2008-09 Rink Wrap: Michael Nylander
by J.P. on Jun 10, 2009 7:00 AM EDT
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PrintFrom Alzner to Varlamov, we're taking a look at and grading the 2008-09 season for every player who laced 'em up for the Caps for a significant number of games during the campaign, with an eye towards 2009-10. Next up, Michael Nylander.
Michael Nylander
#92 / Center / Washington Capitals
6-1
195
Oct 03, 1972
15
$4,875,000 cap hit in 2009-10; UFA after 2010-11 season; No movement clause expires after 2009-10 season
5.23 rating
Key Stats: Nylander was a healthy scratch eight times in the regular season and eleven times during the playoffs (and the Caps lost all three postseason games for which he did dress).
Interesting Stat: Nylander has worn seven different jersey numbers during his NHL career - 8, 9, 25, 26, 36, 37 and, of course, 92.
The Good: Contrary to popular belief, there was some good in Nylander's season, including a plus-19 improvement over his miserable 2007-08 season. In the first four games of the season, Nyls had a pair of goals and four helpers, and was on a point-per-game pace through the first eight games of the campaign. He was fifth on the team in even strength assists (behind the Young Guns), and, um... then there was his two-goal game against the Devils in February and, uh... his game-winner against the Habs in December that made Simeon Varlamov a winner in his NHL debut. Alright, that's all I've got. On to the rest of the post...
The Bad: Despite skating more frequently at even strength with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom than with any other linemates, Nylander's per-game goal and assist rates were cut in half from the prior season and he posted the fewest points-per-game of any season in his career in which he played at least 34 games (and the fewest this century). How bad was Nylander's production? Viktor Kozlov had more than 33% more points-per-game, David Steckel scored more even strength goals, and Sami Lepisto, Milan Jurcina and Bryan Helmer all had more points per sixty minutes of five-on-four ice time than Nyls did (striking in that Nylander was in the Top 20 in the League in power-play points just two seasons ago). Nylander's 14:02 of ice time per night was his lowest since 1998-99, his 45.9% faceoff win rate was the worst of any player on the team who took at least 84 draws (and he took a lot more than 84 draws), and no Caps forward who played in at least half of the teams games allowed more shots on goal at five-aside. And while he's never been confused with a bruiser, his nine hits on the season (or one every eight games) make Tomas Fleischmann look like Cal Clutterbuck - no player in the League played as many games and had fewer his than Nylander did.
The Vote: Rate Nylander below on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season - if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.
The Discussion: If the rumors turn out to be nothing more than that and he's back next season, can Nylander be a contributing member of the 2009-10 Washington Capitals? What will it take for him to earn a 10 rating next year?
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Well this will either be fun, or it won’t.
by Bald Pollack on Jun 10, 2009 7:24 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
"Can Nylander be a contributing member of the 2009-10 Washington Capitals?"
No. It’d be like Kanye West trying to sing opera. Nylander is a east-west player on a north-south team.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Jun 10, 2009 7:37 AM EDT reply actions 9 recs
So I gave him a 3
Nothing breaks our flow like Nyls getting the puck…he’s like a living brake on the icesheet. I liked it when GMGM signed him, but he doesn’t work in this system. Good player, just not the right player for the Caps. Can we trade him? What is his value now? Or is the KHL our best hope?
One fantastic thing about Nylander this year was the fact that he got benched. Nylander wants to play, and, now that he’s sensing that that may not happen very often with the Caps anymore, he’s going to do his best to find himself a situation where he can play. I hope he goes to the K for his own sake, because he’s likely not going to have a very fun year in DC.
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 10, 2009 8:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Nothing above 3
1) Can’t imagine Nylander will get many votes above 3. At that salary, being a ‘healthy scratch’ for most f the playoffs, showed how the team really felt about him/how poorly he performed. Can’t imagine a scenario where he’s back next season regardless what GMGM has said.
2) Best case is the KHL rumours come true. Can’t see Michael letting the caps get off that easy though. 9 million reasons for Nylander to not go to Russia (unless bought out)
3) For the sake of the post. For Nylander to get a 10 next season he’d have to play as a #1 center. Play 75+ games. Score 25 goals/75 points. ( Not happening!)
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
If there were a zero option, he would’ve got it from me. What a waste of money, space and time spent talking about him. I hope he decides to remove his NMC. I mean don’t athletes want to play the sport that is their profession? I guess the other problem is who would want him and his price tag (and Mrs. Nylander)?
