
-
-
As BT has stated he likes to draft a goalie every second year. But I don't think that limits to drafting does it? Could sign Lehtonen cheap. I know he's old, but he's a longtime NHL goalie and used to be 1 of the top. Insurance policy on Smith? Is there a better one available? Hutton?
My biggest worry with Smith is I believe he needs an insurance policy behind him. It's short term, but still.
Gillies and Rittich can do 1A/1A minor in the A.
Knowing the position is wide open for the 2019 season.
-
5 minutes ago, Thebrewcrew said:
I never really did think of that. Great point.
The teams that were reported as being in on Grubauer, have been NYI, a division rival and Carolina. Maybe they wanna send him to the West to seldom face him...
Seeing as they just won the Cup, I doubt they would fear Grubauer. They'll maximize the return on him without taking salary back, regardless of which team maximizes.
-
2
-
-
Grubauer's a no for me. What does he have, 90 career NHL games? Just played his most in a season at 35 games?
If the price is something around Bennett(low cap hit), not interested at all. Let someone else take the buyer's remorse.
-
15 minutes ago, Cowtownguy said:
Garth Snow was fired!? Mitsubishi, I missed that! I held an enormous amount of respect for the guy, so I find his firing really disappointing. If someone that incompetent can make that much money, I might have a chance some day when I grow up. Okay, I am 50, but still...
He's under contract through '22 so will remain with the org.
I'm with you, where can I get some of that action?
-
51 minutes ago, JTech780 said:
I like Grubauer but that offer takes us out of the running. The Islanders need a goalie really bad, worse than we do. I wonder who their next coach is going to be, I wouldn't be surprised if it is Sutter or Vigneault.
I like the idea of bringing in Mrazek, to see if he can get his career back on track. I think if we did bring him in though, we would have to move Rittich, but I think Mrazek has more upside than Rittich so I would be in favor of that.
I actually wonder if Detroit will circle back on Mrazek, I kind of doubt it. The rumours swirling at his departure regarded his poor work ethic.
He doesn't really have a choice now though, or he'll be out of the league pronto.
I know the goalie he used to be, so would give it a shot as he's likely going to be cheap.
-
3 minutes ago, travel_dude said:
I've heard that the WASH media says the GM is expecting to have to trade Grubauer.
Same old story, since the player is ready for a starting role on a team with a gifted starter.
I don't see that many teams looking for a starter, but probably at least 3.
Interesting to see what teams offer.
Guessing the Isles will throw one of their 1sts at him.
-
15 minutes ago, cross16 said:
I'd inquire about Allan. When he's on he's great but his inconsistencies are worrisome. That being said, he's a great age range for this team. Have to believe the Blues would want a lot though.
Not to me for Campbell I don't think that's an "upgrade". I'd rather work with Rittich/Gilles.
I was surprised LA brought Budaj back via trade, so that pushes Campbell back down.
Was thinking with Allan's bad year St. Loo will probably see if he's going to bounce back, but maybe they're having some doubts.
-
What bout Jake Allan or Jack Campell as improvements at net?
-
4 minutes ago, MAC331 said:
Hey I am a supporter of Kulak but as you know I hate labelling players with numbers. Get him playing with whoever is best for him as a partner. I think this is the season to give a few more of these young players some rope. Let's see how Kulak plays beside Hamonic.
I agree. If Peters likes to lean on young dmen, Kulak should be the 1st.
Not young rookies in unfamiliar territory.
-
18 minutes ago, MAC331 said:
First I think you have to look at the minutes Valimaki and Kylington were logging last season where they played. I understand they both will need to adjust to the faster pace of the NHL but I wouldn't count out their ability to do so either. Kulak has the benefit of this past season now under his belt however I would say he is heads and shoulders above the other two by a lot.
That is definitely my argument.
2 seasons ago, I asked him if he should have made the team at 22, he gave me that NHL answer, "I've got to improve my strength and conditioning and learn how to be better defensively".
Last year, wow. Any arguments? Totally cleaned up his D.
This summer?
Don't count the kid out. This is what hard work looks like.
It's what makes a team.
-
17 minutes ago, JTech780 said:
I am not looking to replace Kulak, I was just saying that if he is looking for $2m or more on his next contract we can find better options on the UFA market for cheaper.
I like Kulak but I haven't see anything from his play that suggests he is much more than a 6th defenseman. I think Valimaki starts pushing him for playing time by the middle of the season.
Who is our 5th dman, Stone or Kulak?
I'd say Stone is 6th, personally. He's the easily replaceable one with Andersson not at $3.5 per for 2 more.
We're turning into ARI, am I the only one thinking that?
