In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:

No, they're both parts of a team concept. If you need that concept explained to you, then you've never been on a real team. No player is above the team. The point I made is valid. You claim Rask will eventually demand a trade due to a lack of playing time. I say what would stop any player from doing the exact same thing. Sorry it doesn't suit your argument or your obvious crush on DK. What's ridiculous is you thinking only a goalie can become upset over a perceived lack of playing time.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:

You are correct,there is no rush in regards to Rask considering his age and track record.He hasn't played well enough consistenly to demand equal time as TT.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:


No I get the team concept. The difference is as a fwd you can play substantial minutes even if you have a stud in front of you. You play with 4 Centers.

You can only play one goalie. Hence if you have a stud (Thomas) in front of you then you have very little opportunity to prove yourself because you can't play 2 goalies in a game. Completely different arguement. If Bergy & Krejci are both playing great hockey both can get significant minutes within a game as well as a 3rd & 4th line Center. Completely different for a goalie as opposed to a fwd.

I never said one player was above the team. In fact I stated Rask appears to have been a great teammate to this point given the circumstances & as a fan I am not sure how long you can expect him to bide his time.

I also didn't say I expect Rask to ask for a trade. I did say it would not surprise me or upset me if he did because of a lack of playing time & how he interprets that lack of playing time effecting his development & his ability financially with a new contract in his near future.

Where in my post did I say only a goalie can get upset over playing time? It appears you are putting words in my mouth. History has shown numerous players have requested trades due to playing time. I am unsure how that is relevent to what I said. I make the point that it is different for goalies as opposed to position players. You seem to feel different.

My whole post is not meant to diminish Thomas as he has proved numerous people wrong over the years and I am at the top of the list.

My point is how long can we expect Rask to bide his time without beginning to wonder if it will effect his development & longterm financial future?

To me it is great that he has been such a great teammate but human nature in any walk of life is to eventually be the best you can be & get yourself in a position to be the best you can be. I certainly would not begrudge him if he looked to get a chance somewhere else because I feel it is inevitable that he get his shot. It appears it will be a while before he gets it in Boston unless CJ starts playing him more.

If the Bruins as an organization continue to play him sparingly and ride THomas then I have no issue with that. But I only hope that if that is the case they give Rask an opportunity elsewhere & bring in additional assets to help the team.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:

By claiming that I'm ridiculous to suggest similarities between DK and Rask(although I was being facetious) you're obviously implying 1 has more right than the other to be upset over playing time.  Were you implying otherwise?

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:


Who has more options for playing time?

If Thomas is the guy then Rask doesn't play. Meanwhile Krejci (or anyone else for that matter) have a much better opportuntiy to play.

Rask has much less options then position players hence the liklihood to get frustrated about playing time or lack of playing time. I don't see how the 2 sides can be compared.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:

They're both professional athletes trying to be the best that they can be. I think Rask knew exactly how many goalies start each game when he took up the position. Rask starting only 1 in 4 games wouldn't be any different than DK only seeing 10 minutes a night. It's all relative.

I'm still trying to figure out when Brodeur and Roy struggled. Roy won the cup and conne smythe as a rookie.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:

I asked the very same question.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:


If you consider a few seasons hovering around .900 save % and above or around 3.00 GAA the yes Roy struggled a bit, he wasn't perfect.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:

San, no player was but I have to admit that Roy was close.

                                             SA    SV     S%
May 9 '92 MTL @ BOS     L    1    30    29    .967    
May 7 '92 MTL @ BOS     L    3    24    21    .875    
May 5 '92 BOS @ MTL     L    3    24    21    .875    
May 3 '92 BOS @ MTL     L    6    27    21    .778

Apr 26 '88 BOS @ MTL     L    4    28    24    .857   
Apr 24 '88 MTL @ BOS     L    1    23    22    .957
Apr 22 '88 MTL @ BOS     L    3    35    32    .914

A few of my favorite classic playoff Roy "Boo Hoo" hits!

Thomas's no-trade ends with this season. At that point the Bruins will reflect on where to go with the goalies.  For now they have an aging star and a young, cheap, very talented backup. For the time being I think everyone is happy.  It's also not a coincidence that Khuboden's (can't remember the spelling at the moment) contract is one-way next year. The goaltending situation is probably the best thought-out part of the organization, and everyone, including Tuukka, knows it.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:


Both had there moments early on and had some tough games. I remember Roy in particular being owned by Cam Neely in the late '80s through the early '90s.

My point was that there are young goalies who have had initial success & have struggled as Dez has pointed out. Blaine Lacher, Andrew Raycroft & Hannu Toivonen come to mind from a Bruin perspective along with countless others from other organizations.

But there are also others who are given the ball early in there career & figure it out. Each individual is different. Pointing out that Steve Mason began to struggle after some initial success is no different then me pointing out that Marc Andre Fleury & Carey Price were able to rebound after struggling at times early in there career and have both become very solid goalies.

What happened to all those guys has no bearing on what will happen to Tuukka Rask. If he was given the ball on a team he would sink or swim. The problem for Tuukka is he has had to wait to be given the ball since the 2009 season. When he was given the ball that season he did really well before it was quickly taken away from him in 2010.

The whole premise of my post is at some point sooner rather then later he will want to be given the ball again. That is human nature. If it isn't Boston then they should give him an opportuntiy elsewhere & let him get on with his career. I don't see how that is an issue. Froms this fans perspective it must be extremely frustrating for him to have to sit and wait so long. Especially after he has been so patient, at least publically.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:

San, if there was ever a player that seemed to have Roy's number, it was Bam-Bam-Cam. I still remember the night that the Habs playoff streak was finally broken like it was yesterday. It was 1 of the biggest moments of my life as a Bruins fan(until last year).

