Confirmed with Link: Sens sign free agent Jiri Smejkal 1 year ELC

[sennysensen]

NHL all about speed. If his speed anything below average, he wont have NHL career.

Typically yes, but some slow guys are good if they are big, strong, and smart. Case in point: Mark Stone, and the Tkachuk brothers.

 

[bert]

love this. not because i have ever seen him play but im convinced these type of depth signings of in prime european talents is so much better than out of prime NHL cast offs dorion gets like Hamonic, Brassard, etc.

6 ft 4 220 pounds and PPG in top euro leagues. cheering for him.

This is so on brand. Simply not understanding leadership or veteran dynamic in a dressing room.

If he scores as many goals as Brassard or logs as many important minutes as hamonic I will be shocked.

That being said I like the signing. Big guy longer dev curve. Looks to have really come into his game at 24/25 hopefully the upwards trajectory continues.

Just so everyone knows before writing him off Sokolov is 22.

 

[bert]

Taken from the main board:



The bolded kinda raised my eyebrows.

Oh yeah because hf boards knows about a guys character in Europe lol. Most people that post here don't even know what they are looking at when they watch a hockey game let alone this type of thing. That's honestly hilarious. How would someone even know what a good or bad teammate is if they have never played professional sports to begin with.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Typically yes, but some slow guys are good if they are big, strong, and smart. Case in point: Mark Stone, and the Tkachuk brothers.

Stone is top 10(at least) in the league in IQ, vision, and hands. Yet cause of his skating he's only ever been around PPG.

Tkachuk brothers get a bad wrap for their skating. They are above average.

Again, I hope this guy does something, but you need minimal average skating in this league nowadays. Nothing below average. Nothing.

 

[bert]

Stone is top 10(at least) in the league in IQ, vision, and hands. Yet cause of his skating he's only ever been around PPG.

Tkachuk brothers get a bad wrap for their skating. They are above average.

Again, I hope this guy does something, but you need minimal average skating in this league nowadays. Nothing below average. Nothing.

Tkachuk brothers are not above average skaters. How can every player in the league be above average....

Big players can get away with being worse skaters thats the point. It's small players that can't get away with being bad skaters. Like Zuccarello is the exception.

 

[Agent Zub]

This is so on brand. Simply not understanding leadership or veteran dynamic in a dressing room.

If he scores as many goals as Brassard or logs as many important minutes as hamonic I will be shocked.

That being said I like the signing. Big guy longer dev curve. Looks to have really come into his game at 24/25 hopefully the upwards trajectory continues.

Just so everyone knows before writing him off Sokolov is 22.

I never said that I don't appreciate veteran leadership. Giroux has been one of the best things that has happened to our team, and it's scary to think about what would have happened last year without him. Pavelski is also a great example of this in Dallas, and Alfredsson was a key figure for the previous generation of Senators.

However, I don't believe that Brassard and Hamonic are important veterans who should be put in critical situations. Doing so could (and did) lead to the team missing the playoffs. I hope that they can at least teach the younger players their veteran golf swing.

By the way, the two oldest veterans on Seattle are Schultz and Eberle, both producing at a top-six level at 32 years old. Other teams also have players like Perry or Staal, who are former Stanley Cup champions and 100-point players. While you are playing up Brassard and Hamonic.

It seems like you're advocating for players who are more focused on getting another contract than winning. That's loser mentality. They need to be able to play.

 

[Masked]

Oh yeah because hf boards knows about a guys character in Europe lol. Most people that post here don't even know what they are looking at when they watch a hockey game let alone this type of thing. That's honestly hilarious. How would someone even know what a good or bad teammate is if they have never played professional sports to begin with.

That post was a literal joke about his LOTR-esque last name. The image that was attached to the original post, but didn't make it to this thread, made that rather clear.

Assen na yo!

 

[Cosmix]

I think he is bound for Belleville.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[jhutter]

Stone is top 10(at least) in the league in IQ, vision, and hands. Yet cause of his skating he's only ever been around PPG.

Tkachuk brothers get a bad wrap for their skating. They are above average.

Again, I hope this guy does something, but you need minimal average skating in this league nowadays. Nothing below average. Nothing.

Brady Tkachuk is absolutely not an above average skater, lol.

 

[DrEasy]

Maybe he brings back Chlapik in his suitcase?

