Player Discussion Nils Aman

[credulous]

Aman, PDG and Podkolzin are in a battle for the 12th F spot / 13th F/reserve forward spot.

Two of them will stay, and one is going back to the farm.

If I were to lay bets, I'd probably say PDG as 12th F, Aman as 13th F, and Podkolzin on the farm. I hope I'm wrong, that Podz has a huge summer and camp, and makes the team as the 12th F.

podkolzin is no longer waiver exempt, so it's doubtful he goes to the ahl. i'd think a team like anaheim or carolina would try to make something out of him if the canucks waived him

 

[Nuckles]

I think Aman might lose his job to Raty.

Raty is more of a winger at this point and the Canucks probably want to keep a 5th center on their roster. Especially so if Suter is staying on Miller's wing.

 

[Hoglander]

As things are right now, he should be on the roster this year. Decent size, pretty good skater, solid defensively, pk utility, and center depth. Young enough to still develop.

He should be kept (and Podkolzin) over a 30 year old depth winger that was healthy scratched 31 games last year. It would be poor asset management to expose younger players on the cusp, and with upside, just to keep a depth placeholder like PDG.

 

[SopelFanThe3rd]

Guy reminds me of Josh Green from way back in the day - ideal 13th forward, can PK, can slot into multiple positions, but ultimately is filler.

Would be awesome if he could level up his game to become a 4th line mainstay, but I'm not holding out hope for it.

I think Josh Green was better. I really liked him. He could have been a 4th line regular.

 

[VanJack]

Nothing against either Aman or Di Giuseppe, who've given the Canucks decent service as depth forwards.

But in a perfect world, a couple of guys from Abbotsford like Sasson, Bains or Karlsson step up and take their jobs in training camp. It's imperative that some of their prospects start pushing from below.

 

[RobertKron]

Nothing against either Aman or Di Giuseppe, who've given the Canucks decent service as depth forwards.

But in a perfect world, a couple of guys from Abbotsford like Sasson, Bains or Karlsson step up and take their jobs in training camp. It's imperative that some of their prospects start pushing from below.

Bains is a year younger than Aman, and makes the same money. Sasson is like six months younger and makes a bit more money. Karlsson is older and makes like 50k less.

Why is it so important that the team have one of those guys on the roster instead of Aman?

 

[VanJack]

Bains is a year younger than Aman, and makes the same money. Sasson is like six months younger and makes a bit more money. Karlsson is older and makes like 50k less.

Why is it so important that the team have one of those guys on the roster instead of Aman?

Aman had four goals and three assists in 43 games; and Di Giuseppe had five goals and five assists in 53 games. And both guys were healthy scratches for a lot of other games. Aman spent half the season in the minors and wasn't a great scorer at Abbotsford either.

Simply put, it isn't nearly good enough. You need a lot more out of your bottom six. Bains, Sasson and Karlsson, may deliver more or they may not. But if the Canucks are serious about an upgrade they have to give them a shot.

 

[RobertKron]

Aman had four goals and three assists in 43 games; and Di Giuseppe had five goals and five assists in 53 games. And both guys were healthy scratches for a lot of other games. Aman spent half the season in the minors and wasn't a great scorer at Abbotsford either.

Simply put, it isn't nearly good enough. You need a lot more out of your bottom six. Bains, Sasson and Karlsson, may deliver more or they may not. But if the Canucks are serious about an upgrade they have to give them a shot.

If the Canucks think those players should be there instead of Aman, then they will be. Aman played 15 games (didn't spend "half the season" down there unless the AHL season is 3 months long. He went down out of camp and was back up by the end of november, the same day he signed his new 2 year deal) in the AHL, and produced at a higher or equal rate to those three. Barring a step forward, pretty much all of these guys profile as AAAA players or 12/13th forward types at this point.

 

[biturbo19]

Nothing against either Aman or Di Giuseppe, who've given the Canucks decent service as depth forwards.

But in a perfect world, a couple of guys from Abbotsford like Sasson, Bains or Karlsson step up and take their jobs in training camp. It's imperative that some of their prospects start pushing from below.

None of these guys is even really competing for the same spot or role as Aman at all tbh.


But more importantly, they all have waivers exemption remaining. Which means...if they were to take Aman/PDGs jobs in camp...you're having to expose Aman/PDG to waivers which means potentially losing organization depth for no good reason.

