Player Discussion: Ryan Callahan

[HoseEmDown]

Maybe not but I don't think it's reasonable to expect Callahan to produce 60 points. He's not a 60 point player, he has never had a 60 point season and has only one season where he scored on a 60 point pace. I can see him scoring 50-55 points if he stays healthy. We overpayed Callahan, that's for sure, but that's something that had to be done; he's exactly the kind of player our lineup needs. Whether he'll produce on a 6 million player pace or not, I don't care that much. He makes this team better nevertheless, I'm happy as long as he produces 40+ points a season.

If we just wanted 40+ point player's we could've kept Purcell or given Callahan's minutes to Connolly or Kucherov and saved almost 5mil.

 

[Leonardo87]

Maybe not but I don't think it's reasonable to expect Callahan to produce 60 points. He's not a 60 point player, he has never had a 60 point season and has only one season where he scored on a 60 point pace. I can see him scoring 50-55 points if he stays healthy. We overpayed Callahan, that's for sure, but that's something that had to be done; he's exactly the kind of player our lineup needs. Whether he'll produce on a 6 million player pace or not, I don't care that much. He makes this team better nevertheless, I'm happy as long as he produces 40+ points a season.

55 points is more reasonable to ask from him, Can he hit 60 points with this talent around him, I think it's a strong possibility.

He obviously will be on the top PP unit with Stamkos, if he skates on a 5 on 5 line with him, I expect him to have an excellent opportunity to hit 60 points.

 

[MattM92]

If we just wanted 40+ point player's we could've kept Purcell or given Callahan's minutes to Connolly or Kucherov and saved almost 5mil.

Because Purcell is a similar player to Callahan?

 

[Leonardo87]

If we just wanted 40+ point player's we could've kept Purcell or given Callahan's minutes to Connolly or Kucherov and saved almost 5mil.

I'm expecting Cally to hit 50 points at least, with at least 25 goals in there. That is around his career average, and over the last several seasons he has averaged around 55 points a season and close to 30 goals. Even if he pulls a 45 point season of 25 goals and 20 goals that is well worth the contract because of all the other things he does. If he goes over 50 points that contract becomes a steal for Tampa.

Even with all the crap thrown at him last season he managed to be on pace for around 46 points. To me that is pretty damn respectable.

 

[Necropolis]

55 points is more reasonable to ask from him, Can he hit 60 points with this talent around him, I think it's a strong possibility.

He obviously will be on the top PP unit with Stamkos, if he skates on a 5 on 5 line with him, I expect him to have an excellent opportunity to hit 60 points.

Well, yeah, if he plays with Stamkos then I can see him hitting 60. But I think he'll be used in a more defensive role with Filppula most of the time.

If we just wanted 40+ point player's we could've kept Purcell or given Callahan's minutes to Connolly or Kucherov and saved almost 5mil.

Sure, if we wanted 40 point player who's soft and mediocre defensively, then we would have kept Purcell over Callahan. There's a huge difference between Purcell and Callahan. We wanted a top-6 winger with grit, experience and two-way game rather than another offensive-minded player.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Because Purcell is a similar player to Callahan?

I didn't say that, he said he wanted 40+ points from Callahan, that's simply not enough. I don't care how many shots he blocks or how high his effort is, for close to 6million he needs to produce much better then 40+ points.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Well, yeah, if he plays with Stamkos then I can see him hitting 60. But I think he'll be used in a more defensive role with Filppula most of the time.



Sure, if we wanted 40 point player who's soft and mediocre defensively, then we would have kept Purcell over Callahan. There's a huge difference between Purcell and Callahan. We wanted a top-6 winger with grit, experience and two-way game rather than another offensive-minded player.

I agree that Purcell is soft and weak defensively but he's been a 60 point player in his career. Callahan needs to put up close to that in order to justify his contract. Blocking shots and bringing leadership isn't enough to warrant you from not producing offensively for someone being paid like a top line player. If he hits 55 points with his intangibles then he may be worth his salary but 45 is not acceptable to me.

 

[Leonardo87]

I agree that Purcell is soft and weak defensively but he's been a 60 point player in his career. Callahan needs to put up close to that in order to justify his contract. Blocking shots and bringing leadership isn't enough to warrant you from not producing offensively for someone being paid like a top line player. If he hits 55 points with his intangibles then he may be worth his salary but 45 is not acceptable to me.