Gave him a 1
It seems incredible now, but I had high hopes for Nyls coming into the season, to the point that when rumors surfaced of an impending trade to Chicago, I was mortified. Going into the season, I thought that a healthy Nylander would solidify the second line and provide the puck-possession center to complement Alex Semin, giving the Caps a pair of dominant scoring lines.
Boy, was I wrong.
I don’t think there’s a useful role for him going forward. I also don’t think there’s any reasonable chance of a trade. I doubt that he’d trade the premium perks of the NHL for the wild west of the KHL. I’m thinking we’re stuck with him for another two years. Yech.
A living caution about the perils of FA contracts…
Can he be stashed at the AHL level (assuming Ted is willing to eat his salary) in order to get his salary off the cap? Somehow, I don’t think so.
Can't "Stash" Nyls
His salary can’t be ‘stashed’ in the AHL due to his age(over 35)
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
Shouldda read the box…I thought his NMC expired at the end of last season. ‘Pears he’s got another year of it left.
Oh, well.
I don’t get how this keep happening every rink wrap with multiple people.
It’s right there in his bio, pretty much the very first sentence of the whole page:
Contract Status: $4,875,000 cap hit in 2009-10; UFA after 2010-11 season; No movement clause expires after 2009-10 season
Just read the article people and you’ll be able to contribute much more intelligent conversation automatically.
I have a no movement clause, too. It’s usually invoked after I have too many cheese balls.
badda-BING!
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Jun 10, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Geez. Basing the ratings on expectations alone, I have to look at last year. Only 40 games played (due to injury), 11 goals, 26 assists for 37 pts. 77shots taken. If I expected similiar numbers this year (even taking into account the Thanksgiving coaching/system change that occured last year), I would still expect a significant increase in the numbers for playing 72 games this year. Didn’t happen (9/24/33/87)
Add in the large salary, the NMC and who he was playing on his line most of the time and it gets even worse.
Sorry, I’m going with the 2 because I was extremely dissappointed. He just doesn’t fit into the BB system. He is not an asset to the Caps at this time.
It says something about his play when my normally mellow and kind wife tells me “Nylander sucks” whenever we see a Caps game…
For a 10 next year: 75+ games played, 20+ goals, 60+ points.
Nylander was brought here for Hanlon’s system. The goal was for him to be the #1 pivot while Backstrom got used to the NHL. Hanlon’s early departure was the begining of the end for Nylander’s role on the team. BB brought an entirely new system, and moved Nyls from the first line to baptize Nicky by fire.
Looking at the team as a whole, we have been in the middle of the pack based on what we pay our top 3 centers on the team. Now that we have to start thinking about an extension for Nick and Rabbit, Nylander (and JT’s) contract is an issue.
I still would have liked to see what Nylander could have done with consistent line mates. He had the same (Flash and Clark) for the first two games of the season, after that, the shuffling began at a torrid pace. Some due to injury, some due to ineffectiveness. By mid-season his PP time was cut and an outlet for a good portion of points on this team was gone. His early season success was part due to the power play, and part due to Flash and Semin starting the year off on good notes. When they got cold/hurt, and the carousel of Bears came through, Nylander found himself without a “home” on any line on the team.
I don’t really know what my expectations were for a 3rd line center who gets 0 power play time. That’s not really where I saw Nylander starting the year at the end of 07/08. I honestly thought BB would use Feds as the 3rd line center but give him PP time, and keep Nyls with Semin (where he was quite effective in 07/08 before his injury.) So if my expectations for him were in a different role than what he was given, what do I rate him? Do I rate him like a 3rd line center (in which case, 33 points is just about middle-of-the-road) or do I rate him like the 2nd line center I thought he was going to be?
His contract says it all. Performance level not at salary level. How many $4.875M per year 3rd liners do you know of?
Bobby Holik was a $6m 3rd-liner at one point in time.
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 10, 2009 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, but overpaid underperforming athletes are a dime a dozen. The flux that FFS mentions can’t be overlooked, not to mention having Fedorov in the middle made things a little congested. If his role is cleared up and he still sucks this year, then I think you can remove the “yeah, but…”
by Bald Pollack on Jun 10, 2009 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions
The flip side to that coin is, how many top tier centers scoring more than a point per game are making 2.4M/year?
