2009-10 Rink Wrap: Mike Knuble

He gets a 6 from me. Pretty much what I expected, a little better.

I had Knubs penciled in for 20-25 goals, so he exceeded that by a little. I do credit him for leading Fehr and Laich in the assault on the bakery, which I hadn’t considered at all in my expectations, so he gets a pretty good bump for this. I also thought his level headed approach to controversy was beneficial to a young team; coming from Philly, I didn’t really know what to expect in the maturity and calm demeanor department, but I liked what I got.

He takes a major hit for the playoff performance in general, and the PP in particular.

I’m also thinking that he won’t be as effective next year. Another year older, a year’s more wear and tear, etc.

I love what Knubs brings to the team. As an older player I didn’t expect as much jump as he brought, and I underestimated how his leadership would affect the younger guys. And how can you hate on the guy we affectionately nicknamed Grandpa Slippers?!

6. Did great, but faded down the stretch like a bad racehorse. Not entirely unexpected, because the guy is 38.

I’m thinking Eric Fehr eases into that role on the Backstrom/Ovechkin line when Knuble’s contract expires.

I thought he’d be awful. Between his age, my not having noticed him much previously, and whatever reasoning I had, I thought his signing was a mistake. I changed my mind on that situation about three weeks into the season.

I’m still not sure he’s the best fit to be Ovechkin and Backstrom’s right wing, but he’s the best guy we have now.

“and grazed Jaroslav Halak”.
As a faux lawyer that would be “allegedly grazed Jaroslav Halak” (followed by Halak’s fall backwards as if shot from the stands) ;)

Exactly what I expected from Knuble, he gets an extra 1 from me because he called out BB on his constant tinkering with the lines.

For a 10 next season, score 25 goals while playing 3rd line minutes.

Knubs and Brooks were the ONLY players to ever play in front of the net (except an occasional Ovi). Would have been interesting to give Scott Walker a shot in game 6, then decide between him or Flash in game 7. Oh well

5 because he did exactly what was expected, +1 for seamlessly fitting into a very tightknit locker room, +1 for whatever voodoo magic he worked on Eric Fehr, +1 for being the hero in both home games vs. the Pens. Ladies and gentlemen, Mike Kaaaaaaaaaaaanuuuuuuuuuuuuuble,</wes voice> Penguin Slaya’!

I had doubts going in that he’d be able to keep up with Ovi and Backstrom but that was never the case. I also had him penciled in for about 25 goals so he exceeded that expectation as well. What really surprised me was the way he settled into a leadership role so quickly. If he can produce next season like he did this past one, he’s definitely worth re-upping. I just hoped he’s not bummed by the fact that he left Philly and now they’re probably going to the Finals.

8 – although it would seem to be easy to play right wing with ov and backs (btw, when 8 and 19’s contracts are up, knubs will be enjoying his AARP discount at the movies and eating dinner at 4pm), knubs brought alot to that line. namely, his willingness to use his “hockey haunches” to score goals. he was a great addition to that line and probably one of the top FA signings (dollar for dollar) of the offseason.

i honestly did not know what to expect from knubs when they signed him, so my rating might be higher than others who may have been more familiar with his game.

unfortuantely, he’s dirty goal scoring didnt rub off on other players other than HH21. i was also a bit disspointed that his deep playoff experience didn’t seem to help the team bear down in the playoffs.

next year i expect more of the same, but as with everyone else, he needs to match his regular season performance in the playoffs.

base 7 for better than expected performance, +1 for intangibles, +.5 for being cool about his weird fans. I rounded up to 9 in the actual poll, because that’s how math works and it conveniently pads the stats.

Gave him a 7 because he was for me, a little better than advertised and I thought he really made the first line sing when finally paired with then consistently.

Thought he should have had way more power play time both in the regular season and in the playoffs, because as much as I respect the work Laich does, I think Knuble is better in front of the net. Given his front of the net pedigree and his cup ring, his lack of PP time against the Habs is another BB head shaker for me.

Big Ups to Knuble. I was a little skeptical of him at first, but I agree with what he brought in terms of leadership and goalie annoying-the-crap-out-of-ness.

Truthfully, Knuble and Bradley are the only guys on the team older than me (27) that I would be genuinely sad to see leave the Caps, which is saying something about the long-term quality of this team.

I don’t get it. We were all pumped when he signed. We all said he was exactly what we needed: a veteran net presence who’d be good for the kids.

