Where Does Risto End Up?

[LGR4GM]

8 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Pencil Dahlin into 2nd pairing to start the year and be really happy when he steps up beyond that role.  McCabe can play with Montour to start the year as the "top pairing" getting the tougher match ups (but essentially same minutes as Dahlin -  Miller).  Once Rasmus is ready to step up (likely around a December time frame) make that switch and increase husband Montour's minutes slightly.

He'll be their best defenceman.  No need to force it.  Kid is still only 19.  He still is getting stronger, but definitely wore down last year.  Giving him Risto usage is a solid way to make sure he wouldn't be ready for a playoff run (should that be in the cards).

I think his point production increased in March compared to prior.

[LGR4GM]

LTIR question, taking Callahan even if he is on LTIR still helps Tampa cap wise correct? Isn't the way LTIR gets calculated still a small hindrance to them? 

[Taro T]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

I think his point production increased in March compared to prior.

It may have.  His defensive zone play and play vs odd man rushes definitely took a dip in the latter stages of the season. 

Also, Ristolainen missed a few games in March and he took that more prominent role at the top of the umbrella on the PP while he was out which may account for the increased production.

[dudacek]

 

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

LTIR question, taking Callahan even if he is on LTIR still helps Tampa cap wise correct? Isn't the way LTIR gets calculated still a small hindrance to them? 

I’ll defer to @Taro T, but I believe they have to be cap compliant with him in the roster before they put him on IR so it requires some juggling and does handicap them on opening day.

[Randall Flagg]

7 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Worrying about how they can limp along on defense with injuries is moot if there's no one on offense scoring goals.

I already think our defense last year was better than it appeared, but was hindered by the forwards. And our defense got a fair bit better these last couple months.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

It may have.  His defensive zone play and play vs odd man rushes definitely took a dip in the latter stages of the season. 

Also, Ristolainen missed a few games in March and he took that more prominent role at the top of the umbrella on the PP while he was out which may account for the increased production.

Probably. I think a full offseason training for Dahlin will do wonders for him. He's going to be bigger, stronger, faster, and have better balance. It should be very exciting to see. 

[darksabre]

1 minute ago, Randall Flagg said:

I already think our defense last year was better than it appeared, but was hindered by the forwards. And our defense got a fair bit better these last couple months.

I agree. So many of our defensive problems aren't actually the defense's fault, especially when you look around the league and see all the teams running plugs on their D with no problem because their forwards can do ***** like possess the puck.

[Randall Flagg]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Probably. I think a full offseason training for Dahlin will do wonders for him. He's going to be bigger, stronger, faster, and have better balance. It should be very exciting to see. 

Detective time - his instagram story working out with Risto showed Risto doing squats. Usually when guys work out together, they are doing the same things - wouldn't make sense for Dahlin to be focusing on traps and shoulders while Risto hit legs. 

Therefore, Dahlin's first step will gain the needed explosiveness that was lacking his rookie year.

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I agree. So many of our defensive problems aren't actually the defense's fault, especially when you look around the league and see all the teams running plugs on their D with no problem because their forwards can do ***** like possess the puck.

Housley and the forwards all contributed to the defense being screwed. Any forecheck completely destroyed our breakout unless you had a Dahlin to make that forechecker miss and start the breakout. Not a lot of support. 

[WildCard]

Doesn't help the Hutton and Ulmark fell off a cliff 

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Detective time - his instagram story working out with Risto showed Risto doing squats. Usually when guys work out together, they are doing the same things - wouldn't make sense for Dahlin to be focusing on traps and shoulders while Risto hit legs. 

Therefore, Dahlin's first step will gain the needed explosiveness that was lacking his rookie year.

What do you mean by explosiveness? I don't want to respond until I understand what  you mean. 

2 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Doesn't help the Hutton and Ulmark fell off a cliff 

I think there's a good reason why a new goaltending coach was brought it. In addition the new coach also will discuss things with the defense to make it all flow together. 

[darksabre]

1 minute ago, WildCard said:

Doesn't help the Hutton and Ulmark fell off a cliff 

Hutton was expected. Ullmark's lack of improvement was problematic. And the goalie coach situation has been rectified to reflect that.

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

LTIR question, taking Callahan even if he is on LTIR still helps Tampa cap wise correct? Isn't the way LTIR gets calculated still a small hindrance to them? 

It helps in that, as long as a guy is on BF-LTIR if the team is exceeding the cap (when that guys' contract is included) the team is charged as using the cap fully.  Even though not including his cap hit into the team cap could've accounted for some cap space to be built up.

Example (w/ imaginary #'s): Callahan on BF-LTIR and team exceed cap including him is $3.74MM over the cap but without him would be $1.87MM under the cap.  Rather than banking $10k per day in cap space that could be used later in the year ($1.87MM/ 187 day season) they are right at the cap.  And had they banked some cap (for a potential trade deadline deal for a guy they couldn't have afforded on day 1) they'd be burning $20k of that banked cap until they had no cushion remaining.  At which point they'd simply be charged the full daily cap hit while he's on IR.

[LGR4GM]

And we can assume that Tampa will exceed the cap. 

[Taro T]

15 minutes ago, dudacek said:

 

I’ll defer to @Taro T, but I believe they have to be cap compliant with him in the roster before they put him on IR so it requires some juggling and does handicap them on opening day.