It wasn’t Nylander’s production that got him tossed from the top line in 07/08, yet we all want him to produce top line points from the third line just because his contract says so?
If this team was paying the kind of money PITT is paying for their top 3 centers, and getting that kind of production out of Nyls, I’d be very worried. But it’s no longer his system, and his job was taken from him. It’s really hard for me to set my expectations of Nylander on his $$.
Now. When we extend Nicky to 6 years, 6M per, then we can start the discussion about Nylander’s inflated contract (which was still signed for a different team than what we have now).
Do I rate him like a 3rd line center (in which case, 33 points is just about middle-of-the-road) or do I rate him like the 2nd line center I thought he was going to be?
Well, consider that there’s a lot more to being a productive player than scoring (especially if you don’t score all that much, as was the case with Nyls this year). He didn’t hit, he didn’t play great defense, and he won fewer than 46% of his faceoffs.
Aside: Theo’s contract isn’t an issue because it’s up after next year.
In a way I feel sorry for Nylander. He was brought in to play one system and then ended up in another that couldn’t be more different. It’s kind of like an option quarterback who’s suddenly told to become a downfield passer. Then throw in the fact that he’s 36 and coming off major shoulder surgery and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Aside from the KHL rumor, which doesn’t seem to make sense, we’ve got to hope that he’s willing to waive his NMC. Of course, then McPhee would have to find some other sucker to take him on which is unlikely at best. The reality is Nyls remains a Cap for at least one more season, spending his time rotating from the press box to injury fill-in. I just struggle with the concept of how a guy can go from being so good to so bad in basically one season. Maybe some of the fault has to fall on Bruce for not finding a way to integrate his skills into the lineup. Or maybe, Nyls just lost it. Either way, it’s a disastrous situation that mercifully should come to an end after this season.
I kind of agree. I feel bad, because he seems like a good guy, and has had a successful career for the most part.
Maybe he’s got personal stuff going on, or is just tired of playing.
Either way, he’s too expensive at this point, and we’ve been going in a different direction than circles for over a season now.
Whenever I start to feel bad for Nyles, I remember his salary. $4.875 million/year can buy a lot of therapy if he’s feeling blue…
Yeah, $4.875 million definitely eases the pain, but you have to wonder as a professional athlete if he’s willing to end his career sitting in the press box. He’s got young kids and they see him being benched game after game. It’s got to be kind of humiliating trying to explain why daddy just isn’t good enough anymore. That’s why I think he might agree to waive the NMC at the least. And maybe why there is some slight truth to the KHL rumors.
My thinking, too. Not saying I understand the psyche of the professional athlete, but money doesn’t cure all, at least not above some minimum amount. Sure, it’s easy to collect the money and sit in the press box night after night, but that’s not a whole lot better than the phoning it in that we got from Jagr. I’d imagine it can’t feel good knowing how the fan base talks about you.
And as we know, players do read this stuff from time to time.
I pretty much agree, too. But you know it’s bad when even I cringe when watching him head up the ice. You just know he’s going to pull up and throw the team offside. As in, I have almost no idea how to coach the game, but I know it’s bad.
That salary, though, kills a whole lot of sympathy. I really don’t want to give him a one. Maybe I’ll give him a two.
Who adapted?
The failure of the “guys” to adapt is the reason that Hanlon got canned. Hanlon’s style didn’t fit the guys GMGM was giving him (Ovie, Green, Backis etc), the team sucked, and rather than replace everyone and keep Hanlon the Caps fired the guy that didn’t fit.
I disagree.
The guys were playing Hanlons system but Hanlons system sucked for a group of very talented individuals which is why they were losing and why he got fired.
Bruce came in and every adapted to his new system but Nylander didn’t That’s why Nylander was a healthy scratch many times and didn’t get a lot of playing time.
He did adapt, and was rewarded with a shoulder injury and a spot on the third line, then the second, then the fourth, then the second, then the third, and then was scratched. I know I’m leaving a lot out, but that was the basic gist.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Jun 10, 2009 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I circled around this vote for a hot second, then I gave him a 4. 2 points higher then I should have because I want him in the KHL and they won’t go after him if we rated him a 2. So I padded his stats.
Is there an option for “I wish he’d signed with Edmonton”?
