What is the rational reason Travis Hamonic plays?

[Adrianopolous]

He brings physicality

 

[Mr Hat]

We have useful veteran presence so don’t need a token role player. Giroux and Jensen. We don’t need one on the ice at all times.

If it wasn’t for NMC is a good depth dman called upon to play when needed. Not someone who takes minutes away from Mantipalo. He must be well liked in the room but hard to see that as tangible.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

I don't have OCD, but once in a blue moon I'll walk past an object and have an intrusive thought to myself like "if I don't move that book my house is going to burn down". I know my house isn't actually going to burn down, but the way the thought presents itself to me is intrusive and has an odd sense of authority. I usually don't move the book, I am not crazy. If the thought worried me enough to move the book, I would then be crazy,

I imagine, Travis Green might have a similar problem with playing Hamonic, but he doesn't have the willpower I do not to move the book. If you haven't followed along, Travis Hamonic is the book.

Same reason Gaudette hasn't left the lineup despite only having 5 points in his last 31 games (bringing nothing to the table besides scoring) and Highmore keeps getting ice time despite accomplishing jack squat every time he's on the ice.

Green coached Hamonic in Vancouver and clearly is very fond of his former Canucks. Clear favoritism.

It is the Didomenico syndrome.

 

[sena]

They want the young guys to see a guy that stays in the NHL with all dog and all effort. The spots and contracts came easy for everyone else. {not easy easy they worked an entire childhood for it) but the locker needs the beat up bruised giving everything he has left guy.

 

[Tuna99]

In such a great season and full team turn around when we will start a long run of playoff hockey - the know it all fans who day afyer day dump On Travis Hamonic are idiots.

He came in here from Vancouver with a smile on his face and has been a solid dude ever since.

This week all we hear about is how great the Sens locker room is and the veteran presence and we have this god damn beauty of a man doing everybting you want from a veteran team Dman and Sens fans want to put a guy making a milllion bucks through the ringer every game.

I love Travis Hamonic, his moustache and everybting he’s done for this franchise. The kind of man I’d want my son to be.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

In such a great season and full team turn around when we will start a long run of playoff hockey - the know it all fans who day afyer day dump On Travis Hamonic are idiots.

He came in here from Vancouver with a smile on his face and has been a solid dude ever since.

This week all we hear about is how great the Sens locker room is and the veteran presence and we have this god damn beauty of a man doing everybting you want from a veteran team Dman and Sens fans want to put a guy making a milllion bucks through the ringer every game.

I love Travis Hamonic, his moustache and everybting he’s done for this franchise. The kind of man I’d want my son to be.

Your son isn't an NHL caliber player anymore. I feel like he would struggle in the AHL too.

Or maybe the fact Travis didn't play and we gave up 49 shots proves the exact opposite of what you guys think.

Poor hockey analysts think that whoever has the toughest assignments is to blame.

Poor analysts cherry pick the worst players to blame for everything. But somebody has to be your worst defenseman. And they are just trying to do there job like everyone else.

If we actually had better players we'd play them.

You guys used to pick on Ceci. He went to the cup finals last year. Still coveted.

Of course travis is not that good.

But he's part of this squad. He's vocal. He's a warrior. And he actually seems like a cool dude. I wonder how many of the nerds that post here he could fight at the same team. Easily 3 of you. Probably 4 or 5 though.

The team didn't play well, they were bent, but they didn't break.

If Hamonic was in that game the floodgates would have opened for Detroit.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I actually preferred him to JBD and think rose colored glasses were on when he was pointed to as a better option, at least in any real tangible way, but with the emergence of Matinpalo, he should be in the press box down the stretch here imo.

 

[Tuna99]

I actually preferred him to JBD and think rose colored glasses were on when he was pointed to as a better option, at least in any real tangible way, but with the emergence of Matinpalo, he should be in the press box down the stretch here imo.

Matinpalo was good for the first 5 games but he struggled before they took him out of the lineup - Hamonic can at least get shots on net

 

[Golden_Jet]

Odd thread on the game he sits in the press box for.

 

[aragorn]

1. Hamonic is more physical than Matinpalo & has 3 more pts than Matinpalo.
2. He is better defensively than Gilbert, but he doesn't fight anymore & Gilbert will.
3. He is only 2 seasons removed from a 21 pt season, wish that guy would return.
4. He is an excellent mentor to the young D & will likely be gone after this season.
5. He plays all the hard minutes, blocks shots, plays the PK, has the size & strength to deal with NHL forwards & never whines about it.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

IMO, Hamonic was better than JBD. Matinpalo is better than both though and deserves to be the regular player over Hamonic.

Coaches play a guy like Hamonic more than they should because, for all his flaws (and he has his share at this point), you know what you're going to get from him basically every game. Younger players have more ups and downs and that bothers a lot of coaches.

Hamonic is all heart at this point but he's a decent 7D to have around. He might even be useful if we make the playoffs because injuries are inevitable. Matinpalo and Kleven are still learning the NHL game. Having Hamonic and Gilbert as alternatives when they struggle is OK with me, although neither should be a regular.

 

[Cosmix]

The other options also suck and have none of his intangibles.

I think it is a thing that they want him in the dressing room. If he sits then that ain't happening.

Same goes for practice in terms of being a guy that plays vs a guy that doesn't.

Give Hamonic a permanent spot to sit in the dressing room. That would do it.

 

[Cosmix]

I actually preferred him to JBD and think rose colored glasses were on when he was pointed to as a better option, at least in any real tangible way, but with the emergence of Matinpalo, he should be in the press box down the stretch here imo.

We need better D than Hamonic and Matinpalo; hopefully we can acquire 1 or 2 next season (Yak perhaps or a big mean physical vet D).

 

[NyQuil]

The issue with Hamonic, and has always been with Hamonic, is whether he's enough of an improvement over any of our young guys ON A REGULAR BASIS to warrant playing him?

At his age, he is not going to get better. He is only going to get worse.

The only way our younger guys really get better is through experience.

If our young guys are brutal, I get it, but I don't see enough of an improvement.

 

[dumbdick]

I like to assess guys relative to their salary and spot on the rdepth chart, not just pick on the depth guys making $1M and bitch that they're not very good.

Of our bottom pairing dmen (Kleven, hamonic, mantinpalo and Gilbert), i think all are a little worse than I'd like to see from a #5/6 slot. Kleven and Mantinpalo will be fine I'm sure, but have some warts still.

I like vets in the bottom pairing, but there are better options than hamonic.

That said, he's not that bad.

 

[Ralph Malfredsson]

Is truculence still a thing?

 

[Xspyrit]

Kleven-Hamonic 165.5 mins 50.0 xGF%
Chabot-Hamonic 130 mins 49.1 xGF%
Sanderson-Hamonic 392.6 mins 45.6 xGF%
Hamonic-Matinpalo 43.5 mins 39 xGF%

I think his time with Chabot has helped him and he hasn't looked out of place with Kleven surprisingly, at least they're not playing him with Sanderson anymore. For the love of Alfie, Zub, please stay healthy

 

[DrEasy]

Ho hum, another great night by the Matinpalo - Kleven pairing...

 

[Blotto71]

Is truculence still a thing?

Yup, intestinal fortitude too.

 

[OD99]

He will get in to at least 8 more games if healthy. That will get him to 900 for his career, and I have no problem with them making sure that happens.

He shouldn't be a guy who plays no matter what, but the difference between him and Mantipalo isn't enough to straight bench him.