from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,
...over the last two seasons, and particularly this season, there was more noticeable consistency to Rasmussen's overall game. Rasmussen's impact was felt and seen most every game.
"Definitely the biggest thing is consistency, and that's a hard thing to do in this league," Rasmussen said. "For the most part I was consistent with just the things that make my game effective. Forechecking, killing penalties, playing with energy and physicality, adding some offense here and there. There were some positives taken in that way."
An area that Rasmussen feels still needs attention is scoring goals around the net. Rasmussen has the size and strength to get to the net and cause havoc. But knocking some of those loose pucks, or deflecting pucks, continues to be a work in progress.
"Some more touch around the net," Rasmussen said of an area he'll focus on this summer. "You look at and reflect at some of the opportunities that could have changed the outcome of some games, and therefore the season, if different (scoring chances) go in for you."
And, hopefully, next season staying healthy all the way through. Rasmussen doesn't want watch those late-season games, he'd rather be playing.
He's done enough helpless watching.
"It was tough," Rasmussen said.
more ($)
from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
Rasmussen has the size and strength to get to the net and cause havoc.
At 6'6" and 220 lbs, Rasmussen should have the size and strength to cause havoc all over the ice. But he plays extremely soft for a man his size. Guys like Raymond play a harder game than Ras does. And the fact that he's not blessed with a lot of "hockey sense" just makes it worse.
Like Copp and Veleno, Rasmussen loses way too many puck battles and makes way too many bad decisions with the puck on his stick. And I'm not sure the latter is something than he (or either of the other two) can correct.
I'm not really arguing with you but how do you explain Rasmussen is one of the better players on the team in goals (For/Against)? He leads the team in High-Danger goals/for percent. He is in the bottom half of the team in xGF% but is 5th on the team in actual GF%. He's one of five (5) players on the team with a positive +/-.
I agree 100% we could have done better in that 2017 draft, but at least we didn't pick Glass or Lias Andersson. It is taking him time to adjust to the NHL and he can get better, as he says, but he is still an excellent player for the cash the team is paying him. His scoring rate is a little bit better than Copp and a little less than Fabbri and he's much better than Fabbri at the defensive end of the ice. He's also a much better deal than Copp, Holl, Petry, and probably Walman, although Petry was playing better with Edvinsson than he was with anybody else.
It's true Veleno hasn't met our expectations but he'll probably only cost us $1M going forward and that's the right price for a 4th line grinder of his caliber who gets a point every third game, but still needs to get better defensively.
Package him in a trade for Zegras. Kasper and Danielson will be their two-way forwards when the time comes.
Please no Zegras, he only wants goals....and not all that great at that IMO
Completely agree
Ditto
I've seen enough of Perron. Even at half of what he got last year I'd let him walk. Slot Soderblom in instead. Had hopes that Ras could get back to where he was last season before he got hurt and missed the rest of the year. Seemed like he had gotten more comfortable with the speed and found his hands. This last year was two big steps backwards.
75% of his value is for off ice leadership, that's important. Larkin imo is a quiet on the ice leader. Perron sounds like in your face off the ice leader. Every Yzerman should have his Draper to control the lockeroom. I would never pay Perron $4.75 or even $4, but definitely will resign him for $3.
Why the hell would you sign Gostisbehere to a 4.125M contract when you have a cap crunch coming?
I get why they did this past season-it was essentially house money as they still had cap space. But this coming season? Thats different. Ghost is a 3rd pair d-man that needs to be sheltered. I get hes great on the PP and adds an offensive dimension to that 3rd pair-
BUT
Justin Holl, Albert Johansson, Olli Maatta, and Jeff Petry are best-suited (and pretty much only suited) on the third pair. You could even make that argument with Chairot (but he can play off-handed on the right side and could be the defensive balance to the rookie Edvinsson).
You cannot run a team back with the same defensive core adding two rookies (one on the 2nd pair and as the 7th dman) and expect different results!
If Yzeman moves on from 2 of the dmen the 3rd pair issue still remains. The Wings dont need A 5th dman best suited for the 3rd pair.
-----Why the hell would you sign Gostisbehere to a 4.125M contract when you have a cap crunch coming?
----Because you would not find 54 points from a dman that easily. The last time we had a dman who could get you 54 points was Lidstrom I believe. And if Gus was also good defensively, he would be making $8-9 mil.
I didn't mind Ras this past year. I thought he played more consistently and was generally better defensively than the previous year. He made the odd mistake, but not to the level that Perron, Copp, Veleno, Petry or Holl did. He's was also slotted to be a 3rd line checker this year and wasn't moved up the lineup or onto the PP much, which was probably a better way to utilize him than 2 years ago. That usage is probably why his point totals weren't anything special. He is currently a good 3rd liner with potential to be a good 2nd liner if he keeps improving, which corresponds fairly well to his 3.2m/yr cap hit. Perron on the other hand is a complete defensive liability.
----Kane may end up elsewhere
---Finally the reality settling down
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