The 2009/10 Handy Dandy Prospects Stats 'n' Updates Thread

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Backlund with 1g and +1
Kronwall with 3a and +2

in a 5-4 shootout win over Worchester

Watt might be suspended though judging by the gamesheet:

2 - ABB Watt, 6:16 - Cross-checking , 2 min (PP)
2 - ABB Watt, 6:16 - Unsportsmanlike conduct , 2 min (PP)
2 - ABB Watt, 6:16 - Fighting , 5 min
2 - ABB Watt, 6:16 - Misconduct - Unsportsmanlike conduct (75.4), 10 min

i think it was just an instigator fight. Watt fights pretty much every game.

[jeremywilhelm]

Heat go 8-1 on their 9 game road trip. Sweep the Sharks this weekend and Backlund has produced 5 goals and 5 assists and is a +5 in the 7 games he has been back in the AHL.

He is also finally playing on the first line (What a suprise Playfair, you moron).

[JiriHrdina]

[quote=jeremywilhelm;2364837

He is also finally playing on the first line (What a suprise Playfair, you moron).[/quote]

It's not unusual for teams to put offensive players on the depth lines so they are forced to work on other parts of their game. Its all part of a development plan, not about being a moron.

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

It's not unusual for teams to put offensive players on the depth lines so they are forced to work on other parts of their game. Its all part of a development plan, not about being a moron.

The heat have really struggled in the first 40 or so games this year to score goals. Struggle badly. And Backlund was struggling playing a 3/4th line grinding role. He played disinterested and had a tough time with it. The third and 4th line of Abby is often over matched by the more physical and larger 3rd and 4th lines of the other AHL teams (usually career AHL bruisers that are only out there to hit and hurt people).

It is no suprise to me that now that he is playing first line minutes (and by that, I mean the kid is on the ice every second shift, and is no longer skating around with 2 plugs on his line), he is producing, Abby is winning (8-1 on this road trip) and the kid is playing like he actually wants to be a great player.

Playfair IS a moron, his line combinations in the first 40 games and his decision making with both the goalies and strategically throughout a game only reinforces that fact that I think he is a moron.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

The heat have really struggled in the first 40 or so games this year to score goals. Struggle badly. And Backlund was struggling playing a 3/4th line grinding role. He played disinterested and had a tough time with it. The third and 4th line of Abby is often over matched by the more physical and larger 3rd and 4th lines of the other AHL teams (usually career AHL bruisers that are only out there to hit and hurt people).

It is no suprise to me that now that he is playing first line minutes (and by that, I mean the kid is on the ice every second shift, and is no longer skating around with 2 plugs on his line), he is producing, Abby is winning (8-1 on this road trip) and the kid is playing like he actually wants to be a great player.

Playfair IS a moron, his line combinations in the first 40 games and his decision making with both the goalies and strategically throughout a game only reinforces that fact that I think he is a moron.

As Jiri said. It's more about developing players than winning. It'd be great if they won too, but if playing a depth role for a while makes for a better all around Backlund when he hits the NHL full time, I'm all for it.

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by Superfraggle

As Jiri said. It's more about developing players than winning. It'd be great if they won too, but if playing a depth role for a while makes for a better all around Backlund when he hits the NHL full time, I'm all for it.

I don't understand how making a player purposefully struggle can help anyone. Seems counter-intuitive.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

I don't understand how making a player purposefully struggle can help anyone. Seems counter-intuitive.

The goal was not to make him struggle but rather to have him work on other parts of the game that will allow him to be an effective NHLer.

[Ren]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The goal was not to make him struggle but rather to have him work on other parts of the game that will allow him to be an effective NHLer.

Do you think that's been accomplished? Watching Backlund play for the Flames it seems he just knows where to be at both ends of the ice and is just an all-around smart hockey player. To me, I don't know if it helped his development any playing with Vandermeer and Cunning or whoever it was he was playing with those first 40 games because you can't really teach a player how to be smart like that, either he gets it or he doesn't.

Maybe I'm wrong and playing him in the bottom 6 really did develop his defensive game but I suspect all it did was hurt his offensive confidence having to play with plugs all the time.