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:

Newf, I guess this is where I take issue. As I said earlier, Rask knew when he took up the position that the competition is fierce. Right now, he's still a young man that's living the dream. I just don't agree with your suggestion that the Bruins should let him play elsewhere(thus weakening their own future) just so that he can be happier. It's a buisiness and right now, PC is running the top company.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:


I understand your point & where you are coming from  & we will have to agree to disagree.

I just feel that he has played the good soldier for a while & must feel at this point if he would be better off career wise somewhere else. If he felt that way it would be totally understandable for me & I certainly wouldn't begrudge him for those feelings if it comes to that.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:
Rask had every opportunity last year to be the teams no.1 ,he just wasn't up to the task.I think he has tremendous potential but is he a legitimite no.1 goalie at the moment? 

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:


I disagree strongly with that. He got the first game and when the team struggled and looked slow against Pheonix in the first game the Bruins came back with Thomas & he took the number 1 job from there and ran with it.

Rask played sporadically after that & was never given the opportunity to get in a groove even after a great performance like a November game against Florida where he shut them out. He was then rewarded with a seat on the bench again.
 
Thomas played outstanding and deserved the number 1 job last year but to make a statement that Rask had every opprtunity last season to be the number 1 guy is false.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:


I don't know. He hasn't been given the opportunity since 2009. He has played
2nd fiddle without beiing given a chance to get in a groove. It is simply hard to judge a 24 year old with superb talent when he only plays every couple of weeks. Hard to get a good picture on what he is with such a small sample size.

When that opportunity arose in 2009 he was a legitimate number 1 goalie in that season. Check out his stats. He outdueled Ryan Miller in the first round before he and the rest of the team took a step back in the 2nd series against the Flyers.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:

Gonna have to side with Newfie on this one.  I completely see his arguement and I think the other side of the arguement is more devil's advocate than anything else.  Goalie is a tough position and groove and confidence are arguably bigger factors that at any other positon.  At 22 then yes you sit and wait patiently, but at 24 with a prime-of-career contract coming up thoughts have to start creeping into his mind.  Kudos to Timmy for playing off his rocker this late in his career.  I'm glad to have him and I don't think anybody thought that last 4 year contract would have gone this well.  I think when management put that offer out there they were thinking two solid seasons from Thomas and then Rask becomes the #1 and Thomas becomes a great backup for the final two years of his contract.  Instead, Thomas continues to play the best hockey of his career.  The way he looks right now, not only will he probably remain the #1 this year, but next year as well.  If I'm Tuukka, this concerns me.

Funny that this thread is so active on the day Dupont writes about the value of having to compete for your ice.

Honestly, as a Bruins fan, my interest in what's best for Rask extends to what's best for him to be the best possible goaltender for the Bruins now and in the future - if he stays.  If it's better for Tuukka to go to Tampa because he'll go to the top of the depth chart...I don't care.  If it meant the Lightning sent Stamkos back, great - but then it's not about what's best for Tuukka.  Rask's job right now is to do what the team asks of him - to play his best hockey when between the pipes and to smile for the camera as he opens the gate the rest of the time.  If he is unhappy with that and asks for a trade, and if the Bruins don't find a trade worth considering or simply don't want to trade him, then he needs to be a professional and suck it up knowing that he's a free agent at the end of the year.  If he's really that much of a stud looking for a chance to shine, someone will offer him loony money.  If not, he'll have to put his money where his mouth is and refuse to take a pay cheque until Boston deals his negotiating rights.

In the meantime, if he wants to be a #1 goalie, he needs to play like the #1 goalie on this team.  Thomas wiped the mat with him last year.   Wake up, Rumpelstitskin.

In Response to Re: Is it only a matter of time before Tuukka asks for a trade?:


Great in theory but this isn't a video game. It isn't NHL 2012 on playstation. You are dealing with the human element and Tuukka has been sucking it up since 2009 rather then sitting on the bench pouting making every excuse in the book.

This will be an issue going forward no matter how many people try to diminish the issue. The organization has to start giving Rask more playing time or deal him to improve the team and give Rask the opportunity to move on with his career.

Obviously, if the Bs deal him they have to get fair market value. But it is simply unfair and unrealistic for an organization & a portion of the fanbase to expect a 24 yr old potential # 1 goalie to sit on the bench for multiple years & continue to play a backup role while the clock on his career continues to tick.

If the guy hasn't showed he could do the job then I would understand. But the guy put up outstanding #'s in 2009 (22-12 with a 1.97 GAA & .931 save %) when he played consistently & to use your phrase "wiped the mat with Thomas in 2009 as a 22 yr old". I realize CJ's defence first system has inflated those #'s somewhat but those are some staggering numbers similar to Thomas's last season.

If I was Tuukka's agent I would go to the Bruins front office & say "Tuukka is a FA at the end of the season. What are your plays going forward?" Given Chia's comments that may have already occurred.
 
If they don't see a different role going forward I would ask the organization to send me somewhere else where I would get an increased role so I could maximize my value in a new contract & continue my development entering my prime years.

To me that is common sense. He has played the team 1st role the past couple of seasons & has paid his dues to the organization. But if it is me, I would be getting ansy about the situation & how it is effecting my career.