Capitals Recall Cody Eakin
Per the team: "The Washington Capitals have recalled forward Cody Eakin from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today."
7 months ago
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Gotta imagine this can’t be good news for MP, no? Not sure who else Eakin would replace in the lineup, unless their’s an F injury.
Please, call me F&B.
How about “maintenance day” for Halpern was, shockingly, crap?
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Yeah, that would make sense. I didn’t realize Halpern had a maintenance day. So Eakin at 4C? FOs are gonna be ugly…
Please, call me F&B.
I thought Halpern was on the ice yesterday. Weird.
I'm on the twitters! Currently Watching: Breaking Bad season 3
"Common sense is not so common."
He was and is today. Just a guess by me.
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Gotta love how BB sends messages to old vets like Halpern and Knuble but Semin gets the free pass after a pretty lackluster series of games. And I’m not a Semin hater.
by cainoo7x on Nov 1, 2011 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions 18 recs
I regret I have but one rec, etc.
"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg
"I worry that we're reaching that point where college-age kids don't know what goatse is anymore."
by Bald Pollack on Nov 1, 2011 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
..
Missing Halpern would be bad, but MP hasn’t been horrific in FO’s so far.
For those taking > 10 faceoffs so far this season:
"You can want to get to April but when you get to April you may not like the answers you get, so you might as well enjoy the ride while it's going on." - Brian McNally on JRR, 8/29/2011
It’s the Laich and Backstrom numbers that have been killing the Caps, those guys are expected to be better.
Aim for the head baby Jesus
Are they really killing the Caps? I agree that those guys are expected to be better in the dot, but is there any evidence that those 8 draws going the other way for each would’ve made much of a difference?
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Definitely? Can you point to any examples?
I will note (and this is part of today’s Noon Number) that Laich is a woeful 7-for-25 on shorthanded draws. But we can continue that conversation in an hour-and-a-half.
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Off the top of my head, I feel there were some power play goals scored by Edmonton and/or Vancouver shortly after the faceoff was lost. Admittedly, I’ll have to go back and look at the box scores/game recaps to identify the particular instances. I guess we would have to define how quickly a power play goal against needs to be scored after the faceoff is lost, and then see how many were scored within that time limit.
Here’s an example based on the play-by-play from the Vancouver game. Penalty is called and 5 seconds later the Caps give up the power play goal.
19:51
Washington
penalty to Jeff Halpern 2 minutes for Tripping Manny Malhotra
19:56
Vancouver
Power Play Goal Scored by Alexander Edler(Slapshot 57 ft) assisted by Sami Salo and Ryan Kesler
Good example – lost Laich draw, I assume?
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Here’s an example from the Edmonton game, although in this instance, the power play goal wasn’t scored directly off the faceoff.
17:43
Washington
penalty to Roman Hamrlik 2 minutes for Hooking Shawn Horcoff
17:43
Edmonton
Power play – Taylor Hall won faceoff against Brooks Laich in offensive zone
17:59
Edmonton
Power play – Shot missed by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Wide of Net(Snap 27 ft)
18:15
Edmonton
Power Play Goal Scored by Taylor Hall(Wristshot 7 ft) assisted by Jordan Eberle and Corey Potter
Yeah, I’d noticed that (and the DET 5-on-3 is similar).
I assume there was no clear there, but hard to say without watching it. Certainly yielding possession so often isn’t a good thing.
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Seems like for further analysis at another time, it would be interesting to see how many power play goals the Caps have given up after a lost draw and/or without a clear out of all the power play goals they’ve given up. And of course, the opposite situation would also be of interest. How many power play goals have the Caps scored off a faceoff win/no defensive clear out of all the power play goals they’ve scored?
The tough part is that you never know how many they’ve prevented by winning those PK draws.
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sorta related:
@mlse Pension Plan Puppets
Not sure why the Leafs PK is so bad. Thought Steckel was going to fix that. It’s almost like face offs are a small part of killing penalties
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
by EmilyB on Nov 1, 2011 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions 8 recs
I can’t imagine that it’s MP related, he’s played pretty well, and at this point Eakin has the same shortcomings that MP does, sorta.
I'm on the twitters! Currently Watching: Breaking Bad season 3
"Common sense is not so common."
I agree MP has played well enough to stay in the lineup, just seems like those two are fighting for the same lineup spot.
Please, call me F&B.
If Eakin stays up, then probably yes. But I can’t imagine that Eakin would provide the offensive spark MP does. Plus he can be slotted into a lot of places. (insert height joke here)
I'm on the twitters! Currently Watching: Breaking Bad season 3
"Common sense is not so common."
___
The rest of the release:
Eakin, 20, has recorded eight points (three goals, five assists) in 10 games with Hershey in the AHL this season. In his first full professional season, Eakin ranks fourth on Hershey in points and is tied for third in goals. He is currently tied for eighth in the league in points among rookies. Eakin appeared in four regular-season games for Hershey during the 2009-10 season (two goals) and played in five postseason games as Hershey won the 2010 Calder Cup.
