The Preds officially announced Thursday afternoon that gritty winger Andreas Thuresson has been recalled. Thuresson has played in 21 games with the Predators this season, collecting 3 points (1g,2a) in 10:10 of ATOI while earning a minus-5 rating. The recall comes on the heels of injuries to utility players Goc (back?) and Ward (groin), as well as useless boob Wade Belak (who cares?) Thuresson's game should lend itself well to the openings stemming from these boo-boos. Belak's injury presents a unique opportunity for Spaling as well. Since early January, Spaling and Tootoo have had the misfortune of playing on a line with Belak on fourth-line duty, and as a result they have been seeing limited ice-time five-on-five (they do contribute to special teams more than Belak). I am curious if Trotz will be more trustworthy of his fourth line and extend them some extra time on the ice, especially considering the back-to-back games the Preds face against the perennially dangerous Red Wings on Friday and the speedy Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday. We know from experience that Tootoo can handle extended time on ice, looking back to the 2007-08 season when the coaching staff experimented with placing him on a line with Arnott and Dumont. Considering the already compressed schedule necessitated by the Olympic break, the team's ongoing injury battles and 2 games starting just over 24 hours apart, it will be important that the coaches manage the time skating effectively.
On a completely unrelated note, I must say I am surprised by all of the chagrin of Pred-nation towards captain Jason Arnott, most notably by my fellow fans on Twitter. Respectfully, I acknowledge that opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one, but I have to disagree with those who are calling for the removal of the captain's "C" from Arnott. I will also concede that Arnie has been off his game this season as it relates to the scoresheet, however, I can find no player in the organization that would be remotely close to Arnott as an effective leader. Arnott captained this team in what could only have been one of the most stressful situations for a captain on ANY team to ever have to face. I don't think that the team has any less respect for him then they did at that time. As for his production, we must bear in mind that he has struggled with arm/shoulder injuries twice this season, and even though he has returned to the lineup, it doesn't necessarily signify the injury has healed. As it is with all players of his experience, his game will return. His track record over the seasons indicate his reliability. My primary concern with Arnott is his age, not in numbers but in durability. When he is brought down during an offensive play, he seems to struggle at times with rising to his skates. Myself being 6'3", 280 lbs, I can appreciate the effort to come all that way back up, but Arnott is not a particulary fast skater to begin with, so an extra half-second to get up can be the difference between the opposing team clearing the puck with a dump-in versus a scoring rush. Arnott's physical game is even less than seasons prior, which was never a big part of his game. What I surmise from these observations, I am convinced that Arnott will retire a Predator. Nevertheless, he is clearly our best leader at this time, and with a team as young as ours, that is what's needed. Not a young Weber or Suter (yet), not 3 alternates with no designated captain, but a veteran who can reassure a fragile confidence, who can say "I've been here before, and it's all okay." If you've made to this point of the post and haven't moved on, thanks for enlightening me. I'd be delighted to read your thoughts on it in the comments section below.
Hope to see you Saturday at the Sommet, Big Kev.
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On the Arnott/captaincy issue...
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing. When he's giving it his all, like late last year, he's truly the only captain for the Predators. The problem is I rarely see that kind of effort from him. As far as his off-ice captaincy, I see no problems there, but his on-ice example has been lacking lately.
I'm not advocating stripping the C, Jason's won the cup, had all sorts of experience, and is our best player when he's on. I just want to see more effort.
I think you could make an argument that Sullivan would make a good captain, but I refuse to advocate taking it from anyone during the season especially someone respected like Arny. I think by the time Arnott leaves, Shea Weber will be ready for duty.
In truth and in summary, I don't think the concerns about his captaincy are as important as some people are making them. Its habit during a losing streak to look for a scapegoat and designate blame, and he's taken it this go round. He'll pick it up, and we'll shut up when he does.
Your points regarding Arnott are well taken, particularly his veteran's been there-done that perspective as a steadying force for the younger Predators. However, I'm afraid I cannot overlook his apparently cavalier attitude toward the hustle and hard work that is necessary for a team with modest scoring potential to claw out victory. Too often the Predators come out flat and manage only 10 to 15 minutes' worth of hard work all night. Sometimes that's enough to win; more often it isn't. I take your point about his age and accumulated wear and tear showing itself in his slow play but I can't help but think his example is an unhealthy one for the team. Perhaps I'm wrong but I'm not sure there's a groundswell for taking away his C. I do think that the paying customers at Sommet Center want to see the hustle and grit that have defined this team since the first season. A qualified captain should see to it that the team works hard regardless of his own physical limitations. Again, thanks for your perspective.
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