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Forums :: Blog World :: Sam Hitchcock: Can Bolts Address Big Issues?
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Sam Hitchcock
Joined: 10.13.2017

Oct 13 @ 3:54 PM ET
Sam Hitchcock: Can Bolts Address Big Issues?
VeryModernMan
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Munich
Joined: 06.06.2017

Oct 13 @ 4:16 PM ET
Nice writting Sam, hope Bolts understand that skill shines just with working ethic and passion... regular season is not so important, but they must understand till April.
GalacticStone
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: U Jealous of my Meteor
Joined: 01.29.2013

Oct 13 @ 5:37 PM ET
The Bolts biggest issue : Cooper.

Put him on notice. Learn how to adjust or start putting together your resume.
leafluver27
Toronto Maple Leafs
Joined: 07.20.2012

Oct 13 @ 7:19 PM ET
The Bolts biggest issue : Cooper.

Put him on notice. Learn how to adjust or start putting together your resume.

- GalacticStone

Leafs need a coach who does not hang his players out in public. Bolts need a kick in the pants. Make the trade, coach for coach?
MartysBetter88
New Jersey Devils
Location: 94Nevermore, NJ
Joined: 07.01.2010

Oct 13 @ 7:34 PM ET
bolts don't have big issues.. the Devils have big issues.
kaptaan
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Turning a new Leaf, CA
Joined: 09.29.2010

Oct 14 @ 4:52 AM ET
bolts don't have big issues.. the Devils have big issues.
- MartysBetter88

They both are in trouble atm.
GalacticStone
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: U Jealous of my Meteor
Joined: 01.29.2013

Oct 14 @ 6:49 AM ET
Leafs need a coach who does not hang his players out in public. Bolts need a kick in the pants. Make the trade, coach for coach?
- leafluver27

In the past, I would pull the trigger on that trade in a heartbeat. Now, I am not so sure. I'm not nearly as big on Babcock as I used to be.
leafluver27
Toronto Maple Leafs
Joined: 07.20.2012

Oct 14 @ 8:05 AM ET
In the past, I would pull the trigger on that trade in a heartbeat. Now, I am not so sure. I'm not nearly as big on Babcock as I used to be.
- GalacticStone

Was said with a wink lol. Trotz n Q were perfect for bolts and JBB and Yzerman dropped the ball big time.
Cloud
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: Stockholm
Joined: 06.20.2012

Oct 14 @ 9:33 AM ET
Was said with a wink lol. Trotz n Q were perfect for bolts and JBB and Yzerman dropped the ball big time.
- leafluver27


A year ago, I thought Cooper where on thin ice. That we atleast would have to win the conference for him to be secure for another year. Then we had a record-breaking regular season and he was extended in march.

Its hard to let a coach go who set that record. The only thing that would warrant that would be a losing sweep in the first round. Whoops..

I dont put to much weight on the results so far. My opinion on Cooper is uneffected. At this point with Coop, all that matters is the results in the post-season.

We had a chance to get Quenneville after the disaster against Columbus. To get a established 3-time SC winner would not have been questioned. To sack Cooper now, with no real other alternatives, would be a disaster for JBB.

GalacticStone
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: U Jealous of my Meteor
Joined: 01.29.2013

Oct 14 @ 10:48 AM ET
Yeah, it's easy to bash Cooper, but the problem goes deeper than Cooper. In some ways, it's a good problem to have - too much skill.

Yzerman made no secret about his drafting strategy from the moment he first walked in the door. Skill was number one and it overruled almost all else - size, "grit", consensus rankings, etc. After years of doing this, it has produced some real gems like Brayden Point. But, it has also produced a team of really small players with good hands and vision. That's great for most things.

It's not great for the playoffs and it's not great against teams that have figured out your playing style, set plays, systems, coverages, etc. The writing is on the locker room wall - to beat the Lighting, disrupt their breakout and bottle up the neutral zone. Cooper's part is that he has no adjustments for this. He is not a chess player, nor is he a battlefield general.

But, even a chess player or a better coach might have trouble coaxing a Cup out of this roster. All skill and no size or physicality. Even Hedman isn't really physical for a big-ass towering Viking.

Well, the Bolts better figure it out.
leafluver27
Toronto Maple Leafs
Joined: 07.20.2012

Oct 14 @ 11:36 AM ET
Yeah, it's easy to bash Cooper, but the problem goes deeper than Cooper. In some ways, it's a good problem to have - too much skill.

Yzerman made no secret about his drafting strategy from the moment he first walked in the door. Skill was number one and it overruled almost all else - size, "grit", consensus rankings, etc. After years of doing this, it has produced some real gems like Brayden Point. But, it has also produced a team of really small players with good hands and vision. That's great for most things.

It's not great for the playoffs and it's not great against teams that have figured out your playing style, set plays, systems, coverages, etc. The writing is on the locker room wall - to beat the Lighting, disrupt their breakout and bottle up the neutral zone. Cooper's part is that he has no adjustments for this. He is not a chess player, nor is he a battlefield general.

But, even a chess player or a better coach might have trouble coaxing a Cup out of this roster. All skill and no size or physicality. Even Hedman isn't really physical for a big-ass towering Viking.

Well, the Bolts better figure it out.

- GalacticStone

I disagree. Skill on the D is poor. Like I said worst since 2014. Skill up and down the lineup isn’t there on D.

As for Yzerman I think he made the Kucherov and Point picks and yes they have been fruitful. But they weren’t such unheralded players. They both had great junior careers and junior tournament results. They were small. They weren’t shocking picks that no one heard of.

But Yzermans first round picks were anything but stellar. Brett Connolly, Namestnikov, Koekkoek, DeAngelo and picking Drouin instead of Seth Jones will haunt this team for awhile.

