2022 Off-Season thread PT 2

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Zacha got one year @ $3.5 million from the Bruins.  Can go UFA after this season.

[mfitz804]

Just now, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Zacha got one year @ $3.5 million from the Bruins.  Can go UFA after this season.

I'm sure he will almost live up to that contract. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 minute ago, mfitz804 said:

I'm sure he will almost live up to that contract. 

Edited August 8, 2022 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Nicomo]

Not sure why this pic is so funny to me.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Strongly suspect Zacha will bounce around for a while…he’ll find temporary homes where he’ll produce some, and then disappoint.  I can see him having played for 6-8 teams by the time he’s done, at Age 30 or 31.

[Crisis]

Well that's good.  He makes the same as Bergeron and Krejci combined.

[mfitz804]

17 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

Not sure why this pic is so funny to me.

I'm not sure either but it totally is. 

[NJDevils1214]

17 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

I'm not sure either but it totally is. 

A great handsome/60....

Not much else.

[mfitz804]

1 minute ago, NJDevils1214 said:

A great handsome/60....

Not much else.

Anticipated meme % was always off the charts...

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Just now, MB3 said:

I think this guy emerges as a can’t-miss NHL player this season.

I have my doubts that this is what happens, but man would it be awesome if it does.

I think if he plays in 65+ games and managed, say, around 20 goals and 35-40 points (and clearly got more comfortable as his season went on), I'd take that from him.  

I have him as a guy who's going to need some time.  Jack's got some beastly talent, and even he needed some stepping-stone years.  I'm guess Holtz will need at least a couple of development seasons himself...said it before, but I can see him making the club out of preseason, and getting sent down once or twice as the 2022-23 season unfolds.  I think next season is the one where he's an NHLer for good, and it's about then finding out how good he'll be at that level.  

 

[mfitz804]

10 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I have my doubts that this is what happens, but man would it be awesome if it does.

I think if he plays in 65+ games and managed, say, around 20 goals and 35-40 points (and clearly got more comfortable as his season went on), I'd take that from him.  

I'm not sure that's not how a can't miss NHL player emerges...its pretty much what Dawson did, give or take a little, and I am hoping it means that he is a can't miss NHL player. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

4 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

I'm not sure that's not how a can't miss NHL player emerges...its pretty much what Dawson did, give or take a little, and I am hoping it means that he is a can't miss NHL player. 

I think MB3 feels that Holtz will be a star right way (as least that's how I'm interpreting his post).  I think it's going to take more time, if it happens at all.  

[devlman]

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Holtz will finish in the top 3 of Calder voting, if not outright win it. Book it. His shot is just absolutely filthy. He’ll score 30 next to Jack just by parking himself in the slot.

Edited August 11, 2022 by devlman

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

20 minutes ago, devlman said:

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Holtz will finish in the top 3 of Calder voting, if not outright win it. Book it. His shot is just absolutely filthy. He’ll score 30 next to Jack just by parking himself in the slot.

Not seeing it, but I'll keep rooting for you to be right about that.  

[mfitz804]

49 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I think MB3 feels that Holtz will be a star right way (as least that's how I'm interpreting his post).  I think it's going to take more time, if it happens at all.  

 

20 minutes ago, MB3 said:

I don’t think he’ll be a star right away. I think he’ll be an NHLer this season. Like fitzy said — similar to Dawson Mercer. 

Not saying he’ll pot 30 this year, but he’ll be hard to take out of the lineup.

See how I speak my man’s language? Lol. 

[mfitz804]

22 minutes ago, devlman said:

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Holtz will finish in the top 3 of Calder voting, if not outright win it. Book it. His shot is just absolutely filthy. He’ll score 30 next to Jack just by parking himself in the slot.

Are you saying Holtz will score 30 goals this year? 

If so, do you gamble? $25 donation to the site says that doesn’t happen. No, I will not buy a Zacha Bruins jersey instead lol. 

[jagknife]

21 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

Are you saying Holtz will score 30 goals this year? 

If so, do you gamble? $25 donation to the site says that doesn’t happen. No, I will not buy a Zacha Bruins jersey instead lol. 

But you didn’t say no to a shirt-sey….

[nessus]

It seems that there's this narrative around the fanbase that Holtz is not on a good trajectory, he's got low IQ, he's one dimensional, etc. I'm not saying these people are going to be wrong about Holtz's future, but I don' t know where it's coming from. When Holtz was drafted, if you told me he'd be a point per game rookie AHLer in his D+2 season, I would have no complaints. Holtz has improved each year, and produced at every level. He's not the type of player who is likely to regularly take games over on his own, but he's a hard working kid with a top notch skill set. I would say he is a good bet to be an NHL regular sooner than later. And if he can take his skating to the next level, he could easily be a top 6 staple for this team. I've said this before, but if it weren't for Mercer's incredible showing in the preseason last year, I think Holtz earns a spot. Not much more he could have done, and I expect him to be even better this time around.

[mfitz804]

9 minutes ago, nessus said:

It seems that there's this narrative around the fanbase that Holtz is not on a good trajectory, he's got low IQ, he's one dimensional, etc. I'm not saying these people are going to be wrong about Holtz's future, but I don' t know where it's coming from. When Holtz was drafted, if you told me he'd be a point per game rookie AHLer in his D+2 season, I would have no complaints. Holtz has improved each year, and produced at every level. He's not the type of player who is likely to regularly take games over on his own, but he's a hard working kid with a top notch skill set. I would say he is a good bet to be an NHL regular sooner than later. And if he can take his skating to the next level, he could easily be a top 6 staple for this team. I've said this before, but if it weren't for Mercer's incredible showing in the preseason last year, I think Holtz earns a spot. Not much more he could have done, and I expect him to be even better this time around.

