If it was wrong to feel good seeing Kyle Wellwood score against the Maple Leafs on Saturday night, well, I don't want to be right.
I was genuinely happy for the guy. Way to stick it back to the Leafs, the franchise who so ceremoniously dumped him last summer.
I know, I know. He's fat, and the Vancouver Canucks waived him too. Be that as it may. Say what you want about him and show me pictures of his gut, but he's got seven goals in 12 games to lead the Canucks, and two of them have been game winners.
Knowing Wellwood, he could be back in the minors by January. He may yet turn out to be a bust. But I still don't quite understand the logic of cutting loose a 25-year-old who has produced offensively at every level he's ever played at.
It's asset management. If the guy needs work, you work on him. You fix his eating habits. You get him on the God damn exercise bike. You cook every meal for him if you have to. You send him to the minors. You do anything you can. But you don't release him and let him walk away for nothing.
Wellwood surely has his faults, but I would have loved for Ron Wilson to have had a go at him. Monsieur Wilson has done quite the job with Mr. Stajan, wouldn't you agree?
Keep proving 'em wrong, Kyle.
11 comments:
But Wilson hasn't been able to work such magic with Steen. Alas can't win em all.
Wellwood only has 2 assists at the moment and his bread and butter is suppose to be his playmaking skills.
His shooting percentage is currently up in the mid 30's and I don't think he keeps it up.
Now as for feeling happy for the guy, I am with ya there. I always liked Wellwood and I hope it can make it, but people giving The Silver Fox trouble for releasing Wellwood are along the same lines as people giving JP shit for getting rid of Hinske in my eyes.
It's asset management. If the guy needs work, you work on him. You fix his eating habits. You get him on the God damn exercise bike. You cook every meal for him if you have to. You send him to the minors. You do anything you can.
They did that last year. And he went off for the summer and got fat again.
He needed some tough love. The Leafs gave it to him, and if it woke him up then more power to him. But he was never going to be anything with the Leafs.
fat joke - the guy wears his waste size for a jersey number...
i'm with DGB on this one. His career would be over if he stayed in TO. Getting picked up by VAN off waivers didn't shake him to his sense. It was NOT getting picked up on re-entry that probably gave him a wake up call...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3J2Gwuyvn0
I am happy for Wellwood and his current early season success too.
It is always smart to keep young players who have proven themselves and been successful at every level they have played. But...as Barbara Miller from Entourage once said, "A .400 hitter in the minors doesn't always hit that way in the majors." That wasn't the exact quote/words but you get my point.
Also, lets think about the off-ice side and why he might not have produced in Toronto.
As we all know, Toronto is the mecca of hockey. Every move this team makes from the dude who wipes the equipment down to the players (Wellwood) is scrutinized to the smallest detail.
Wellwood might have just felt uneasy being in the market of all hockey markets.
I am not making an excuse for him but it does seem he has the ability to play in the NHL with the big boys, 8pts in 12 games isn't bad.
On The Fence Sports
@ Johnny: You're absolutely right about Steen. It's not going to work with anyone. But all I wanted was a chance for Wilson to work on Welly. And, honestly, I think harping on his assist total is meaningless. He's contributing. That's all that matters. And I wouldn't compare Wellwood to Hinske. No way. Hinske is garbage. I think Wellwood has a bright future. It was clear after Hinske's one good season that he was garbage. Wellwood has been derailed by injuries as much as his shitty attitude.
@ DGB: The Leafs didn't send Wellwood to the minors. Why not? Why couldn't Welly have played with the Marlies this year? He's not even making that much money. Asset management would have been keeping him in the minors if he didn't do what he was told. You don't know what he would have been with the Leafs. It's ludicrous to suggest that you do. This guy was penciled in as the number two centre. He's not big on conditioning, and he was dealing with back to back abdominal surgeries, which are tough to come back from. Yet we cut bait. It doesn't make sense. All I wanted was for a chance for Wilson to work with him, especially in a rebuilding year.
@ Blurr: That 42 joke was pretty good.
@ showcase29: That is, arguably, the greatest Fresh Prince of Belair clip. Ever.
@ On The Fence: I think you make a good point about the scrutiny playing in Toronto, but I don't doubt that Wellwood could have succeeded here. He had a fantastic rookie season. And you're right, he's got the ability. I hope he proves the Leafs, and all the Wellwood haters, dead wrong.
Elliptical exercise machines are exercise machines that a person uses to simulate the walking or running motions of their legs and feet without moving in space and with minimal impact on the joints of the feet and legs. And exercise bike are best for joints of the feet and legs.
Really? You couldn't find a different picture than that? No, no, that's fine. I see how it is.
Oh, Nav, for Christ's sake! You're not on THIS again, are you?
Greener, he's got 8 goals in 14 games. Not too shabby! I want nothing more than for Wellwood to do extremely well, and make the Leafs look like the idiots they were to release him.
You don't cut a 25 year old offensively gifted forward. You work on him. You fix what ails him.
His shooting percentage will not stay up but he may score 20 or 25. Not bad at all!
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