Why does Kopecky...

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

GMR, you're going to get me fired, because I crack up out loud sometimes at your posts. Thanks for helping me thru my day. As for Thomas, I thought I saw some promise in him before his knee injury, but as folks before have mentioned, he hasn't been the same since. He'll unfortunately probably be around as long as Hossa's here because of their relationship.

I didn't know people went on LGW while at work. Who could have guessed that?

Seriously, though, when Kopecky bloodied Patrick Sharp I got as excited as a kid in a candy store, thinking that we had seen the beginning of something special. Since then, he hasn't even come close to doing anything physical. I'm wondering if he had an out of body experience during that fight?

[Guest mindfly]

I think kopecky needs to go home to slovakia during the summer and inject some juice train hard with heavy weights and put on some 30-40lbs of muscle.. what is he currently.. 200lbs at 6'3 that's not heavy enough to throw your body around in the NHL tbh

Edited February 18, 2009 by mindfly

[eva unit zero 271]

Well, seeing as the cap isn't an issue in the post season, you WILL see Leino and Helm over him, most likely. Just like they are now when we have the cap space.

Kopecky is good for the role he plays, when he's healthy. Too many people here expect everyone on the roster to become the next Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Lidstrom.

This is what you'll likely see in the playoffs, assuming everyone's healthy:

ZDH

Franzen - Flip - Hossa

Leino/Hudler - Hudler/Helm - Cleary/Sammy

Leino/Helm - Draper - Sammy/Cleary (While Leino on the 4th line may seem at first, it becomes after you realize he'd be playing against other team's crappy players)

Kopecky, Maltby, D-Mac, Downey ALL potential good fill-ins

Does the idea that we're likely going to have to play a 2nd liner on our 4th line just to make everything fit in the playoffs make anyone else here giddy?

If the entire lineup is healthy, then there are only two people on this roster who should be considered to center Marian Hossa. Those two people are our best playmakers. They are both natural centers. The worse of the two also happens to be 55% on faceoffs this season.

If we make no roster-affecting trades, which is the most likely outcome, and we have a healthy lineup, then I would think that these lines are the best top-three units to use going into the postseason:

Zetterberg/Datsyuk/Holmstrom

Cleary/Hudler/Hossa

Franzen/Filppula/Samuelsson

Helm/Draper/Kopecky

Leino would serve as the best replacement for an injury on one of the first three lines, with Maltby as the next replacement (Helm or Kopecky would move to one of the top-three lines, with Maltby taking the fourth line spot) and finally Maltby would be the first replacement and Abdelkader the second if injuries were to fourth liners.

Also a note; the only Wing who has hit more per game than Kopecky this season is Helm. So the commentary about benching Kopecky because at least Abdelkader hits is rather silly, as Kopecky hits more often.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

What kind of glue are you buying and where? I hope they sell it here in Canada because I want the same buzz you got.

His post was a shot at how Holland claimed one of the reasons he brought Drake in was to "be a mentor to Kopecky." A lot of good that turned out.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Kopecky is good for the role he plays, when he's healthy. Too many people here expect everyone on the roster to become the next Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Lidstrom.

People were expecting Kopecky to be the next Maltby/Drake. Those aren't exactly sky-high expectations.

[uk_redwing 495]

Also a note; the only Wing who has hit more per game than Kopecky this season is Helm. So the commentary about benching Kopecky because at least Abdelkader hits is rather silly, as Kopecky hits more often.

Hit is such a strong word. Bumps-and-falls-on-his-useless-ass is much more appropriate.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Hit is such a strong word. Bumps-and-falls-on-his-useless-ass is much more appropriate.

Haha..I wonder if Hamhuis will do him one in again tonight. "Kopecky heading for the hit on Hamh....OH Hamhuis ROCKS Kopecky!"

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Also a note; the only Wing who has hit more per game than Kopecky this season is Helm. So the commentary about benching Kopecky because at least Abdelkader hits is rather silly, as Kopecky hits more often.

Oh you mean the guy thats better and cheaper than Kopecky, and should be getting the roster spot ahead of him?

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

If the entire lineup is healthy, then there are only two people on this roster who should be considered to center Marian Hossa. Those two people are our best playmakers. They are both natural centers. The worse of the two also happens to be 55% on faceoffs this season.

If we make no roster-affecting trades, which is the most likely outcome, and we have a healthy lineup, then I would think that these lines are the best top-three units to use going into the postseason:

Zetterberg/Datsyuk/Holmstrom

Cleary/Hudler/Hossa

Franzen/Filppula/Samuelsson

Helm/Draper/Kopecky

Leino would serve as the best replacement for an injury on one of the first three lines, with Maltby as the next replacement (Helm or Kopecky would move to one of the top-three lines, with Maltby taking the fourth line spot) and finally Maltby would be the first replacement and Abdelkader the second if injuries were to fourth liners.

Also a note; the only Wing who has hit more per game than Kopecky this season is Helm. So the commentary about benching Kopecky because at least Abdelkader hits is rather silly, as Kopecky hits more often.

I dont know about Abdelkader, but come playoff time a Kirk Maltby hit will be 10x harder then a Kopecky bump and fall down. Honestly, statistics are good for somethings, but hits aint one of them. You need to judge those for yourselfs, and Kopecky cant do it! He threw one decent hit all year and it was in the preseason. The hit on Gauthier was blown out of proportion, if that glass doesnt break it just looks like another embarrasing one.