Ron and Fez Noon to Three
by YvonLabresMoustache on Jun 10, 2009 9:16 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I’m sure in the right situation Nyls could still preform, but Washington just isn’t that situation and he needs to go.
The thing is that regardless of systems and all that, hockey is still hockey. Nyls should be able to wrap his head around all of this and figure out how to perform like an NHL-er. Maybe this season was a result of recovering from surgery. I don’t want to say that Nyls has lost it, but systems can only excuse so much.
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 10, 2009 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Thing that kills me is that what I remember from the 1st time he was a Cap was that he was dangerous because of his speed and tenacity. Sure, he still circled, but that was to let the rest of his team catch up after he had stolen the puck in the nuetral zone and entered the offensive zone. Whenever he hit the ice, it always seemed like he was dangerous in the transition game and was the fastest, hardest working player on the ice. I was bummed when he was gone after ’03.
Did he get infected by Jagr when in New York? Did we ever even see a flash of that player his 2nd time around?
by HateOffSeason on Jun 10, 2009 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions
He never got a chance. He was a Cap for 2 weeks, and then he got hurt, but kept playing. That was what killed him.
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 10, 2009 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree! Its still hockey, and he’s been a point-producer his whole career.
If they can’t trade him, I’d like to hold out hope that he spends the summer figuring out what needs to be done in this system and forge somewhat of a comeback year.
I gave him a 1 this year, because he couldn’t have done any worse in meeting expectations, but I would just as quickly give him a 10 next year if he performs at all as I have no expectations for him whatsoever.
during pre-season and until about mid-October 2008, he looked astonishingly good. Surprisingly good. Showing little to no signs of still recovering from the shoulder injury, appearing to work well in the system, scoring, all the stuff you’d expect from a healthy Nylander. And then I don’t know what happened, but its been somewhat painful to watch, because he started off the season so well.
Granted its the preseason, but here is a a game recap from just last Sept:
Michael Nylander is showing no ill effects from missing half a season with a surgically repaired left shoulder.
Nylander set up two second-period goals and MVP Alex Ovechkin added a what proved to be a game-winning short-handed tally early in the third as the unbeaten Washington Capitals held off the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Monday night for their fourth straight preseason victory.
“I think he is a little on a mission himself,” Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said of Nylander, who now has two goals and four assists in three preseason games.
The Interesting Fact. is, well, interesting.
That tells me he’s been brought in to fix things, and promptly shipped out.
okay, that didn't make me feel any better.
nyls was such a disappointment for me.
expectations:
1) i advocated getting rid of fedorov last summer because i was sure a healthy nyls could slide right into the second line and be a positive difference maker over last year’s team.
results:
2) playoff healthy scratch.
if i’m willing to dish out 10s (varly), i should also be willing to dish out 1s.
by Natty Bumppo on Jun 10, 2009 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions
Big shame. I gave him a 2, but feel bad about it. I really like Nylander as a person and a (former) player. I was so psyched when they signed him in 2007, I remember watching him on the Rags that previous year and thinking, damn, would be so great to have Nylander on our team. And then we got him.
His game against Vancouver early this year – a couple big assists and a penalty shot goal against Luongo gave me big hope, but then things completely fell apart. Really too bad. Hope we can ditch his salary, but hey Mikey, no hard feelings, eh?
I wonder how Nylander feels about this. Has he given any interviews, lately?
by DrinkingPartner on Jun 10, 2009 9:32 AM EDT reply actions
It’s probably in his best interest not to give interviews, as it would get twisted to sound like complaining. If Nyls has one redeeming factor, it’s that he’s handled this pretty professionally. And rumblings around trade deadline suggested he is willing to waive his NMC. Sounds like everyone in this situation is just stuck .
I was a fairly vocal supporter of Nylander heading into last season, and would make arguments against trading him. I can admit when I was wrong. Seems like a nice enough guy, saw him chatting with fans a couple of springs ago at the Laurel Ice Gardens, I presume his son was there for a game. Its a shame he has been unable/unwilling to adapt his playing style. He still has skill with the puck, but at this point a change in scenery would be best for him. But while i doubt any team will be willing to take him on, it’s possible that he would be willing to waive a NMC for a new start.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
Good point here, Sombrero.
He had to learn to adapt and know his spinorama act would not pass muster all the time. Every forward has some element of circling in their game. He has not adapted.
