CrazyDuck4u
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- Oct 14, 2006
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Speculation: 2024-25 Roster thread
- Thread starter Leonardo87
- Start date
ZegrassyKnoll
Registered User
- Dec 2, 2016
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Not that this is necessarily suggesting it, but wow - I would be shocked if Minty was scratched when Fowler returned and LaCombe stayed in the line-up
- Apr 9, 2012
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I wouldn’t. Minty has been low key terrible the last few weeks, while Lacombe has been more or less solid outside a couple noticeable gaffes.
Minty has been the weaker of the young D group. No way Helleson comes out , and LaCombe has been solid.
Also Cronin needs to swap Cutter and Mac, but he won’t. Would get Z back at C.
ZegrassyKnoll
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- Dec 2, 2016
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I know people are enamored with Zellweger right now and the dude is killing it offensively, but I'm not sure if it's clear that Zell is getting the most OZone starts on the entire team - more than any other forward, even. Mintyukov is getting the most DZone starts of any defenseman.
The defenseman with the second most OZone starts? LaCombe.
Mintyukov is a 21-year-old playing our toughest defensive minutes against teams' best lines while paired with our worst defenseman in Gudas.
Even if he hasn't been stellar he has been far from terrible IMO.
The defenseman with the second most OZone starts? LaCombe.
Mintyukov is a 21-year-old playing our toughest defensive minutes against teams' best lines while paired with our worst defenseman in Gudas.
Even if he hasn't been stellar he has been far from terrible IMO.
Mintyukov is getting heavy defensive minutes, and he's not being helped much by Gudas, who is struggling. But I also think it's true that he's struggled a bit lately (ever since I went to bat for him here as having taken a step forward, lol). I still think Mintyukov has been better this season than last, but he's been relatively poor in the most recent games.
Deuce22
Registered User
Mintyukov was great in the Seattle game, OK lately. The other young D have been good, but Mintyukov is the best of that bunch, and should never be scratched unless he is injured. Thinking that Zellweger, LaCombe, or Helleson have passed him is crazy. His offense has been suppressed by being paired with Gudas and starting most shifts in the D zone.
robbieboy3686
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- Jan 17, 2016
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Dr Johnny Fever
Eggplant and Teal
Minty is still young with a lot to learn. It might not be a terrible idea to sit him a game (or 2?) and let him watch from the press box while Cam finds out where he does or doesn't fit with the so called new system.
It's clear based on what the data shows: Minty is playing the hardest minutes on a team with very little consistent offensive zone time. Additionally, he is paired with Gudas who should not be playing as much. He's like every young player and is learning how to be consistent every day. IMO, he's been good overall with some standout games and some duds.
The main problem is a depth issue. If the Ducks had another top 4 RD like Verbeek stated the team needed, then Gudas would be playing fewer minutes against easier lines and the other player would be supporting Minty more. The Ducks need a long term solution for RD with Minty because the internal options will take years before being impact players of ever.
Minty-xxx
Dumoulin-Zellweger
LaCombe-Gudas
The main problem is a depth issue. If the Ducks had another top 4 RD like Verbeek stated the team needed, then Gudas would be playing fewer minutes against easier lines and the other player would be supporting Minty more. The Ducks need a long term solution for RD with Minty because the internal options will take years before being impact players of ever.
Minty-xxx
Dumoulin-Zellweger
LaCombe-Gudas
- Sep 21, 2018
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I think it could be more likely that Minty gets scratched for Fowler tomorrow than a lot of you realize. It's likely between him, LaCombe and Helleson (both of which have been standing out more positively of late).
I wouldn't at all be surprised if Fowler was pretty much ready to go on Sunday but the staff wanted one more game before they made their decision. Helleson probably had one of his best games ever and LaCombe continued his improved play.
I wouldn't at all be surprised if Fowler was pretty much ready to go on Sunday but the staff wanted one more game before they made their decision. Helleson probably had one of his best games ever and LaCombe continued his improved play.
Deuce22
Registered User
If so, another reason Fowler should be traded. Ducks have been clearly better without him and scratching your best young D to bring him back isn’t what a rebuilding team should be doing.
- Sep 21, 2018
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If the rumors about Fowler wanting out have any merit, giving him some playing time to prove to suitors he isn't broken isn't the worst thing in the world.
That's a big if though.
