Rambling about Brad Marchand, Team North America, Derrick Pouliot and more …

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Last Fantasy Guide update was Saturday. I also updated the Draft List. Updates start coming fast and furious (daily or even multiple times per day) when camp opens and there are lots of changes.

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It looks like my fears expressed in last Wednesday’s Ramblings were completely unfounded. These players are giving their all! I’ve caught three pre-tourney games so far and I don’t think anyone can argue the enthusiasm of Team North America or the physicality of Team USA. And whether USA’s tough brand of hockey brought Team Canada up from ‘not caring’ to ‘caring’ – or if Team Canada was already taking things seriously, the fact is that they do care now and the reason doesn’t matter.

I haven’t tuned into any games involving the European teams yet (other than Team Europe vs. TNA) so I can’t speak to those guys yet, but I can only assume the level of caring is similar.

Honestly though, when I see stuff like this I become 100 times more vested. I’m right in this thing now. Nobody else dropped out from an “injury” and every player on the ice is giving his all. Anyway, if they care this much – even those players not playing for an actual country – then perhaps this tournament format will work after all.

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So after watching the pre-tournament games, how is my $100 wager on Team North America looking?

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From now on, instead of saying “Oh my God!” or “Great Scott!” or whatever, I think we should all say “By Thornton’s beard!”

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The World Cup ‘actually’ begins on Saturday, September 17. Sweden’s final pretournament game is Wednesday against Team Europe and they have a couple of players who may not be able to play. Rickard Rakell and Marcus Kruger may have to be replaced, but both are getting close. Teams can replace an injured player up until Friday.

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Do you think that sometimes an average player plays with an elite player he becomes a better player, and that sudden influx of hidden talent seems to stay with the average player even when he’s no longer playing with the elite guy? I do. I’ve seen it a lot over the years with players of varying degrees of skill. A 30-point guy plays with a superstar for a year or two and is a 55-point guy, and when he stops playing with the superstar (perhaps one was traded, or whatever) and he’s a 40- or 45-point guy. Or a 50-point guy plays with a superstar and becomes a 75-point guy, and afterwards he’s a 65-point guy even without the superstar. It’s because he’s treated differently. The coach treats him like that star scorer even without his superstar linemate. He’s given more situations ideal for scoring.

Anyway, the point is – we all saw how Brad Marchand scored 37 goals last season. And almost to a person, we believe that he will take a step back this year. Regress. Expectations are 55 points, perhaps 50. But now I’m starting to wonder. Not only is he coming off the high of scoring 37 goals – which by the way is more than any other player on Team Canada scored – but now he’s playing with Sidney Crosby and Patrice Bergeron. This does a couple of things. First, it further solidifies the chemistry and bond he has with Bergeron. And being the permanent linemate of your team’s best player is always a good thing. Second, it has to do wonders for his state of mind. His focus will be less on agitating and more on scoring. Just a subtle shift in his psyche compounded on his already high confidence of scoring 37 times in a season. Last year he took 35% more shots than he’s ever taken in a season. And his ice time went up by a full minute per game over his career high. His bond with Bergeron will see to it that the latter happens again (or more) and his shifted psyche will see to it that the former happens again too.

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So if the Oilers already have:

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Lucic – McDavid – Eberle

Pouliot – Draisaitl – Puljujarvi

Maroon – Nugent-Hopkins – Yakupov

Hendricks – Letestu – Kassian – with Lander extra

How can Kris Versteeg make the team? Well, he could play well enough that the Oilers can decide to put Jesse Puljujarvi in the AHL. Stupid? Puljujarvi is NHL-ready? Well that doesn’t matter and you know it. Over the years hundreds of players are NHL-ready and are sent down. In fact, hundreds of players would have not only belonged on the NHL team in question, but they would have been one of the five or six best forwards on that team. And they were still sent down. Doubly so during the cap era. I’m not saying Puljujarvi will be sent down. I don’t believe he will. I’m saying that I won’t fall out of my chair if he does – especially if Versteeg has a great training camp and earns a contract.

Another option – healthy scratches. Both Maroon and Kassian have had their share over the last couple of years. And if the roster remains healthy after a few weeks and constant healthy scratches are starting to do more harm than good – then you’d look for a trade (i.e. Yakupov). But if Versteeg has a strong camp then the team will find a way.