Boudreau is to Nylander as Asteroid is to Dinosaur.
by S h a g g y on Jun 10, 2009 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Now that we're free of Jagr's salary...
Should Ted think about trying to trade Nyls the way we moved Jagr to the Rangers? Pay part of his cap hit for, say, 1-2 years to sweeten the deal for the acquiring team? It may be the best solution for everyone involved, as long as Ted doesn’t mind ponying up an ounce of prevention to avoid a pound of cure?
First, of course, GMGM would have to talk with Nyls and generate a list of approved teams for him to go to. I’d LOVE to be a fly on the wall for that convo.
Sorry things didn’t work out better, Nyls, thanks for not raising a stink in the press over this problem!
unfortunately, teams can not retain partof the salary or cap hit of a player they trade under the new CBA. This was done to prevent big market teams from finding a way to beat the cap.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Jun 10, 2009 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
the only way to kind of do that is (assuming he permits it) waive him, and then hope someone else picks him up. then you are only on the hook for half his salary.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
A 1...
…only because there was no way to vote for a 0.
Gads what an awful year. Sure, he’s coming of a major injury and at this late stage in his career, it takes longer to heal, but still. Coming into this season I had pretty low expectations for him, but he didn’t even come close to what I would have expected (15 goals, 40 assists). Sure his +/- was better, but he wasn’t playing 1.3 shoulders all season, probably closer to 1.8.
On top of that, I suspect he veto’ed a trade to Chicago for Dustin Byfuglien, which I’m sure the Hawks now are happy they didn’t make.
As for next year, he’ll get a 10 if suits up for 64 games for Omsk in the KHL… Ok, if he can get back to his pre-Capitals form and get about 60 points next year, then fine. I can’t see it happening though. He’s the type of player that says to himself that he’s always skated/stickhandled and played one one way, and when you’re 25 with healthy shoulders, he could do it. Now he’s going to be 37 when the season starts, his shoulders are repaired, but even if they were healthy, at 37 his reactions aren’t going to be what they were at 25.
Good players play well for a lengthy period, and Nylander did. Great players adjust their game and change it as they get older to compensate for diminishing skills. Dale Hunter and many other players did that…
Nylander hasn’t changed, and his NHL career is just about over, if it isn’t already.
Let's go Caps!
The problem I have with all the sub 4 ratings is the fact that I feel you’re all ignoring the criteria – based on potential for the year, what kind of season you thought he’d have. I don’t think anyone going into this season thought he’d have more than 35 points. I’m a Nyls defender, and I was expecting 40 points.
I gave him a 5, because I don’t see how contract should dictate my vote on this issue, which I think most people took into account. I feel like Nylander is going to be one of two players who get ratings in the extremes regardless of the criteria (Ovechkin being the other). I also felt, potential, after last year and the severeness of his injury, that he would not get more than a 10-30-40 season.
His best place is likely not on this team, but I feel if he recovers from his injury completely, because I don’t think he has yet, and I don’t think GMGM thinks so either, and he is willing to work the system…I mean, the guy was an almost point per game player in the new NHL, and while he worked with Jagr, I can’t put it in my head to believe Jagr was that influential.
If he returns, which, personally, I hope he does, if he can be healthy, I do actually want more. A 10 for me would be him returning to be an impact role on the second line, as the center, a huge gap as far as I’m concerned. A 5 would be just hanging around, not doing much. A 1 would be if he starts putting the puck into our own net, pissed off about his decision to return. Regardless, I think Bruce Boudreau has as much to say about how well he performs next season as Mike Nylander does himself. And that’s what frustrates me about the whole situation.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
My 2 was based on the fact that I thought he could still be a productive player. I fully expected that healthy, he could adjust his play to the style under BB, and be very productive and fit on the 2nd line. He never did. Never even looked like he made the effort to fit this team. Looking at my statements now, I should have given him a 1.
by HateOffSeason on Jun 10, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Honestly, that’s fine. You (and several others) have explained your ratings fairly. But Nyls play under BB was great until he got hurt, and then BB never really tried to put him anywhere, unlike Flash, who he stuck everywhere except my girlfriend’s bed (Thank God). BB contributes 1 or 2 of Nylander’s lost points, at least.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Jun 10, 2009 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Nyles got to play on every line and sucked on each one. I don’t see how he didn’t get a fair chance.
