Paajarvi Put On Waivers (Update: Cleared)

[KirkOut]

Not blaming Hitch i just don't think he thinks MPI fits what they are trying to do. Not predicting a career for him either but the kid can skate and quite frankly didn't look bad at all in the few chances he had.

I don't think he fits with what the Blues are trying to do because the Blues are trying to win hockey games and Paajarvi has done nothing to further that goal. Speed only gets you so far in hockey. You could try to put an Olympic track athlete as a WR on a football team but it would almost certainly fail miserably, even though they can run fast. Sad fact is Paajarvi is big but doesn't play physical and is fast but doesn't use his speed to create offense.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

I can't believe after he cleared waivers where any team in the league could have had him for free, there are still some here that are trying to blame Hitchcock. We've all seen Paajarvi for the past couple years. He's had practice every day and training camp to establish a role for himself. As much criticism as Lindstrom and Berglund come under, he wasn't able to force his way onto the lineup ahead of either of them.

No one in the league had pro scouting who convinced their teams he was worth picking up. Maybe with a large amount of ice time in the AHL there is a path for him back into the league....but I really doubt it, and it won't be as a contributor on the Blues. Can we let this notion that the evil mastermind version of Hitchcock purposefully wrecked Paajarvi's career just die? It sounds like the Lone Gunmen spouting a conspiracy theory.

 

[cardinalnation]

I can't believe after he cleared waivers where any team in the league could have had him for free, there are still some here that are trying to blame Hitchcock. We've all seen Paajarvi for the past couple years. He's had practice every day and training camp to establish a role for himself. As much criticism as Lindstrom and Berglund come under, he wasn't able to force his way onto the lineup ahead of either of them.

No one in the league had pro scouting who convinced their teams he was worth picking up. Maybe with a large amount of ice time in the AHL there is a path for him back into the league....but I really doubt it, and it won't be as a contributor on the Blues. Can we let this notion that the evil mastermind version of Hitchcock purposefully wrecked Paajarvi's career just die? It sounds like the Lone Gunmen spouting a conspiracy theory.

Huh? Maybe you should read my last post again since you obviously didn't understand it the first time.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Huh? Maybe you should read my last post again since you obviously didn't understand it the first time.

Why do you think my post is a response to yours? There is a whole forum here.

I really don't appreciate the belittling tone.

 

[Oberyn]

Paajarvi is just not a very good hockey player, that's the reality here. He has speed and size, but his hockey IQ is low and he can't handle the physical nature of the NHL. Every GM realized this and knew that using up 1.2M for a reclamation project that likely won't pan out was not worth it.

I watched the kid a ton when he played in Edmonton, and while you can argue that their system isn't exactly the most effective, they funneled a lot of ice time to the youngsters. Why were Hall, Eberle, and RNH all able to produce while Paajarvi bounced up and down between the NHL and AHL? Paajarvi could barely produce while playing 15 minutes in Edmonton, his lack of TOI isn't the issue here.

 

[Celtic Note]

It's interesting to see the change in tone on MPS since the trade to aquire him. A lot of fans here liked the trade at the time because the primary asset was Magnus. Now everyone has changed that to our second round pick, who fell into our laps.

As I said from the get go, Magnus was never deserving of the high draft pick or the claims about potential. There were a lot of Army apologists and people pointing at his draft rankings. It's just another example of where the minority isn't a bad thing.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

It's interesting to see the change in tone on MPS since the trade to aquire him. A lot of fans here liked the trade at the time because the primary asset was Magnus. Now everyone has changed that to our second round pick, who fell into our laps.

As I said from the get go, Magnus was never deserving of the high draft pick or the claims about potential. There were a lot of Army apologists and people pointing at his draft rankings. It's just another example of where the minority isn't a bad thing.

I was definitely in that group. I thought that with accountability to structure, Paajarvi would start to look like a 1st round talent again. A little later when it became apparent he did not have a dangerous shot, I thought he could become a good 2-way player with some work. I still think he could have, but that part is on Magnus for not having the mentality needed to succeed as a checking line player.

You can't win every trade. I was a fan of Paajarvi before the draft. He just busted, and it sucks.

 

[cardinalnation]

Why do you think my post is a response to yours? There is a whole forum here.

I really don't appreciate the belittling tone.

