Friedman: Do the Flames zero in on Rodrigues?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Hmmm ... but does that include defencemen and goalies?

I dunno. I would have a tough time calling a 5'11" forward undersized at this point. Even 5'10" is on the fence. 5'9", 5'8", for sure.

479 forwards played at least 20 games in the NHL last season, ranging from 5'7" to 6'7". The median height was 6'1".

368 (76.8%) of them were at least 6'0" tall.

[Harry Lime]

If a quarter of the league is under 6 feet, 5'11 would make him the titanic king of the tiny players in the Dwarven realm of Hockeynia.

[Major Major]

I think the team is solid but if you have an opportunity to make it that much more so with the cap available, you do it. I like the player, there is plenty out there that suggests he is not dominic simon and the value now is quite good. Great time to buy a player like this. If the trade deadline comes around and there's the opportunity to buy that perfect missing piece (not super likely), then you make moves to make it happen.

[Titan2]

Well, we are really struggling for topics now.

I think the real question is black or white tape on the stick blade. Now that has to be solved immediately...

[Hoop27]

Black ever so slightly hides the puck from the goaltenders vision for the tiniest fraction of a second coming off the blade. (Speaking as an old retired goaltender.)

Originally Posted by Titan2

Well, we are really struggling for topics now.

I think the real question is black or white tape on the stick blade. Now that has to be solved immediately...

[Sandman]

I agree, black is the way to go.....

[memphusk]

I use whatever stick tape my teammates provide me with. I'm a team guy.

[Bingo]

White tape, but then you take a puck and mark the hell out of it.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

If this guy is so good he would have signed somewhere a long time ago. Hard pass

Gudbranson says hi. And he had a hard pass too.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by AC

I checked his scoring logs, and surprisingly Crosby only assisted on 2 of his 19 goals. Malkin only assisted on 1.

He definitely had a hot/cold season with 15 goals + 15 assists in his first 33 games, followed by 4 goals + 9 assists in his remaining 49 games.

I had him on my fantasy hockey team (I know I know....whatever). I followed him closely last season as a result.

He was really good when Malkin was injured, because he had a spot as 2C, and on the 1st PP. He got more playing time than normal, had some success, and that turned into confidence, which in turn resulted in a snowball effect of more success and more confidence. He was the Pens best player for a month or two as a result.

Malkin came back, which forced Rodrigues down the lineup to play as a winger with Carter and/or Crosby when injuries came up. When he was most successful, it was when he was playing center and able to carry the puck to gain the zone. Pushing to the wing changed that dynamic for him. Malkin coming back just caused him to lose ice time and opportunity on aggregate, which led to his confidence coming down from where it was.

The reason I'm typing all this out is I don't think that if we are signing him it will be an overly impactful one unless he is playing on the top line and getting good opportunity. Or he is playing as a center (which he's quite good at). This is a player that feeds on confidence and opportunity, if he's a third line winger with 2nd PP time, he's going to underwhelm.

He's definitely an NHLer. But if you want the point per game version of him, he needs to be one of the teams top two centers with opportunity on the first PP unit. If we want him to be a 30-40 point winger, he can likely do that in his sleep on the 2nd / 3rd line with 2nd pp time. Just don't expect much more.

[Boo Radley]

Originally Posted by Titan2

Well, we are really struggling for topics now.

I think the real question is black or white tape on the stick blade. Now that has to be solved immediately...

White tape for defense. Forwards can do whatever they want.

[FanIn80]

The only answer to the question of hockey tape colour is ungodly-bright orange. Goalies have a lot to focus on, give them something that's always going to cut through that focus a little bit.

There's the puck
Where's my defence
Sticks in the lane
He has a pass option on the right
Orange
There's the pass
Orange
Another pass
Shot

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Seems like we are close to just PTOs or 1 year show-me deals left on the table. I would be fine with that for the Rodrigues/Milano/Sprongs of the world. I can't see any multi-year paydays going to them now.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

The only answer to the question of hockey tape colour is ungodly-bright orange. Goalies have a lot to focus on, give them something that's always going to cut through that focus a little bit.

There's the puck
Where's my defence
Sticks in the lane
He has a pass option on the right
Orange
There's the pass
Orange
Another pass
Shot

And just before you shoot, you yell "orange".

[Kipper_3434]

As an old goalie as well, tape colour doesn't matter, but bright colors make it pretty easy to see potential deflections off those sticks. D-men should never use black unless they use enough stick wax to turn it grey.

[saillias]

Seems to be some negativity towards Rodrigues but I'm for it. For one the forward depth is still not good. I'm not stoked about a 4th line of Lucic-Rooney-Lewis out there every night. He would rank somewhere between Toffoli and Dube on the depth chart. His strength seems to be zone entries, as well as versatility to play wing or center. Seems to me he does fill a need.

[Parallex]

I think Dube doesn't have a good fit on the team... not good enough offensively to play with Lindholm or Kadri and not good enough defensively to play with Backlund. I would like Rodrigues, I think he can be a good complimentary piece... I'd put him with Backlund and Coleman so that Mangiapane can get his well deserved top line promotion.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Parallex

I think Dube doesn't have a good fit on the team... not good enough offensively to play with Lindholm or Kadri and not good enough defensively to play with Backlund. I would like Rodrigues, I think he can be a good complimentary piece... I'd put him with Backlund and Coleman so that Mangiapane can get his well deserved top line promotion.

This could be the year we find out who Dube is.

Sutter now seems to like him, which is big for opportunity. But is he the guy we saw in the final 1/3 of the season? Or the guy from the first 2/3?

The difference may have been better finishing, but it could also have been puck luck.

He was 6th on the team (forwards) for xGF60 so good things were happening offensively when he was on the ice.

If that evens out with his actual goals60 then he's the other top six forward they need.

[dammage79]

Dube is at the precipice. He's either breaks put finally or fades away like Shane Donovan and Matty Lombardi before him.

[camm13]

Originally Posted by Parallex

I think Dube doesn't have a good fit on the team... not good enough offensively to play with Lindholm or Kadri and not good enough defensively to play with Backlund. I would like Rodrigues, I think he can be a good complimentary piece... I'd put him with Backlund and Coleman so that Mangiapane can get his well deserved top line promotion.

He had 18 goals playing on the 3rd line with a mix of different team mates all season, only 2 of those goals came on the PP. He's definitely been a bit inconsistent. But it's time to give him a chance higher up on the line up for more than a few shifts to see what hes made of.