What Are You Thoughts On Norris?

[OrangeSeatVertigo]

rock star

[Scottysabres]

[...]

He could be the next Pat LaFontaine. He could be the next Luke Adam.

We need, like, 20 games straight before exploring this question with any substance.

IMHO, of course.

[Weave]

Sample size too small.

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Meh.

Is your nickname Mr. Sunshine? 🤣

[JohnC]

He's really fast and has good hands. He's a genuine one or two C. I would rather have Tage be either the first or second C on another line. 

[SABRES 0311]

Only has two goals. Trade him 😂 

[#freejame]

6 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

He has one specific issue, health/availability.

He's a 1st line talent with Tim Connolly's reliability (Connolly in my opinion could of been a superstar with his skill, I don't see Norris being Connolly level)  

This isn’t directed at you, but there’s a whole lot more Tim Connolly supporters now than he ever had when he was playing here. 

4 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Given his history and how skinny he looks, it seems impossible that he would stay healthy through a regular season and especially those extra games after the regular season that some other teams get to play in.

Kyle Connor called him a power forward last night and I couldn’t square that with the fact he’s a bean pole. Maybe he’s got the jam, but he definitely looks thin out there. 

[#freejame]

2 hours ago, ... said:

He could be the next Pat LaFontaine. He could be the next Luke Adam.

We need, like, 20 games straight before exploring this question with any substance.

IMHO, of course.

He better watch himself around Lindy

[kas23]

I think Norris has already established himself in terms of skill. Let’s not pretend we still need to worry that about compared to the elephant in the room. 

[thewookie1]

47 minutes ago, #freejame said:

This isn’t directed at you, but there’s a whole lot more Tim Connolly supporters now than he ever had when he was playing here. 

Kyle Connor called him a power forward last night and I couldn’t square that with the fact he’s a bean pole. Maybe he’s got the jam, but he definitely looks thin out there. 

hindsight is 20/20

[Flashsabre]

[LGR4GM]

12 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Interesting. Ik cozens has only 4 ev goals this yr but didn't realize it's only 1 over the last month. 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Interesting. Ik cozens has only 4 ev goals this yr but didn't realize it's only 1 over the last month. 

The comparison is meaningless. Ottawa didn't think Cozens was going to be as good as Norris. They traded for a guy they thought could play regularly rather than a guy who is always on IR. Nobody has ever doubted Norris' talent, it's always about his ability to stay healthy and still is. 

[steveoath]

Healthy Norris pushes players into the roles they are most suited for. If he stays healthy they can go on a run. He has to stay healthy though. Then get him on the Sammy plan over the summer.  

[Taro T]

So, we now have nearly 4 games of Norris and all of them have been with Thompson on his wing.  They were great in the 1 adrenaline game and have been bad in the other 3.  When things were going well prior to Norris getting back in the lineup, Ruff had said he saw Thompson as his 1C and Norris as the 2C.  Realize the sample size of them together has been very small, but this team has played its way into not having the luxury of letting the 1st line have 10 or so games to find itself and gel.  So, IMHO (and likely most people's here) the time has come for Ruff to break those 2 up.

Thompson and Tuch show a lot of chemistry with each other.  Doan has played with Tuch a lot and has reasonable chemistry with him.  IMHO there's your 1st line.

Norris and Benson should have chemistry together.  And, in the adrenaline game they did.  (But pretty sure Norris would've had chemistry with people from here that day.)  What winger to give them?  Options are Zucker, Quinn, Östlund (yeah he's a C, he can slide), and Greenway.  Personally am giving them Zucker as he's the best of the bunch.

Now, who to play on McLeod's line?  For now, would give him Östlund and Greenway or maybe see what Kozak gives you at W.  Actually would like to see what Kozak gives at W.  Don't want Quinn on this line as am planning on using it predominantly as a checking line and Quinn doesn't fit that bill.  That McLeod and Östlund can contribute some O would be enough in that department, at least on an initial looksee at what we have.

