News Article: Great news on Rutuu

[Finlandia WOAT]

Aside from that being a cliche

It's an accurate statement.

Skinner is not an elite player and already tries to do too much on his own, often resulting in a turnover. A legit playmaker on his line would make him that much more dangerous in my opinion. I like the the physical game Ruutu and JStaal bring but without speed it gets you very little in transition. When EStaal played with both Cole and Ruutu it had that nice blend of power and speed.

That's fair. We'll just have to see if Ruutu has regained any of his speed.

If he's slow as molasses, then I agree, Jokinen would be the better option. The problem is that Ruutu is then put on the third line, where we wouldn't get nearly as much out of him should he play with Skinner and J. Staal.

IMO, Jokinen on third and Ruutu on 2nd gives us more than Jokinen on 2nd and Ruutu on 3rd. It's the potential drop off in Ruutu's production from the 2nd to the third that is my main concern.

In terms of possession players, I'm hard pressed to think of anyone better than JStaal along the boards. Though Skinner can be strong on his skates at times and certainly shifty, I think JStaal is already significantly better in that regard. If we're talking puckhandling though, Skinner is better than JStaal.

Jordan is (by far) our best player on the boards; he can shrug off full body checks and keep on going.

The problem is that, right now, that skill set is limited to just getting it deep. I'm not concerned, he has been a grinder for the past 7 years, and it's clear that he's learning how to use that to play keep away with Skinner and get some great chances (the last two games are a great example). But Jordan plays a game that is focused on the forecheck (getting it deep, grinding it out). Skinner tries to play the puck possession game (transition, play keep away, open holes).

Neither player can play the other side of the game nearly as well (as you said), but when they learn, we will have two dangerous lines. We already do, in a sense.

IMO, that's why our first line is so dangerous. They can play both sides of the game extremely well.

 

[Datsyuk Prospect]

Skinner is not elite?

He's got some growing up to do, hell, he broke into the league at 18 years old and won the Calder with over 30 goals and 30 assists.

Is saying he can become close or the equivalent to Stamkos a stretch?

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

18 points in 19 games.

One of the best skaters in the League.

I consider him elite. But it's pretty debatable.

 

[Joe McGrath]

18 points in 19 games.

One of the best skaters in the League.

I consider him elite. But it's pretty debatable.

It's all about your definition of elite. I take Elite to mean top 10-20 players in the league. Skinner is not in that range.

 

[StormCast]

Skinner is not elite?

He's got some growing up to do, hell, he broke into the league at 18 years old and won the Calder with over 30 goals and 30 assists.

He could certainly become elite but he's not there yet. To me there's a big gap between potential to become elite and being elite. Yes, he's got some growing up to do as does his game.

 

[LadyCane]

I'm pretty sure that every single player on the roster is a bum who isn't worth his contract to some of y'all.

Skinner is an incredibly talented player. So is Ruutu, so is Jokinen. Are they overpaid or flawed in some way? Yep. Do I, personally, love to watch them play regardless? Oh, hell yes.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

Of the top of my head I can think of about 100 players in the NHL I'd take over Skinner at the present moment.

Objectively, he's about the 8th best player on the Hurricanes, behind Staal, Staal, Semin, Tlusty, Pitkanen, Faulk, and Ellis.

 

[Ole Gil]

In the NJ gameday thread, people were complaining that we weren't winning games 6-3 correctly.

Skinner/Jordan is not Staal/Semin. They generate their offense in a different way. A much more helter skelter style. One that suits the pair well, based off the line's goal a game'ish production.

They just aren't scoring goals the 'correct' way.

 

[StormCast]

Skinner/Jordan is not Staal/Semin. They generate their offense in a different way. A much more helter skelter style. One that suits the pair well, based off the line's goal a game'ish production.

They just aren't scoring goals the 'correct' way.

No, I don't think that's the argument at all, at least from my perspective. I think the point is that they can be more dangerous, more consistent and more well-rounded with a playmaker on the line. So even if you put a guy like Jokinen on the line, they wouldn't be EStaal/Semin but they would be better (notably in transition) and more multi-dimensional.

Skinner is an incredibly talented player. So is Ruutu, so is Jokinen. Are they overpaid or flawed in some way? Yep. Do I, personally, love to watch them play regardless? Oh, hell yes.

