AHL- Apolyton Hockey League III-- Olympic edition

[Flubber]

That's an interesting point.

It's the sort of year we see a changing of the guard, and reappraisals of the gospel.

Yup

LA, Phoneix and Colorado are all very new

I guess SJ has a playoff tested goalie iin Nabby-- but I guess he fails on the successful test


Oh and my Flames are driving me crazy. After a complete no-show in Boston yesterday giving my pool opponent a shutout-- NOW they chased Theodore about 10 minutes in . The Caps seemed somewhat surprised when the Flames pushed a bit in the early going and actually ther caps seemed disinterested

I still have very faint hopes for the Flames (although losing to the NYI and then getting embarrased in Boston isn't what a playoff contender does). The hope is more theoretical than real as it is really starting to depend on a Colorado slump



But can someone explain to me how the Flames can take a 4-0 lead on Washington after the first period

[Asher]

This team is an enigma.

[notyoueither]

I heard a rumour last night that Edmonton is offering Hemsky for the #2 pick in hopes of becoming the first team in league history to take 1st and 2nd pick overall.

Anyone else hear anything like this? Or think there could be any validity to it?

[action=Sparrowhawk][/action]

This may set your mind at ease.

An Oiler fan attending a team function where Tambellini was speaking has this to relate.

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=755153

- He does not expect any trades of the top 3 picks of the draft. He said the price would be too high and rightfully so. Important answer as we know how many rumours are out there about this.

-There are no untouchables on the team, though some players are worth a lot. He will listen to any offer a GM makes.

-I asked directly about leadership on the team and about the possibility of a division in the dressing room. His answer was surprising to me. "We do not have the right leadership", went further into his idea of what a leader is and felt that a leader should be a mentor and there is not enough of that in the dressing room. He didn't have to mention Moreau's name but I think we can see the obvious connection.

-Talked about Eberle and mentioned there may be a possibility he be here for a couple of games but it is more important to make sure he develops properly. Mentioned Perry etc that spent at least 30 games in the AHL.

-He made it clear that rebuilding does not mean he will not sign free agents but it is more important to make sure the Oilers ship is in order, scouting, development, drafting.

[Asher]

- He does not expect any trades of the top 3 picks of the draft. He said the price would be too high and rightfully so. Important answer as we know how many rumours are out there about this.

In other words, the pick is worth a lot more than just Hemsky.

[SlowwHand]

This isn't NHL or Olympics, but it's cool.

Sun Mar 28, 2010 12:32 am EDT
Video: When minor league coaches go wild starring Jim Playfair

By Sean Leahy

Jim Playfair's bat[Gretzky] reaction to having one of his players tossed from Saturday night's American Hockey League game between the Abbotsford Heat and Hamilton Bulldogs was definitely up there with the likes of former New Jersey Devils head coach Robbie Ftorek's bench tossing, Marty Raymond's "everything but the kitchen sink" tantrum with the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL and Brent Sapergia's antics during a Southern Professional Hockey League game in Louisiana.

To set the scene, Abbotsford's J.D. Watt(notes) was chasing a puck into the corner and collided with Hamilton
goaltender Cedrick Desjardins(notes). Referee Jamie Koharski (son of former NHL zebra Don) whistled a
penalty on the play. As Watt was skating to the penalty box he learned that instead of an interference call he'd been assessed five minutes for charging, along with a 10-minute game misconduct. Watt did not like the call to the extent that he needed to be escorted off the ice by a linesman. Koharski then skated over and explained the decision to Playfair, who took his disagreement with the call to another level:

Making head coaches go crazy officially runs in the Koharski family.

For Playfair's outburst, Abbotsford was given a two-minute bench minor for "abusive language" and the head coach was given a 10-minute game misconduct. After the game, Playfair explained to the Abbotsford News his issue with the call:

"It was the wrong call by the referee," said Playfair. "I think J.D. Watt is making a play, their goaltender comes out into the (faceoff) circle, (Watt) got pushed by a defenceman and (the goaltender) went down.

"By no means did he try and run this goaltender to deserve a five minute major so I disagreed with it and that's it."

Down 2-0 to Hamilton at that point, Playfair's ejection did nothing to fire up his team as Abbotsford ended up losing 4-0. It was a heated game from the beginning with two fights in the opening 11 minutes and 69 penalty minutes total handed out.

[Asher]

My respect for Playfair just went up immensely (it couldn't have gotten any worse).

[SlowwHand]

Did you see his players that were sitting next to him? "Don't look at him. Don't draw his attention."

[notyoueither]

One!

[Asher]

What? Did the oilers clinch last overall?

[notyoueither]

Pretty well. If the Leafs gain one more point the Oilers are last no matter what.

That means that the Oilers can't be screwed by the lottery. They get a good player no matter what.

[Asher]

The Oilers will be a good team in a couple years.

I worry for the Flames now because mediocrity is the worst thing. At least if you have a bad team, you get the picks to make a great team within a few years. Teams on the bubble languish on the bubble for a long, long time.

[Sparrowhawk]

I'm reading between the lines and somewhat putting words in his mouth, but I am summarizing Asher's statement above as saying that in a few years he expects Edmonton to have a better team then Calgary.

I hope I am still around to quote his prediction and give him the for being correct.

I hope Edmonton still has a franchise when his prediction comes true.

[action=Sparrowhawk][/action]

[Asher]

Yes, I imagine Edmonton to have a better team than Calgary possibly as soon as next season, depending what happens in the off-season obviously.

Calgary has very few prospects, very few meaningful draft picks, and a roster of underperforming, aging players. It's not promising.

[SlowwHand]

Being on the bubble with any team sport means you have to be more creative; unless you just want to hope everyone else has tragedy.

[Flubber]

Yes, there's no way Hemsky could be considered injury prone, you're right. The dozen or so individual injuries, the fact that he has never completed a full season, and the 24% missed-game rate definitely indicates he is a robust, not-at-all-injury-prone player.

You have very, very low standards for player durability.

This is one argument where I can see both sides a bit . Last year 156 players played 80 games or more. Thats about 25% of the NHL wide playing roster size (30 teams x 20 players in any given game). IN 2007-2008 It was 152 at 80 games or more.

70 game cutoff?? 347 players last year and 336 the year before. So between injuries, healthy scratches, call ups etc etc slightly more than half of the playing roster size managed 70 games in a single year.


So Hemsky in playing 70 games or more in 4 of the last 5 years before this year would be generally in the top half of players on "games played" and 64 games played one year is not horrendous. He has not ranked up there as most durable or iron man before this year but injury prone would seem a bit harsh.

That said , a major surgery is always worrying. While in all likelihood this should end his shoulder issues, there are times when injuries come back despite a surgery.


Oh and I would call Hemsky an "almost" PPG type player

77 in 81 .95
53 in 64 .82
71 in 74 .96
66 in 72 .92
22 in 22 1.00


Either way, and howeevr you characterize him, I would want more than a Hemsky for a top pick