 

[Cosmix]

Maybe he brings back Chlapik in his suitcase?

And when hew returns home he can take Dorion and DJ in his suitacse!

 

[armani]

Believe the hype!

MSN

 

[Micklebot]

Believe the hype!

MSN

Interesting

While Smejkal is expected to compete for a third or fourth line role in Ottawa, Filander hints that he might be capable of even more than that.

"I wouldn't limit myself as a coach or GM to just have him set in one spot," Filander said. "He needs to start in the bottom six. But I mean, he could be a supporting guy to two more skilled guys too. I mean, he's that smart of a player."

 

[aragorn]

This is the line I found most interesting, "For Sens fans watching the Stanley Cup playoffs and witnessing the fade of the soft skill players while those with hard skill thrive, that should be music to their ears".

 

[bicboi64]

Watch Smejkal pull a Kuzmenko and score 30g

 

[PatrickEaves]

Believe the hype!

MSN

So you're telling me he makes DBC expendable, and we can trade the dude for assets?

 

[armani]

Tkachuk-Stutzle-Giroux
Cat-Norris-Batherson
Hulk/Greig/Formenton-Pinto-Joseph
Hulk/Greig/Formenton-Kastelic-Sokolov (big boys who can chip in as well)

Greig, Hulk, and Formenton are natural left wingers. Joseph is a weak link as 3RW, the team lacks depth on RW beyond Batherson and Giroux. Prying a Perry type veteran on minimum wage would be a great boon for bottom 6 depth.

 

[aragorn]

Tkachuk-Stutzle-Giroux
Cat-Norris-Batherson
Hulk/Greig/Formenton-Pinto-Joseph
Hulk/Greig/Formenton-Kastelic-Sokolov (big boys who can chip in as well)

Greig, Hulk, and Formenton are natural left wingers. Joseph is a weak link as 3RW, the team lacks depth on RW beyond Batherson and Giroux. Prying a Perry type veteran on minimum wage would be a great boon for bottom 6 depth.

Did you forget Gauthier on purpose? lol Kelly also has a contract for next yr & Gambrell is an RFA that might get extended. Joseph needs to be moved to make some cap room for a goalie. I think this would be a decent top 9 if Sokolov can be a decent playmaker, it's what is lacking in the bottom six another playmaker or two. Hopefully, Jiri has some playmaking ability.

Tkachuk - Stutzle - Giroux
DBC - Norris - Batherson
Formenton - Pinto - Sokolov
Jiri - Kastelic - Gauthier/Kelly

 

[PlayItAgain]

Speaking of Formenton, how the heck is the investigation not done by now….getting kinda ridiculous with how long its taking.

 

[armani]

Did you forget Gauthier on purpose? lol Kelly also has a contract for next yr & Gambrell is an RFA that might get extended. Joseph needs to be moved to make some cap room for a goalie. I think this would be a decent top 9 if Sokolov can be a decent playmaker, it's what is lacking in the bottom six another playmaker or two. Hopefully, Jiri has some playmaking ability.

Tkachuk - Stutzle - Giroux
DBC - Norris - Batherson
Formenton - Pinto - Sokolov
Jiri - Kastelic - Gauthier/Kelly

Yes, don't want the likes of Gauthier or Gambrell coming back, hope Kelly can be be dumped. Dude's not good at hockey.

 

[Liver King]

Czech Hulk

I like this nickname

 

[Cosmix]

Yes, don't want the likes of Gauthier or Gambrell coming back, hope Kelly can be be dumped. Dude's not good at hockey.

I think Kelly is back because of his contractr but Gambrell will not be back. Gauthier is questionable.

 

[Cosmix]

I already like him much more for the 4th line LW role than Parker Kelly.

Hopefully he can do more than Kelly; however, Kelly has a one way contract and Smejkal has a two-way. Because of that I think he has to show more immediately to get a chance.

 

[jbeck5]

Speaking of Formenton, how the heck is the investigation not done by now….getting kinda ridiculous with how long its taking.

Should we expect him back? Looks like nothing criminal coming. They haven't even pressed charges on anyone like a year later. Time to move on and bring him back. We can suspend him and get rid of him if evidence comes out that he had any wrongdoing. In the meantime we shouldn't be treating him as guilty until proven guilty. Bring the man back.