Maybe b/c it came right on the heals of my post that i am referring to or the fact that there are exactly 3 pro MPI posts in the entire thread. I guess you were replying to Bleeder on page one if not me. What is kind of belittling is this statement "Can we let this notion that the evil mastermind version of Hitchcock purposefully wrecked Paajarvi's career just die? It sounds like the Lone Gunmen spouting a conspiracy theory". No one said anything even remotely like this. I wasn't even saying he shouldn't have been demoted, my only point is to the guy saying he had seen enough. Seen enough of what? The guy never played.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Pajaarvi will be in the SHL in a few years book it. He just doesn't have the hockey IQ, physicality, or shot to be an NHL player.

 

[Robb_K]

Pajaarvi will be in the SHL in a few years book it. He just doesn't have the hockey IQ, physicality, or shot to be an NHL player.

Do you mean The SEL (Swedish Elit Serien)?

He's young, and can improve his skills and overall game. He could play as an extra forward on several NHL teams right now. He just went on waivers at a bad time for him, in which the teams that could use him didn't have the number of contracts' space, or cap room. But, he's young enough to improve his game enough to stay in The NHL. I think he'll play in The NHL next season.

 

[Alklha]

The Elitserien was renamed the SHL a couple of years ago.

I also expect him to put the work in to stay in North America over the next couple of years, even if that means AHL time. Hopefully he can turn it around, but he really doesn't have much hockey sense.

 

[medkit]

What time invested. The guy hardly played even when he suited up. Can't tell much with 4 or 5 shifts a period once every ten days. It is not like this guy was unproductive playing 17 minutes a game. I don't think he fits Hitch's system very well and he didn't want to play the guy at all. Hopefully he lights the lamp in Chicago and recoups some trade value. No future for him in St.Louis unless Hitchcock is replaced.

He got 10 games this year and put up goose eggs. That's 5x more games than Rattie ever got. Turns out his lines sucked so Hitch wouldn't play them. And since he offers nothing on PK, PP, defense, or the cycle, can't play center, can't fight, and can't shoot the puck, maybe Hitch finally decided it was nice to stick him in the press box and roll 4 lines. Keep in mind he sucked his way through 55 games last year and two training camps so we've seen plenty of him by now. He had so many chances.

Yeah, sorry, he's never going to be as good as anyone in our top 6. Ever. Literally his one chance was that slot on the third line and he just couldn't offer anything. Once Jaskin grabbed onto the spot it was curtains. The one thing you guys keep going to is that he's fast. So what? Polak was probably faster. What's more important is your hockey IQ to anticipate a play, and his was garbage.

His acceleration doesn't blow anyone out of the water and we aren't going to turnover the puck willy nilly trying to make stretch passes to Magnus freakin' Paajarvi all game just because he was a #10 draft pick. And Hitch is never going to let him cheat on offense either. So how does straight line speed make up for the rest of his game? He just skates back and forth and loses the puck.

I'm sure there's a place somewhere in the world where he can happily try wraparounds all game but it's not the NHL.

 

[Robb_K]

The Elitserien was renamed the SHL a couple of years ago.

I also expect him to put the work in to stay in North America over the next couple of years, even if that means AHL time. Hopefully he can turn it around, but he really doesn't have much hockey sense.

Ha! Ha! I forgot! So used to the old name. I have NO short-term memory, whatsoever!

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Maybe b/c it came right on the heals of my post that i am referring to or the fact that there are exactly 3 pro MPI posts in the entire thread. I guess you were replying to Bleeder on page one if not me. What is kind of belittling is this statement "Can we let this notion that the evil mastermind version of Hitchcock purposefully wrecked Paajarvi's career just die? It sounds like the Lone Gunmen spouting a conspiracy theory". No one said anything even remotely like this. I wasn't even saying he shouldn't have been demoted, my only point is to the guy saying he had seen enough. Seen enough of what? The guy never played.

Maybe b/c it came right on the heals of my post that i am referring to or the fact that there are exactly 3 pro MPI posts in the entire thread. I guess you were replying to Bleeder on page one if not me. What is kind of belittling is this statement "Can we let this notion that the evil mastermind version of Hitchcock purposefully wrecked Paajarvi's career just die? It sounds like the Lone Gunmen spouting a conspiracy theory". No one said anything even remotely like this. I wasn't even saying he shouldn't have been demoted, my only point is to the guy saying he had seen enough. Seen enough of what? The guy never played.

It was not in direct response to any one post but to a few different posts including on the Trade Forum, and on unrelated threads on the Blues forum, but thought this was the most appropriate place to post regarding Paajarvi. I'd have quoted you if I were responding directly to you. I don't see how you can complain about the tone of a post you misinterpreted and assumed was directed toward you, when you pointed out I wasn't addressing the content of your post. Of the two of us, you're the one that made an ad hominem insult.