Around the League 39: Will Kessel Sign in Winnipeg? The World Waits with Dogged Breath!

[SvechneJerk]

Offensive skill is why we picked up Skjei, then Burns, then DeAngelo.

Yea, I understand this part. For the record, I need to be clear that I in no way was saying that we brought in TDA for anything remotely resembling defense.

Idk, I guess when it comes to our forwards' offense, I feel like there's more to give, because we are so hyper-focused on structure. I'll re-reference something I said back in May regarding our PP - there was a short stretch (maybe just a game or 2) where it appeared the guys were just playing & letting their natural skill flow. For someone that notices patterns or breaks from them, it was obviously different than our "norm". I feel like our strict adherence to "The System" affects our PP the most. If your focus is a certain structure for 54-56 minutes a game, every game, it's naturally difficult to "turn that off" for the other 4-6 minutes, during Power Plays.

Anywho, I'll shut up now.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Sign Kessel >>> Win Cup >>> Eat Hot Dogs. We all profit.

View attachment 732141

I hate AI because now I can't trust these awesome photos.

 

[SvechneJerk]

I hate AI because now I can't trust these awesome photos.

Since you're here - do you guys feel like your lineup is pretty much set or is there any indication that y'all still might be kicking the tires on Pesce?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Since you're here - do you guys feel like your lineup is pretty much set or is there any indication that y'all still might be kicking the tires on Pesce?

I feel like the "ship has sailed"? Trotz probably loves Pesce... and we have ample Cap space to burn it as a go-between on a Karlsson deal... but if nothing has happened by now, it feels like the teams must have hit their respective walls on figuring something out? I don't think we would have ever "Sold The Farm" trying to get Pesce. Just if we could have weaseled our way into landing him with mostly some kind of Cap-retention-gobetween ploy as a big part of it, then Trotz would have done a little happy dance. But it feels like that is now in a "never quite worked out" file?

 

[bleedgreen]

How will a 50 foot player/sniper workaround this or flourish in the system?

I would say Patches is a 50 ft player, and he showed it can work if it’s the right kind of guy. Like what you posted says we try to create chaos and capitalize vs controlled entries and nice plays. The 50 ft player can jump on a loose puck and turn it into a goal scoring shot or play quickly. We just can’t have more than one or maybe two on the team. You need the bringers of chaos to create the loose pucks.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

I would say Patches is a 50 ft player, and he showed it can work if it’s the right kind of guy. Like what you posted says we try to create chaos and capitalize vs controlled entries and nice plays. The 50 ft player can jump on a loose puck and turn it into a goal scoring shot or play quickly. We just can’t have more than one or maybe two in the team. You need the bringers of chaos to create the loose pucks.

I think it's fair to ask: (a) if we're willing to go acquire a 50ft guy, and (b) we feel like we might have one or more 50ft guys on our roster, then why don't we simply use one of those guys? If the structure can be bent to accommodate one 50ft guy, why aren't we doing that now?

And the answer must be one of two things, or some combination: (a) we don't really have a 50ft guy like we think we do, or (b) nobody ever gets to be a 100% 50ft guy in Rod's system.

 

[bleedgreen]

I think it's fair to ask: (a) if we're willing to go acquire a 50ft guy, and (b) we feel like we might have one or more 50ft guys on our roster, then why don't we simply use one of those guys? If the structure can be bent to accommodate one 50ft guy, why aren't we doing that now?

And the answer must be one of two things, or some combination: (a) we don't really have a 50ft guy like we think we do, or (b) nobody ever gets to be a 100% 50ft guy in Rod's system.

While we love our guys, I’m not convinced any of them are that guy. Svech to me is the closest and he may yet get there. I just haven’t seen it with that consistency yet. He’s still figuring out how to be that level a shooter in the NHL. He has the raw tools.

I think Patches was about to show us it can be done in Rod’s system.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

While we love our guys, I’m not convinced any of them are that guy.

I tend to agree with this, although I think Necas should be that guy, and I kind of think they want him to be that guy.

 

[bleedgreen]

I tend to agree with this, although I think Necas should be that guy, and I kind of think they want him to be that guy.

I don’t know that he’ll ever have that level of poise or that type of shot. Speed, pushing gaps in coverage, surprising goalies sometimes with the rip. The work he does with the space of 3v3 gives you hope still though.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

I tend to agree with this, although I think Necas should be that guy, and I kind of think they want him to be that guy.