Plus @MB3 likes his quads, so there’s that too. 

[mfitz804]

4 hours ago, jagknife said:

But you didn’t say no to a shirt-sey….

I could not emphatically say any more that I will never wear one or call it that. Its a t-shirt, that’s all. 

[Devil Dan 56]

3 hours ago, nessus said:

It seems that there's this narrative around the fanbase that Holtz is not on a good trajectory, he's got low IQ, he's one dimensional, etc. I'm not saying these people are going to be wrong about Holtz's future, but I don' t know where it's coming from. When Holtz was drafted, if you told me he'd be a point per game rookie AHLer in his D+2 season, I would have no complaints. Holtz has improved each year, and produced at every level. He's not the type of player who is likely to regularly take games over on his own, but he's a hard working kid with a top notch skill set. I would say he is a good bet to be an NHL regular sooner than later. And if he can take his skating to the next level, he could easily be a top 6 staple for this team. I've said this before, but if it weren't for Mercer's incredible showing in the preseason last year, I think Holtz earns a spot. Not much more he could have done, and I expect him to be even better this time around.

I think a lot of people hold his post-draft season against him, but from what I recall he was injured and had covid at one point. 

[Have Another Donut]

10 hours ago, devlman said:

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Holtz will finish in the top 3 of Calder voting, if not outright win it. Book it. His shot is just absolutely filthy. He’ll score 30 next to Jack just by parking himself in the slot.

I hope you're right but unless he's improved his skating and his defensive awareness he won't even make the team to start the season.  

Scoring lots of goals/points in the AHL is nice but does his overall game translate to the NHL?  Mercer passed him because he's a more complete player and a better skater.

I think he'll get there but he probably needs at least another 1/2 year in Utica.  He's 20 years old-rushing him isn't going to help IMO.

[Guadana]

5 hours ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

I think a lot of people hold his post-draft season against him, but from what I recall he was injured and had covid at one point. 

First half of his post draft season was great. 
 

 

13 hours ago, devlman said:

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Holtz will finish in the top 3 of Calder voting, if not outright win it. Book it. His shot is just absolutely filthy. He’ll score 30 next to Jack just by parking himself in the slot.

I don’t think he will play with Jack on the regular basis next year. You don’t want to have them both in defensive zone.

8 hours ago, nessus said:

It seems that there's this narrative around the fanbase that Holtz is not on a good trajectory, he's got low IQ, he's one dimensional, etc. I'm not saying these people are going to be wrong about Holtz's future, but I don' t know where it's coming from. When Holtz was drafted, if you told me he'd be a point per game rookie AHLer in his D+2 season, I would have no complaints. Holtz has improved each year, and produced at every level. He's not the type of player who is likely to regularly take games over on his own, but he's a hard working kid with a top notch skill set. I would say he is a good bet to be an NHL regular sooner than later. And if he can take his skating to the next level, he could easily be a top 6 staple for this team. I've said this before, but if it weren't for Mercer's incredible showing in the preseason last year, I think Holtz earns a spot. Not much more he could have done, and I expect him to be even better this time around.

Holtz has his problems. His game without the puck in any zone is questionable. His skating isn’t above average, and he is working on it, but it’s not a cornerstone of the problems. But guy can be great complimentary scorer. 
He is taking time for adapt in every new circumstances. And every time before he wasn’t very good in spring, long seasons is something new  for him and he should work on himself to be as good as he can on the long distance. I don’t think he will light nhl up right from the start, but talent is there, he is working hard and making his skating and physics better and better. I believe with good two way center and physical clutcher on the wing he can score a lot. I like two way players two, but sometimes you should have violin to play solo and be silent outside but it will make your song much better. And I don’t think he will be great positional player but it will come with expirience and with good coaches. Boy works really hard and his game in AHL was much better than before. 
 

I don’t have confidence he will play next season in nhl right from the start, because of waivers. Boqvist and Zetterlund can’t be sent in AHL without it. 

[mfitz804]

16 minutes ago, MB3 said:

Casual fan here chiming in with a question: since Zetterlund and Boqvist are both on 2-way contracts, aren’t they waivers exempt?

I don’t think that makes them waiver exempt, there is some kind of formula based on their age when they signed and number of games played, I believe. 

[SterioDesign]

15 hours ago, nessus said:

It seems that there's this narrative around the fanbase that Holtz is not on a good trajectory, he's got low IQ, he's one dimensional, etc. I'm not saying these people are going to be wrong about Holtz's future, but I don' t know where it's coming from. When Holtz was drafted, if you told me he'd be a point per game rookie AHLer in his D+2 season, I would have no complaints. Holtz has improved each year, and produced at every level. He's not the type of player who is likely to regularly take games over on his own, but he's a hard working kid with a top notch skill set. I would say he is a good bet to be an NHL regular sooner than later. And if he can take his skating to the next level, he could easily be a top 6 staple for this team. I've said this before, but if it weren't for Mercer's incredible showing in the preseason last year, I think Holtz earns a spot. Not much more he could have done, and I expect him to be even better this time around.

Personally I don't know why and can't really explain it but i'm just... not feeling it. From all the research i did before that draft he was the last player in our range that i wanted. While i understand that the player he was said he could become is precisely what we need, i just don't see him achieving that based on what i've seen then

I don't know how to describe it beyond "i don't see any oomph in his game" from watching videos i didn't see that he was like real special, maybe it's subconsciously his skating that is throwing me off? I obviously could be very wrong and i sure hope to be. But i had the same gut feeling with Larsson, Josefson and a bunch of players we got that i tried to convince myself would turn the corner or produce eventhough we didn't "see it".

He did have some great goals in the AHL last year and again, i certainly hope that he's proving me wrong.