A few thoughts on Frolik
by Donny Rivette on Feb 10, 2011 1:04 AM EST
in Florida Panthers News & Analysis
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This is not an "official" position on behalf of LBC (there is none), only my own personal observations:
GM Dale Tallon kicked off the Panthers' trade deadline action with a bold transaction that reaches far beyond the names involved.
Yes, Michael Frolik is a very nice kid whose talent should be an NHL mainstay for the next decade or more. Two straight 21-goal seasons to begin his career may speak volumes about what is yet to come. And I challenge anyone to find a single negative comment about his charm or enthusiasm for the game.
Conversely, he simply wasn't bringing it this year. How best to describe his play in 2010-11? The word "invisible" comes to mind rather embarrassingly easily; way too many nights I'd find a game entering the third period and realize I'd never noticed him. His current point streak totals 3 in as many matches - all assists - as the Cats went 1-2. Streaks are swell and all, but only if they don't mirror the one he just broke: twelve games without a point. Worse, his last goal came on December 17th in a 6-2 sloshing of Buffalo. BTW...December was his best month of the season: 4 goals in thirteen games.
As it stands, Frolik is on pace for about 15 goals. Ice time might be a little harder to find in Chicago, where Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and Troy Brouwer are not likely to see a decrease in their TOI numbers as the Blackhawks' top three on right wing. Just a guess.
He just isn't a "Tallon" guy: at 6-1, 200lbs he simply lacks the inherent size demanded, and never has Frolik shown a capacity to play on the edge or become a physical force. He's got very good speed and skilled hands, but little else.
In return, Jack Skille boasts a similar height and weight, but Dale drafted him for his own reasons in '05 (7th overall); we'll see what he had in mind soon enough.
I wish Michael the best of luck, high hopes for him getting on track, and many thanks for his contributions to Florida over the past two-plus years.
Perhaps most importantly, this deal sends a brutal wakeup call to the kids fighting for appearances with the big club: past performances and positive scouting reports are guarantees for nothing with this organization.
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Agreed, Donny. I’m very sorry to see Frolik go – I like him a lot – and I’m not sure at all about this Skille guy. But this should definitely serve nicely as a wake-up call to these teams.
Frolik is having a really bad season. I’m sure (well, I sincerely hope) he’ll pull out of it eventually & return to his previous form. I am sad we couldn’t wait long enough to see it happen here.
I am sad we couldn’t wait long enough to see it happen here
That’s the tragedy in all of this, but it’s a tuff biz. I’m enthused by such a move.
Litter Box Cats - Your Panthers Colossus. Hit me up at Twitter and our Facebook FanPage
by Donny Rivette on Feb 9, 2011 11:50 PM EST up reply actions
I agree that I’m sad to see Frolik go – but as I watched him – I don’t see anything more than Richard Zednik. Not that this is a bad thing for Frolik – Zed had a great career. I just think he may have hit his ceiling – particularly in this system.
That being said, as a Wisconsin Badger, it’s fabulous to welcome another in Skille. Jack’s got a cannon and has the skills that Nathan Horton departed with. I’ve been secretly hoping that the Panthers could sneak him away from the Blackhawks all season. He had so many good players blocking him in Chicago and he certainly has top six potential.
Someone else’s “numbers game” finally benefitted the Cats.
Litter Box Cats - Your Panthers Colossus. Hit me up at Twitter and our Facebook FanPage
by Donny Rivette on Feb 10, 2011 12:13 AM EST up reply actions
Oh thank god someone else sees a bigger picture than one players individual stats. I thought I was alone on this island tonight. Mr Rivette, thank you for throwing out the life preserver. I was seriously drowning in a sea of bullshit negativity everywhere else I turned.
Skille
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/jack_skille
Frolik can score. So can Grabner, Huselius and Hagman. To win in this league you can’t just have the flash. It’s no wonder we are mired in a decade long playoff drought! We need skilled players with more grit and heart.
CFS93
Frolik’s shooting percentage was really low, and was bound to regress to the mean. Florida sold him low and will come to regret it.
Really, when the best (and only legitimate) part coming your way is Jack Freaking Skille, you know something is wrong.
by Adam Dyck on Feb 10, 2011 2:09 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Regrets? Really??
Surely it had nothing to do with shooting percentages. Frolik is still young and the upside looks promising. Obviously he has not as yet reached his prime..but did you see how easily he gets pushed off the puck? We need difference makers..players that know how to hold a lead or pull out a victory when necessary. Can you name anyone like that on this roster? For the young guys, guess we don’t know as yet.
Dale said it best when he first signed on. Waching this team, visitors come into our building like it’s a vacation. It’s an easy game. There is no one here to strike fear into the face of our opponents. Grabner was waived for the same exact reason.
