Seguin/By S. Bradley
The use and performance of Bruins rookie Tyler Seguin has been much debated on this blog over the course of the 2010-11 season.
As last June’s No. 2 overall pick gets set to skate in the Bruins’ regular season finale, and possibly his last game of his initial pro season (depending on how things unfold in the postseason), I think we can all agree that he showed improvement but for the most part wasn’t ready to contribute at the NHL level in all areas of the game.
Whether he would’ve been better served to play one more year of junior hockey can be debated. Nonetheless, the path the Bruins chose for Seguin can’t be changed. In today’s Boston Herald, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli told Stephen Harris about Seguin’s season:
“Better stats would have been better. I came in thinking he’d get better stats — not much better, but better.”
Seguin loyalists will reflexively read that quote and come up with a laundry list of reasons Seguin wasn’t able to put up better numbers this year. Some are warranted, but as Chiarelli also pointed out to the Herald:
“In fairness to Tyler, he didn’t get the significant ice time. Of course, a lot of that is based on merit; there’s a chicken-and-egg thing. But he didn’t get it. He’s comfortable with that and we’re comfortable with that.”
As long as everyone is comfortable with the somewhat incomplete rookie season Seguin endured, then it was worth it for him to stick around Boston as a 19-year-old and learn the ways of a pro before he’s thrust into a greaert on-ice role. It sounds like Chiarelli is content with Seguin’s signs improvement and the rookie has mostly said all the right things about his lack of opportunity.
There’s no telling how the playoffs will go and whether Seguin will get a chance to be a part of them. As long as he learns from all the new experiences he lived through this season, the 2010-11 wasn’t a waste for Seguin or the Bruins’ development of him.
Personally I think the learning curve he faced was going from score to defend, i.e. Clod’s BS “system”.
Plus, the mistakes he made got him benched IMMEDIATELY. Ryder coasts for 3 years and finally is sat. Thats my gripe.
I realize he needs more work. But 2010 was a wasted year for Suguin. Hopefully next year with a new “system” he will excel.
I just hope that the Bruins can win the cup and yet still see that they need to dump Clod. Yes I said it, dump a Stanley Cup Champion coach. His system BLOWS!
I hated the devils system too. Three cups does not make it a good system. It means the rules committee in hockey sucks. And the refs are pretty bad too.
/rant off
I agree with Coach. What has Seguin shown? He is supposed to be a playmaker, yet his highlights are mostly goals not passes. I just don’t think he gets what it takes to be in the NHL yet. You have to play your body and “man” up, you can’t just skate around and try to skate by everyone. I hope he can learn how to play the one on one battle like Bergeron. His raw talent is there, but not enough IQ just yet.
Wow, he was not half the player Ryder was, and I didn’t think that highly of Ryder this year. Seguin was simply unable to compete at this level. The only times he looked good were when he had a breakaway or wide open ice space. He’s used to getting that a lot but it doesn’t happen in the NHL. He needs to get his game a lot stronger before he deserves more ice time, he would have been a huge liability out there. I like the kid and hope he’ll continue to develop. I think they handled him pretty well this year, all things considered.
He is better than Ryder, and Ryder played all year
Some of these comments are baffling. Rarely did seguin stand out as being a capable and consistent producer with the team. Do you take Marchand off the line with Berge so Seguin can get minutes he didnt deserve (Marchand earned every minute he got and made good when he did — something seguin hasnt when he’s been given a higher line role)? Seguin was inconsistent and is young. it’s too bad he couldnt go to the AHL. There is a rule change needed there. But the kid just ins’t there — yet. I firmly believe he will be much better next season and will likely get the opportunity to be. He played as much as he should have in my mind. Again, it’s too bad he couldnt have played in the AHL this year.
Aaron: well said. People might say “well, he couldn’t get a rhythm going” being shuffled around all the lines and in and out of the lineup. I say, if he was truly great he would have succeeded despite that and earned the spot in the lineup and the consistent ice time.
Marchand and McQuaid are great examples of players who made the most of their time early in the season and moved up based on merit. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they’re both older with more professional experience too.
Keep in mind that Seguin was only 18 when the season started. Remember, Bergeron made the team at 18 too and spent most of his first season as a 3rd-4th line winger w/o much ice time either. He turned out pretty good.
