Roster Building XXII: Too Many Forwards, Hopefully One Cup

[tarheelhockey]

Every year, teams always give PTOs to guys that have no chance of making their team and aren’t going to play in the AHL for them at all.

I can’t readily recall a case where an NHL team has thrown an absolutely random PTO at someone with zero intent to uncover useful talent. The only examples that come to mind are situations where a roster needed to be filled out for a split-squad game. And even in those cases, there was at least a hypothetical chance that the player could be useful if he excelled and injuries cropped up. Typically because he had some sort of established track record of contributing at an NHL or AHL level.

PTO or not, any player is going to have to earn their ice time during the season. If Rod is playing his son in the NHL next year over more deserving players (other than a gimmick like when 3 Staals played), or Chicago is giving him more TOI over more deserving players, then I’ll agree.


Right now? It’s meaningless and much ado about nothing.

Well I certainly don’t think we’ll need to worry about that scenario coming up.

Sorry for that guy and a hundred more like him. Do you think 1 player who jumps ahead affects all those other guys as well?

Does is suck? Yeah, kinda. But again that's life.

I get that, and “does it suck? Yeah, kinda” is the sum of what I’m saying here.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I don't know that I ever suspected Skyler Brind'Amour would be the downfall of our franchise but here we are.

 

[Svechhammer]

I don't know that I ever suspected Skyler Brind'Amour would be the downfall of our franchise but here we are.

Live by the Brindy, die by the Brindy

It was the Rod of times, it was the Skyler of times....

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I can’t readily recall a case where an NHL team has thrown an absolutely random PTO at someone with zero intent to uncover useful talent. The only examples that come to mind are situations where a roster needed to be filled out for a split-squad game. And even in those cases, there was at least a hypothetical chance that the player could be useful if he excelled and injuries cropped up. Typically because he had some sort of established track record of contributing at an NHL or AHL level.

A quick look at the trade forum shows Buffalo's PTOs this year:

Buffalo's PTO list this year who are attending their camp and will all be AHLrs /ECHLrs.

Ty Cheveldayoff: 21 years old, undrafted, ECHL last year.
Riley Fiddler-Schultz: 22 years old, undrafted, ECHL last year
Graham Slaggert: 4 years college, 25 years old, undrafted, meh 60ish game AHL career (not too dissimilar to Brind'Amour).
Brendan Warren: 27 years old, 4th liner in the AHL
Noah Laaouan: 23 years old, undrafted, ECHL last year, 6 total AHL games.
Zach Metsa: 25 years old, undrafted, 4 years NCAA, 1 year AHL (not too dissimilar from Brind'Amour)
Ethan Prow: 31 years old, undrafted, 4 career NHL games, career AHLr
Peter Tischke: 28 years old, undrafted, ECHL last year.
Michael Houser: 32 years old, undrafted, ECHL last year, 6 career NHL games.

I know, you're going to say: "Yeah, but that's Buffalo", but I see this with many teams. They have guys they sign, or intend to sign to the AHL, give them a PTO and let them attend camp, knowing there's zero upside and zero chance they make the team. It's common. Brind'Amour will be signed to play in the AHL and is getting a PTO just like those guys.

Well I certainly don’t think we’ll need to worry about that scenario coming up.

Then there's nothing to worry about.

I get that, and “does it suck? Yeah, kinda” is the sum of what I’m saying here.

nah, this type of stuff isn't uncommon. As I said earlier, much ado about nothing.

 

[bleedgreen]

The Caps have something like 18 pto’s.

 

[Svechhammer]

The Caps have something like 18 pto’s.

trying to see who has the best saucer pass to the left faceoff circle to feed Ovi eleventy billion opportunities next year

 

[bleedgreen]

trying to see who has the best saucer pass to the left faceoff circle to feed Ovi eleventy billion opportunities next year

That’s the pto. They push a net over on its face and you get on the ice and throw saucer passes over the net into a clowns mouth. Winner stays.

 

[tarheelhockey]

A quick look at the trade forum shows Buffalo's PTOs this year:

Buffalo's PTO list this year who are attending their camp and will all be AHLrs /ECHLrs.

