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Hockeytown0001

Datsyuk 2nd degree separated shoulder injury - out approx 4 weeks

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Helm rode an unsustainably high shooting percentage to the best numbers of his career and then fell off completely. He'll never post numbers like that again in his career. Take it to the bank.

Anyway, my point still stands. Yes, he probably won't keep up that shooting percentage, but he's not Abdelkader. He scored 11 in 2010-11 and 12 in 2011-12 (and would have got around the sam in 12-13 if he didn't miss the last 24 games) while playing on the 3rd line without D or Z and without PP time. If he plays top line minutes with Datsyuk he'll have a career year. I think you can bank on that. even abby upped his totals. I think it would make helm at least a 15 goal scorer - making up those 3 goals that you said would make an upgrade.

But we don't really know what will happen with Helm at wing. Maybe Datsyuk's passing ability and Helm's speed will create many opportunities for breaks. Maybe Helm being freed from the defensive responsibility will help him find more offence. Maybe he just won't be suited to the play along the board and will only play there a couple of games. I say give him a chance, then Jurco or Mantha get a shot.

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Anyway, my point still stands. Yes, he probably won't keep up that shooting percentage, but he's not Abdelkader. He scored 11 in 2010-11 and 12 in 2011-12 (and would have got around the sam in 12-13 if he didn't miss the last 24 games) while playing on the 3rd line without D or Z and without PP time. If he plays top line minutes with Datsyuk he'll have a career year. I think you can bank on that. even abby upped his totals. I think it would make helm at least a 15 goal scorer - making up those 3 goals that you said would make an upgrade.

But we don't really know what will happen with Helm at wing. Maybe Datsyuk's passing ability and Helm's speed will create many opportunities for breaks. Maybe Helm being freed from the defensive responsibility will help him find more offence. Maybe he just won't be suited to the play along the board and will only play there a couple of games. I say give him a chance, then Jurco or Mantha get a shot.

36 year old Pavel Datsyuk is not some magic cure all for bad talent. If that was the case, we wouldn't be in this mess. Darren Helm isn't a top six winger. He's never been a winger, and until a year ago he's never been a top sixer. Why would you think he'd have a career year immediately after being moved to a new position? If anything, it'll be a wash. I wish this team would stop screwing around trying to jam square pegs into round holes just because Holland, or Babcock, or both have a boner for this player or that one and can't make hard decisions.

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36 year old Pavel Datsyuk is not some magic cure all for bad talent. If that was the case, we wouldn't be in this mess. Darren Helm isn't a top six winger. He's never been a winger, and until a year ago he's never been a top sixer. Why would you think he'd have a career year immediately after being moved to a new position? If anything, it'll be a wash. I wish this team would stop screwing around trying to jam square pegs into round holes just because Holland, or Babcock, or both have a boner for this player or that one and can't make hard decisions.

You're definitely stretching my words with the magic cure comment. I do think that playing with Zetterberg and Datsyuk will help out Helm more than Miller and Abdelkader and whoever else he usually plays with.

Filppula had his career year when he was moved to Zetterberg's wing. Don't argue that Helm isn't Filppula, i know, i know. The point is it often helps centermen production when they switch to wing and don't have all the same defensive responsibility. It does depend on how they make the transition, but I don't see it as that likely that Helm won't be able to play wing.

I don't know about the boner comment, Helm was relegated to the 4th line last year. He's too good for the 4th line. We've got too many centers - not enough elite wingers. Like i said twice, i just think it's worth a shot.

Edited by PavelValerievichDatsyuk

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You're definitely stretching my words with the magic cure comment. I do think that playing with Zetterberg and Datsyuk will help out Helm more than Miller and Abdelkader and whoever else he usually plays with.

Filppula had his career year when he was moved to Zetterberg's wing. Don't argue that Helm isn't Filppula, i know, i know. The point is it often helps centermen production when they switch to wing and don't have all the same defensive responsibility. It does depend on how they make the transition, but I don't see it as that likely that Helm won't be able to play wing.

I don't know about the boner comment, Helm was relegated to the 4th line last year. He's too good for the 4th line. We've got too many centers - not enough elite wingers. Like i said twice, i just think it's worth a shot.

If you're looking for an "elite winger" why would you look to an average center? And if we've got so many high end prospects and middling centers, why don't we package a few of them up for an "elite winger". Putting Helm on Datsyuk's wing isn't going to give Helm hands all of a sudden. It will just take the spot away from someone who does have hands...like Jurco, or Mantha, or Tatar.

As for your Filppula comparison. I agree, his best year came on the wing with Zetterberg. Now go look at his career numbers. His goal scoring didn't improve much that year on the wing. His assists, on the other hand, went WAY up. So while he did have better number on the wing, it's not because he was scoring many more goals. It's because he was passing to better finishers (notably Zetterberg).

Edit: I get your point, "it's worth a shot". But this is a professional sports team. I would hope we'd have a better strategy for improving our team than "it's worth a shot", or "it couldn't hurt", or "meh, what the hell". The fact that we've got the wrong personnel to address our needs, and keep trying to put bandaids over bullet holes may contribute largely to the dismal result our team has seen since 2009. Sure, it probably wouldn't kill us to try Helm there. But isn't there at least one or two other options with a higher probability of success?

Edited by kipwinger

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I've never really understood the "rode a high shooting percentage" argument. It's backwards logic. It's not like Helm, or Gus last year, were scoring because their shooting percentage was high. Their shooting percentage was high becuse they were scoring. I agree they won't keep the goal pace, but the goal pace wasn't influenced by the fact that their shooting percentage was too high.

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I've never really understood the "rode a high shooting percentage" argument. It's backwards logic. It's not like Helm, or Gus last year, were scoring because their shooting percentage was high. Their shooting percentage was high becuse they were scoring. I agree they won't keep the goal pace, but the goal pace wasn't influenced by the fact that their shooting percentage was too high.

It's a figure of speech. The point is that for whatever reason, they were scoring more goals on fewer shots. Call it luck. But the point is they can't keep up that pace. Their percentage was artificially high. Better? And as we saw last year, pretty soon they stopped getting those breaks, and their goals (as well as their shooting percentage) came back to earth. But you'd be an absolute fool to think that Darren Helm is now a top-six offensive threat because a year ago he had 12 goals in 40 odd games. That'll never happen again. It's a fluke...just like his shooting percentage.

Edited by kipwinger

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I don't know man, I think Helm showed some pretty awesome sauce last year. EEvery time I'm ready for Helm's funeral he comes back and still shows more potential than before. It's crazy. If he can settle in couldn't he be a top guy? Looks like it to me. Too bad the guy is made of glass bones and paper skin.

Edited by themcityblues

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I love picking a topic, scrolling to the last page and seeing how much people get off topic:p

You just did it your self...

As for Pavs... Glad he is skating, taking passes, and shots... Prayers for little buddy he heals well and quick

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Its nice that he's doing well, but I remember this happening last year with our guys where we'd get them back in the lineup as soon as possible, and then they'd be out again soon after, or be relatively ineffective when they returned. I'd almost rather he takes the extra week or two off, rather than risk reinjuring or playing at less than 100%.

Either way, its good news that he's healing well, and I'm excited for when he comes back and works his magic again.

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