The REALLY Missing H-Link
by Mike @ MHH on Mar 5, 2008 9:00 PM MST
in NHL News
Email
Print
Seriously, this guy is more important to the continued success of the Avs than Hlinka? In what universe does that make sense? Other than looking tough, what skill does Parker possess that Jaroslav Hlinka doesn't have in spades? I'm not bagging on Parker, don't get me wrong. However, Hlinka's continued healthy-scratch status boggles my mind. You can use Wyatt Smith, Brad Richardson, Karlis Skrastins, etc. as examples of management's/coaching's lack of competent talent evaluation, but for my money, you're looking at the player who's gotten the biggest raw deal of all from the schizo coaching behind the Avs bench.
The Avs are currently putting all of their eggs in one basket in order to try and get the franchise back to the promised land in the playoffs. There has been an infusion of talent with Salei, Forsberg, and Foote, but one of the most talented guys on the roster for the bulk of the season is watching these critical games from the press box. It's not like he hasn't scored or contributed offensively this season, because he has. Hell, 25 points with the linemates he's been saddled with is moderately impressive, in my book. He's also been pretty decent on D (+7, 3rd among forwards behind Svats and Son of Stastny) since he was drawing quality PK minutes for most of the season (5th on the team among forwards behind Guite, Lappy, SoS, and the Duke). So what gives? Any theories that don't include wives, photographs, or kitten sacrifices? My pet theory is that the choice between him and Arny is seen as a toss-up by the coaching staff, and Q has a favorite.
How about this: Why do we need McLeod, Parker, AND Lappy in the lineup? What do McLeod and Parker do that Lappy doesn't do already? Why not add an actual scoring threat to the bottom half of the lineup and get Hlinka out there with Lappy and Guite? We've seen that Lappy and Guite can finish when given the chance, and we know that Hlinka has some of the best hands on the team, and when given the chance will create offense, and isn't a defensive liability. Why isn't he playing? I can't even begin to wrap my head around it. If someone sees something I don't, please enlighten me, because this has been stewing in the back of my mind for a couple of days now. Help a brutha out...
24 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
At least Mcleod Plays
Mcleod still gets considerable ice time when he is put on the roster (11:36 last night). Parker rarely sees the ice even when he is in the line up (3:22 last night). I don't have a problem with putting the Sheriff in the line up, but if he's there, PLAY HIM! There is no excuse for letting a guy get to the bench and then not play. If he isn't playing that means either his other 2 line mates aren't playing or some one is double shifting, or worse, the lines are being juggled beyond recognition (with Q it is probably the latter). Why dress 12 forwards and only run 3 lines? Maybe that flies with some teams, but with this team and it's depth (despite the injuries) we should be rolling 4 lines every game, every period. Hell, Q will play 7 d-men and the 7th d-man gets more ice time at forward than Parker has this season (in one game no less).
As for Hlinka...the only reason I can come up with? It's just another Q-ism.
Parkers only real value
to the Avs is to go out and beat the crap out of any one who looks at Sakic and Forsberg the wrong way, right, which as you pointed out is what Lappy does therefore nullifying Parker.
Parker is only useful in games against the Ducks and Dead Wings or another big rival with a fighter. Q needs to get his shit together and play the right people in the right position if he ever wants a coaching position on any team(including AHL)IMO.
it breaks down like this
McLeod fights the little guys.
Parker fights the dumb ones.
Lappy fights everyone else.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Mar 6, 2008 6:23 AM MST reply actions
Re: it breaks down like this
With the exception to Parker's rule being George Parros, the Princeton grad.
Speaking of Parros
Do you think he sent a thank you card to Parker after last year's Stanley Cup? Something along the lines of:
Thanks for being such a second-class goon that you were traded by arguably the most goon-centric general manager in the NHL. If you could skate a regular shift, you'd have a Stanley Cup ring with the Ducks, and I'd be playing 2 minutes a night for a coach with a worse mustache than me. When I speak of you, I will speak of you well.
All my love,
George
Hlinka's dilemma
You have to wonder why Hlinka would even consider re-signing with the Avalanche next season. He was a star in the Czech league and I'm sure did just fine money-wise in his home country. He played every night and led the league in scoring.
In Colorado, he's been under-played and under-trusted, and is now riding the pine on what looks to be a permanent basis. He's a skilled center with great hands and good speed and yet he's sitting in favor of an unskilled brute who doesn't even fight that often.
If I was Hlinka, I'd ditch Denver and head back home, or at least shop around other teams in the NHL first, to see what kind of deal I could swing. You have to think that teams like Florida, Nashville and even Toronto would be interested in having him on board.
I agree
I have a gut feeling that Hlinka is done in the NHL. I said yesterday that it wouldn't shock me if he came down with a phantom face-saving injury like Turgeon did last year, and then go back home after the season is over.
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Mar 6, 2008 7:58 AM MST up reply actions
douchebaggery AND...
Carol Alt
by David Driscoll-Carignan on Mar 6, 2008 8:17 AM MST up reply actions
Hmm
I wonder what it's like dating his mom's friends? Or at least somebody old enough to be a friend of his mom's.
I guess love is ageless, but it's still a little creepy. Then again, I've never dated a supermodel---even a retired one---so what the hell do I know? I should probably do some "fact checking" on that one.
it's sad
but true. Hlinka is yet another casualty of the Q personnel roulette wheel. Hlinka has been more or less what you want out of a 3rd/4th line center all year long (much more so than Arnason, at least), yet continues to get squeezed out by Arnason. He'll probably walk this offseason, even if we offer him a contract.
But to be fair, we have to mention the issues that Hlinka has had that have led to this.