-
38 minutes ago, JTech780 said:
He only has 1 full year in the NHL and averaged under 13 mins a game and put up 8 points, I think we can get him signed for right around $1m per, there is no way he gets close to $2m, if that's what he wants, then we take him to arbitration and he wouldn't get that in arbitration and if he does I would walk away, he is pretty easily replaceable.
By whom? The matter will become even worse if we trade Brodie.
Who is taking those minutes? Vali or Kyl?
Surely you jest. It will be Kulak.
This is kind of what I was getting at in all of my Kulak love.
Everyone has decided what he is. I'm in full disagreement.
Valimaki and Kyl may jump over him in the depth chart, so they better get to work, because he isn't just handing it over on hype and expectation.
Hard work, and he's out ahead on just how hard.
-
23 minutes ago, JTech780 said:
My biggest issue with Kulak throughout his development has always been his hockey IQ, admittedly it wasn't as big of an issue this past year, but he still has trouble reading the play. I think his skating ability helps him cover up some of those issues, but they are there.
I think the biggest factor for him is that Valimaki and Kylington will most likely pass him on the depth chart in the next couple of seasons.
I like Kulak, I just wouldn't want him playing top 4 minutes here for a prolonged period of time. I think you would start to see the blemishes in his game show up more.
It'll be interesting to see this offseason, he might be one that gets very close to, if not in front of, an arbitrator.
I think he'll be wanting, maybe, 2 at $2 per, 2 for $5 total, not sure. 1 year deal, hard to say. He's climbing out of the ranks of cheap, though.
-
3 hours ago, cross16 said:
I like Kulak, but i'm not sure there is more upside there. I like his skating and I generally like his ability to be in the right position. He is pretty safe but can still go for a skate up the ice when he needs to. However, I find he isn't great at moving the puck up the ice, passing is avg, and once in the O-Zone he doesn't have a lot of good natural instincts to get involved in the play. Now I will give him that the Flames played a pretty conservative system in the O-zone last year, especially with their D, but I also have not seen that much out of him as he has progressed. You don't see much offence from Kulak at any level. I think if you want to move up into a top 4 in today game you need to be able to move the puck and generate offense, or you better be a top end defensive dman with some punch. I'm not sure I see either in Kulak.
In a pinch i'm fine with it, but he strikes me as the type of dman you like in your bottom pair but if they were to move up you wouldn't like. I think the Chris Butler comparison is a good one.
Can't remember where I was reading it but Kulak hopes to spend a lot of time this offseason on his shot.
I don't really agree there isn't much more upside there. I think a lot of his improvement wil be mental. As a rookie dman I think you spend a lot of time worried about mistakes. As he gets more comfortable, he's going to learn what he can and can't do, and gain more familiarity with opposition players and how to stop them.
Pairing with Stone was a pretty tough ask for a rook, but he came through at a respectable -3.
I see a lot of good in him, he's been defying the odds and has forced his way onto the roster because of hard work.
He'll keep that up, just who he is.
He's a safe bet as a solid 3LD, I see more there, simply because of the work he's put in, and will continue to put in.
The fundamentals of playing D are there, he knows positioning. Now it's just a question of expanding on it.
-
1
-
-
7 hours ago, MAC331 said:
Geez I hate labelling players best to worse with numbers, all we want is the best 19 on the ice. Brodie was a 4th rounder so will Kulak be as good as Brodie ??? Fact is no one knows until you give the player the chance to show their talents. We all know Andersson, Kulak, Kylington and Valimaki have to grow into the positions over the next few seasons.
I don't think Kulak has been lost on anyone that pays attention.
Yeah but it kind of helps get the point across. For dmen, it simply implies what kind of icetime they're getting.
With Kulak maturing, I hope to see him getting more comfortable and therefore a bigger workload.
Being paired with Stone was an anchor yet I thought he had a solid first season.
He passed the eye test for me quite well, a good defensive dman, can skate, good zone exits, very sound positionally, low turnovers, good 1-on-1.
He won't knock your socks off at any one thing, but he's pretty much good at everything.
-
4 minutes ago, robrob74 said:
What did everyone think of Giordano when he started playing? What was his ceiling?
Of course he isn’t him, but patience in some instances wreak the biggest rewards.
Isn't he?
He's 24, and Gio's understudy.
We have no expectation of Kulak to ever be more than a bottom pairing.
I'm raising the bar, he can be a solid top 3 imho.
If he were a forward, we'd have all sorts of expectation.
Dmen are typically a couple years behind.
He isn't.
If I'm a GM, I'll give you a 3rd-4th for Stone.
A 2nd for Kulak.
And I wouldn't do Kulak for a 2nd.
A young dman with a year under his belt?
That starts at Robert Thomas or Boris Katchouk for me or I hang up.