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by Ren

Do you think that's been accomplished? Watching Backlund play for the Flames it seems he just knows where to be at both ends of the ice and is just an all-around smart hockey player. To me, I don't know if it helped his development any playing with Vandermeer and Cunning or whoever it was he was playing with those first 40 games because you can't really teach a player how to be smart like that, either he gets it or he doesn't.

Maybe I'm wrong and playing him in the bottom 6 really did develop his defensive game but I suspect all it did was hurt his offensive confidence having to play with plugs all the time.

Totally agree. This, and the other very strange and baffling decisions by Playfair this year make me think he really isn't as great of a coach as everyone here thinks he is.

I'm not just commenting off of stats and scoresheets, I actually watch the games.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The goal was not to make him struggle but rather to have him work on other parts of the game that will allow him to be an effective NHLer.

The same strategy has been employed for other young centres, Lombardi (when he was here) and Boyd with the big club. When they get that, they can move up if there is a spot open. Backlund hasn't been given a spot on the first Flames line either yet.

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

The same strategy has been employed for other young centres, Lombardi (when he was here) and Boyd with the big club. When they get that, they can move up if there is a spot open. Backlund hasn't been given a spot on the first Flames line either yet.

What an effective strategy. It seems to be working fantastically.

[kirant]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

What an effective strategy. It seems to be working fantastically.

Just what I was about to say. I'm not sure we could call Lombardi (Who seemed to have hands of stone by the end of his tenure in Calgary) and Boyd (Who seems to have had all the creativity sucked out of him) as examples of this being effective and that it may be time to change that.

[icarus]

Anyway...

Abbottsford is currently in position to have home ice-advantage versus nearby Rochester in the playoffs, but it's close. That will no doubt be their goal, to stay ahead of Rochester in the standings.

[Metro Gnome]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

Heat go 8-1 on their 9 game road trip. Sweep the Sharks this weekend and Backlund has produced 5 goals and 5 assists and is a +5 in the 7 games he has been back in the AHL.

He is also finally playing on the first line (What a suprise Playfair, you moron).

Is it possible that lacking guys like Lundmark, Chucko etc. has forced Playfair's hand? Or, to put it another way, if the Heat still had a bunch of the players that they began the season with, would Backlund still be playing a "depth role".

On Playfair - he's seems to be firmly of the "you gotta earn it" mindset with younger players. There's some credence to that strategy I think, but I also believe you should put guys in a position to succeed, not fail. It can be a pretty delicate balancing act.

[toquester]

Backlund does not flourish when given offensively mediocre line mates and limited ice time. It didn't work in Vasteras, and it didn't work in Abbotsford. Even in Kelowna, he was placed on the second line.

The guy is snake bit. He seems to have to continually combat these incumbents whose position on the top line is never to be challenged. You might get more out of Backlund if he didn't regularly start out feeling he can't earn his way up because he would disrupt team chemistry.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Can the Update Thread please remain the Update Thread?

Please start a General Bitching thread if you want to bitch about players.

Thanks.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

What an effective strategy. It seems to be working fantastically.

Fantastically or not, that seems to be the Flames strategy and I agree with it. I don't want another all offence no defence centre like Kent Nilson. As much as many here liked him, he was never a factor when the going got tough.

As for Backlund, as we now see he wasn't stuck on the third line and even though we may have thought he wasn't given a chance and so wasn't showing enough in Abbotsford, Sutter thought otherwise by calling him up.

ok I'll stop now

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Ren

Do you think that's been accomplished? Watching Backlund play for the Flames it seems he just knows where to be at both ends of the ice and is just an all-around smart hockey player.

Agreed but compare the Backlund we see now to the kid that was in camp at the beginning of the year and last season. It's night and day - he looks like a pro now - he didn't before.

So whatever they did - worked so far.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

What an effective strategy. It seems to be working fantastically.

Yup it has - it produced two NHLers out of a pair of 3rd round picks - which is in and of itself better than the average result.

That's my last comment about this - Reg is right this thread should be used for updates.

[jeremywilhelm]

To be honest. Before he went up to the Nhl. He didn't look like much of a pro either.

But whatever, he's producing now. Yay!!!