Practice Notes: Oct 29th

[Vinny01]

With this season being lost is there any thought to sending Parekh back to junior? Maybe not have him exposed to such a negative experience so early in his career?

[Toonage]

I would imagine they'll keep things status quo, and make him available for the WJHC. But won't send him back to the OHL.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Are we ignoring the fact he regularly plays young players? Far more than Darryl?

Sure but part of that is he's been forced to because of the roster construction being much younger as part of a rebuild.

I actually don't mind giving Parekh the odd game off - but he's been getting better pretty much every game and do question the timing. One mistake on the first goal against and he's in the press box.

At this point I wouldn't even call Coronato a young player, he's been extended to a big contract. It's just confidence crushing coaching to scratch the guy again, they need to put him on a line and let him stick with it and work out of this funk.

To me he's similar to Sutter in a couple of ways that drive me crazy:

1) Offensive forwards that aren't physical or gritty have very short leashes: You see it with Sharangovich, Coronato, Kuzmenko, even Frost and Zary at times.

Those guys tend to be the type of guys that seem to end up in Huska's doghouse more than other types.

2) His offensive zone system seems pretty rigid and doesn't always play to players individual strengths.

The aforementioned guys have all tended to be very boom or bust under Huska and have had issues at times. I think part of it is because he wants them to play a game that doesn't always suit their strengths. He want's to go drive the net and crash and bang for rebounds, and that's just not in their toolkit.

I also think it's tougher for those guys to find chemistry with the constant line juggling. When you are a Farabee or Klapka type your play style doesn't really rely on your teammates as much, get the puck to the net and crash the net.

When you're more of a playmaker or an east west player you need time to work with linemates to figure out tendencies to be able to make those plays.

3) His insistence of playing low upside veterans on the 4th line instead of younger players.

Ryan Lomberg can sit in the pressbox, IMO Justin Kirkland shouldn't even be on the roster (I'd prefer Morton or Kerins).

I don't even want this organization to rush the guys like Gridin or Basha, they can stay in the AHL. This organization needs to find a way to give looks to guys like Kerins, Morton, and Stromgren who have played in the AHL a couple of year now.

[Vedder]

I wonder how Conroy feels about the Coronato situation. He could be part of that decision for sure, but it doesn't look great on him that the guy he just committed $45MM to is getting healthy scratched 10 games later....

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

He's very much just a friendlier version of Darryl.

Safe, boring, and would rather play his veterans.

So we're glossing over the fact he played these youngsters over Vets.

Zary, Klapka, Kerins, Pelletier, Pospisl, Wolf, Coronato, Parekh

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

If we are sitting players based on merit then Weegar, Andersson and Backlund would be eating popcorn tomorrow.

I don't like the idea of bringing Coronato back in on the 4th line for one game, then sending him straight back to the press box. And if he is really that bad, why did we sign him to such a big contract?

Backlund had one bad turnover...his line has been the best line for a week or so.

[Burning Beard]

I was really hoping this place would cheer up and not take every little decision so seriously now that the team is tanking and people got their wish. Whoops...

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Are we ignoring the fact he regularly plays young players? Far more than Darryl?

Yeah the log jam in the top nine was alleviated with a Pospisil injury, but then complicated again by first 19 year old Matvei Gridin and then 20 year old Sam Honzek.

[FlamesAddiction]

I'd be more critical of Huska if he was coddling Parekh.

[Bingo]

If you envision Huska as a task master that is dolling out punishment then you should be outraged that Backlund, Andersson and Weegar aren't being say for making mistakes in the Toronto game.

But that would be doing two things ...

1) Ignoring the total body of work of veterans in prior seasons, and ignoring the good start to the season from Andersson and Backlund (Weegar struggling)
2) That Huska likely sees this as a development thing and isn't really known for punishing players.

[SemicolonD]

Sit Parekh if needed but the goal should be to have him getting every PP opportunity and decent top 4 5on5 time after Anderson is traded away. If Huska likes Hanley-Weegar as a staple so much, you’d hope Parekh-Bahl can become a long term thing. And 3rd D pair can be Bean-Pachal.

I think we’re just at a crossroads right now, for both the players and the coach. There’s too many bodies and not enough slots. Pospisil isn’t even back yet and we can’t seem to find a spot for Coronato lol.

[GioforPM]

Parekh isn't being sat for one mistake on a goal against IMO. He had a pretty spotty night overall. I've mentioned his tendency last game to pass up the boards to no one except a Leaf. He's also been caught out of position a bunch of times. A young guy benefits from watching from overhead every once in a while. But they should sit a coach with him for that.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

A young guy benefits from watching from overhead every once in a while. But they should sit a coach with him for that.

That last bit is the key. From what I hear, Parekh is devouring video of other top offensive D-men, and I'm sure he's working with the video coach to do that. Seeing the entire rink live for a whole game can only help him cement what he's learning. Too often, the video angles just don't give the same information about what is happening far from the play.

If I were a video coach, the first thing I'd ask for is a camera with a fish-eye lens, mounted right under the scoreboard and covering the entire ice surface. It would be the best and most consistent way of tracking what every player on the ice is doing at any given moment. Do teams have such a thing? Because broadcasters certainly don't seem to.

[Rhett44]

Maybe Weegar and Andersson should sit for a few games for playing so horrible. If you really want to build a good culture why not hold everyone to the same standard.

It sets a bad precedent to have your vets playing like poop every game, but when a young player has a bad game he is benched. You can say the vets don't learn anything, but what are the young players learning other than vets get preferential treatment.

[united]

I haven't seen people this outraged over a healthy scratch since the Flames completely ruined Johnny Gaudreau's development by sitting him for one game in October during his first full season.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Maybe Weegar and Andersson should sit for a few games for playing so horrible. If you really want to build a good culture why not hold everyone to the same standard.

It sets a bad precedent to have your vets playing like poop every game, but when a young player has a bad game he is benched. You can say the vets don't learn anything, but what are the young players learning other than vets get preferential treatment.

Andersson had a great game. In fact, he's been good all season.

It's been explained many times how veterans need to play through tough times, whereas young players benefit from time in the stands watching the game. Veterans know what they did wrong. Rookies don't.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

I have no problem with Parekh sitting for a game. I don't think it is because of one game or one bad give-away or anything like that. In my view, he hasn't been very good and if the option existed, he would be in the AHL right now for an extended stint. Doesn't mean he won't be great, but right now, I think the promise is clouding the assessment of him as an NHL defenseman.

Coronato is a different story, I don't understand how 4th line minutes or sitting him will help, but is it possible he is just hurt?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Maybe Weegar and Andersson should sit for a few games for playing so horrible. If you really want to build a good culture why not hold everyone to the same standard.

It sets a bad precedent to have your vets playing like poop every game, but when a young player has a bad game he is benched. You can say the vets don't learn anything, but what are the young players learning other than vets get preferential treatment.

That would be great for his trade value, another awesome post from Rhett!

and yeah vets get preferential treatment, in every sport and on every team...because they have earned it. When these guys are vets they will get it too.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Andersson had a great game. In fact, he's been good all season.

It's been explained many times how veterans need to play through tough times, whereas young players benefit from time in the stands watching the game. Veterans know what they did wrong. Rookies don't.

True, he made one bad clear that got knocked down...looks worse because they got scored on

[Jiri Hrdina]

Huska has also scratched a vet (Yegor).