Player Discussion: BIG Adam Lowry

[MardyBum]

For the love of christ go take this to the Lowry thread

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

For the love of christ go take this to the Lowry thread

Wait, what thread is this? Not Lowry?

 

[Whileee]

Well not right now with the roster that the Jets have. But if the Jets would manage to get one more skilled quality center, it would be really good to have three real scoring lines and then Lowry’s shutdown line. I think that would kind of make Lowry’s line a 4th line. But definitely not in all situations, as the shutdown line could need to play in some games very much against some more offensively skilled teams.

But really, does anyone seriously believe that Lowry is offensively a good third line center for a team that is supposed to be a real Stanley Cup contender? I would say definitely not.

I'll take a defensively elite third line C that outscores top opposition over a higher scoring option that gives up more than he scores. You win by outscoring the opposition, and Lowry has been doing that consistently this season, while facing top 6 match-ups.

 

[Ippenator]

I'll take a defensively elite third line C that outscores top opposition over a higher scoring option that gives up more than he scores. You win by outscoring the opposition, and Lowry has been doing that consistently this season, while facing top 6 match-ups.

Get the roles right for each of your three scoring line’s players and you will not have to focus so much into turtling. I believe way more in very active and more offensively skilled hockey that focuses in very good and quick passing game and using great shooting and great goal scoring skills as much as possible. Sure you need to have some balance with defending too. But honestly many people still overemphasize the meaning of defence at the cost of having really better lines offensively AND defensively.

By being too defensively focused you can give the opponents too much of the initiative in play. I take rather a team that has only one shutdown line and offensively three very good lines that are also balanced enough defensively than a team with only two well working offensive scoring lines and two lines that are more like defensively focused shutdown lines and offensively pretty much meh.

Goals and scoring should be still always the most important things in hockey. Score them clearly more than your opponents do, and your gonna be good, and at the same time much more fun to watch than some nihilistic teams that live by the philosophy of just defending so that they can score often just one more goal than the opponent.

I choose every time the previous option if both ways anyway lead into winning most of your games. Too much defensive focus makes hockey an immensely boring chess kind of a sport and I at least honestly have much better things to do than watch a sport that would be turning into that. Thank God the Jets have that much offensive power in the first two lines that they definitely can’t be called boring, although Maurice’s approach can be pretty nihilistic often, and as some people might know here, I’m not that happy about his coaching, although I can’t of course deny that the results have been very good so far this season.

But a big reason for doing so well so far this season is of course Helle’s play. And also important factors have been getting Myers and Kulikov for the whole season so far and thankfully missing Buff for quite many games. The more Buff will miss games, the better it will really be for the Jets. Simply less of stupid mistakes and penalties, and more ice time and confidence for the other smarter defencemen.

I’m not against good and smart defending that still has it’s focus in helping to have as quick and well supported offence as possible. But the very passively built turtling style with constant dump and chase is kind of a cancer to hockey in general, and that I seriously want to see as little as possible.

 

[Maukkis]

Here we go, boys. The secret is out.

 

[ulf]

Very difficult to ice a team with 3 lines capable of playing against Mcdavid or Stamkos. Enter Lowry who is capable of defending against players like that so his "4th line" status becomes 1st line minutes most nights. Preventing goals is more important on a team like the Jets that can score goals more easily.

 

[powder88]

So here's the big question...what do you give him for a contract this summer? Usually you don't go long term for a third line centre, but the organization loves him and there is no question he is one of the top defensive centres in the league. So what is a 30-point shutdown centre worth? 6 years at $3 million AAV?

 

[Maukkis]

So here's the big question...what do you give him for a contract this summer? Usually you don't go long term for a third line centre, but the organization loves him and there is no question he is one of the top defensive centres in the league. So what is a 30-point shutdown centre worth? 6 years at $3 million AAV?

Look at Shaw, Cizikas etc. to find the ballpark for his next deal. I have no doubt in my mind that Chevy will do his hardest to lock him up long-term, which would be good, but is this year an anomaly or not? That's a big question.

I'd aim at 5x3.5. His offensive production should not warrant much more than that, but then again, that is not what you pay him for.

 

[Joe Hallenback]

If you can lock Lowry up for 5 years at less the 3.5 per year you do it and be happy about it.

Him and Copp out there together just ate up Kucherov's line. The advantage of home ice and that line is so big for us right now. Honestly we might be thankful that those guys are not more prolific at scoring because they might cost us too much and we would have to let them go

 

[Whileee]

If you can lock Lowry up for 5 years at less the 3.5 per year you do it and be happy about it.

Him and Copp out there together just ate up Kucherov's line. The advantage of home ice and that line is so big for us right now. Honestly we might be thankful that those guys are not more prolific at scoring because they might cost us too much and we would have to let them go

Lowry and Copp are really underrated contributors for the Jets. They are so fundamentally strong on D, and really disrupt other teams in their own zone. You don't need to score a ton, you just need to outscore the opposition. If you can do that while facing top competition and being buried in your own zone for starts, that's huge.

 

[Saidin]

I'll never forget the Flyers game at home this year. The Giroux line was eating the Schief's line. Mo changed it so Lowry line was against them later in the game. Totally neutralized them the rest of the game and we won!

 

[Whileee]

Also, for those who tend to downplay size, if you ever watch Lowry closely you'll note how he uses his reach very effectively to disrupt plays and cut off passing lanes. That extra reach can really be an asset if used effectively, as he does. In high-level basketball scouts and coaches really place high value on players with extra "wingspan", mostly for their ability to give that extra coverage defensively on passing lanes (and shot attempts, of course). The same operates in hockey.