If Cally was getting 6.5 Million plus then he would be making top line money. I have high expectations for him knowing he has this talent around him, and I've seen what he is capable of doing when he is healthy. But if he only pulls in 50 points a season, no Tampa fan should be upset with this.

 

[Brie]

If you would get assist points by screening the goalie Cally could get up to 60-70 points per season but you don’t (though I think that you should) which goes to show that he’s a team guy because it’s not an easy place to be since you will get hit all over with the other teams sticks but I’m happy that good coaches out there(such as Cooper) knows how important those players are to a team, heck, even his teammates even game his full credit to the Bolts PP success which was pretty bad before march 5.

 

[DFC]

I agree that Purcell is soft and weak defensively but he's been a 60 point player in his career. Callahan needs to put up close to that in order to justify his contract. Blocking shots and bringing leadership isn't enough to warrant you from not producing offensively for someone being paid like a top line player. If he hits 55 points with his intangibles then he may be worth his salary but 45 is not acceptable to me.

Not really. Purcell's getting $4.5, so I'm happy paying Callahan $1.3 more for the drastic improvements in all non-offensive areas even if their scoring is roughly the same. Still better than keeping Purcell.

 

[Todd1a]

I agree that Purcell is soft and weak defensively but he's been a 60 point player in his career. Callahan needs to put up close to that in order to justify his contract. Blocking shots and bringing leadership isn't enough to warrant you from not producing offensively for someone being paid like a top line player. If he hits 55 points with his intangibles then he may be worth his salary but 45 is not acceptable to me.

I would say Callahan get 45 to 50 points. I don't care about the points if he gets 60 points great. But we signed him to be ryan Callahan! He is a different type of player we have not had in the yzerman era. So 45 points is fine with me as long as he checks screens goalies blocks shots. Just needs to defend and be a nightmare for other forwards.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Around 20G / 45P is tots OK for Cally.

 

[Leonardo87]

Around 20G / 45P is tots OK for Cally.

He should be able to do much better that that. His on pace for last season after all the injuries, reduced offensive time and PP time by AV, and the trade he still was on pace for 22G/46P

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

I agree that Purcell is soft and weak defensively but he's been a 60 point player in his career. Callahan needs to put up close to that in order to justify his contract. Blocking shots and bringing leadership isn't enough to warrant you from not producing offensively for someone being paid like a top line player. If he hits 55 points with his intangibles then he may be worth his salary but 45 is not acceptable to me.

Sometimes I want to ask you why you troll your own board?

Next bolded. Tell that to Dustin Brown SAME CONTRACT ONE 60 POINT SEASON SAME PLAYER BASICALLY WITH INTANGIBLES AND WHAT HE BRINGS TO A TEAM. OH YES LAST YEAR HE SCORED 27 POINTS SO GET A CLUE?

Was anyone in LA *****ing about him?

NO you know why? They actually appreciate his worth.

Second bolded? GREAT THING IS YOU DONT RUN THINGS I CAN ONLY IMAGINE with what you say how screwed up this team would be.

Myself? I give Thomas Holmstrom callahans contract every day of the week and he never hit 60 EVER. Also defensively he isnt close to Callahan.

I am sorry hose you have no concept on what it takes to win in the nhl imho. Old nhl? Maybe the new NHL no clue.

Why you don't get callahans worth or a keslers or marleaus or anyone with a real two way game.

You want points only but how does that work out for ovechkin? They did have a shot in 2009 think it was they had a crazy plus minus or goals for goals against they just were missing something in the playoffs.


http://mcubed.net/nhl/glmgfpg.shtml here is top 100 teams score wise and what their results are as you can see the most offensive team doesnt often win. 17 championships only or total by the leading scoring team.

Detroit lost to pitt in 7 in 2009 as the league leader in points or goal scoring and is only team in the 2000's to get to the cup.

Now what about league leader in scoring differential? Or league leader in holding teams from scoring goals? I guarantee that is what you will see winning most of the time.

scoring diff blackhawks 2012 yep the cup!! 2008 detroit yep cup.

