QOTD: Setoguchi Situation

[Nme-Territory]

Add Seto to the long list of over-rated players that performed well for a time because of their superior line mates.

[PeteMoss]

I was amazed he was the 7th overall pick in his draft when looking him up. He didn't have great junior stats (or at least stats that would make you think he went 7th overall).

[BloodFetish]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I was amazed he was the 7th overall pick in his draft when looking him up. He didn't have great junior stats (or at least stats that would make you think he went 7th overall).

I remember watching that draft, and how it was somewhat of an "off-the-board" pick, so to speak.

[Enoch Root]

Two things:

1) Setoguchi hasn't made any progress, despite several opportunities

2) Jooris looks like a full-time NHLer now, playing with Bouma

So I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are ready to cut bait. Going into the season, I figured they would go 20 games or so to assess, but 10 games in, the trends seem clear enough. Make the move.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by BloodFetish

I remember watching that draft, and how it was somewhat of an "off-the-board" pick, so to speak.

But one which probably looked pretty good initially.

[Vulcan]

We got Setoguchi, Winnipeg got Galiardi. Neither one has a point yet and although I have no beef with Galiardi some part of me would be displeased if he did well with the Jets while Setoguchi failed.

I voted give him two more games but I think one is enough.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I was amazed he was the 7th overall pick in his draft when looking him up. He didn't have great junior stats (or at least stats that would make you think he went 7th overall).

He was actually 8th in an extremely crappy draft, after Crosby and Ryan you could throw a dart at numbers 3-60 and probably get the same result as picking.

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by T@T

He was actually 8th in an extremely crappy draft, after Crosby and Ryan you could throw a dart at numbers 3-60 and probably get the same result as picking.

Except the kid from Slovenia, he should've gone higher.

[Antithesis]

I was initially really confused as to Setoguchi's presence on the regular season roster but that confusion was removed by the excellent points raised by others. That being said, I can't see anything he's done to show that he's worth keeping on the roster much longer. He's really struggling.

[Neeper]

I would give him a quarter of a season just to be fair. But time is definitely running out.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I do think the Flames give him until the 20th game mark or so. O'Brien was sent down after 45 games with the Flames, but something tells me it was partly Feaster trying to make that trade not look terrible. I don't think Setoguchi will get that long of a rope. I think they will put him in and out of the lineup until the 20 game mark if he keeps playing the way he has, and if he hasn't shown improvement then they will waive him and demote him.

Jooris will probably be sent down soon, and the first injury someone new will be called up (not that Jooris hasn't been effective, but I think the Flames will be calling up different players at different times in order to look at certain prospects, and use it as a carrot for the rest).

Jooris does seem to be a capable player, though I do think you need to play a rookie for a long enough time to see if it is just that 'excitement' that gets that effort level, or if that is who the player really is long-term. I like what I see thus far, however.

[442scotty]

Let him go period... what would be the point of sending him down...To take up a spot that a prospect needs? Hes not a good role model so really... Just show him the door and consider it a lesson learned.. stop signed other peoples garbage!!!

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Let him go period... what would be the point of sending him down...To take up a spot that a prospect needs? Hes not a good role model so really... Just show him the door and consider it a lesson learned.. stop signed other peoples garbage!!!

Yeah, you can't just let him go. I suppose you could just have him sit in the press box for the entire season, but that's arguably worse.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

20 games has always been my benchmark for the guy.

He hasn't been getting easy minutes when he does play, usually getting 1st or 2nd line opponents, but that being said he's been pretty much a replacement-level player.

Initial returns look quite poor, but he's worth keeping around for another dozen games or so on the chance that he can bring back a pick at the deadline.

[jtfrogger]

I think he will stay with the team as a healthy scratch most nights. Although Jooris has played well, you are not going to keep him up to watch from the press box. Jooris would have to push another forward to the press box in order to stick with the team. I don't think he has. If he does, Setoguchi could get waived.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Let him go period... what would be the point of sending him down...To take up a spot that a prospect needs? Hes not a good role model so really... Just show him the door and consider it a lesson learned.. stop signed other peoples garbage!!!

First of all, you can't just let him go. He's under contract. You can only terminate the contract by mutual agreement, like happened with Lombardi in New York. He refused to report to Hartford and received an offer from Europe, so they did a mutual termination.

If the Flames waived Setoguchi and he decided he'd rather not go to the AHL, that would open the door for either him to retire or the Flames to do a termination buyout. If he accepted the demotion, he wouldn't necessarily be a bad influence. Look at O'Brien last season. By all accounts, he was a good mentor for the young guys on the farm after he got demoted.

As long as he didn't have a bad attitude about it, Setoguchi could be a good addition to the AHL Flames.

[FlameZilla]

Give him some time in the minors. Hell, he might get some confidence back playing against minor leaguers which could get the Baby Flames scoring. Win win. I don't see any downside to it because, the way he's playing, it doesn't matter if someone picks him up off the waiver wire. Gotta try something though because he's playing woefully bad.

[badger89]

Terrible signing. Even if he played for free, he doesn't look like a NHL player any more and is taking a spot from a young guy (Jooris, Ferland or Reinhardt). Bury him in the minors and let the kids play.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by OzSome

Whatever happen to this guy? He was one of my favorite in San Jose and even took him in my playoff hockey which I end up winning. He was good back then (offensively and defensively). Then he left for Minnesota and he just went downhill and couldn't recover. It was a low-risk signing and came in cheap. With Jooris playing well and Gaudreau starting to pick up his games, I think he is the candidate to get sent down to AHL or release outright. Seto should maybe try playing in Europe. Maybe he'll have success over there and gain his confidence. Too bad I was hoping he'd be a steal for us. Oh well.

In 2011 he signed his last RFA contract: 3 years for 3 M /year.... Up to that point his career earnings were about 3M over his first 4 years.

There is significant evidence that lottery winners make a mess of their life after they win.... 3M year for 3 years is a note worthy life event for a 24 year old.


He also seems to have made a huge mistake in the lock-out season.... not playing for anyone until Nov 8 and then signing with an ECHL team.

The Flames will have to watch out how their prospects (Brodie, Colborne, Monahan, Gaudreau) react when they get their financial futures guaranteed for life.

There is a long list of guys that do not play up to the level that earned them their huge contracts. The threat of losing their elite life style is taken off the table....


I would be wary of sending him down..... even if he would go. On the surface he does not represent a particularly strong leadership model for the guys on their way up.

[442scotty]

Originally Posted by getbak

First of all, you can't just let him go. He's under contract. You can only terminate the contract by mutual agreement, like happened with Lombardi in New York. He refused to report to Hartford and received an offer from Europe, so they did a mutual termination.

If the Flames waived Setoguchi and he decided he'd rather not go to the AHL, that would open the door for either him to retire or the Flames to do a termination buyout. If he accepted the demotion, he wouldn't necessarily be a bad influence. Look at O'Brien last season. By all accounts, he was a good mentor for the young guys on the farm after he got demoted.

As long as he didn't have a bad attitude about it, Setoguchi could be a good addition to the AHL Flames.

Actually you can "just let him go" Give him his money and say goodbye and kick yourself in the ass for signing him in the first place! Its as simple as that.

And again... He adds NOTHING by keeping him. Just takes up a roster spot somewhere.. It was a mistake by Treliving (who I like) and he should own it and be done with it.