GDT: Running Preseason GDT | Finale | CBJ @ PIT | 7 PM EST

[squashmaple]

A team with a top line that looks this bad is going to be bad, no matter what. There are things Jiricek can't learn in the AHL, like what does and doesn't work against NHLers. I hate to say it, but I think the best place for him this season is Columbus so he can work it out against better opponents. Maybe he sits every few games to watch, especially if they keep eight D for any period of time. But he's not going to learn how to defend the best of the best against the Brendan Gaunces of the hockey world, and that means more than some goals against in a season that doesn't matter anyway.

 

[tunnelvision]

There are things Jiricek can't learn in the AHL, like what does and doesn't work against NHLers. I hate to say it, but I think the best place for him this season is Columbus so he can work it out against better opponents. Maybe he sits every few games to watch, especially if they keep eight D for any period of time. But he's not going to learn how to defend the best of the best against the Brendan Gaunces of the hockey world, and that means more than some goals against in a season that doesn't matter anyway.

But on the other hand, does he even know yet what are the best defending styles to apply against AHL forwards? Last night he was having serious trouble defending Jonathan Gruden and Ville Koivunen, let alone all other AHL-level players in the Pens lineup.

That said I'm still not sure if it's better to keep him as a 7D/8D with JJ or just send down.

All I can say for certain is that imo Werenski, Severson, Provorov, Christiansen, Harris and Gudbranson should be the starting top-6.

 

[koteka]

I agree, Fantilli and Johnson have great chemistry. Also I am not sure if JvR is ideal for the second line, so will see.

Dylan Tyler was interviewing Fantilli on the radio. He talked about playing with JVR and KJ. Fantilli said he liked the line. He said KJ is a pass first guy and he is a shoot first guy. He said JVR is constantly talking on the ice with them as well as off the ice. He also said JVR hangs out with the guys, which I think is something that was missing last year - an older vet hanging with the young guys.

Last year’s vets all seemed to have young kids and/or pregnant wives (or injuries) so I doubt they were hanging with the young guys. Having a vet that will have a closer relationship with young guys is probably good.

eta - the Russians and a few Europeans seemed to hang out - but I am not sure about the older North Americans hanging with the younger North Americans.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Who in the national media are you talking about? Seravalli who thought Jiricek was one of the best young players in the NHL?

This is how it works - the agent, in this case Allan Walsh, gets out his phone and starts calling up journalists telling them a story in an effort to pressure the Jackets to call up Jiricek. Some of them pick it up and run with it. It's a part of the pressure campaign.

A poorly run org would feel that pressure, a good org would ignore it.

Putting Jiricek in the NHL after he's shown to be unready in pre-season would push me in the direction of thinking that Waddell is running the team poorly.



No need to waive either one of them. In Montreal Harris was mostly just an injury fill-in in the top4, they weren't under the impression that he was a solid middle pair guy, and no one was under the impression that he had substantial trade value. In any case I'm happy to have him.

Christiansen is ready and he's come in and been the better player in pre-season (by my eye and every metric). That might not last through one regular season game, but for now I'd slot him ahead.

Not sure how you are forgetting .. Friedman brought the situation to light for the national media ….

As Portzline said, "The Blue Jackets’ handling (mishandling?) of rookie defenseman David Jiricek has raised eyebrows all season, and it reached a boiling point this week." He called the relationship "strained". SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman called it "a problem. A big problem" on Monday's 32 Thoughts Podcast.

That big problem is because Jiricek doesn't trust the Blue Jackets to do right by him. And how could you blame him? Just look at the below timeline and his comments to Portzline.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1750595810801389680

For those keeping score, the 20-year-old - who was told to get a place in Columbus - has now been sent to AHL Cleveland for the fourth time this season. Portzline said that there was "concern that Jiricek might consider not reporting to Cleveland", and suggested that it's "unclear" what Jiricek will do next.

“They told me the last game was not good enough for me,” Jiricek said. “I told them I don’t think so, but that’s your opinion. I was out of the lineup after that. A whole month now, it feels like I haven’t played.”

The problem, of course, is the inconsistent messaging from all levels of the organization. GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Portzline that "It’s best for his development to play against NHL players and practice against NHL players. He’s already proved that he’s a very good player in that league." But then turned around and said, "...but if he’s not playing here, he needs to play in the American League because he needs to play.”

Yeah, man. He needs to play. In the NHL. You just said that. Not neither, at the same time.

“Having said that, we’re trying to build a 200-foot defenseman, an elite defenseman who will play heavy minutes against top opponents. In order to do that, he needs reps. For him to develop those skills, the best way to do it right now — having been in the NHL for 36 games — this (the AHL) is the best route for him.” - Kekalainen

Why, then, would the organization tell him to get a place?