They have to be cap compliant the entire season, so they may have to "officially" send a player down and then recall him as soon as Callahan gets placed into BF-LTIR.  As the team needs to have room for Callahan w / in the cap before placing him on BF-LTIR as you mentioned.  He can already be put on "regular" IR during the preseason.  So that cap maneuver tends to almost always merely be a formality.

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

And we can assume that Tampa will exceed the cap. 

Very safe guess.  (When including Callahan's deal in with their other 23 players deals.)

Edited July 11, 2019 by Taro T

[dudacek]

Never mind the surplus issue, I’m really curious about the character of our defence next year.

It’s shaping up to be absolutely loaded with high-risk, high-reward guys who want the puck on their sticks who can skate and move; we have four guys capable of 40-point seasons, all of whom will want PP time, none of whom have shown themselves capable of being shutdown guys. And our top prospects (Pilut and Jokiharju) are of the same mould.

I can’t recall a similar defence core being iced in the NHL. Even the highly skilled groups we’ve seen recently in Nashville and Anaheim had their share of guys who were strong both ways.

Who are our shutdown guys? Are we going to overwhelmed by physical teams? Will our transition game make that irrelevant because we are out of the zone so quickly? Are we going to get a huge boost to our offence?

it’s going to be interesting.

[Randall Flagg]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

Housley and the forwards all contributed to the defense being screwed. Any forecheck completely destroyed our breakout unless you had a Dahlin to make that forechecker miss and start the breakout. Not a lot of support. 

 

[Randall Flagg]

11 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

What do you mean by explosiveness? I don't want to respond until I understand what  you mean. 

 

It was the one part of his skating that wasn't sublime, and came as a bit of a surprise to me. He lost a lot of races if he had to start from rest, though his top end speed is fine and obviously his edges are ludicrous. It was talked about a fair bit during the season from what I remember, so I don't think I'm seeing things.

I would bet money it's just because he still has those skinny 18yo legs. A summer of squatting with Risto will probably do wonders. It feels like the one part of skating that's hard to improve past a certain level without bearing down and adding strength. 

[dudacek]

6 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

 

This video made me smile so much.

[darksabre]

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Never mind the surplus issue, I’m really curious about the character of our defence next year.

It’s shaping up to be absolutely loaded with high-risk, high-reward guys who want the puck on their sticks who can skate and move; we have four guys capable of 40-point seasons, all of whom will want PP time, none of whom have shown themselves capable of being shutdown guys. And our top prospects (Pilut and Jokiharju) are of the same mould.

I can’t recall a similar defence core being iced in the NHL. Even the highly skilled groups we’ve seen recently in Nashville and Anaheim had their share of guys who were strong both ways.

Who are our shutdown guys? Are we going to overwhelmed by physical teams? Will our transition game make that irrelevant because we are out of the zone so quickly? Are we going to get a huge boost to our offence?

it’s going to be interesting.

The best counter to physical teams is speed and skill. I think shutdown defensemen are overrated anyway.

[Randall Flagg]

6 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Never mind the surplus issue, I’m really curious about the character of our defence next year.

It’s shaping up to be absolutely loaded with high-risk, high-reward guys who want the puck on their sticks who can skate and move; we have four guys capable of 40-point seasons, all of whom will want PP time, none of whom have shown themselves capable of being shutdown guys. And our top prospects (Pilut and Jokiharju) are of the same mould.

I can’t recall a similar defence core being iced in the NHL. Even the highly skilled groups we’ve seen recently in Nashville and Anaheim had their share of guys who were strong both ways.

Who are our shutdown guys? Are we going to overwhelmed by physical teams? Will our transition game make that irrelevant because we are out of the zone so quickly? Are we going to get a huge boost to our offence?

it’s going to be interesting.

Just you wait until we dump Risto and Scandella, and bring in Jake Gardiner ?

Don't forget about Borgen though in the 'top prospects' list. 

And I know what you mean by "capable shutdown guy" so I understand why he skirted your post, but I think McCabe has decent defensive chops.

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

This video made me smile so much.

I almost made my summer video focus "all the Dahlin plays we've forgotten" but I felt the thing I did instead was more pressing. 

I can't wait til I'm done with grad school

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, darksabre said:

The best counter to physical teams is speed and skill. I think shutdown defensemen are overrated anyway.

I don’t, not after being without one for so long.

I do think the definition has changed though. It used to be defined as the big, aggressive lug - the Schoenfeld type. Now the top shutdown guys are the guys who calmly break up the rush and move it out of danger, like Teppo.

Dahlin will be this guy. Hopefully as soon as this year.

Edited July 11, 2019 by dudacek

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I don’t, not after being without one for so long.

I do think the definition has changed though. It used to be defined as the big, aggressive lug - the Schoenfeld type. Now the top shutdown guys are the guys who calmly break up the rush and move it out of danger, like Teppo.

But that description has been applied to Jokiharju last year and most assuredly fits Dahlin. 

I don't see any reason why physical teams would overwhelm our defense. No one on that defense outside of Pilut is "small" per say. 

[darksabre]

What liger said

[dudacek]

14 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

But that description has been applied to Jokiharju last year and most assuredly fits Dahlin. 

Dahlin is the prototype, and it is definitely where you could see Henri’s game going.

Our two recent pick 31s fit that mould as do Bryson, Fitzgerald and Borgen. They have varying degrees of offence and snarl, but they all close gaps and are responsible with the puck. It’s clearly something Botterill sees as a high priority. It will take a while to trickle onto the big club though.

Maybe Montour and Miller will be less high-risk than I expect.

Edited July 11, 2019 by dudacek