WWYDW: Stecher-Mania!

Get him into some games. He can’t be any worse than what we saw last night.

Turn off the sirens. Hold off on the flairs. Call off the hounds. Rightly or wrongly (see: Pedan, Andrey), Tryamkin is the fourth LD on the team’s depth chart. Given that only three of them play in a game, then it makes sense that he should sit. Biega didn’t play ahead of Tryamkin; he was an emergency fill-in on the fourth line. Probably a better choice than the big Russian in that role.

It’s suboptimal that Tryamkin can’t be sent down to Utica just to get some reps, but I think we’re making mountains out of molehills. Maybe he gets a skate to spell Sbisa at some point, or Edler gets a rest during the next back-to-back if he’s a little dinged up. In short: nothing to see here.

The two bigger issues are probably (1) what to do with Larsen and Stecher–and how much rope Larsen is afforded after Tanev returns? and (2) is Tryamkin’s game a little too similar to Gudbranson’s but not as developed? Which makes it difficult to justify putting him out there,

Keep doing what you’re doing. He’s got the entire Canucks training staff helping him get into shape (something this organization is actually pretty good at) and it’s inevitable that one of the LD’s will succumb to injury at some point and give him a shot.

I am troubled by a any player who isn’t motivated to act professionally by the prospect of a multi-year, multi million dollar future staring them in the face. Not that the almighty dollar is everything but generally speaking it should be enough to get you to work out a little bit and watch what you eat. But we’ve seen this act before in different forms (Kassian, Hodgson etc….). Some people just can’t get out of their own way. Tyramkin just may be one of those.

I wouldn’t worry too much about his fitness at this point. He is young and still adjusting to the differences between the KHL and NHL; also, he had some pretty good reasons not to focus exclusively on training this summer. I’m guessing his conditioning probably isn’t as bad as most folks think anyway.

To me, the bigger issue to worry about is his moral. I’ve never met the guy, but I can’t imagine this is how he saw this season starting, and we don’t want him to get discouraged or bitter.

It might do him some good to get some games in soon. If he does well, then everyone is happy, and we can drool over how good he will be when he gets in shape; if doesn’t do well, maybe he would realize a conditioning stint would be good for him.

If, after playing a few games, he is unable to keep up and he still won’t go to the AHL maybe a one year “try again next year” extension and going to the KHL is the way to go.

With Stecher and Edler meshing well as a pair, I would play Tryamkin with Tanev for a couple of games, and sit Larsen/Spisa.

Tanev will give the big guy a safety net out there, and give him his best chance to shine.

If he doesn’t look good next to Tanev, then he clearly isn’t ready this year.

Who says we have to do anything. He is no 8 on our roster depth and if it wasn’t for his contract situation, it would be more like 10th behind Stecher and Pedan.

It is too bad that he doesn’t see the value of going to the AHL. If injuries happen and they will, it is good to have the depth and Tryamkin will get time on ice eventually and will have to prove himself. I am ok with having him sit right now and I am ok with putting him in if we get injury depleted.

Basically – see comment above from Steampuck, that is completely correct in my opinion.