EL NINO, de HAAN IN THE DISCUSSION
Snow and Gordon will ponder throughout the week
FanHouse: Cammalleri slashes El Nino
12:45 pm: I asked Scott Gordon if it stands to reason, since Calvin de Haan is still here with no exhibition games left, that he’ll be here for the season opener. Gordon responded that the near futures of de Haan and Nino Niederreiter (second evaluation on leg bruise later today) will be a topic of discussion with Garth Snow all week. Both first round draft picks gave management plenty to talk about, but Gordon said he did not know yet whether the kids will be here “all season, for nine games, even on Wednesday.” I believe him. Comments on the kids. More to come.
40 Responses to EL NINO, de HAAN IN THE DISCUSSION
Snow and Gordon will ponder throughout the week
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Hey CB,
You’ve seen deHaan play. Has he grown as a player? Is it a mistake to keep him up? I’ve seen very little of him recently and felt that he wasn’t physically ready last year but could this year be different?
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zeike says:
Not sure I quite get DeHaan sticking with 8 D’s on one-ways. Even if you sit Gervais and Jurcina you still need to find another D to sit from:
Wiz
Hillen
Eaton
Mottau
Martinek
McDonaldAssuming the odd man out has to be McDonald which would be a shame to hurt the kid’s development and his coinfidence to give DeHaan a 9 game look.
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Isles fan says:
I’m with Teller, at this point let Nino and DeHann play up to 9 games and lets see what they have in the tank. Then we can figure out what the rest of the season holds for them.
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Aaron in SJ says:
CB, I assume Dustin Kohn passed through waivers and is now in Bridgeport?
Thanks. -
Les Beaver says:
I’d toggle between sitting McDonald, as he’s the weakest of the remaining 8, and Martinek, just to keep him from breaking something again.
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rvc14 says:
I don’t think deHaan will be around past the islanders 9th game, if not sooner. I think the fact that they did not use him at all on the one power play they had Saturday against the devils was very telling. If the kid is gonna be here it is to fill some of the void offensively created by Streit’s absense. To me, no time on the first or second power play means back to juniors for calvin.
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the bomber says:
i saw the replay of the slash on nino. is he really hurt this bad?? its amazing… i didnt think it was bad at all. i mean the intent was there and was malicous, but that wasnt a horrible looking slash.
send these kids down now. protect them and let them captain their countries at world juniors.
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Brian G says:
CB – any chance they keep 12 forwards and 9 defenseman to start the season?
Any update on Matt Martin’s Injury?
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PotvinRocks says:
I don’t see any problem with giving them a couple of games, so they know what they need to work on. It might cause them to waive Bruno, which I don’t think scares them because I don’t think anyone would claim him. But I really hope that even with injuries that both are sent back to Junior this year. Both Oshawa & Portland have a chance to win the Memorial Cup, whereas the Islanders…
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Oye Comeau Va says:
No way they bench A-Mac. Hasn’t he been playing alongside Wiz since Streit went down? How could he go from top pair, to outside-looking-in?
Waive Bruno, sit Jurcina and maybe suit up 7 D-men for the first few games and see what CDH can do. Otherwise, send him back to OHL and we can roll with what we have here and in the Bridge.
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Giaco says:
If DeHaan goes back to Juniors is there anyway he can come back in the middle of the season or is he done until next yr?
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doc says:
If you think the islanders are somehow considering sitting Andy MacDonald… then you just haven’t been paying attention.
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therain93--terriers fan says:
Send them down and let them play top-line minutes — let’s use those 9 games towards the end of the season.
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5fourFightin says:
If waiving Bruno puts a scare into the Islanders! Then we’re in bigger trouble than I thought! What has De Haan or El Nino got to prove in jr’s? If they could go to Bridgeport then I’d say send em down.
But to Jr’s? Nothing to prove or improve there. They are staying. -
Spartiarti RVC says:
observing saturdays game vs devils, DeHaan went unnoticed. which Martinek, Wiz, MacDonald and Mottau stood out.
I dont think he has enough to take top 4 mins.
Nino on other hand got under cammerleris skin enough to get slashed, and had to make carey price make a great save driving to the net hard.Conclusion: with KO injury Nino may stay. With Hillen and Jurcina in front of him, heard to imagine he can replace of them in lineup.
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Sidd Finch says:
I think it can be real hard to tell how bad someone is hurt by just watching a video replay. The collar of the skate surrounding the ankle has to have a little give so that the player can skate, so it is typically more vulnerable than the heel or toe of the skate. It is also not uncommon to have less padding at the back of the leg than the front. When you are pushing off, your leg is also extended and that can make a hit hurt that much worse. After reading comments from some of the Habs fans on other boards claiming that Nino took a dive, I challenge you to skate up and let me hack at your ankles. Don’t be surprised if the “love taps” actually DO leave a mark. I hope Nino is well enough to play what could be his last NHL game against the Habs. That would be sweeeeeet!!!
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Don't Mind the Haters says:
When I get a deep tissue massage on my calf I want to scream.
Getting hacked with a piece of wood would hurt exponentially more.
With regards to keeping 2 kids up for 9 games because we have “nothing to lose”. Depends if 18 points is “nothing to lose”.
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RD says:
People pay to see El Nino play, not Hilbert.
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beatlebailey says:
newsfalsh McDonald is not the weakest of those remaining D…in fact i think he has potential to be top 2 of that group with the Wiz…he is the most similar to Streit in D style…if anything they would probably sit Mottau in favor of CDH for those 9 games
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i know what pads a hockey player wears. im not saying he took a dive. im merely saying that ive seen way worse wind up as just a bruise (and guys play with bad bruises all season long.) nino will get slashed like that 100 times this season. just not by an idiot chasing after him. i hope hes ok.