Then you’re not watching the same team I am. It’s completely unfair to bounce a guy from one line to another routinely, and then expect the kind of chemistry that is necessary for a 50 assist season.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Jun 10, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
So first you say “BB never really tried to put him anywhere” unlike flash, where he put everywhere. Then you say he got bounced everywhere.
He had plenty of time to get adjusted to being inserted in different places. Usually with a full practice before hand.
He was mostly a 3rd line center and he just wasnt good.
No, I said what I said. Boudreau basically made him the last peg, and threw him wherever and never really gave him a staying chance. Routinely, Flash was thrown into the second or first line.
Bottom line, I think Nylander was still injured, or he reactivated it, and I don’t think Boudreau really worked with him to try and find a spot. No one on this team is infallible.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
Whatev.
BB never really tried to put him anywhere, unlike Flash
bounce a guy from one line to another routinely
I agree that he was still hurt. I don’t think it changes what I said, which is that he got a chance to play on each line in different positions and sucked.
I guess I prefer the team I’m watching if we aren’t looking at the same thing.
I agree with you WM. A lot of this seems like a pile-on that isn’t all that interesting to me. That said, I gave him a 3. I expected him to be better than he was, I also expected him to not look as terrible as he did. There were situations where I was just frustrated by his (lack of) effort, decision making, or (lack of) interest in the game. Most of all I’m frustrated that he found himself in the position to be benched as much as he was. Part of that is Bruce, but most of it should fall on Nyls shoulders.
I still think that he can be productive and I hope that he will be this year as a 2nd line center. I see him being much better between Semin and Flash than with Laich and Fehr. Consistency with some linemates has to be helpful and hopefully it would allow him to adjust his style to fit Bruce’s game.
I agree that the contract shouldn’t play a role in the evaluation we’re doing here, but I admit I gave him a ‘1’. Not out of frustration or malice but because if I’d been asked what the worst possible season I could imagine Nylander having would be be, it would have been better than his season actually ended up.
by David Getz on Jun 10, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I am right there with you, DMG. He gets a 1 because his season was worse than I would have thought possible given that he was healthy. It simply would have been unfathomable to me prior to the season that he would play in fewer than a quarter of the playoff games. Maybe I am remembering this wrong, but didn’t Jay Beagle play get a shot at the Rags before Nyls did? Holy crap.
My expectations for next year are now so low that to get a 5 Nyls would just need to appear in 50+ games. For a 10 he would need to play on the second line at times and collect 40 assists and 15 goals with a positive plus minus.
ha, I laughed at that too: the ultimate cynic or a witless jokester!
from the house that Red Jesus built
by bigonetimer on Jun 10, 2009 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions
During Game One of the Rangers series, a few New Yawkers were openly fearful of Michael Nylander, talking about how badly they wished they still had him at MSG.
Maybe one of those fans has a direct line to Glen Sather’s office?
The decline of a professional hockey player, nothwithstanding the freakish Chelly, is never pretty.
Seriously, if this experience doesn’t rid GMGM of the NMC practice I don’t know what would.
from the house that Red Jesus built
I’m not sure I buy the “it’s the system” argument. I’d like to think that – both because it’d be sad for Nyls to have declined so rapidly and because it gives hope that he’s still a decent player and can contribute next season – but his 07-08 performance is something I can’t reconcile with the position. He played 19 games for the post-Hanlon 07-08 Capitals and had six goals and 12 assists in those games, even with the bum shoulder.
You know, when there was talk Nyls would come back for the second round last year, I was shocked. I had undergone the exact same surgery that he had on virtually the same day. It took me over a year to get decent strength back in my shoulder and I do nothing heavier than swing a golf club. We may never know, but my gut tells me he still wasn’t fully recovered last season. How much that affected his play, I have no idea but it couldn’t have helped.
you’d be surprised at how much quicker you can come back with top quality rehabilitation afford to elite athletes. I know a gymnast who ruptured her Achilles in August 2003 and won nationals the following June. She was back training full routines in March 2004. That’s insane.
Not to diminish the injury, but a ruptured Achilles tendon is worlds apart from the complexity of a shoulder injury. That’s why you have orthopedic surgeons who do nothing but specialize in shoulder repairs. You don’t find too many Achilles specialists. My doc liked to joke that when it came to creating the shoulder, God must have been under the weather because he sure didn’t get it right.