Unless there's some absolutely massive advantage to having guys like Sassons/Bains/Karlsson on the NHL roster over PDG/Aman...it makes absolutely ZERO sense from an organizational depth and asset management standpoint. You don't replace serviceable depth NHLers like PDG/Aman with waiver exempt guys unless it's far more than a marginal improvement.

 

[F A N]

None of these guys is even really competing for the same spot or role as Aman at all tbh.


But more importantly, they all have waivers exemption remaining. Which means...if they were to take Aman/PDGs jobs in camp...you're having to expose Aman/PDG to waivers which means potentially losing organization depth for no good reason.

Unless there's some absolutely massive advantage to having guys like Sassons/Bains/Karlsson on the NHL roster over PDG/Aman...it makes absolutely ZERO sense from an organizational depth and asset management standpoint. You don't replace serviceable depth NHLers like PDG/Aman with waiver exempt guys unless it's far more than a marginal improvement.

It's an age old discussion isn't it? Asset management, what's best for the player's long term development, and rewarding the player who clearly won a spot at camp might mean different things.

If one of those guys VJ mentioned clearly wins a spot then what do you do? Send the player down to await their turn for asset management reasons? A guy like Karlsson will be 25 and has spent two full years in the AHL (and having led Abby in scoring last season). Bains is younger but in a similar situation.

Tocchet blasted Joshua when it looked like he was cruising through preseason. I always hated how Gillis would pick someone up from waivers or make a last-minute trade just before opening night and have that player take up a spot. Obviously some jobs are safe and some players really aren't NHL calibre, but I do feel like it sends the wrong message if nothing you do at camp matters.

 

[VanJack]

None of these guys is even really competing for the same spot or role as Aman at all tbh.


But more importantly, they all have waivers exemption remaining. Which means...if they were to take Aman/PDGs jobs in camp...you're having to expose Aman/PDG to waivers which means potentially losing organization depth for no good reason.

Unless there's some absolutely massive advantage to having guys like Sassons/Bains/Karlsson on the NHL roster over PDG/Aman...it makes absolutely ZERO sense from an organizational depth and asset management standpoint. You don't replace serviceable depth NHLers like PDG/Aman with waiver exempt guys unless it's far more than a marginal improvement.

I suppose they can stash guys like Karlsson, Bains and Sasson in the AHL for another season. I mean it's not as if either Aman or Di Giuseppe are doing much in Vancouver anyway, and are routinely scratched from the lineup..

But at some point good teams around the NHL make room for their better AHL prospects. These guys are not going to take the next step by spending a third season in the AHL. They need to test themselves against NHL competition.

And if all three guys outplay some of the veterans in training camp, then they deserve a roster spot. At least that's what the GM and coaching staff always preach.

 

[biturbo19]

It's an age old discussion isn't it? Asset management, what's best for the player's long term development, and rewarding the player who clearly won a spot at camp might mean different things.

If one of those guys VJ mentioned clearly wins a spot then what do you do? Send the player down to await their turn for asset management reasons? A guy like Karlsson will be 25 and has spent two full years in the AHL (and having led Abby in scoring last season). Bains is younger but in a similar situation.

Tocchet blasted Joshua when it looked like he was cruising through preseason. I always hated how Gillis would pick someone up from waivers or make a last-minute trade just before opening night and have that player take up a spot. Obviously some jobs are safe and some players really aren't NHL calibre, but I do feel like it sends the wrong message if nothing you do at camp matters.

I mean...i think we saw out of camp last year, that asset management and getting the cap situation right took precedence over pure "merit" with this staff. And at the end of the day...what does it really matter in marginal fringe cases like this? Most of these "camp standouts" hit burnout within a couple weeks anyway as the intensity levels off for everyone settling in to the real season. So you've potentially burned a couple rungs of organizational depth to give a guy a cookie over a very marginally better camp performance.


It's one thing if a guy just comes in and absolutely blows the doors off camp. You make room for that. But none of Sassons/Bains/Karlsson are doing that. I'm supremely confident of that.


The other thing is still just back to "roles" and "fit".

-Aman is there as a defensive depth Center who can PK.
-PDG is there as a cheap depth winger who can slot in anywhere and PK, and a veteran you don't mind sitting in the pressbox most nights (he's not lacking for experience ).


A guy like Bains is competing with like...Kieffer Sherwood for a job. If he clearly, cleanly beats him out...then yeah, you look at that. But i don't see that being a realistic possibility.

