I am not that upset. There is a lot of time for Fayne become a lineup lock. But I am upset Lou signed Henrique to a 6 year deal. Henrique looks like a 30-40 point player without Kovy&Parise.
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I am not that upset. There is a lot of time for Fayne become a lineup lock. But I am upset Lou signed Henrique to a 6 year deal. Henrique looks like a 30-40 point player without Kovy&Parise.
guitarguyvic
Registered User
- Mar 31, 2010
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This is classic HF boards here. Posters clamoring for Pete to get fired even though there are zero viable options to replace him.
- Lemaire is retired and not coming back.
- Guy Boucher hasn't proven to be a better coach.
- Peter Laviolette is not at all the type of coach this organization needs or wants. Disgusts me to even think some people have suggested this.
- No one wants Stevens to be HC.
I think a change of assistants might be in order, and/or using Lemaire on a special assignment to get this D fixed up. But to me, a simple tactic that could be effective right now would be for Lou to have a heart to heart with PDB where he tells him to get his head out of his ass when it comes to our lineup and defense, "or else".
- Lemaire is retired and not coming back.
- Guy Boucher hasn't proven to be a better coach.
- Peter Laviolette is not at all the type of coach this organization needs or wants. Disgusts me to even think some people have suggested this.
- No one wants Stevens to be HC.
I think a change of assistants might be in order, and/or using Lemaire on a special assignment to get this D fixed up. But to me, a simple tactic that could be effective right now would be for Lou to have a heart to heart with PDB where he tells him to get his head out of his ass when it comes to our lineup and defense, "or else".
Oneiro
Registered User
- Mar 28, 2013
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I like the possession system and the forecheck. And making the D more active was a necessity that Lou finally relented to.
We're better for these things.
But why does all that have to come at the expense of smart, positionally sound D and neutral zone play? The very essence of the organization.
When a team has guys who have played together for more than two years and they start to play like they've never seen each other before, then the culprit is either age or coaching.
We're better for these things.
But why does all that have to come at the expense of smart, positionally sound D and neutral zone play? The very essence of the organization.
When a team has guys who have played together for more than two years and they start to play like they've never seen each other before, then the culprit is either age or coaching.
JK3
Go Easy-Step Lightly-Stay Free
I'm not a big fan of Pete's lineup changes but at some point you have to question the players out there. Zajac has been hot garbage for a long time, so has Henrique. These guys are supposed to be leaders and the future of this team, they need to contribute or this team will go nowhere. Yeah Fayne should be playing but he looked pretty bad too.
I have no doubt if Vol was a FA he would have had a choice to sign with a good amount of teams in the offseason. People just like to blame him, but he isn't the reason why we aren't winning games.
I would feel like we're taking all the possible measures to win a ****ing hockey game. As of game #1 of the 2013-14 season, I can't say we've dressed our best possible lineup.
Lou has the ultimate decision as to what will happen with #28 but at the end of the day, it's the HC who decides the lineup and not the Gm.
Sit that useless sack of **** and that's that. Period. The end.
I'm willing to bet close to anything, that when he'll get bought out, he'll head back to Russia since he won't get a single offer from the 29 other teams and if he does, he'll be no more then a #7 ala Douglas Murray.
The guy blows and trying to defend him is almost as bad as his play on the ice.
Douglas Murray was traded for two draft picks to Pitt and played a good amount of 5on5 time. (14.29 per 60 last year compared to Volc 12.90 TOI/60). Last year Volchenkov was top 25 in PK time for a defenseman. He still has value and I bet would do a heck of a lot better if he gets paired up with a Chris Phillips type defenseman. I am not sure why Pete pairs him up with Peter Harrold. It seems like a lose - lose for both of them.
- May 1, 2011
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I said the same exact thing, and was told ''There will definitely be interest with the cap going up next year''.
If he ever plays in the NHL again it will be because he got a training camp invite and made the team.
He will be in Russia next year as long as we buy him out. Just like Ponikarovsky, who I called to the KHL months before he went.
glenwo2
JESPER BRATWURST
AfroThunder396
[citation needed]
I think Lou buys out Volchenkov at the end of the season.
The fact that he's still in the lineup but getting the lowest icetime on defense is pretty telling. You're paying a guy $4.25M, and that money is being wasted in the press box or Albany. It tells me that Pete obviously knows how bad he is, but can't take him out of the lineup, and is trying to shelter him the best he can.
The other thing people are overlooking - this team isn't going to be perfectly healthy for all 82 games this year. Someone on that defense is going to get hurt and we'll need someone to step in. When that happens, Volchenkov will still be getting 13 minutes a night while Fayne/Larsson get to come in and be the hero.
Even if Volchenkov was the #7, he'd be in the regular rotation after one injury. With the age of our defense it's only a matter of time until someone gets hurt.
The fact that he's still in the lineup but getting the lowest icetime on defense is pretty telling. You're paying a guy $4.25M, and that money is being wasted in the press box or Albany. It tells me that Pete obviously knows how bad he is, but can't take him out of the lineup, and is trying to shelter him the best he can.
The other thing people are overlooking - this team isn't going to be perfectly healthy for all 82 games this year. Someone on that defense is going to get hurt and we'll need someone to step in. When that happens, Volchenkov will still be getting 13 minutes a night while Fayne/Larsson get to come in and be the hero.