Yzerman is a bit overrated in my book. His regime was not the circus that Koules and Barrie were but he’s definitely overrated. Hope he does the same in Detroit lol
Kucherovski
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: FL
Joined: 07.22.2015

Oct 14 @ 1:18 PM ET
The big issue is effort, from guys like Serg and Kucherov. They are not going anywhere so no matter what coach you put behind the bench they will play how they want to play, unless you get a coach to sit them. Who wants to sit Kucherov when he has the ability to produce offense at any moment? Nobody so then what else do you do to get him to work hard and care about the TEAM not the man?

One issue is the leadership I think. Stamkos will work, Stamkos will play hard but that's just one person. There are too many that will not and then others who will see that and not care. As much as people hated them guys like Callahan and Girardi were there for that reason, to work hard for the team and to be in the room calling guys out who were not working for the team. Maroon was brought in for that I think but he's been here for a few months.

My opinion it's not a skill issue, a coach issue, it's a player issue. They care about their stats and themselves before the team and their egos are too big.
GalacticStone
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: U Jealous of my Meteor
Joined: 01.29.2013

Oct 14 @ 2:24 PM ET
I disagree. Skill on the D is poor. Like I said worst since 2014. Skill up and down the lineup isn’t there on D.

As for Yzerman I think he made the Kucherov and Point picks and yes they have been fruitful. But they weren’t such unheralded players. They both had great junior careers and junior tournament results. They were small. They weren’t shocking picks that no one heard of.

But Yzermans first round picks were anything but stellar. Brett Connolly, Namestnikov, Koekkoek, DeAngelo and picking Drouin instead of Seth Jones will haunt this team for awhile.

Yzerman is a bit overrated in my book. His regime was not the circus that Koules and Barrie were but he’s definitely overrated. Hope he does the same in Detroit lol

- leafluver27

I agree that his drafting and overall management was overrated. Leagues better than what Tampa had in the past and the bar was set pretty low. Nonetheless, he did right the ship and deserves credit for that.

His proclivity to draft skill above all else is shown with the Drouin trade. As you said, that decision has not aged well. There are other examples. He has found some nice quiet steals, like Palat, but a lot of stinkers as well.
GalacticStone
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: U Jealous of my Meteor
Joined: 01.29.2013

Oct 14 @ 2:29 PM ET
The big issue is effort, from guys like Serg and Kucherov. They are not going anywhere so no matter what coach you put behind the bench they will play how they want to play, unless you get a coach to sit them. Who wants to sit Kucherov when he has the ability to produce offense at any moment? Nobody so then what else do you do to get him to work hard and care about the TEAM not the man?

One issue is the leadership I think. Stamkos will work, Stamkos will play hard but that's just one person. There are too many that will not and then others who will see that and not care. As much as people hated them guys like Callahan and Girardi were there for that reason, to work hard for the team and to be in the room calling guys out who were not working for the team. Maroon was brought in for that I think but he's been here for a few months.

My opinion it's not a skill issue, a coach issue, it's a player issue. They care about their stats and themselves before the team and their egos are too big.

- Kucherovski


It does seem to reinforce the old stereotype that Russian players can be "enigmatic" - which is usually a diplomatic way of saying selfish or unmotivated. I think Kuch has matured some, but Sergachev still has some growing up to do. There does seem to be something lacking on this roster and it's hard to simply say it's grit or sandpaper. Is it entitlement? Is it laziness? Are some players just not focused on winning a Cup and are satisfied with just playing and getting a fat contract? Maybe a combination of those topped with a dallop of weak coaching and lack of leadership.

andrest
Montreal Canadiens
Joined: 10.15.2007

Oct 14 @ 2:59 PM ET
The secret to drafting is to have alot of picks! You're bound to make mistakes but the more kicks at the can you have the greater the chances to draft an NHL player. Sergachev is still only 21 years old and should sign to a fairly reasonable RFA contract next summer. Be patient with him.... you'll need a cheap contract next year. Tampa has roughly 7.3 million available for 9 roster spots next year. Expect a trade of a forward (Gourde, Johnson or Killorn) to have cap room. You guys have 9 picks next year and 2 first rounders.
leafluver27
Toronto Maple Leafs
Joined: 07.20.2012

Oct 14 @ 3:40 PM ET
It does seem to reinforce the old stereotype that Russian players can be "enigmatic" - which is usually a diplomatic way of saying selfish or unmotivated. I think Kuch has matured some, but Sergachev still has some growing up to do. There does seem to be something lacking on this roster and it's hard to simply say it's grit or sandpaper. Is it entitlement? Is it laziness? Are some players just not focused on winning a Cup and are satisfied with just playing and getting a fat contract? Maybe a combination of those topped with a dallop of weak coaching and lack of leadership.
- GalacticStone

Russians are selfish? What part of Russia is Stammer from?
GalacticStone
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: U Jealous of my Meteor
Joined: 01.29.2013

Oct 14 @ 5:24 PM ET
Russians are selfish? What part of Russia is Stammer from?
- leafluver27

He's from a little town in Siberia called "Failtoshowupintheplayoffs-ingrad"

VeryModernMan
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Munich
Joined: 06.06.2017

Oct 14 @ 5:27 PM ET
He's from a little town in Siberia called "Failtoshowupintheplayoffs-ingrad"
- GalacticStone


, exactly the Point!
leafluver27
Toronto Maple Leafs
Joined: 07.20.2012

Oct 14 @ 6:36 PM ET
He's from a little town in Siberia called "Failtoshowupintheplayoffs-ingrad"
- GalacticStone

Nice!