The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native helped Canada earn a silver medal at the World Junior Championship last season and helped guide the Kootenay Ice to the Western Hockey League (WHL) championship. Eakin finished the Memorial Cup playoff round tied for second in points (six) and his three goals scored tied for third. He collected 239 points (118 goals, 121 assists) in 238 career WHL games.
Eakin, who will wear number 50 for Washington, will participate in Washington’s morning skate at 10 a.m. today.
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Apparently that spell must have worked...
I'm on the twitters! Currently Watching: Breaking Bad season 3
"Common sense is not so common."
by Ovechwin on Nov 1, 2011 9:46 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
My inner nerd approves…
Winnipeg? Winnipeg??? Oy! (And now it's official...)
by MikeL-Pivonka on Nov 1, 2011 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
I have to think that Eakin being recalled on the 65th anniversary of Ebony magazine’s first issue ain’t a coincidence.
"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg
"I worry that we're reaching that point where college-age kids don't know what goatse is anymore."
by Bald Pollack on Nov 1, 2011 9:47 AM EDT reply actions 5 recs
Unrelated, Collins reassigned to HER, Erskine to make his season debut tonight.
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Very excited by this. I hope he continues his development path from last year.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Whoo!
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 1, 2011 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I’m excited to see Erskine take the ice. I just hope he’s close to 100% and can continue in all the glory that was last season.
Tu ne cede malis
He has obviously been healthy for a while now and just wanted to wait for Movember to start to make his debut.
by Twenty Seven Ninety on Nov 1, 2011 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
The practice and game line combos in Hershey over the last 2 weeks were sorta pointing at something in the works with Cody.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
I know Eakin, Holtby, and Orlov are the chosen ones as far as prospects currently at Hershey, but I hope someone tells Bruce to give Micflikier a chance for a fill-in. IMO, he’s been their best forward so far this season.
"You can want to get to April but when you get to April you may not like the answers you get, so you might as well enjoy the ride while it's going on." - Brian McNally on JRR, 8/29/2011
I’m just reading this thread today, but I am not sure what you are saying here? The line changes and Eakin’s promotion were due to Mink being out for a few games, as well as Greentree and Potulny being out with injuries.
No surprise at all given that situation that Eakin got more ice time in the top 6 as a result.
Hell yes
Erskine will bring some toughness back
by RossingtonCollins on Nov 1, 2011 10:27 AM EDT reply actions
McNally:
Tomas Vokoun was off ice first for #Caps. He’s in tonight vs. Ducks. Jeff Halpern taking scratches’ skate w DJ King.
Sure looks like Halpy’s getting scratched, whether for performance or injury.
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So forth line could be: Eakin-Perreault-Knuble? Does Bruce want Knuble to mentor or babysit?
"You can want to get to April but when you get to April you may not like the answers you get, so you might as well enjoy the ride while it's going on." - Brian McNally on JRR, 8/29/2011
by bagace on Nov 1, 2011 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Isnt the Duck a pretty tough team to play against?
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 1, 2011 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions
"Are we tough to play against?"
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.
Is Eakin really ready for a call-up? Methinks no, but I guess this is the only way to find out. Not really expecting much. Certainly no more than 10 minutes.
Roman Hamrlik is so bad that I've forgotten how bad Jeff Schultz is.
Sounds like it may just be a quick call-up:
@Sky Kerstein:
#Caps BB says they really wanted to take a look at Eakin and with HBH only having one game this week, this was a good opportunity
"You can want to get to April but when you get to April you may not like the answers you get, so you might as well enjoy the ride while it's going on." - Brian McNally on JRR, 8/29/2011
I’m excited to see Eakin, and while I really like Halpern, Maccabee is the best position to scratch for him, especially if he needs a maintenance day. While I don’t know if Eakin is NHL ready, I do know that if they think he is, he has no place in the AHL, and I’d rather see him hear than King, mostly to have a guy threatening to steal a job and being worth scratching for, because we all know that guy isn’t DJ.
Let’s see what happens, and hopefully Halps is ok.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
Jeff Halpern is the Chosen One on this team? Who can hate on Halpern? I’m all sorts of confused…
Patron saint of quality footwear.
I mean, if there’s anyone that’s the fair-haired child, it’s Semin…or AO or Laich or Backstrom or any number of guys who would fill the role of Teacher’s Pet before we get to Halpern.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
My vote for a sit-down is the fair-haired boy, Brooks. He, of the multi-year, multi-million dollar contract because of his ‘versatility.’ Semin, Ovi, and Backis have, at least, performed above mediocrity in their careers and of whom we expect they will do so again.
Semin, Ovi, and Backis have, at least, performed above mediocrity in their careers
Are you suggesting that Laich hasn’t performed above mediocrity in his career?
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Nov 1, 2011 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Pretty much, yes. I measure ‘mediocrity’ not in terms of other players. In that respect, he is clearly in the top 50% of players today. I define ‘mediocrity’ in my own narrow sense of his obscene contract versus his production of, basically, a career 2nd line/3rd line tweener. No science here, obviously; just my own prejudice.