He was exactly that, and yet we’re giving him 8s?

He gets a 5, because he fulfilled all my high expectations of him.

That’s the way with veteran players, they either achieve what you expect because their career tells you what to expect or they underachieve because age has caught up with them.

I expected him to do well banging in rebounds, but I did not expect this many goals, and to gel so well with 8 and 19.

I thought we were risking a drop off with his age but there was virtually none.

I feel harsh but this is what I expected Knuble to do. He did certainly manage more goals as I figured he’d do less deflecting/rebound work and more screening, but still, I knew a guy like this would have a tremendous impact on Ovechkin’s game. He had a tremendous season but I had really high expectations for a net presence player.

Knuble’s benefits, like those of Sergei Fedorov, are likely to be felt after he departs. If some of him rubs off on Eric Fehr (assuming he stays) and Brooks Laich, he will have been worth the contract.

He blended in seamlessly with 8/19 and his game compliments 19’s so well because they win puck battles on the wall and set up there offense from there. During “the streak” this year, that line looked like it could score every time it was on the ice and 22 deserves a lot of credit for that and for the overall play of that line.

I was thinking an 8, but the light graze on Halak in game 7 brought him down a point. But other than that, I thought he was a perfect addition to this team. Did about what I was expecting, but added a few points for helping Laich and Fehr fine-tune their games whilst in the bakery.

He exceeded my expectations slightly in terms of offense and leadership. However, I was disappointed in the frequency and quality of penalties taken. A veteran like Knuble shouldn’t be taking dumb stick penalties.

Also, while he’s the best fit on the team for the top line currently, I felt like his lack of speed and skill sometimes held the top line back. I’m hoping Boudreau starts grooming Fehr for the #1, which is where I hope he’ll be when Knuble’s contract is up, but given his irrational dislike of Fehr, I’m not getting my hopes up.

4

I expected that he’d score 30-35, despite his age, because of his durability and Ovechkin’s shot totals and Backstrom’s increasing confidence in pulling the trigger himself. I expected him to rub off on Fehr a bit as well as Laich. I expected leadership as the oldest player in the locker room and the only one who’s won a Stanley Cup. I expected that he’d play some on the PK and improve it, but that didn’t happen too much. Maybe 4 was too harsh, but I never thought higher than 6.

I was torn between an 8 and 9 and decided to round up simply because I love the guy. I have a soft spot for guys that get the trash goals, so I think realistically 9 is probably too high. But I don’t care.

He fit in seemlessly with Ovi and Nicky, and gave that line exactly what it was missing. Goals were about what I would have expected, but he gets the extra points for the way he’s stepped up as the voice of reason and the influence he’s having on other net crashers. Seriously you’d think the guy had been here for years.

I wish we picked him up two years ago, and I hope we keep him for something reasonable beyond his current deal. He is a bricks and mortar type any serious contender must have on the roster. And you can’t put a value on this, but he’s our N. American Fedorov: a great role model who plays the right way (‘cept for those PIM’s—yikes).

He’s fully capable of a 10 next year, given good health: 72+ games (with some well timed rest down the stretch) 30G/45A. Cut those PIM’s in half. Be a greater factor in the postseason.

Was very excited about this signing, but hesitant. I just hoped that his success in Philly could translate to our team and system. He met and exceeded my expectations.
For a 10 next year he needs to continue to increase his goal scoring, continue to have that fantastic net presence, “intangible leadership, ect, ect”, and possibly most importantly reduce the PIMs

29 goals and 53 points at the age of 37 definately is a little over what I would have expected out of him. He showed more leadership…at least vocal leadership (I think someone already pointed out above about him calling out players/BB on the team for their shenanigans), than I had expected coming in. He was always around to knock the garbage into the net…which is essential for teams with high shot totals and players like OV firing the puck in from the slot all the time. All in all, he went above and beyond what I could reasonably expect from him this season…but not by a lot. Thus, the 7 comes into play.

As next season approaches, I could see Knuble’s role on ice diminishing a bit as some of the younger kids start taking over (Fehr on the top line is a possibility). But he’ll still be one of the rocks a long postseason run will need to be built on. For him to get a 10 next season, it would take probably 70+ points, and for that scoring to continue into a nice, long postseason run.