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Things are getting very serious for Montreal prospect Martin Reway. We knew that he was hospitalized with a virus (announced last week), but he has now been moved to the intensive care unit of the department of pneumology and phthisiology. No further details have been given, but the term “phthisiology” is the care and treatment of tuberculosis of the lung. Pneumology is synonymous with respiratory or chest medicine. My thoughts and best wishes go to Reway and his family.

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I’ve written here a couple of times about Derrick Pouliot’s offseason, but I didn’t know that he was training under Gary Roberts (or else I knew and just forgot). Anyway, I own him in one of my three keeper leagues and I’m quite happy to hear about how hard he’s working and how much he cares about his fitness level and diet. He doesn’t have a spot on the roster right now – he has to earn one. This is a great first step.

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7 Comments

Rick Roos 2016-09-12 at 04:58Log in to Reply

Not bad with the Thorntonism, but I still prefer “Great Odin’s Raven!” ala Anchorman. As for Pouliot – Biosteel is so 2010……
Allan Phillips 2016-09-12 at 07:10Log in to Reply

LOL, all Thornton needs is an eyepatch and some big horns on his helmet, and he could pass for Almighty Odin. Maybe a raven to sit on his shoulder.
Striker 2016-09-12 at 07:37Log in to Reply

Agreed. If Versteeg shows well, room can always be made. I was just curious as to how others see it playing out.

Waive a player or 2, Hendricks, Letestu, Lander, Pakarinen, etc. Losing any of these players if even selected wouldn’t be devastating & no guarantee any would be selected. Send Paarjarvi down briefly until injuries start to hit either for the Oilers or others until a trade can be found, what have you.

As you say & we should all know, the business side of hockey comes into play with player personal decisions all the time. The 10 game mark for activating the 1st year of a rookies contract; numerous get to 9 & are sent down, the 25 game mark for rookie eligibility, the 40 game mark for when a players UFA status can be achieved & of course waiver issues, who can & can not be waived. Some teams hold players back to control contracts of players coming out of their ELC’s, no 1 more than Detroit but there are a few others that maximize player development both in Major Jr & the minors or rebuilding teams who send players down even though they were ready to move up but their rebuilds didn’t justify doing so, see Arizona with Domi, Strome, etc.
- Dobber 2016-09-12 at 07:47Log in to Reply
  
  I find a lot of the time – more often than not – an injury happens in the roster and the situation solves itself. If I had to bet 10 bucks, that’s probably the best place to put the money.
  - Striker 2016-09-12 at 08:11Log in to Reply
    
    Totally agree & with Edm’s cap space they have a ton of flexibity. I’m just surprised Versteeg choose Edm just from a personal perception. The opportunity to play appears far greater with several other teams & there by the potential salary as I assume a team would pay more for Versteeg if he was going to play a higher line placement role?
    - Mark 2016-09-12 at 14:49Log in to Reply
      
      Chicago, Anaheim, and LA could use Versteeg given their lack of depth at forward. I doubt he signs with Edmonton. I bet the PTO is s a way to prove that he is still good enough to be signed by another team. That being said, Versteeg would be an experienced player to have on the 3rd or 4th line and he could fill in for an injured 2nd liner.
Happyspleen 2016-09-12 at 11:40Log in to Reply

I think there’s one additional factor in the increase of a players’ production after playing with great linemates – they learn. Great players like Crosby or Bergeron or Thornton think the game at a different level, and if the player has some hockey sense to begin with, they can absorb at least some of what the great players can teach.

As someone who has played with vastly superior players (in other sports), you learn just a little bit about how they see the game and therefore where to find space so they can find you. You learn a little bit about how to manipulate defences to open space for yourself. You learn how to exploit smaller holes and even anticipate when and where those holes will develop. I guarantee that if anyone plays with better players for a length of time, you improve just by being there.

Unless you’re Devin Setoguchi, in which case you just put your stick on the ice and assume Thornton will bank it into the net.

UPCOMING GAMES

Dec 27 - 19:12	DET	vs	TOR
Dec 27 - 19:12	BUF	vs	CHI
Dec 27 - 19:12	CBJ	vs	BOS
Dec 27 - 19:12	N.J	vs	CAR
Dec 27 - 20:12	DAL	vs	MIN
Dec 27 - 20:12	STL	vs	NSH
Dec 27 - 21:12	UTA	vs	COL
Dec 27 - 22:12	S.J	vs	VGK