Karlsson is basically competing for a Top-6 look. So it'd take him outshining an awful lot of new and existing Top-6/9 options to earn a seat out of camp. That's not really the type of guy who is gunning for a "4th line" or "spare forward" spot.



Which leads to the biggest thing. It doesn't do guys like Bains/Karlsson/Sasson much good to be sitting around in the press box in the NHL most nights. Not when they could be down in the AHL continue to develop their games. Get a call-up when their particular skillset is actually needed.

Say...a Top-6F goes down. Maybe what Karlsson shows in camp helps solidify that he's the guy who comes up and gets a shot at slotting in there. If a 4th line energy guy goes down, maybe that's when you bring up Bains and give 'em a shot. ie. Exactly the way the team handled it last year - and it's not like their camp work meant nothing. It just established what Riktok has in his back pocket for later.

But they're really just not competing for the same sort of Spare Forward/PressBox Superstar/ Defensive and PK Center type roles as a guy like Aman.

 

[biturbo19]

I suppose they can stash guys like Karlsson, Bains and Sasson in the AHL for another season. I mean it's not as if either Aman or Di Giuseppe are doing much in Vancouver anyway, and are routinely scratched from the lineup..

But at some point good teams around the NHL make room for their better AHL prospects. These guys are not going to take the next step by spending a third season in the AHL. They need to test themselves against NHL competition.

And if all three guys outplay some of the veterans in training camp, then they deserve a roster spot. At least that's what the GM and coaching staff always preach.

The reality is, if they're ready, they'll get opportunities to get some games in. Just like they did last season. Injuries are a constant in the NHL. Especially with the Canucks schedule.


But at the end of the day, it's much better to have a super experienced journeyman like PDG (or a guy who has figured out about as much as he can at the AHL level like Aman) sitting in the press box in the NHL most nights, over these other guys who still have plenty to learn and grow and develop, even if that's still at the AHL level.

 

[TruGr1t]

Aman, PDG and Podkolzin are in a battle for the 12th F spot / 13th F/reserve forward spot.

Two of them will stay, and one is going back to the farm.

If I were to lay bets, I'd probably say PDG as 12th F, Aman as 13th F, and Podkolzin on the farm. I hope I'm wrong, that Podz has a huge summer and camp, and makes the team as the 12th F.

Yes, probably this. Podkolzin is in tough because both Aman and PDG are contributors on the PK, which Tocchet loves. With Lindholm gone our top-two PK forwards will probably be Blueger/Joshua, and then you figure it out from there. Miller and Pettersson were used some last year, but I assume they want to keep them down around ~1 minute per game PK max. Aman was used quite a bit on the PK when he was in the line-up, I would say his best bet to get a fourth-line spot is to become a leader short-handed.

 

[RobertKron]

I just don’t understand the claim that Aman “wasn’t a great scorer” in his time in Abbotsford (15 games or half a season, give or take) when he produced at a pace that would have had him tied for the team lead in both goals and points. But that simultaneously the other guys of similar age and pay rate who scored at the same or lower rates as Aman are so impressive that it is imperative that the team replace Aman with them.

 

[biturbo19]

Aman, PDG and Podkolzin are in a battle for the 12th F spot / 13th F/reserve forward spot.

Two of them will stay, and one is going back to the farm.

If I were to lay bets, I'd probably say PDG as 12th F, Aman as 13th F, and Podkolzin on the farm. I hope I'm wrong, that Podz has a huge summer and camp, and makes the team as the 12th F.

Problem with this is...these guys are are waivers eligible. That alone gives them an inside track on sticking with the roster.

There's zero chance they'll waive Podkolzin. If he doesn't make the team, he'll be dealt somewhere. His draft pedigree says he's got no chance of slipping through. Too many rebuilding teams with nothing to lose, to believe nobody would take a flyer on him for free.

PDG is unlikely to hit waivers, but he's done it many times and cleared many times before. So there's at least a chance they'd risk it.

Aman...if he has a really bummer camp, i suppose i could see them waiving him. But barring a disaster camp, i don't think they want to risk losing a dirt cheap 4th line C/Spare Forward like that.

Yes, probably this. Podkolzin is in tough because both Aman and PDG are contributors on the PK, which Tocchet loves. With Lindholm gone our top-two PK forwards will probably be Blueger/Joshua, and then you figure it out from there. Miller and Pettersson were used some last year, but I assume they want to keep them down around ~1 minute per game PK max. Aman was used quite a bit on the PK when he was in the line-up, I would say his best bet to get a fourth-line spot is to become a leader short-handed.

