Miscellaneous NHL Discussion LXXXV: Halfway to Christmas

[Hollywood Cannon]

Back to back locker room champs

An evergreet tweet:

 

[GKJ]

By the way, kind of a dick move by the Sharks to wait this long to fire the coach.

 

[Starat327]

He seems to be able to manage to walk on his own.

Sure about that?

 

[Beef Invictus]

By the way, kind of a dick move by the Sharks to wait this long to fire the coach.

Also a dumb move.

 

[renberg]

Well, they have to stay healthy, for one thing.

Last summer, the expectation was that Couts, Hayes, Allison, Laczynski would all play. Brassard was added when they found out Laczynski would be gone most of the season. Frost started in the AHL b/c he wasn't 100% back in camp from his shoulder injury.

This season we should get Couts, Hayes, Alllison and Laczynski back, N Cates has shown he's ready, Lindblom should be better a year away from cancer, Frost and Tippett finished the season strong, and Brink and Ratcliffe will have a shot at a job in TC. With Foerster, Desnoyers, Wisdom and Lycksell in LHV, hopefully we won't have to rely on Willman, Hodgson or Brown.

The problem that I have with the NAK situation is that the club, as you noted, was suffering from a lack of depth up front. Signing Brassard and then picking guys up off of the waiver wire also indicated that. So with a lack of numbers up front, why do you kick a guy off of the club? I understand that NAK might not make the club in the '22-'23 season as the depth from within comes to fore. However that had nothing to do with tossing away NAK this past season when he could have been useful.
I just wonder if he and AV had a moment and the coach went to Fletcher and told him to get NAK out of town? It's not like thing such as this didn't happen with other players.

 

[Rebels57]

The problem that I have with the NAK situation is that the club, as you noted, was suffering from a lack of depth up front. Signing Brassard and then picking guys up off of the waiver wire also indicated that. So with a lack of numbers up front, why do you kick a guy off of the club? I understand that NAK might not make the club in the '22-'23 season as the depth from within comes to fore. However that had nothing to do with tossing away NAK this past season when he could have been useful.
I just wonder if he and AV had a moment and the coach went to Fletcher and told him to get NAK out of town? It's not like thing such as this didn't happen with other players.

They didn't want to send down Nate Thompson

 

[ajgoal]

Sure about that?

As sure as I am about anything regarding the competence of individuals in the organization

 

[GKJ]

Also a dumb move.

Sharks are kind of where we are. They think they should be competing and don’t have the young high-end talent to do it.

 

[landsbergfan]

7 years. JFC.

Now Fletcher has a comp for the MacEwen extension

 

[Starat327]

Now Fletcher has a comp for the MacEwen extension

This made me sad.

 

[Rebels57]

Now Fletcher has a comp for the MacEwen extension

You joke, but he's definitely getting the Matt Martin 4 year special

 

[Curufinwe]

Paul scored 72 points in 192 games in the 3 seasons before he signed for 7 x $3.15m.

Laughton had 79 points in 184 games in the 3 seasons before he signed for 5 x $3m.

That's the comp.

 

[deadhead]

The problem that I have with the NAK situation is that the club, as you noted, was suffering from a lack of depth up front. Signing Brassard and then picking guys up off of the waiver wire also indicated that. So with a lack of numbers up front, why do you kick a guy off of the club? I understand that NAK might not make the club in the '22-'23 season as the depth from within comes to fore. However that had nothing to do with tossing away NAK this past season when he could have been useful.
I just wonder if he and AV had a moment and the coach went to Fletcher and told him to get NAK out of town? It's not like thing such as this didn't happen with other players.

NAK also got off to a horrid start, he only played 7 games but had a xGF 32.58%, which is pretty terrible, even in small samples.
This was coming off a subpar 2020-21 season.
So if you cross the HC, and are playing like shit, your days are usually numbered.

 

[renberg]

NAK also got off to a horrid start, he only played 7 games but had a xGF 32.58%, which is pretty terrible, even in small samples.
This was coming off a subpar 2020-21 season.
So if you cross the HC, and are playing like shit, your days are usually numbered.

And Thompson, MacEwan and Brown were playing so much better that you throw away a player for nothing? At least when the FO tossed Friedman to the wolves, there was an in house reason for not keeping him. NAK had some value from what he had shown in the past.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

At least we're not the Sharks who just fired their coach today. That makes me feel good.

 

[GKJ]

Like I said, same position as the Flyers

 

[ponder719]

Sharks are kind of where we are. They think they should be competing and don’t have the young high-end talent to do it.

Jesus Christmas, they are us.

 

[deadhead]

And Thompson, MacEwan and Brown were playing so much better that you throw away a player for nothing? At least when the FO tossed Friedman to the wolves, there was an in house reason for not keeping him. NAK had some value from what he had shown in the past.

