I had heard that he was born in Chicago actually and moved to Minnesota at an early age (7?). So probably no major connections to Chicago since he would have grown up in Minnesota I guess.
weird. Both HockeyDB and Eliteprospects list "Chanhassen, MN" as birthplace, while NHL.com says Chicago.
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I'm not seeing it if I'm him. I'm seeing a team that excessively relied on a 33 year old vet for some reason that can't really be quantified or qualified other than gut feeling, while the only prospect that got to play made his season debut int he last game of the season, and only played in the playoffs because three defensemen were unable to play.
If I'm him I see an organization that didn't have a single young dman capable of stepping into the line-up. The reason why Wotherspoon didn't play more is because he didn't earn the coach's trust. Hartley showed, time and time again, that he would play young players if they earned it. Wotherspoon didn't earn it - whether it was based on practice, play on the farm, or the limited opportunities he got.
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If I'm him I see an organization that didn't have a single young dman capable of stepping into the line-up. The reason why Wotherspoon didn't play more is because he didn't earn the coach's trust. Hartley showed, time and time again, that he would play young players if they earned it. Wotherspoon didn't earn it - whether it was based on practice, play on the farm, or the limited opportunities he got.
And why is Reilly confident he will get the coach's trust?
__________________
"May those who accept their fate find happiness. May those who defy it find glory."
I totally don't get what Spoon did wrong. It's not like Sven who was soft, disinterested in the defensive zone and did not score.
Hasn't Spoon played exactly how he should have given where they put him? Supplanting the top four was probably too much to ask from a guy with 20 nhl games under his belt.
Imo he played better than Diaz. I'm still very bullish on spoon.
And why is Reilly confident he will get the coach's trust?
Weird question.
I don't know if he is. But most players are confident that if given an opportunity - they can take it and run with it.
That's why its about finding an organization where there is clear opportunity.
You seem to think Hartley had no reason for not trusting Wotherspoon, when everything else he did this season demonstrated that he had no problem playing the kids.
When anyone in the organization was asked about Wotherspoon it seemed clear he didn't have a good year.
Always earned. He didn't earn it.
I don't remember if it was Treliving or Hartly but earlier last week I seem to remember listening to the Fan and hearing someone mention that the surgery he had last off season put him way behind the curve. Mentioned that he really wasn't up to speed until mid-way through the season and that really put him behind. It sounded like an explanation of sorts as to why he didn't get time in earlier and how he may have fallen behind as a result.
I totally don't get what Spoon did wrong. It's not like Sven who was soft, disinterested in the defensive zone and did not score.
Hasn't Spoon played exactly how he should have given where they put him? Supplanting the top four was probably too much to ask from a guy with 20 nhl games under his belt.
Imo he played better than Diaz. I'm still very bullish on spoon.
I am bullish on him too. I like the prospect. But there's no way he played better than Diaz.
I don't remember if it was Treliving or Hartly but earlier last week I seem to remember listening to the Fan and hearing someone mention that the surgery he had last off season put him way behind the curve. Mentioned that he really wasn't up to speed until mid-way through the season and that really put him behind. It sounded like an explanation of sorts as to why he didn't get time in earlier and how he may have fallen behind as a result.
It sounds like they don't not like him, just that he wasn't ready this year.
You seem to think Hartley had no reason for not trusting Wotherspoon, when everything else he did this season demonstrated that he had no problem playing the kids.
Hartley had a reason, and he said as much in his interviews: while he can throw a young forward out there and play through their mistakes, he's more tentative with young Dmen. And Trust with Hartley can be pretty obviously seen in the time-on-ice and how he rode his top Dmen hard and sheltered his bottom guys aggressively. Treliving even implied that veteran Schlemko could eat more minutes than he was getting.
Hartley certainly has a problem playing the kids at D if there are vets available to him - for parts of the season even Corey Potter was getting his 4 minutes of offensive zone start ice time.
Quote:
When anyone in the organization was asked about Wotherspoon it seemed clear he didn't have a good year.