Yeah. This is a huge ace in the hole for Aman. He's already viewed by this staff as a good, solid PK option...and a Center. That really sets him apart from pretty much everyone else he'd otherwise be "battling" with for a spot.

I just don’t understand the claim that Aman “wasn’t a great scorer” in his time in Abbotsford (15 games or half a season, give or take) when he produced at a pace that would have had him tied for the team lead in both goals and points. But that simultaneously the other guys of similar age and pay rate who scored at the same or lower rates as Aman are so impressive that it is imperative that the team replace Aman with them.

Yeah. This is the other thing with Aman. He really does seem like he's learned and established about as much as there is to possibly do for him at that AHL level. The thing he has to do now, is figure out how to get at least a tiny sliver of that AHL offensive ability to start to translate through to the NHL level.

It's all well and good to be defensively responsible, solid on the PK, and trusted by the coaches that way...but at some point, you do have to be able to at least pitch in a tiny little bit of offense at some point. Especially on a team configured the way the Canucks are...where they really depend on depth and getting offensive contributions from all 4 lines.

But that's not something he's going to develop at the AHL level. If he's ever going to "get it" and start to produce a little bit of 4th line offense at the NHL level, it's going to have to be something he figures out...at the NHL level.

 

[TruGr1t]

Yeah. This is a huge ace in the hole for Aman. He's already viewed by this staff as a good, solid PK option...and a Center. That really sets him apart from pretty much everyone else he'd otherwise be "battling" with for a spot.

PDG is a decent PKer as well, and was actually Aman’s PK partner for stretches. I don’t think they’ll keep both though since I highly doubt they expose Podkolzin to waivers. Aman probably has the leg up since as you said, he’s a C. And with the winger additions this offseason, PDG is getting kinda redundant.

If it were up to Tocchet, though, I bet he’d play both Aman and PDG over Podkolzin.

 

[biturbo19]

PDG is a decent PKer as well, and was actually Aman’s PK partner for stretches. I don’t think they’ll keep both though since I highly doubt they expose Podkolzin to waivers. Aman probably has the leg up since as you said, he’s a C. And with the winger additions this offseason, PDG is getting kinda redundant.

If it were up to Tocchet, though, I bet he’d play both Aman and PDG over Podkolzin.

Yeah. But they don't really see PDG as a Center at the NHL level. So Aman has a double leg up on everyone. And again, isn't really competing for the same "role" as PDG even.

PDG is in more jeopardy because he's a winger. The PK thing and veteran you don't mind sitting in the press box are his real trump cards.


I still think it's entirely plausible they keep both. And Podkolzin. 14F - 7D. Works easily enough. Really just depends who they think is a bigger risk on waivers between PDG/Aman/Friedman. I'd send Friedman down. If you lose him, who cares. He's not good anyway.

But that also probably comes down to how the waivers exempt Defencemen look in camp. 'Cause they've got some decent waiver-exempt Forward options to shuttle up/down if needed. The defencemen are a little less solidly established as options and it's obviously a tougher position to "shelter" or "hide" when you bring a guy up.

 

[HairyKneel]

I suppose they can stash guys like Karlsson, Bains and Sasson in the AHL for another season. I mean it's not as if either Aman or Di Giuseppe are doing much in Vancouver anyway, and are routinely scratched from the lineup..

But at some point good teams around the NHL make room for their better AHL prospects. These guys are not going to take the next step by spending a third season in the AHL. They need to test themselves against NHL competition.

And if all three guys outplay some of the veterans in training camp, then they deserve a roster spot. At least that's what the GM and coaching staff always preach.

Very enlightening post.

Full stop if Podkolzin can't make this team I'll be disgusted.

I could give two shits about Aman. They can find a scrub Centre anywhere or put Suter there if another youngish winger steps up.

Get outside and get some fresh air.

 

[F A N]

I mean...i think we saw out of camp last year, that asset management and getting the cap situation right took precedence over pure "merit" with this staff.

Which situation are you referring to here in terms of asset management taking precedence over merit? I think cutting the player who earned a spot due to asset management reasons is different from cutting a player who earned a spot due to cap compliance reasons.

