Some good discussion here about timelines and how you have to build through the draft and develop players to get a Stanley Cup. But when you look at Cup champions you see the same things on all the teams.
They all have 4 good lines with players with diverse skill sets and roles. All of them have a good goaltender who is mentally tough. A #1 shutdown D man is in there. A Lidstrom or Hedman helps. They all seem to have a combination of veterans who’ve won a Cup before playing alongside hungry younger players who haven’t a Cup. Then you need a role player who plays far above his standard or a couple of role players who play substantially above standard. It helps if your goaltender stands on his head. Of course, you have be healthy. It ain’t easy with only one winner.
Location: Not protected by the Mods...I mean Mob. Take your best shot! Joined: 09.01.2012
Dec 7 @ 3:32 PM ET
Is Cutter Gauthier playing center or wing currently? As great as it sounds for him to develop as a center, I’m not getting my hopes too high. I mean I’ve seen Jamie Benn be one of the rare great developed wingers play center and do well for a stretch. I’d like to draft a highly skilled natural center.
Maybe he is not in shape due to inactivity?
Guessing he had concussion or similar.. - Joe Nardone
That's what I thought last week but he has been practicing for some time. Medically cleared late last week. JVR just got cleared and he's in the line-up tonight. If it was concussion, don't think he would have been cleared.
I am not one to judge players sitting if they're hurt. It doesn't seem like Cam is hurt (at least according to whoever cleared him medically) and he has been skating and practicing.
Is Cutter Gauthier playing center or wing currently? As great as it sounds for him to develop as a center, I’m not getting my hope too high. I mean I’ve seen Jamie Benn be one of the rare great developed wingers play center and do well for a stretch. I’d like to draft a highly skilled natural center. - SuperSchennBros
The funny thing about Benn is that he was projected to be a solid 3rd liner. Then he had an insane scoring run during the WHL playoffs. The rest is history.
Is Cutter Gauthier playing center or wing currently? As great as it sounds for him to develop as a center, I’m not getting my hope too high. I mean I’ve seen Jamie Benn be one of the rare great developed wingers play center and do well for a stretch. I’d like to draft a highly skilled natural center. - SuperSchennBros
He's been at center except for one game this season.
Location: Not protected by the Mods...I mean Mob. Take your best shot! Joined: 09.01.2012
Dec 7 @ 3:58 PM ET
Some of these stories on Nasty Knuckles are absolute gems. The Keith Jones story with the switching roles with his coach is great! I just stumbled on to the Nikolai Zherdev sleeping on the bench story, that’s a great one!
It’s good to know Zherdev wasn’t hated in the dressing room. In fact Richards loved playing with him. Sad to hear that it was a Lavi thing. Just another coach too proud to play a guy.
Location: Dementia Patient in the White House, DC, PA Joined: 03.20.2020
Dec 7 @ 4:02 PM ET
Some of these stories on Nasty Knuckles are absolute gems. The Keith Jones story with the switching roles with his coach is great! I just stumbled on to the Nikolai Zherdev sleeping on the bench story, that’s a great one!
It’s good to know Zherdev wasn’t hated in the dressing room. In fact Richards loved playing him. Sad to hear that it was a Lavi thing. Just another coach too proud to play a guy. - SuperSchennBros
Nasty Knuckles is a standard in my weekly podcast routine. It's actually very funny.
That's what I thought last week but he has been practicing for some time. Medically cleared late last week. JVR just got cleared and he's in the line-up tonight. If it was concussion, don't think he would have been cleared.
I am not one to judge players sitting if they're hurt. It doesn't seem like Cam is hurt (at least according to whoever cleared him medically) and he has been skating and practicing.
Something stinks. - cdearth23
Here is the difference. JVR had a broken finger. For him it's getting clearance and whether he can effectively grip a stick and shoot and pass the puck. By reports, Atkinson's issue was a shoulder issue. For him it's about building up enough strength especially for puck battles. That has to be done in practice. He may be medically cleared but until he builds up enough strength in that shoulder, he won't play. JVR's injury was simpler and an easier rehab.
Some of these stories on Nasty Knuckles are absolute gems. The Keith Jones story with the switching roles with his coach is great! I just stumbled on to the Nikolai Zherdev sleeping on the bench story, that’s a great one!
It’s good to know Zherdev wasn’t hated in the dressing room. In fact Richards loved playing him. Sad to hear that it was a Lavi thing. Just another coach too proud to play a guy. - SuperSchennBros
For what it's worth I liked zherdev while he was here and I didn't understand why he got treated the way he did by both the fans and the coach
Location: Not protected by the Mods...I mean Mob. Take your best shot! Joined: 09.01.2012
Dec 7 @ 5:05 PM ET
For what it's worth I liked zherdev while he was here and I didn't understand why he got treated the way he did by both the fans and the coach - Bob Habib
I remember being on these boards and fans on here in their own fanly way not liking Zherdev. Lavi is my all time favorite Flyers coach but I think the way Lavi played him, became fan reaction. According to the story, Richards loved having him on his line and I guess the numbers showed that Zherdev scored the most based on the ice time received. It used to drive Lavi nuts the rare times he gave Zherdev ice time that he would score.
I remember being on these boards and fans on here in their own fanly way not liking Zherdev. Lavi is my all time favorite Flyers coach but I think the way Lavi played him, became fan reaction. According to the story, Richards loved having him on his line and I guess the numbers showed that Zherdev scored the most based on the ice time received. It used to drive Lavi nuts the rare times he gave Zherdev ice time that he would score. - SuperSchennBros
What I remember most about lavi was him punching ville leino in the head/helmet after a bad shift that he had
Lavi was solid for a year or two but I also remember him not being able to adjust his system to meet an opposing team system that would run through the flyers
For what it's worth I liked zherdev while he was here and I didn't understand why he got treated the way he did by both the fans and the coach - Bob Habib
Zherdev was an absolutely awful player here. He simply didn't want to play.