Senators NOT releasing Zibanejad for WJC

[Big Ev]

If he were Canadian he would be an automatic to go because Canadians aren't in the AHL at 19 years old. If Ziba was in the CHL for the last 2 years or whatever, he'd be there. Sweden should calm down, they aren't owed anything here.

[Big Ev]

fully understand why they're mad though. Don't think Ziba would put them over a Canada or Russia though with their two big D out.

[Dakkster]

Yeah, that's true.

[Ross The Boss Palmer]

Wrote this in the ramblings comments in response to Late Round Gem who said he shouldn't go:


...
Late Round Gem wrote:
"Zibanejad
Zibanejad scored the OT gold medal goal, what more does he have to accomplish at the junior level? Having him continue to refine his pro game is the right decision for the Sens. If Nugent-Hopkins had done the same I would bet dollars to doughnuts that the Oilers would keep him in the AHL this year as well.

Nuge - fair amount of North American pro experience, short on these types of pressure packed games
Zibanejad - the opposite

It's crazy to think that a professional hockey team would purposely hold a player out so their home country has a better chance of winning. This tourney happens every year, the stink of a poorly developed lottery pick lasts far longer than one year of disappointment."



My response:
How long is the tournament? I highly doubt that playing in it will impede his development or disrupt the refinement of his pro-game. I disagree with your stance. If he's not playing in the NHL, let him represent his country and have some fun with peers before the game becomes more and more a business. This is like telling a kid that he can't go to his grade 12 prom because he is smart enough to be in university (even though he isn't yet), and because he went to the prom in grade 11, where he ended up losing his virginity to the prom queen, Kate Upton (the female equivalent to winning the World Juniors in freaking overtime no less).

Let the young man play.

[Big Ev]

Wrote this in the ramblings comments in response to Late Round Gem who said he shouldn't go:


...
Late Round Gem wrote:
"Zibanejad
Zibanejad scored the OT gold medal goal, what more does he have to accomplish at the junior level? Having him continue to refine his pro game is the right decision for the Sens. If Nugent-Hopkins had done the same I would bet dollars to doughnuts that the Oilers would keep him in the AHL this year as well.

Nuge - fair amount of North American pro experience, short on these types of pressure packed games
Zibanejad - the opposite

It's crazy to think that a professional hockey team would purposely hold a player out so their home country has a better chance of winning. This tourney happens every year, the stink of a poorly developed lottery pick lasts far longer than one year of disappointment."



My response:
How long is the tournament? I highly doubt that playing in it will impede his development or disrupt the refinement of his pro-game. I disagree with your stance. If he's not playing in the NHL, let him represent his country and have some fun with peers before the game becomes more and more a business. This is like telling a kid that he can't go to his grade 12 prom because he is smart enough to be in university (even though he isn't yet), and because he went to the prom in grade 11, where he ended up losing his virginity to the prom queen, Kate Upton (the female equivalent to winning the World Juniors in freaking overtime no less).

Let the young man play.

I don't think that's a fair analogy. A fair analogy would be making a university kid go back to high school for a two-week Mathlympics even though he should be sticking with his university math classes (in order to succeed in them and learn). As opposed to CHLers who are only missing high school classes to attend the Mathlympics at another school.

He'll miss about 12 AHL games which is a lot considering he's only played 16. Like BM said tonight, it would be like starting over once he came back from the tournament. Also, I have no doubt the NHL will be back by the so it doesn't matter as Sweden would have let him go for that.

And Zibanejad gets about $13,000 for not going so I'm sure he's not going to pout.

[Ross The Boss Palmer]

He's not an over-ager, which is the only way I can see that logic making sense, so I'm not a fan of your analogy.

Any other analogies?! Reese and Bomm I'm looking at you guys! Let the battle of the analogies begin!

[The Comish]

It's kind of sad really. Sad for Mika and sad for Sweden. He can put on a brave face and say that it was his and his agent's decision, but who is he really kidding? No way ANY 19 year old hockey player DOESN'T want to suit up for a short tournament representing his country with his buddies that he won gold at the year before. Russia (location) be damned, tournaments reek of awesomeness!

Nothing to prove at this level? What about leading Sweden to ANOTHER gold medal? That might show the Sens that this kid has leadership abilities and you know, just might give him even more confidence in himself as an offensive player.

I guess he'll somehow get some confidence playing less minutes in the SECOND best league in the world right now after the KHL. He's got 7 points in 16 games for heaven's sake! Wouldn't it be better if he were to go away, dominate for the Swedes and then come back to the AHL to finish on a high note...or if we're lucky, try to make the NHL when the players eventually come crawling back in January?

Boo to the Sens management who made this decision. Will it ****** Zibanejad's development? Likely not, but hey it's not like we'll ever know!

[Big Ev]

It's kind of sad really. Sad for Mika and sad for Sweden. He can put on a brave face and say that it was his and his agent's decision, but who is he really kidding? No way ANY 19 year old hockey player DOESN'T want to suit up for a short tournament representing his country with his buddies that he won gold at the year before. Russia (location) be damned, tournaments reek of awesomeness!

Nothing to prove at this level? What about leading Sweden to ANOTHER gold medal? That might show the Sens that this kid has leadership abilities and you know, just might give him even more confidence in himself as an offensive player.