 

[biturbo19]

Which situation are you referring to here in terms of asset management taking precedence over merit? I think cutting the player who earned a spot due to asset management reasons is different from cutting a player who earned a spot due to cap compliance reasons.

I'm talking about all the weird juggling they did to keep guys like Hirose up. Sent down a guy like Wolanin who outplayed the other depth guys. Even Studnicka had a real good camp, but ended up cut so they could juggle the cap around and set things up the way they wanted.

And at the end of the day...it's not really a big deal that they did. Studnicka was always going to fade, for example. It's just clear that setting up their cap situation and slipping guys through at the right times for asset management purposes will win out over "better camp performance" at the margins.


I don't think there's any functional difference to the player being cut, whether it's for cap reasons...if they supposedly "earned it" on merit. Asset management and cap management go hand in hand.

 

[F A N]

I'm talking about all the weird juggling they did to keep guys like Hirose up. Sent down a guy like Wolanin who outplayed the other depth guys. Even Studnicka had a real good camp, but ended up cut so they could juggle the cap around and set things up the way they wanted.

And at the end of the day...it's not really a big deal that they did. Studnicka was always going to fade, for example. It's just clear that setting up their cap situation and slipping guys through at the right times for asset management purposes will win out over "better camp performance" at the margins.

But which of these guys made the team based on merit and was sent down? It was reported that Studnicka had a good camp but at the end of the day he put up a big fat zero. After Lafferty was acquired whose spot did he deserve to take? Certainly not PDG who was the preseason star. Joshua's? I believe you wanted to keep Studnicka instead of Joshua but I think you woudl agree that the Canucks obviously made the right call here.

I don't think there's any functional difference to the player being cut, whether it's for cap reasons...if they supposedly "earned it" on merit. Asset management and cap management go hand in hand.

I disagree. The cap is the cap. There's no choice but to be compliant. Besides, it's usually more of a short term thing. Like last year with Podkolzin. He had to be on the oepning night roster for cap reasons but he didn't play a game. Studnicka was recalled shortly afterwards on an emergency basis.

Nobody is saying all roster spots are available for the taking. It would be silly for the Aman's of the world to think that Debrusk's job or even Heinan's roster spot is available for the taking. Those players are going to get every chance to perform at least to the standard they showed in the past. That's what happened with Joshua as well.

I think being told that you're not on the team because the team needed to get under the cap with the undeserving player not playing a single game is preferable to being told you're not on the team because they didn't want to lose the player you clearly beat for a job (with that player not being the better player in the past).

 

[biturbo19]

But which of these guys made the team based on merit and was sent down? It was reported that Studnicka had a good camp but at the end of the day he put up a big fat zero. After Lafferty was acquired whose spot did he deserve to take? Certainly not PDG who was the preseason star. Joshua's? I believe you wanted to keep Studnicka instead of Joshua but I think you woudl agree that the Canucks obviously made the right call here.

The point is, it didn't actually have anything to do with "merit" at all. It was basically a combination of proven past performance and cap utility to get things maneuvered just right, that determined who cracked the opening night roster.

And that includes guys like Lafferty who were just parachuted in at the last second onto the roster ahead of guys who had a "great camp". Simply because of asset management. He was a newly acquired asset, and despite not "winning a spot" in camp...was gifted a spot because he was an acquired asset that couldn't be exposed to waivers.

I disagree. The cap is the cap. There's no choice but to be compliant. Besides, it's usually more of a short term thing. Like last year with Podkolzin. He had to be on the oepning night roster for cap reasons but he didn't play a game. Studnicka was recalled shortly afterwards on an emergency basis.

Nobody is saying all roster spots are available for the taking. It would be silly for the Aman's of the world to think that Debrusk's job or even Heinan's roster spot is available for the taking. Those players are going to get every chance to perform at least to the standard they showed in the past. That's what happened with Joshua as well.

And that's what always happens with most teams. There's an established hierarchy, and it takes a combination of an catastrophic camp by someone and/or a wide open spot (which we definitely do not have right now), or simply a player absolutely blowing the doors off camp. Not just being incrementally "better" in some depth role. But legitimately looking like they're ready to crack a Top-6 Scoring role or solid Top-4D spot.

This staff showed they subscribe very much to that philosophy. It's not the "12 best forwards in camp". It's got a host of other asset management, depth chart management, and cap considerations at play that override camp performance.