I aint gonna look this all up but what will say is simple.

Points differential is what stevie is trying to implement cause if you are in the top 10 (last year we were tenth rangers 9th la 7th you have a legit shot to win the cup.

I would bet the last 15 cup winners were top ten in this category.

I think we improved defensively by leaps and bounds myself I am glad to see what we are becoming. Callahan is our dustin brown and if we win some cups he will probably be one of the major reasons why. Is not always about points but giving clearing shots for say connolly kucherov and stamkos our true goal scorers? Hedman and garrison etc..? That is to me worth its weight in gold.

To think he actually has shut down abilities and will do everything defensively working the boards punishing other players in both zones and getting to the net and is smart and gritty and chippy and will get loose pucks (which is something this team lacked for the last couple of years for anyone who watched the games?) is just flat out awesome.

I mean my gosh our best player at getting to the net the last three years except callahan is tyler johnson that should wake you up a bit on his worth.

So hope this ends some of the nonsense or are you just trolling for laughs? Cause if you really are this out there and don't see this guys worth


P.S. I will go by Callahans results deep results myself. Is he 5 on 5 a plus minus kinda of in palats range of last year moving forward. If he is he is worth every PENNY.

On the special teams does he make the power play better? PK we were 23rd that is totally UNACCEPTABLE for a championship caliber team!!
PP our team was 13th which is pretty awesome seeing we missed the biggest threat in the sport for most of the season in that category lol.

We also were 13th the year before and the year before that 25th

the pk in the year before 19th and the year before that 26th you do remember the records?

the cup run year we were 7th and 8th I believe in those categories. So had a lot of heart like LA and had a shot.

Stevie brought in leaders with HEART. Proven guys who do everything well not great but well who help teams win championships so people against it can scream to the winds. In the long run they the decision makers diagnosed our weaknesses and have addressed them and now is the time and I myself and totally confident all the moves pay off in great ways.

Doesnt mean we dominate and win the cup yearly but here on out? I expect us to be invited to the dances and have legit shots yearly cause we will be a top ten team in special teams in almost all categories and in goals for and goals against.

The only thing now gonna hold us up is injuries and youth and that is only a possibility. We are built to contend now. Hopefully some kids come through and everyone keeps improving and working together. All are necessary. Ryan happens to be a guy that is more necessary imho than a lot of us will ever fathom. I hope he can play like the guy I saw a couple years ago without injuries healthy a true beast. At least once we are in the mix of a playoff contention.

Winning 16 games against other top teams will be very difficult Yet we have a shot its all good to me honestly.

 

[tidus37]

Damned if I say this but Ryan Callahan has the heart to point us in the right direction and I think that is going to play a huge factor next season. If he was able to rub off on everyone and he was playing with the Bolts for a month imagine the complete season.

I mean think about it. Plus he recruited Stralman and Boyle. Do you guys remember that time that Stammer punched Emelin in the face during the playoffs? That's what I'm talking about. (Sorry for babbling)

 

[Brie]

I found this old article of the time that Cally was named the only alternative captain of the Rangers and it’s a good read about how his leadership skills is viewed and it’s fun to see Torts (no matter what others think of his he was never a bad guy and he’s not a bad coach just old-school) and Cooper saying pretty much the same things about him just 5 year apart.


Rangers name Callahan only alternate captain

By Larry Brooks

October 2, 2009 | 8:42pm

PITTSBURGH — John Tortorella was looking for a few good men to step up during training camp and compete for the two vacant alternate captain positions. Unfortunately the head coach of the Rangers only found one: Ryan Callahan.

“I don’t want this to be a negative thing but I just don’t think we have the second guy now to gi ve it to,” Tortorella said this morning upon naming the 24-year-old, fourth-year winger as an alternate to captain Chris Drury. “Ryan Callahan has shown the capabilities for that role and that he deserves that role.

“It’s in the way he handles himself on the ice, the way he practices, the way he prepares, the way he conducts himself. It’s about being a pro. Ryan has been fast-tracked into being a pro.

“I was interested to see if someone else would step up to claim that other [opening] but I haven’t seen that,” said the head coach. “I just don’t think you should give it to a guy because he’s your best player or to a guy to try to help him out.