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Staten Islander says:
I hope they do the right thing and send them back to juniors. Let them get seasoned. deHaan was hurt most of last year and Nino just turned 18.
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Brian says:
I could see Nino sticking around especially with KO and now Schremp out for a while. I’m not sure how CdH makes the team though? Way too many bodies in front of him especailly since Mottau has been signed.
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gchnyc says:
Streit
Okposo
ShrempSOS!
Hopefully Nino keeps playing hard and prooves he belongs on the island. I’d rather watch him develope than watch special sim skate around looking lost.
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cjzimm says:
IMO I would send them both back to junior. Tell Calvin to dominate and we’ll see him next year. I would maybe give Nino 9 games due to the injuries up front but that’s it.
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Onesinceforty says:
“Over-ripen”, as the Wings say!
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IsleFan73 says:
Nino Niederreiter, and Martin if healthy, must be in the line up over Sim and or Hilbert. What a joke if either Sim or especially Hilbert make the team. Garth, please tell me this is the best you can do. Yes there are injuries, but this is an insult to the fans!!
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manowar says:
Isles lineup is a tavares injury away from being worse then a expansion team
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Merrick says:
TheRain93 (#14) is right. If you’re going to use 9 games for Nino and DeHaan, do it at the end of the year.
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geduffer says:
Onesinceforty (#25) is right on. Do the right thing by the kids and send CDH and El Nino back to their Jr teams and let them skate in Buffalo over the holidays. They can come to the Sound Tigers if they make the playoffs.
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StevieL says:
Without Nino and CDH, it is hard to get excited about the new year! basically we have replaced, Bergy, Park, Tamby,Meyer, Sutton, Witt, Jackman, and Thompson from opening night a year ago, with Parenteau, Gillies, Konopka, Wiz, Eaton, Mottau and Jurcina and maybe Martin! Rebuilt??? As far as CDH being too young,
There are plenty of young D already getting important minutes in the NHL including Kulikov with Fla. ( drafted after CDH!)Unfortunately I don’t think it matters if the young guy’s stay or go! We still have a long road ahead with this team! -
LAnce says:
Nino, Martin, de haan are cheap…that’s why they will be here.
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Blizzard says: …..all this send them down to crap is ludicrous. Play the best players that will help you win. If its deHaan and Nino so be it.
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Kaszycki's Krew says:
I would keep Nino for 9 games – then re-evaluate. I would send deHaan down to juniors ( or AHL if he is eligible to go to BPort ) and play 20 mins a game.
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Numbers65 in OHIO says:
The best players should be on the team. PERIOD
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I don’t think you have the latitude to pick 9 games from juniors. Anyway, top line intensity in the Memorial Cup is likely to do more for their development than bottom six ice time. D-men also need more time to physically mature. Having missed most of last season in juniors, deHaan is probably better off maturing down there for one more season. As for Nino, let him stay for his 9 games and smack Cammi upside the head a few more times. Who knows, maybe he can break Selanne’s rookie scoring record!!!! (I’m allowed to dream, no!?!?!?!)
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4 cuts needed. Send Gervais and DeHaan to Bridgeport. DeHaan can come up as soon as injury occurs. He will get his taste of the NHL this season. Next year will be his first full year.
Send Hilbert and Sim to Bridgeport. This is round 2 with these 2 players. They weren’t great the first time, why a second time? Let Martin and El Nino learn the ropes this year while we take our lumps without Okposo and Streit.
Fans want to see Martin and Niederreiter! They will pay money to watch them. I, any many other fans, do not want to pay money to watch Hilbert and Sim!! Thanks, but NO!!!
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Petey Pete says:
I’m as pro-”Let them Develop!” as they come, but the major injuries to Streit and Okposo, merit at the very least, a 9-game tryout for both.
The worst that can happen, is they eventually get their chance to develop in Juniors after 9 games. Anything more than that is gravy. And not for nothing, this kids were both the top-12 prospects of their peer group. And alot of their peers (Hall, Kulikov) can cut it at the NHL level, so why not them?
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19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
I have my own opinion on the issue of what to do with Nino and Calvin. I believe if they are firmly a top 6 and top 4 player by position respectively then they deserve to stay.
If both players are staying to be a 3rd/ 4th line or 3rd pairing respectively kind of player I think you do nothing to improve the team long term or short term.
Look … the Isles are a long shot to make the playoffs right out of the blocks… Especially with injuries. To shoulder the responsibility of top 6 forward (Nino), and top 4 pairing (Calvin) on a newly turned 18 year old and a 19 year old in a league of the best in the World is unwise.
Both players if returned to Junior will be leaders for their teams, and will be in the WJC. So to me Nino and Calvin will have to hit home runs in camp to make the team where they’ll be most useful. So far I haven’t seen that.
I’d rather have them ripen in the Juniors, than see them wither on the vine as greenies in the NHL.
The first 9 games of this season sets the tone for the rest of the season. It may be too risky to take that chance with unproven rookies. We’ll see how it goes at the end of the year. Perhaps both players are in the playoffs in Junior while Isles are golfing.
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THE PORK CHOP EXPRESS says:
Even though I would love to see Nino and DeHaan play I think it is best that they start in juniors. This will give them another year to mature mentally and physically. proper development is key and that is not being thrown to the wolves like KO, JT, and JB. they need to play big minutes and they will not do so at this level. I rather see them in the final nine games. not sure if they can do that.
Let them both play the 9 games see what they have and then make the call from there. We have nothing to lose accept injury but god forbid that happens.