Ducks DVM
sowcufucakky
Fowler went out right before Cronin changed the system. This is a causation correlation thing. It doesn’t mean Fowler still won’t look bad when he comes back, but the reason the team looks better is almost certainly more due to the system change rather than Fowler being out. Vaakanainen, who was looking good, went out at the same time, and nobody brings that up.
MMC
Global Moderator
I don’t go as far as to say that Fowler was hurting the team but I definitely think this recent stretch of play shows the team doesn’t need him either. I view him as a luxury not a liability. He's one of the only moveable assets the team has to help acquire a player they actually do need
I think it's just two things happening at the same time. The team has shown that it can play well without Fowler and thus that makes him more available to be moved. At the same time, just because the team is playing well, doesn't mean it wouldn't improve with Fowler or that other players have surpassed him. As a whole, the team is playing better and logically we could assume that Fowler would add to that and not subtract.
MMC
Global Moderator
My problem is that there really isn't anyone I'm interested in taking out of the lineup for the sake of putting Fowler back in. Everyone in now is someone who should be playing.
Deuce22
Registered User
The young D currently on the Ducks have all shown they can play at the NHL level. Taking away minutes from any of them isn’t what a rebuilding team should be doing. Helleson would still be in SD with everyone thinking he sucked if Fowler had stayed healthy.
Why would we assume that? Was he playing better than any of these guys earlier in the season?
SmokeyDuck
Registered User
Yes actually. His shooting angle is way better when he's playing on the right side. I think it works for him.
FiveTacos
Registered User
I was starting to write the exact same thing. He is the first legit shooting threat we've had on the blueline in ages, and that threat opens up other opportunities, so in many ways he's more dangerous from the right.
Hockey Duckie
Registered User
Before Fowler got injured, only Fowler-Zell pairing had the OZ starts in the 50% or higher stat. Once Fowler and Vaak got injured along with bringing up Helleson to the NHL level, lines got all jumbled up. We are still trying to have youth-vet pairings, if possible.
- Pre-Fowler injury D-pairs
- Minty-Dumo
- Fowler-Zell
- LaCombe/Vaak-Gudas
- Post-Fowler & Vaak injury D-Pairs
- Minty-Gudas
- LaCombe-Zell
- Dumo-Helleson
Whoever is paired with Zell has their OZ Start% increase to help hide Zell's defensive deficiencies. OTOH, Vaak and Helleson have played hard minutes (high DZ Start %) like Minty. Vaak was paired with Gudas and Helleson with Dumo.
Last year when Minty was moved from 3rd pairing into a top-4 role, Minty struggled defensively and his offense suffered.
| Minty | 2023-24 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Set | Games | G | A | Pts | PPG | +/- | Hits | Blocks | Pair | |
| 1 to 63 | 63 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 0.44 | -20 | 85 | 65 | . | |
| 1 to 20 | 20 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 0.55 | -1 | 30 | 24 | Lybush 3rd pair | |
| 21 to 40 | 20 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0.40 | -10 | 26 | 19 | Lyubush, 2nd P, injury | |
| 41 to 47 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.57 | -2 | 10 | 2 | Lyubush, 3rd Pair/2nd pair | |
| 48 to 55 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.25 | -5 | 6 | 13 | Gudas, top pair | |
| 56 to 62 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.43 | 0 | 11 | 7 | LaCombe | |
| 63 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | -2 | 2 | 0 | Lindstrom |
The main problem isn't depth. The main problem is expectations. This is year 3 of the reset rebuild. It is a development season. This is year 2 of Minty in the NHL. This is also year 2 of Carlsson, LaCombe, Zell, and Dostal full time. This is Cutter's rookie season. This is Colangelo and Helleson's longer, extended look into the NHL still classified as rookies. Minty is learning how to play more defensively this year compared to last year as well as increased minutes in a top-pairing role. Year 3 for Minty is where I hope to expect he can carry his partner.
Ducks DVM
sowcufucakky
I’m going to say this through February-March unless we are the one team it never happens to, but 1st and 2nd year NHL players almost always have a significant falloff in play in the second half of the season. It happened to McTavish and Carlsson last year, zero reason to think all 4 youngsters are going to look this good at that time. There’s nothing left in San Diego to bring up if they do.
Dr Johnny Fever
Eggplant and Teal
Why is that an issue to a team that is prioritizing development over winning? Especially since we’re only talking about keeping or trading one specific player?
TopShelfWaterBottle
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Ducks DVM
sowcufucakky
Because hanging out a large number of youth to continuously fail has never been a proven recipe for success, and can instead ruin them.