“You have to go through the process and see if that player is here.”

Tortorella may not want the absence of a second option to be portrayed negatively, but how else can it be interpreted? Safe to say that young defensemen Dan Girardi and Marc Staal were in line for consideration when camp opened, but that neither asserted himself. Brandon Dubinsky’s contract dispute eliminated him from the mix. And apparently Tortorella didn’t see enough of those intangible necessities to anoint Marian Gaborik.

But Callahan, who wears the ‘A’ on his uniform for the opener here against the Stanley Cup banner-raising Penguins, has every intangible. The right wing finished every check and took every hit to make every play throughout the exhibition season. It might as well have been the playoffs for Callahan, whose work ethic is unsurpassed.

“It’s quite an honor to be able to wear a letter on your jersey, especially in this room with the veterans we have,” said Callahan, who skates with Drury and left wing Chris Higgins. “I pride myself on laying it all on the line every night to try to help us win.

“Part of the reason I have this is to set an example of hard work. It feels kind of natural for me to be more of a leader.”

Callahan, entering his fourth season in the NHL and as a Ranger, scored 22 goals last season, including nine in the 21 games he played after Tortorella replaced Tom Renney behind the bench. He also happened to have the Rangers’ only shot — a wrist shot from the right circle — in the third period of the Rangers’ 2-1 Game 7 playoff elimination defeat to the Caps.

“I just want to pick up my game where it left off under Torts,” Callahan said. “I need to make sure that I don t change anything because I have the letter either in the way I play or the way I go about my business.

“I’m just going to do what I do.”

And he’ll do it as the lone Rangers alternate captain.

- http://nypost.com/2009/10/02/rangers-name-callahan-only-alternate-captain/
--------------------

That part that is also interesting from the Rangers standpoint is him pointing out that no one else really fit the bell to wear the ‘A’, makes one wonder if there isn’t more to the fact that the team didn’t pick a new captain after Cally left than them just wanting to be respectful towards him because the SCF was evident that they didn’t have anyone out on that ice to help push them in the right direction, oh well, that’s in the past now and now he’s here bring all his awesomeness out on the ice for us.


Oh as a side note: Cally was the captain of his OHL team, the Guelph Storm from 2004 – 2006 so he has always been a leader.

 

[Stamper]

A little OT by now, but when you're calculating what Cally should produce in terms with his contract you inevitably have to accept that points don't win you games as often as a guy giving his all on the ice, otherwise there would be no champs like LA. A guy who NEVER quits, never budges and never blames his teammates for the inevitable losses is a perfect veteran, and Cally is that at 29, and we paid for a veteran presence to rub off on our kids, plain and simple.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cally had a rebirth, of smaller proportions but still, ala Iginla and put up around 50~ points to make us all happy. But even if Cally did put only 30~ points and still played like a cptn America he is, I wouldn't complain.

 

[Leonardo87]

A little OT by now, but when you're calculating what Cally should produce in terms with his contract you inevitably have to accept that points don't win you games as often as a guy giving his all on the ice, otherwise there would be no champs like LA. A guy who NEVER quits, never budges and never blames his teammates for the inevitable losses is a perfect veteran, and Cally is that at 29, and we paid for a veteran presence to rub off on our kids, plain and simple.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cally had a rebirth, of smaller proportions but still, ala Iginla and put up around 50~ points to make us all happy. But even if Cally did put only 30~ points and still played like a cptn America he is, I wouldn't complain.

The thing with Cally is that he has been on pace for several seasons to put up strong numbers like around 55 to 60 points. His style of play which includes blocking shots has made him miss games and when you miss several games and have to come back it takes time to get a rhythm going.

I see a major opportunity for him to up his offensive game with this talent around him but at the same time shut down the other teams forwards. He just has to be a little more conservative with blocking shots, and now with Boyle here there will be another forward to throw his body around hitting wise and blocking shots.

Tampa has gotten more physical but has also kept their talent. So that is a plus right there.