I think they both could be that guy -especially if they’d put Svechnikov on his gd off wing on the PP.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Yea, I understand this part. For the record, I need to be clear that I in no way was saying that we brought in TDA for anything remotely resembling defense.

Idk, I guess when it comes to our forwards' offense, I feel like there's more to give, because we are so hyper-focused on structure. I'll re-reference something I said back in May regarding our PP - there was a short stretch (maybe just a game or 2) where it appeared the guys were just playing & letting their natural skill flow. For someone that notices patterns or breaks from them, it was obviously different than our "norm". I feel like our strict adherence to "The System" affects our PP the most. If your focus is a certain structure for 54-56 minutes a game, every game, it's naturally difficult to "turn that off" for the other 4-6 minutes, during Power Plays.

Anywho, I'll shut up now.

If we’re talking PP specifically, I do agree that we could be doing more. It’s great that we feature our RHD talent — that’s why we keep seeing huge seasons from Dougie, Burns, TDA, etc — but it’s just painful to watch guys like Aho and Svech playing with the puck and looking for a one-timer that never comes. In particular I think Aho is held back by the system structure because there’s not much about his skillset that gets exploited when he’s just bopping the puck around. There isn’t a team in the league that looks like they have a hard time defending us with the extra man.

Everything I said above was about 5v5. I think we get pretty minimal PP results relative to our talent, and it’s a direct outcome of having a too-deliberate, over-structured system.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

The main issue on the PP for me is that the team does not do cross seam passes. They pass it around the box endlessly until you get a perimeter shot with traffic, or maybe a bumper shot. They don't really do cross seam passes for a one timer on a laterally moving goalie. It makes sense that's a coaching thing, where the idea is a cross seam pass has a high chance for a turnover and a zone exit- or even a breakaway if you're doing a 1-3-1 setup and the guy back is Hamilton/TDA/Burns. And then we get into the argument of whether it's worth to do when the Canes don't have any truly great shooters. Which I think is also part of the problem. Not because they'll do more cross seam passes, but because they lack a guy to pass to when it's been 20 seconds of that Simpsons soccer bit in the ozone and you're still not getting a look. Just pass it to that guy and let 'er rip. Paccioretty may have been that guy, and in the 10 minutes he played they certainly used him that way. Sucks that his ankle gave out. That's just how it goes. You can play your cards right, maintain cap flexibility until finally, you get THE guy who is everything you wanted- a shooter! leadership! gritty!- for free, literally free. And his ankle blows up. Sucks.

 

[ndp]

How many of TT’s 21-22 goals were scored off cross ice passes on the power play?

How many on his offside?

How many were because him and Aho share a brain sometimes?

Hopefully TT, if he’s here on opening night, has a bounce back season offensively. But I think it’s partially going to be up to the coaching staff to put him in a position to do so, specifically back on PP1.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

We definitely cross ice pass but it doesn’t come often. Why? It isn’t because we don’t want to. It’s because opposing PKs have their sticks protecting the pass. We don’t have one time shooters so the defense doesn’t have to switch the stick position to protect against a shot. We just need to force guys to one time off a pass to open up passes later.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

I think they both could be that guy -especially if they’d put Svechnikov on his gd off wing on the PP.

See, the reason I don't think this is that Svech is both fast and physical, and that makes him so useful as a back checker. Because Necas is so fast but just not that guy physically, I feel like we can afford his loss of defensive responsibility more.

 

[raynman]

I think they both could be that guy -especially if they’d put Svechnikov on his gd off wing on the PP.

That’s the maddening part of the PP to me. Nearly every time they set up with 2 guys on their off wings it looks great. So what do they do? Go back to their natural side.

 

[tarheelhockey]

How many of TT’s 21-22 goals were scored off cross ice passes on the power play?

How many on his offside?

How many were because him and Aho share a brain sometimes?

Hopefully TT, if he’s here on opening night, has a bounce back season offensively. But I think it’s partially going to be up to the coaching staff to put him in a position to do so, specifically back on PP1.

This is a great point and video to illustrate. I’m just not sure Teuvo has the consistent shot to really be that guy. He scored a respectable but not intimidating 9 power goal goals that year, and that was his career high.

What we really need is a guy who plays that role but is better at it.

 

[ndp]

This is a great point and video to illustrate. I’m just not sure Teuvo has the consistent shot to really be that guy. He scored a respectable but not intimidating 9 power goal goals that year, and that was his career high.

