Bollig and his role on this team?

[tvp2003]

Bollig was a crash and bang 4th line forward with the Blackhawks. I think he was brought in to see if he could elevate his game into a top 9 (i.e. third line), which he hasn't.

As it stands, he still a decent if not solid 4th line energy guy, can throw the body, and is reliable on both ends of the ice.

[foshizzle11]

I think he is doing his job. I wouldn't mind more physicality out of him, to punish the other team a bit more often when he is out there but overall as a 4th liner, he doesn't hurt this team. I would rather have him than McGrattan out there.

Is Ferland a 4th liner? Why bring him up to play the 4th line, I thought he could be top 9 player, not 4th line material. I guess we will see, maybe he replaces Bollig in a couple of years.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I guess Baertschi is all grit and sandbox, and no skill then? Maybe you wouldn't ice skilled guys on the 4th line, but Hartley sure would.

Hartley does it with a purpose though. You play well defensively and chip in a bit offensively, and you move up. If you don't, you're going back to Addy. Hartley never expected Baertschi, Colborne, Monahan, etc. to be fourth line players. He expected those players to demonstrate that they are more. Nearly all of those guys have, and they were thus promoted up the lineup. I think Baertschi largely did as well, but he was trapped by the fact that there were still three left wings better than he was.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

What bugged me before was that he wasn't good in the defensive zone. having Stajan seems to have addressed that, so all's well with me.

His energy has improved as well of late IMO.

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing. He really struggled defensively for the first part of the season, but seems to have things figured out now. Using Bouma or Byron as a center really doesn't work too well defensively.

[Finger Cookin]

People have made some good points here about his fourth line role and associated ice time, those factors have to be considered. Bollig is getting less than 9 minutes a night and often benched for big stretches of third periods - and that's when he isn't scratched. Is that situation really more beneficial to one of our younger prospects to be in instead of Bollig? Most likely not.

Bollig, Setoguchi, Engelland, and Diaz are here because Trelviing needed more time to assess the players and prospects in the organization and what kind of roles and responsibilities they could handle. They're all in roles better suited for vets as opposed to player development.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by foshizzle11

I think he is doing his job. I wouldn't mind more physicality out of him, to punish the other team a bit more often when he is out there but overall as a 4th liner, he doesn't hurt this team. I would rather have him than McGrattan out there.

Is Ferland a 4th liner? Why bring him up to play the 4th line, I thought he could be top 9 player, not 4th line material. I guess we will see, maybe he replaces Bollig in a couple of years.

I always saw Ferland as a bottom sixer Third line ideally but 4th line on a team like the Kings. Maybe I'm wrong

[Mav]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I don't think he's been that bad as some fans simply have too high of expectations for a 4th line player. You don't ice your skilled guys on the 4th line.

When did Stajan become an "unskilled" player?

[Travis Munroe]

I figured Ferland would be a 4th line guy on this team - A very solid 4th line guy.
Based on what we have coming through the pipeline in the next year or 2, I don't see Ferland fitting any higher.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Mav

When did Stajan become an "unskilled" player?

Also chuckling at that. He's arguably the most versatile player we have. Put him on any line and he won't look out of place. Undervalued for his defensive play as well

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Bollig, Setoguchi, Engelland, and Diaz are here because Trelviing needed more time to assess the players and prospects in the organization and what kind of roles and responsibilities they could handle. They're all in roles better suited for vets as opposed to player development.

Setoguchi and Diaz would certainly qualify as short term place holders, they are on cheap 1 year contracts. Bollig and Engelland are both signed for 2 more seasons so you have to assume that Treliving had bigger plans for them.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Setoguchi and Diaz would certainly qualify as short term place holders, they are on cheap 1 year contracts. Bollig and Engelland are both signed for 2 more seasons so you have to assume that Treliving had bigger plans for them.

I'd say those bigger plans probably start and end with Treliving identifying which prospects in those positions need 2 more years development. Not like he thinks Engelland could develop into a 2nd pairing guy or something.

Maybe not short term place holders, but they're still placeholders. To me at least.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Setoguchi and Diaz would certainly qualify as short term place holders, they are on cheap 1 year contracts. Bollig and Engelland are both signed for 2 more seasons so you have to assume that Treliving had bigger plans for them.