Ok but it's their flaws that are being criticized so I don't see the point. Saying Skinner isn't elite is far from saying he's terrible.

 

[Sasha Cares]

Of the top of my head I can think of about 100 players in the NHL I'd take over Skinner at the present moment.

Objectively, he's about the 8th best player on the Hurricanes, behind Staal, Staal, Semin, Tlusty, Pitkanen, Faulk, and Ellis.

100? really? I assume ur talking forwards, because including D and G in that discussion would be dumb

 

[StormCast]

That's fair. We'll just have to see if Ruutu has regained any of his speed.

I think he has a good first step but even when healthy, I've never thought of him as having much speed.

 

[Novacane]

I have to wonder how long his hip has been bothering him. I know they said it popped up in the early-mid summer, but I'm wondering if it is something he had been nursing for a while before that. Maybe we will see a revitalized Ruutu who feels confident in his hip again. Confidence in his hip will go a long ways in both hitting and possibly gaining back some speed.

 

[My Special Purpose]

Of the top of my head I can think of about 100 players in the NHL I'd take over Skinner at the present moment.

Objectively, he's about the 8th best player on the Hurricanes, behind Staal, Staal, Semin, Tlusty, Pitkanen, Faulk, and Ellis.

Either you're trolling, in which case, you're an idiot.

Or you really believe that, in which case, you're still an idiot, but one with a very unpopular opinion, both inside and outside of hockey circles.

 

[Ole Gil]

I think the point is that they can be more dangerous, more consistent and more well-rounded with a playmaker on the line. So even if you put a guy like Jokinen on the line, they wouldn't be EStaal/Semin but they would be better (notably in transition) and more multi-dimensional.

I think you want the puck on Staal and Skinner's stick, so I'm not sure when a playmaker gets the opportunity to make plays. Three guys who do well with the puck seems like 1 to many. Would rather have a speed guy, personally. Unfortunately, our speed guys aren't the most talented offensively.

 

[Zombie Mike Murphy]

Actually wouldn't mind putting Wallace on the 2nd, to protect skinner, and run a 3rd skill/scoring line with the Finns, and like Nash at center.

 

[GoCanes2013]

Wallace could be everything we think Ruutu was or should be.

 

[NotOpie]

Hmmmm.....interesting discussion. Ruutu fits on both the 2nd and the 3rd line....especially if/when Jeff learns how to pass when more than 2 defenders are on him....I probably prefer the Skins/JStaal/Ruu line because that line has 3 solid shots on it. People tend to forget that Ruutu may have the 2nd or 3rd best wrister on the Canes. The speed on that line is the deceptively fast JStaal. He's also a very good playmaker. Give those guys 10 games to gel and I think we'll be surprised at the outcome.

Lastly, I just don't get the lack of appreciation for Bowman. That kid has done everything asked of him, done it quite well, and has been willing to go out and just perform. I'd love a line of Jussi/Nash/Bowman as our 3rd line. He's more skilled than Dwyer offensively and nearly as fast.

In the end our bottom two lines are going to need to play more minutes over the next 15 games to keep the top lines fresh going into the home stretch. I would have no problems rotating any of those pieces in and out of the press box to keep folks rested. Without camp, there's going to be a lot of tired legs.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Don't understand the Wallace love.

With LaRose, the play dies on his stick.

With Wallace, he doesn't even have enough hockey sense to keep pace with the play in the first place.

Only thing he does well is hit people and take boarding penalties.

 

[StormCast]

I think you want the puck on Staal and Skinner's stick, so I'm not sure when a playmaker gets the opportunity to make plays. Three guys who do well with the puck seems like 1 to many. Would rather have a speed guy, personally. Unfortunately, our speed guys aren't the most talented offensively.

To me, it comes down to where in the zone you want the puck on their sticks. If it's JStaal, it's along the boards. If it's Skinner it's in the lower slot. If it's a playmaker, it's the high circles area where they can see the ice.

Don't understand the Wallace love.

Wallace has been a pleasant surprise. However, he's a 4th liner and shouldn't be in the top 9, let alone the top 6 unless the team is decimated by injury or illness.

