Prospect discussion

I want to know if Zenon Konopka, Shane O'Brien and Ilya Bryzgalov will succeed right away when the NHL resumes. I already know Konopka is an agitator that can score some and is a fantastic defensive player. I am assuming Konopka will make it quickly. As far as O'Brien, I have never seen him play. I see 300 pen mins and that is interesting since he has scored some points from the backend also. Will he be the main enforcer for the Ducks when the NHL resumes? Lastly, can Bryzgalov challenge Giggy?

Shane O'Brien isnt an enforcer
most of his PIMs are minors...he can fight but is better suited to play D

Konopka-Should be a regular on the fourth line when the NHL starts up.

Bryzgalov-Will back up Giguere to start and then we'll see if he eventually can take away the number 1 spot but that won't be for awhile in my opinion.

O'Brien-Physical d-man not an enforcer. Ducks could use his toughness but I don't think he is NHL ready yet. He could use one more full year in the AHL. Here is Anaheim's D-man depth chart, with Ozolinsh gone as UFA.

Carney
Salei (possible UFA)
Skoula
Vishnevski
Popovic
Foster

Smid?
Korsunov?

O'Brien
Malec
Rome
Brookbank

I am sorry but 300 pen mins definetely means enforcer. He has many fightning majors. All I am saying is ....is his skating, sense NHL ready. He is developing quickly and has become very mean which I say Enforcer.

Wait until you see him play before you mark Shane as an enforcer...
yes he isn't afraid to play physical and take up for his team mates...but he is not sent out on to the ice to fight players they way a typical enforcer is...his MAIN roll is to play D...so that is why i wouldn't give him the label of enforcer because i feel an enforcer is a player who is sent out to protect his team mates and not relied on for any other type of production

And yes he is developing fast...this season he has improved leaps and bounds over his performance last season...
Give him one more SOLID season in the AHL and he will be ready for the NHL...
Also Shane seems to be proficient in adapting and playing to the level of his opponents which is why he has improved his game so much this season

Foster and Popovic should and will be called up before Shane O'Brien

I am sorry but 300 pen mins definetely means enforcer. He has many fightning majors. All I am saying is ....is his skating, sense NHL ready. He is developing quickly and has become very mean which I say Enforcer.

He is a physical defensmen not an enforcer.

He is NOT a Garrett Burnett or a Stu Grimson!!!

...Carney
Salei (possible UFA)
Skoula
Vishnevski
Popovic
Foster...

Yeah, Vishnevski's 2 on that list, not 4

5 mins for fighting and 2 * 2 roughing penalties. Many of you are saying he isn't an enforcer but I am saying he is developing into an enforcer this year. He can definetely play the game also as his point stats are impressive consider the amount of time in the box. He has the most pen mins in the ahl for a dman and 4th most overall in pen mins. He's an enforcer alla Marty McSorley style from the back end.

5 mins for fighting and 2 * 2 roughing penalties. Many of you are saying he isn't an enforcer but I am saying he is developing into an enforcer this year. He can definetely play the game also as his point stats are impressive consider the amount of time in the box. He has the most pen mins in the ahl for a dman and 4th most overall in pen mins. He's an enforcer alla Marty McSorley style from the back end.

He just isn't quite an enforcer. He is a physical defensmen that likes to fight. He will calm down and be like a Sean O'Donnell type.

He's an enforcer alla Marty McSorley style from the back end.

You will never see a defenseman enforcer in the NHL ever again, IMO. O'Brien sitting in the penalty box for 9 minutes does nothing but help the other team win.

You will never see a defenseman enforcer in the NHL ever again, IMO. O'Brien sitting in the penalty box for 9 minutes does nothing but help the other team win.

Eric Cairns is a d-man enforcer.

Erskine,Norton,Cairns,Purinton,Vandermeer,Aitken are NHL D enforcers :teach:

and all (in my opinion) are fringe NHLers.
I don't like the idea of defencemen as enforcers because unlike 4 lines and 12 guys up front, you only have 3 pairings and 6 guys to last you the whole game. Take one out for 5 minutes, maybe even more and there are less people to pick up the load. The forward ranks have more numbers to absorb the loss of a player for a few shifts or more.

I also think Shane O'Brien has a higher potential then just a goon on the blueline. Sure, his penalty minutes are high, but I don't think he'll just end up as an enforcer.

Shane is still young and his emotions seem to cloud his judgment
...when there is a true enforcer on the team i would bet that his PIMs drop heavily

Erskine,Norton,Cairns,Purinton,Vandermeer,Aitken are NHL D enforcers :teach:

An enforcer like Shelley gets 30+ majors a year. These guys, for the most part, have around 10.

Erskine will be a good defenseman that is physical and fights a bit. Cairns you can make the case that's he's a middle weight. I wouldn't agree, but you can argue it.

The rest of those guys are part time players on bad teams. I can guarantee you that if the Rangers (for example) had a decent defense, Puriton would have no place on it. That goes tripple for the Blackhawks.

Erskine,Norton,Cairns,Purinton,Vandermeer,Aitken are NHL D enforcers :teach:

Cairns, Norton, and Purinton are 7th defensmen who shouldn't be in the lineup on a good team.

Erskine and Vandermeer are still developing as D-men I wouldn't call them pure enforcers.

Aitken is an AHLer.

Cairns you can make the case that's he's a middle weight. I wouldn't agree, but you can argue it.


Middleweight Cairns???

In 2003-2004 Eric Cairns was THE BEST fighter/enforcer in the entire NHL, he fought a lot with anyone, beating also Brashear.
Good for fighting, but I recall his errors in a playoff game versus Tampa (he was still with the Islanders)

In 2003-2004 Eric Cairns was THE BEST fighter/enforcer in the entire NHL, he fought a lot with anyone, beating also Brashear.

We are obviously watching different Islanders games.

An enforcer like Shelley gets 30+ majors a year. These guys, for the most part, have around 10.

Umm Cairns has 17 which is much more than many 'wellknown' enforcers have.

Cairns you can make the case that's he's a middle weight. I wouldn't agree, but you can argue it.


What the hell are you talking about?? Cairns is one of the heavyweights of the league, he has fought pretty much every tough guy in NHL and done well.

We are obviously watching different Islanders games.

You're obviously watching some different league, I suggest you pay more attention.

I know it's hard to admit that you're wrong but please, you're dead wrong in this one.

What the hell are you talking about?? Cairns is one of the heavyweights of the league, he has fought pretty much every tough guy in NHL and done well.

Exactly, and damn it if he has broke some of those tough guy's faces (Fedoruk and Scott for example)