Well I don’t understand how Laich has been nothing but mediocre by any standards. He’s a legit 2nd liner as a W, and a legit 3C, and a good special teams player. I wouldn’t consider that mediocre regardless of his salary (overpaid =/= mediocre).
I also wouldn’t consider his contract obscene given other contracts around the league. But even if his new contract was obscene his old one wasn’t. Was he mediocre when he was putting up 50+ points for around $2.5 mil (I don’t remember his previous contract off the top of my head) just because he signed a $4.5 mil a year deal a couple years later? That just doesn’t make sense to me, and neither does looking at a player’s contract when determining their absolute level of ability. Brooks becomes more valuable relative to his contract if he has a lower salary, but he doesn’t become a better player or less mediocre.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Nov 1, 2011 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Well, you have a pretty good analysis there, and I don’t dispute it from the numbers you present. And, to some extent, his ‘value’ is, as you suggest, inflated relatively by the salaries of other players. So, in that respect, you are correct that is not fair for me to judge Brooks by factors that aren’t entirely his fault. Point well taken. On the other hand, I wonder whether, in fact, he is a legit 2nd liner. If he is, why isn’t he playing there full time (we could easily find another shut-down 3C if he was so valuable on the 2nd line). My point is that, although 50 pts, is respectable (and ‘above’ mediocre), does signing him to a long term contract and a huge cap hit really make sense…especially when his F/O and PK are, perhaps, temporarily in the toilet. It is those functions alone that, we were told, justified his contract. Frankly, if those defensive numbers remain even average, I fear we lost in his contract what could have been spent on a more productive (offensively, that is) , legit 2nd liner.
Well I think he’s playing 3C because it is more important to be strong down the middle than on the wing, and finding top 3Cs is not so easy. As the Caps showed in their first several games having an elite shutdown line is a huge advantage, and if playing Laich at 3C gives them that shutdown then that is more valuable then playing him at 2W instead of Knuble. It’s way too early to say that he can’t play that role based on some brief defensive/FO difficulties when he has done very well in those departments in the past.
And again, Laich is a legit 2W from a scoring perspective. 50 pts is a lot for a 2W comparing league wide. I’ve said this to you before, but I think you’re expectations for 2nd line scoring around the league are a bit high.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Nov 1, 2011 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You are probably correct. A lot of my fear results from last year when Nicky & Ovi had ‘off years.’ That possibility taken together with Semin’s congenital unpredictability causes me to worry where secondary scoring needs to come from in the future. Since we have committed big bucks to Brooks, Ward, and Chimera, and (not really big bucks) Knuble, several of our winger slots are taken by non-scorers. F&B has wisely criticized me for my worries but I remain concerned especially after the small sample of 8 games so far this year. If Kuze doesn’t develop, we will be hurting in the future (thanks heavens for Marjo!). In essence, then, Brooks occupies, in my mind, a fine balance of ‘luxury’ in that we pay him big bucks for his versatility and defense at a time when our offense remains precarious. To repeat, though, this is an awfully small sample.
Well secondary scoring is a bit of a concern (although it doesn’t matter who is on the 2nd line if the top line doesn’t pull their weight), but between Mackan and Kuz they have some top young talent, and they got space opening up with Knuble and Semin on their last contracts. Ward-Brooks-Chimera are a great 3rd line, so I don’t care that they are “taking up spots”.
Besides, the Caps have done the whole finesse 3 scoring line thing, and it failed. I’d like to see how this lineup with more guys like Ward and Brouwer does in the playoffs before I get worried about secondary scoring in the future. Talent isn’t this team’s problem.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Nov 1, 2011 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Fair enough. This is exactly the argument F&B and others have made so I am clearly in a minority here. It makes sense. I think I will cool it a bit and see how this configuration works itself out through another dozen or 20 games or so. As pointed elsewhere today, though, if BB keeps moving people around and pissing them off, we might never get a real test.
It also may be possible that I’m just not concerned about secondary scoring because I have no faith in BB, so all of my ire and angst is directed his way.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Nov 1, 2011 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions
assuming you aren’t snarking….(if you are forgive me) “Chosen” as in “God’s Chosen People” as in Jewish.
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Related: I wonder how Mattias Sjogren feels about not being the first forward recalled.
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Probably not great, but he’ll get over it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets more NHL minutes this season than Eakin.
Aim for the head baby Jesus
Sjogren has been playing really well as a shut-down guy on the third line. Not many goals against are scored when he’s on the ice. The Bears radio guy likes him a lot. But Cody potentially brings more offense and Bruce likes guys that score.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Eakin also brings more energy, not unlike Perreault. I’d expect Eakin to make more of a short-term impact, but that perhaps Sjogren would be a better recall in the longer-term right now. And since this sounds like a real brief recall, Eakin it is.
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2 minutes in the box, feel shame.
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The bigger shame is that it’s almost 2012 and that ship has sailed.
"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg
"I worry that we're reaching that point where college-age kids don't know what goatse is anymore."
by Bald Pollack on Nov 1, 2011 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
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