Joshua was a pile of ass coming out of camp. I didn't necessarily think he was the guy who should've been sent down to make room for Studnicka, and honestly...i'm not sure who should have been. It was just one of those situations where he had earned a spot, but then a guy like Lafferty fell right in and took his spot without proving a thing. And at the end of the day...that's fine. That's often how it works.

I think being told that you're not on the team because the team needed to get under the cap with the undeserving player not playing a single game is preferable to being told you're not on the team because they didn't want to lose the player you clearly beat for a job (with that player not being the better player in the past).

If i'm a playing being reassigned to the minors after a camp performance that i feel earned me a spot, i really don't know that i give a shit whether it's for "cap reasons" or "waivers reasons". Because again, they're two aspects of the same darn thing.

The lasting point is...i'm not on the NHL roster. Somebody else i outperformed is. Because reasons outside of play on the ice.

 

[HockeyWooot]

Aman will likely start on the main roster.

Solid but unspectacular he doesn’t have a lot of upside but we just need him to round off areas of his game to become a bottom 6 staple for the future.

Aside from top of the lineup players or younger skilled prospects, the worth of our coaching and development should also be measured in the development of these younger role players.

Top organisations can churn out cheap NHL calibre players from the farm system.

 

[F A N]

The point is, it didn't actually have anything to do with "merit" at all. It was basically a combination of proven past performance and cap utility to get things maneuvered just right, that determined who cracked the opening night roster.

And that includes guys like Lafferty who were just parachuted in at the last second onto the roster ahead of guys who had a "great camp". Simply because of asset management. He was a newly acquired asset, and despite not "winning a spot" in camp...was gifted a spot because he was an acquired asset that couldn't be exposed to waivers.

No disagreements here. Like I said, I always hated how Gillis would pick up a guy from waivers and insert him the lineup just before opening day. At least with Lafferty, he's a proven NHL player as opposed to an AHL player or fringe NHL player looking to secure an NHL roster spot.

I also distinguish between losing a spot to an AHL player/fringe NHL player that you clearly bettered at camp vs an established NHL player who has a track record for performance. Again, it would be silly for a player like Aman to think that Debrusk, Suter, or Hoglander's roster spot is up for grabs.

And that's what always happens with most teams. There's an established hierarchy, and it takes a combination of an catastrophic camp by someone and/or a wide open spot (which we definitely do not have right now), or simply a player absolutely blowing the doors off camp. Not just being incrementally "better" in some depth role. But legitimately looking like they're ready to crack a Top-6 Scoring role or solid Top-4D spot.

Right and "competition at camp" doesn't mean you're competing for a roster spot. It depends on the team. But there IS usually a roster spot up for grabs.

This staff showed they subscribe very much to that philosophy. It's not the "12 best forwards in camp". It's got a host of other asset management, depth chart management, and cap considerations at play that override camp performance.

Joshua was a pile of ass coming out of camp. I didn't necessarily think he was the guy who should've been sent down to make room for Studnicka, and honestly...i'm not sure who should have been. It was just one of those situations where he had earned a spot, but then a guy like Lafferty fell right in and took his spot without proving a thing. And at the end of the day...that's fine. That's often how it works.

Joshua had a poor camp but he showed what he was capable of the previous season whereas Studnicka did not. Studnicka reportedly had a great camp but at the end of the day he ended up producing 0 points in 4 games. So if you are not sure who should have been sent down to make room for Studnicka it follows that you don't think he beat out an incumbent?

So again, I ask you, who made the team based on merit last fall but was sent down for asset management reasons in favour of someone who did not?

If i'm a playing being reassigned to the minors after a camp performance that i feel earned me a spot, i really don't know that i give a shit whether it's for "cap reasons" or "waivers reasons". Because again, they're two aspects of the same darn thing.

The lasting point is...i'm not on the NHL roster. Somebody else i outperformed is. Because reasons outside of play on the ice.

I guess I am more understanding than you are. You're entitled to feel the way you do. I think there is a difference. If I was Studnicka, I would be less upset seeing Podkolzin on the roster for cap reasons but he didn't play a game and was quickly sent down and I was quickly called up to play.

I'm not saying there isn't some realities of life that shouldn't be considered. A player like Studnicka shouldn't expect his team to waive a former first round pick like Podkolzin for example. But on the other other, if you want to foster an environment where there is a real competition for spots then the competition needs to be real.

We've come a long way from players playing themselves into shape at training camp, but as a fan, I personally don't care if our team's star players coast through preseason. It's there to prepare for the regular season.