Even if Volchenkov was the #7, he'd be in the regular rotation after one injury. With the age of our defense it's only a matter of time until someone gets hurt.
glenwo2
JESPER BRATWURST
I agree, Afro.
I'm sure Lou is FURIOUS at how bad Volch is turning out for this team.
Maybe Pete has no choice but to play him all because of that bloated contract....
I'm sure Lou is FURIOUS at how bad Volch is turning out for this team.
Maybe Pete has no choice but to play him all because of that bloated contract....
Who cares about his contract, seriously.
So if I'm getting this right, management would rather dish out 4.25M$ per to a guy that is screwing the pooch when in the starting roster instead of paying 900k more for a player that would actually help our team rack up some W's?
Basically, #28 is costing us 4.25M$ and Gélinas would cost us 5.15M$ per. I'd rather go with option #2 every day of the week and twice on weekends.
So if I'm getting this right, management would rather dish out 4.25M$ per to a guy that is screwing the pooch when in the starting roster instead of paying 900k more for a player that would actually help our team rack up some W's?
Basically, #28 is costing us 4.25M$ and Gélinas would cost us 5.15M$ per. I'd rather go with option #2 every day of the week and twice on weekends.
Volchenkov never got a lot of 5on5 ice time from Pete. He doesn't fit in his system, but I have no doubt that another team would easily sign him. There are a ton of "bad" defenders in this league and at least Volchenkov is good on the PK plus he works his ass off.
TOI/60
2013 - 12.78
2012 -12.90
2011 - 14.47
2010 - 15.70
A PK specialist who plays under 13 minutes a game and sees little time at even strenght shouldn't be the highest paid blueliner on your roster and shouldn't be a lock in any of your 3 pairings.
Unfortunatly for us, all of the above is happening in New Jersey, why, no one knows.
I rather have him and Merrill get big minutes in the AHL before then play ~15 mins in a NHL game to only find out that they still have a lot of work to do. I honestly hope Volch gets taking off this team because it blows my mind how you guys think a guy who plays the least amount of minutes is most responsible for our sloppy play.
Richer's Ghost
Bourbonite
what are you talking about - advanced stats say he was one of our best players last night.
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=72269489&postcount=484
AfroThunder396
[citation needed]
That's real easy to say when it's not your $4,250,000 going down the drain. Lou was asked before if he was comfortable paying NHL salary to a player in the AHL, and he said no.
It was different with Mogilny because we would have been violating the salary cap if we didn't do it, but this time we're cap compliant so it's not a necessity.
R8Devs
1-5-6-12
Advanced statistics are good when used in context and I'm sure the Devils use it. I don't know why people on this board have to act all sarcastic when it's brought up.
Its 13 mins of 5on5 hockey. Vol played 16:03 last season a game.
Lou made a mistake signing him in 2010. He isn't nearly as effective without Chris Phillips, but at least he works hard and he is the 2nd on the defense in points (haha).
guitarguyvic
Registered User
- Mar 31, 2010
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Right now Salvador is getting the most minutes, which is horrendous. Our top pairing guys should be Greene/Larsson. From there I wouldn't be opposed to trying Gelinas out on a second pairing with Fayne, which would leave your bottom pairing to Salvador/Zidlicky. Sal can get extra minutes on the PK and Zids could get some extra time on the PP. If Gelinas is not ready you sub in Harrold and put him on the bottom pairing.
Volch might not be the determining factor in wins/losses all by himself, but his place in the lineup affects where everyone else falls and how the minutes are distributed, which does ultimately make us a worse team.
Who talked about Merrill? Gélinas kicked ass during the preseason and has been in the minors for the past 2 1/2 years now. He's more then ready to take his talent to a higher level but we have a log jam of veterans who aren't all that great anymore. He has a BOMB from the point and we all know how bad we've been when trying to generate some offence from the backend.
We lost Urbom for nothing and now we have Gélinas who's probably asking himself why he's still in Albany when he watches #28 and Harrold play.
I've been in #28's rear end because he screws up the flow of our game when he's on the ice. He can't keep a puck in the offensive zone, he has a "Mike Mottau" shot from the point, he can't keep up with Cam Janssen if he were to come down his wing, he's constantly scrambling left and right for no apparent reason and screens our own goaltender more often then not.
guitarguyvic
Registered User
- Mar 31, 2010
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That money is going down the drain no matter what. The question is...do you want to waste that money + make your team worse, or just cut your losses and sit him? The latter makes way more sense. You are losing way more by putting him in the lineup. The logic of playing him just because he makes X amount of dollars makes no sense and if you are doing that it's purely out of pride and a reluctance to admit that you have screwed up because you are paying a guy subsantially for bringing nothing to the table.
certain posters use it all the time to **** on specific players, particularly brodeur.
according to fenwick/corsi, Volch played an awesome game last night. Please.
why even bother watching the game? the numbers tell you everything.
Volch plays the least amount of 5on5 minutes. He isn't why the rest of the team have been playing sloppy. It seems pretty clear once Zidlicky was signed that Lou/Pete doesn't feel comfortable with our defensive group.
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