Injuries and the Canes AHL situationHe had decent hype at one point, what happened to him?
Carolina doesn’t have an AHL affiliate so he’s on loan to another team’s farm club which has no incentive to push or play him in big minutes and situations. This trade is great for his chances, if he can get things turned around.
Rees does not lack skill.Had a scrappy attitude, but not the body, or skills, to back it up. I saw him pick fights with two smaller players in the AHL, diminutive Mason Shaw, and Sammy Walker, a college player who had never fought in his life.
He was dropped both times.
Classic case of not being skilled enough to play on a NHL scoring line, or strong enough to play on a checking line.
He is still relatively young, so it's possible that he develops late.
He was solid with the Wolves last year when he finally got a shot at a top 6 role, and was the best player on the ice in the southeastern prospect tournament this season. The Blues affiliate had absolutely no incentive to play him when he was loaned there after the Wolves screwed the Canes over this season. He'll be a help on the Sens affiliate and could even make the Sens out of camp next year.Had a scrappy attitude, but not the body, or skills, to back it up. I saw him pick fights with two smaller players in the AHL, diminutive Mason Shaw, and Sammy Walker, a college player who had never fought in his life.
He was dropped both times.
Classic case of not being skilled enough to play on a NHL scoring line, or strong enough to play on a checking line.
He is still relatively young, so it's possible that he develops late.
The NHL needs to strong arm the AHL. Cant have players getting absolutely f***ed over like he was by the AHL.
Independent AHL teams shouldn’t exist. There’s no AHL interest on its own. The interest is tied to the NHL.
Carolina doesn’t have an AHL affiliate so he’s on loan to another team’s farm club which has no incentive to push or play him in big minutes and situations. This trade is great for his chances, if he can get things turned around.
People are making a lot of assumptions about him just not being good enough in the AHL and that’s why he hasn’t made it with the Canes. It’s not true. Most teams would’ve played him years ago. RBA isn’t one to trust spots to young players unless Waddell has left a spot open for one or it’s a high draft pick and there’s expectations for them to play. Everyone trying to work their way up takes years. Jack Drury is 24 years old, he’s a regular this year despite being a second rounder that produced at every level up to now including time spent in Sweden. In the past they’ve signed guys like Stepan and Stastny because that’s the kind of fourth line RBA wants, one that plays the system as obsessively as Staal’s third line does. He doesn’t want one that takes chances offensively like young guys do. Even now we have KK, Noesen and Fast on the fourth line. The guy that got bumped out with the trades is Lemieux, who’s in his late 20’s and they extended him…..
Think about Jack Drury not making it until this year. He’s a defensively responsible bottom six player, always has been, he’s never made mistakes and he certainly never made any involving taking risks with the puck. That’s the guy RBA didn’t trust a spot with until now.
They had one spot headed into this year on the fourth line, first spot open since Jarvis took one a few years ago. Pono, Rees, Drury and Suzuki all fought for the one spot that should’ve already been Drury’s. It was first chance for Suzuki and Rees to actually play in the pros despite Rees having good camps in the past. It shouldn’t have been a competition since Drury was already pretty much in place but they made him earn it anyways. If Pono hadn’t gotten hurt it seemed it was his. He had two pts in two games when he did get called up and looked amazing, and we sent him right back down.
So people shouldn’t say a negative thing about Rees, he did not ever get a fair shot and he absolutely should’ve. Ironically he’s an RBA kind of player. This year with the Canes having no AHL team was detrimental to the teams top prospects. In other news we’ve now traded four forwards that would’ve been playing in the top six on the team had we had an affiliate. Now we don’t need one so much!
Rees is a potential high reward for little risk. His top end is probably bottom six but he’s likeable and could be a pretty useful player. Good trade for the Sens and I’m glad he got away from us. Wish it was a year or two ago for him. Hopefully Suzuki gets his escape before any chance has completely faded.
Rees does not lack skill.
He was solid with the Wolves last year when he finally got a shot at a top 6 role, and was the best player on the ice in the southeastern prospect tournament this season. The Blues affiliate had absolutely no incentive to play him when he was loaned there after the Wolves screwed the Canes over this season. He'll be a help on the Sens affiliate and could even make the Sens out of camp next year.
I never once said “lock”. I said most teams would’ve given him a shot. A shot is a game, ten games. Maybe he gets a month on the fourth line. He showed enough his last good season in the AHL to get a shot. The Canes don’t give shots to kids, even on the fourth line unless there’s a spot they couldn’t fill with a vet ufa. Which hasn’t happened much under this regime.You make him sound a lot better than he's shown.
You make it sound like teams should have been lining up to give more than a 6th for him.
You say "most teams would have played him years ago".
If he was a lock to make the NHL on most teams, he would have garnered much more interest, no?
Usually guys who don't lack skill have no problem putting up ppg in the AHL.
Now I know his situation is weird this year, but he's never even came close to that production other years.
He's 23, so it's not like he's young.
Linemates and ice time absolutely matter, and I can’t imagine feeling stuck without a good opportunity or any say in how you’re deployed can be good at all for morale.Wouldn't it be no different than any 1 way AHL player that isn't signed to the big club. They still produce. He's still getting in the lineup. Even with cut opportunities, that production decline is almost unheard of.