Do people really think Seguin deserved more than he got? He’s learning, but if you watched today’s game even you can see this kid isn’t ready for a huge role. I don’t want him anywhere near the lineup in the playoffs quite frankly. Maybe a game or two if a series is in hand, but otherwise he can watch. He’ll learn, he may just have a longer development than others. Not every great player comes into the league and takes it by storm.
Zero tolerance for not supporting the team. Well Kumbaya and pass the Kool-Aid. The fans of a one team go off the deep end when they lose three in a row. That same team has won more cups since ’72 than the B’s have ever won. Hmm. Probably a first generation “sweet Caroline sox fan”.
If the B’s dont make it out of the first round, you may get your wish regarding Claude and Pete.
I like this blog you can speak your peace and move on …some of you non fans should do just that.Other Bruin Blogs have zero tolerance for not supporting your team….too many armchair critics here ! If your looking for a GM or coaching job check out your local ringette ! GO BRUINS…ALL OF EM’
We are witnessing the decline of the Bruins Blog comment section.
So glad to see most everyone on the same page with clods awful system and chia being a passive, mucker 4th line lover. We need a coach and gm with a playoff winning system and player selection. Sorry, a team full of muckers doesn’t win in the Nhl now.
Umm, my headline was the quote Chiarelli said. If you missed all the positive stories about Seguin when he was playing well a couple weeks ago, sorry.
MK
I don’t get it. Why does everyone think Seguin is a god? The kid has raw talent, but he just isn’t ready for the NHL yet. He probably would have been better to play more on a 3rd line (with Kelly and Peverley… I like that line…) than his time on the 4th but there wasn’t much room for him. I do think his time up with the big club is more valuable than spending another year in juniors, but geez…
He’s going to be really good, but just doesn’t deserve 1st or 2nd line duty yet. If he tries to deke with the puck through two defensemen again instead of taking it wide I am going to lose it.
Matt why do you dislike this kid so much?Even your headline was intended to make him look bad.Was it because you were picked last and first out at dodge ball?
Better stats? Couldn’t he say that about most of his forwards. In Claudes system a 60 point guy gets 5 million and a free pass.
As for Chiarelli’s comments…..Merit??? Sure Seguin has had many growing pains, there is no denying it. But to say he would have gotten more playing time based on merit on this team is rediculous. It took more than 2 and 1/2 seasons for Ryder to be a healthy scratch.
Seguin is in a position to benefit by being on a successful play off team, but he is also harmed by his age, inexperience and the fact that he is on a successful play off team.
I think there are a lot of things that indicate this kid has a lot of talent. I just hope next year he is able to utilize it.
A lot of pundits and fans (including me) said that Seguin was in a better position to excel being on a team that had a good chance to make the playoffs. Looking back maybe its not as good a situation as many of us thought. Seguin’s minutes were pretty low the whole season because the talent level of the team. It also puts him lower on the depth chart when IMO because of his playing style and lack of experience his numbers would have been better playing on the 2nd line with Bergeron. I hold out judgement until Seguin gets a full off-season under his belt under the guidance of an NHL team.
going into the draft, i remeber reading that taylor hall was more ready to play at the nhl level and seguin might take longer to develop at the pro level. i think seguin has proven that he has the raw talent and also that he is still more a kid than a mature adult.
its not the player it’s the system and this Coach’s system sucks and I am shocked he madeit though the season.
as for Chiarelli, I didn’t think he was a good choice for GM and I still don’t, he doesn’t understand the Big Bad Bruins and never will.
As a season ticket holder and lover of the game I will stay but for God’s sake please get a new GM and Coach for 2011/2012.
Watch lots of your film, young one. Lots of your film. Then watch Kesler every night before you go to sleep.
chairelli is a joke, Chicken and egg?how about a coach who has no idea how to handle veterans nevermind a rookie with all that talent.Lets all get on pallie’s jock because he put together a couple good games.this team is filled with 3rd and fourth liners.When seguin was able to play he produced.I’m sick of hearing about our fourth line.Seguin is saying all the right things now(who wants to be that guy).But you wait till after playoffs.He wants out of this sytem .hows kelly doing? great trade.But were winning so everything is good.