Ty Cheveldayoff: 21 years old, undrafted, ECHL last year.
Riley Fiddler-Schultz: 22 years old, undrafted, ECHL last year
Graham Slaggert: 4 years college, 25 years old, undrafted, meh 60ish game AHL career (not too dissimilar to Brind'Amour).
Brendan Warren: 27 years old, 4th liner in the AHL
Noah Laaouan: 23 years old, undrafted, ECHL last year, 6 total AHL games.
Zach Metsa: 25 years old, undrafted, 4 years NCAA, 1 year AHL (not too dissimilar from Brind'Amour)
Ethan Prow: 31 years old, undrafted, 4 career NHL games, career AHLr
Peter Tischke: 28 years old, undrafted, ECHL last year.
Michael Houser: 32 years old, undrafted, ECHL last year, 6 career NHL games.

I know, you're going to say: "Yeah, but that's Buffalo", but I see this with many teams. They have guys they sign, or intend to sign to the AHL, give them a PTO and let them attend camp, knowing there's zero upside and zero chance they make the team. It's common. Brind'Amour will be signed to play in the AHL and is getting a PTO just like those guys.

Zach Metsa, the one you said is not dissimilar from Brind’amour, rings a bell because he was the subject of a long New York Times human interest article last year. He played preseason with Buffalo and is a legit prospect. Bringing him to camp is a no brainer for them.

Slaggert, the other direct comparable, is already under contract in Rochester after playing there last year. Prow, Houser, Tischke are in the same boat. Yes they’re low-end additions to camp, but they’re already in the farm system so they go to the parent team’s camp.

I hope we can agree that none of Slaggert, Prow, Houser, or Tischke would be getting a PTO with any NHL team if they weren’t already part of the parent team’s farm system?

Then there's nothing to worry about.

Of course not. Who expressed a worry about it?

 

[cptjeff]

trying to see who has the best saucer pass to the left faceoff circle to feed Ovi eleventy billion opportunities next year

Does Ovechkin even attend training camp? They certainly don't play him in any preseason games.

Lots of guys get PTOs to meet veteran minimums in preseason games with no hope of ever making the team. Lots of AHLers get contracts over better players just because some coach somewhere likes them or because an org wasted a high pick on them and they're hoping to salvage that sunk cost. Skyler getting to play in Chicago is not in the top 1000 of things I care about.

 

[tarheelhockey]

The Caps have something like 18 pto’s.

Again these are guys who are already under contract in their farm system. It’s just a standard “farm team guys go to camp” scenario. Officially it has to be labeled a PTO because the contract is with Hershey, not Washington.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Zach Metsa, the one you said is not dissimilar from Brind’amour, rings a bell because he was the subject of a long New York Times human interest article last year. He played preseason with Buffalo and is a legit prospect. Bringing him to camp is a no brainer for them.

Slaggert, the other direct comparable, is already under contract in Rochester after playing there last year. Prow, Houser, Tischke are in the same boat. Yes they’re low-end additions to camp, but they’re already in the farm system so they go to the parent team’s camp.

I hope we can agree that none of Slaggert, Prow, Houser, or Tischke would be getting a PTO with any NHL team if they weren’t already part of the parent team’s farm system?




Of course not. Who expressed a worry about it?

That's a lot of words just to say you were wrong about team's not giving PTOs like this.

Anyhow, I don't feel like dragging on with one of your patented 10 page post-a-thons for something as trivial as this.

Good day.

 

[Chrispy]

That’s the pto. They push a net over on its face and you get on the ice and throw saucer passes over the net into a clowns mouth. Winner stays.

That seems like an incredibly rude thing to do to a veteran like Tom Wilson.

 

[tarheelhockey]

That's a lot of words just to say you were wrong about team's not giving PTOs like this.

Anyhow, I don't feel like dragging on with one of your patented 10 page post-a-thons for something as trivial as this.

Good day.

Look, I’m just talking hockey and nobody’s forcing you to participate. The ignore button is right there if you’re gonna be like that about it.

Edit: and of course a laugh emoji. What the heck are you doing?

 

[Lempo]

Look, I’m just talking hockey and nobody’s forcing you to participate. The ignore button is right there if you’re gonna be like that about it.