I'm sure many don't agree, but Kulak is a keeper for me, and well into great development into a solid NHLer.
He'll have a long career.
-
We should probably turn a more discerning eye on Kulak.
Here's a 4th rounder that just made the team and played his rookie season as a 23yo dman.
Honestly, he almost made the team at 22.
As he puts another year or 2 behind him, I honestly think we won't be talking about a bottom pairing guy.
He's met every challenge so far.
With Valimaki and Kylington coming up, we shouldn't lose sight that they are still behind Kulak.
He may well be able to step into Brodie's seat next season.
My own thoughts are Kulak's ceiling was agreed upon a few years back. I think we lose sight of how young he is, and how far he's come as a 4th rd pick.
So our expectations have always been low and remain that way.
He's a great skater with a good shot, just spent a year in the NHL. He'll be cleaning up what works and what doesn't.
I'm a big fan of the kid personally, and I think he's only getting better.
As a dman, I assume he'll fully be playing his best hockey from 26 to 30+ish.
He's still a year away at least, and already in the NHL.
Honestly I think the kid is the forgotten one in terms of who will be improving.
Improving from a #5Dman will be very nice.
Not bad for a 4th rder.
-
2
-
-
41 minutes ago, travel_dude said:
I'm sure we will regret the loss of the 1st rounder. It is what it is. I don't really care.
I like Hammer in our top 4, just didn't like the results with Brodie, who everyone seems to agree was less than stellar this season.
Maybe try matching the D based on best fit, not handedness. Look at all the results (EV, PK, PP) and see what you can draw from that.
Not you Conumdrumed, but BP.
Maybe Valimaki or Kylington is exactly the kind of player to match him with. Or maybe it's Gio or Kulak or Andersson.
C'mon, td, give me 7 figures and I'll show everyone the love.lol
But I'd need the GM role to add/subtract the roster to smithereens with Grade A prospects, lol.
-
15 minutes ago, conundrumed said:
I can't believe how amazing the Isles' D has been without a leader. (sarcasm)
Kind of interesting with the Isles. If you turn that trade around, it's been devastating for them. Giving up the most shots, by a lot.
You don't need a stats algorithm to see what happened. They traded Hamonic due to his western wishes.
It's Hamonic this Hamonic that on our side.
Look at the Isles, they are in complete dissaray.
The timeline is near exact us getting Hamonic.
Food for thought.
-
8 minutes ago, DirtyDeeds said:
I just don't get all the Hamonic hate. He cost us a lot of picks yes but he is almost what we expected. He is still young, he started to fit into GG's system. I don't hold the rough start he had with Brodie.. Brodie had a terrible year. Yet many blame Hamonic because they struggled to start..
- He comes at a decent term and price.
- He is a true #4 or better D.
- He plays tough in front of the net.
- He is much be3tter than Stone.
Give him a break. The new coach and new system, now that he knows some of our D tenancies, he should turn out even better.
I can't believe how amazing the Isles' D has been without a leader. (sarcasm)
-
31 minutes ago, robrob74 said:
I am really tired of having our goalies dictating the starting schedule. Play them enough to be fresh. No overplayed goalies please. Rittich was awesome as a backup until he had to become the starter. That’s on team breakdowns too though. His mental game probably got torn to shreds after. Does he learn from it? ?
Oh yeah, he does.
Not one person here thinks Rittich will be a starter.
Not one person here thought Rittich was much of a signing.
Not one person here thought Rittich would be better than Gillies.
At some point, I'm thinking, I actually believe in him.
He's not athletic enough, I hear.
Jesus man, he does full on sideways splits, what do you want?
He plays his position and stays in his net, I don't get the "not athletic enough" argument.
Those goalies that look oh so athletic. It's because their fundamentals are a mess too often so they have to be.
Rittich has a good shot at being our future goalie imho.
He just had his rookie NHL season. He's understudying to Smith, also known as pure emotion.
He still has a lot to learn, he undoubtedly sees the payoff, the spot is his if he grabs it.
That's a ton of motivation. I'm hoping we've underestimated him, yet again.
-
1
-
-
You think we have goalie trouble, look at the Islanders, lol. They have Greiss and Gudlevkis.
It's tough for me to say it's the goalie coach's fault because if you're a good enough goalie I don't think a coach can ruin you.
These goalies have been going hard 24/7 since they were kids so I don't think it's a case of, "you're only as good as your last coach".
I think it will be very difficult to outbid the Canes or Isles on any of the names floating around, they have a lot more buying power than us right now in picks.
Brad Treliving - GM Tracking & Evaluation
in Flames Talk
Posted
Well how do you like that....now Trotz is available...
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/head-coach-barry-trotz-resigning-washington-capitals/