 

[Brie]

A few seasons ago Callahan’s line mates for large part of the year was now Columbus forward Brandon Dubinsky and either Artem Anisimov or Brad Richards now Duby and Cally had a chemistry playing together that they were able to make any line they played effective and dangerous to play against (very similar to the Palat-Flip-Cally line we saw here) and Cally put up some of his best numbers playing with them because they were able to create great chemistry together and they always helped each other out, then Duby and Artie got traded and they moved Carl Hagelin to the Callahan – Richard line, now Hagelin and Richards are not bad players but the three of them never had quite the chemistry with Hagelin and his speed and Richards who was struggling and no one was there to do something with all the plays that Callahan did (like if you saw the game against Boston when Cally got an assist, he did those plays all the time in NYR but their lack of finisher didn’t help his production numbers at all).

I think playing for the Bolts will do great things for him, the look of surprise on his face after the goal scored against Boston spoke volumes of how hungry he must have been to play with someone who can build of his hard work I think that we’ll see much more of that because I think for players such as Cally it’s easier and a lot more fun to play when things start paying off.

 

[Brie]

http://audio.wgr550.com/a/95458658/811-ryan-callahan.htm?pageid=1114813

New Cally interview defiantly worth watching because it’s another good show of why you want him on your team. He’s talking about his summer workout, more about the trade and his emotions and about what it was like to come to the Lightning and how welcome he felt, and about what it’s like to play with the team and Steve and the future and also about the past and how he became the player he is.

 

[Sky04]

A little OT by now, but when you're calculating what Cally should produce in terms with his contract you inevitably have to accept that points don't win you games as often as a guy giving his all on the ice, otherwise there would be no champs like LA. A guy who NEVER quits, never budges and never blames his teammates for the inevitable losses is a perfect veteran, and Cally is that at 29, and we paid for a veteran presence to rub off on our kids, plain and simple.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cally had a rebirth, of smaller proportions but still, ala Iginla and put up around 50~ points to make us all happy. But even if Cally did put only 30~ points and still played like a cptn America he is, I wouldn't complain.

LA was the best offensive team this year in the playoffs, blowing away every other team in terms of goals for, not to mention having 5 of the top-6 scorers in the playoffs this year, that's a ton of points if you ask me.

Callahan is overpaid but it's fine we had too and it filled a team need, it's really only about a $1-1.5m overpayment anyways.

 

[DFC]

LA was the best offensive team this year in the playoffs, blowing away every other team in terms of goals for, not to mention having 5 of the top-6 scorers in the playoffs this year, that's a ton of points if you ask me.

Callahan is overpaid but it's fine we had too and it filled a team need, it's really only about a $1-1.5m overpayment anyways.

L.A. had plenty of trouble scoring in the regular season though. They have a team that's the sort of prototypical "built for the playoffs" type of team. Lots of grit and sandpaper.

 

[Stamper]

L.A. had plenty of trouble scoring in the regular season though. They have a team that's the sort of prototypical "built for the playoffs" type of team. Lots of grit and sandpaper.

This. The only guys in LA who 'dazzle' you with their offensive ability are Kopitar and Doughty, rest have more sandpaper and drive than actual finesse 'skills'.

 

[Leonardo87]

This. The only guys in LA who 'dazzle' you with their offensive ability are Kopitar and Doughty, rest have more sandpaper and drive than actual finesse 'skills'.

There has also been a lot of debate and comparison with Ryan Callahan vs Dustin Brown

IMO..

Callahan > Brown

I don't care how many cups Brown has....

Unless you are winning a Conn Smythe award a cup is a team effort.

 

[Brie]

Callahan and Brown is very similar (could be worth noting that the two of them played together in the OHL for 1-2 seasons + they played on the s.k. “meat-line” in the Olympics with David Bakes so they know each other well), that’s why I think Rangers would have fared better with Callahan in the series against the Kings since unlike the Kings, the Rangers didn’t have someone to tell their team to keep playing after two periods and I am one of those people who do believe that all teams needs players like that, who may not be the most flashy players who score a bunch of goals but who are real workhorses because that is what you need to get the team going but that’s water under the bridge now so it doesn’t matter, I admire the Kings and the way they are built and they are a good team to look at but so are many other teams and I do think that we can measure up against everyone if all players on the rooster takes responsibility and help each other out and have each other’s backs but that’s what I saw them do towards the end of the season and that’s what I hope they will keep doing because that is what I feel help bring them together and makes every player always go out there and give 110% in every shift.