I don't agree. We don't have defense prospects knocking on the door like we do up front, or at least not to the extent that Treliving was aware of them from outside the organization. As with Bollig, Engelland has also been in and out of the lineup even when healthy. Both players are taking on roles that aren't suited for player development. And their contracts (along with Smid, Wideman, and Raymond) all expire at the same time when developed players may be more suited to step in. They're not short term place holders, but I think they are medium term place holders.

[Jacks]

Well I disagree, I don't think it's hard to find bottom pairing dmen or 4 liners to hold a spot in the lineup. I'd prefer if these guys were on 1-2 year contracts.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by Mav

When did Stajan become an "unskilled" player?

According to a select few people here Stajan is still 'useless', despite overwhelming evidence to suggest otherwise.

Offensively he's not quite the same player he was with the Leafs for his last 2 years. Defensively he's improved a lot during his time with the Flames though.

As for him being skilled or unskilled. Skilled refers to players who have tremendous offensive skill and that is something Stajan's (nor a lot of other NHLers) never had. He's never really had enough offsnsive skill to call him a truly 'skilled' guy. But truth be told, a lot of other NHLers also fall into the category of not quite having enough offensive skill to really call them 'skilled'.

[bubbsy]

i'm not sure what stajan is.

He's not a top line center and he's not a 2nd line center.

Can he a 4th line center? Yes, he's shown that he can center a responsible 4th line that isn't a liability on the ice. However, his pay grade can't be justified for a 4th line role on most teams.

The question for me, is what is the New role/definition of the 3rd line in today's NHL. Until recently, that 3rd line was a checking/grinding line that was ideally a defensive specialist line that could be used to check/shadow other team's top lines, or play a strong defensive game and provide decent filler minutes. However, these days the 3rd line has become a 'lite' version of the second line, and are expected to be able to bring offensive depth.

Can Stajan be the center for either of these 3rd line role definitions?

[Huntingwhale]

If Bollig was more of a banger and rocked people more often I think the crowd here would be more forgiving. He barely fought, and his big hits that turn games around are few and far in between. He has a cool beard though.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

If Bollig was more of a banger and rocked people more often I think the crowd here would be more forgiving. He barely fought, and his big hits that turn games around are few and far in between. He has a cool beard though.

As a fellow full-bearded man (none of this wimpy "I have a permanent 5 o'clock shadow" look), I appreciate that beard. He gets points from me simply for that fact alone.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Well I disagree, I don't think it's hard to find bottom pairing dmen or 4 liners to hold a spot in the lineup. I'd prefer if these guys were on 1-2 year contracts.

So who should he have signed?

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

i'm not sure what stajan is.

He's not a top line center and he's not a 2nd line center.

Can he a 4th line center? Yes, he's shown that he can center a responsible 4th line that isn't a liability on the ice. However, his pay grade can't be justified for a 4th line role on most teams.

The question for me, is what is the New role/definition of the 3rd line in today's NHL. Until recently, that 3rd line was a checking/grinding line that was ideally a defensive specialist line that could be used to check/shadow other team's top lines, or play a strong defensive game and provide decent filler minutes. However, these days the 3rd line has become a 'lite' version of the second line, and are expected to be able to bring offensive depth.

Can Stajan be the center for either of these 3rd line role definitions?

Yes, both, I think. He is definitely able to hold his own defensively. Overpaid for that role, pehaps, but not by enough for it to be a concern over the life of the contract. I think he could easily be a 2nd line "lite" version as well, depending on the wingers. Guys like Byron (if he could score on breakaways), Ferland, Jones, etc. could all contribute offensively, especially when not facing top lines/defenders.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

i'm not sure what stajan is.

He's not a top line center and he's not a 2nd line center.

Can he a 4th line center? Yes, he's shown that he can center a responsible 4th line that isn't a liability on the ice. However, his pay grade can't be justified for a 4th line role on most teams.

The question for me, is what is the New role/definition of the 3rd line in today's NHL. Until recently, that 3rd line was a checking/grinding line that was ideally a defensive specialist line that could be used to check/shadow other team's top lines, or play a strong defensive game and provide decent filler minutes. However, these days the 3rd line has become a 'lite' version of the second line, and are expected to be able to bring offensive depth.

Can Stajan be the center for either of these 3rd line role definitions?

Stajan is a utility player. He can centre the fourth line - and make his linemates better - and he can move right up to the top line in an emergency situation.