Tootoo is the type of player that Qeunneville just loves. A grinder per se, although not really. Tootoo has already played in 23 games this year (out of 30), and has yet to record a point. But production isn’t why Quenneville likes the Tootoo like player, he likes him for the physicality and tenancity he is supposed to bring to the game. So how was that manifested so far this season? Well, Tootoo has averaged 0.8 hits per game. That is not leading the team, and in fact, only puts him as 9th highest on the team. So much for physicality. On top of this, Tootoo has racked up 16 penalty minutes (4th most on the team) so far this season, which almost certainly has cost us a goal. I’m not sure what he brings to this team then, as he doesn’t score, doesn’t play on the penalty kill, hits at a moderate rate, and takes penalties. Quenneville always makes sure to have on useless “grinder” in the lineup at all times.
Brandon Mashinter
Another “grinder”, another member of Quenneville’s Cronies. Like Tootoo, Mashinter is supposed to bring things like physicality, grit, and edge to our lineup. I don’t disagree that the Hawks could use a little of this in the lineup, but it doesn’t have to come from a person who doesn’t bring anything else to the table. For example, a player like Andrew Shaw (RIP) or Ryan Hartman both bring tenacity, grit, and physicality to the lineup as well as being valuable point producers. Mash put up an appalling 5 points through 41 games last season. In fact, he only recorded 23 shots in all 41 games, yikes. To those huge 5 points, he added 23 penalty minutes, and 1.5 hits per game. This makes him a bit more productive and physical than Tootoo, but he routinely took time away from other young players who have a higher ceiling than him, the modus operandi of a Quenneville Crony.
Bryan Bickel
Man, did Quenneville ever seem to love Bickel. Again, Bickel is supposed to fit that role of a big physical player, but he had the upside of having some scoring touch. Bickel definitely deserved to have more playing time than Tootoo or Mashinter do, although he seemed to take up more ice time than he deserved, especially for the high skill style of hockey the hawks are built around. Bickel never really seemed to bring the body despite being quite massive. He was a guy who was supposed to get to the front of the net and create traffic, but wasn’t always so successful at that. Quenneville stuck with him when his production really suffered, showing loyalty if nothing else.
Trevor van Riemsdyk
The next man up in Quenneville’s Cronies is TVR, a young d-man with what seems like a low ceiling. TVR has an immaculate ability to find himself out of position, and then is lacking the speed to make up for his mistakes. He is relatively small, and not a very physical player. This level of play might be dismissed if he were added a lot on the offensive end, but in 82 games last year he put up a paltry 14 points, and a -11 rating. Last year we were short on defensemen, so we may have needed him, although he routinely found his name in the lineup over, in my opinion, a better defenseman with greater potential in Erik Gustafsson. Gustafsson put up 14 points in half as many games as TVR while playing as a +11. Plus, with more time in the NHL, Gustafsson has a lot more potential than TVR. Yet, Q always comes back to him. This year, a similar situation has played out. TVR has only played in six games, although he was out for a huge stretch this season. He has seen his name in the lineup over guys like Michael Kempny and Gustav Forsling. We may never know why Q likes this guy so much, but you can expect him to remain a common name in a crowded blue line.