Which would leave Krebs and Malenstyn wtih either Greenway, Quinn, or Dunne.  Give it to Greenway when he's available and Dunne when he isn't.  Quinn hasn't really played his way out of a job, but last few games he hasn't exactly played his way into one either.

 

Doan - Thompson - Tuch

Benson - Norris - Zucker

Östlund - McLeod - Kozak

Greenway/Dunne - Krebs - Malenstyn

[Pimlach]

28 minutes ago, Taro T said:

So, we now have nearly 4 games of Norris and all of them have been with Thompson on his wing.  They were great in the 1 adrenaline game and have been bad in the other 3.  When things were going well prior to Norris getting back in the lineup, Ruff had said he saw Thompson as his 1C and Norris as the 2C.  Realize the sample size of them together has been very small, but this team has played its way into not having the luxury of letting the 1st line have 10 or so games to find itself and gel.  So, IMHO (and likely most people's here) the time has come for Ruff to break those 2 up.

Thompson and Tuch show a lot of chemistry with each other.  Doan has played with Tuch a lot and has reasonable chemistry with him.  IMHO there's your 1st line.

Norris and Benson should have chemistry together.  And, in the adrenaline game they did.  (But pretty sure Norris would've had chemistry with people from here that day.)  What winger to give them?  Options are Zucker, Quinn, Östlund (yeah he's a C, he can slide), and Greenway.  Personally am giving them Zucker as he's the best of the bunch.

Now, who to play on McLeod's line?  For now, would give him Östlund and Greenway or maybe see what Kozak gives you at W.  Actually would like to see what Kozak gives at W.  Don't want Quinn on this line as am planning on using it predominantly as a checking line and Quinn doesn't fit that bill.  That McLeod and Östlund can contribute some O would be enough in that department, at least on an initial looksee at what we have.

Which would leave Krebs and Malenstyn wtih either Greenway, Quinn, or Dunne.  Give it to Greenway when he's available and Dunne when he isn't.  Quinn hasn't really played his way out of a job, but last few games he hasn't exactly played his way into one either.

 

Doan - Thompson - Tuch

Benson - Norris - Zucker

Östlund - McLeod - Kozak

Greenway/Dunne - Krebs - Malenstyn

You still do not have a shut down line on that 3rd line.   Put Quinn back in and they can contribute on the score sheet. 

 

Doan - Thompson - Tuch

Benson - Norris - Zucker

Östlund - McLeod - Quinn

Greenway/Dunne - Kozak/Krebs - Malenstyn

 

The fourth line with Kozak at center was a good shut down line until he got hurt.  

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

You still do not have a shut down line on that 3rd line.   Put Quinn back in and they can contribute on the score sheet. 

 

Doan - Thompson - Tuch

Benson - Norris - Zucker

Östlund - McLeod - Quinn

Greenway/Dunne - Kozak/Krebs - Malenstyn

 

The fourth line with Kozak at center was a good shut down line until he got hurt.  

Maybe they slide Benson to the 1st line, Quinn to the 2nd, and Doan to the 3rd in that scenario.  Don't want Quinn out there with the rookie.  The rookie has good hockey sense and is decent in his own end.  Quinn, um, does not.

And didn't say that McLeod line would be a shutdown line.  Intentionally said checking line.  They'll try and do a reasonable job of it, but they'll face top lines sometimes and will get beat in those situations; but don't expect they'd get their brains pounded in.  And not sure that I'd agree that the 4th line in your version was a true shut down line either.

[SabreFinn]

My taughts are that we next year will get the same from Östlund but for less money and with more games played. It is a horrible contract and Norris should be traded. We could extend Östlund,  bring in another solid veteran and still have an extra million to next seasons contract extensions (Benson, Tuch) for the same money we pay Norris.

[thewookie1]

Norris is fine but Tage needs to have his own line; Tage plays much looser as a center because he isn't being jammed into the boards while stickhandling.