Game 78: Canucks @ Jets

[The Unknown Poster]

The only legit defenseman this team has is Trouba, then a bunch of semi capable backups.

WTF are you talking about?

Yup. That's a credibility-killing statement.

[Mark F]

I don't know what it is, some players not good enough?  or maybe they've just run out of gas?

 

but, two on none breakaways, one man breakaways, no defence in the last three minutes, winning goals against the jets with 25 seconds left in the game, collapse when it really matters, etc. You don't have to be a great

 

hockey mind to know that the defence is not doing well.

 

One would think that the players must have something to do with that don't they?

[Goalie]

There is lots more to playing good d then just having good d men. It's a team concept really. Only 2 d men on the ice. The 3 forwards need to help out too. Yesterday forwards had chances to clear the puck lots of times but didn't

[Ducky]

Chiarot is average but Myers And Toby are legit. Trouba has struggled. Stu and Chiarot would be a good 3rd pair tho but that's about it.

[Noeller]

Forgot about Myers...my bad. Myers is probably the best dman. But if other teams are looking to trade for a Jets D, the conversation begins and ends with Trouba (...or Myers). I'm not taking anything away from those other guys, but the real point is that Jets fans seriously overrate their players, especially on D.

[SPuDS]

The only legit defenseman this team has is Trouba, then a bunch of semi capable backups. Byfuglien is more a utility guy than a straight up defenseman. The tenders have to do a lot more work than they should have...

[Ducky]

"They’ve got Buff (Dustin Byfuglien), (Tyler) Myers and (Jacob) Trouba on the right side. And, I think, (Toby) Enstrom is an elite player," said Babcock. "That’s a pretty good back end."

 

Babcock seems to think Toby isn't not too bad...

[The Unknown Poster]

Tony takes flak because he generally goes about his job quietly. You never hear about him which means he's doing his job and then when he makes a bad okay it has a bad game as all players do suddenly its "trade Toby".

He's a top pairing D on most teams. He's our best LHD by a very wide margin.

And he does this being half the size of everyone else. Everything he's got in this business he's had to change minds.

Toby will be here many years

[Mr Dee]

Toby...or not Toby. That is not the question.

Enstrom is a quiet but efficient D-man. The kind any team would like to have on their roster.

Jets 1.0 - Teppo Numminen

Jets 2.0 - Toby Enstrom

I hope he's on the team for long, long time.

[SPuDS]

Toby...or not Toby. That is not the question.

Enstrom is a quiet but efficient D-man. The kind any team would like to have on their roster.

Jets 1.0 - Teppo Numminen

Jets 2.0 - Toby Enstrom

I hope he's on the team for long, long time.

Or smaller Phil housley..

[Noeller]

For what it's worth, I'm a huge Toby Enstrom fan....and I'm a big fan of everything Byfuglien does, aside from when he tries to play defense. But I also stand by all previous statements. If Myers is as rejuvinated as he appears, then he's lethal, and could be in the mold of Pronger, Niedermayer, etc, and lord knows Trouba has a massively high ceiling, but from there.......it's a pretty steep fall. 

[The Unknown Poster]

The thing about fans like us who go on forums to discuss hockey, we're the group that loves this to a hardcore degree and our emotions rise and fall with the team.  Its easy to see when looking at Buff this season.  he literally went from being considered trade bait a great forward to a Norris contender on D to the most unique and valuable hybrid player to being a bum on D and people wanting him on forward again and finally now to "trade him". 

 

When a player plays great we annoint him King.  When a player has a bad game, sometimes just a bad shift, we want him run out of town.  Balance is the key.

 

To me, our RHD is among the best in the league.  Could be the best.  The key is getting minutes for all of them.  I almost think thats more important than money right now because of Myers contract which will pay him less cash then his cap hit and arguably a lot less cash than he deserves, plus if Morrissey can make the team it means we are saving money on the LHD to use on the RHD.

 

My concern is them trying to shoehorn a RHD onto the left side.  If it works, great, it means we have an elite top four.  But if its just to keep players happy, maybe we do need to cut our losses, trade a RHD and move on.  We could easily get a second pairing LHD and a quality bottom pairing RHD plus for any of our current RHD in a trade.

[Jpan85]

You need two A level D to win a cup in this league. Myers and Trouba can be those two. Then need really solid 4 guys around them Buff Stuart Chiroit and Enstrom is a pretty good solid 4.

[Ducky]

For what it's worth, I'm a huge Toby Enstrom fan....and I'm a big fan of everything Byfuglien does, aside from when he tries to play defense. But I also stand by all previous statements. If Myers is as rejuvinated as he appears, then he's lethal, and could be in the mold of Pronger, Niedermayer, etc, and lord knows Trouba has a massively high ceiling, but from there.......it's a pretty steep fall. 

Myers has never had and will never have the nastiness Pronger has/had. I'm not taking anything away from him but his nastiness level is closer to Dave Babych's than Chris Pronger's.

[The Unknown Poster]

Myers is more beauty than beast but seems to have rediscovered his game here.  If Trouba was a LHD, I could see that being our top pairing for many years to come.  Trouba will bring the nasty when required.  The idea of Buff on LHD paired with Myers has me most curious but I doubt we ever see it (though it;s a great pairing in NHL15)

[Brandon]

Myers has more points in less then half the games he played in Buffalo and is at a +8 I believe.... the guy really has turned it around with this club.   Same goes for Stafford and even Stempniak...  all 3 guys are additions that really work in our system. 

[The Unknown Poster]

Myers has more points in less then half the games he played in Buffalo and is at a +8 I believe.... the guy really has turned it around with this club.   Same goes for Stafford and even Stempniak...  all 3 guys are additions that really work in our system. 

[Goalie]

I think stafford and Stempniak are more likely to sign than Frolik at this point

[The Unknown Poster]

if Frolik holds us up for money, I wont fault Chevy for walking away.  Especially if he can resign Stafford and to a lesser extent Stemp.  With Frolik the right side looks like:

 

Wheeler

Stafford

Frolik

Thorburn

 

Frolik wants top six money for a third line role.  And yes he plays special teams and yes he can move up in injury but most teams have to move up their 3rd line guys in the event of injury.  If Stafford stays, there might be cheaper options, like Stemp and/or Armia

 

A third line of Stemp/Lowry/Armia might not be too bad.  There will be other bottom six options too.