“In November, I started looking for an apartment in Columbus,” Jiricek said. “The dream was coming true.”
Now he’s living in a Cleveland hotel while his Columbus apartment sits empty, he said.
“The guys here in Cleveland are awesome. The coaches are awesome,” Jiricek said. “It’s fun to be here now, because there’s a lot of winning. There’s a good energy. But still … this is not what I want, right?”

It's not only Kekalainen, though, making peculiar comments. Pascal Vincent said “I think he needs a little bit of stability" and "I don’t see a downside to it (the demotion), myself.” Later in the piece, Vincent compared Jiricek to ... his 13-year-old daughter, implying that he's impatient.

“I get it. My daughter wants her own car. She’s 13 years old. It’s the Amazon effect. Everybody wants it now.”

Yeah, stability would be good. Not seeing a downside is either lying or negligent. And I don't think Jiricek is being impatient. He's being honest that he doesn't trust the organization's guidance. They've been consistently inconsistent. Friedman suggests he isn't buying what the team is selling.

 

[koteka]

It is almost like team management was a complete tire fire the last year or two and weren’t communicating with each other. JD was whacked out on pain killers and speaking out of both sides of his mouth, Jarmo was trying to build a small skilled team and forgetting that defense and toughness mattered and making panic moves when he realized we needed toughness and defense, and a series of coaches were trying to impose their own craziness on the team. And nobody thought about a cohesive and well-communicated plan to develop a bunch of high draft picks.

 

[squashmaple]

But on the other hand, does he even know yet what are the best defending styles to apply against AHL forwards? Last night he was having serious trouble defending Jonathan Gruden and Ville Koivunen, let alone all other AHL-level players in the Pens lineup.

That said I'm still not sure if it's better to keep him as a 7D/8D with JJ or just send down.

All I can say for certain is that imo Werenski, Severson, Provorov, Christiansen, Harris and Gudbranson should be the starting top-6.

I'm not sure preseason performance is indicative of anything in particular. He proved last season that he is very good in the AHL. I'm not sure what else there is for him to learn there except to succeed against inferior competition. You don't sharpen a knife against newspaper.

 

[tunnelvision]

I'm not sure preseason performance is indicative of anything in particular. He proved last season that he is very good in the AHL. I'm not sure what else there is for him to learn there except to succeed against inferior competition. You don't sharpen a knife against newspaper.

In terms of play without the puck he's still a work in progress, to put it mildly. He hasn't been consistently good defensively in either league.

In Columbus he probably would have better coaches and veterans teaching him but in Cleveland he would get more opportunities to learn defending by simply playing.

 

[Monstershockey]

I'm not sure preseason performance is indicative of anything in particular. He proved last season that he is very good in the AHL. I'm not sure what else there is for him to learn there except to succeed against inferior competition. You don't sharpen a knife against newspaper.

Not sure if he was very good. Good maybe. His offense was good, his defense wasn't. I would say in his time here, defensively, he was one of our worst. Being a defenseman, he needs to be a lot better.

 

[CBJx614]

Not sure how you are forgetting .. Friedman brought the situation to light for the national media ….

As Portzline said, "The Blue Jackets’ handling (mishandling?) of rookie defenseman David Jiricek has raised eyebrows all season, and it reached a boiling point this week." He called the relationship "strained". SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman called it "a problem. A big problem" on Monday's 32 Thoughts Podcast.

That big problem is because Jiricek doesn't trust the Blue Jackets to do right by him. And how could you blame him? Just look at the below timeline and his comments to Portzline.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1750595810801389680

For those keeping score, the 20-year-old - who was told to get a place in Columbus - has now been sent to AHL Cleveland for the fourth time this season. Portzline said that there was "concern that Jiricek might consider not reporting to Cleveland", and suggested that it's "unclear" what Jiricek will do next.


The problem, of course, is the inconsistent messaging from all levels of the organization. GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Portzline that "It’s best for his development to play against NHL players and practice against NHL players. He’s already proved that he’s a very good player in that league." But then turned around and said, "...but if he’s not playing here, he needs to play in the American League because he needs to play.”

Yeah, man. He needs to play. In the NHL. You just said that. Not neither, at the same time.


Why, then, would the organization tell him to get a place?


It's not only Kekalainen, though, making peculiar comments. Pascal Vincent said “I think he needs a little bit of stability" and "I don’t see a downside to it (the demotion), myself.” Later in the piece, Vincent compared Jiricek to ... his 13-year-old daughter, implying that he's impatient.


Yeah, stability would be good. Not seeing a downside is either lying or negligent. And I don't think Jiricek is being impatient. He's being honest that he doesn't trust the organization's guidance. They've been consistently inconsistent. Friedman suggests he isn't buying what the team is selling.

You've quoted a lot of people who aren't even with the organization anymore.