I think you need to add a new rating number – ZERO…
by markbona-capsfan99 on Jun 10, 2009 1:11 PM EDT reply actions
I’m hoping for the KHL or Ted to sign him to a $10M contract as a consultant (a job he can do from home) in order to entice him to retire…
-d
if this isn’t against the CBA, that’s the biggest loophole in history.
by Natty Bumppo on Jun 10, 2009 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
On the plus side… Ovechkin Wrap tomorrow!
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Actually, it’s Ovie, lettuce, tomato in a tortilla.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Jun 10, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
were this the pens blog, someone would have made a joke involving Alex Semin and special sauce. I’m glad we’re a lot classier. Cue follow up G. Love joke….
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Jun 10, 2009 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I saw G. Love open for Dave Matthews in a tiny club in Toronto in 1996. It was fabulous.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Can’t wait….a bunch of people giving him 7 or 8 after winning a second consecutive Hart Trophy, and being 5th in playoff scoring despite playing JUST TWO series.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Can’t wait….a bunch of people giving him 7 or 8 after winning a second consecutive Hart Trophy, and being 5th in playoff scoring despite playing JUST TWO series.
A seven sounds about right to me, since that’s only slightly better than I expected him to do.
I’d give him a five. I was thinking Hart, Ross, Pearson, Richard, 70 goals, 120 points, +35. And he very well could have if the team decided to play once in a while instead of just letting 8 and 19 weave the offensive magic.
by red army line on Jun 10, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Ovechkin…Just to get it out there, I expected him to be brilliant, and he was…so I’m thinking he gets a 6?
Just wanted to get that on the table early.
A guy like that definitely makes you question this scoring system and forces you to adjust a little on the fly.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Yeah, that’s kinda the reverse view of not rating Kozlov well for scoring playoff goals this year IMHO.
He did better than last year, but was he really exceeding expectations or simply performing more to what one would expect of him?
I would think awards are not something you should go in expecting of a player: They shouldn’t count against a player, they represent the result of a separate voting system as well so maybe that’s sort of double-counting against if they don’t win a given award in a given year.
[How do I replace my prev post with this? Please excuse me, I’m only an IT developer]
I’d think awards should be mandatory multipliers for a player and never counted against.
If a player fails to win an award it may be by the slimmest of margins, perhaps even when playing the best season of his career. But if he wins an award it means he is considered to have performed the best over all his peers for a given season – regardless of his specific numbers – by an official body of some sort.
It really should be a bonus/multiplier for the player only
Maybe we should change this to a quasi-boxing judge scoring where every player starts off a 10 and then you rank from there down.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Well that’s not what I’m saying at all, but I like your energy
:)
Ovi scored less points than last year, and he’s still in his prime, so somebody out there is going to want to give him a 4.
An award says regardless of specific stats, this person was the best. Period. And I personally don’t go in with the unfair expectation that Ovi or anyone is going to be the “best” statistically every year.
Except each team’s video coordinator of course.
Yes, he scored less goals and less points. Of course he averaged more points per game and was the only player in the league to top 50 goals. And don’t make me go all Bill Jamesian and start dropping VORP references on you. ;-)
PS – why wait until tomorrow for Ovi?
PPS – so much for not getting into these debates.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
2 for Baldy
Shoulder still nonfunctional, I still expected more from Nylander. If not point production, then it must be consitently playing well. Sadly, Nyls didn’t oblige. What bothered me the MOST though, is that he went about it like a working stiff: he went to the rink, did his think, left after practie to pick up his kids, didn’t hang out with the other reindeer playing reindeer games, provided nothing in the locker room and showed absolutely no leadership on the ice. Could have trained Fehr to hang out at the net and take feeds like Jagr did, but nope. He just added n o t h i n g and didn’t seem to mind.
The voting here is amazing. The fact that there are only three “joke” votes (by contrast, Mike Green got 8 1’s) says a lot – that people aren’t even up for kidding about the Nylander situation.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Yeah, unfortunate how it indicates group think which nullifies any chance of it having any real validity.
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
58 | 27 | 20 | 11 | 65 |
|
Winnipeg
|
62 | 29 | 26 | 7 | 65 |
|
Washington
|
59 | 29 | 25 | 5 | 63 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
59 | 27 | 26 | 6 | 60 |
|
Carolina
|
60 | 23 | 26 | 11 | 57 |
(updated 2.22.2012 at 8:56 AM EST)
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