I guess he'll somehow get some confidence playing less minutes in the SECOND best league in the world right now after the KHL. He's got 7 points in 16 games for heaven's sake! Wouldn't it be better if he were to go away, dominate for the Swedes and then come back to the AHL to finish on a high note...or if we're lucky, try to make the NHL when the players eventually come crawling back in January?

Boo to the Sens management who made this decision. Will it ****** Zibanejad's development? Likely not, but hey it's not like we'll ever know!

I understand what you're saying here but I don't think he would dominate (I mean be a top scorer) at the WJC, especially if they didn't give him top ice time. At their summer camp they played Karlsson and Forsberg the most, and Zibanejad was on the second line for the most part. Ziba isn't like a Kuznetsov who dominated last year. Like I said though, I understand your points and they're definitely fair. It's a tough call all around IMO.

[ridinryan44]

It's kind of sad really. Sad for Mika and sad for Sweden. He can put on a brave face and say that it was his and his agent's decision, but who is he really kidding? No way ANY 19 year old hockey player DOESN'T want to suit up for a short tournament representing his country with his buddies that he won gold at the year before. Russia (location) be damned, tournaments reek of awesomeness!

Nothing to prove at this level? What about leading Sweden to ANOTHER gold medal? That might show the Sens that this kid has leadership abilities and you know, just might give him even more confidence in himself as an offensive player.

I guess he'll somehow get some confidence playing less minutes in the SECOND best league in the world right now after the KHL. He's got 7 points in 16 games for heaven's sake! Wouldn't it be better if he were to go away, dominate for the Swedes and then come back to the AHL to finish on a high note...or if we're lucky, try to make the NHL when the players eventually come crawling back in January?

Boo to the Sens management who made this decision. Will it ****** Zibanejad's development? Likely not, but hey it's not like we'll ever know!

I'm right there with ya, Comish. I just don't see how missing 3 weeks of pro hockey to play against the top competition in the world (at his age level) would hurt his development. If he had to sacrifice a year or pro-hockey to do so, yea, I get it. To me he's missing out on "big game" atmosphere and learning to calm the nerves and such. That's what gets recognized - showing up in the playoffs. Yea, he's played before but never hurts to get more! It's only 3 weeks....

[Big Ev]

I'm right there with ya, Comish. I just don't see how missing 3 weeks of pro hockey to play against the top competition in the world (at his age level) would hurt his development. If he had to sacrifice a year or pro-hockey to do so, yea, I get it. To me he's missing out on "big game" atmosphere and learning to calm the nerves and such. That's what gets recognized - showing up in the playoffs. Yea, he's played before but never hurts to get more! It's only 3 weeks....

It's not about hurting his development per-say, it's about delaying his development. He'll get actual playoff experience this season as Binghamton is almost the best team in the AHL right now.

The same thing happened last year having to travel across the ocean for the WJC, then the season went to shit when he returned. The Sens are not very happy with how his Swedish team fared last year and how they treated Z and all their players. They went through 3 head coaches and didn't give Z or their other young players consistent ice time. They didn't get control over him last year, so they are using their control to their full advantage this year.

I'm just not sure some people realize the difference between a WJC in Russia and a WJC in Canada or the US. It's just going to be way less physical and slower. That is not something a guy learning an intense, quick, pro game really needs. Wouldn't hurt, but the pros outweigh the cons to stay.

Like I said though, you can make good argument for both sides. I'm sure they debated it for a while.

[Jason_Banks]

The WJC is way overblown, half the guys that have good tournys are hardly ever heard of again...

For every dominate player in that tourny that uses it as a stepping stone to future sucess, there are several others that it has been the peaks of their lives...

The experiance is great, but isn't needed, or huge for thier development... Its their adjustments and abilities to play in the pro game that decides where they go and what they do in their careers...

There are many players that have excellent NHL/KHL/Pro careers that never actually play in that tourny...

The WJC is more about media/fan hype and country's pride than about player development and the game of hockey...

Mika is missing very little by not going, instead he is working with people that will shape and mould his career into what it will be in the future, rather than be treated like a god by his country people, media and other players that will look up to him... And if he succeed's great.... if he fails, does he return with a poor mind set that he stunk on the world stage in a meaningless tourny against players he should be more advanced then....

His development will be grown more for playing several games agaisnt Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Brayden Schenn, Gustav Nyqvist, Martin St. Pierre, Chad Kolarik, Jake Gardiner, Brian Connolly, Garret Stafford, Tim Erixon, Derek Meech, Jacob Markstrom, Curt McElhinney, Dan Ellis, Dustin Tokarski and other excellent pro talent than a couple games vs. top players his age...

It changes with every player's situation... Nugent-Hopkins has nothing to prove in either level, he is just putting in time... and its much safer to play agaisnt the younger players for him than some of the big mean 30 yr old D of the AHL... it like recovery time for him... his development does not grow in either league at this moment...

[Ross The Boss Palmer]

I actually think players face a higher threat of being injured in the WJC, because it is a short, all or nothing tournament, and opponents will take liberties in the heat of the moment (ie Jenner and Kuznetsov), while players will exert and all-out effort and fight through injuries in order to win.

However, I really can't see the month away from the Baby Sens as anything but a positive. If anything, it will refresh and recharge his drive once he returns to North America. He would be able to see friends and family over the holidays as well. I understand why the Sens would want him to stay over here, but I think there are way too many other positives to keep him from participating in the tournament.