What we really need is a guy who plays that role but is better at it.

I definitely don’t think TT is or can be that guy on a regular basis, but him and Necas have both shown the ability to move the puck E<->W. Which seemed to be almost a nonexistent strategy last season, especially in the playoffs.

I personally think it’s being coached out of them in favor of a more N<->S spray and pray approach.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I definitely don’t think TT is or can be that guy on a regular basis, but him and Necas have both shown the ability to move the puck E<->W. Which seemed to be almost a nonexistent strategy last season, especially in the playoffs.

I personally think it’s being coached out of them in favor of a more N<->S spray and pray approach.

I agree about the east-west part. It’s Teuvo’s shooting that doesn’t feel like the real deal for me.

Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind trying TT in the bumper position and letting Aho play that wing.

 

[Svechhammer]

We definitely try to set up the cross ice pass, but with the way we hedge on not allowing an odd man rush against, we tend to steer away from it by the end of the season.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

They've tried everything. It was Teravainen (left half-wall) and Aho (right half-wall) for years. Then it was Svech and Teravainen around 19-20. We've seen attempts at Necas and Aho, Svech and Necas (both on their strong sides mysteriously), some Jarvis mixed in and even some 2 D experimentation with Gostisbehere and Burns late in this past regular season. The coaches have been so desperate for a mix that clicks that Faulk and Hamilton on the same unit was randomly tried in a season on the line Conference Finals game, IIRC.

I think this is where the lack of an elite skill player is most noticeable. Look at the great PPs the team has faced in the playoffs in this era. Boston had Pastrnak. Tampa had Kucherov. New York had Panarin. Beyond opponents, Colorado 22 had MacKinnon and Edmonton 23 had McDavid.

It sucks to say, but there's not much reason for optimism for any internal fix. They'll just have to win in spite of it.

 

[FlyingSquirrels]

They've tried everything. It was Teravainen (left half-wall) and Aho (right half-wall) for years. Then it was Svech and Teravainen around 19-20. We've seen attempts at Necas and Aho, Svech and Necas (both on their strong sides mysteriously), some Jarvis mixed in and even some 2 D experimentation with Gostisbehere and Burns late in this past regular season. The coaches have been so desperate for a mix that clicks that Faulk and Hamilton on the same unit was randomly tried in a season on the line Conference Finals game, IIRC.

I think this is where the lack of an elite skill player is most noticeable. Look at the great PPs the team has faced in the playoffs in this era. Boston had Pastrnak. Tampa had Kucherov. New York had Panarin. Beyond opponents, Colorado 22 had MacKinnon and Edmonton 23 had McDavid.

It sucks to say, but there's not much reason for optimism for any internal fix. They'll just have to win in spite of it.

Until they fire elite offensive player and coach Jeff f***ing Daniels, nothing will change. But that ain't happening. Rod will lose every year as opposed to "doing a guy wrong". Only way we get meaningful change: Daniels will have to walk away.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Until they fire elite offensive player and coach Jeff f***ing Daniels, nothing will change. But that ain't happening. Rod will lose every year as opposed to "doing a guy wrong". Only way we get meaningful change: Daniels will have to walk away.

There isn’t one reason to do that.

We are top 10 in GF and xGF per 60 on the PP the last 3 seasons. That is without top end scoring talent
Despite playing a heavy defensive system we are 13th in 5v5 scoring and 11th in all strengths scoring the last 3 seasons.

Fire jeff daniels!!

 

[MinJaBen]

So if passing is the problem on the PP, maybe a guy like Kane would be a good addition for that very reason? Maybe a “scorer” is not the solution, but someone who can get the scorers the puck is more the solution?

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Aho can definitely trigger from the right side. Svech SHOULD be one timing from the right side. Only problem is … the Canes’ elite point men have all been right handed. Faulk, Hamilton, TDA and Burns … all right handed, so as they walk the line right to left, creating space, the PKer doesn’t have to shade them as close to the middle as they would for a lefty.

Being an Ottawa fan first and foremost, I think of Chabot-Norris and how lethal it was 2 years ago. It would have been a different story with a RH defenseman. Handed-ness *can* make a big difference. The extra space is everything.

That’s why I thought Gostisbehere could be the answer - but near as I can remember, he only played PP2.

If the Canes want that PP one timer, it’ll have to be from the left side …. Necas? He could do it.