As for why Kopecky is so high in the pecking order, 2 words. Marian Hossa.

[eva unit zero 271]

Oh you mean the guy thats better and cheaper than Kopecky, and should be getting the roster spot ahead of him?

YG, you should check your information; Of any forward who has played a game for the Wings this season Tomas Kopecky has the lowest cap hit. So I don't know how you can claim "cheaper" unless you think his partial cap hit for having been in the minors most of the year would still make him cheaper if he had been here to start the season. Better is an opinion, and Kopecky still perhaps hasn't fully recovered from his injury so comparing his abilities to others is difficult.

[Echolalia 2,961]

The kid looked solid tonight. Smart penalty kill, created a couple scoring chances, threw the body around.

[eva unit zero 271]

Hit is such a strong word. Bumps-and-falls-on-his-useless-ass is much more appropriate.

I wonder what Shea Weber sees in Kopecky...

[kylee 727]

id much rather see Downey or McCarty on the 4th line over Kopecky...

[eva unit zero 271]

id much rather see Downey or McCarty on the 4th line over Kopecky...

You mean for the Griffins, right?

[kylee 727]

You mean for the Griffins, right?

nope! the 4th line on this squad.

id even go for the injured McCarty over Kopecky.

[xBrave_Heartx 0]

Im going to hold back judgement till playoff time.. Hopefully he will realize this is his last horray to become a hero and not a ufa signy of the NYI.

I would forget everything. if he was a wrecking ball in hte playoffs..

[YoungGuns1340 1]

I'll admit - Kopecky had a good game tonight. But Helm and Leino did too. Leino's got top 6 moves, and Helm with 1 hit, and 3 takeaways. You notice Helm's energy every shift hes out there.

[Carman 387]

I don't think Kopecky played terrible, but nothing "impressive" either; although he did his job for the most part tonight.

Helm is fitting the criteria of a 3rd line center perfectly, good energy, good pressure in offense zone, good face-off %, improving his puck control/defensive play. Really impressed with his play lately.

Leino had a quiet, but strong game, playing on a 4th line is probably a weird feeling for the guy, can't wait to see him part of the top 6 down the road.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Kopecky plays because the coaching staff thinks he has something to offer given the role(s) the coaching staff wants him to play.

If he didn't, he could have easily been put on waivers a long time ago. Spare me the Best Friend's For Life tag with Marian Hossa. Best Friend's For Life don't run a sports organization.

[DuckSoup13 0]

This may sound silly, but sometimes I think he's in there to be the guy who the opposing teams can take their frustration out on. If we were full of only skill players and veterans, someone would have to take punishment, and it's better Kopecky than any other player imo. Since Kopecky is a young, vunerable target it seems teams take runs at him more than anyone else. Keeps them from getting stupid and throwing a huge hit at Pav or Nick.

[Louisville 112]

I think a lot of you are forgetting he's still coming off a serious knee injury which can take a year or more to fully recover from.

He's not going to do any better getting into form sitting on the bench all season, and he can't be sent down to GR without getting waived.. and someone WILL pick him up.

Edit: Likely by some crapass team like Atlanta where he'd get 3rd or sometimes even 2nd line minutes and PK, possibly PP time, where he then puts up a 30 point season worthy amount of production for the remainder season, and everyone here gets yet another reminder that even the "spare" players on the Wings roster are quality players elsewhere. 3 months later, threads emerge about how stupid the Wings were to let him go instead of (insert current scapegoat).

Hahaha

Your forecasting of events was detailed and spot on.

[Datsyerberger 279]

nope! the 4th line on this squad.

id even go for the injured McCarty over Kopecky.

This is why noone on this forum is the Wings GM or coach.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Somewhat related; didn't really wanna make a new thread for it. Thoughts from the fourth line:

"Every time we get out there, we get scored on," Kopecky said. "One thing goes wrong and then everything goes wrong. Everything we touch, it's going wrong. It's just tough luck, and you have to overcome it. Play simple, just do your own job, and everything is going to be fine."

"It's pretty obvious -- really, anything that can go wrong right now is," Draper said. "We just have to keep coming day in and day out and keep working on it, and you hope sooner or later it'll turn."

[thedatsyukian 7]

I actually really like that quote by Kopecky. He's slowly starting to win me over through his relentless effort every shift.

[Echolalia 2,961]

All of our prospects who people want to replace Kopecky with have greater than fourth-liner potential, and in the midst of sending Kopecky down (and to be honest I would send Maltby down before him (I also think Maltby has less chance of being picked up on waivers)) he would definitely be picked up. He's a young, cheap-as-hell fourth liner who knows how to do his job and will only get better at it. Then after Kopecky is picked up for nothing, next year when Helm possibly has a permanent role with our team, he'll most likely be playing the third line and we'll be down 1 fourth liner. Helm will almost certainly be able to demand much more than Kopecky will be able to a couple years down the road. Well, we could always pick up a free agent or trade, but skill per caphit, Kopecky is one of the best choices for us out there. His tiny caphit would allow us to possibly keep one of our higher tier players. He's also quite young and has showed great potential (ie he knows how to handle the puck, is familiar at the very least with deking, has shown glimpses of strong physical play, keeps his game simple, etc), to where he could be one of the better fourth liners in the league down the road, but that is entirely up to him. And that is why I believe the Wings are holding on to Kopecky, and that is also why I believe he will be signed again in the offseason and will be back next year.