Actually, I think MacEwen's AHL career isn't that dissimilar to NAK.
2017-18: 66g 10-23 33
2018-19: 69g 20-32 52
He hasn't scored as well at the NHL level, but he was a similar prospect:

"A hard-nosed power forward that doesn't do any one thing to a particularly outstanding degree, but does the little things right. He skates well, albeit not with the balance or agility of an elite skater. He has a nose for the net and a quick release on his shot. Defensively active and backchecks hard. Wins a majority of his puck battles, but has to be a bit more consistent in his physical assertion. Must work on his vision, on-ice awareness, and passing as he continues to grow and become more confident. Lots of positive signs in his development and is starting to put the pieces together for a solid career." (Curtis Joe, EP 2017)

I had no problems with them giving him a shot in a "lost season," size and decent speed aren't that easy to find.
I suspect he'd have looked better with a better center.
And I have no problem bringing him back on a two-way deal.

Thompson and Brown can play center, in a season where centers were going down like Spinal Tap drummers, they had more value to a team trying to field 12 forwards than a marginal RW.
While Thompson was washed up, Brown was coming off an excellent showing in the 2020-21 playoffs. Better than NAK for the AVs.
Weird thing about Brown, before he became a Flyer, he had only played 33 regular season games, but 22 playoff games. 2 regular season goals v 3 in the playoffs.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Hello Western Flyers

 

[Beef Invictus]

Actually, I think MacEwen's AHL career isn't that dissimilar to NAK.
2017-18: 66g 10-23 33
2018-19: 69g 20-32 52
He hasn't scored as well at the NHL level, but he was a similar prospect:

"A hard-nosed power forward that doesn't do any one thing to a particularly outstanding degree, but does the little things right. He skates well, albeit not with the balance or agility of an elite skater. He has a nose for the net and a quick release on his shot. Defensively active and backchecks hard. Wins a majority of his puck battles, but has to be a bit more consistent in his physical assertion. Must work on his vision, on-ice awareness, and passing as he continues to grow and become more confident. Lots of positive signs in his development and is starting to put the pieces together for a solid career." (Curtis Joe, EP 2017)

I had no problems with them giving him a shot in a "lost season," size and decent speed aren't that easy to find.
I suspect he'd have looked better with a better center.
And I have no problem bringing him back on a two-way deal.

Thompson and Brown can play center, in a season where centers were going down like Spinal Tap drummers, they had more value to a team trying to field 12 forwards than a marginal RW.
While Thompson was washed up, Brown was coming off an excellent showing in the 2020-21 playoffs. Better than NAK for the AVs.
Weird thing about Brown, before he became a Flyer, he had only played 33 regular season games, but 22 playoff games. 2 regular season goals v 3 in the playoffs.

Thompson can't play center. He can't play at all, and Fletcher IDed him as a roster essential.

Unsure why you have any faith in someone who repeatedly makes such failed evaluations.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Wrong Rick.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Spott sure does follow Deboer everywhere.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Actually, I think MacEwen's AHL career isn't that dissimilar to NAK.
2017-18: 66g 10-23 33
2018-19: 69g 20-32 52
He hasn't scored as well at the NHL level, but he was a similar prospect:

No. Just no. Not remotely comparable and the idea of trying to narrow this comp down to one+ AHL seasons while completely ignoring the usage of the player, the style of the team they played for, or even their ages to create an equivalency stretches the boundaries of believability. In short, I don't believe you actually think they were similar prospects because it's impossible.

 

[deadhead]

No. Just no. Not remotely comparable and the idea of trying to narrow this comp down to one+ AHL seasons while completely ignoring the usage of the player, the style of the team they played for, or even their ages to create an equivalency stretches the boundaries of believability. In short, I don't believe you actually think they were similar prospects because it's impossible.

The AHL stats merely demonstrate that MacEwen had shown some ability to score at lower levels, one thing you never know for sure is whether it will translate - watching MacEwen, he struggled to finish plays, but sometimes that's lack of skill, sometimes that's just lack of experience (young players rush scoring chances) - and often the only way to find out is to play the kid.

MacEwen put up those numbers at 21/22 years old, he's the same age as NAK.
NAK went 72g 18-28 46, and 39g 12-9 21 at the same age in the AHL.

Neither is a player I'd envision in a role other than a 4th line forechecking guy.
NAK has better offensive skills but he's still a stiff skater with limited vision. And a motor that runs hot and cold.
MacEnew is bigger and a tad more physical but not as good of a skater.
I'd take NAK over MacEwen, but wouldn't lose sleep over losing either of them.
Both are guys I'd be looking to upgrade each season.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

The Nick Paul contract stinks. Totally unnecessary to lock up a depth player for that long.