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Pre-Season Observations : Is Max Domi Pulling a Skinner? |
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The pre-season is nearly over and I thought I would share some of my observations about how things are rolling with the Coyotes.
Guillaume Latendresse was cut by the team from his tryout and it is quite apparent his NHL days are dwindling faster than the cruller he's eating right now. Fitness and speed have always been a hot button issue with Latendresse going back to his junior days...the man has the size and talent to be a very strong second line power forward, but his lack of commitment and hell maybe even just wear and tear from his injuries have really taken their toll. From the one televised pre-season game I was able to see he was slow...like really bloody slow. I've seen him play before in his Habs days, Wild days and even briefly in his Sens days and I didn't think it was possible for him to be slower...but he was SLOOOOW. I really want to drive that point home because that in my mind was the one thing the organization wanted to see him improve to make the team and he didn't. No contract and I'm fine with it.
Gilbert Brulé was also on a tryout after "solving" his depression issues by seeing a shrink over in Switzerland away from the "root" of all his problems, his father. He was less than impressive to say the least and in reality this was likely a swan song for his NHL days as well. He's bounced around as a fourth liner for a few years and I think teams are finally just giving up hope for the 6th overall pick in 2005. He hasn't been cut yet and remains on the roster, but didn't lace them up last game. He's really falling far down the depth chart by the impressive play of a few other players who as it happens already own contracts. I don't really see how he makes this team...or any in the NHL right now...maybe Florida or some rebuilding team gives him a look on their fourth line for cheap?
Andy Miele has been far and away the most impressive young forward this camp. Each game he has played he has shown offensive creativity and intensity. Miele, the 2011 Hobey Baker Award winner, has notched a point in each of the three preseason games he has played. They've had him playing his natural position which is centre, yet I'm not exactly sure why other than to give him more chances to succeed. The teams top-four centre's are pretty much set at Ribeiro/Hanzal/Vermette/Chipchura and Miele if he is to break into this forward core will more than likely be competing for the open second line LW position...currently filled by Max Domi who has been skating every game with Hanzal and Vrbata. Which brings up another question...is Max Domi going to make this team? If you would have asked me at the draft I would have scoffed at the notion...yet now with the team force feeding him PP opportunities and giving him heavy minutes with regular squad members there is a Jeff Skinner vibe to his camp right now.
So with Miele outperforming (perhaps outproducing is more apt) Domi and being an older more mature player will they opt with him on the wing? Or stick with the greater potential of Domi? I really can't tell at this moment because each time Miele has been up on the Coyotes he has been stapled to the fourth line and given 9 minutes a night...and he isn't getting any bigger nor will he turn into some kind of Selke nominee anytime soon, if he makes it he makes it as a top-6 guy and based on his offensive production. Going to be really interesting to see which of them makes it.
Brandon Yip and Chris Brown have both been very strong in their pre-season performances...basically their play is spelling the end to the Brulé experiment. Brown has is a darkhorse to make this squad, especially after his great rookie performance and PP work in the AHL in which he led all rookies in goal scoring with 29. He brings a power forward game and a laser of a shot, something that should be on display at some point this season. Yip might have that fourth line RW position locked however...he's cheaper for one, is older and wasting him with limited minutes won't hurt as he pretty much is what he is...while Brown has potential to be a second/third line winger soon. Another tough choice, but I really don't want to see them waste Brown with 10 minutes of limited ice-time.
Klesla who was injured in that massive brawl of a game against the Kings is being kept quiet and off the ice. He left on a stretcher and the official speculation...ya official I know...was that he had whiplash with a large chance at having a concussion. The team has been very hush hush on the actual details of his injury, yet it appears that he does not in fact have a concussion...well that's what they are telling us at least. Maybe he will be ready when the season starts...maybe not. All I know is that despite never wanting a player hurt, this is giving Rundblad his most realistic chance to make the squad. He has been decent and had two big games where he was extremely impressive before losing his ice-time to the veterans like OEL and Yandle. For all that I still felt that Gormley who was recently cut and sent down to the AHL looked better and more defensively strong and smart.
Here is the roster that is left.
GOALTENDERS
Thomas Greiss
Mike Smith
DEFENSEMEN
David Rundblad
Keith Yandle
Zbynek Michalek
David Schlemko
Rostislav Klesla (injured)
Chris Summers
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Michael Stone
Derek Morris
FORWARDS
Gilbert Brule
Martin Hanzal
Paul Bissonnette
Max Domi
Radim Vrbata
David Moss
Shane Doan
Andy Miele
Kyle Chipchura
Lauri Korpikoski
Brandon Yip
Tim Kennedy
Rob Klinkhammer
Brandon McMillan
Chris Brown
Antoine Vermette
Lucas Lessio
Jordan Szwarz
Mike Ribeiro
Mikkel Boedker
We could potentially see :
Mikkel Boedker - Mike Ribeiro - Shane Doan
Max Domi - Martin Hanzal - Radim Vrbata
Lauri Korpikoski - Antoine Vermette - David Moss
Paul Bissonnette - Kyle Chipchura - Brandon Yip
OEL - Zbynek Michalek
Keith Yandle - Derek Morris
David Rundblad - Michael Stone
David Schlemko
Mike Smith
Thomas Greiss
Thanks for reading. Final Top-10 Prospects on the Blues coming soon.
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