 

[My Special Purpose]

Don't understand the Wallace love.

With LaRose, the play dies on his stick.

With Wallace, he doesn't even have enough hockey sense to keep pace with the play in the first place.

Only thing he does well is hit people and take boarding penalties.

I don't understand how any Canes fan can *not* love Wallace. He's exactly the player we've needed here for a long, long, long time, IMO. He's got a motor like LaRose, but when he hits a guy, the opponent actually feels it. He's obviously struggling to produce points, but I can't help but think there's a chance that improves if he keeps forechecking like he has.

As for Bowman, he's a nice player, but he has *not* done all that has been asked of him. He's expected to score more. In 23 games, he's got two goals and *one* assist. That's hard to do. Bowman is supposed to be our sneaky third-line scoring threat. He hasn't been that. The whole third line has been a disappointment this year, including Wallace.

That's why I think we need to leave Jussi and Nash there, because they seem to have something going. If Wallace isn't the answer on the RW, maybe LaRose is (but I doubt it). I think if we leave Jussi-Nash-Wallace out there for a while, we'll eventually have a decent third line. But no, Bowman hasn't done all that was asked. He's also a minus-5. If anything, he's been a great disappointment.

 

[Vagrant]

Don't understand the Wallace love.

With LaRose, the play dies on his stick.

With Wallace, he doesn't even have enough hockey sense to keep pace with the play in the first place.

Only thing he does well is hit people and take boarding penalties.

This. New car smell syndrome. Wait until he gets a one way deal next year, plays exactly the same way, and people start bemoaning the fact that we need a "more offensive option". IE - Chad Larose or Patrick Dwyer.

That isn't to say that Wallace doesn't have his high points, but he's an AHL plug through and through. You can't fall into a minor league bus without tripping over a Tim Wallace.

As far as Skinner goes, he's trying to do too much on his own right now. What's scary about that is he's still almost a point per game right now despite a concussion this year and one last year. To say that he isn't in the conversation as one of the best forwards in the league under 21 would be ....asinine.

And Tuomo Ruutu continues to be woefully underrated as the dialogue has turned on him. I truly believe that .....whatever incarnation of Kahz we are on at this point.... takes pride in steering the rhetoric on this board towards his faux agenda for his personal enjoyment and that includes bashing Ruutu for being overpaid. It gets adopted by so many that it eventually becomes consensus opinion despite it being largely a manifestation of one person who may or may not even believe it to be true.

 

[Identity404]

Saying Wallace could be everything Ruutu was or should be is ridiculous. Wallace is getting overrated here because he is our only physical forward capable of big hits, but it's pretty much all he can do. It's a limited role, and he does do it well, but Ruutu has 100x more skill than Wallace in his little finger alone.

 

[Vagrant]

I don't understand how any Canes fan can *not* love Wallace. He's exactly the player we've needed here for a long, long, long time, IMO. He's got a motor like LaRose, but when he hits a guy, the opponent actually feels it. He's obviously struggling to produce points, but I can't help but think there's a chance that improves if he keeps forechecking like he has.

Craig Adams was twice the Tim Wallace that Tim Wallace is. He's about as nondescript as it comes when he's not physically in the process of throwing a hit. He has borderline zero offensive abilities and sees the play develop worse than Westgarth. There is a reason he hasn't stuck in the NHL despite being in about 35 NHL organizations. He's not fast enough to kill penalties with any regularity and I haven't seen him make any plays either offensively or defensively that made me go, "wow, that's our guy". He doesn't fight or stick up for his teammates all that frequently either, which seem to be hallmarks of players that play his style.

Basically, he's the Tim Conboy of the moment. Which isn't bad for him, but to hype him up as being anything more than a 4th line body that should be happy to be signing NHL paychecks is not understanding his game.

 

[Mr Whipple]

Personally I have really liked what I've seen from him so far, but just see Wallace as a perfect 4th liner in Muller's system. Big and can hit. Put a line full of those type of players and just grind and wear the other team down. Any scoring is simply a bonus.

 

[Zombie Mike Murphy]

I wasn't saying I love Wallace. It's just nice to have someone that actually plays with a bit of an edge. If he did nothing else besides making the opponents thing twice before running Skinner into the boards 5x a game, he's earned his spot.