 

[Maukkis]

Also, for those who tend to downplay size, if you ever watch Lowry closely you'll note how he uses his reach very effectively to disrupt plays and cut off passing lanes. That extra reach can really be an asset if used effectively, as he does. In high-level basketball scouts and coaches really place high value on players with extra "wingspan", mostly for their ability to give that extra coverage defensively on passing lanes (and shot attempts, of course). The same operates in hockey.

I've noticed this too. It is noticeable how well he intercepts breakout passes in the neutral zone, and he uses his reach to his advantage on the forecheck as well. Moreover, as a 6'5" guy who is willing to play a very physical game, Lowry can do serious damage and wear out opponents. Also, we should not forget his strength, which helps along the boards where his line really does excel; all members of CLA are simply magnificent at freezing the game there and coming out of puck battles with the puck. Those are among the many reasons why Lowry has been so effective.

Honestly, Lowry is a defensive juggernaut.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Look at Shaw, Cizikas etc. to find the ballpark for his next deal. I have no doubt in my mind that Chevy will do his hardest to lock him up long-term, which would be good, but is this year an anomaly or not? That's a big question.

I'd aim at 5x3.5. His offensive production should not warrant much more than that, but then again, that is not what you pay him for.

Don't know why you'd even ask (the bolded). He's either been like this or trending towards this for the previous 2 seasons.

I think it will be 5-6 years, about 3.5 mil, maybe 3.75

 

[grieves]

I agree, size is not only "being big", it is also having reach.

Lowry is great, and a really sexy man to boot.

 

[Maukkis]

Don't know why you'd even ask (the bolded). He's either been like this or trending towards this for the previous 2 seasons.

I think it will be 5-6 years, about 3.5 mil, maybe 3.75

Contract year, a drastic improvement in play... what could go wrong?

Admittedly, young players carry less risk in that regard, but still...

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Contract year, a drastic improvement in play... what could go wrong?

Admittedly, young players carry less risk in that regard, but still...

My point is that there is no drastic improvement in play. Only a drastic increase in being noticed around the league, an improvement in the play of his linemates and an incremental increase in his scoring - which may be due to the improvement by his linemates as much as anything else.

 

[Huffer]

I've been a big fan of Lowry from the get go. When he first joined I posted that I hoped he could turn into our own Joel Otto with less scoring (because scoring numbers in the 80's was high). I think from the defensive and face-off perspective he has really turned into exactly that. Our own Joel Otto. A 6'5" dominant checking centre, who can also chip in offensively.

One thing is for sure though, this thread needs more Gump Hasek.

 

[Gm0ney]

Lowry's been great - I was skeptical about the apparent plan to build the team out from 3C but if this is the result then, well, hey, I stand corrected. That 3rd line has been a calming presence and I think a big part of why the team has managed to lock games down this year.

(Fancy) Statisically, as was noted above, Lowry's been jaw-dropping: Leads the league for forwards in CA/60 (45.7 - Bergeron is 5th with a 49.24). He leads all forwards in HDCA/60 as well (which you might expect from his defensive heatmap) with a 6.66. (Bergeron is 202nd with a 10.56). Anyway, these are lockdown numbers you'd expect from the checkers on the Sutter-coached LA Kings of yore.

Unfortunately, Lowry doesn't score enough to be a serious consideration for the Selke...but defensively he's running away with it this year.

 

[TannedBum]

Lowry, my second favorite after Armia. I agree on that "drastic improvement" horse shit. He has been good and very consistent, and annoingly undervalued for the last two and a half years.

 

[Gm0ney]

Lowry, my second favorite after Armia. I agree on that "drastic improvement" horse ****. He has been good and very consistent, and annoingly undervalued for the last two and a half years.

He certainly wasn't this dominant last year. He was ok, as far as 3rd liners go, but nothing remarkable. He's been on a totally different level this season.

 

[larmex99]

I agree, size is not only "being big", it is also having reach.

Lowry is great, and a really sexy man to boot.

You are killing it today Grieves!

 

[Maukkis]

https://www.naturalstattrick.com/pl...&sit=5v5&stdoi=oi&rate=y&v=p&playerid=8476392

For those who are interested in details, you can find some very handy statistics from Natural Stat Trick. It allows for an easy comparison between his efforts from last year and his current play. For the lazy ones, here's a spoiler that really is not one: Lowry has improved on the basis of practically every stat that is shown on that site.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

He certainly wasn't this dominant last year. He was ok, as far as 3rd liners go, but nothing remarkable. He's been on a totally different level this season.

How much of that is the difference between Matthias and Copp? He lost Armia for much of this year but Tanev also helped, just in a totally different style. He has also had a better D pair behind him much of this year. That also helps.

I don't see any difference between Lowry last year and this year as an individual. Team play is better this year. He is part of that but also benefiting from that.

 

[Ducky10]

How much of that is the difference between Matthias and Copp? He lost Armia for much of this year but Tanev also helped, just in a totally different style. He has also had a better D pair behind him much of this year. That also helps.

I don't see any difference between Lowry last year and this year as an individual. Team play is better this year. He is part of that but also benefiting from that.

I think Lowry has gained a bit of a step this year from last and has also been much better at driving play and gaining the zone with control. Also think he has been better with his positioning to start the breakout than last season. A lot of little things he's been doing better is the difference I see.