Sorry. I'm only now starting to get my sense of humor back as I slide into a level of acceptance of our new overlord ... I mean owner.
End of Season Topic 2: What's the dead minimum you expect from the team this summer?
- Thread starter jeffbear
- Start date
Sorry. I'm only now starting to get my sense of humor back as I slide into a level of acceptance of our new overlord ... I mean owner.
cmaleski2
Well-known member
In regards to why I don't like Derek Ryan, its not because he is a bad guy or incapable FOURTH LINE PLAYER. It that for some reason this organization keeps playing him above that role. Both of his full NHL seasons the guy has completely disappeared for huge stretches of time. If he was just a 4th liner/PK, this wouldn't be all that noticeable. But he's not...he plays 15 minutes a game. He plays a regular PP shift.
Ryan is lousy in the corners, he has no physical game at all, he isn't all that fast, he isn't all that skilled, he is easily removed from the puck. He can win faceoffs, that is about it. If we can agree that his rightful spot is at best 4th liner, 8 minutes a game, PK, no PP time, then sure, he can play in the NHL somewhere. But I have a bunch of other guys in the system that I would much rather put in that spot who are actually capable of winning battles in the corner, cannot be pushed off the puck with one hand, and are 10 years younger and have potential upside if they are ever called upon to play on the 3rd line.
Dundon said over and over again that one of his driving philosophies is 'we want to find a player better than you'. Well, if you are going to really rebuild this team, finding a player better than Derek Ryan shouldn't be all that hard. Its not personal for me, I'm just tired of seeing him out there doing nothing for months, making none of his line mates any better, not winning any battles, etc. You want to be harder to play against? Be more physical? Well if your 'skilled guys' like Aho, Teravainen, Skinner, Necas etc. are not capable of that, then your other players sure as heck better be. Derek Ryan? Completely not a good fit if we really are going to be making that change in direction. He would be great on the 4th line of a team with 2 physical wingers that annoy the crap out of you ( a winger like Cal Clutterbuck for example). That isn't how we use him and I don't want the temptation to allow him to continue to take a PP spot (over Zykov the last few games?!??!?!) to linger.
To me Derek Ryan is a 'settle' player. Someone you found on the cheap to fill a roster spot because you didn't have the funds, willingness, insight, whatever to have someone better than that in his role. I want us to be done settling on players who are 'ok, but have lots of holes like size, speed, physical play, skill, etc.' Sorry Derek Ryan, but I want you elsewhere next season.
Let me give you stats from a stretch from each of the past 2 seasons for Derek Ryan to chew on:
Jan 4-Feb 24, 2018: 21 Games 2 Goals 1 Assist -12
Jan 14-Feb 28, 2017: 15 Games 0 Goals 0 Assists -7
You know, the periods of time when this team is supposed to be driving to a playoff spot, all while playing top 9 minutes and getting PP time. That is Derek Ryan in crunch time for you.
Enough please, let him go be a completely non-physical presence on someone else's 4th line please. No other team would play Derek Ryan 15:36 a game like he played this season. Sure its not his fault that he is being played that much BUT we can and should look to do better than to have Derek Ryan on this team next season. Its not JUST Derek Ryan that I would get rid of, but he is easy low hanging fruit to me. My opinion....
Ryan is lousy in the corners, he has no physical game at all, he isn't all that fast, he isn't all that skilled, he is easily removed from the puck. He can win faceoffs, that is about it. If we can agree that his rightful spot is at best 4th liner, 8 minutes a game, PK, no PP time, then sure, he can play in the NHL somewhere. But I have a bunch of other guys in the system that I would much rather put in that spot who are actually capable of winning battles in the corner, cannot be pushed off the puck with one hand, and are 10 years younger and have potential upside if they are ever called upon to play on the 3rd line.
