dlawong
Registered User
I don't have any problem with 6 for Pelly. And I agree, wouldn't mind seeing him get a shot on the PP and see how it goes. He'd almost certainly get the puck on net more than Pully. It wasn't on the PP, but that goal he had against Boston was a laser. I also seem to remember some pretty nice end to end rushes during the playoffs as well. Still, until he can consistently prove his offensive chops (and I doubt BT will give him the freedom to do so), he is mostly one-dimensional.
With Pelech, I just think he plays conservatively and does not like to take too much risk. He knows what his role is and how he needs to play. He has capability to put up more offense numbers if needed, as he did have good assist numbers in junior. He is not going to score that much but he knows how to pass accurately. Despite being a decent skater he does not have top end speed so he prefers to stay back. He however is valuable in his role shutting down top offensive threat on opposing team and that itself has high value, especially in playoff and crucial divisional games. I think 6M per year is quite reasonable for him, but of course preferably Isles can resign him for 5.5m to help improve the cap situation. You also have to check if Isles have anyone similar to him in the system to replace him couple years down the road - can any of their top LHD be counted on to shut down opposition? Top shutdown d is actually hard to find around the NHL and most teams do not let them go until their game start to decline due to age or injuries. Yes it is also true they are generally resigned for less than top producing offensive d because when RFA contract negotiations goes to arbitration they only looked at stats, not actual game plays.
As for Pulock, he definitely has some potential not yet reached. His play this coming year can tell as I bet that he will tried exceptionally hard to prove his value on the last year of his RFA. I do think it is easier to find replacement for Pulock than Pelech though. I honestly think that if it comes down between choosing between these two, I will personally favor Pelech because I think he is the smarter player of the two and puck management decision is one of the most important tool for defenseman, besides skating and puck handling. Lou however may have a total different perspective and may value Pulock higher than Pelech.
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