shrader Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 I thought Al did a great job of getting the puck deep in the Playoffs last year. That is something we need. And the playoffs bring out the best in most players. These guys were there last year and you better believe they they're going to kick it into high gear come playoff time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 Why so much confusion? It is a simple equation... Kotalik > Ryan :P Why so much confusion? It is a simple equation... Kotalik > Ryan :P I won't make any friends with this, but so what :) ... Just my opinion... AK POTENTIAL and experience > Ryan but in reality AK (potential) = Ryan (speed)... Both result in zero goals.. Ryan on the other hand is not rusty and puts pressure on opposing goalies in the crease and in the slot. AK skates down the ice, crosses the blue line and fires a shot at the goalie, many times unscreened, from the same spot.. That results in a stoppage of play, a chance to change defensive players or the puck being sent right back out... Ryan is oh so due... And sooner or later those cross bars are going to be kinder. I'd rather have Ryan's hustle than Alex's once in a while seeing eye goal. But its an academic discussion because he will be sent down when AK comes back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 He was a beast last year during the postseason and I expect more of the same. Would it be great to see him do his best Cam Neely impersonation, sorry if Michal Grosek comes to mind, but yes it would be nice. Is it more likely he'll play like Chris Gratton, yes but with better hands. :D The problem is that the Michael Grosek/Chris Gratton version shows up more often than the Cam Neely version. Again, like I alluded to with Kalinin, my biggest frustration is his inconsistency - he is another Sabre that has a TON of potential, but rarely puts it all together. He could be a beast along the boards and in front of the net, but more often than not, he is a one-trick pony who wants to rely on his big booming shot. I hope all the Kotalik fanboys are right, and he is a force in the playoffs. But I haven't seen enough positive play from his this year to encourage me that he'll be much of an upgrade over some of the Amerks we've seen lately... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallen627 Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 That's not an equation, it's an inequality. But it is an easy inequality. Inequality, of course. I can't believe I mixed those up. :bag: Thanks for catching that. I'm a graduate student studying English; I never have been great at math. B-) Perhaps Kotalik will be motivated by the fact that he hasn't played in a while. Maybe he will feel like he has something to prove. That is probably just wishful thinking though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 What I want to know is why is it so important to know the nature of the injury... Basically, for me... The player is hurt, and out... And will be back when healthy... Why in the heck does anybody got to know?... What purpose doe it serve them?... Explain why the people outside the club and injured player needs to know? Are we that bored in life? Sure it is great to know... But, who cares? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallen627 Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 I am not sure if this applies to hockey, but I have always heard people say that the injury report in football exists solely for gambling purposes (odds makers etc.). The theory is that the league believes it increases interest in the sport or something along those lines. I don't know if this is true, but I have never heard another argument put forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 I am not sure if this applies to hockey, but I have always heard people say that the injury report in football exists solely for gambling purposes (odds makers etc.). The theory is that the league believes it increases interest in the sport or something along those lines. I don't know if this is true, but I have never heard another argument put forward. I kinda over-looked that! That is an interesting angle and very legit... I suppose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 E, I think the biggest reason is money. As fallen mentioned, part of it is the gambling (although I don't know who is betting on the NHL in Vegas); another part is in marketing the teams and players, both locally/regionally and nationally. In markets where the whole season isn't already sold out, which teams and players are coming in town is a major draw, especially during the dog days of winter. It could also affect which games earn national broadcast status (more so in the playoffs) and affects the networks' ability to promote the players involved in national games. Another reason may be to keep the injury process as transparent as possible for the league, media and fans, given the economic nature of today's game. Since it is late, I can't come up with a better scenario, other than this: if the league was extremely lax on injury reporting (maybe even more so than now) teams could theoretically stash guys on the IR for minor ailments, thereby freeing up cap space. Of course, in that scenario the player would have to play along and not chirp to the NHLPA or the media, but I wouldn't put anything past someone like Lou "I play by my own damn rules" Lamorello... Another aspect is the credibility of the teams and league - when fans and media see player X signed for XX amount of dollars, which the team pays through the fans' ticket sales, concessions, merchandise, and then that player spends a significant amount of the season on the IR, well people want to know why he isn't able to perform his contractual duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drnkirishone Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 AK was playing pretty good before he got injured. Hopefully watching all the Amerks comeing up and playing good in his spot will give him the motivation to keep up the good play he had going Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 I won't make any friends with this, but so what :) ... Just my opinion... AK POTENTIAL and experience > Ryan but in reality AK (potential) = Ryan (speed)... Both result in zero goals.. Ryan on the other hand is not rusty and puts pressure on opposing goalies in the crease and in the slot. AK skates down the ice, crosses the blue line and fires a shot at the goalie, many times unscreened, from the same spot.. That results in a stoppage of play, a chance to change defensive players or the puck being sent right back out... Ryan is oh so due... And sooner or later those cross bars are going to be kinder. I'd rather have Ryan's hustle than Alex's once in a while seeing eye goal. But its an academic discussion because he will be sent down when AK comes back. Are you serious with this? Kotalik has a cannon for a shot and is strong along the boards. Ryan did a nice job filling in and he'll be on the roster permanently next season. A healthy Kotalik is far better than a healthy Ryan at this point in their careers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 E, I think the biggest reason is money. As fallen mentioned, part of it is the gambling (although I don't know who is betting on the NHL in Vegas); another part is in marketing the teams and players, both locally/regionally and nationally. In markets where the whole season isn't already sold out, which teams and players are coming in town is a major draw, especially during the dog days of winter. It could also affect which games earn national broadcast status (more so in the playoffs) and affects the networks' ability to promote the players involved in national games. Another reason may be to keep the injury process as transparent as possible for the league, media and fans, given the economic nature of today's game. Since it is late, I can't come up with a better scenario, other than this: if the league was extremely lax on injury reporting (maybe even more so than now) teams could theoretically stash guys on the IR for minor ailments, thereby freeing up cap space. Of course, in that scenario the player would have to play along and not chirp to the NHLPA or the media, but I wouldn't put anything past someone like Lou "I play by my own damn rules" Lamorello... Another aspect is the credibility of the teams and league - when fans and media see player X signed for XX amount of dollars, which the team pays through the fans' ticket sales, concessions, merchandise, and then that player spends a significant amount of the season on the IR, well people want to know why he isn't able to perform his contractual duties. Theoretically that would work, provided the player is placed on the BLTI-IR list (10 games / 24 days out) AND if anyone (namely other teams, the league office, or the NHLPA) challenges the injury, the player is examined by Dr's chosen by the league, not the team. Teams don't get cap relief for players on "normal" IR, they just get roster space relief (i.e., they can have more than 23 players on the NHL team provided the team's salary won't project over the cap). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddieshack Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 OK, I might be jumping the gun here if the News article was a typo or Graham got some bad info. or whatever. But the comment applies in general. Ruff should just come out and tell the fans he is not going to be truthful about what injuries players have and how long they will be out. Tell us that's the way it has to be, explain why (which is what drives me batty), say he's sorry and tell the fans we just have to take one for the team. Lindy has always been vague and mysterious when it comes to injuries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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