Dundon said over and over again that one of his driving philosophies is 'we want to find a player better than you'. Well, if you are going to really rebuild this team, finding a player better than Derek Ryan shouldn't be all that hard. Its not personal for me, I'm just tired of seeing him out there doing nothing for months, making none of his line mates any better, not winning any battles, etc. You want to be harder to play against? Be more physical? Well if your 'skilled guys' like Aho, Teravainen, Skinner, Necas etc. are not capable of that, then your other players sure as heck better be. Derek Ryan? Completely not a good fit if we really are going to be making that change in direction. He would be great on the 4th line of a team with 2 physical wingers that annoy the crap out of you ( a winger like Cal Clutterbuck for example). That isn't how we use him and I don't want the temptation to allow him to continue to take a PP spot (over Zykov the last few games?!??!?!) to linger.
To me Derek Ryan is a 'settle' player. Someone you found on the cheap to fill a roster spot because you didn't have the funds, willingness, insight, whatever to have someone better than that in his role. I want us to be done settling on players who are 'ok, but have lots of holes like size, speed, physical play, skill, etc.' Sorry Derek Ryan, but I want you elsewhere next season.
Let me give you stats from a stretch from each of the past 2 seasons for Derek Ryan to chew on:
Jan 4-Feb 24, 2018: 21 Games 2 Goals 1 Assist -12
Jan 14-Feb 28, 2017: 15 Games 0 Goals 0 Assists -7
You know, the periods of time when this team is supposed to be driving to a playoff spot, all while playing top 9 minutes and getting PP time. That is Derek Ryan in crunch time for you.
Enough please, let him go be a completely non-physical presence on someone else's 4th line please. No other team would play Derek Ryan 15:36 a game like he played this season. Sure its not his fault that he is being played that much BUT we can and should look to do better than to have Derek Ryan on this team next season. Its not JUST Derek Ryan that I would get rid of, but he is easy low hanging fruit to me. My opinion....
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While I generally disagree with the "we'll never find better guys" thing, I do agree that the rest of the league's GMs are probably salivating at the idea of trade negotiations with a guy who has no background in NHL personnel. That said, a smart man who gathers good intel and listens to it ... that guy can make a deal that makes sense, regardless of his background.
JFG
Well-known member
Not via Free Agency. That much TD made clear when he said Free Agents are basically bums that their former team didn't want anymore. Not sure I agree, because if John Taveras and Eirk Karlsson were to part company with NYI and OTT, I'd take them in a heartbeat.
TheBigKahuna
Well-known member
Saddling Skinner with guys like Ryan is a horrible mismanagement of assets. I don't care how poor a defensive game Skinner plays....hes not a 3rd line guy on THIS team.
CanadaCanes
Well-known member
Not only is he not a third line guy but to be paying Skinner that kind of cash and not supporting him with a half decent center that at the very least can keep his gifted offensive numbers up where they should be is downright stupid. Say all you want about Skinner's defensive game without the puck, but for a team that is starved for goal scoring and a guy that has been Top 12 in goals scored the past 3 years in the entire league...why on earth would you not want this guy to be successful to maximize his offensive output?
Really, I'm OK with Skinner as a 3rd line guy, as long as he's surrounded by commensurate talent (which he wasn't). He can't play on the shutdown line. And by keeping him on the 3rd line, you generally keep him away from the other team's shutdown line. He had the 3rd highest even strength TOI/game among forwards, behind only Aho and Staal. But he was only 7th highest on the PP, behind Aho, Teravainen, Lindholm, Staal, Williams and Rask. That, and playing him with ham and eggers at even strength are my bigger issues.
What he said. You can't keep Baby in the corner for 4 years ... or can you? Apparently, around this franchise, you can.
Paulie Walnuts
Well-known member
So you are 100% sure a guy with no NHL experience is going to be making trades in the future? But then you go on to say he can do a good job anyway?
You brought up Buffalo the other day with their new owner. Really bad example. It's hard to believe , but they have actually been worse than the Canes since that owner took over in 2011.
I'm sure there are examples of new owners who did really well , but not Buffalo
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You know what? I’m not doing this anymore. I’ll comment on whatever happens ... when it happens.
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