I expected something like 20 goals, 40 points, and generally 2nd or 3rd line minutes. Instead he stepped into the top line with AO and Nick and produced like he was in his prime. He’s clearly past his prime, but he’s still a key player on the Caps.

Might rate higher if he didn’t admit he likes Lady Gaga.

To get a 10 next year: score at the rate he did in 2009-10 in 2010-11 without missing 13 games. If he can be as effective next year as this year (when he is a year older), that’d be great….

I expected a top line net crasher and that’s what we got. I wanted to give him an 8 but there’s too much grade inflation here. And his playoffs sucked.

Areas for improvement: Stay out of the box. Better PK work. Don’t lose speed to old age.

I expect him to be in the same role next year. I expect him to bust his ass to stay healthy.

To earn a 10? PIMs < 30 mins, PPG > 1.

Admittedly, I read many of the comments before ranking, but I knew going in that I wasn’t going to rank 22 as high as others.

22 did what I expected. He provided leadership, quiet leadership. He got a lot of garbage goals and utilized his body in front of the net. He always seemed to kill the Capitals, and I expected him to be that guy. In general he was.

He gets and extra point for durability.

Saw a lot of him when I lived in Philly (and was too poor for Center Ice), so I knew about his skill at the net. But at his age, I didn’t expect him to be able to get there in time like he did for our young guns. +1
Read about his calming influence in that locker room full of young Frat-party boys (Richards & crew), but didn’t expect him to influence Bruce as well (see YNC’s comment above re: line-shuffling). +1
His overall PK numbers may not be that great, but I’ll never forget his 1 minute solo PK against Columbus in November. +1

exceeded my expectations slightly with his goals and points, worthy of a borderline 6/7. His vocal presence, as noted above in calling out BB/AO/MG when warranted, bumped it to strong 7/borderline 8. The fact that we failed in the playoffs drops it back down to a solid 7.

The Discussion: What would you like to see Knuble improve upon in 2010-11? Will his role change any next season? What will it take for him to earn a 10?

In 2010, I would like to see Knuble cut down on the penalties, which were often of the careless/lazy variety. I think his role will be similar next year, though we may see even LESS of him on the PP and PK so as to manage his minutes and keep him relatively “fresh” for the postseason. To earn a 10, he would need to put up 30+ goals and be a major factor in a long caps playoff run.

Basically what I expected.

Maybe I was generous, but he did exactly what the caps needed. .. not only was he a good match with the first line, but his play is just as effective as Semin’s but style is totally different so Bruce could totally throw the opponent for a loop by swapping the two around

10 for GMGM

He exceeded my expectations. He was great at the net. (His goalie interference against Halak was utter bullshit.) His leadership was key, his ability to mentor was valuable, the stability he added to the top line also brought a threat that couldn’t be ignored, and his little talk with Bruce got the lines set in stone… for a little while, at least. He showed up every night he was in the lineup when he could have played the age card, and he stepped it up in the playoffs when it really mattered.
Next year, i’d like to see fewer penalties, but another year older might thwart that, and I expect the same amount, if not a little more. I don’t think his role will change because the only person on the team that could attempt to fill it appropriately is Fehr; Fehr’s one good season does not a career make. Also, Knuble has proven his durability, obviously, while Fehr still has a good deal to prove, and must remain consistent to do so.

I thought Knuble lost his effectiveness (and presence) in the front of the net as the playoff series wore on. That was one of Montreal’s keys to success later in the series.

We’d like to think the guy can beat the laws of nature, but he’s 37, played a full season, and was beaten up pretty good in front of the net as the series wore on.

On the flip side, his effectiveness earlier in the series played a notable part in Caps success.

After some thought, my expectations were higher than they should have been for him, I’ve lowered them a little and gave him an 8

Knuble slays penguins way better than I thought he would, so, while I might get crap for this, I gave him a 10.

Only slightly better than advertised, given that he moved to Nick and Alex’s right. I think next year all he needs to do is defy Father Time for another year, and give us the same season to get an 8.

35G – solid PK and a bit fewer non-enforcerish penalties would get a 10 from me.
20/25 is about what I’d expect at this point and with this team for next year.

-d

Old guy taking the hits to score the trash goals gets the nod. Yeah, maybe the realistic number is an 8, but I just like the guy. Added bonus is the leadership example he is giving to OV, coaching help for BB, and mold for HH to follow. Now, I just have to figure out which eye to look at when he’s talking.