As badly as we need scoring, you have to think well beyond just goals and assists… they’re calling it charachter.
And don’t call out the Jury on Jack Skille just as yet. Look at his numbers for an average of 8-9 minutes avg. TOI per game. Mired on the 3rd-4th line of the reigning champs, has he really seen his opportunity??…here he will get a real chance.
CFS93
I really like this trade! We all knew this was going to happen! They were responisble for it with blowing all thes leads in the games. If we want to reach the playoffs, we need to win one goal games and Frolik obivisouly didnt do well this season. He was bad at the beginning of the season, then got a lil hot but is on a cold streak since December. We dont win games by disappearing and he did that! He is not like Booth. Booth is there in every game! And remember, Frolik was on another line in nearly every game. He may fit to Chicago`s lineup but they all think he will be a good 2nd line center but I dont think he will be. Because of his missing skills he will only be a 3rd or even a 4th liner! Meanwhile, Skille can work his way up as top six forward into our lineup. He had 17 points (?) but played on a 3rd or 4th line in Chicago with no names after they traded away the whole team.
Well, that they traded away Salak is not good in my opinion but this may lead to a signing of Vokoun, Although I think Clemm could handle the starting job.
No one is here to be lazy and Tallon said he will not allow this! Frolik could very well turn out into another Olesz. Well can he? We waited on Olesz as well.
Tallon should be active at the deadline.
Best Wishes, Froli!
Frolik is a good hockey player, plain and simple. He’s smart with the puck, has great hands and good vision, and is quick. He will be a good player for the majority of his NHL career, and I wish him nothing but the best, as he has been a classy person and a good community guy for South Florida since he started his Panther tenure.
Dale Tallon’s “blueprint” for this team continues. Frolik is a smaller forward, a skilled player who does not play a necessarily tough game, and I believe we’re definitely seeing a roster shift in that respect. Tallon has repeatedly said he wants to make it difficult for opposing teams to play at the Billboard, and so the average Panther player is not only going to increase in size, but in toughness, heart and pride. Frolik is a gutsy guy and works hard, but when it comes to being a force out on the ice, any Panther fan who isn’t in denial knows that he will never be a dominant forward, but rather a complimentary skill player.
Jack Skille has “first-round bust” written all over him, but he hasn’t really had top-line minutes in Chicago, and will be given a chance to earn a role here in Florida, so I think we should reserve judgement until after he has a full season with the Cats. We can see some potential in him, but I do believe if you evaluate this deal player-for-player in terms of real upside, Chicago got the better result. What’s important to remember is that Tallon and Santos want to make this team bigger, stronger and altogether better, and that Frolik is not that type of player.
Lastly, the loss of Salak is a real bummer, as he was coming into his own as a netminder and may or may not have been one of the best goaltending prospects in the organization. That being said, he wasn’t giving the Florida Panthers anything right now or in the foreseeable future due to Vokoun, Clemmer and Markstrom, so the loss really isn’t quite as earth-shattering as some folks feel.
...hindsight truly is 20/20
I see Salak as the bigger loss here. Problem is we got a log jam at that position. If Marky turns out to be a regular workhorse(i.e. Luongo, Lundqvist, Kipper, etc..)when would Salak get the chance here? As a back up? Not only do we have some really great prospects at that position, it seems to me a competent goalie can be found in a pinch if needed. Namely the one time Calder and two time All Star Nabokov and Stanley Cup Finalist Leighton. Look how Dale won it finding a journeyman like Niemi. Salak can turn into a brilliant player but who knows for sure? Can Ty Plante, Marc Cheverie and/or Sam Brittain turn into something as good? And when will they get their chance backing Marky?
Let the Master do his craft.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/393246-dale-tallon-chicago-blackhawks-fans-thank-you-for-everything
wonder what the chat was like when he dealt
Bochenski for Versteeg
http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/11/19/so-who-do-you-think-won-the-bochenski-for-versteeg-deal/
Vandermeer for Eager
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=51780
“lump of crap”…LOL! :-D
CFS93
Conversely, he simply wasn’t bringing it this year. How best to describe his play in 2010-11? The word “invisible” comes to mind rather embarrassingly easily; way too many nights I’d find a game entering the third period and realize I’d never noticed him. His current point streak totals 3 in as many matches – all assists – as the Cats went 1-2. Streaks are swell and all, but only if they don’t mirror the one he just broke: twelve games without a point. Worse, his last goal came on December 17th in a 6-2 sloshing of Buffalo. BTW…December was his best month of the season: 4 goals in thirteen games.
http://www.behindthenethockey.com/2011/2/10/1985779/why-michael-frolik-was-traded-in-one-chart
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
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