- Can't play along the boards in the offensive zone. It's like Svatos only without the scoring.
- Lost at wing. Hlinka played really well at center, but as a LW he was invisible and out of position most of the time.
- Chemistry wasn't there. Even when he was playing at center and more or less being successful...it wasn't like his lines ever showed that spark of chemistry, like the Guite / Lappy / Richie line, or the RPM line, you know? I attribute a lot of this to the language barrier.
- Faceoffs. He couldn't win a faceoff to save his life. this doesn't seem to affect Arny's play time, but being a faceoff hoss would have set him apart, particularly to start the year.
Really, the biggest factor was the lack of strong play when put on the wing. I think the Avs envisioned him as a LW on the 2nd or 3rd line with a little center ability if people went down, and it turned out he was a center with a little LW ability. thanks to the inexplicable Arnason crush by Q, he's kept from playing his strongest position.
Ultimately, we're talking about a 3rd or 4th line center here. It's not THAT big a deal. But it's yet another mis-handling of quality personnel.
Ohh, it's not the end of the world
but if you're correct that the team was looking at him to play the wing, then why were they looking at HIM? He IS a center, has always BEEN a center, and will BE a center his whole career. Like I said, square peg/round hole. I was psyched by his signing because it appeared the team was making a real attempt at getting ridiculously deep offensively to kind of match the Sabres mold. Unfortunately, he got lumped on a checking line. Say what you will about chemistry, but I bet he never got more than a game with a set line, just like everybody else. Throw in your excellent point about the possible language barrier and he never had a chance.
My beef is that I think we're wasting him. Line him and Arny up, and I'd probably take Hlinka every time, just cuz he APPEARS to try every game.
To be fair to Q
Hlinka didn't look like he was trying against the Wings, in his last on-ice appearrance. He looked horrible, and he looked like he didn't care. I know he has skill and did some good things at times, but frankly, his work ethic reminded me more of Wolski's than of Forsberg's.
by Bob in Boulder on Mar 6, 2008 10:16 AM MST up reply actions
couldn't agree more
That's been my biggest problem with Hlinka, and to a degree, Hedjuk and Wolski. At times they look like they could care less.
Skating on a line with Forsberg and Sakic, Hedjuk seems to have found his desire again, at least for now.
Hlinka will go out and skate, and make a few pretty moves, but generally looks like he could care less, the effort just doesn't seem to be there in my eyes.
And for people to say that Hlinka has better hands than Arnasson? Arny can't seem to win a faceoff to save his life, and truly has no business on the PP, but damn, some of the moves he makes are absolutely brilliant. I daresay he's one of the top 3 puck handlers on the team. Just keep him of the PP and out of the faceoff circle.
But
If those guys are getting benched, why not Arnason? he looked effortless against the Canucks the other night.
I guess I haven't seen it with Wolski. I like the way he forechecks, especially in the offensive zone. When the Arny-Svats-Wolski line was together he was the one digging pucks out of the corner. I thought him being benched was egregious.
And to be honest Bruno has looked lost at times too this season. There were games he was completely invisible. If you're going to bench Wolski and Hlinka, you gotta bench Bruno right (even though the consecutive games played stretch probably doesn't afford that). But why not at least make him a 4th liner for a game to get the message.
by Jibblescribbits on Mar 6, 2008 11:36 AM MST up reply actions
Re: But
I've said it before, and it's worth repeating: Brunette looks lost without Joe Sakic. He does okay with Stastny, but last season he and Sakic really clicked, moreso than any other pairing the team put on the ice.
I think Brunette is a valuable player, but he's shown signs of laziness just like Arnason, Wolski and Hejduk this season.
And the more I think about all of this, the more I get mad that Svatos got hurt. That guy has busted his ass all season and really improved his game.
Who did look like they cared?
So Hlinka was the only one who looked like he didn't care against the Wings? Really? And you expect the 1st-year Czech guy to be the one who shows up for your biggest rival, when there are plenty of other other players who know what the intensity is all about? Give me a break...
I already said this, and it's been repeated here - Hlinka's not going to make or break a team, no doubt about it. What's gonna make or break a team is the $4.5 million that's been wasted on your 5th or 6th best defenseman...the former 1st-round pick with the size and skill who still doesn't seem to get it...spending $6 million for a goalie who, despite his improved play, still isn't worth $6 million...the coaching staff that's responsible for orchestrating the worst power play in the league - and it stunk before all the injuries, too.
I know nothing about Hlinka's attitude or off-ice habits. Maybe he's terrible in "the room"...maybe he doesn't work hard...maybe he has really bad off-ice problems...or maybe Quenneville thinks he's found the right chemistry in this recent 5-5-1 "run" (or whatever it is). I guess the adage is that you don't change a winning lineup, which I understand. Wonder what the lineup will look like after the next 3 games.
by Dan Winkler on Mar 6, 2008 12:53 PM MST up reply actions
well, some players
go back and forth bewtween positions easily. Bruno plays either wing, Forsberg plays LW or center easily, Guite plays wing or center equally well...I could go on. I'm sure they simply thought they could work Hlinka into the less-demanding role of winger.
For whatever reason, he's clearly not capable of making that switch. He's still a superior bottom 6 center compared to Arnason, just by virtue of his defensive abilities. Oh well!
Language barrier
Good point about the language barrier, so why not stick him on a permanent line with Hejduk? As much as Q has shuffled all the lines around, Hejduk's played with just about everybody on a regular basis except for Hlinka.
Resisting a Rant
I am just going to say Hlinka is another example of Q showing incompetence with player decisions.
by Hardshell_Taco_del_Lowayne on Mar 6, 2008 10:45 AM MST reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