I didn't draw that from any interview. In fact, the first time Wotherspoon was called up, it was a foregone conclusion that Diaz would play before the spoon had even arrived in town.
Quote:
Weird question.
I don't know if he is. But most players are confident that if given an opportunity - they can take it and run with it.
Always earned. He didn't earn it.
The assumption there is that there's an opportunity - but our team will likely have six(if Schlemko returns), maybe even seven (if Smid is healthy) veteran D going into next season. Would a UFA like Mike Reilly want to sign with a team where not a single Dman managed to "earn" game action in a full regular season? Compare that to the Blackhawks, who despite (or maybe because) being a team with much greater ambitions, had Trevor van Riemsdyk make their roster right out of training camp.
Earning a roster spot is nice, but the opportunity has to be there to do so. And if I'm Wotherspoon, or Morrison, or Culkin, or Kulak, or Ramage, I am going into next season hoping and trying to have a great training camp, yet expecting to spend it in the minors again regardless of my play, until a handful of vets go down and get injured simultaneously.
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"May those who accept their fate find happiness. May those who defy it find glory."
Last edited by GranteedEV; 05-16-2015 at 01:34 PM.
The assumption there is that there's an opportunity - but our team will likely have six(if Schlemko returns), maybe even seven (if Smid is healthy) veteran D going into next season. Would a UFA like Mike Reilly want to sign with a team where not a single Dman managed to "earn" game action in a full regular season? Compare that to the Blackhawks, who despite (or maybe because) being a team with much greater ambitions, had Trevor van Riemsdyk make their roster right out of training camp.
Earning a roster spot is nice, but the opportunity has to be there to do so. And if I'm Wotherspoon, or Morrison, or Culkin, or Kulak, or Ramage, I am going into next season hoping and trying to have a great training camp, yet expecting to spend it in the minors again regardless of my play, until a handful of vets go down and get injured simultaneously.
I think there is a better than average chance that Smid is done. Most organization will have a top 6 heading into any season - the key is how strong is that top 6. If I'm Reilly and I have to beat out a guy like Schlemko to earn my spot, then I like my chances.
The fact is that the Flames rode 4 D for the playoffs - which to me screams opportunity.
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I totally don't get what Spoon did wrong. It's not like Sven who was soft, disinterested in the defensive zone and did not score.
Hasn't Spoon played exactly how he should have given where they put him? Supplanting the top four was probably too much to ask from a guy with 20 nhl games under his belt.
Imo he played better than Diaz. I'm still very bullish on spoon.
There's nothing but revisionist history or a subconscious desire for a young prospect to outplay someone else that would lead someone to suggest Wotherspoon played better than Diaz this season.
Minnesota has Suter, Brodin, Scandella under contract for severals years. Dumba, Spurgeon and Folin either one year left or RFA this summer. If Reilly goes Wild, they have to trade someone out. I heard rumours about Spurgeon.
In the two years of your ELC contract you have to be better than either Suter, Brodin, Scandella or Dumba. If you are not, you will be bottom 6 defence man and play one million a year.
Reilly will be top 6 player next year in every NHL team, but if I were Reilly I would be looking little bit further away than next season.
Is there room in Minnesota top4 for Reilly, when ELC contract is over? I think that he is seeking place where he can play in NHL and after ELC is over he can make some money. IMO In wild he have to outplay Matt Dumba, I don´t believe trading Scandella or Brodin.
Calgary definitely has both, room in top 6 for next season and TOP 4 beginning of 17-18 season.
I totally don't get what Spoon did wrong. It's not like Sven who was soft, disinterested in the defensive zone and did not score.
Hasn't Spoon played exactly how he should have given where they put him? Supplanting the top four was probably too much to ask from a guy with 20 nhl games under his belt.
Imo he played better than Diaz. I'm still very bullish on spoon.
He didn't do anything wrong. But he came up when we were fighting for our lives. The post season is no place to cut teeth.
Wotherspoon is going to be a big piece moving forward.
__________________ ”All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.”
Wotherspoon looked like he was behind the play for the most part, and his pivots were not NHL quality. Hopefully he comes back harder next year but looks like that injury really set him back.
